U.O.T.W. Chapter 120 Hound of the Hunting Grounds

  • A deep rumbling ‘hell sent’ howl far louder than Red’s own battle cry echoed throughout the complex. It was followed by a cry which caused the two Companions and the Silverhands to involuntary tremble. Vilkas watched on in trepidation as a small stone started wobbling where it sat. Moments later several stones all seemed to jump in the air by a few inches as the ground started to heave and shake.

    The distant hammering of drums echoed from the various tunnels but Farkas could hear it clearer than anyone else. He looked into the depths of the passage which he had come through where the rumbling seemed to originate from.

    From the darkness of the tunnel, two bright green eyes as big as apples fixed upon him. Silence filled the cavern for a mere few seconds then a deafening howl rang out as a monstrous creature of hell broke out of the shadows, into the world.

    Farkas ran blindly towards the end of the ledge, knowing he had nowhere else to go. He could feel the hot breath of death on the nape of his neck but he wasn’t as prepared to die as Aela was. He cried out despairingly, fully expecting death to swipe out at his back, expecting Scarface to attack him at any second.

    The seconds slowly ticked by and time itself seemed to seep out of the hourglass and come to a stop. Farkas opened his eyes and stared at the rock face for a fleeting moment until he decided to risk a peek over his shoulder. Scarface was several feet away from him but the behemoth’s eyes were fixed on someone else.

    Vilkas looked across the gully in shock at the black werewolf whose mere presence called the fight below to a halt. Red was holding her ground with two dead Silverhands at her feet but the remaining enemy still had numbers. Scarface never moved, his gaze was transfixed upon the Silverhand leader, the Skinner.

    She took one step forwards and yelled out to her men.

    “What are you waiting for? Kill her, charge!”

    Red growled as she flexed her paws. Blood dripped from a gash in her side and matted her fur but the bigger pools formed where she stood. Each claw was coated in the red liquid, the blood from her foes.

    Scarface tilted his head as he listened to the Skinner. Not wanting to disappoint, he agreed with her proposal. He charged.

    Initially he turned away and ran along the ledge in what seemed to be a retreat but the reality was that he just needed a run up. A claw dug in the ledge, acting as an anchor, aiding in his turn as he changed direction. With a pounding of gigantic paws, he ran as fast as he could then leapt into space.

    Farkas sighed in relief as he was now alone on the ledge once more but Vilkas found himself staring down the edge as Scarface jumped the canyon. The Companion could clearly see the werewolf wouldn’t clear the gap and despite being enemies, he winced at the thought of the creature falling to the ground from such a height.

    A second later Scarface’s mass hit the cliff face. Vilkas, who was just above the impact area staggered on his feet from the force of the collision which shook the shelf. He fully expected to hear a second crash as Scarface fell to the ground but it never came.

    He stuck his head over the threshold of the rocky platform and found himself staring straight in the eyes of the beast. Scarface’s paws had hit the canyon wall with so much force that each claw had torn its way through rock giving the creature the grip to hold on to the side of the gully. A loud snarl caused Vilkas to back away as Scarface made his descent down the canyon’s side.

    Dust and debris fell as the black werewolf slid down the sheer surface of the rock. His claws controlling his fall, scraping deep crevasses in the wall.

    The last fifteen feet proved to be of no importance. Scarface pushed against the rock and flipped over in a twist. Red lowered her head and spread out her paws to steady herself as the ground heaved under the force of Scarface’s bulk as he landed on all four paws.

    The Skinner started laughing, drawing attention from all the Silverhands around her, along with Vilkas and Farkas.

    “You fool! He’s used his claws to control his fall. They are nothing but short broken stubs. All he has is strength but we have numbers. Arm your silver, for today he dies!!”

    Scarface prowled around Red, sniffing in her scent. She stood poised where she was on all fours; although her head did it’s best to follow him as he circled her. She growled out threateningly as he moved past her rump and her tail dropped to the ground protecting her rear end. Scarface snarled back at her as if he was unimpressed with her behaviour.

    He moved alongside the red wolf and faced off the Silverhands who had started to advance. Lifting himself up to full height, he stretched out his forearms bringing both sets of claws and his fangs to bear. The first Silverhand saw a glimmer of light reflected on a claw and fear took his soul.

    He expected to see the shattered vestige and bloodied stumps from where Scarface tore his claws apart by cutting through the rock. What he saw instead were razor sharp claws, each one the size of daggers and just as thick. Every point looked like talons taken from eagles. Each and every claw completely intact.

    In comparison, Red’s own claws seemed to be little more than large needles. The Silverhand faltered and slowed his charge as he felt the gaze of death upon him.

    “We… can’t win!”

    Scarface’s head nudged Red’s shoulder, pushing her sideways a bit while the black werewolf growled at her. Some instinct told her what he wanted from her, what he was ordering her to do. She was Red, Aela’s werewolf and no one told her what to do, she was the Alpha and yet she felt compelled to obey.

