Temp, Zuk, Milaque

Three yearling stags move across the land, heading for the shimmering waters of the Bay. The largest in the bunch was a red deer, with a thick, deep brown-red coat. His face was exceptionally dark as well, almost black. Behind him traveled Temp and Zuk, two half-brothers that were a third of their friend's size. It was to be expected though, for they were fallow deer. Like his father Meteor, Zuk had a pitch-black pelt. Temp, taking after his mother more, had a dark brown-red coat. A line of spots along his back made him even more distinctive.

"Milaque, maybe we should turn back now..." Temp hedged as he glanced back. This was the furthest he had ever been from his home.

"Oh, come on Temp!" Zuk replied, tossing his glossy ebon head, "Besides, our mothers are busy with tonight's plan. We'll be back before night anyway."

Milaque looked at his smaller friends, "No worries, I know the way back." A half-lie, to be truthful. His older brother Radon had taken him exploring here and there, but never very far. "Hey... check it out!" The yearling said suddenly, spotting a stretch of level, hard ground that wound around part of the bay before shooting off further than their eyes could see. A dotted yellow line ran down the center of the strange rock formation. This was the first time they had ever encountered a road.

Curious, the trio moved towards the road, ears fanned out and noses quivering. "It smells funny." Temp noted, wrinkling his muzzle at the oily, gaseous smell that seemed to cling to the dark, flat surface.

"I wonder where it leads..." Zuk mused, lifting his head to scan one way, then the other.

*Vehicles*

As the three were pondering over the strange new sight, a small SUV came roaring around the bend of the road. The driver wasn't looking ahead, and instead had her focus on the glistening waters of the bay, and the occasional traingular silhouettes of the orca's dorsal fins. As she turned her head at the last minute, she spotted the deer and slammed on her breaks...

Hatch

Near the same moment that the SUV came into view, Hatch did as well. Being over half a year old, the adolescent was nearly the size of an adult now, and looked almost all wolf. Despite his advancing age, he had failed to find his way back to the Aegis Den... that, and he was more interested in exploring. This exploring business it what really led him to getting lost, but he didn't mind so much. Not until his stomach began growling at him, that is. Which leads him to the present situation...

Having smelled the deer on the wind, the innexperienced adolescent followed the scent until he spotted the three on the road. Hatch took off running, heading straight for the deer with the look of a predator raging in his eyes. However, he stopped short when the vehicle came blazing around the bend. Skidding to a halt in the thick snow, he took a few hesitant steps back before a mixture of curiosity and fear held him prisoner.

Sang

She was being good, avoiding the vehicle and everything when she saw Hatch run straight for it. Knowing him to be an alley with her mothers pack, she hissed darkly and leapt from her dark hiding spot. She leapt in front of him, her body sliding slightly as she halted. Yellow eyes locked on his and she glared hard into his orbs. Move! She yelled at him. Anything to get his attention to get out of the way of vehicles and humans.

Temp, Zuk, Milaque

In a flash, the three yearlings were confronted by two different threats. Wolves, which they had seen before, and this.... this vehicle! Zuk was first to spot Hatch and Sang, and gave a sharp bark to warn his friends. They turned and face the wolves, relying on training from the older stags. Stand your ground if you can, and run like hell if that doesn't work.

Milaque, being the largest of the group at around 400 pounds, stepped forwards slightly and lowered his head. Two little nubs were there, where antlers would from next year. "You two better back off..." He warned with a loud snort, just as the SUV came into view.

The three turned their stunned attention to the vehicle, and stood frozen in terror like... well, like deer caught in the headlights. It was Zuk who came to his senses first and barked out another command, "RUN!" Springing forward, he headed blindly for Sang and Hatch, his mind consumed with getting away from this terrorizing new threat.

Milaque snapped to his senses next and plunged blindly after his smaller friend. Temp, however, didn't react quick enough. Just as the SUV was skidding his way, he leapt. His hind quarters and legs were struck, spinning the fallow deer around as he was thrown to the shoulder of the road, tumbling into the snow. With bleating scream that seemed more fit for a tortured human, the young stag tried to stand up, but his hind legs were badly broken. Blood, leaking from a series of compound fractures, began to stain the snow as the deer continued to struggle.

Sang

She glared hard at Hatch for a moment and when he didn't move she snapped ivory fangs at his muzzle. Now! With that, she turned and ran straight for the fallow dear that lay on the ground. She halted next to him and glared hard. They were all invading on her terrain. Stop moving! She shouted at him. Whether he listened or not, she didn't care. The female positioned herself so that she stood between the fallen dear and the vehicle, her eyes glaring hard at them in a silent dare. Quit moving and pretend like your dead! she hissed to him. She too a step back so that her own body was over his thrashing own to disguise his breathing.

