mountain terrain

this is where few of us grew up, not many but a few lived and survived, it is a harsh environment but some of us animals go there, there are many dangers including snow leopards, avalanches and much more!

Sapphire held Eclipse in her jowls as she cautiously walked up the mountain, carefully placing her paws down with each step. She grew up here and new exactly where to and not to step, it wasn't safe up here for a pup, but it was the safest place until day breaks. Sapphire occasionally smelled the air in case of a wolf being present. After a little while, she walks onto a flat area big enough to be safe, which had a small stream, maybe a foot deep at the most, just enough to keep Eclipse from drowning, she sets eclipse down carefully and watches as she laps up the water before quickly doing so herself.

Shadow growls deeply as he faces off against a snow leopard, a ,ale trying to hustle in on his latest kill, a snow rabbit. He leaps towards the leopard and rolls with it, wrestling it to the ground and sinking his jaws into its neck, twisting his head sharply and snapping it. He throws his head back and howls in victory. He leaves the leopard carcass for later as he makes his way to a nearby stream with the rabbit

sapphire perks her ears as she heard a howl, becoming a bit cautious, she looked around as she lapped up the water along side her pup. Eclipse took her time lapping up the water as she didn't know what potential danger we could be in. Sapphire soon lifted her body to her full height, which was quite tall for a female hybrid, infact quite bigger than even a female wolf, being nearly the size of males, and to some, even bigger than some males. she shook her beautiful silky fur. perking up her ears and had her head tilted to the side slightly so she could listen to her surroundings. "eclipse... stay close to mommy."

Shadow walks forward through some dense bushes heading to the creek and lapping up some water not noticing the female and pup nearby until he perks up, amber eyes narrowed. He drops the rabbit next to him and rises up, his Northern parentage making him a hulking wolf of impressive height. His tail twitches and he calls to the female in a rumbling yet almost purring voice "you there... why are you and your pup up and about during these harsh months?"

Sapphires ears turn back slightly, as she saw and heard the large wolf, Eclipse hid underneath her paws. "Sorry if we are trespassing your territory, just came up here to show my pup where I grew up, somewhat near here, plus there were a few hunters down in the forest, it isn't safe for my pup down there, I may not be pure wolf either, but I sure look a lot like a wolf id be a pelt on a wall or floor faster than you could say rabbit season." she stated, her ears perked forward as sapphire analyzes the brute. seeing his impressive height, how he stands and his posture, it was easy to tell he was or is an Alpha, which seemed to surprise her seeing that he hadn't attempted to chase us off without saying a word.

Shadow chuckles and says yes... I scented those hunters a few days ago... and worry not... these are neutral grounds, birthing and nursery grounds of generations past... I just came here to avoid the hunters... He frowns and says your pup is young... he sniffs the air saying she needs nourishment and there isn't much game in these parts... He grabs the rabbit in his jaws and tosses it to you both and says for your pup... and there's a leopard carcass a ways back... its yours... you two need them more than me

Sapphire nodded, Eclipse looked up at sapphire before looking at the large wolf, giving a slight wolfy smile, "thank you..." she said as she let eclipse moves to the rabbit and began to eat it, not really hungry, sapphire lets her pup eat. "do you happen to know where a shelter is, I went back to where my father once lived... but the den was destroyed... there wasn't anything else so I went around in search but they are either occupied or buried." she explained, seeing the brute was quite friendly she might as well ask him. "I can withstand the cold, but, the little one, cannot." she looked down for a moment, examining the slightly shivering eclipse as she ate the rabbit, clearly hungry.

Shadow smiles at the pup saying my my the little one was famished... and yes the leopard I killed had a den at the base of a tree. it'll be empty now. He shakes his fur out sitting down and cleaning the blood from his paws and says but I suggest you rest up and bundle up... He sniffs the air as a cold wind blows saying the winds... they warn me of incoming snow...

sapphire shook her pelt, "thank you." she said before responding to the first comment, "the hunters scared off all the game. Even the rodents were gone so I hadn't been able to hunt." she shook her pelt once more, before letting her body relax so she wasn't at full height, her head relaxed so it wasn't held up straight unless she was walking. " would you mind showing us where the carcass and den are located?" she asks politely. noticing that Eclipse had picked off every last scrap on the rabbit beside the fur.

