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Balto grunted as he made contact with Cale, but was surprised to spot another wolf out of the corner of his eye; this one was moving around behind him. Balto swooped down and then surged upward, aiming to pierce Cale's throat from below.
All he needed was a few moments without Cale watching his every move and he could take care of the other wolf who was now in the blind spot behind him. Whatever the cost, he needed Cale and the other out of the way.
Who knew what Keso would do to Jenna...

Keso deposited the spoils of victory in the innermost chamber of one of the dens, turning to a couple of wolves behind as he made his way out. "Keep her here at all costs. When she wakes up, give her a proper Hailstorm greeting." He flashed a grin at the guards and slowly devious smiles came onto their faces. Keso almost rolled his eyes at them, knowing they were thinking about having a little fun with the slender husky. He stalked out of the den and wound through the chaotic system of tunnels, and popped out, startling his pack. They had been milling around uselessly, but now that the leader was present again, they all focused on him.

"I need four of you to come with me, to help Cale finish his fight with Balto and the wolf, Kalgorn. However, no one, and I mean no one, is to kill Balto. You may tear as many clumps of fur out of him as you wish, but his demise is mine alone. The rest of you, stay behind and help keep an eye on our number one guest. Treat her as you see fit. Let's go."

He didn't have to pick anyone, the four most experienced automatically fell in behind him as if he had spoken with them telepathically. The rest of the pack simply glanced over to the den he'd just left, menace clear in their eyes.

Hades zigged and zagged around behind Balto, closing the gap between them, but almost taking his time in doing so. He was mainly watching for some signal from Cale, a weakness or a mistake that might let Balto get the advantage. The younger warrior had been taught all his life to look for flaws in his commanders and learn from their mistakes. However, the only mistake he saw for the moment was the prolonged pause the white wolf was taking, while the mix headed straight for his throat.

Finally irritation and impatience caused the yearlingto act. His thirst for blood consuming him, he leapt for Balto's back, his jowls aiming for a place on the older dog's back, or perhaps even his tail. He didn't care, so long as his teeth bit into flesh and broke the seal of skin to taste the sweet elixir of life coming from a fresh wound.

OOC: XD, Hades is kinda crazy, and almost more bloodthirsty than Keso If he somehow manages to survive, I might make him into a cannibal later on...

(sorry bout taking so long, was awaiting post from Aniu)

Cale hardly paid attention to his leader as he took his leave with the fae, knowing exactly what he was to do. A dangerous grin would be visible upon his bloody muzzle as he saw Balto rushing towards him, using the wolf's anger against himself, for he was not concentrating as much since his mind was so full of it. He would slowly turn around, as if exposing himself for Balto to attack him from behind, but at the very last possible moment, the white wolf would kick up his hind legs aiming them as best he could hoping to hit Balto hard upon his muzzle. Successful or not, he would quickly turn himself back around to face Balto from his front before he could try anything sneaky, all the while keeping an eye on the injured Kalgorn, though not as concerned with him anymore. Coughing up some blood, Cale would bare his fangs towards Balto, the jagged, crimson stained teeth a clear warning to Balto that he would not be passing him this way, and to go the other way. Cale's injured eye had finally stopped oozing blood, but the damage to it was horrendous, and he seemed to have a slight limp in his step, but he would fight to the death if necessary, and still had some fight left in himself to give, all for the pack, and Keso.

Balto reared back as Cale lashed out at him with his hind legs and he growled at his failure to catch him by the neck. Cale's snarl made him hesitate, but the wound in his eye and the slight limp he was trying to hide convinced Balto that Cale's defiance was simply that; a last hurrah. As he moved to tackle him, however, he remembered the other wolf just behind him.

He heard the heavy tred of the wolf's paw as he leapt forward before he even turned around, and he knew he could not turn in time to adequately defend himself. So, he rocked forward on his fore legs and kicked back mightily with his rear legs, hoping to catch the other wolf by surprise.

He turned to see Kikki and Treffen fending off a wolf who had tried to sneak past them into the cave system. He almost wished they'd let him through to come finish Cale instead. There would be no one for the wolf to find by now; Echo and Vella and their pups would be long gone.


Elsewhere, Jenna moaned and blinked to try and clear her vision. The blackness gave way to a swirl of grays and brown, so she shook her head and finally focused her eyesight...but suddenly wished she hadn't. At least five wolves stood before her, eying her body. She got up and hurriedly backed away, only to find her tail brushing against the cold stone wall. The only exit was blocked by the five wolves, and more began to enter, all eying her with wild eyes.
"What do they want with me?" she thought.

OOC: I finally got to read the end of the fic, XD. I left a comment >.>

Balto's attempt was just enough to surprise the younger wolf, who had been sure the hybrid's attention was focused solely on his commander. As the legs kicked back, all Hades could do was tighten his muscles and prepare for the blow, for in midair he was helpless to alter his own course. His chest came in contact with Balto's hind legs almost immediately after and with the impact, a strange burning sensation swept through his chest cavity as the air rushed out of his lungs.

