Shallow Bend. A twisting maze of rocky alcoves, dark caves and winding streams whose origin was somewhere high in the mountains. It could be daunting for a newcomer for one could easily become lost within its depths. And rumour had it that if one stayed too long the tide would swell, pushing water back upstream and flooding the caves. It was a dangerous place. There, time meant everything and nothing. From above the twists and turns could be seen to make sense, a beautiful pattern that emerged only when ones focus was not directly on the rocks below. It appeared to easy for one to navigate their way to the exit. But appearances are always deceiving. Once inside the reaches of Shallow Bend only ones wits could save them from its clutches. It was in this hellish place, deeply enfolded within its twists and turns where the Hunter Magnus could be found on one particular day.

Hunter stalked his quarry. Belly low, legs crouched, tail stiff and straight. The classic stalking pose. The lone doe drank from the little stream that wound it's way through shallow bend. The rocks were dry and barren, accentuating the rawness of his throat. He was parched, and the hot summer sun was getting to him. Magnus crept closer, so sure this time he would get her. She had managed to evade him all day, but the pack needed his continued efforts to keep the kill pile fresh. Unfortunately, his rear paw snagged a loose rock. It clicked its way across the ground, alerting the doe to his presence. Her head pulled up and searched worriedly before darting further into the labyrinth of rocky caves and skinny streams. He leapt forward after her but it was already clear she was lost to him. He padded defeated to the stream and bent down, lapping gratefully from the cool, slow moving water. Above, the sun beat down relentlessly and a hawk circled overhead. He had his fill of water and retreated to the shade to rest a moment.



Ooc: Posting order as follows - Hunter Magnus, Omega Tye, then Hunter Katyusha

The heat burned even harder here than any other place in Erenyx. It scorched the ground he walked on and made heat a constant companion. The charcoal coloured male padded through the maze of rocky formations, strong legs pushing his muscled body past towering sandstone walls that were streaked with age and some corrosion. His shadow cast monstrous shapes across the rocks, grotesque and deformed. Head low to the ground and tail spread out straight behind his flank to signal he was hunting, Tye was tracking down a coyote he had seen earlier. The kill pile was getting ridiculously huge but he guessed by the time he returned to it with fresh kill it would be a quarter depleted. They would have more than enough in storage if there was an impending food shortage he guessed. He hadn't seen a single soul so far save for some lone eagles that had been roosting on the tops of cliffs and even a puma that had been prowling one of the ledges. Hearing the skittering of hooves splashing through water and clattering across granite, he lifted his bowed head just slightly as he heard the rushing of the river echo through his ears. To his front, a narrow pathway where it led to a dead end. To his left, a wide path and to his right, the same. He could see a glimpse of the curdling stream, winding through the terrain. A doe raced past, fleeing. No coyote. After careful consideration he turned right into the yawning gap between the two formations, heading for the water. His steps were steady, powerful but he moved with swiftness that was not wholly expected of someone of his stature. Not a single flicker of doubt or hesitation emanated from his posture. When he reached the edge of the river, he bent down to drink keeping his ears perked for any signs of intruders. As the water gushed down his throat, filling him with refreshing coolness. He had been close to the coyote once but the wind had changed direction, sending his scent the coyote's way to make it run. He had picked up speed, trailing it with the tenacity of a tiger chasing down an antelope but it had found a hole which led to an underground passageway that it could burrow out from on the other side. It had been way too small for Tye to fit through and by the time he had manoeuvered around to the other side the coyote had been far down the end of the adjacent passageway. He had ran after it but it knew the area far too well and used short-cuts and twists and turns that Tye had eventually lost it. The only reprieve he had was that during the chase and almost catches, he had managed to get into the water earning him some relief from the heat. It was now devolving into a waiting game. He paused, gaze flicking upwards as he saw a shadow of a bird on the surface of the river in front of him. A hawk, no doubt looking for fish. His eyes strayed back down, reflecting the colour of the water that made them a shade lighter against his dark pelt which gleamed magnificently underneath the sun. Swallowing the rest he lifted his head and saw a lone wolf, taking cover in the shade. It was one of his own, the only hunter with the multi-hued pelt. He observed him for a moment, ice blue eyes unreadable then called, "Brother! Have you seen any coyotes come this way?!"

A small lightly colored fae jumped from one large rock to the next, ears back against her head as she tried to climb to the highest peak she could find "Don't know why I even bothered...no prey around here...and even if there were it'd be impossible to catch." she snapped to herself, having a rather bad habit of talking to herself when she was stressed, and this nightmare of an obstacle course definitely qualified. Once at the top of the pile of rocks the small fae would look around, noticing nothing of extraordinary meaning, dropping her head and giving a low huff "Well...guess I should try to find my way out of here." she grumbled weakly, starting to hop back down the rock face carefully.

