The Battle Grounds

Cole sprung alongside the dark coated female. He had never known a beast so big as the one that was chasing him now. With big white 'horns' and its nose was incredibly long and strong, able to swat him aside with ease. The parti-coloured male's tongue lolled from the side of his mouth. He had never run so fast in his life.

Cole had slowed as the dark female sped up to climb the wall ahead of him. He was too exhausted to climb it, the female called for him to follow at first, and he watched as she sprung up the side, only to slid back down screaming that it wasn't the way to go. Feeling an unsatisfactory burning sensation in his legs as he continued to run.

He followed her up to a higher level, and as she slowed he caught up only to match her pace, panting heavily. The snow had made it ten times harder for him to run, there was nothing in this brute to suggest that he was agile in the slightest. He looked back to see the great grey beast still charging toward them. "We need to get a move on" he barked in between pants and started up a pace again away from the great grey beast.

The first arrival.

Despite his limp he kept pace with the tired fae. She had arrived some time before him, but his constant checking to see if Howie and Rubie were following had slowed him some. But he arrived, and it seemed that after the female had come here he was the first of the fledgling pack.

Bataar's head hung low, and he assessed the area by scent. There was definitely something alive here, some creature he had never met before. His eyes flickered every which way, looking for places to hide, and places to stand his ground if need be. Crevasses where he could hide Rubie and Howie, or even a few places he could be well guarded if during the night he needed to rest.

As he approached the lead female, he lifted his head, and studied her himself. She groomed as though she had nothing on her mind, but the thought of that which lurked here must have worried her somewhat. She hid it well, he admitted that. He however, had no fear. If it was a test to join it had to be possible, and Bataar was famous for surviving the impossible. Plausible would be a walk in the park.

Stopping next to where she sad, he studied the grounds silently. Whatever was supposed to be there was unseen. That would be good, give him a chance to set up camp, lay a perimeter, and figure out how to keep his two new friends alive. He thought of the other females as well, the bickering ones. He didn't want them in his camp. Let them survive on their own, he thought harshly. If they were so aloof and cruel to one another, he couldn't imagine how they would treat his new friends. Their care, to him, was foremost on his mind. He'd promised Howie he would stay with him in his zoo, which meant that the three of them had to survive the night.

Those two females would make too much noise, and draw the danger with their fighting. No, let them go it alone, and leave him and his friends alone.

"When does it begins?" Bataar asked softly. The sun was setting, and night would come soon. He was ready for it.

"Yeah, when are we doing this?" Howie asked weakly. He and Rubie had followed at Bataar's heels; the bigger wolf was the only ray of hope in this miserably day.

The Mexican's nose twitched: he could recognize all the different "Off-limits" animals. Elephants, water buffaloes, and those things with the long spiral horns (the name escaped him.) Beyond that lay... The big cats, a creature any wolf with half a brain wouldn't get withing half a mile of. Obviously, no one here had even that much grey matter.

He could also scent zebra, which made his stomach growl. Zebra was indisputably the most delicious meat in the world, but Howie didn't dare wander up here alone. When the Mexican was younger, the occasional giraffe would die and make an almost comparable meal, but by now all of the long-necked creatures were nothing but bones.

There was a third thing Howie could sense, and that was exposed wire: a faint, warm, electrical smell that sent a shudder down his spine. He pushed the thought back; surely he was imagining it. I mean, what would catch fire in the middle of winter, right?

The little wolf stepped closer to his friends, watching silently the other two females saunter into the arena. Then he turned his gaze to Karma, waiting for instructions. How do you want us to die, then?

Ayla approached with the stride instilled in her by the Mord Sith - tall with her head held high and confidence in each step. It was only natural now and she knew almost no other way to enter a scene, this practised display hiding every inch of the indecision clouding her mind. Why am I here? she wondered as she took up a position a little way off from the others, observing the arena they would have to survive. She wasn't at her physical peak after having to walk hundreds of miles from the north, the only comfort in this foreign land being the snow at her paws. She had no desire to get close to others and join the pack, but a manipulative voice in her mind suggested she stay long enough for them to catch prey together so she can regain her strength and leave.

With this in mind, her golden eyes wandered to the others that had showed up. There was a strong sense of foreboding among them and she doubted the two of the smaller wolves (Rubie and Howie) would go very well under such conditions. The large sandy male at their side might change that though, being large enough to take care of himself and likely the other two even with the limp he carried. Even so, depending on the challenges inside he might struggle to get them out unscathed, especially with the red wolf's constant fainting.

If they don't make it through that means less wolves. Less wolves means harder hunts. Harder hunts mean less food. Less food means longer recovery time. an unemotional voice informed her in her head, convinced it was the only reason she would have for keeping the wolves alive. In truth, a part of her remembered how Callisto had tried to teach her to protect instead of destroy and even through her hate for him she felt the need to please him.

