Wings of Fate [Riot]

[Cursico!]

The sky was tinged pink with the oncoming twilight, promising for a beautiful day tomorrow, something which newly arisen nocturnal creatures could barely take the time to appreciate. Who wanted a bright day when it would blow your cover? And many eyes would be awake, alert and looking out for those hungry enough to rush after prey in the clarity of daylight. No, that wouldn't do at all.
A fox, not particularly special even with his odd markings, crept out from his burrow at the base of a tree, glancing around at the pink shade provided by the trees. It seemed to be safe, and so he stretched, yawned and trotted out a few more steps. Alert to danger, he remained stock still for fifteen seconds, radar-like ears twitching this way and that, searching for anything that might want to take a swipe or a bite at a sleepy fox.
Nothing, all was well in the fading light. Cursico smiled to himself, all reservations being swept under the rug. Without humans around, there wasn't much to be afraid of. Sure, there were bears, bigger canines, deer and elk with sharp claws, and even ferocious wolverines, but the strangely marked fox had never even met a human before, so there were no guards to be let down in the first place. He was just as cautious as instinct had distacted even before his birth.
Taking in a deep breath of the swiftly cooling air, Cursico weaved through the trees along a path he was beginning to know even without having to use his eyes. Jump for the fallen log that came just after the tree with bear-gouges in it. Soon the fox stopped by a small stream that trickled through the forest, and lowered his head for the first drink of the day before he would have to find something to eat.

[Tsunami]

*steals Riots place*

[bg=BE8DD2][atrb=width,400,true] When she left the safety of her pack, it was daylight. It had been a wonderful day, one that Tsunami, for once, took advantage of. For weeks now she had been lounging around the caves doing little to no work, sleeping most of her time away. Beauty rest, she called it. Today, she felt different, though. A wave of energy washed over her body, forcing her from her slumber and out of the caves. The Rottweiler walked south for quite some time, taking in her surroundings and enjoying the warm breeze that swept along her pelt. Unfortunately for this large female, she didn't leave herself much of a bread trail and now it was getting dark. Tsunami was hungry, tired and lost. For most canines, it wouldn't be too hard to find their way back to somewhere they knew, but poor Tsunami wasn't like that. She had been raised on everyone else doing everything for her.... everything, and now she was alone in a place she didn't know forced to find her own way home, find her own meal and find her own shelter. What a life for this poor pitiful female, having to do something for herself for once. If all of this wasn't enough, now a bit of fear swept over her insides as she thought of the fact that she had never been out in the woods alone at night. Although this powerful animal believed she could take on a group of bears alone, the thought of being ambushed by something that knew these forests well made her pace quicken. At a fairly fast trot, she caught a scent and hastily came to a halt. With her nose to the ground, she backtracked her steps until she found what had stopped her movements to begin with, then moved forward, following the trail as a low growl rumbled around in her chest. She knew what this scent was, and she knew it was nothing to be afraid of. When the stench of the animal became almost pungent in the air, Tsunami grimaced before turning her sweet face on. Folded ears slammed against her skull, eyes widened to a fearful size and a complete look of innocence swept over her features. "He...Hello? Is there someone out there?" Her voice was almost sickeningly sweet, trustworthy even. This was the only part of her that was never a facade, though. For having such a large frame, this girl had the voice of a childlike angel. One that seemed to sing out through the thick canopy of trees, weaving in and out of the surrounding foliage. "... I could really use some help." Then, like typical Tsunami, she waited.

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[Cursico!]

Foxes ears were tuned in to catch the low sounds of rodents rustling in undergrowth, which was at 3.5 DHZ, and the wide shape of the ears also helped to catch minute sounds. Where his eyes and nose failed him, he could hear the low growl as clearly as if it was right beside him. Immediately he jerked his head up and turned it towards the noise, ears twitching this way and that, the quick movements continued even after the growl dropped into silence. It wasn't another fox, he could tell that without even having to think, and if it wasn't a fox became worried.
Cursico slunk over to one of the willows that graced the small streams edge and using his furred paw-pads and claws to their fullest extent snuck up to the first fork in the tree and crouched down, covering his nose with his thick brush. With a bright red pelt that glowed slightly in the fading sun, he stood out against the canopy of green, but that didn't really matter when other threats couldn't reach. Even a dog that was the same body length as a fox had twice the weight, so the deep sound he had heard led him to believe there was no way he could get caught up in his high perch.
It appeared he had nothing to worry about though, for the voice that called out to him was pathetic in its whine. But... then what about the growl? Dogs were so confusing, he couldn't work out what all their sounds meant. A growl of insecurity? An instinctive growl later pushed down by thought? A growl from the absurd size that compressed the chest?
Cursico crept up along a branch, brush flicking to keep his balance. Even before he'd seen Tsunami, he knew where she was through his ears, and that was the only reason his weak eyes could pick up the dark shape against the dark undergrowth.
With a twitching nose, the fox tilted its head. Which dog was this? It looked like... ah, of course, it was a rottweiler! How amusing that such a big thing was asking help from him! Cursico gekkered, which to him was a sufficient answer to whether anyone was there, yet he showed no further signs of speaking. The slight ache in one of his hind legs reminded him just how dangerous dogs were, whether or not they wanted to be.
Dogs, they were all insane. Was he the only sane one around here? He needed to find some fellow foxes...