Katyusha was fairly new to the pack, having only been a member for the later part of a season, and spending nearly every waking moment enduring the tortures Chiara was putting her through, she didn't have much time or energy to explore the pack lands, or hunt for that matter. But today was different for Katyusha. The young fae had just finished her elaborately designed den, which took a lot of her time to work on and finish, and now all she had left to do was fill it with fine pelts. Since summer had over taken the land, these pelts were hard to come by, she could always attempt to sneak back into Helidos to retrieve the ones from her old den, but it was far too risky. So Katyusha had decided to explore the pack, and see if there were any better animals to hunt for such a reason. So Katyusha had traveled here, hoping to follow the streams and hunt down any beavers or muskrats which kept a heavy warm pelt all year, and were small enough they'd be easy to use as padding once she could get the heavier winter pelts.

As the huntress made her way down the rock face her ears would perk to the sound of a gentle stream, jackpot! Lifting her head the fae would see a small flowing river, making her way down quickly the small fae started to trace the river, eyes on the edge of the water for the distinct structures the animals would make, so much so she didn't notice the two pack members a short distance away, resting in the shade along the stream upriver from her.

Magnus' ears perked up and swivelled forward in perfect synchronisation. Followed swiftly by his head as he spotted the onyx wolf headed towards him. He looked familiar. Clearly of the Erenyx pack. But he couldn't quite place him. He rose gracefully, stretching his toned muscles and trotting to meet the brute halfway. Tail out straight and neutral until he knew of the wolfs status. No I don't believe I have seen any coyotes in this area today. He paused, surveying the male. A large male, just as large as himself. Black pelt like the Alpha, though certainly not. His scent was far too weak to be Alpha Steele. Icy blue eyes. A smirk grew on the hunters face as a realisation dawned upon him. You're that disgraced ex-warrior aren't you? Omega Tye? Ha! What on earth are you doing out here chasing coyotes? His tail curled up in a show of dominance as was due him. He sighed, his amber eyes scanning the rocky ledges above them, the entrances of caves around them and finally the area downstream as far as he could see. In the haze of midday there was a figure distinguishable from the rock. A light coloured canid of some sort. Rather small.it must be the Omegas coyote. He stepped forward slowly, knowing the little scavenger was watching them. He brought his muzzle to the dark brutes ear making a shushing sound and whispered. I think I've found your coyote. On my left, downstream, barely visible in the haze. Don't look! he chastised the brute quickly, preventing him from turning his head.Use your peripherals to see. I am a Hunter. I will help you catch it if you wish. He stepped back slowly and deliberately, giving a quick nod of his head to indicate his seriousness. A coyote pelt would look well in his den. Or perhaps be better used as a gift for Chiara. The grinned slyly at the thought of the female.

Hearing the other male's response, Tye began to turn away. The so-called hunter was of no use to him and from his stance and manner of addressing him, a braggart with the brain as tiny one of those tiny little squirrels that he found in trees nibbling on chest-nuts. He glanced back at the male emotionless, half his attention on him and the other half scanning his surroundings for the coyote. Truly, if this was the only hunter Erenyx possessed, the prospects looked bleak. "The same thing you're doing is which wiping out the entire species of available prey for wolves so that we'll all die of starvation apparently. Good day, harbinger of famine." He made a mocking bow of his head at his display of dominance, not caring for the trivialities and frivolity of gestures. He had business to attend to and the sun was a dangerous enemy that was as ruthless as the endless crevasses and gaps the bend contained. One pivoted, hearing the sound of paws making their way down rock. He bent his head low again pretending to drink water, eyes trained in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a movement, earth colours moving against earth. The coyote? The hunter then whispered in his ear. The coyote. He sniffed the air. He smelt thick pelts, soaked with sweat from the heat which would be them. It was so strong it masked the odour of the coyote. Yet when he looked again, so fast that it was barely perceivable, he thought the coyote's tail was bushier, its mass more than what a coyote should have. He rose to his paws and stretched, rolling his shoulders. Tye had his reservations but this hunter was the first male he had met since he had come to the pack. If anything, he felt a real spark of friendly competition flare inside. The other brute was serious enough as it was and Tye could use a sparring partner. Tye whispered, putting a paw on the other's shoulder, "You were obviously looking for prey too. Why don't we make this a challenge? The one that kills the coyote gets to keep its pelt as a prize for his den. The one who loses has to profess his love to a random fae in the most embarrassing way possible. What do you say to that?"