    Scarface looked at her as if he knew what was going on inside her mind. A soft growl snapped her to attention then he refocused his efforts to the job at hand. Red was hungry, he was hungry, the desire to kill ran wild through his blood and he had been held back for too long. Like a hound released from the Hunting Grounds, he charged into the Silverhand lines.

    As he ran into the fray, Red followed closely behind. The two werewolves tore into the ranks of the Silverhands, shattering their defensive line. Red leaped onto the closest target and sank her teeth into the neck. Her head thrashed wildly side to side, while the Silverhand hit out with his fists. His weapon lost to him the moment he fell under attack.

    Red felt an impact on her left side which quickly started to burn like a she had been stabbed with a red hot poker. Snarling out, she released the corpse in her maw and turned to meet her new adversary who had just stabbed her with a silver dagger.

    Scarface leaped up like Red did, but instead of pinning one opponent to the ground, in mid-flight, he grabbed two Silverhand’s heads in his paws and crushed them underfoot as he landed. Their skulls smashed like two eggs being stamped upon.

    Without showing any signs of slowing down, he rose upwards and grabbed a woman by the waist. She shoved her blade into his side, causing him to cry out but he held her tight, almost crushing her in his vice like grip. The weapon burned his flesh, fuelling his raging temper. In retaliation for the blow, he threw her twelve feet into the air, straight at the cliff face. She screamed as she flew over the battle and collided into the wall with a sickening ‘thump’ then she fell to the ground. The lifeless body lay twisted and broken as if her bones were made of glass.

    Giving himself barely a second to breathe, Scarface set upon a new target. A Silverhand who was clad in silver armor. In his hands he wielded a large double headed silver battleaxe. The axe cleaved through the air to strike the black werewolf but the blow never met its target.

    A large black paw met the handle of the weapon, blocking it in mid swing as a second paw pushed against the Silverhand’s face, holding him in massive claws. Scarface decided it was time to feed, his head shot forwards with the speed of a snake and bit into the man’s arm. A loud crunching of bones was drowned out by the Silverhand’s screams as Scarface bit the arm clean off.

    His claws slashed out at his attacker while the arm still protruded from his mouth. Scarface bit down on the arm, severing it a second time into a more manageable piece then hungrily swallowed whatever was left in his maw.

    Red was facing off two opponents who seemed to have her backed against the wall. She moved backwards tight against the rock which seemingly cut off her retreat then pushed her hind paws against it, using it to help propel her forwards. In a rabid frenzy, she attacked both at once slashing and snarling in a rampage of claws and fur. Silver swords hacked down upon her spraying her blood with every hit while her own claws mixed the red liquid with blood from her foes.

    She fell to the side and whined from a lucky hit which struck her head, sending a wave of dizziness to cloud over her. As she looked up in a daze, she saw the Silverhand drop his own sword and fall to his knees. Blood seeped from his stomach through his armor which he now clutched with his hands. He fell to the side in a slump giving Red a moment to consider her second opponent. As she shuffled sideways she tripped on a leg which someone had carelessly lost. Turning to it, she saw the other man she was fighting, laying on his front. Shredded flesh and muscle in his thigh where his limb was torn from his body put him out of the fight. As she pulled on the body, it rolled over, showing a gaping wound in the side of his chest where Red’s claws had ripped it open.

    Before Red could even think clearly as to what was going on, a terrible howl echoed throughout the canyon. Scarface stood up on his hind legs and stretched upwards over nine feet and howled out a second time, spreading fear and terror as blood dripped from his claws and fangs.

    The few remaining Silverhands along with their leader, the Skinner turned and fled the canyon, leaving the dead and dying behind as they ran a full retreat. Scarface contemplated pursuing but his side still burned where the sword belonging to the woman he threw against the wall still resided. He turned to Red who also seemed to be struggling with the wounds inflicted upon her as she barely managed to stay on all fours. Pursuit of his foes would serve little to the grand scheme of things. They were victorious and their foes lay scattered at their paws.

    The two werewolves had won.

    Scarface sniffed at a body with the intent on feeding from it but he wasn’t after a meal for himself. Instead, he dug his claws in the shoulder of a woman and pulled her like a slab of meat towards Red and motioned to her to feed.

    Red suspiciously snorted at the carcase as if it was some sort of trap or at the very least a token of their ‘relationship’. Not wanting to give the wrong signal, Red turned away from the offering and clawed at one of the men she had killed instead. As she ate, her wounds started to heal up and her strength quickly returned.

    The dead woman was dragged back towards Scarface and the cavern filled with the sounds of two hounds crunching through bones, tearing off flesh and meat as they fed. Farkas and Vilkas looked on from above at the two werewolves who seemed to form a small pack albeit one of an uneasy alliance due to Red who always kept her eyes fixed on her counterpart.

    Once Scarface had his fill, he lifted himself up to his hind legs and approached Red who watched on cautiously. When she became uncomfortable with his proximity, she stood upright as well and stretched upwards as much as she could in a vain attempt to match his height. Her intention was to warn him off, but she failed on both counts.

