Scavenging: Continued

[~ T r i s s c a r ~]

OOC: If I wasn't supposed to continue this here or whatever...um...delete it...or...something...

IC:
The black fox-dog looked at Valentina, then back at his Ridgeback friend. A very faint smile flickered across his face, yet his ears flattened against his dark skull as she told him he was wounded. A growl rumbling on in his throat, yet one that was not quite audible, he watched her gaze fly to something in the abyss of the alley.

A wolven scent filled his nostrils, and he turned his head quickly, watching with wide indigo orbs. Watching her run off and order them to go on, his mouth gaped. The renard felt a slight indignanty filling up inside of him. He looked at Aphrodites, meeting her brown gaze. His dark eyes filled an apologetic quality, and he raced off without a word to where the two ran off.

~~~

The tall, ebony shape slowed as he entered the familiar land of the park. He saw a crimson shape on the lake, the great wolf watching on as Valentina stood on the ice. Swift as a fox, Espio made an arc so he was approaching the half wolf...yet he was trying to stay out of Jaegar's sight. However, he was in plain view to Val as he glanced at her, his dark shrouded features open to reveal fear and rage.

He took a step forward, but once again his movement was accompianied by a jolt of pain that coursed up his long black limb, into his shoulders and up his neck. Inhaling sharply with the anquish, his gaze swept to the wolf to see if he was noticed.

OOC: Poor Espio... He wants so badly to help...

[.::Tyrant::.]

ooc: Bringing Aphro! And Tyran'ts gunna hear the howl.

[.::Tyrant::.]

Aphro had watched with horror the fight between Jaegar and Valentina, frozen to the spot, unable to help. As soon as she had seen the wolf, she had thrown herself before Espio, determined not to have him hurt.

Valentina fled, and Aphro turned to Espio. She was surprised to find that his expression mirrored hers exactly, and opened her mouth in surpise. He was crazy! He coudln't go after Val, not in his state!

But he was already gone. Aphrodites barked after him, her eyes wide. When he did not return, she leapt forwards, bounding out of the alley, leaving the bag of food behind her. An image of it being torn apart by hungry scavengers flitted briefly before her eyes, but she dismissed it. There was always more food to find. There wasn't another Espio, or Valentina.

The female leapt easily over the fence surrounding the park and followed three sets of footsteps to the lake, her heart in her mouth. She skidded to a brief stop as the dark form of Jaegar entered herline of vision, then veered to the right and continued at a gallop, chasing after Espio.

"Espio Stop!" The rhodesion ridgeback cried. She had seen Valentina on the ice, had realised the female's position, but Espio was in more imminant danger. He was injured! He could not possibley survive if he went out onto that ice.

Aphro threw herself at him, her auburn form crashing into his onyx one. She didn't care if it hurt, he was being a fool! She would not let him die to preserve his honour. There had to be another way of rescuing Val!

[.::Tyrant::.]

There was another way.

Leaping through the undergrowth came Tyrant, his lips drawn back in a snarl, his eyes blazing. His claws tore great chunks of snow away from the ground, throwing them carelessly behind him. The ridge of fur that ran the length of his back stood on end, bristling dangerously.

Jaegar came into view before him, and Tyrant released a deep, rumbling bark of anger. He looked past the wolf, still running, to see a familiar cream and crimson she-dog, stranded in the middle of the ice covered lake.

"Val!" Tyrant barked, flying past Jaegar, onto the ice. His large paws skidded clumsily, and he tumbled onto his side, rocketing towards his mate.

He reached her just as his momentum ran out, and scrambled to his feet, relief clear in his eyes. Pressing himself against her, Tyrant's features relaxed slightly. She was safe, for now, and that was all that mattered.

"We have to get away!" Tyrant said hurriedly, leaning back from the husky, horribley consious of the wolf waiting for them at the edge of the lake.

[~ T r i s s c a r ~]

The ebony dog didn't take another step when he heard Aphrodite's call as she barreled into him. Crashing to the side, he lay still in the snow, closing his eyes tightly but well aware of the pretty Ridgeback there. Wearily he lifted his head and growled softly.

"Give me one good reason for me to stop."

His voice was darker than ever, free of emotion and serious. His eyes blazed with indigo fire as he glared at his friend...then they softened. With the fur along his side still bristling, he stood up and winced at the pain that filled him again. He squinted but his masked orbs did not show it.

Espio's large ears pricked as he saw Tyrant bounding toward the lake, skidding out onto the ice. Taking another step forward, he began advancing toward the Top Dog and Lieutinant.

