Red and The Wolf [EverlyxNivan]

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Her father.

This was going to be the hardest. Not only was he the heaviest, but she wasn't sure if there would even be anything to find. She followed Cathal carefully, looking around once they reached the river. Nothing. Huh. She frowned, following more.. and more. They went so far that she was starting to think that her werewolf guide had lost the scent, but occasionally she caught glimpses of blood. How had he made it so far? Was he fighting the entire way? How many werewolves did he manage to kill? She kept looking around as they went, starting to wonder if perhaps he survived.

Before she could get her hopes up too high, Cathal stopped. She stopped as well, staring at the cave before them. It was dark inside, and she hesitated. She glanced at Cathal, but he gave her no indication. If there was a werewolf inside, certainly he would know. She sighed and headed into the cave slowly, one hand trailing on the wall to ensure she did not bump into anything as she wandered into the darkness. Once she couldn't see any longer, she waited for her eyes to adjust, slowly able to pick out shapes. How deep did this thing go..? She had no choice but to keep following it.
 
Cathal watched, and waited as the girl moved into the caves. He waited longer still, as a bend took her out of view. He turned his eyes from the cave, examining his surroundings. His hackles were still high, and some inexplicable sense of danger permeated the area. Feeling like something of a sitting duck, the great brown wolf prowled the mouth of the cave for some ten minutes, before deciding to scout the area.

He explored the area around the hills, and the cave, that contained the last human's scent. The area was not huge. Given the space of the night, and what of the day they'd used to find the remainders of Kaiya's family, the fellow couldn't have traveled that far. Even healthy, he simply wouldn't have had time.

Cathal came across more scenes of bloodshed. Places where wolves died. Still no bodies. It would be strange if his kin had taken their dead while their prey was still alive, but if he'd retreated into the cave...

Kaiya would find the answer on her own. That cave felt like death, and Cathal wanted no part of entering it. Even so, he looped back to the mouth of the cave to wait further.
 
Kaiya moved carefully through the cave, able to faintly see a wall ahead. The end. She was finally there. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the small cavern that made up the back of the cave. A black mass against the back wall was definitely her father. There was nothing else it could be. She relaxed and walked toward him, then cried out in pain and fell to her hands and knees. What was that?! She reached back blindly and felt something sharp sticking out of her ankle. It had pierced her boot and she could feel herself bleeding. Silver. Of course. She crawled the rest of the way to her father, brushing aside anything she felt.

There was a lot.

He had been scared, she knew. Dumping tons of silver around.. but it hadn't helped. She reached him and grabbed him as best as she could, thankful for the darkness since she couldn't see his face. Slowly, she made her way back out of the cave with him in tow. Right as she stepped outside, she fell to her knees, feeling as though the ground was rocking beneath her. She grimaced and reached back, pulling the spike out of her boot and eyeing it. Poisoned. He hadn't been scared, he was terrified. Of what? Poison did nothing to werewolves. She shook her head, trying to ignore the severe vertigo as she forced herself to stand and pick him up once more.
 
Cathal grew more restless as time went on. There was something bothering him about the cave. About the scent. He wanted to rub his nose, to sneeze, to simply run from this awful place. But there was still duty. His eyes scanned the surroundings. He'd smelled the scent before, but he couldn't tell where. It was almost human. An ear canted toward the cave. Footsteps. Uneven, limping. One pair. Dragging.

The man was dead. Had Kaiya been taken in by one of his traps? It seemed a likely possibility, as the girl came into view. Something else distracted the great wolf however. A rustling sound. Breathing. Nervous. Angry.

The great wolf pushed himself to his pads again, and turned his back on the mouth of the cave. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. Fear spiked in the wolf, as comprehension set in. His eyes scanned the woods. He knew the scent. It had been passed to him in warning. If ever he smelled something that was both dead and alive, that reeked of decay, and desire, that he should run. That he should find the pack, and they should set out to hunt the abomination immediately.

But if he went to fetch the pack, it would leave the girl defenseless against this beast.