Katyusha sighed softly as she glanced down the river, tail falling to hang limply behind her as she shook her head "I don't think there's anything down here...." she said, looking around the area with her nose to the air. Being downhill of her pack members she didn't smell their presence, or notice she was being stalked by a pair of morons. With a soft sigh the fae would turn her back to them to start walking the other way, hoping she could find a more lively part of the creek upstream.

As Katyusha started her walk, she would begin to feel the beating sun taking it's toll on her, and the slow moving creek did look rather appealing. With another sigh Kat would turn to the river, glancing around for a moment again before lowering her head to drink from the gently flowing water, feeling how cold it was on her tongue and slowing down to actually enjoy it a little bit.

Magnus grinned at the Omegas proposal. He was cocky and confident in his abilities as a Hunter and saw that pelt already in his den. He didn't even consider the consequences if he should loose. Confessing his love for a random fae? What if that fae wasn't Chiara? What if she found out about it? He didn't think she could take that kind of thing. It would be far too painful for her. She would despise him and would never give him a chance to explain. It could ruin everything they had struggled so hard to build. The trust they shared was immense and this could be the only thing that would break it. If he had thought ahead, he would have added that he might be able to warn her first of the stupid bet he agreed to. That he might explain and perhaps even laugh with her about it. He should have thought of all this, but instead, he agreed almost instantly.

His body went from relaxed to prepared in half an instant, crouching slightly in preparation to stalk the coyote. He crept forward a few paces, scenting the air, eyes shut. He ignored his vision quite a but during a hunt. He found it became easily distracted and threw him off. His nose caught the scent of the coyote. But it didn't smell like a normal coyote, although he attributed that to sweat and tired limbs of the poor scavenger, if it was indeed the one the Omega was after. He smirked, looking sideways at the dark brute. Bring. It. On. He shot off, sprinting for the wily coyote. He chuckled as his legs surged, muscles popping and stretching as he raced over the burning rocky floor.

The hunter was game and Tye almost smiled. He was assured of his own abilities and he knew the brute's arrogance could end up working against him in the end. Although, he himself hadn't considered the consequences of such a bet only because he was certain that the random fae he would be professing his love to would most definitely be Cliche. And if it wasn't, he could pass it off as the outcome from a dare. He had more than friendly affections for the amber-eyed fae, that he was sure of but there was still hesitation. He knew though that she held a place in his future, no matter what. He moved forwards, muscles tensing in preparation for a sprint. It was so close that all he needed to do was to tackle and kill, go straight for the jugular. Tye's fur bristled, keeping his eyes on the coyote. "Hope you've got your love letter prepared," He said in a low voice.

With that, he sprang into action. His paws pounded the earth, his legs propelling him forwards in an explosion of speed and power. The ground trembled underneath him. Muscles, itching and ready to go, coiled and expanded in fluid motion lending him a swiftness that combined with his size, made him a sleek, unrelenting black mass of muscle, fangs and claws. The walls flashed past him in blurred colours of dark and tan and light browns. Blood-lust pumped through his veins. He didn't pay any attention to the hunter, hearing his foot-falls right beside him. The wind was blowing through his fur, perspiration gathering and clinging to black strands. His heart was hammering against his chest. And Tye, cool, calm, collected Tye let out a laugh of pure exhilaration that was snatched by the wind almost as quickly as it had come. This was what he had been born for. He poured on speed as they neared their target, edging in front of the hunter by a head and leaped in a single strong, swift motion at the coyote, claws out.

Katyusha let out a 'ahh' as the water cooled her, the fae lifting her head and glancing back down stream where she had been heading, half debating finding a cool spot to take a nap, but with her very small window of time Chiara had allowed for something other than torture the fae couldn't spare the time, she also couldn't waste time walking up and down this river for an animal she was starting to doubt even lived here. With a small sigh the fae shifted to look behind her, wondering where that mountain had been. Surely there would be something up there with heavy pelts, but it would be a challenge to get up there and back in two and a half days....

However, before the huntress got any further on her though she would turn to hear the pounding of paws, eyes going wide at the sight of the two brutes baring down on her, fast. Quickly Chiara's training would kick in, the fae jumping off to the side, and cutting back, hoping to knock the first one to reach her into the water, before being blind sided by the second unless they changed their path, realizing she wasn't a coyote.