*Woman*

The car hissed faintly as the motor abruptly turned off. The front of the hood was bent inwards, causing the center to jut up. The grill was dented in and broken in several places, as well as one of the headlights. Shakily, the woman got out of her car, pale with fright but otherwise unharmed. As she saw the deer flailing on the ground, she put a hand over her mouth as she gasped. And then the wolf! The thought of the Legendaries flashed through her mind, and she took a few fumbled steps backwords. A wolf bold enough to stand so near to her vehicle surely was not afraid of humans.

Sang

Her eyes glared hard at the woman but she still made no move to attack her. Was she afraid of the human? Not really. She had no reason to fear something that had no weapon. Had she ever attacked a human? No. She had attacked a dog though, but it had attacked her first. Pretend to be dead. She hissed again to the fallen dear. She could sense the womans fear, but still the hybrid did not move. She looked pure wolf, her mothers heritage. Glaring hard at the woman a bark escaped her.

Temp, Zuk, Milaque

Temp's eyes were so wide the whites shown in stark contrast to his dark pelt. The pain was searing as it bolted through his mangled hind limbs, and despite his panicked struggle, he was getting no where fast. At first he failed to hear Sang, and saw only a blood-thirsty wolf coming to tear him to pieces. But when she stood in front of him and didn't attack, his fuzzy mind took hold of what she was saying. Play dead?. He was too stunned to comprehend why she wanted him to play dead, but he wasn't about to dissagree with a predator like her. Giving a deer's version of a whimper as the pain continued to tear through him, Temp laid his head down and stiffled his ragged breath as best as he could as he tried to play dead.

Meanwhile, Temp's half brother and Milaque stood guardedly on the fridge of the woods that lined the road. The red deer stood protectively in front of his smaller friend as they watched in disbelief at the scene before them. Half of him wanted to rush out and attack the wolves, the human, and the strange roaring beast that felled Temp. Another half of him begged the deer to run and save himself. Torn between the two, Milaque and Zuk did neither- they just stood there.

*Woman*

With a gasping scream, the woman staggered backwards until she bumped into her car. Shaking so bad with fear that she almost couldn't open her door, she scrambled into her car. A moment later, the engine coughed and sputtered, then whined plaintively as she tried to get it going again. She tried again, and on the third attempt, the vehicle roared back into life. Jamming the gear into drive, the SUV lurched forward, the peeled away from the curb, before speeding down the road and out of sight. In it's wake, a large puddle of red, green, and black oils merged on the ground. The SUV wouldn't be getting very far as it's life fluid leaked so steadily from the engine.

Hatch

To say the least, the adolescent was taken aback by the fae's sharp words and attitude. But much more surprising to him was her actions around the fallen deer. Taking some hasty steps back as the vehicle sped away, he looked hesitantly to Sang. "What, are you going to save the deer? We should kill it." Hatch advised, paying no mind to the other two deer standing nearby, though he had a notion to give them a good chase.

Sang

She growled suddenly at Hatch. Shut up! You don't kill something that can't fight back. Her face was set in a scowl, and she stepped away from the deer. One of his flailing hooves had hit her, and blood was dripping down her stomach and staining the ground. You two, come here! She barked. She couldn't very well pick up the deer and carry him on her back. It was impossible. And you! She snarled. Don't touch them. Don't even look at them. You don't need to eat a full deer anyways. What are you doing outside of the alleys? Her eyes were aflame with anger, at his stupidity and the womans. Her eyes suddenly fell on the oil and she said Don't touch it... She stepped back so that she was sitting in front of the fallen deer, her eyes on Hatch.

Temp, Zuk, Milaque

The two deer stood there staring at Sang for a moment, not sure what they should do in this situation. Nhosh had been adament about them staying away from wolves and not getting involved with their affairs. At the same time, they didn't want to just leave their companion there to die.

Milaque finally stepped forward. Being about four times larger and heavier than the two brothers, he found himself making all the decisions at the moment. Zuk followed timidly behind the red deer. "...what?" Milaque questioned at length, coming close enough to see the blood on Sang, but far enough away to turn and bolt if she rushed him.

Temp didn't realize what he had done, and was in a haze of shock at the tremendous damage taken to his hind legs. He could only lie there.

