Seemed the pair wouldn't be leaving the ring so easily, as before they could there was a loud roar from Crusher. Mint turned to see him rippling with power, red sparks leaping from his fur as his face contorted into a horrific snarl. His muscles bulged with surging power as the tiger like Cypher stomped his feet in a raging tantrum. "No more games!" He roared. "You wanna get outta here? Fine!!! But you ain't leaving without THIS!!!" He grabbed a flag that had been poised at the corner of the ring before shoving the stick of it into the fur of his back. Ajax cringed; he was already aching from the last round, surely Crusher didn't expect him to go up against him AGAIN?!? Mint huffed at this, letting go of her friend in order to fold her arms across her chest. "Seriously?!? You let him win. You can't throw a tantrum just because the fight didn't go your way!" Crusher simply snarled at her. "Stay out of it, little lady. A delicate thing like you shouldn't even BE at this
Vanity's ears twitched as he watched the grey clouds looming on the horizon. He knew all too well that this spelled doom for his pack; they'd failed to successfully gather enough food for the winter, and now with the onset of winter he knew there was little chance they would survive unless, miraculously, they managed to find more prey. Not being able to bear the burden of this fact, he finally decided to take action; he got to his feet, sparing a glance towards his sleeping pack mates before slipping out the doors of the barn into the snow. The pack's base bordered the edge of the Iluq Forest, which was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, being in such close proximity to the forest made hunting easy - on the other, the pack was frequently disturbed by lost travelers that had either fallen down an embankment near the camp site or wandered lost into their territory. The travelers were usually cordial, sometimes apologetic, but it was a burden nonetheless. Though on the cusp
It was a still morning as Serena and Vanity wandered the Tokotna wilderness, looking for a suitable hunting ground. It was nearing winter, and the hunt all autumn had been scarce; if they didn't find a sizeable bounty soon, the pack risked starvation. Normally Serena would have brought one of the stronger Tokotas; the unmovable Akota Viola, or the appropriately named Veteran. However Vanity, while being a dwarf, was strong and required far less food than her other options. It was a risk, but the need to find food was greater than her reservations about bringing Vanity over the others. Finally, the pair stopped as they rounded the cliff face. Stretching before them was a sea of black barked pines, standing amid the browning grass like spears pointing up to the sky. Verdant's nose began to twitch wildly as he caught the scent of prey in the forest, but before he could rush in Serena pulled him back. She had a serious look on her face. "Not here, Vanity." She said in a solemn