The Wolf Rises(Moonie)

[Jace]

   The cool taste of whiskey on ice was not something Jason had been able to experience for months. He closed his eyes and savored the taste as the liquid ran down the back of his throat, that warming sensation calming his nerves as it reached his chest. The last time he had been even close to a town like this he had been run out when a young girl had seen him shift back into his human form after a run. He had thought it best to steer clear of civilization for a while until he was certain the talk of his existence had died down. He had spent most of that time as a wolf, living off wild deer he managed to catch and staying close to forests and other areas that wouldn't be common for humans to dwell. He did chance a few trips close to house or two on his travels, mostly to keep himself informed of how far the sighting of him had traveled. A week ago on one such occasion he had heard some information that piqued his interest enough to change back into a human and tidy himself up to go into town. Apparently sightings of wolves had increased recently around the Niahi Forest and the free city-state of La'marri. Of course this could be nothing, but Jason had to find out for himself. Ever since his pack had been decimated six years ago he had only ran into a handful of others like himself. If these sightings meant that other werewolves were gathering, a pack perhaps, then he had to check it out for himself.

   "I swear! Just this morning my daughter found some if its tracks out behind the house. They were much larger than any wolf's prints I'd ever seen."

   That certainly caught his attention. He tuned his fine sense of hearing into the conversation then, making no outward sign that he was doing anything other than enjoying his drink. His eyes opened slowly as he took another sip of the amber liquid from the small glass he was holding in his right hand before swirling it around once and setting it on the table in front of him. He had already seen the posters up offering a hefty reward for the one that caught the wolf that seemed to be terrorizing the town. Already there had been multiple accounts of livestock being eaten and, much to Jason's dismay, the body of a young girl that looked like it had been mauled by a large beast. If this was the work of one his kind he had to find it before they did.

"Sure sure. An' I bet tha' yer wife still thinks that necklace ya got fer her is real gold too, don't she Carth?" the bartender said to the man whose words had caught Jason's attention in the first place.

"Leave him alone Trick. You know all these attacks have everyone seeing things. What if he really did find tracks behind his house? This is the first lead we've gotten since all of this started. I don't know about you, but I sure as hell aren't taking the chance for that wolf to get a hold of my kids like it did that poor girl. I'm going out with him into the woods near Carth's house with him to track this damn beast and put an end to this. Someone has to." said another man sitting at the bar next to Carth. This one seemed more capable than the smaller Carth for sure. Jason had taken special note of him when he had first come in. Things were more out of hand than the young wolf had originally thought. If they were going to hunt for this wolf at sunset then he needed to make sure he was there with them, both for the wolf's sake and their own.

   Taking one last swig of his drink, Jason stood up and walked over to the men at the bar. He was good with people so he was sure this would turn out the way he wanted it to. He had a way of understanding someone better than most that gave him some insight into how they think and what he needed to do or say in order to gain their trust. "Hello fellas." he said with that charming smile of his on his face. He found that just being friendly was usually the best way to get information. "I couldn't help but overhear. If this wolf really did kill a young girl then I want to help you hunt it. I may not look like much, but I'm an experienced tracker and I know I can help. Someone needs to make sure that no one else gets hurt." His expression hardened slightly as he said his last few words. It was obvious that his concern was real, as was his offer to help.

   The capable looking man seemed to study Jason for a minute before giving a response. Finally, his skeptical look changed into one of a welcome smile and he spoke. "We'd be glad to have you. The names Azir and this here is Carth. We were just about to head out and gather our gear. If you really want to help, you're welcome to come with us. The sky's already starting to get dark."

"Great. We should get going then." replied Jason and the three men stood up and left the bar together. It wasn't long before they had outfitted themselves each with a torch and some weapons and were in the woods near a cozy little shack that was Carth's house. Azir lead the way, expertly following the tracks left behind as well as other signs that meant the wolf had been there, proving Jason's assumption about the man to be correct. While he followed behind the two would-be hunters, Jason was tracking in his own way. He had picked up the scent from a piece of fur that had gotten caught on a broken branch along their path. It was unmistakably from a werewolf. Now he really couldn't let these two find it before him. There was an advantage to following behind them that he was thankful for. He was able to shift his sight, using his real eyes to take in his surroundings. The smallest details were clear as day to him thanks to the wolf inside. He kept his ears poised for any distinct sounds that might mean the wolf was nearby while he let his nose do the real tracking. The scent was getting stronger. He had to make sure he did something about the hunters before they found the wolf. But what?