The decision was snatched from him, as a creature -moving with alarming speed, launched out of the underbrush near the mouth of the cave. It was taller than a man, and emaciated. It's face was long, and looked like a deer's skull, that had been flayed. Broken, jagged antlers stood out on top, and red-rimmed eyes barren of their lids rolled wildly, deep-set in sockets.

It's skin had the pallor of old parchment, and it's nails were too-long and yellow. It wore not a stitch of clothing. It wanted to eat him. It stank of unsatisfied need, of hunger. This beast had once been human, but was no more.

Cathal had only a moment to react, springing away from the mouth of the cave, and rounding on the creature to engage it. It was as fast as he was, at least. He darted in, nipping at it's legs. The Great Wolf got a kick for his troubles, and was sent flying into a nearby berry-bush. The beast was strong.
 
Kaiya looked over at Cathal to see if he was ready to leave, but he wasn't even paying attention to her. She frowned and watched him, then looked up as something came out of the woods. What in the gods was that?! She stared, jaw dropped. Never had she seen anything like it. Was this one of the creatures from her father's stories? She watched how it moved, stunned by how fast it was and how disgusting it looked as it chased after Cathal. Moving quickly, she set her father down on the ground and drew a blade in each hand. They felt small and pathetic in comparison, but she had nothing else.

She watched as it kicked Cathal aside as easily as a ragdoll. It was much stronger than she was. She swallowed, shaking her head to try and rid it of the dizziness. Everything was still rocking and wobbly - damn that poison! She frowned and tried her best to focus, using the slight pause of the creature to hurl a blade at it. Hopefully it would connect, because she knew there was no chance of outrunning it. She had to at least try to protect herself and her father's body.
 
The blade sank midway to hilt in the thing's back before sticking firm. Apart from drawing the beast's attention, it seemed to have little effect. Even as the thing turned on the girl, the big, brown wolf shot out of the underbrush again, it's teeth closing with a snapping sound on the creature's thigh. There was a bellow of fury, as the wolf shook it's head, and came away with stringy meat from the creature's leg in it's jaws.

The flavor was nauseating. Bad meat. Despair. Rage. Poison. Impotence.

The wolf flung the flesh from it's maw, dancing back as the beast spun to backhand it, collapsing over the weakened leg. Rather than being slowed however, the thing took to three limbs, loping over the ground in an uneven gait, like some perversion of a dog. It's wounded leg dragged behind it. Cathal darted back into the brush, counting on the shrubbery, and the trees to aid him. To catch the horns, and to slow the monster.

The chase was far from merry, the thing hot on the wolf's heels, and apparently inexhaustable. It's frustration grew palpably as the wolf evaded it, and it changed course in an instant, back toward the girl. Cathal ran for a split-second longer, before resuming the chase after the creature.
 
Well.. that didn't go as well as she had hoped.

Kaiya watched the creature, heart sinking when it didn't even flinch as the blade struck home. If anything, it just seemed annoyed, since it turned on her instead of Cathal. She quickly shifted her second blade into her right hand and was about to throw it, but then Cathal entered her sight again and ripped apart part of the creature's leg. Disgusting, but effective. She watched carefully, not wanting to mistime a throw and hit the werewolf instead.

As the creature chased Cathal, she gasped in concern and took several steps closer, but she could not go into a full chase. She was not in top shape and she was unwilling to completely abandon her father. They temporarily went out of sight and she hesitated, then went back over to her father's body and drew his sword. It was long and very heavy, but it was also giving off an odd sheen. He had coated it in the poison. Would it work? She had no idea, but she had to have something.

She turned back toward the trees just in time to see the creature running at her. Damn it, that thing was fast. She braced herself and raised the sword properly, waiting. If she didn't time this right, she'd likely be dead as soon as it reached her.
 
Cathal pushed for more speed. Every ounce of agility he had was going into catching up with the monster. With one of it's legs incapable, the thing was only just a little bit slower than the wolf. Playing hit-and run with this sort of creature would be easy with the pack involved. It would be torn to shreds, and it would stop being a threat. Only Cathal didn't have a pack. He had a slow human, with heavy weapons, and a sincere desire not to get gored and eaten. Why hadn't the pack come to finish the beast after they'd finished hunting the man? Had they known?