[Tsunami]

[bg=BE8DD2][atrb=width,400,true] Ears simply flicked in an upward motion when she heard the slight rustling within the trees above her. She paid no other mind to this noise, not even suspecting that the small creature she was after was now in the canopy. Her eyes stayed focused on the foliage ahead of her, squinting slightly, trying to adjust to the fading light. In most situations, she would gallop towards her interest with no fear, showing her displeasure without regard. Snapping, biting, growling... all of these were a part of her daily social ritual when among canines she didn't know or females she did know. These were all things she could hardly ever control, especially if she felt no need to do so. Here, it was different. Tsunami wasn't stupid and knew being in unfamiliar territory, not to mention being lost in the territory was no time to make bad first impressions. She needed something, and was now willing to push her patience and sweet facade to it's limits to retrieve the information she so disparately needed. All of her attention was focused directly in front of her, unaware of the fox mere feet above her very head. She knew he was just there and his scent was still almost overwhelming, so when the unusual noise coming from the heavens descended down upon her ears, she nearly lost all of her control. Legs spread out around her in a defensive stance as the hair on the back of her neck raised itself to new levels. This was only a momentarily lapse in judgment before her eyes simply flicked upwards, giving the leaves a flaming glance. Her body relaxed and her haunches lowered to the ground as her broad head followed her gaze and a deep, warm smile creased her face. You sneaky little bastard..."Oh.. my", she chuckled."...You nearly gave me a heart attack there, you clever little thing you! Her face turned from it's delighted grin to a pitiful look of a puppy whom had just done something terribly wrong, her gaze flicking from side to side to suggest embarrassment. "I... I'm afraid I've run into a bit of trouble. I seem to be lost, and I'm sure such an intelligent guy as yourself would know his way around this dreadful place, no?" Tsunami was probably right to assume that the small fox was not interested in flirtatious advances, but she knew that all species were interested in compliments. For now, the fox was safe, but that didn't mean she wouldn't make a meal out of him when she got what she wanted. Or worse still, bring him to the pack. What a delightful idea..., she thought to herself, the smile returning. Only this time the warm grin was no facade as her mind wandered off, thinking of the fun she could have with him and the other members of Metnal.

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[Cursico!]

Cursico flicked his tail in amusement as the unique fox sound produced such a lovely reaction. And it didn't go unnoticed to him it was a very defensive action, which helped him to understand what the growl earlier had meant. But again... rottweilers weren't a species he knew too much about, only that the big thing might very well crush him even with a friendly shove. Even without thinking about the teeth he shivered lightly. A certain white dog had taught him that any dog could be hazardous.
The fox looked on curiously at the change from defensive into... well submissive would be the wrong word... but he didn't have another one to replace it with, so almost-submissive would have to do. But it all made sense when he found out just why a dog was approaching a fox at all when their heritage naturally killed foxes at any oportune moment.

Ah, flattery! Not the most noble way to get something, but I can't say I've never tried to butter someone up when they have something I want. Yet, she calls my home-range a dreadful place even while describing me as intelligent... Hm, that's not the nicest thing to be saying.

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With a deep sigh, Cursico arched his back, stretching in the same way a cat would before considering his answer carefully before speaking. "Y'know, it all depends on where you want to go, and just what you're willing to give for this help. A lone fox such as I should be spending this valuable time hunting." Having dropped a perfectly suitable hint, the red shape dared to run along the branch and slither along the tree, dropping neatly on the floor with a flourish of dead leaves.
There, he realised just how big rottweilers were, and the high confidence of his ears drooped back just slightly. First there was a big white dog, then there was a big black dog... Yet still, he trotted on his bouncy legs until he was in front of the large dog and sat down, staring up as proudly as any King could.

[Tsunami]

[bg=BE8DD2][atrb=width,400,true] The black and rust coloured beasts ears pressed firmly against her head for a moment, scoffing to herself in her mind. What would I be willing to give? Your hide on a platter, you filthy rat.. She showed no outward expressions of her vile thoughts. How dare this rodent suggest such things out of her. If he knew who she was, he'd surely think differently about the words that came out of that filthy mouth. Hunt? Pah. Not likely. A warm grin still creased her face when she began to giggle frantically like a small child would. Oh my. I'm almost certain that all I could help you with was collecting a large pile of dirt. I've never really been a great hunter, not like you are, I'm sure. Even though Tsunami was trying to lie and manipulate herself out of any work, all of what she said was true. The spoiled fae had never hunted a day in her life and had actually worked for anything very few of those days. All her life, she had manipulated and tricked her brother into believing she was a poor defenseless soul that would surely be broken if she needed to do so much as lift a paw on her own. This life had worked well for her while she was under his care, but since they had joined Metnal, she found that getting what she wanted was becoming harder and harder for her. Metnal were well aware of how manipulators worked, and she was no different than anyone else. Her light brown eyes were the only thing that moved as she watched the small creature scurry down the tree and come to a rest just in front of her paws. How courageous..., she thought, finally dipping her head to his level, belly falling with a soft thud to the ground. "I'm heading towards Devils Ridge. I think it's in the northern most part of the island, but, you know, simple old me just couldn't be too sure of that." She intentionally didn't mention anything of the Metnal pack she was a part of, hoping that the small fox either didn't know anything about them or didn't care. Tsunami rolled to her side as she finished her last words, a playful, flirtatious front. "Have any idea where that is, sweetie?", she cooed. Nearly gagging to herself silently, smile remaining.

