04-24-2009, 05:50 PM
Thinking that maybe this can end without either of them getting seriously injured? I don't think Brennt's in any state to fight someone with a knife, but he can't outrun Dawali, either. The predator will be able to defend itself, provided Dawali's not in it to the death?
Horrified, Brennt ran. Though another wolf might have taken a moment to wonder incredulously why a raptor was now attacking him, Brennt did no such thing, only redoubling his efforts to escape. He wanted away, he wanted to get away now! He didn't want anything to do with Dawali or his birds or his accusations or his uninstigated anger. He hadn't done anything! Not yet! The big male had never encountered the idea of preemptive punishment, and wasn't quick enough on the uptake to understand that his intent was obvious and that intent was enough to make other wolves angry.
It was during his mad sprint, with the raptor attacking from above and the footfalls of the border patroller quickly gaining, that the change occurred in him again. He sometimes felt it coming, as was the case this time, with a tightness in his chest and a general feeling of being overwhelmed and afraid. Being excited also frequently brought him out of the realm of words and into the realm of instincts. Brennt was not a coward, but when it came to social interaction, he was uncertain, doubtful, and lacked the confidence to fully trust himself. When he abandoned the pretexts of society, however, he could calm down, and in many cases, gained a level of competence that was completely unattainable to him while he lived by the rules his mother had lain down for him.
Dawali and the bird converged on him, both reaching him at about the same time. He stopped suddenly, spinning out from any grasping hands or slashing swings from the red wolf, and swung his clawed hand brutishly at the bird, who managed to avoid the warning attack. Now facing Dawali, quite a ways from what would be considered his land, the predator looked out from its bright yellow eyes, a liveliness there that Brennt could never emulate, a predatory hunger that one would never, ever expect to see in the dull, empty gaze of the former resident. What had come to the door now was something else, something that could not be reasoned with nor intimidated by words. Brennt might have been considered a half-wolf by some standards, lacking something crucial, perhaps a soul, perhaps just a functional mind. This creature had both. It lacked the words and the amiability Brennt could muster. Two sides to the same coin. This side, however, was ready to fight, if it must.
Horrified, Brennt ran. Though another wolf might have taken a moment to wonder incredulously why a raptor was now attacking him, Brennt did no such thing, only redoubling his efforts to escape. He wanted away, he wanted to get away now! He didn't want anything to do with Dawali or his birds or his accusations or his uninstigated anger. He hadn't done anything! Not yet! The big male had never encountered the idea of preemptive punishment, and wasn't quick enough on the uptake to understand that his intent was obvious and that intent was enough to make other wolves angry.
It was during his mad sprint, with the raptor attacking from above and the footfalls of the border patroller quickly gaining, that the change occurred in him again. He sometimes felt it coming, as was the case this time, with a tightness in his chest and a general feeling of being overwhelmed and afraid. Being excited also frequently brought him out of the realm of words and into the realm of instincts. Brennt was not a coward, but when it came to social interaction, he was uncertain, doubtful, and lacked the confidence to fully trust himself. When he abandoned the pretexts of society, however, he could calm down, and in many cases, gained a level of competence that was completely unattainable to him while he lived by the rules his mother had lain down for him.
Dawali and the bird converged on him, both reaching him at about the same time. He stopped suddenly, spinning out from any grasping hands or slashing swings from the red wolf, and swung his clawed hand brutishly at the bird, who managed to avoid the warning attack. Now facing Dawali, quite a ways from what would be considered his land, the predator looked out from its bright yellow eyes, a liveliness there that Brennt could never emulate, a predatory hunger that one would never, ever expect to see in the dull, empty gaze of the former resident. What had come to the door now was something else, something that could not be reasoned with nor intimidated by words. Brennt might have been considered a half-wolf by some standards, lacking something crucial, perhaps a soul, perhaps just a functional mind. This creature had both. It lacked the words and the amiability Brennt could muster. Two sides to the same coin. This side, however, was ready to fight, if it must.