Magnus loped easily alongside the Omega, both after the coyote. For their dens and for their prides. The Omega gave an impressive burst of speed, pulling an entire head in front if the Hunter. Magnus increased his speed, sprinting close alongside his pack mate. As he ran he cocked his head to the side in delighted surprise. This Omega had had some good training in his past. Despite the fact that he had been a warrior and likely hoped to return to the rank, Magnus mused he would make a good fellow Hunter for the pack. He felt a strong sense of camaraderie with the wolf, despite the fact that they had only been together a total few minutes. But the brute fancied himself a rather good judge of character. He thought the of the other as a potential ally, perhaps even an eventual friend in the making. He knew few enough wolves and thought that if he wished to rank up quickly and efficiently, he might need other by his side. He felt he already had Chiara supporting him, but another trained fighter could always be good. Not to be mistaken, he had no plant to overthrow Steele as long as he was fit for command. He had the utmost respect for his Alpha and would serve him until the Alpha had no further use of him. He decided that once this little competition was over, he would approach the male about it.

They drew ever closer tot he coyote, who had now spotted them and moved. But rather than sprinting in the opposite direction from her attackers, she had darted to the side, waiting. This he saw as highly odd for a coyote. But then the wind changed, so suddenly the Omega had no time to register it before he jumped. And it blew the scent of wolf up his nostrils. This was no coyote, but a small, skinny wolf. Magnus flew on the brakes with haste, skidding through the dirt and leaving plumes of dust in his wake, still headed for the female. But the black male had launched himself to attack the she-wolf. He couldn't have one of his own harmed this way. He gave himself a little push, lurching forward into the fae. It was in no way graceful but by all means practical and effective. Both he and she were knocked to the ground, narrowly avoiding Tye's jaws. The female seemed frazzled and harried, as to be expected from one found in such an awkward position. The Hunter lay on top of the female, shielding her as the Omega flew overhead. It was a lucky thing,t he wind changing. It had saved her life. And most likely Tye's as well. Magnus was loathe to admit it, but were it not for the need to save the fae, the darker brute would have won the bet.

His claws caught fur, so close to the skin as he flew past the coyote in a near miss but in that instant he recognized it wasn't a coyote. It was bigger than one and its pelt was lighter. Funny, the coyote was starting to look very familiar and very much unlike a coyote. Tye landed smoothly half in the stream, absorbing the impact of his landing through his paws and spun around quickly to look. He had a sinking suspicion he knew who their target was. The hunter, Magnus, had managed to intervene before he had shed blood with his jaws. Jaws that had been aiming for the throat while his claws had intended to drag her down. He stood there in the shallow end, tail hanging behind his flank while watching the dust settle with cooling water swirling around his legs. Adrenaline was still flowing through his veins. He felt a certain sense of freedom, of brotherhood with the hunter. Though he was a braggart, he had reacted quickly once he realized what was happening to prevent a fatal accident. And he had not balked or lost pace with Tye during the chase which was great. He could probably match Tye in training and he wouldn't have to hold back. Of course, that left...the rabbit. Tye's eyes strayed down to the pinned fae, a flicker of amusement appearing in them. "Well done, you caught a rabbit." Tye said. "So I guess no one wins." He hadn't known it but Magnus had ruined her attempt to knock him over after he'd recovered from the jump. He'd managed to gain enough balance so that he would've probably stumbled but the fae hadn't had nowhere near enough force to topple him completely. He hadn't seen the fae since leaving the healer den that night to wash off, only knowing that she was training so his inclination towards protecting her was only limited to serious situations that involved serious attempts at killing. This was not one of those times. He still didn't care for her, personally but he could see some seeds that had come from the fruits of her labour with Chiara from the evasion she had used. Still, she wasn't his friend just a pack-mate. Tye cast a glance at Magnus and said with an evil smile, "Take your prize."

Katyusha felt her guided shove work for the most part against the familiar black wolf, before the rest of her attack would be cut off by the second male, a loud 'oof' leaving her muzzle as she was knocked onto her back. With a loud snarl Katyusha would pull her legs in under her, kicking with all her force right in front of his hind legs at the joint, making it nearly impossible for him to counter and flipping him onto his back over her head. Quickly the fae would roll onto her paws and put some distance between them, snarling roughly.

"What the HELL are you doing?" she snapped, eyes narrowed and apparently ready to kill either of them if they came to close without an explanation. As far as she was concerned they had just attacked her, poorly, but it was still an attack. And now the fae had to stand her ground against them, until she was certain they weren't any danger to her....well it was obvious they weren't any real danger, but they could still be a minor annoyance to her otherwise annoying day.

As the fae waited on answers she would start to formulate her plan, slowly moving away from the rivers edge slightly until she found a tree with relatively low hanging branches near the river, keeping herself near it without actually looking to it, not really sure if they knew of her skills or not, but hoping to use them effectively if need be.