[Zero]

Chasing rumors of wolves was not technically part of her journey. During her years of traveling Sahara had come across a few of her own kind, mostly lone wolves or small packs not unlike the one she herself came from. Meeting other werewolves was a twofold experience, both vastly exciting and somewhat intimidating. It had been a shock to learn that not all wolves were just alike. For instance, aside from those on a journey she hadn't known wolves would live alone as a lifestyle – it was hard to imagine life without her family and her pack. Of course she was living without them now, but in her mind that was still a temporary condition, not a way of life. She also had not known that there were wolves with such impure and vile hearts.

They were a people deeply rooted in the primal and instincts of their wolf halves, but wolves were not creatures of cruelty or evil – regardless of what some humans thought. Sahara was convinced that it was this human part of werewolves that corrupted the primal purity of the wolf. Why else would a wolf kill domesticated animals and even savage an innocent young girl? Hearing about the body found had made her sick to her stomach. How could anyone do that? If the humans were right and it was a wolf behind the butchery terrorizing La'marri then there was obviously something very wrong with that creature's mind. Either way, the carnage had to stop.

She was not the strongest wolf, nor the fastest, Sahara wasn't even the best hunter or tracker, but none of that could stop her. It was just like her to put herself in danger out of concern for others. Even if they were humans, they didn't deserve what was happening. That was why her tracks had been found outside some of the homes on the outskirts of the city. She was slipping in and out of the city as she attempted to hunt down the guilty monster – wolf or otherwise.

Her search had sent her back into the woods, both to track her quarry and to put herself at ease. Niahi was not Draconi, but the forests were where a wolf would always feel most at home and at peace. It was soothing to be surrounded by the scents and sounds of the forest, but it also made her ache for home. It had been years, but still her wolf had not urged her that it was time to return to the plains of her childhood. She was still waiting for something. Sahara only wished that she knew what, exactly, that she was supposed to learn or find on her pilgrimage.

As she padded through the trees, leaves crinkling beneath her paws, a subtle shift in the wind brought very faint scents to her nose. It was enough to cause her to stop in her tracks, raising her head and sniffing the air with great interest. There were humans in the forest. Normally she would avoid them, but there was another scent. Sahara could never mistake that scent. Another werewolf was also in the woods, but it wasn't the one that had killed that girl. No, this smell was definitely a different wolf. It was confusing that his scent was coming from the same direction as the humans, though. Why would he be with them? Of course she dealt with humans frequently. They were far more appreciative of her healing skills than fellow wolves, which rarely needed a healer. It still seemed strange for a wolf to be here with humans.

Not even pausing to consider that there might be danger, Sahara turned around and went back the way she had come, following the scent. It didn't occur to her that the humans were mistakenly hunting her, thinking she was the dangerous one. Then again, why would a werewolf hunt another werewolf? All she knew was that one of her own was near enough to scent him and it felt natural and right to attempt to seek him out. He was not part of her pack or family, but it was in her nature to gravitate towards her fellow wolves. Loneliness did not suit her.

As they drew closer to one another Sahara almost threw her head back to howl a greeting, but something told her not to so blatantly announce herself. Even so, she still did not try to approach stealthily. She wasn't trying to sneak up on this unknown wolf. It would be impossible; if she could smell him then he could certainly smell her. His scent was so strong by that point she knew it was only a matter of time before she finally spotted him, and he would undoubtedly spot her too.

[Jace]

   The scent was getting stronger and stronger as they walked. It wasn't long before they'd come across the wolf. He knew he had to come up with something quickly if he wanted to keep everyone safe. Both the humans and the other wolf. His own well being hadn't really occurred to him yet. Jason had a tendency to think of himself last when it came to situations like this. He always put others first. His mind was racing, going over a multitude of possibilities and outcomes when suddenly his focus was snapped back to reality by a flicker of movement ahead of them too far for the humans to have noticed. Luckily he was using his wolf eyes, his true eyes. He saw her clear as day. A large wolf with fur of a mixture of light colors. He was fairly certain she hadn't seen him yet, but he knew she could definitely smell him. This was it, there was no more time to think. He had to do something and finally he made his decision. "Here goes nothing.." he said to himself under his breath.

