OoC: Will post in a moment, but bump in the meantime.

EDIT

Shiny crystal-blue orbs wide, maw gapping open, Alell watched as a lethal femme jumped over her to get to her attacker. Sleek black fur rippled as her white as snow underbelly was bared for a flash. Blinking rapidly Alell pushed to regain her paws. Bitting her tongue she kept in the yelp of pain, so that she wouldn't draw attention to herself. Looking between the two, Alell could see that her savoir couldn't beat the sickened one. Ears quivering, Alell wanted to help but she didn't know how.

All she could remember were her years as a pup, and those were not fond. Always getting under foot, Alell was fairly treated like a wolf with the sickness. Never being taught to fight, hunt, or heal, the she-wolf had to learn them all on her own. Not wanting to get the she-wolf hurt because of rash moves or half-thought out attacks, Alell merely did what she did best.

"Please stop!" She barked loudly. "I don't want any others hurt!"

Gingerly stepping forward, she quickly held her fore up again. The pain had been sharp and persistent. "At least don't get hurt protecting me," Alell barked at her dark protector. Tail twitching back and forth in nerviness, Alell couldn't believe that some random wolf would actually protect her. Of all wolves! She comes to help me! With grudging honesty though, Alell knew that nothing good would come from her helper. I only hope that she will live.

Tread relaxed her hackes in relief. "Rayne!" She exclaimed, bounding up to the white-furred wolf and brushing flanks. "How are you?"

She sat down opposite Rayne and studied her closely. "Not caught by that sickness then?" She remarked airily.

Bane savored the blood that washed over his claws as they connected with the flesh of his prey. The scent was glorious, filling his nostrils and urging him to spill more.. more... more! As he moved in for the second and final lunge, he was interruprted by a flash of white and three lines of pain that appeared suddenly on his cheek. Bane stopped where he was, red eyes open wide in surprise and fury. It had been a black and white femme that had interfered with his kill, one that was verrry familiar to him. (dun dun duuuun)

His thin, rasping voice quietly growled out her name, questioning, uncertain whether this was her or not. "Kaaaaaze?"

A reborn fury ignited in the infected wolf. Never. Forgive. 

"Betrayer!" Came his roar, splitting the air. His attention was completely focused on the femme, his claws angrily kneading the dirt underneath his pads. His blazing red gaze bored into her, his intention more than made clear. But he lingered, wanting Kaze to know who he was, whose claws she would die upon.

 *~~*

 Inara whimpered in pain, her strength already spilling along with her blood from the horrendous wounds she recieved, was still recieving. Her ears were pushed completely back, her tail flopped helplessly on the ground. In a final attempt to save herself, the femme lifted a paw to slash at her attacker's face. She scored a hit and the iron jaws around her neck slackened momentarily, but it was enough. Summoning every ounce of strength left in her body, Inara rolled away, the leaves underneath her body sent flying. She came back up to her pads in a single fluid motion despite her wounds, facing her attacker. 

It was one of them, a sickened one. Every inch of the healer screamed out for her to help him, try to cure the plague that infected his body, but she had no idea how to do that and was well on her way to dying as well. Another wave of pain sent her mind reeling, making her dizzy and nearly causing her to tumble back to the ground, but she caught herself. If she fell now, she would never rise again.

 (I have an idea X3 hope you'll let me do this)

Inara's vision swam; she was losing blood too quickly. Even if she managed to evade this next attack and get away, which was already unlikely, she would probably die of bloodloss. Even then, if she did, by some miracle, survive, she had been bitten by a sickened one, the infection now invaded her body, slowly, but steadily, turning her into one of them. Realizing that this was her end, Inara found some last reserves of strength within her, just enough to straighten herself and  look into the face of her oncomming death. Her emerald eyes sparked with a deep, knowing resignation.

She would die, she knew it, she felt it in her bones even as time slowed to a crawl and her killer leapt in for the final blow. Despite this, she stood tall, teeth bared in a silent threat that she would die while fighting. The sickened wolf's maw was right in front of her now, and time had slowed to a mere trickle. Inara's own teeth were bared, ready to bite down for the last time. 

But it was not to be so. 

A bright light flashed, filling her vision. In that moment, Inara came to an understanding; there were others watching, and they had been watching her. This would be her death, but not her end. Regrettably, she would have to sacrifice her last chance at delivering a blow to her murdurer, but the prize to follow was worth it. Inara did not deliver her own, final blow. Instead, she smiled. It was a knowing, peaceful, somewhat smug smile that, though stained red with her own blood, bore a heavy weight. Inara the wolf was gone, but Inara the healer had only just been born.

(hehehe.... hope this is okay, couldn't htink of anything else without my chara dying right off the bat)

*~~*

Bane wasted no time in giving chase. His unnatural speed matched Kaze's unearthly swiftness, gifted as she was from birth. Bane knew. 