The Hunter stood over the small fae, locking his position into place. He smirked and chuckled at the Omegas quip, moving to step away from the fae, he turned his head in Tye's direction. It seems, however, that I caught our intended target. Winning. A mischeivous glint entered his eyes, making them sparkle and dance like the orange flames they resembled. And I request that you uphold your end of the bargain right now. He smirked, his trademark by now, and had lost the tension in his legs in his concentration on the bet, Magnus was shocked to say the least when the fae kicked up from beneath him and sent him flying over her head. This wolf was a well trained fighter, he mused, one of Chiara's. Quickly the brute sprang onto four paws following her each and every movement as she stood beneath the twisted, sun baked, old tree. He scoffed, taking a few steps toward the female. Fine thanks to the wolf who just saved your life. He strutted forward confidently. She held the scent of Erenyx, but also an aroma he hadn't met before. Who are you anyway? And what are you doing out here? His eyes searched her for even the tiniest hostile movement towards himself or the Omega. He would certainly have to approach him about being Allies.

"Now that would be a disservice to all the females that are actually wolves," Tye said calmly. He headed further into the deeper part of the river, happily letting the water swirl around his legs. It was cool, refreshing. Dust and grit washed off. He continued,"And besides, I was ahead you. If you hadn't slammed into her then I would've caught her." He bent down, lapping up water. As he did, he saw the hunter fly overhead out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head to them, he watched the former Helidos hunter perform the tried and true roll and jump trick probably after throwing him off judging from the spectacular acrobatics Magnus had just showcased. At his scoff, Tye said moving out of the water silently, "Don't be angry Magnus. Rabbits don't know how to show gratitude. You have to be patient with them. They are simple creatures after all." As it was, their situation right now was just a misunderstanding so he wasn't surprised at the fae's reaction. For her question, he left Magnus to answer that seeing her back away from them towards a tree with low-hanging branches. He approached her, cold eyes watching her movements carefully with the tactical precision of a commander. So she was either going to use the branches as protection or jumping tools as it seemed that was her forte.

"You know, you should really relax," Tye said. Nearing her, he placed both paws on the lower branches, at the spot where it connected to the trunk and with a sharp push, broke it off at the connection. He repeated the action for two more branches, all the while keeping his attention on her in case she would attack him or try to escape and getting nearer and nearer until their noses were only inches apart. "But I guess you still haven't learned anything at all from our fight at the neutral lands," He chuckled. He wasn't interested in attacking her but he wanted this hostility between them to at least simmer down to something that resembled civility. It would prove nothing and anyway, she would probably just play the dodging game which was useless in trying to resolve any resentment they had towards one another. So unless she was willing to work together there was nothing he could do and his time would be better spent elsewhere. And besides, hostility was not a good start for even battle partners. So now, as he cornered her he wondered if she would act hostile again or show a speck of willingness. He had cut off all means of escape. She was fast but he could cover more ground if she chose to run and cut her off considering how close they were. If she tried to jump cliff-sides again he would intercept. He waited, his eyes peering into hers as he prepared himself for whatever action she chose to take.

Katyusha watched him get up, a low growl leaving her muzzle as she snapped to them "Thanks for what? Trying to kill me? Or body slamming me?" she growled, backing up slowly as she watched the two approach, still very uneasy as her gaze shifted between the pair, almost laughing as Tye broke off the few that hung low enough for him to reach, she didn't need them anyways.

As Tye spoke to Magnus again Katyusha would snap back to him "Call me rabbit one more time and see what happens omega runt." she snarled, keeping her eyes on Tye as she went to address Magnus "I am a hunter here, I am here to hunt...in case you weren't smart enough to figure that out...I should ask you the same thing." she snapped. As Tye drew closer Katyusha would bunch her muscles and in a graceful leap find a heavy branch a little over 5 feet above them, hopping from one to the other until she sat about 15 feet above them, sitting down with a little grin. "I have learned plenty omega...I guess I should ask you the same." she replied, keeping her little perch in the tree and relaxing a bit, fairly certain she was out of harms way but still watching them closely until she could establish they didn't want to hurt her. Honestly Katyusha wouldn't put it past Tye to attempt to assassinate her for getting him demoted, and this would be a great place to do it and never have anyone find out.

Magnus watched silently as the two interacted. Tye had been demoted not long after the hunters arrival in the lands. This much he had known. It had been an altercation between the obsidian male and their Alpha over bringing a Helidos female into the pack without permission. An act punishable by death. From their exchange, it dawned in him that this was said female. She had been the one whose access to the pack had caused Tye's demotion. It was wrong of Tye to go behind his Alphas back, for sure, but what of the faes honour and duty. She had betrayed her own pack in search of Erenyx acceptance. How could any of them trust her? Who's side was she really on? How could anyone ever guarantee her loyalty? It did not sit well with the brute. But he closed his eyes and breathed, trying to simmer down. He had no right to have a personal vendetta against her. Tye did and yet he was handling the situation far better. He was teasing her sure, but he wasn't growling and snapping as Magnus had begun involuntarily doing. He immediately stopped himself.