Jaw locked she decided to make her own way through the challenge, but to keep an eye on the others if they needed help. Not because I care if they die, she reminded herself harshly, only because they will be needed for better hunts. With that in mind she turned her gaze back to the maze ahead, trying to map it out in her mind.

[[ehh, lame again. I'ma do up a proper history for her soon so some of that is explained xD]]

Ysolt was careful as he followed the group. The emaciated wolf did not want to be seen. He made careful decisons, and now it was time to make one. Whether this pack was worth his time, or whether he should move on. But like any smart creature, Ysolt would observe them first. He was sneaky, moving fluidly through the overgrown zoo, smokey fur blending in nicely. When he finally caught up with the wolves, he kept back, crouching low in a ditch. The yellow eyes glowed from the bushes, cautiously studying the rag-tag group.

Rubie followed the wolves tentatively. This was the direction she had heard the strange noise from earlier and now many foreign scents came her way. She took a place behind Howie and Bataar, crouching there, almost trying to hide from whatever it was this test was about to set upon them. The thought of just leaving was a tempting idea but she had already gotten lost trying to find a way out of this strange place and could not find food for herself very well here. Without finding proper food she would die before too much more time passed.

Glancing up at Kristla as she spoke to Howie, the russet female curled her tail tighter under her belly. Although she had apologised earlier for her mean comments, Rubie was not one to trust easily, especially after she had not seen much niceness from a wolf. Imaginings of what the tests might entail, plagued Rubie's thoughts. Fear (even more) crept up into her but this time she did not feint, merely let out some small terrified whimpers.

Behind him, Ruby let out a small whimper. Howie's hear broke. Why can't I make her feel better? He leaned closer to the cowering female, speaking very quietly so that only she could here.

"Hey, don't worry about this. I'll stay with you the whole time, and Bataar will protect us both. He looks like he could beat up an elephant or two."

Suddenly his attention shifted to the rude golden she-wolf, who was standing in front of him.

"Hey... earlier you said you lived here right? Do you know what creatures live in there?" chirped the lady, batting her eyelashes. "Oh, I don't think I introduced myself. I'm Kristla by the way."


Howie blinked, confused. Half an hour ago, Kristla had told him off for... Something; Howie couldn't even remember. Now, she was acting all sweet and friendly? This was so confusing for the poor fellow.

"Um, well," he stuttered, worried that he might invoke her wrath (again). "There are elephants - they have big tusks sticking out of their mouths that can gore you with ease or throw you in the air. Also, they weigh like thousands of pounds and they have thick skin so you can't bite them or anything.
"You've got your cape buffaloes... I saw them only once. They'll stalk you, charge after you and tear you to pieces if they can. When I saw them there were like eight, but that was awhile ago.
"The gemsbock is another thing you gotta look out for. They're kind of stupid, but their horns are longer than I am."
At this point he lowered his voice again, lest Rubie hear and get even more frightened than she already was. "The big cats are what I'm really afraid of. There is a leopard, two lions, and... Uh, another leopard... That's what my dad said... Nowadays there might be more or less than that - either way you gotta stay away from them cause they will kill you. They've got claws that are huge and sharp, and they're twice our size. If a big cat decides to pick a fight with you, there's no way you'd win. I bet even Bataar or Cole would lose."

He let his voice return to normal as he concluded the lecture. "There are things we can hunt here, like zebra - the most delicious thing in the world - and little antelopes. There used to be giraffes, but we ate them all."

When he had finished, Howie sat down and shut up. Thinking about the cape buffaloes and the big cats... What if a leopard decided to eat his face off?! Howie swallowed hard, slinking behind Bataar.

If a big cat saw him, he was toast.

(There thought of some random scary animals lol)

-Insert Howie's descriptions here-

Her head tilted in concentration, Kristla hung on to his every word; determined to remember everything Howie told her. The fem had only lived in the zoo for a couple of days, so all the creatures (except the zebras) were completely alien to her. The so-called "Big cats" were of great interest to her however. The comparison of them to Cole and Bataar (who she guessed was the large male beside Howie), was a little worrying. Normal cats were annoying as it was; they could give you a nasty scratch before slipping away or climbing a tree. But a huge cat was a cause for concern. If they could climb trees as well, had the same reflexes and sharp claws as domestics but were four times as powerful... "I'm not about to let some oversized kitties get in our way," Kristla stated confidently, her gaze narrowed. However, her words were more to comfort herself than the trio beside her. "Thanks Howie." It was rare to see Kristla showing gratitude to another, but she felt he deserved her thanks. He had, after all, prepared her a bit. She could narrow down her ideas of what the trail might be as we'll now.