   His eyes shifted back to their normal hazel green color as he tapped into his wolf speed and picked up three small rocks from the ground at his feet, one in his right hand and two in his left. Without breaking his stride Jace launched the rock in his right hand at a tree of to his right. "Over there! Quick, you two go after it. I'll circle around from the left and try to cut it off. Go!" he ordered the two men in front of him. They took off in the direction Jason had pointed out without any hesitation. As soon as they took off, Jason turned his attention back toward the real wolf, his eyes shifting back to their true state as he turned. He could only hope that she hadn't run off when he made his move. He knew she'd be able to smell that nothing was really over there. If he was right and his gambit played off, there would only be the two of them left. Jason still didn't know whether or not this wolf was the one behind the attacks, but he didn't smell fear or see anything from her that would mean aggression. So he quickly, but cautiously made his way toward her. If she let him get within 4 meters of her he would finally speak. "It's ok. I had to send the humans away before they spotted you. We've been tracking you for a while now. Please, I'd appreciate it if you could take your human form so we can talk. It's been a long time since I've met another wolf." he would say to her.

[Zero]

There were three men, but even at this distance it was easy to distinguish the werewolf from the humans. Sahara felt a strange mixture of feelings as she sighted them. She was excited to have found another werewolf, but a sudden sense of danger struck her. The humans were definitely hunting, and she didn't think they were after rabbits. Part of her immediately wanted to flee, but she found herself frozen in place, waiting and watching as her reason for coming this way sent the two humans running in the wrong direction.

She wasn't sure why he had been hunting with the men, but her ears laid back and her tail tucked beneath her body as she backed away a few steps as the werewolf approached her. A wolf hunting wolves shouldn't be trusted, of course, but he didn't give off a sense of being dangerous - at least not to her. If he had wanted to bring her harm he'd have alerted the humans to her presence.

Trusting her gut instinct, Sahara let him get close, at least close enough to speak. Her ears flickered as she listened to his voice. She regarded him with those olive green eyes of hers for a few moments, debating on if she should shift as he asked or run. It was always more vulnerable to be in her human form, but finding him had been the whole reason she'd come this way. What was the point if she didn't speak with him? Finally deciding that he meant her no harm, her desire to socialize with one of her own kind won out over any apprehension over the hunters.

Creamy red-blonde fur melted away as Sahara shifted upright, her body taking only seconds to transform from one form to the other. It was one of the biggest strengths she had, her ability to shift so quickly. She stood before him, keeping her eyes lowered slightly, not quite meeting his gaze. He gave off the impression of power and dominance to her, and she didn't want to offend him. "Are you hunting the bad wolf too?" She asked slightly hesitantly, eyes flickering in the direction the men had disappeared.

[Jace]

Jason wasn't sure whether or not the wolf was going to adhere to his request or not. It looked like she could go either way to him: shift or run. After a few moments of hesitation it seemed she had made up her mind. When he noticed her begin to shift he instinctively glanced around his surroundings for any signs of danger. He knew shifting from wolf to human or human to wolf took long enough to create an opening for an enemy to attack. He had only looked away for a few seconds, but when his gaze returned to the she-wolf it seemed his concern was unfounded. She had already fully shifted. Jason was astounded at how quickly it had happened. It was easily three times as fast as he could shift, and he prided himself on the fact he was a natural at it. He supposed every wolf had their own gifts. His was his keener sense of smell in human form and his incredible speed. Hers seemed to be her ability to shift forms nearly instantly.

  One thing was for certain, she was certainly beautiful. He should have expected as much from the way she looked in her wolf form. As she stood there he noticed her eyes were slightly lowered. It wasn't exceedingly noticeable, but she definitely wasn't really meeting his gaze. She couldn't be the one responsible for the attacks. Jason didn't sense any form of hostility or anger from the girl standing in front of him at all. In fact she seemed like the calmest and most peaceful wolf he could remember since he had lost his mother...

"Are you hunting the bad wolf too?"

Her words had snapped him out of what would have surely turned into a painful memory of the night he lost his pack. Seeing that she was willing to talk made Jason relax. He hadn't realized it but his muscles had tensed and his body must have subconsciously taken on a defense stance, a sign that he had been on his own in the wild for too long. "So it's not you after all. I didn't think it was. You seem too peaceful to have done those things. And certainly lucid enough to not be a rabid wolf...." he let his words trail off as his face took on an obvious pensive look. It was only a second or two before he continued. "I had heard rumors that wolf sightings had become more frequent in this area recently and decided to come check it out in case more of our kind was gathering for some reason. I had hoped perhaps to form a pack. I've been on my own for too long. But when I arrived I saw the posters up in town and heard the people speaking of the attacks that had been happening. I decided to go into a tavern to listen to the humans and try to gather information. That's when I overheard those two talking about coming out here to hunt for the beast on their own tonight. I couldn't let that happen. It would be dangerous for both them and the beast behind the attacks. Especially if its one of us. So I convinced them to let me join them in hopes that I would find the beast first. When I found your fur I was able to track your scent here. I knew you had smelled me so I had to do something before the humans saw you. And that pretty much brings us up to speed. But, what are you doing out here on your own? You should know better than to hunt so close to the humans. What if they had seen you shift?"