The Hunter straightened himself as she stated her purpose, though avoiding giving a name. That he could ignore for now, perhaps extend an olive branch towards her. Allies would be important though and if this fae worked with Chiara, sad he had been lead to believe, then she would be a very useful fighter. He dipped his head respectfully, gliding forwards so as to reduce the need for a loud voice. I apologise miss. My name is Magnus and until recently I was the only Hunter of this pack. It is nice to meet a fellow Hunter. Perhaps we might organise a little skirmish sometime, reap the spoils of having a greater force to hunt with. Two heads are better than one, as they say. But I am rambling. I too was here to gather food for our pack. His voice was smooth and silky. A well practiced tone often used for flattery and deceit. Although today his words were honest.

"What will happen? You'll run away again like a scared little puppy?" Tye said as she jumped, looking up at her amused.[color=#99ccff]"Oh no, save me for I am truly doomed. How ever will I manage to escape the evil clutches of the rabbit who uses such a brilliant tactic of running away from her opponents." [color=#99ccff]He made no move to chase her. She wasn't the coyote and it was fun to watch her panic. Also, from the way the branches broke so easily, they were weak and dry. His eyes scanned the ones she had perched on, spotting peeling bark and the break at the joint that connected the branches to the trunk. More than half of those branches were going to break if anymore pressure was put on them and even though the branch she was sitting on was heavy a lot of the bark had been torn off at the joint with the tree trunk and the branch, probably by other predators. And on closer inspection, the base of the tree was unstable. It was leaning at an angle to the side with half of the roots having been ripped out. Tye rose, placing his upper body against the tree comfortably at a spot that would make it break at the roots. He said conversationally, "So rabbit...here's something you can learn. In our excitement of the hunt we mistook you for a coyote because you looked exactly like one. We didn't actually want to kill you." He leaned on the trunk, increasing the pressure. Creeeeak. Tye said, "More to the point I don't want to kill you. That'd waste Chiara's time and effort."

The tree started to sway, tipping to the left ever so slightly as Tye shifted, applying more pressure to the weak spot. "Since you're doing a perfect imitation of a bird, can you fly? I'll help you." He watched her, visibly at ease. He was quite happy to have her up there. Perhaps one of the eagles might mistake her for a fox. He didn't trust her for she had not done anything to prove her loyalty to Erenyx and he would be the first one to kill her if she betrayed his initial trust that he had put in her when he had first brought her here. And then he would probably turn the claws on his own throat should the Alpha demand it. He had an unspoken duty, an honour to his pack and by allowing such treason to occur he would've failed both those things. But those were what ifs. Tye dealt with the present and the present was that the hunter was training. What was in the past was in the past. But that didn't mean he couldn't have some fun pretending that he wanted to kill her. He expected her to jump in any case. Magnus moved forwards, speaking in a way that he was sure was used for defusing the prospect of impending bloodshed. Tye was more interested in the tree and what the fae would do.

Katyusha narrowed her eyes as he insulted her again "Why don't you test me and find out." she glared, honestly getting sick of his unprovoked insults and about ready to see just how much her brutal training had helped. As the other wolf moved over to the tree her eyes would narrow suspiciously again, hearing his words and growling softly "Then why the hell didn't you say that? Was that so hard?" she growled, her anger only growing the more he spoke.

Since Katyusha had arrived in this land she had been greeted with nothing but insults and challenges, not once had a wolf truely offered her any form of comradery, only petty insults and declarations of superiority, so just maybe wolves would offer her a little more respect when she came back with his blood on her paws. Katyusha's expression had changed since they had last met, she wasn't nervous, she didn't care anymore and the more he pushed the closer she got to attacking him.

As the male started to push on the tree Katyusha would growl hard, jumping from branch to branch until she reached the bottom, using all of her power to push off the main trunk and landing several feet from trunk, turning hard to face Tye and growling "Call me a rabbit one more time and I'll put you down." she growled roughly, moving up until they were a few short feet apart, ears pointed and a snarl on her lips.