(Super Lame)

Bataar's eyes narrowed as Cole spoke. It wasn't in anger or defiance, but in an attempt to understand. words like 'nocturnal' and 'banished' were new to him, but he tried to not focus on them. Survive. He had to get through the night and make it to the den. With patience and strategy he could do it.

He was told to work alone, but he'd promised Howie that he would help Rubie and him survive. As a professional killer, Bataar knew the value of the lives of others. He'd taken them on order, he'd taken them to save his own hide. Those he'd killed were aggressors, dangerous themselves - nothing at all like his two new friends. So he wouldn't be let in the pack for helping, he didn't care. With two friends he could start a pack with them. In the end, they would all be okay, he decided. No matter what happened tonight.

He turned and again butted his head gently against Rubie. "Come." He told her quietly. His voice had a growly tone to it. He studied Cole silently. Bataar would find a place for Rubie to wait out the night, Howie too if he could, and he would take care to guard himself, lead away dangers if he could, technically working alone, but also keeping them alive.

His final look was at Kristla. His eyes were cold, his face set and stern. She was insincere, trying to use them, he thought suspiciously. He hoped Howie would see through it, snub her and leave her behind. Bataar assessed the climb out of the divot in which the party stood. The walls were not perfectly smooth, and with a running start he could leap up and climb into the territory.

He turned and paced back a few yards, and turning suddenly ran and leapt up the wallside, gripping with his front paws on the turf above, scrabbling with his hind legs to climb up, and pulling himself over the ledge with a grunt. His shoulder ached, but with a shake, he'd made it look relatively easy. For most of the others, it may not be something done easily on the first try.

He began to assess the area as he waited for his companions. There were lots of twists and narrow places, beds were little streams ran, dead trees and living foliage. Not a lot of places where all could hide, but he could find a place for little Rubie easily, and with a little work and perhaps a bit of digging, a recess for Howie too. He trotted foreward slowly, knowing his friends would catch up with him quickly.

Howie tried to ignore Cole's taunts, knowing he only meant to scare them (it was working.)

But when the creepy male uttered "No working together either! This is a personal test for each of you! Karma and I will see if you work with another and if we catch you, you will both be banished!" Howie frowned. How did that affect Howie? He just wanted to not be alone - if Cole banished Bataar, Rubie, and him together, Howie's two friends would probably stick around. So Howie wasn't too concerned about banishment.

Bataar started the maze first, walking at a fast clip.

"Come on Rubie," the Mexican encouraged. "We can just hide in a hole all night. None of the animals will go after us if we're in a hole."

With that he slunk after his bodyguard. No sooner had he taken a step into the safari than did a small gazelle. The animal gazed at the wolf with wide, liquid eyes a moment before dancing off, seeming to float off the ground. The gazelle was the smallest thing in the safari, and it was roughly Howie's size. great!

Stomach starting to churn already, Howie fell in step beside Rubie. He couldn't see Bataar at the moment, and he didn't want to risk wandering around in search of the foreign fellow. Instead, he hoped Bataar would come to them.

Ysolt had to hold his breath so he wouldn't defiantly snort. The emaciated wolf hadn't spoken to him, but already had a deep hatred for him. Ysolt also found it funny that he was completely unseen and unnoticed. Some pack. A new wolf in the their land, literally three feet from them was completely unnoticed. Ysolt wasn't asking to be discovered, because he wanted to watch longer anyways. Golden eyes blinked from the bushes, then vanished as he tailed the three wolves deeper into the arena. The silly and fainting female had been addressed as Rubie. The stubborn female had called the one male Howie. Otherwise, Ysolt was exempt from their names. Not that it mattered, since Ysolt wasn't sure he was sticking around anyways.

Moments after Howie entered the arena, Bataar reappeared, limping more noticeably because of his climb up and out. Something had changed about Bataar then - he was in warrior mode now. Earlier he'd been amiable, flexible, even attempting conversation. Now it was survival. A misstep could kill them, so decisions would have to be carefully made. Trust would have to be slower to earn, since any other foolish would could kill them. Even his voice as he addressed Howie then seemed raspy and harsher, since a word too loudly or quickly spoken could kill them.

"This way." He said huskily, with a jerk of his head. The coast was still clear, and he'd found something like a little den, artificial in feel, but enough to hide a smaller wolf or two within. However, he froze, tensed, and seemed to look beyond the familiar. He'd caught the scent of Ysolt, and realized at last that it was unfamiliar. In a pack of new wolves, the scent of a stranger would be lost. But now it was obvious that it was following in secret, and its intentions unclear.

Bataar's growl rose, his hackles up and rising. His eyes flashed and seemed to scan the area behind Howie, his head still as the rest of his motionless form. Ysolt's position could be guessed, and compared with an elephant, he would be easier to deal with. Bataar began with hesitant steps toward the origin of Ysolt's scent, and even if he did not know where exactly he was, he would find him soon. It was probably in Ysolt's best interest to reveal himself, before Bataar forced him out of hiding.