He was nearly upon the beast, as Kaiya came back into view. His muscles burned, his teeth were bared. He was too warm, and he could still taste the decay on his tongue, like a film of oil that didn't want to wash away. The girl had a sword. He doubted it would do much good. The thing was fast, and articulate.

The thing struck low, one long, clawed arm shooting out to knock the girl from her feet. Cathal was on it a moment later, his teeth closing around the clawed hand, and one great paw standing firm on the other shoulder. He pulled, trying to tear the beast asunder. Trying to avoid the horns that would all-too-easily pierce his unarmored hide.
 
Kaiya released a slow breath, watching how the creature moved as it ran. Fast, but slightly lopsided now that one leg was gushing. She prepared to strike, but she had been expecting the thing to come right at her as it was. It didn't. She felt the arm collide with her and she tried to twist to sink the sword in to the creature, but it ended up landing on the ground as she was knocked down. Coughing, she found herself sprawled on her back, now laying without a weapon. She sat up in a panic, seeing Cathal attacking the creature once again.

What if he got hurt?

She wouldn't be able to carry both him and her father back to the cabin or Cathal's home if he did..

Worried, she forced her hands to work properly, drawing her last blade out of her belt. Small, likely useless, but she had to at least try to help her werewolf friend. Friend..? Yes. She considered him that much, but it was likely not mutual. Didn't matter. She waited until she had a clear shot without hitting Cathal, then she let the blade fly.
 
Cathal was so wrapped up in trying to tear the creature asunder, that he had no mind for what the girl was trying to do. She was on the ground, he knew, and too close to the creature by feet for his comfort. He lifted his paw from the creature's shoulder, dragging it back from the girl, even as she let the blade fly. This one sank into it's chest, though to little effect. There was something odd about the creature.

The blood that oozed from it's wounds was oily, and black. It stank, bitter and sweet, like rot. But there was little blood, if it could be called blood, even from the chunk of missing muscle at the back of it's leg.

The wolf shook the creature again, but the beast was regaining it's bearings. Sliding on it's back away from Kaiya, the monster reached it's untethered arm over it's shoulder, claws raking at the wolf that held it. It elicited a snarl of pain from the wolf, as yellowed talons scored his own shoulder, the back of his neck, and one of his ears. Red blood joined the black, as the two struggled. Bones snapped, and the wolf released the shoulder, the joint now-useless.

Left with one arm, and one leg, the monster was considerably slowed, but still moved freakishly fast. Cathal barked viciously at the creature. Why wasn't the damned girl running? He danced out of the thing's range, time and again as it hobbled on it's two functional limbs toward him. He could lead it to the other wolves. To his father. But it would only chase the most immediate prey, he was sure. He darted back in, but with the beast facing him -and a head full of antlers between the wolf and any target- Cathal couldn't find an opening to continue tearing at the creature. When he circled, the beast followed, gnashing it's teeth, dragging itself toward him.
 
Now left without a weapon that could be any good, Kaiya stood and weighed her options. If she were able to move faster, she could take the sword and behead the creature while it chased Cathal. As it was, however, she knew she'd only get in the way. All she could do was take her father and get out of the area, hoping Cathal would follow and leave the beast behind so that they would both live another day.

She winced as she saw the creature causing Cathal injury, but she forced herself to turn away. Her father was heavy, but she managed, picking him up as best as she was able and starting to make the long haul to the woods. It was not pleasant, getting back to the edge of the trees, but she was able to find the path they had emerged on fairly easily. She paused and glanced back at Cathal worriedly, then quickly continued on. The sooner she got out of sight, the sooner he would be able to run as well.

Or so she hoped.
 
Cathal spared a glance for the girl as she gave up the fight, and began to make her way -father in tow- to the path once again. Duty complete. Of course, Cathal had another duty. A duty to his family. This creature -if left unchecked- would recover rapidly. Would hunt the Wolfwood. Kill wolves. Deer. Humans. Anything it could catch, and eat. And it would grow stronger.