  Jason's concern for the girl was obvious by his tone and the way his face changed as he spoke. They say a person's eyes are the window to their soul. In this moment Jason's eyes certainly showed a lot. He was sure that all of his compassion and concern were there plain as day. Along with the joy he was feeling to finally be able to speak with one of his own after so long. For him, opportunities like this were few and far between. That was something to be spoken about later though. For now he had to find out what this wolf was doing out here, if there were more with her, and anything she might know about the attacks that might help him catch whatever was responsible. Death was a part of life, yes, but senseless death was something he just could not let go. He needed to stop it before someone else fell prey to the beast.

[Zero]

If his astonishment was noticed, she didn't react to it. Sahara was not particularly strong or fast for a werewolf, probably closer to average, but her ability to shift her forms was unparalleled by any wolf she'd yet met. It was her gift, most wolves had something they were better than most at, and for her those few seconds of transformation were it. Well that and perhaps her penchant for healing with herbs, but that wasn't really a wolf gift.

Sahara was observing him closely now that he was so near to her. She took in the line of his jaw, the way his dark hair fell across his forehead, the shadow of a beard, and the deep red of his eyes. This unexpected wolf was handsome, young, and strong. You couldn't fully judge a wolf by their physical appearance alone, of course, but there was much more to see than a static face. She was absorbing his voice, the tiny fractals of facial expressions as he spoke, explaining how it was he'd come to be there with human hunters in company, and how he'd gotten them out of the way before they could see her. In that way he had been protecting her, she supposed. Her ears didn't hear any deceit, and her eyes told her that his eyes held sincerity – and concern.

"I was trying to track the one that had killed that poor girl." Sahara voiced it in a way that suggested she thought this was a perfectly reasonable and obvious answer as to why she was out there. Her hand came up to brush a strand of wayward hair from her face, grimacing slightly. "I haven't had much success so far. Truthfully tracking isn't my greatest skill, but I had to do something. People are in danger and hurting because of this beast. He must be stopped." Her tone still suggested this was the most logical thing in the world. To her it made a lot of sense, but then again, she hadn't stopped to consider the danger of going after such an obviously violent creature by herself. Then again, she hadn't known there were other wolves there that could have helped her either. Judging by what he'd said, there were more werewolves about than just them, although he was the first that he had seen in many months. Their people weren't exactly populous.

Another thing he said caused a soft pout to pull at her lips. It almost felt like being chastised to be called out on hunting and shifting so close to humans. "I am very careful not to let them see me, and I shift very quickly. If it weren't for this brute going about killing folks then I would never go so close to humans in my wolf form."

[Jace]

  This girl. This wolf. It seemed she truly had a big heart. She cared not just for their own kind, but for the humans and other creatures as well. Jason was certainly glad to see that. It seemed that she hadn't even given a thought to her own safety, something he himself was guilty of far too often. Her only intention was to come out and find the beast that was behind the attacks. He let a small smile come across his face at her words. Then his face changed as he heard her response to his questioning of her being so close to humans. It sounded as if he had offended her, which he sincerely had not meant to do. His past experiences with humans seeing wolves shift was not a good one by any stretch of the imagination and that made him a bit too overprotective of other wolves. "I've offended you. I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to chastise you like a child. My past experiences with humans seeing us change......" Images flashed through his mind. Orders from his father to track Alexi, the lifeless corpse of a young wolf in his arms, his family home burnt to cinders, the scent of fresh blood and smoke overwhelming his nose....

  He mentally shook himself and the images faded away, back to where he had locked those painful memories. It was a night he didn't want to remember, but could never forget. The intense sadness from that breif flash of memory was most likely visible behind his eyes. They usually always showed exactly how Jason was truly feeling, even if he didn't want it to be known. "My name is Jason by the way. You might not be the best tracker, but I would love your help in finding the beast behind these attacks. I'm sure we could accomplish much more together than on our own. Besides, wolves are pack creatures. We tend to work better as a team. What do you say?" he said to the girl, trying to recover from his momentary silence. He hoped she would agree to his request. He wanted to ask her more about herself. Why she seemed to be traveling alone and where she came from.

