The Edge- Sandpiper's Murder

Sandpiper sniffed the air, shaking her mane. She and her younger sister, Kadence lived at the edge of the Tar Lands, and though they were females, they were a match for nearly any intruder.


(ignore Kadence's gender switch people, that was on purpose XD)

Cygnus and Corvus walked side by side through the snow, Corvus dark from soaking in tar, Cygnus white from lack of conflict. They began to smell something odd, a territory scent other than Declaar's, which they were use to since they frequently crossed into his territory to hunt. They exchanged glanced and split up, noses pressed to the packed snow and following any scent trails they could find.

Sandpiper growled, catching wind of two hunds, she yipped to Kadence, warning her of the intruders. Kadence nodded, shaking her pelt and jumped from the rock she was perched on. She crouched behind a bubbling tar pit, waiting for them.
Sandpiper stood tall, bristling to make herself appear more threatening, as an alpha should.

Corvus investigated the tar pits, padding softly he always did, sniffing. He finally arrived at when seemed to be the source of it, but there was no one to be seen. He looked around, finally noticing a female, all puffed up and looking pissed off. "Hello?" he said, a trifle frightened.

"And what might you be doing here," Sandpiper hissed at the intruding hunds. When Corvus did not answer, Sandpiper turned to the pit where Kadence hid and shouted , "Now!" Kadence erupted from behind the pit, efficiently cornering Corvus and Cygnus.

Terrak saw the female cornering the males. He spat, hating seeing a fae act in such a manner. He galloped to the spot, standing in front of them. "Leave them alone." he growled, his fur bristling.

Sandpiper, realizing who had jumped into her territory, came down from her rock. Kadence recognized him as well and backed off, leading them away from the edge of their turf. "I apologize for the behavior of myself and my sister. Please forgive me and allow me to help her. That male has a grudge against her, so I have to protect her. Once again, I apologize."
Kadence nodded once and ran back to Sandpiper's side. Her older sister bristled and Kadence glared coldly at Terrak. "Back for more?" Sandpiper laughed at him. Kadence was nervous of the male, but stood her ground. She was timid, like a traditional female. Sandpiper was not. She took one threatening step forward toward Terrak, smiling cockily.

Terrak said, in his deep tone, "Now Sandpiper, it would be wise of you to follow your sister's example. Standing up for someone never goes anywhere. Take my uncle for example, Helios. He sacrificed himself to the sabers to save him family, but we're all still in danger." He walked forward to her, so close she would be able to feel his hot breath on her face. Terrak said, "You wouldn't want your mate to get hurt, now would you?"

"You wouldn't dare," Sandpiper hissed, eyes narrowed. Kadence fidgeted nervously next to her elder sibling. She would attack if Terrak were to try anything, but she was afraid he would hurt Sandpiper or Renoir if she did now.

(To straighten this out, Corvus is male, Cygnus is female, and Cygnus is in a different location, investigating when Corvus was confronted. :3)

Corvus kept his composure, watching silently, body stiff but not nervous, worried, or tense. He was curious. He had a rather sheltered life, fearful of nothing but his sister's wrath. He usually only responded to politeness and respect, but in this case he would make an exception, "I am Corvus, who are you?" He spoke to them as a pup might, without aggression or something to gain from it, innocent.

Cygnus sensed commotion and turned around, heading back to find her brother. "Corvus!" she barked, voice sweet and soft, but with a hidden menace and urgency to it.

Terrak saw the male speak, and pitied him. He reminded him of himself, scared and afraid. He grabbed the younger hund by the scruff, and leaded him away from Sandpiper, ignoring the fact she even spoke. He whispered to him, "Corvus, my name is Terrak, I'll take care of you." and he set him down a few feet away. "Stay here. he said in a fatherly tone.

Walking back to Sandpiper, he spat, "Look at yourself. Terrifying a young helhund. You should be ashamed. His fur stood on end in anger.

"How was I to know he meant no harm? There are only two of us and it is my duty to protect my younger sister, no matter who from. I didn't mean to terrify him, only to make sure he wasn't trying to add us to a harem."
Kadence fidgeted, looking very apologetically to the young male. She gave him a reassuring lick on the cheek, "I'm sorry again. My sister didn't mean anything, please bear us no ill will."
Kadence ripped her bright, two-tone gaze from it's lock with Corvus and stepped between Sandpiper and Terrak. "Please, there isn't a need to fight," She begged tentatively.

Cygnus lurched over a wall of plants and into the vicinity of the tar pits. Upon seeing her dazed brother she immediately became her protective, bitchy self. Her posture became rigid as she sprinted towards him, skidding to a halt in front of him and snarling at Terrak and the females. The noise that escaped her maw was a rough, low, and rumbling, a voice of thunder that demanded its respect and reverence. Cygnus, the cunning older sister, was more than peeved at whoever had upset her brother, and directed her wrath at all who were present. Her eyes, usually reserved and distant, were seething pits of gurgling blue fire. Her will unspoken, she clearly demanded answers.