The Wolf harried the monster, always keeping it in sight, even as blood matted his fur to his skin. He grew tired, and he grew weary, but he would see the beast taken care of. He lead it to the river A long, broad open space that allowed a clear line of sight for hundreds of yards. He outpaced the thing, and threw back his head to let out an urgent howl.

Danger. War. Hunger. Decay. Hunger. Hunger.

A moment later, a chorus of howls returned, and the monster broke into the brush, giving up it's chase of the wolf. He sprinted to where it'd disappeared, and followed more cautiously. The beast was smart enough to know that a pack of the Werewolves would make short work of it, so it ran. Cathal pursued, howling every hundred yards to mark his progress, to keep in touch with the pack. The thing was returning to it's lair.

The first other wolf he saw was big, and black. A powerful wolf. He passed on the scent of the beast to his packmate. The wolf was tawny. The third, grey-and-white. The fourth, another black wolf, smaller than the first. They picked up speed, as they hunted the wounded monster. They followed it to it's lair.

Shaking with exhaustion, Cathal prowled toward the mouth of the cave. Toward the scents of rot, and death.

The big, black wolf shouldered him aside.

Rest. Secure.

The sending was more than that. The image of a warm fire, and a mug of spiced ale. The idea of wolves prowling a perimeter.

Grateful, Cathal bowed his head, and loped toward the girl's cabin to be sure she was well.
 
Kaiya made her way back to the cabin, the poison slowly starting to leave her system. Thankfully she had only gotten pricked once, so it was more of an inconvenience than anything. She dragged her father along, avoiding rocks and dips in the path. It took far longer than she wanted it to, but she pressed on. There could be no stopping. When she reached the cabin, she did not stop to rest. If she did, she would not start moving again.

Instead, she picked up a shovel and started digging. Six holes. The twins would be buried together, as they would have wanted. She started digging for her father first, creating the hole next to her mother's grave. They had to rest together. She dug without thought, only her actions keeping her moving. Down and up. Toss the dirt. Focus. Get it done. They had to be laid to rest. She could not stop.

When Cathal arrived, she was just finishing the first grave. She climbed out wearily and picked up her father, carefully laying him inside before burying him with the loose soil. Once done, she patted the dirt down and began a second. No stopping. She could pray for them later.
 
Cathal, for his part, needed rest. He watched the girl drag her father into the grave, and begin to bury him. He laid down in front of her porch, weariness overtaking him. He rested his great head on his paws, his eyes drooping. He'd rest. And come morning, he'd hunt, if he had the strength. Then, he'd attend to the barricade, to see if the pack needed any help containing, or executing the monster.

But sleep called him. Head heavy, mind numb, he fell into a slumber.

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When he woke, he was still sore where the monster had scored him with his claws. His ear felt aflame, and his fur was matted with clumped blood. The sun had disappeared from the sky, with only a pale sliver of moon to illuminate the world.

Feeling bone-weary, the brown wolf pushed himself to his pads once more, stopping his stretch short when the motion pulled at his injuries. He cast about for the girl, but didn't see her anywhere. Hunger pulled him back toward the wood. Toward the hunt, and sustenance.
 
Once her entire family was buried, Kaiya sat on her knees for an hour and prayed for them. She kept her head bowed, eyes closed, trying to focus on her duties and not on sleeping. When she finally rose, she turned to see Cathal sleeping. His injuries needed tending, but she didn't dare rouse him. Instead, she got a blanket from the cabin, as well as bandages and salves. She left it all in a pile next to his head, then trudged inside.

It was odd, to be in the cabin alone. Everything was silent, and she still hadn't fixed the front door. She was too exhausted to care about her safety. Besides, she had a werewolf sleeping in front of the cabin. Unless that beast showed up, she was going to be just fine.

She yawned and made her way into her bedroom, flopping onto her bed without bothering to change out of her mud and blood soaked clothes. The mattress hadn't even fully sunk in before she was asleep.
 