[Zero]

Honey blonde eyebrows shot up slightly as he began apologizing to her. Sahara had not expected that. Sure, it had made her feel like an ornery pup caught doing something she wasn't supposed to, but aside from not being a pup she knew that he was right, but she did know better. It had just seemed like a special case were if she were careful enough it would still be the right thing to do. Her expression softened considerably as she looked up into his face as he fell silent. Sahara felt her heart clench painfully at what she saw in his eyes. At first she opened her mouth to say something, but clicked her teeth together as she knew that there was nothing she could really say. How could she comfort a stranger? She really wanted to, though. It was in her nature.

At least he seemed to recover quickly from whatever sad thoughts had obviously plagued him. A slight smile twitched at the corners of her mouth and a gleam entered her eyes as he proposed they hunt the beast together. It had been so long since she had hunted anything with another wolf. "I'm Sahara, and I'd be glad to have the help. Truthfully even if I'd found the one responsible I'm not sure how I was going to actually stop him. With two of us it will be much easier."

Her hands went up to fiddle with her braids a little, a somewhat nervous habit of hers. Sahara lowered her gaze a little further, obviously feeling a little ashamed, not only for putting herself in danger, but for pouting at being caught. "And don't worry about offending me. I know that it is a bad idea, and I know that you said it from concern for me. Us wolves have to look out for each other."

[Jace]

  "Agreed. Our kind is too far spread. Wolves are naturally pack creatures. We are much stronger and safer together than we are apart." he said in response to Sahara's words. He was glad she had agreed to hunt with him. He was sure he could have found and handled the beast well enough on his own, but it was comforting to be with another wolf. It had been too long since Jason had had the luxury of doing something like this with another of his kind. Not since.....No. Now was not the time to think about that. He had help now thanks to Sahara. It was time to come up with a plan. She had mentioned not being the best tracker, but a wolf's senses were much better than any human's and he was certain he could rely on her keen sense of smell. A smile played across his lips as he thought about how to do this. Different scenarios flew through his mind, all with one thing in common. One thing that was making him excited. He was about to hunt. Really hunt. With another wolf.

  "Alright. We should shift and split up. We'll cover more ground that way. We'll stay close enough that we can still find each other by scent and hear a howl. If you find something or get into any trouble, signal me and I'll come running. Those humans are still out here somewhere so keep your wits about you. I caught a strange scent on my way here. It was faint, but it smelled of blood. I think it's coming from that direction." Jason finally said to the girl, beginning to voice his plan and then nodding in the direction southwest of where they stood to indicate where the scent was coming from. "I'll check it out. Circle around from the east and try to head it off, if it's still here. Alright, let's get going." It was easy for Jason to take charge like that. He didn't even realize he was doing it most of the time. It was just natural for him to make decisions and take the lead on things. He turned and began to get ready to shift, but paused a moment and turned back to look at Sahara, giving her a warm smile. "I'm glad you're with me for this." With those last words he shifted, a large grey wolf with bright red eyes now standing in his place. Without any hesitation he took off toward the scent of blood.

  It was moments like these that made Jason truly feel alive. The wind rushing past him as he darted through the forest, weaving in and out of the trees and gracefully making his way over fallen branches and other obstacles. His body was brimming with energy. He could see every detail of his surroundings as he flew by. The different shades and hues of colors of the forest were beautiful at this time of night. The light of the moon above illuminating everything it touched and letting Jason see everything before him as clear as day. The scent he was following took him quite far from where he had started. His stride slowed as he began to come to a stop. He was deep in the forest now, further than he thought any humans would be. His snout twitched as he sniffed the air, searching for any sign of humans just in case. The stench of blood was lingering everywhere around him now. There was also something else. Something......different. He thought he picked up the scent of wolf mingled in among the blood. It wasn't that of a werewolf though. This one was different. It smelled, well, like that of a normal wolf. Perhaps it was an animal they were chasing after all and not another of their kind.

   Looking down at the ground in front of him, Jason saw something unsettling. A trail of blood and marks in the dart that looked like something had been dragged off. He made his way a little further, following the trail of blood and stopping at the edge of a clearing. That was when he saw it. A large black wolf with bright blue eyes standing on the opposite edge of the clearing near the treeline. It looked as if it were eating something. The body was mangled and covered in blood though so Jason couldn't quite make out just what it was. The wolf's muzzle dripped crimson liquid mixed with what looked like foam of some sort. The wolf's eyes seemed like they were foggy and glossed over as well. It was rabid. Still, he had found his target. Now he needed to signal to Sahara and wait for her to arrive before he made any move on the rabid wolf. Keeping his eyes on the other wolf, Jason slowly backed away and hid himself behind a tree. He threw his head back and let out a loud howl that could be heard for miles, the signal to Sahara that he had found something. Now he just had to wait.