Corvus abruptly sneezed, and then began to paw at his nose. He didn't know why everyone was assuming he was afraid, perhaps it was the circumstance, being yelled at by older hunds, but he in fact was just curious and a bit bewildered by Terrak's desire to protect him. "Uhh, thank you?" he said, unsure. He looked with alarm at Cygnus when she had run over here. He was not afraid of these other hunds, but he was terrified of Cygnus. Had he ears, they would have drooped. He slid onto his belly behind her, tail tucked under his body. When Cygnus was pissed even Hell herself took shelter, if not for her impressive fighting skills then for her lethal carping. He swore that girl could nag until the tar pits froze over.

Kadence, sensing Cygnus' rage, immediately bowed her head so she was at a lower height, a clear-cut sign of submission.

Sandpiper stood her ground, stepping in front of Kadence. The two females had a stand-off, each wanting to protect their younger sibling.

Cygnus held the stare, its manner increasingly volatile. Her blackened lips twisted into a sadistic grin at the female that held such a parallel motive.

Corvus, wanting it to end, gently grasped her tail with his jaws and tugged, the snow that clung to it melting in his mouth. "Cyg..." he sighed meekly.

Kadence spotted the window of opportunity and jumped between the two. She barked at Sandpiper sharply, "Enough!"
The outburst surprised Sandpiper as Kadence was a submissive personality, rarely ever speaking out for anything, even the severe beatings she used to get from him.

(So similar these two pairs XD)

Cygnus saw the opening that Kadence had created and seized it gladly. She delivered a swift kick to Corvus's chest, pushing him onto his rump and forcing him to let her go. She lunged over Kadence, smack onto Sandpiper who was caught up in her sister's outburst. Cygnus's jaws wrapped around the female's nape, and with a wicked throw of her head she tossed the female hund onto the ground. Snorting, she solidly braced a paw on the she-hund's throat and pressed down. "Why were you harassing my brother?"

"Cygnus!" he pleaded, voice desperate. "I'm o k a y, just stop it!" He ran up to his sister and pushed on her abdomen with his head, not so much as moving her. She flashed her teeth in a cruel grimace. In a moment she had redirected her rage. She pivoted on her paws, jumping at Corvus and knocking him onto his back. Pinning him by his shoulders she snapped, "And what were you doing getting yourself into this mayhem? You had me beyond worried, little brother." Her features softened a bit, she had been scared to death of him getting injured. He was the only one she knew, her only family and friend.

Kadence ran to Sandpiper, panicking from the sheer force of Cygnus's toss. "Sandpiper, are you okay?!"
He sister jumped right back up, shaking herself off. She looked to her back, and saw no trickle of blood, so the wounds, if any, weren't even mildly serious.
"Sorry, Ms. Cygnus," She started, "There's only two of us, so I'm trying to protect my territory and my little sister."

Cygnus didn't so much as bat an eye at Sandpiper's response. Corvus cowered under her, then said, "I didn't know anyone was here...I'm sorry..." Cygnus snorted and stepped away from her brother, closing her eyes, frustrated, and padded out of the open land, into the forest and then aimlessly walking off. Corvus got up and scrambled after her, looking back apologetically.

Still on Sandpiper's territory, but now more at the edge, Cygnus sat down and vented in silence. Corvus, from about five feet away, laid down and watched her, his eyes big with concern.

Kadence turned to Sandpiper and her eyes flashed. She nipped her sister sharply on the nose, Sandpiper falling on her hindquarters in surprise. "Dumbass!" She shrieked at her older sister and stalked off amongst the tar pits.

Sandpiper could only look on in shock. Kadence very rarely lost her temper, bottling it all up, and when she did lose it, she exploded. Sandpiper shook her head. Not a healthy way to handle your feelings...She has to learn it's okay at some point...

(Eireen? Don't you mean Kadence?)

(DerpderpDerp)

(Hahaha)

Corvus traced random designs in the dirt while Cygnus sat, hunched over, eyes pressed tightly shut and jaw clenched. She was just so...upset. She couldn't get a grip on the vivid emotions, even though she knew she had no reason to be hysterical at all. Corvus wanted to console her, but was rightfully sure that if he even approached her he'd get a swat to the head.

(random filler til Am gets on.)
Corvus watched a tawny squirrel fluttering through the canopy of the woods, twisted like a small gymnast between branches and flying from tree to tree. The sun cast an awry net of light onto the terrain. On any other day he would have been captivated by this beauty, but now he was just so glum he wouldn't have noticed if a purple deer summersalted over a rainbow.

Sandpiper sat quietly, pondering her thoughts. She felt horrible for upsetting Kadence, but then again, she couldn't quite put her paw on why. She was never good at reading hunds.

Kadence had stormed to the plain a few pawsteps from the northeast edge of the tar pits. She plopped down on the little tuft of grass that was flattened from so many taking a moment to rest on it. She let her anger fester, before kicking out violently. She took a deep breath, composed herself and headed back home. Bottling it all up. Again.

Corvus, growing agitated by the silence, got up and padded off into the woods to find something to eat...

He lost himself in a chase with a fox for a rabbit. They both dove and ran to catch the panicked rodent that sped through bushes and open fields. He didn't worry or care about anything except running down the rabbit. Finally he tired, the fox blew past him and tackled the hare, the two becoming a thrashing ball of white, kicking up snow until the rabbit was still. The fox, dragging the hare by its neck, scampered into the woods. Corvus sighed, breathing heavy.