Sang

Her gaze was on Hatch, glaring hard at him to make sure she got her point across when she moved to get off and away from Temp. She made no notice of the sharp pain in her stomach and ribs, but came forth towards Milaque. I'm not going to eat you. She said in a dark tone, as if the very thought of him thinking she would eat him was angering to her. She stalked away from Temp, and sat facing all of them now. Lay down. You, try and get him onto his back. Dog, you stay out of the way or I'll personally dispose of you myself. Her gaze was piercing and strong, every bit as dark as her mothers and her fathers as she glared at them all, daring them to defy her authority.

Hatch

Hatch sat back on his haunches, head tilted to the side slightly as he listened to and watched Sang. While he didn't snarl or offer any resistance to the daughter of Aaka and Legosa, Hatch met her gaze with an unblinking stare. The hybrid had a knack for unnerving his brothers and parents, though he didn't usually do it on purpose. "I wouldn't want to make such a mixed-up wolf angry at me." Hatch commented after a moment, "You help deer, so it makes me wonder if you eat wolves?"

Temp, Zuk, Milaque

Milaque and Zuk exchanged looks, but it was the larger stag who again decided what to do. Obey the wolf, and hope that things worked out alright. Slowly, the red deer knelt down next to his downed friend, lowering his antlers slightly and pointing them in Sang's direction.

Zuk kept his eyes trained on Sang and Hatch as he moved to his half-brother. Very slowly, he nudged and pushed, and with a bit of effort on Temp's part, they got the smaller deer across Milaque's back. He was too lost in shock to feel the pain of his shattered bones grating against each other, or poking out through his skin here and there.

Grunting with the extra weight, Milaque heaved himself up. Then he looked to Sang again, waiting for the next bit of instructions, though he still didn't fully trust the predator.

Sang

Her eyes flared with temper and in a tone that matched the devils own she replied to Hatch Do you want to try me and see? with that she turned her gaze from the dog, her hackles bristled. Theres a lady at the Woodland farm. She'll heal your friend. Stay off the road, the humans travel on this. Go through the brush, and cut across a stream. It'll be slick, so have this one brace against you to help keep him balanced on top. Trust the human, she won't hurt you. If there are wolves or other canines there, they should not harm you for they are injured as well. Just take it easy. Her gaze flashed to Hatch now. And you. Go back to the Alleys where you belong. If your lost, I'll take you but I don't want to see you in my terrain again. Still angered by Hatch's words, she came closer and said in a soft and deadly tone How would you like to be the one to be hit by a metal machine, helpless and flailing because you can't stand and have another predator come after you with you unable to defend yourself? I can make it happen, little dog. Push me one more time, and it will.

Hatch

Honthale would have snapped back, and Desmon.. well, he never would have stared back at Sang in the first place. But strange little Hatch did neither of those things. No agression, no submission, just a peculiar calm about him as he replied, "No, I wouldn't." Was his response to her initial question. And after she was done speaking to the deer, he let his eyes fall back into hers, solid and unwavering, "I wouldn't doubt it. But no, I wouldn't like that to happen to me." Standing slowly, the adolescent held his gaze with hers still, his intentions unable to read. "If I bothered you, I'm sorry. I was just... looking for food, you know."

Sang

She was so tired, and like Hatch she was hungry. But, she wouldn't eat the deer. She had already stated she wouldn't and she kept to her word. A soft sigh escaped her, but she wasn't about to apologize to the adolescent. His eyes didn't unerve her like it would others. Her eyes drifted back towards him and she said softly Stick to rabbits. They might not fill you up completely, but they also don't stick around long enough for you to talk to. She mainly ate fish now, living at the bay and occasionally would eat a whale that washed up on shore. Wait....There was one that had washed ashore! It was somewhat old, but the wolf still enjoyed it so why not Hatch as well? Come on. She murmered. She trotted away from the road and headed down a slope, keeping up a brisk pace until they were about a half mile away. In sight now was the carcass of a orca that had washed up on shore, and in places there were huge chunks missing as well as a wolf sized hole in the creatures stomach from Sang cilmbing inside and using it as a home. Dig in.

Hatch

At last, a smile krept over the muzzle of the adolescent. Sang had been the first to see past his strange facade and break down her own aggression and hostility in order to speak with him. "Rabbits, sounds good." Hatch replied, his voice more or less the same as before, but with just a hint more emotion. The stench of the carcass didn't affect Hatch in the least bit as he crawled into the hole, stomach growling. "What ever this may be..." He paused, looking around, "...I think I will add it to my food list." Hungrily, he began to tear at the meat.