[Zero]

Speaking of packs and strength when together only made Sahara long for her own pack. It had been so long since she had seen them. Even after all the years apart from them her heart ached to think of them. Her little brother and one of her sisters would have begun their own journeys by now. She couldn't go back yet, it wasn't time. At least, for a moment, she wasn't alone. Just knowing Jason was there, being able to catch his scent in her nose was immensely comforting. For her solitude had always been stressful. Human companionship just wasn't a true substitute for another wolf.

Sahara listened to his instruction, nodding her head in agreement at his plan. It felt natural to defer to him. She had not be a low-ranking wolf, but neither had she been particularly dominant of temperament. Jason naturally radiated it. He reminded her of the alpha of her childhood pack, which only served to make her miss them more. Pushing aside thoughts of home, her look became one of determination. They had a task to do. It wasn't the time for reminiscing about home. Hopefully once the hunt was over Jason would not go his own way too quickly. She was starving for interaction with another wolf and wanted to spend time getting to know him.

"Be careful." Were the quiet words she parted him with, watching the grey wolf shift and take off at an astonishing speed. She wished she were as fast at running as she was at shifting! Turning to the east the blonde girl hit the ground running as the blonde wolf. Even if she wasn't as fast, Sahara was soon weaving through the trees and the moonlight, paws flying over leaves and dirt and fallen logs with ease. Jason's scent faded some, but never entirely went away, but the scents of blood grew stronger with each long stride.

Her heart soared when an echoing howl reached her ears, Sahara's feet changed direction smoothly, vaulting over obstacles as she returned the call. It was almost easy to forget they were hunting something that had killed a human girl and was probably dangerous. All her wolf heart knew was she had another wolf to run to. Jason had far outpaced her, so it took some time for her to draw close, but when she did Sahara slowed, moving stealthily so as not to draw attention from their prey. The scent of blood and wolf was so strong here. She also could smell disease. It caused her lips to curl back slightly in a silent snarl.

[DragonSong]

It was the absence of warmth that woke her, an empty, cold space over her chest where once a lively little body had laid. Josie opened her eyes slowly, assuming it was some sort of dream, then suddenly jerked upright, her whole body shifting into high alert.

"Bay?" She looked around, eyes scanning the roots of the tree she'd tucked them into some odd hours ago, then the foliage beyond. No sign of a pup, wolf or human. "Bay? Bay!"

Her cried became more frantic- heedless of what else might be hidden in these trees- and she scrambled to her feet. Chest heaving with pants, Jo looked around wildly, scenting the air before she fell forward into a shift.

She knew she should have kept going, kept traveling passed this dark, troubled place. Whispers of a feral wolf had even reached her ears, when she'd stopped in the nearby town with Bayard to resupply. But she'd been so tired...she thought if she just took a moment to rest, hidden away, her pup would be safe.

She should have kept going.

Jo scented the air again, huffing when she caught a faint thread of her pup's trail. Had he shifted in his sleep again? Maybe he'd woken up confused and wandered off- oh gods, where was he?!

Growing ever more desperate with each step she took, Josephine tossed back her head and howled, hoping, praying, that Bay would hear her voice and backtrack toward her. Her paws thudded over the ground as she raced through the trees, following his scent.

[Jace]

He didn't have to wait long before Sahara had joined him. Jason was glad when she arrived. It was time to finally put an end to this. The large grey wolf caught the she-wolf's eye and nodded past her, gesturing that she should circle around from the left. Hopefully she would understand his meaning. Jason then padded quietly through the trees, keeping his attention focused on the feral wolf that was his prey. After what seemed like no time at all he had closed the distance between him and the wolf, now standing just inside the tree line and to the left of the beast. He waited until he saw Sahara take her position opposite him before he made his move.

The wolf seemed not to notice them. That was a good thing. It was too entranced in eating it's meal, though Jason would wager that the beast's senses were not at their best from the sickness it had contracted. Slowly, pointedly, the grey wolf stalked forward toward his target. When he had come within just a few feet of the beast, it lifted its head and looked directly at Jason, its lips curling back to reveal a foamy mouth that let out an angry snarl. It was too late for the beast though. Calling upon all his strength, Jason leaped through the air and closed the remaining distance between himself and the rabid wolf. His teeth sank deep into the side of the rabid animal.