Rubie looked up at Howie as he whispered to her. The small beginnings of a smile tried to creep up her lips, even though she had no idea what an elephant was. When he turned to speak to Kristla she listened in as he explained a few things. From his description elephants were creatures to be greatly feared. Not only that but there were other scary creatures here too. Rubie was beginning to doubt the idea of staying. Bataar couldn't protect them from everything could he?

Cole soon rocked up, ((music blaring XD)) and began issuing commands. D-die... the word went round and round Rubie's head. She didn't want to die! And Cole brushed it off like it meant nothing but it meant everything to her! Worse yet, she couldn't stay with Bataar or Howie, Cole said they had to do it alone. How would she survive if she couldn't stay with the others?!

The female was brought out of her frozen fear state by a bump against her. It was Bataar. He was telling her to come with him. Her mouth opened to protest, to tell him that they couldn't, they weren't allowed but the words didn't make it out of her mouth as she meekly followed. She glanced at Howie as he spoke. She liked the idea of staying in hiding over the night. Rubie trotted over to the two males, standing by them. So far they couldn't be blamed for being together, it was only the start and really only one way in. "I-I-I'm ready," she whimpered quietly.

Ysolt leveled his yellow eyes at the male. He could tell that finally, one of these wolves had bothered to notice him. The emaciated wolf debated his next move in a few seconds. The growling wolf would most likely force Ysolt out if he didn't do anything. Ysolt was unsure if revealing himself was the best move for the night. And he would miss his opportunity to join if he chose to vanish and leave. For now, it seemed to be in his best interest to reveal himself. Not because he was scared of them, but because he was interested in this pack. Ysolt rose up from his position, and calmly stepped out of his hiding spot. The tall gray wolf swept his gaze over the three. Rubie, the female, was obviously a scaredy cat and somewhat wimpy. Nothing was happening, but she was shaking like a leave. Ysolt doubted her ability to survive the night. Howie could go either way. He seemed like he wanted to comfort Rubie, but he might not make it either. Ysolt faced down the third, a male. He was different, it was obvious, but seemed capable enough.

Ysolt didn't speak as he studied them. He came out of hiding for one reason only, because it was in his best interest to join. He wasn't afraid of them, not even the male. Ysolt was calm and collected, standing out to face the trio.

Bataar's menacing growl subsided as the male appeared. Why he'd been tailing them was anyone's guess. Bataar didn't like it, though, preferring to face other wolves than spy on them. "Hiding like rabbit." Bataar snorted with annoyance. It seemed dishonorable to him, to hide like prey from your own kind. Not even Rubie did that. "You act like wolf now." He said just loudly enough fot Ysolt to hear. Bataar wasn't terribly concerned about the threat the wolf would pose. He looked scrappy enough, but Bataar had bulk on him, which he'd learned to use to his advantage. Besides, fighting here would be a foolish move, and the brute had no time for this.

Rubie and Howie looked to him for protection, and that was what he would do. Turning from the creature he'd told to act like a wolf, he gave his two friends a softened glance. "Come." He said again. He led with his signature limp, but otherwise cool, cautiously confident, and with no perceptible fear.

They were on an old footpath, the cages of old rising up around them. Bataar led them down this path a while, until they reached an old habitat with an empty moat around it. Once that would have kept the creatures within away from the sides of the cage, but a sturdy tree from within the habitat had fallen, crushing the fence of the habitat and serving as a bridge. The animal within had long since left, (Bataar had checked for fresh scents, but found none) but much of its former home was intact. Bataar stopped at the trunk bridge, which was still strong enough to support the weight of even a medium sized wolf (but certainly no elephant or larger beast) and met Rubie's eyes. "Howie and you wait here tonight. Find a cover, and no making loud sound. This only way in, so I guard."

It would be a nerve wracking crossing into the habitat for one afraid of heights, but once inside, they would be relatively safe, at least at a major advantage compared to Bataar and anyone on the footpath or in the more accessible areas of the arena.

Ysolt raised his eyebrows at the male's broken and disjointed speech. The emaciated male was really unsure of the point of his words. He noticed the limp in the wolf as he led Rubie and Howie off. Rolling his yellow eyes, Ysolt decided to spy on the stubborn female for a bit. Ysolt turned away and slipped back into the undergrowth. He had to trail back to the beginning, where the alphas were, to find her trail. He was cautious as he went, being silent and sleek, like any good spy. He finally tracked her down, in time to see her lie down. Ysolt was several yards to her right, golden eyes a light in the bushes. He crouched down, smokey fur blending in to watch. Then he would go back to spy on Rubie, Howie, and their language-barriered friend.