    As Scarface drew nearer, Red’s nerves failed her and she stepped backwards into the chasm wall. She was unable to move any further away and Scarface was quick to use it to his advantage. He stepped right up close to her, swallowing up the ground between them. Red gave off a growl to warn him but he growled right back at her. She knew it wasn’t one of violence, but the dominance he held over her was overpowering.

    Red looked up at his eyes as he stopped right in front of her. She brandished her claws to swipe at his chest, but she couldn’t follow through with it. All she could manage was to hold her paw against his chest, vainly trying to keep him away from her, but he shuffled even closer.

    Red’s forelimbs fell hopelessly to her sides and Scarface’s chin rested on her head, forcibly yet gently lowering it to his chest. Red’s snout buried itself in the black fur as her temple rested against his body in submission.

    She transformed into Aela who, before she could even assess what was happening, found herself lightly pushed back against the wall from Scarface as he stepped closer towards her, taking the ground she had so easily surrendered.

    He lent in and sniffed her body from the crotch to the hair on her head while she vainly pushed her hands against his chest trying to force him back. Such an action on her part was hopeless and doomed to fail but she still tried never the less. When Scarface’s head lifted up above Aela, her breathing changed from long drawn out heaves to a fast panting like a wolf feeling the heat of a summers day. She felt his paw grip loosely around her waist and her own body disobeyed her. She felt a need for him, Red wanted him. Shakily, her hands betrayed her thoughts. She looked at his chest and to her horror, she found herself actually holding on to him. Her hands no longer pushed against him, but held on to black furred muscle.

    While her mind ran wild with Red’s feelings, Aela saw a wound in Scarface’s side where the sword still protruded forth. Resting the palm of her hand against his chest, she took hold of the weapon and felt hot breath as Scarface watched her suspiciously. His fangs drew closer to her in a clear display of his threatening nature but she was quick to tap him on the chin, causing him to cease his snarls.

    Aela held the weapon in a tight grip then, as gently as she could, she started to pull it out of his body. The moment the blade moved, Scarface howled out in pain, but Aela kept him under her control. With a final heave, the sword slipped out and fell to the ground freed from its prison.

    Aela let out a gasp as she watched traces of silver contaminated blood trickle out of the wound. Over a few seconds the color changed to a rich red as the last traces of the silver disappeared. She found herself having to look twice as Scarface’s wounds closed up by themselves without the need to feed. Her hand traced along the fur where the wound was. Except for the blood which matted the patch of fur, there was no mark or scarring what so ever.

    He gave a low soft growl as if to say thank you, then he lifted his head up and howled. He lowered his snout to the top of her head and took in a long sniff then he awkwardly stepped backwards a few feet before he turned around and ran at the cavern wall.

    Scarface leapt up several feet at the side of the cavern, but instead of falling back down, his claws dug into rock allowing him to climb up the surface. Shards of stone and debris fell as he scaled the wall to the ledge where Vilkas looked on with dread and fear.

    He thought about escaping through the tunnel but he had foolishly moved the wrong way and now it was too late to rectify the mistake. He considered running past Scarface where he was climbing up but all too quickly an overly large paw reached up beyond the threshold and gripped onto the ledge as Scarface pulled himself up.

    The black werewolf brandished his fangs and growled at Vilkas, forcing him to back away even more. The Companion did so willingly but he quickly found himself at the end of the ledge.

    Scarface looked back down to Aela who was watching him then with a soft snarl and a pounding of paws; he headed through the tunnel, leaving the three Companions alone.

     

     

Comments

10 Comments   |   Hasir likes this.
  • Ben W
    Ben W   ·  April 18, 2016
    It's ok, Aela *hug* We still love you even though you hugged a different wolf 
  • Aela The Huntress
    Aela The Huntress   ·  April 18, 2016
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  April 16, 2016
    Thanks everyone.
    Red's emotions are certainly giving her problems. Poor thing....
    *Ebonslayer
    This was supposed to be the title for the chapter. I’ve no idea why I left it out…
  • Ebonslayer
    Ebonslayer   ·  April 16, 2016
    That is a much better title, Sotek.
  • Exuro
    Exuro   ·  April 15, 2016
    My suspicion was right, Scarface did come to save the day; and he did not disappoint!
    Canine love triangle? Well, quadrilateral if you include Greymane. I think that's a first
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  April 15, 2016
    Finally! Was able to read this. Great job. I like the way you write animal behavior. Very well done. One thing; crotch not crutch. :)
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  April 15, 2016
    Ebon has a point... what happened to the heading?
  • Ben W
    Ben W   ·  April 15, 2016
    Well... the talk you two will have later... 
  • Ebonslayer
    Ebonslayer   ·  April 15, 2016
    No special name for this chapter?

    I did not expect Scarface to show up whatsoever, quite a twist.
  • ShyGuyWolf
    ShyGuyWolf   ·  April 15, 2016
    Dang this was a great piece. Glad you posted it.