A yelp of pain escaped from Jason. The wolf had managed to twist it's head around enough to sink it's own fangs into the grey wolf's left hind leg. He shook free and adjusted himself so that he bit down on the back of the beast's neck this time instead of it's flank. He tightened his grip and felt warm blood fill his mouth, an audible crack could be heard as the wolf's neck snapped underneath the pressure and went limp in Jason's mouth. He hesitated a moment, making sure it was dead before he set it down on the ground before him. He quickly shifted back into his human form, wiping the blood from his face and spitting some of it onto the ground beside him. He winced as he felt a twinge of pain run up the side of his body from his left leg where he had been bitten. Instinctively he reached down to grab his wound. He would have to take a better look at that and make sure he healed correctly.

[Zero]

Olive green eyes glanced at Jason, the blonde wolf dipping her head at the gesture in acknowledgement. Sahara wasn't a terrible hunter, but this wasn't an ordinary hunt and even if it were, cooperation was key to success. That's why she didn't hesitate to slink through the foliage as she crept around to the other side of the rabid beast absorbed with his gruesome last meal. Knowing that killing this poor wolf was a mercy didn't completely take away the ache in her heart for the pitiful thing. Yes, it was dangerous and suffering, but illness had brought the once noble creature to this devastating low. She just hoped that the strike would be swift and over quickly. The wolf had suffered enough.

Sahara watched Jason almost as intensely as she did their quarry. When he stalked towards the black beast, she followed suit, closing the distance quietly. She didn't dare make a move until the grey wolf did, but when he leaped forward so did she, attacking the beast's flank on the left side. When she heard the yelp of pain her first instinct was to rush to comfort the one who made the sound, and thankfully Jason killed the wolf immediately afterward. With a soft whine Sahara stepped around, watching the grey wolf turn back into the man she'd first met out there.

In a few seconds she had transformed also, a look of concern on her face as she moved quickly to Jason's side. "You're hurt." Sahara dropped down to her knees, hands instinctively reaching out, but pulling back at the last moment to look up at him sheepishly. They barely knew each other, it was probably rude to assume that he would be okay with her touching him, let alone tending to an injury. "Sorry. I know a lot about healing. If it's alright with you, I think I should have a look at it."

[DragonSong]

Bay found them before his mother did, puppyish curiosity leading him toward the scent and sound of other wolves.

He came to a slamming halt when what he saw was two humans though, next to a dead wolf. A low, scared whimper rose up in his throat and he tried to back away, but he was too scared to move.

[Jace]

Sahara had shifted back right after Jason did, the look of concern on her face was obvious. The young male watched as she came over to him and dropped to her knees to inspect his injured leg. He saw her reach out toward it before stopping hesitantly, looking up at him to ask if she could look at it. Apparently she was experienced in healing. He knew he would heal on his own in time, but having her make sure it wasn't too bad of an injury was something he wouldn't turn down. "Of course. Thank you." he said softly to the girl.

If she continued, Jason would watch her curiously as she worked. He had never really needed to be taken care of like this before, normally just allowing the minor injuries he's acquired over the years to heal on their own. His interest was certainly piqued, it would be nice to have some knowledge of healing, even if it wasn't much. "How did you come to practice hea-" his words were cut short when he caught another scent he hadn't expected to. Another of their kind.

Jason's head immediately turned to look in the direction of the new scent, his body tensing for the encounter and his eyes taking on their crimson hue. He relaxed once he saw where it was coming from. A small wolf pup not far from where he was standing. That was....odd. It was unmistakably one of them, but it was much too young to have been able to shift. "Look." he said quietly to Sahara in case she hadn't yet picked up on it. "It looks scared. Try to approach slowly, you might be able to get closer than I could. I wonder where it came from, and how it's able to shift at such a young age." His brows furrowed as he pondered the situation at hand and tried to come up with a reasonable explanation for the wolf pup. Hopefully he would have answers soon. First, he needed to make sure the pup was safe.

[Zero]

As soon as Sahara had permission she scooted closer and began examining the wound. As werewolves they healed quickly and were able to resist most infection so healing was hardly necessary, but it was still good to treat injuries. Thankfully the bite seemed fairly minor. She should have expected as much, but that initial worry was reflexive. Unfortunately she didn't have a proper place to practice healing, mix her ointments, or store other useful supplies. As nomadic as her life was at this point it wasn't practical to have an apothecary station of her own.