He nods and says "yes... it isn't far from here. And those hunters... they spell trouble for all life in our woods... He smiles and says it's risky, but the only way to survive up here is to adapt to a new lifestyle... kill predators rather than prey. If you wish to survive... you need to become top dog."

sapphire nodded in agreement, "they took my mother and she wasn't even a wolf! it was absolutely terrible. I hate humans. they truly are evil beings." she says shuddering at the thought of humans. "yes that is true, I remember that from when I was a pup, unfortunately one predator that I didn't get to kill was my father, he was a horrible wolf. hes dead now though (so she thought) the pup has to get ready to be on her toes." she says before picking eclipse up by the scruff, causing her hind haunches to curl into her belly and her body go limp as she relaxed completely. jumping over the small stream, she then set Eclipse back down.

I chuckle at the sight and follow, leaping over the stream and I look back to where we were my amber eyes glowing as a low growl rips from my throat, a warning growl and a glowing pair of eyes retreats back into the bushes. I lead you to where I had made my kill and point out the secluded den nearby. "There you go" he says looking at you two

Sapphire followed to where the den was, nodding, "go inside, Eclipse get warm ill be there in a moment." she said eclipse quickly ran inside causing me to chuckle. "thank you for being kind to us." she said with a small smile, " I hope we cross paths again, its nice knowing there are still kind wolves/dogs in these areas." she said before giving a small lick on the cheek as a thank you before retreating to where her child was, her tail slightly brushing against his lower muzzle.

He looks at her with a raised eyebrow and shakes his head chuckling a bit and says "may warm winds and bountiful hunts follow you and your pup, Moon Child... I must go. Farewell" He smiles at them walking backwards as he melds into the shadows, his amber eyes glowing as they fade when he darts off. He runs through the terrain, looking for a place to bed down for the night. He comes to an old tree and curls up beneath it

Sapphire heard him and gave a small smile, she flicked her ears before she curled up tightly around Eclipse making sure she was warm, resting her head on her paws. she licked her paws softly, thinking for a few moments before closing her eyes briefly. "mommy, how long until this fluffy stuff goes away?" Eclipse asked, causing my eyes to tiredly open, "soon enough dear, perhaps a month or so left." she said, "now get some rest dear, you will need it." she says licking the pups head before curling tighter around her re resting her head on her paws, and falls into a very light sleep.

Shadow settles down and rests his his head on his paws closing his eyes as he falls asleep. Before he does he looks to the skies where it was said the dead ancestors and loved ones roamed. He sighs and says "I miss you three all the time... My mate and pups."

Sapphire's ear flick as she slept lightly, she awoken several times, she perks her ears when she smelled and heard a rabbit, she looked forward, standing carefully before stalking out of the den, ears back. tail low, body low. head low. she looked before she chased it, pouncing watching as its neck snaps from the pressure from the pounce she grabs it with her jowl and brings it quickly back into the den, curling up back around her pup and eats her meal quickly. she rests her head on her paws and on looked the stars that were being able to be seen, though the clouds.

Shadow wakes up around midnight and sighs.getting up and shaking his fur out his mind running to the female from before. He murmurs "she seems strong but shy... And her pup is young..." Without another word he heads back to their den staying in the shadows and watching over them to make sure nothing bothers them. He smiles as he sees her pup eating and settles down

Sapphires head lifted, as she smelled the air, before realizing it was the wolf from before. She relaxed, having growled a bit. she flicked her ears and looked up at the stars for a few moments. She sighed slightly before licking her pup, to lull her to sleep.

Shadow smiled a bit as he watches them intently his ears flicking back as he listens for any foreign noises. He settles his head on his paws grooming himself and he looks at the skies waiting for night to shift to day. He rises up and stretches looking at the little pup with abfond smile.

Eclipse soon fell asleep again, snuggled into her side. Sapphire , becoming fidgety not used to staying in one spot so long. She shook her head as some snow landed on her muzzle, she notices it's starting to snow again.

Shadow chuckles under his breath as he stands up and shakes off his fur looking around as the wind blows lightly. He smiles at the she wolf before he hears a few shouts and gun shots. He furrows his brows and crouches down shooting off towards the sounds quickly

Sapphire's ears shot up and got up, hiding Eclipse deep in the den asking her to stay hidden before taking off , after the wolf who had been watching us. Her ears back and she kept her balance ad she ran.

He growls loudly and barks launching off an old tree bark to the hunter that was there. He wrestles the hunter to the ground. He scrambles with him snarling and snapping as he tried to subdue the hunter. He was kicked off but regained his footing and rushed forward again refusing to let another hunter live. He jumped and sank his teeth into his neck ripping out his throat with a spurt of blood