Cathal woke, exhausted and ravenous. Blood still reeked in his nostrils, but it was old. His. The monster's. His stomach rumbled. His mind swam. pushing himself to his paws, he loped off into the forest without another thought. It didn't take him long to catch the trail of some game. A moose. It might be hard to take down alone, but his hunger drove him to feed without waiting on assistance, or finding easier food.

He tracked the fresh trail for a mile, before the beast came into view. His mouth watered. His adrenaline spiked. he could feel fresh, warm blood coursing down his shoulder.

He approached from downwind of the beast, and executed a quick, and fierce attack. He tasted fur, and blood, and hamstrung the elk without so much as batting an eye. The beast rounded on him, but he danced away from a pair of hooves that came down nearly on top of him. He backed into the brush. The wounded moose followed. It smelled angry. Almost indignant. It drew nearer, and tried to hoof him again. He darted back, and in again, closing his jaws around the beast's shoulder.

It was as large as he was, and heavier besides. He snarled, shaking his head, trying to pull the creature off balance. Instead, it pulled him, darting a few paces towards a clearing, and taking him with it. He hung on, his paws losing traction, his jaws gripping firm his prey. The hold wasn't a killing bite. He wasn't up on the throat, close to the spine or the arteries. He'd have to readjust. But letting go meant giving the creature a chance to stomp him again.

It was going to be a long, and exhausting fight.

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Cathal padded back to the girl's house, exhausted. The sun was just beginning to come up, and though his belly was full, he felt as if he'd just rolled down a rocky hill in nothing but his skin. He ached everywhere. Finally, he initiated the change, within sight of the cabin.

The fighting over the last day, and night had left Cathal's human form looking considerably worse than his wolven. Big, angry scabs ran from the back of his shoulder, up under his hairline. He had an older, paler bruise under his opposite arm, and a fresh, dark, purple one on his right hip. His skin was slick with blood, both his own, and that of the moose, and dark circles ringed his eyes.

He saw the supplies that had been left for him, and -wearily- walked to them, dropping onto the blanket to treat himself. When he was done, he could go to sleep. He promised it to himself.
 
Kaiya woke long before she was truly ready to face the light of the morning. For a long while, she simply laid on her bed and stared at the ceiling. With each and every breath, she could feel and hear the dried blood on her clothes and skin. It was tight and cracking with each movement. Disgusting. She frowned sadly and raised a hand to gaze at it. Mud and blood were mixed in some sort of twisted paint job over her skin. The blood of her family. She sighed and slowly sat up, forcing herself to walk to the bathroom and get undressed. The clothes would have to be thrown away, they were too saturated to ever return to a normal appearance.

After a long, steaming shower, Kaiya was feeling much better about herself. She felt almost Human again, and her appearance was not nearly so frightening. Her hair was a tangled mess, sure, but at least it was clean. She tossed it up in a messy bun instead of combing it out, then dressed in simple clothing. Today was going to be hard. She had to figure out her plans, as well as clean the house and organize things. The spare items, she could store in her brothers' bedrooms so that she did not have to look at them. That would make it easier.. hopefully.

She wandered barefoot out to the porch to check on the graves and make sure they hadn't been dug up. Cathal was laying there on the ground, freshly bandaged and snoozing. From the look of it, he needed a bath. She frowned with concern, but now was not the time to wake him. He seemed peaceful. Instead, she occupied herself with cleaning the kitchen and living room from top to bottom. They were the easiest rooms. She was delaying the inevitable, she knew, but she didn't care. For now she was relaxed, scrubbing things clean of dirt and the faint smears of blood that had gotten tracked in.

In the early afternoon, she began cooking. Cathal was bound to wake up soon and she figured a meal was appropriate to thank him for helping her in all the ways that he had. Plus, he would probably want to munch something before walking home. She took into consideration how much he had eaten before and created a small buffet of sorts - there wasn't much of anything, but a variety. Two roasted chicken breasts, a small helping of potatoes with butter, a small helping of fresh corn from the town, and a jug of lemonade. She really needed to go shopping. Frowning, she rummaged around the cupboards until she found the stash of money in a jar. This would have to do for now.
 
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