The force from the blow sent him backwards several inches before gravity took control and pulled him roughly down. He lay there after he hit, gasping for breath raggedly and failing for a few moments. Shortly a few sputterig coughs racked his temporarily disabled body and he wheezed, bringing new air back to his lungs. He would be down for a bit, gasping and coughing in equal shares, his body shaking all the while.

Meanwhile, Darkmoon was having his own problems with Kalgorn. The other wolf simply refused to go down, and the second young Hailstorm warrior was growing more and more irritated by this. He got up and charged at Kalgorn again, this time avoiding a straight attack, but going for a leg, though instead of with his teeth, he appeared to intend only to ram it with his skull. "Sorry, Cale's a little busy now, mauling your friend. If by some chance you defeat me, maybe then you can finish your bout with him."

Keso ran quickly, no longer much need for stealth, and on his way he took many paths, criss-crossing them and leaving his scent everywhere, taking his pack in and out over the first trail he'd taken in and attempt to cover over their new prisoner's scent. It wouldn't be completely gone, not until the next rain, but it would be just faint enough to give anyone tracking her a little trouble. Their own scents were already scattered around the area, claiming it as theirs, but Keso's aim wasn't to hide their land, but just to hide her exact location; to give a sense of false hope and provoke anger, if possible.

"That's good enough. Adacia."

A brown female stepped from the ranks of the warriors he had brought and nodded to him.

"Take Nutik and Haldor and flank the battle to the west side. Gilroy and I will attack from the east. Our main objective is to relieve Cale of his battle and knock Balto out, if possible. Incapacitate the full-blooded wolf however possible. He can be left either alive or dead, his condition matters not to me. However, I want Balto alive, so that he may suffer when he sees what I have done to his pretty lover. She'll be nothing but an empty shell once I'm through with her." He laughed harshly, before breaking out of the huddle with the gray wolf, Gilroy, and heading toward one side of the battlefield, while the brown fae lead the other two to the opposite side.

The sounds of the other wolf sputtering and gasping behind him assured Balto that his retaliation had come as a surprise. It would be a few moments before the other could stand again, so he turned his full attention to Cale. The bloodied wolf still smirked at him, but for a moment Balto decided not to attack, but rather to try and understand what was happening.
"Why did you murder all those wolves?" he growled. "And where has Keso taken Jenna? I swear, if she's been harmed in any way, I will never let you rest in peace."

Cale hardly flinched as he watched Balto nail his fellow packmate and send him to the ground with a loud thump, and would simply stand tall still blocking the way, watching Balto's eyes with his own good one. He hid a cold dark smile inside as he noticed Balto was not attacking him right off, and took the advantage to catch his breath for a moment and regain some of his strength, a foolish decision on Balto's part for backup would also be on it's way soon. Cale decided to speak to this filthy wolf for the moment, for as long as Balto was distracted, he wasn't going to be off saving Jenna. "Who said we murdered those wolves now my foolish little friend, we were simply getting revenge is all, an even trade if you ask me," and would lick his muzzle hungrily, as if enjoying the thought of what they'd done. "As for that pretty little fae of yours I would not worry, she is in good hands now, and is where she belongs," he'd say, not really knowing for sure where she was himself, for he had after all been stuck here fighting the whole time. He'd secretly widen his stance out as he'd been talking, still staying in position for Balto's next attack, for Cale was a much experienced warrior and knew not only to be on guard at all times, but that the best offense was a good defense.

Balto let slip a low growl at what Cale had said.
"Revenge! You filthy lesal, you had no reason to kill them!"
He dove forward at Cale, meaning to knock him back and away from his comrade, still wheezing behind him. Whether or not he managed this, he would then move arouhd behind Cale, putting Cale between his comrade and him.
Then, maybe he could break off and follow Keso's trail to Jenna...
No, he thought. I can't leave only Kalgorn, Kikki and Treffen to fend off all these...but how long can Jenna survive?[/i]

It was then that Keso and his small band decided to make their entrance from the foliage surrounding the battle. Just as they had planned, Gilroy, a gray male, and Keso sprinted in from the east, directly for the skirmish between Cale, Balto, and the fallen Hades. Meanwhile Adacia, Nutik and Haldor converged around Kalgorn and Darkmoon.

Keso sprinted to Balto's left and shouted over his shoulder to Cale, "Go and comand Haldor and Darkmoon. Send Adacia and Nutik over here once you have engaged Kalgorn again, though don't expend much energy on him, he will fall prey to his fatigue soon enough. Gilroy, you know what to do." As he circled Balto once, twice, three times, he seemed to be carefully choosing a target for his teeth to sink into but as he ended his third circle, he whirled around and circled the other way. Gilroy did much the same, only in the opposite direction as Keso, so as to confuse their wounded opponent and make him lose focus. Finally, they both attacked simultaneously, Keso going for Balto's left hind flank and Gilroy for the right foreleg. Both wolves had their teeth bared, searching for the flesh of the hybrid.

Darkmoon's attempt was bested again as the other wolf dodged just before his skull could make an impact. Kalgorn's shoulder then collided with Darkmoon's and the younger wolf was thrown off balance and sent sprawling off to one side, rolling body over legs before his momentum ran out. Within seconds he was back up, glaring viciously back at his opponent with rage for the second foiled attack. No matter, the cavalry had come now, and there was little chance he could avoid the attacks of three wolves.