His fur prickled uncomfortably, and he glanced at Aphro again. Spinning, he bounded toward her in one leap, and gave her a swift lick on the maw, before whipping around again and heading toward the sheet of ice. He felt the cold on his pads as he stepped cautiously forward. Even if his lean frame was packed with muscles he was built a bit light, so he didn't indanger himself or his friends by adding his weight to the freezing carpet.

Espio's ears swiveled toward Jaegar, and he turned slowly. Horrible realization creeped in. The two dogs, the ones most important to the gang, wouldn't be able to get off of the lake unless the wolf was led away. However now he kept still, lifting his head to stare up at Tyrant and Valentina, panting slightly but staying silent.

[.::Tyrant::.]

Aphro recoiled at Espio's dark tone, hurt. Even as his eyes softened, her features did not relax completely. Her muscles were tense, her brow furrowed. He was about to do something stupid... she just knew it.

Aphro watched with disapointed eyes as Espio began onto the ice. She made to step after him, her eyes on his injuries, opened her mouth to call him back. To her relief, she didn't have to speak. He turned and bounded back to her, as if he could read her mind. His lick was warm, and Aphro closed her eyes for a minute, brief relief flooding her.

When she opened them, Espio was gone. The ridgeback's eyes widened, and she cursed herself savagely, leaping after the injured cross-breed.

She overtook him and skidded around in front of him, hackles bristling.

"Espio, get back to the bank. You can't help them if you get killed, or if you're also stranded out on the ice. Get back now, Espio, or I'll drag you back."

She meant every word. Her eyes blazing, Aphro took a step towards the dark dog, teeth bared, attempting to push him back to shore.

[~ T r i s s c a r ~]

The fox-dog edged closer to the pair, when an auburn shape exploded in front of him. His hackles rose as she spoke, drawing back his lips slightly... But it all made sense.

He looked back at the two stranded dogs on the ice, wanting to save them from Jaegar... Yet he listened to Aphrodites.

"Okay," he growled, making his way back to the bank slowly. His ears swiveled back toward her as he walked, nearly slipping a few times but always catching himself just in time.

Pulling himself up onto the snow-covered bank, he looked back at Aphro to see if she had followed him up. He sighed, understanding it all. Just as he didn't want her to get injured, she didn't want him to, either. Changed for the moment, Espio lowered his head, gazing at the ground, defeated.

OOC: I have no muse for Espio right now...grr...

[.::Tyrant::.]

Aphro was taken aback as she heard Espio's 'Okay.' She blinked, sure she'd misheard. She had been certain the black dox-dog would have put up a fight, had actually thought she would have to physically drag him back to solid ground. But he turned of his own free will, sliding away from the center of the ice. Aphro glanced over her shoulder to see Valentina and Tyrant huddled together, made smaller by perspective. Her heart leapt into her throat, and she shivered as her brown eyes then glided to where Jaegar stood, a dark, intimidating shadow, unaware, hopefully, of her and Espio's presence. Luckily, there short scuffles on the ice had been hidden by a sharpe curve in the shore line, where the foliage venture right up to the water's edge.

Turning back, Aphro noticed that Espio was a way in front of her. She hurried to catch up with him, then slowed suddenly. What if he was up to something? Frowning, Aphro tensed her muscles, her gait becoming smooth and cautious; a prowl, the grace of which was ruined slightly by the gripless ice beneath her auburn paws. Her eyes harboured a careful expression, and her muscles twitched strangely, ready to propell her to either side if Espio made another attempt to rescue the stranded couple Aphro was slowly sliding away from.

The black brute reached the bank, and Aphrodites increased her pace. She placed herself squarely between him and the frozen water's edge, and only then did she allow her features to soften. Absorbing his appearance, Aphrodites noticed that Espio's demeanor had changed. She frowned, a worried expression flitting across her features. Her concern was ironic, for only a momet ago she had been encouraging the dog to calm down. But one could not help one's emotions, and seeing Espio look so defeated caused Aphro's heart to swell with emotion.

Reaching forwards, she chucked him lightly under the chin with her chestnut muzzle, then met his dark, cobalt eyes.

"Don't worry. We'll get them out of this. I just didn't want you to get hurt." Aphro murmered, her voice sincere, her face sombre. She lowered her muzzle to nuzzle his shoulder and shifted towards him slightly, as if worried that he would disapear.

[~ T r i s s c a r ~]

The German Shepherd fox cross watched Aphro pad up to him, suspicious. She plopped down in front of him and a worried look flickered over her features. He sighed again, forcing himself to meet her gaze.