"I think a simple cleaning, and maybe a bandage to keep the punctures clean while they heal would suf-" Her attention had been so focused on Jason that Sahara hadn't even noticed the appearance of the pup at first, not until she heard his fearful whimper. She immediately turned her head, green eyes widening in surprise as he was pointed out to her. "Oh my."

The poor thing did look scared. She wondered why such a young baby would be on their own, although her focus was more on why he was alone and frightened than how it was he could shift at his young age. Without hesitation she turned slowly, form shifting once more into the light-furred wolf. Since the pup was in his wolf form she thought it might be more comforting to him if she was too. Sahara lowered herself to her belly and crawled towards the scared pup with a soft, reassuring whine, trying to show him that she wasn't a threat at all.

[DragonSong]

Bay relaxed slightly when the female turned out to be a wolf after all, though he backed up a step when she moved toward him, ears pinned to his skull and tail tucked between his legs.

Then he paused, nose twitching curiously, and very hesitantly stretched his head toward her without moving his paws, as though torn between instinctive wariness and his puppyish desire to greet an older wolf.

But then Jo came charging out of the underbrush, lips pulled back in a fierce snarl as she skidded to a protective halt in front of her pup before she fully understood the situation. She snapped and barked at the strange wolves, an incessant growl rumbling low in her chest as her eyes flickered around.

Caught off guard, Bay went tumbling backwards head over tail, yipping in protest. Josephine backed up a step, nudging him with a back paw in an attempt to heard him away as she stared down the other two wolves warily.

[Jace]

Jason watched as Sahara shifted and made her way toward the pup. It was obvious she was making it known to him she wasn't a threat, or at least trying to. His muscles tensed out of anticipation as he observed the scene before him. The pup seemed to relax a bit, not yet running off which was good.

Just when it looked like the wolf would be able to get to the pup, another came charging forward to stop protectively in front of the babe. Her lips were pulled back in a snarl, obviously trying to scare away what he assumed she thought were enemies. Jason saw more fear on the new wolf's face than anything else. He had to make sure she was ok. That she was safe. He had to reassure her that Sahara and himself were not enemies, but could help her and what he now assumed was her pup.

"Wait. We aren't going to hurt you." he said in a soothing tone as he slowly moved toward the newcomers, a slight limp in his step. "It's ok. You're safe here. You're among friends. Please, try to relax. Your pup seems frightened." he tried to appeal to the wolf. He didn't know if what he was saying would help or hinder the situation, but he had to try. "My name is Jason. If you would shift maybe we could talk. If you don't feel comfortable shifting that's ok too. I'll talk and you can listen. We mean you no harm, I promise." he let a sincere smile come across his face now, showing the compassion he had for the two wolves.

[Zero]

Sahara hated to think she was frightening the poor pup, but he didn't run and even started to seem curious about her. If only given a few minutes she knew she could have won the little guy over. Instinctively she felt the desire to comfort the frightened baby, but it wasn't all instincts. She had practically raised her younger siblings and nurturing children came naturally to her as something she enjoyed very much.

Unfortunately she wasn't given those few minutes. Sahara started in surprise as suddenly a snarling, snapping wolf came charging out of the underbrush. She whined, scooting back away from the obviously angry she-wolf. It didn't take a genius to realize that this must be the pup's mother come to defend him.

Her ears twitched as she listened to Jace attempt to soothe the upset and frightened female. If she'd found one of her young siblings with strange wolves at such a bloody, gruesome scene she'd have been ready for a fight too. Sahara backed away slowly, shifting her body again, and feeling the exertion of shifting back and forth so much in such a short span of time. She moved to stand near Jace, trying to give a disarming smile for Josephine. "He's right, we would never hurt either of you. We were just trying to help."

[DragonSong]

Jo stared them both down, still growling, but a sudden, soft sound from Bay made her pause and glance over her shoulder. Her pup's mismatched eyes were wide and confused, a plaintive sort of whimper bubbling up in his throat.

She huffed a sigh and twisted slightly to urge him between her front paws, licking the top of his head and nuzzling his neck in assurance. She'd probably scared him more than the strange wolves what with the way she'd come charging in.

Very, very slowly, she settled back on her haunches, taking human form as she did. Chill air on her bare skin made her shiver and she scooped Bay up into her arms to hold him securely against her chest.

She continued glaring at the strangers, but at least she'd stopped growling and snarling. "What the hell happened here?" She jerked her head toward the body behind them.