His ears perked as he heard his alpha's command and he began to pace around Kalgorn, waiting for his comrades to take their positions. Haldor had assumed his position rather quickly and upon hearing Keso's order, Adacia and Nutik had swiftly turned and stood between the two fights, awaiting their turns to jump into the fray. All that was left now was for Cale to come and rejoin the fight he'd temporarily left. Meanwhile, poor Hades was still coughing violently on the ground, hacking and tossing about as if he were having a seizure.

Keso's back already, Balto thought. His lair must not be far.
He was glad to have Cale move away, but as Keso and Gilroy began to circle him he felt uneasy. Each of them was moving in a different direction, so he could only concentrate on one at a time; this meant risking an attack from behind. He decided to take his chances with the other wolf and turn his attention to Keso, but too late.
The other wolf sprang for his forelegs before he could turn to face Keso, and he only barely dodged the attack. Just then, however, he felt teeth around his back leg and cried out.
Keso.
Already, he could feel his bone giving way under the pressure of Keso's jaws, and he snapped his leg back and forth in an attempt to shake his opponent off.

Cale would simply lick his muzzle as a smile rushed across his face, watching as Keso and others of the pack arrived. Well rested and full of energy now, he would turn towards Kalgorn, leaving Balto with one final understanding, "you are wrong my naive little wolf, for revenge can be the very reason to kill another, as I'm about to demonstrate on your friend over here." As quick as lightning Cale would rush fangs first towards Kalgorn, giving Haldor and Darkmoon the signal to attack, Cale's target would be of no surprise both of Kalgorn's good eyes. Cale would aim to snap his fangs down upon Kalgorn's exposed front paws, while his paws would swing up and land blow after blow atop Kalgorn's head, raking his claws as deep as he could tearing ear, muzzle, and all in their way. After several minutes of this brutal onslaught, he would then move for the finish, and would attempt to jump upon the back of Kalgorn's back, and get him to submit and fall to the ground, and once down, would place his weight down atop Kalgorn while slicing away more with those deadly claws of his into Kalgorn's exposed back, doing every horrible thing from raking them across it, to digging them deep down within, even stabbing away at him. This was the side of Cale that all wolves eventually died and submitted to, this onslaught is what made Cale so feared throughout the lands, and would begin to chuckle out madly as he whispered into Kalgorn's ear, "An eye for an eye, or in your case, an eye for a life."

OOC: Remember DragonChild, you need to ask the player before killing a character. Work with Balto and come up with a plan that works for you both, then rp it out.

Keso grinned widely as his teeth gripped around the back leg he'd sought for. He turned his head to begin rattling Balto where he stood and hopefully ripping more off his leg from the tearing motion. But before he could even begin the shake his head, Balto had already begun tossing his leg about, trying to throw the vile wolf off. However, with a weight of something like a hundred and fifty pounds attached, it might be a little hard to move. At any rate, Balto had played right into Keso's hand and all he had to do for the moment was grip harder and hang on. His dagger like teeth would do the rest of the work on that back leg.

Gilroy growled sorely as he missed the flailing forlegs of the hybrid and viciously whirled for another attack. His eyes caught sight of his leader's firm grip and with that in mind, he developed a new plan of attack. Again he rushed to meet Balto head on, but his teeth were barred and clamped tight already. It was clear he wasn't aiming to bite this time around, but what was he planning? A nice head butt to the chest seemed like a good idea...

Meanwhile, Adacia and Nutik circled, waiting for an opening to attack their foe. He was weighted down with their fearless leader at the moment and Gilroy was springing for the assault again, but as soon as either of them fell away, another would step in. Hades was, of course, still wheezing.

Haldor and Darkmoon stood back from Cale's rampage, watching the carnage and waiting for their chance to get in on the violence. But as Cale mounted Kalgorn's back and continued inflict serious damage to him, they both saw the light of consciousness leave his eyes. They watched Cale closing in for the kill before Haldor finally took a step forward and hesitantly asked in a gruff voice, "Sir, are you certain you should take his life so quickly? I realize he is a traitor to our mission and that Aniu would be furious if he was allowed to continue breathing the same air as us, the pure. But I think Lord Keso wanted still to leave him with his ultimatum of join or die. Not to mention he wants Balto to suffer. He may be crutial to the lord's plan."

Balto shut his eyes and snarled violently as Keso's teeth dug deep into his back leg. They were like knives, piercing his flesh and clamping down vice-like on his very bone. Shaking his leg only added to the pain, and seemed only to make Keso more determined. Balto needed to do something quickly, or he might very well loose the leg; if that happened, he would be useless, and Jenna would be doomed.

The answer came to him as he noticed the other wolf leap at him again, perhaps to tear out his throat: Kill two birds with one stone; dodge the attack, and catch Keso off-guard.

With that last thought, he rocked forward onto just his forepaws and then pushed with all his might, sending himself rocketing back toward Keso and away from the attacking wolf. Unorthodox fighting tactics, yes, but desperate times call for desperate measures.