As her maw bumped into his he stared again, ears swiveling forward to listen. Espio heard the femmes words and his tall ebon ears flattened again. How? How could we save them? he pondered. It seemed impossible...unless there was another disctraction...

No. That's what got Valentina into trouble. It would only make things worse, he told himself firmly.

Aphrodites leaned forward, nuzzling his shoulder and coming closer. His dark sapphire eyes widened, then softened. The fox-dog's muzzle brushed against the top of her skull and rested on it very lightly.

He voiced his thoughts, murmuring into her lop ear. "How can we help...?"

[Valentina]

The husky let out a pained cry of joy when she saw her mate appear, although her heart remained in her throat when she saw Jaegar's head turn from her to him, and she thought for an instant he would go after Tyrant before he could it to the ice, but Jaegar seemed either paralyzed or too focused on Valentina. His feet remained in place but a loud snarl echoed across the frozen lake.

She leaped over Tyrant as he came sliding toward her on the ice, to keep from colliding with him, but her legs splayed beneath her anyway when she landed on the ice again. Too overcome to care just from seeing him, she laughed it off then threw herself at him, to nuzzle every bit of him she could reach without falling again.

"I'm so glad you're here!" she whispered, but then straightened and some form of self-control came over her, and she stood tall with her tail arched over back. She looked at him seriously, flicking her eyes to Espio and Aphro, clearly struggling on the bank. Her eyes traced between them and Jaegar not fifty yards away.

"Oh god," she said under her breath. "If he sees them..." The scarlet fae then set about a series of motions involving trying to get Aphro and Espio's attention by standing behind Tyrant so that Jaegar could not see her and the pair on the shore could, cocking her head at them trying to say to go back, and waving her paw viscously in the direction of the Hollow.

Just then a piercing howl rang out across the ice, full of pain and borderline screaming. Valentina's head whipped around, her eyes pin-pointing the source of the cry, and she saw that Jaegar was no longer alone. He was now back-to of the shore, apparently having heard the rapid footfalls behind him and turned to greet his pursuer.

Laion had attempted sneaking up on his old friend from behind, but when he came within fifteen feet of Jaegar's turned back, he saw the wolf's ears prick, and he cursed the snow that crunched loudly beneath his enormous paws.

He closed the distance between them in two seconds, enough for Jaegar to half-turn around to meet him and lay one blazing blood-shot on the smaller wolf before Laion attacked. He leaped for the throat, aiming to sink his teeth again into the gaping hole and tear it further, but Jaegar pressed his head against his shoulder and Laion had to avert his course to avoid getting Jaegar's gaping jaws in the face.

Laion sunk his fangs into Jaegar's shoulder, and jumped back, tearing a mouthful of the large skin away with him. As his maw had met with the other wolf's shoulder however, Jaegar had cocked his head even more to the side somehow and dragged an enormous fang from just above Laion's left eye all the way back to next to his ear. Jaegar screamed in pain and Laion felt the warm blood flow over his face, and the live flesh in his mouth, and he felt his mind blur a little, suddenly every ounce of him alive like he'd never been before. He forgot why he was here or where he was; all that mattered any more was the kill.

He grinned savagely, his blue eyes crazy and alive with a wild fire. He spit out the contents of his mouth and shouldered the other male again before he could recover, and then his sister's voice brought him back to his senses, as if she had slapped him. The two wolves jumped apart, their eyes settling on the husky bolting at them from the middle of the lake. Laion felt his thoughts return to him, and he braced himself, and he screamed "NO! Get BACK, Valentina! Stay where you are!" She came to a skidding halt and looked on coldly, standing on her tip-toes and unsure what to do.

Satisfied that she remained out of danger, Laion slashed the side of Jaegar's face with his paw, doing more damage with the sheer power behind it than the actual claws. Jaegar snarled and his attention was brought back to the smaller wolf, just in time to see his retreating hindquarters flying over the frozen white ground toward the forest on the far side. Laion looked over his shoulder and saw that Jaegar had taken chase, and he smiled, satisfied. As he entered the woods and crashed through the brush, he let out a long, sad howl, powerful and loud even though he was moving so rapidly.

Valentina recognized this howl for what it was; a good-bye. Tears welled in her eyes and she shouted, "Oh no you DON'T go dying on me!" She looked back at Tyrant in the middle of the lake, blinking back tears and her thick plume sweeping the surface of the powder-covered ice.

Abruptly she turned and fled in the direction they had run, hoping her mate understood. Laion was being a diversion just as she had, and he no longer cared at this point if he died so long as the others lived. The two brujos both left enormous tracks of blood, and she thought numbly of all the injuries Laion had. Jaegar was running on something other than blood at this point, and Valentina shivered at this thought. How long could they last? She would do everything in her power to keep her brother alive, but she couldn't deny the feeling of ice water that surrounded her heart the second she plunged into the underbrush.

