Sylvia – 5 years – Alpha Female
Mentions – None

Sylvia sat atop a rock on the edge of camp, looking over the thick foliage that surrounded it. The camp was a clearing in the forest, edged on the sides by twisting vines, snaking branches from bushes, and sturdy brambles that all helped to keep out enemies. It was fairly large, but there had been so many packs that joined in that some of them had to sleep outside on the ground instead of in the caves that they had dug out underground. They didn’t dare dig any farther for fear of finding a cavern that those creatures lived in.

A couple subordinates had spotted a number of the tainted ones within a mile of the camp. They were getting closer, and soon, they’d need to make a stand. These tainted seemed most active at night, but there were always stragglers roaming around during the day. Picking off these few had worked well so far, but with so many getting nearer to where they stayed, they might need to just face the horde head-to-head. These thoughts were dark, and they twisted their way deep into her brain where she imagined how many would die having to fight those grotesque beasts.

Sylvia shook herself physically. How was she supposed to do this? She wanted so badly to keep all these wolves safe, but she couldn’t. The tainted were vicious, and they would attack anything that moved. Rabbits were a common prey animal, as were deer, and any that ate the remains of an animal that had been bitten by a tainted one grew sick and died unless treated quickly. The same was true for if a wolf got bitten, only the time to get them back to camp and heal them was far shorter. Something in the blood of their enemy was toxic, and it would drive the wolf to a miserably, agony-filled death. Some that were treated still died because of the amount of blood they swallowed. Sylvia still mourned over those that hadn’t made it.

She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she wasn’t able to hear anything around her, nor see anything in front of her. That was how deep she had gone into her head; she was spaced out and practically daydreaming about the worst possible things that could happen to the pack as a whole.

[ Kano ]
Male ❇ 5 Years Old ❇ Alpha
Mentions - Anyone else who wants to start out on a patrol

A savage snarl twisted Kano's features, lips drawn back over lengthy canines as the tainted creature ventured ever closer. It took everything in him not to charge the wretched beast and tear into it's mutilated flesh, longing to taste its black blood on his tongue and savor its death, but he knew now that would only lead to his own demise. The tainted's life fluid would infect him, and the medics couldn't promise their cures would work. Kano had watched stronger wolves than he perish under such circumstances. As one of the conjoined pack's Alphas it was a risk he couldn't dare afford.

Dawn's light filtered through the canopy overhead, bathing the forest floor a gentle golden hue. The majority of tainted would be retreating to their dens by now, but this one among others would always linger as long as they were allowed. This one's time was up. "Flank it!" He barked to the wolves who had accompanied him on the day's first patrol. "Don't let it get past you. We'll drive it towards the cliffs until it has no choice other than to jump!" The tainted's own maw creased to mirror his own, but he knew it couldn't quite tell what he'd said. These beasts might resemble wolves, but thus far they seemed incapable of understanding their language.

The drop-off from the cliffs to the ground below might not kill the tainted, but at the least it would wound it enough for something else to finish the job and get it out of the pack's immediate territory. Once the assembled wolves took to each side of the tainted Kano lunged forward with another snarl until it was forced to take a step backward. If they could keep this up it would be easy enough to force it over the cliffs, but dealing with tainted could be nerve-wracking. It was undeniable some of them would be bitten regardless of what they did, but the virus passed through blood rather than saliva. "Don't be afraid!" He urged his packmates to remain unmoved by the vermin's aggressive displays. "Remember its bite cannot make you sick."