Magnus was in no mood for a fight. He was hot and tired and wished to waste no more time with petty name calling. He heaved a sigh, pulling oxygen into his brain, keeping a level and logical head. The male stepped between the two, gently nudging the other off the tree. He had not been quite so oblivious as he might seem and he had indeed observed the brute snapping off branches and leaning heavily on the already precarious trunk in efforts to topple it. These two would never make good allies if they could not resolve their differences. Ugh, he shook his head, he almost sounded like a Helidos wolf. Although it did make sense. The pack couldn't afford to fight amongst themselves, so outnumbered by their neighbours. They needed their numbers. They needed potential mating pairs to keep the pack producing strong litters. He sat below the branch upon which the small fae was perched, clearly the lessons with Chiara were paying off. He looked up in wonder as she sat some good five metres off the ground, balanced carefully in the branches of the weak tree. His tail swished lazily behind him, creating the appearance of ease and contentment.

His voice spoke up. Miss, please, I do apologise for mistaking you for a coyote and for barrelling into you so roughly. Although the second act was done with good intentions, it was not, perhaps, undertaken with the necessary amount of care and finesse. But would you please come down that we may speak on more level grounds? I have a proposition for the both of you that I believe you might find interesting. I would like the three if us to be allies, if not friends. And it is your new talents as well of those of the Omega that I wish to harness. So please? Join us down here for a drink? Magnus stood and removed himself from beneath her, that she might have room to descend if she so wished. Light paws padded to the edge of the stream, gesturing for the other to join him there. He sat and bent his neck, lapping the water once more, slaking his thirst. Though from the corners of his eyes, he watched the fae for signs of movement and watched the brute to be sure if he followed.

He slid off the trunk, allowing himself to be pushed off. This wasn't worth it. He had a coyote to catch. Watching her go down, expression unchanging he responded, "I don't know. It's hard to talk to someone who won't talk to you and offer you nothing but insults and snarls. It's like talking to a puppy with an attitude problem so what else can I do but respond with insults back when you seem to understand only that? I wasn't aware you were capable of actually being civil so I sincerely apologize for that." He started to pad around Magnus until the fae engaged again and snorted, "Get out of my way before you hurt yourself." He moved around her, not waiting for her response and headed for the stream beside Magnus. He did not care if she followed or attacked. It would not be his fault. He had kept calm and that was all that could be asked of him. He was not looking for a fight, not with someone who had no respect or decency and he found himself wishing he had left her at the neutral grounds. She would've perished and he would save himself dealing with a headache. There were good warriors here and hunters with the same skills she had.

He was about to leave until he heard Magnus' proposition. Pausing, the wolf turned his ears swiveling. Allies? His gaze went to the fae. Well, that would be hard if the only thing she wanted to do was insult him all day. To the male he uttered,
"If the fae promises to act like a real wolf then alright. And the name's Tye. You're Magnus right?"

The huntress let out another low growl as he spoke "Rather hypocritical coming from the wolf who attacks me unprovoked, and rather than provide a simple explanation goes straight to insulting me for being attacked." she snapped back, wanting to point out that a defensive posture was more than appropriate given what had happened between them before, and the greeting she received today, both of which were less than friendly instances.

Katyusha watched the wolf walk past her, letting out one last growl of disgust before turning to Magnus, honestly impressed one of the wolves of this pack knew how to be civil, although it was clear she was still coming down from the adrenaline rush of being ready to fight, she lacked the display of any hostilities towards Magnus "Its alright...I guess I can understand the confusion with my coloring...Although I am...significantly larger than a coyote." she she said, a little smile coming to her lips with the slight teasing. As the new brute continued Katyusha moved to sit on her haunches, still eyeing Tye suspiciously, but allowing his new hunter the majority of her attention "It is nice to meet you hunter, I'm Katyusha, and I see no reason we couldn't work to benefit each other... him," she said in almost a snarl as she turned her muzzle to Tye "On the other paw...I'm not so sure can behave like a civil pack member, and I refuse to sleep with one eye open simply to ensure I don't wake up with my throat ripped out." she explained honestly, genuinely concerned he would try to hurt her.

With the other two gathered around him, Magnus sat up and faced them, the three forming the points of a triangle. He blatantly ignored both their comments towards one another for the moment and addressed them both. Alright. I have an idea. Katyusha, if I am correct you are training under the Lead Warrior Chiara, are you not? You have some valuable skills learned from her that we might all benefit from. Tye, you wish to regain your honour and title of Warrior, no? Here is my proposition. The three of us train together, sharing our knowledge and combining it to become the strongest we possibly can. We will both hunt and fight, so we may learn to transfer the skills from both areas to our advantage. Katyusha, you and I will hunt the most as it is our primary duty but if the three of us are found bringing in hefty kills for the pack, we might just help Tye earn back his rank. But the two of you need to be able to work together. Set aside your squabbles that we might all help each other. Tye, we know what you would seek from this, as I have stated. But Katyusha, what would you like to gain. We may set a goal that the three of us must help you to achieve? He sat back, somewhat relaxing his formal posture, allowing his tail to drift idly back and forth. He hoped they would agree to his plan. They could be very useful.