[.::Tyrant::.]

ooc: I'll post meh puppies once you've finished, Val. Also, could you PM me with updates... LMAO. Like, what's gonna happen now with Laion and junk. ^^

[.::Tyrant::.]

Laion attacked quickly, and Valentina was gone from Tyrant's side before he had really registered what was going on. Her red and white coat caught his eye, and he started suddenly, as if an electric current had shot through him. His chocolate eyes hardened once more, and he rushed after her, slipping clumsily over the slippery ice. Laion's screamed words stopped Valentina for a moment, and relief coursed through the Top Dog. But before he could manouver his heavy body - definately not built for life on the ice - into a position to prevent his mate from starting off again, she was gone. Tyrant cursed under his breath, catching the look she gave him. His heart leapt, and he quicked his pace, frustration welling inside of him. He could barely move half as fast as Val on the blasted ice, slipping uselessly beneath his paws as he made his clumsy way towards the bank.

Finally, soft earth was beneath his paws, and he could crank up his pace so that he was rocketing after Valentina and the two wolves. His head lowered as he ran, his tail billowing behind him. Dark claws tore at earth and snow alike, throwing them carelessly behind him as he raced forwards. The brute plunged through the brittle undergrowth, ignoring the sticks that tore at his coat and skin, ripping jagged scratches open.

---

Aphrodites' eyes widened as Tyrant sped off, following Valentina who, in turn, was following Jaeger who, in his turn, was following Laion. It was a bizarre chase, and one she would had laughed at had the circumstances not been so very serious. Now, the femme was faced with a most difficult decision. She could follow her brother's suite and aid him in what would probably be the final battle, one that would either end all the trauma or would help it to completely take over. But...

But what of Espio? She knew if she left, he would too. She couldn't do anything to stop him getting hurt if she engaged in vicious battle. Her eyes turned on him, and her heart leapt into her throat, a painful, pulsating lump. If anything happened to him... but what if something happened to Tyrant? She couldn't protect everyone! What should she do? What could she do...?

Tears welled in her eyes, and she suddenly felt incredibley frustrated, helpless. If she left Tyrant it was likely he would meet a similiar fate to Brick's, and she couldn't bare that. Perhaps Espio would stay... she had to get him to promise. There wasn't much time! She knew she could move faster than her brother, but for all she knew he could be engaged in bloody battle already.

"Espio... I need to help... he's my brother, Espio. Please stay here. I'm begging you! I'm BEGGING you! I... I can't... please." Her voice was hysterical, her words rushing hurriedly out of her mouth. She finished on a low note, loaded with desperate emotion as she met the eyes of the brute who she cared so dearly for.

[~ T r i s s c a r ~]

The ebonite-hued fox-dog watched Laion bolt into view, Jaegar turning to fight him. Soon the two wolves ran off, Valentina and Tyrant following. His paws itched to run after them, too, but he kept one deep sapphire eye on the auburn femme.

His tall ears twitched at her words. "Espio... I need to help... he's my brother, Espio. Please stay here. I'm begging you! I'm BEGGING you! I... I can't... please." He opened his mouth to protest, yet he understood her fear.

Espio gave a relunctant murmur. "Aphro... I'll stay." His eyes widened, his expression completely unmasked and full of worry and sadness. "I... I just don't want you getting hurt." His articulations were very soft and he stretched his neck out to touch her muzzle with his briefly, pulling back to fix her in his indigo gaze. "Be careful. I'll go back to Trisscar's den..." He gave a small sigh and backed away from her, dipping his head and turning to make his way toward the base.

[.::Tyrant::.]

A deep, heartfelt sigh of relief escaped Aphro's jaws, and, for a moment, her tense muscles relaxed completely. Her features softened, her large brown eyes smiling. That was one load off her mind.

The rhodesian ridgeback watched Espio bound away, eyes filled with completely genuine gratitude. She hadn't felt the need to speak, her expression had said it all. By walking away from the fight, Espio was doing Aphro, and the whole gang, the biggest favour he could. He was preserving his own life, a life that might be needed to preserve others in the near future.

The dark dog disapeared from view, and the smile that had clung to Aphro's auburn muzzle faded with him as thoughts of her brother's plight returned. Turning, Aphro took a deep breath, her features hardening uncharacteristicly, mirroring her brother's at that precise moment. Her long legs were put into sudden action, and she sped away from her hiding place, plunging into the path created by the rampaging wolves and following it single mindedly.[/color]