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[Cursico!]

Despite being quite susceptible to flattery, he was canny enough to know when it was being lathered on too thickly and with absolutely no basis. Whats more, a dog who suggested she had absolutely nothing to do with hunting seemed to know enough to even know what a good hunter was. With careful deliberation, he laid back his ears in annoyance. He might be able to help, but that was no reason to drag ones dignity through the mud. If Cursico was anything more than a crafty, selfish fox, he was also prideful, and the display before him was nothing short of pitiful.
Couldn't it use its nose to track its scent back to whence it came? Looking up, he watched the fading sun and sighed lightly, the sun set in the west, which meant that north was to his right. The fox turned his head to the right, and then turned 180 degrees so he was facing the opposite direction. What would the dog know about which way to go to reach North?
He had no idea about the symbolism to all the dog packs, though he was aware that there were a group of big canines that he most certainly wanted to avoid over in Devils ridge. The name wasn't the most comforting, and yet he still confidently pointed to the South. "Go that way until you reach a valley, move up the stream at the bottom of the valley, it'll curve and branch a little, but stay on the main stream. You'll end on a rise where you can see your... ridge thing."
A complete lie, there wasn't even a valley in that direction, but he didn't feel generous to a dog who wasn't about to make his time worth while. No treat, no service! Cursico smiled like a proper gentleman, neatly flicking his tail back and forth in something that resembled a wave as he waited for the dog to start in the wrong direction.

[Tsunami]

[bg=BE8DD2][atrb=width,400,true] Tsunamis tongue lolled out of her maw as she laid on her side looking slightly upwards at the small fox. It reeled itself back inward and her eyes flicked partly closed for a second when his large ears laid back against his head. It was not a pleasurable move on his part and that infuriated Tsunami. Her heart sped up as her mind worked in overtime trying to calm herself. She rose to her feet casually, the smile now vanished from her maw. As he told her the directions, she listened carefully before flicking her eyes in the direction he suggested, then back towards him. The light brown oculars were slightly winced, rising from the bottom lid rather than closing from the top."Thank you.", she stated before turning around, giving the fox another glance over her shoulder before lowering her head to the level of her back and trudging forth through the foliage. She walked until she was just out of the foxes view, then turned and walked in a half circle until she was downwind. She remembered a valley, but, unfortunately, it was a valley that was closer to old human territory than she thought she was now. You little trickster.., she thought as a small snarl began to appear on her face, raising her upper lip ever so slightly. If Tsunami was unable to do anything, it was to control her temper. Lasing out unexpectedly was something she was quite used to even though it did spook her as much as whoever she was with. This was why she wasn't able to just let it go. She could have gone the opposite direction when she realized the tricky creature was lying to her and let it be. But no, not Tsunami. She was now focused on the lingering scent of the vulpine, keeping downwind, keeping quiet until he came into her line of view through the shrubs. Hunting prey was never of any importance to her, she didn't do it. Food was delivered. This was different, though. This was war. Overreacting. Typical Tsunami.

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[Cursico!]

Ah, wash of satisfaction in watching a good days work walk away from you. He wondered for just how long she had been wandering around with nowhere to go. He hoped she hadn't already circles south, which would lead to her realising there was in fact no valley there. But he had no fear as the dominating shape left his view and so his mind. More pressing matters like the nights supply of food whistled through his head as the last rays of the sun gave way to stars and a sliver of moonlight.
With a twitch of his tail, the fox set off in a hopping gallop that cut through the forest. He had decided today would be a good day to rustle up some voles, and every fox knew that a forest's main use was only to make a nice secluded place to sleep. Foxes rarely slept underground in earths anyway, a big leafy tree did wonders for shelter.
He just so happened to go in the opposite direction of the semi-circle the rottweiler was making, and remained just so oblivious to his impending attack. But with a spring in his step, he could happily rustle through the forest at a good speed. His radar ears flicked, listening to what sounded like safety all around. And considering he didn't have to be silent as he moved, the feeling of safety that nothing could keep up with him and remain silent was very well founded. It also meant he could be tracked by sound alone, however, but so long as he kept moving it didn't matter.
Cursico made quick time to the edge of the forest, and sniffed cautiously at the air that buffeted into the air. Just as he had thought, the strong smell of rodents stung the air with a pungent scent. Sneaking forward so that the over-grown grass hid him, the fox laid down to have a rest after trotting through the trees.