“Hey I’m not the one who’s growling and snarling. Since that was the first thing you did when you saw me…well who wants to talk to someone who looks like they want to communicate using that instead of words, hmm? You called me an Omega runt. I’m sure you wouldn’t talk to me either if I called you that as you proved when I called you a rabbit,”Tye said. This hunter really was a piece of work. Not a single shred of humbleness or humility or control in her, not that he could see right now. It was like growling was the only form of communication she knew, or anger. The dark male was getting bored. There was nothing much that endeared him to the fae now. A misunderstanding was a misunderstanding and she was making it more difficult than it needed to be to move on. He looked at her as she spoke to him, “The exit is right behind you. Maybe I shouldn’t have saved your life huh? Maybe I really should’ve made a show of you in front of my pack-mates and killed you or tortured you to death instead of calling a healer to save you. It would’ve made things harder. Use your brain. If I wanted to kill you don’t you think I’d have continued to attack you just then instead of stopping when I saw you weren’t a coyote but a fellow pack-mate?” Pack-mate. The word was spoken without hesitation, without feeling. It was an arbitrary formality, one that probably needed to be spoken to in order to form a working relationship. She had shown him nothing that he desired so that he would genuinely want to be friends with her but forming an alliance was not harmful in and of itself. Whatever feelings that were harboured between them, he could push those aside. Tye absorbed all the insults that were slung at him from his other pack-mates without care because they were initially, his pack-mates and it was to be expected considering what he had done but from the one who was not truly an Erenyx member yet, it was despicable. A pack-mate? In name, yes and that was all it was. Tye was giving her more respect than she deserved and it was thanks to his temperament that he hadn’t snapped and tried to kill her. His tone grew hard, cold at her explanation.“If you can’t put your emotions aside to behave civilly then what use to us are you, Helidos-turned-Erenyx hunter? You need to grow up.”

Tye looked at the other male, his expression as revealing as a stone. He was contemplating the offer. He had worked together with others before in times of necessity but never with someone who wanted to pick a fight with him at every corner over petty things. The question for him was, was she worth it? He had thought so before but now he wasn't so sure. Anger was not something that was productive or an unwillingness to learn or co-operate. Disrespect was also not productive but she had done nothing but snarl and snap at him so far. Respect was a two-way street and she hadn't even taken a single step onto it while he was willing to try. Sure he was teasing her but he wasn't trying to hurt her because his self-control was practiced, trained and revenge was an act of irrationality or enacted because the wolf had strong feelings of betrayal or hurt towards the target of revenge. None of those things were true and he wasn't that emotional but if they were to work together, he'd have to convince her that he was not trying to kill her. What a daunting mission with someone of her disposition for she was not showing a shred of co-operation with her and that one of the basic skills of working together. But he enjoyed that camraderie he'd felt with Magnus and he could see the results of Chiara's training in action so he said after coming to a decision,"Sure let's work together."

Katyusha would sit in the small triangle they had formed, taking a slow, deep breath and pausing for just a moment as the omega spoke again, keeping her eyes closed like an annoyed mother as she began to answer him voice calm and collected "Yes, I snarled at you because you attacked me...whether it was intentional or not, you attacked me and I didn't know what was going on...so I moved to defend myself." she spoke softly.

As he went on she would continue her flat tone "And if I recall correctly, you called me a little rabbit three or four times before I insulted you." she responded, her eyes opening as he spoke again, although just enough to give a flat look "Maybe you shouldn't have, maybe you should have killed me. But you didn't, and now I'm in this pack, and maybe when you attacked me I though you had changed you're mind and intended to correct that out here with all of these caves where it would be easy to dump a body without anyone ever finding out." she said with a soft calm voice "And maybe if you used you're brain to understand why I thought you would attack me, and showed just the slightest bit of an apology for it I wouldn't be snarling at you. Am I upset at Magnus? No because he explained what happened and apologized, it's no wonder you've been here so long and have no friends or a mate." she said with a low growl before turning back to Magnus.

"I will agree to help with you're training and train along side you. I'm not certain what skills you posses I could learn that I haven't already in my own training, but I feel it would be effective to have others who can push me in my physical conditioning, and sparing partners where I can fine tune the things I've learned...so yes I agree to train with you, assuming Tye can behave himself and act like a civil adult." she said with a little glance to him.