Moira was running, her paws beating a steady rhythm on the ground. Her maw was wide open, her tongue lolling in and out and she was panting heavily. She has been running for a while now, trying to escape one of the Consumed. She had volunteered to go hunt alone. The others were not too happy about this, but she insisted. That way they could cover more ground and her pack could really need the food. Besides she preferred to hunt alone like most Direwolves, a preference that was only further solidified by the time she spent as a loner. She had been looking the whole day for prey without any luck, when she stumbled on the Consumed. She had hoped she could sneak away without it noticing her, but she bolted immediately in a random direction once it did. She could probably take on one Consumed, but she only engaged with them if she had no other options. The risk of becoming Consumed herself is just to greet. While she may isn’t faster than other breeds, she is faster than this particular Consumed, so she was able to put some distance between herself and it. She allowed herself to look behind her for a moment, the Consumed nowhere in sight. Maybe she finally lost it. At least that was what she hoped. This moment of being inattentive to her surroundings was all it took. Her paw didn’t find purchase on the next step and she barrelled down a hole, of its existence she was unaware. She landed hard on her side and could hear a sickening crack, which she feared indicated that she broke a bone. And sure enough her right front leg hurt, when she got back on her paws. She muttered a string of curses under her breath. That was the last thing she needed! She considered the way back up. She really had no other choice, but to climb back up. Staying here would be her death. If a Consumed that fell down the hole didn’t kill her, she would starve to death. And of the lack of food didn’t kill her, the lack of water would, so she began to climb.

She collapsed on the ground, panting when she finally made it to the top. Even though it may wasn’t the smartest thing to do, she stayed there she was. She really needed to catch her breath and her leg hurt even worse than before. She stood up again once she stopped panting, carefully avoiding to put any weight on her injured leg. She let out another string of curses as she realised that she couldn’t recognise any of her surroundings. After a moment she decided to find place to hide for the night and to try to find her way back home in the morning. And so she started walking again, this time considerably slower.

As Doom's claws raked his back, cutting deep grooves into his flesh, the Dire let out an enraged snarl. The Bracchus had left himself open. Foolish child. Skoll's teeth gripped Doom's side, sinking into the other male with a squelch. It was a bite not meant to kill, however, but a bit to disarm. Mustering up enough energy, Skoll slung his head to the side, and with it Doom. At peak momentum he let Doom go, letting gravity take over. The Lupin, for now, was down for the count, and with the Bracchus now momentarily disabled, Skoll took it upon himself to flee.

With all his remaining energy the Dire ran. Ran until his paws ached and the pads felt as if they may crack and bleed. Rain still fell in thick, heavy sheets. At least it would wash the blood from his coat. With a huff he slowed. Skidding to a stop in the mud. His ears perked, white eyes drifting from darkened silhouette to silhouette. Paranoia was setting in. He jumped when he made eye contact with another Direwolf. She was a bit smaller than he. Her dark pelt splotched with lighter grey rosettes made her almost blend in with the surroundings. Skoll's body tensed as he continued to eye her suspiciously. His ears pinning back to his skull. However, taking in a deep inhale, he found himself relaxing, if only slightly. Her scent did not carry the scent of the others he had fought earlier. Though, he was no fool. He didn't let his guard down completely. This female also seemed to be hurt. As she walked, her steps were slow and she seemed to refuse to put pressure fully on one of her front paws.

He limped over to Vlade, hissing with every step. Blood matted his fur, and though it was hard to see on the black, it made him feel sticky and gross. He crouched down, inspecting Vlades wounds. They were both quite the sight- and vulnerable. If a Consumed came by, they would be a quick snack. Bright eyes darted around for a hiding spot, somewhere for them to recover. It was a rather open clearing, so staying wouldn’t be an option. His eyes snagged on something- an overturned log.

"This way." he urged, tossing his head towards the North. He had run so far and so fast to put distance between himself and his attackers that he didn't realize, until he was able to take in his surroundings, that he knew exactly where he was. He was close to the den he had been using as a temporary shelter while in this area. He kept his pace relaxed and undemanding. Allowing her to set the pace. As they traveled, the rain continuing to slow, and he kept his ears, nose, and eyes alert for any signs of lurking Consumed. "What's your name?" he asked.

~x~

Vlade let out a groan as he heaved himself up into a sitting position. He took a moment. His head swam and his vision blacked around the edges. He shook the stars from his eyes as he watched Doom. The other had found a shelter. A small one. The thought of sharing such cramped quarters made the corners of Vlade's mouth turn downwards. When Doom came back and said this would work, at least for now, Vlade gave the Bracchus a nod. Another grunt as he got to his feet. The pain in his shoulder and chest were almost unbearable, but he managed to limp his way over to the fox den. He lowered his head, an agonizing gesture, as he eyed what he could see of the hole in the ground.

"Are you sure?" the Lupin questioned. But, Doom's words reassured him it would work. It would give them some time to rest and recuperate. Plus, the honeysuckle idea to mask their scent didn't seem like such a bad idea. He nodded as the gears in his brain worked to figure out just how he was going to get himself inside. Rolling with the pain, Vlade lowered himself to the ground, so that his belly almost scrapped the earth as he began to crawl into the small space. He took the right side. Curling up into himself as best he could to give the Bracchus room as well. As he shifted uncomfortably, he finally found a position where the searing ache in his leg and shoulder began to subside. Taking this as a sign that his body really needed to rest, especially after all that had happened prior to this scuffle, he placed his chin on a paw. The sound of the rain falling on the forest's canopy was beginning to lessen. The storm was heading out by the sounds of it. Great. Just great. The Consumed would be on the move again, looking for their next victims, now that the storm was clearing.

~x~

Back in Vex and Hurricane's cavern home, Sobena was growing anxious. The Dire had begun to pace. Back and forth, back and forth, threatening to walk a path in the stone floor if she continued at this pace. "What's taking so long? They should have been back by now... Right?" she asked, though her words were mainly to herself. She stopped as a small boom of thunder sounded, echoing lightly off the cave's walls. "This isn't good. The storm is moving out... They should have been back..." she continued to murmur. As the sound of the rain became less and less apparent, Sobena turned to look back at Vex. "I'm sorry. I have to go find them!" she yelped, before dashing out of the cave. In her haste, she slipped down several rocks leading to the ground below before finding her footing. She ran as fast as she could, nose to the sky, as she tried to keep the faintest scent of her brother and Doom fresh in her nostrils. With the rain leaving and a faint muggy fog raising their scents were beginning to falter. She hoped she'd run into them soon, give her brother and Doom what for for making her worry, but in the back of her mind horrid ideas of Consumed pouncing on them lingered. She needed to find them. She needed to make sure they were okay.