He was only a few meters behind her, the femme's black and white tail flashing in front of him like the flag she used to pretend it was. Bane knew.

They exploded into the ashen fields of the area already claimed by the contaigon. Bane slowed, his stamina not sufficing to chase down Kaze and the other femme. Bane stopped, his blood-red eyes glaring after Kaze. His rasping voice called out once more, "Run as far as you can Kaze! You can't hide from me! None of the Betrayers can!"

His head dropped to the ground, his nostrils picking up her scent and storing it in an unconcious filing cabinet. He wouldn't lose her now. Soon, very soon, he would be one step closer to completing his revenge. He never expected to find his old play-mate this quickly. This was a good day indeed.

 OoC: Why did you kill Inara? D8

Kaze's heart hammered against her ribs. She heard his husky voice behind her, his gaze burning into her back. "You can't hide from me..." The words echoed in her head, like the shrill peal of a bell, awaking every one of the memories she tried to forget, every image she tried not to think about. Corpses and debris swam in front of her eyes, with their pursuer standing high on a cliff, a malicious grin on his lips. He let out a laugh, a deep, hoarse noise that made her heart gallop faster than she ever could.

The wolf ceased running, as the sickened one went gradually out of view. She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth, letting her panting subside slowly. But she felt no better after her chest relaxed; Who was that wolf? Her head hit her chest as she tried to suppress the feeling of utter amazement and fear. She was not afraid for herself, but for the sickened one who knew her so well, the sickened one who just vowed to slay her. She knew that that sickened one was an intimate friend. Only if she knew who. Perhaps then she could help him.

~

 Lance's eyes were fixed on this dying she-wolf, watching her soul travel away from him. He watched the smile linger on her lips, then fade away, never to be seen on her again. He watched her hit the ground, and knew he had conquered his victim. It was his time to smile. But it was not like the femme's placid, beautiful smile, it was a smirk, brimming with contempt and self-satisfaction. 

The big wolf strode over to the dead wolf's body. His eyes feasted on his prize for some time. It was an irrational occupation, this killing, but it was something his nature secretly desired. Maybe he felt a slight sympathy for this wolf who had laid down her life for all the others. If he did, the feeling vanished as quickly as it came. They did not deserve to live. Lance licked his wounds, then began drinking from hers as well.  

(how was she going to survive after that? don't worry, she's not gone, she'll be back with a little bit of power X3)

Bane knew it was time to go back, back to where it had happened. The Betrayal was on his mind alot lately, when the thirst for wolf blood wasn't in complete control, of course. The old glade had long since given up to the sickness, leaving naught but ash and withered trees. Bleached bones littered the ground, though there shouldn't have been any, the incident had occured only a year ago. It had been the contagion, devouring all flesh, all life, leaving death and pain in its wake. Bane slowly walked through the clearing, a place once full of love, joy and familiarity. it was all gone now, the little bit that remained sullied by the horrors that had befallen the place. 

The sickened wolf's normally ever-present snarl was gone, leaving his ex
pression a blank one. Every month, he returned to this place, to remind him of his plight, his hunt. "Never forgive." He whispered, his voice oddly close to how it had been before it happened. "Never forget."

He went to his old den, a  small but once-cozy hole nestled underneath the roots of an oak. The tree had withered and collapsed in on itself recently so Bane simply laid himself down in front of it, his head resting on his pads. His blazing eyes had dimmed, though they were watchful nonetheless. For the first time in a month, Bane was able to 'sleep' and 'dream' in the place where he had begun his thirst for revenge. Eyes open and muzzle pulled into a frown, Bane quietly repeated, "Never forgive. Never forget."

*~~*

 Inara felt no pain, heard no sound, saw nothing but white. She had no memories, either, only the images of the last year through the eyes of the femme that had died in the glade by the teeth of a sickened one. The sickened ones... they were a plague upon the world, created from a single source, introduced by a single entity. It had to be stopped, had to be turned back. But how? They, the others, had told Inara, though that wasn't her name anymore. She had a new name now, but it was not to be ever revealed to anyone. 

They were sending her back, she could feel it. They knew she had been strong of will, though weak of body. No longer. She felt solidity return to her, her sense of touch sending a torrent of shivers over her skin as every nerve was activated at once. Inara knew that they had given her physical form once again, but that was not all. She had been an herbal healer before, now she was a true healer, she could turn back the sickness, she could heal those who had become plagued. Her body took complete form, white and brown fur rolling over her skin. To all appearances, she was the exact same wolf as before. Except for the mark. While one eye was hazel, as it was from birth, the other was white, rimmed with bright, icy blue. Around that eye, the left one, was the intricately woven sigil of the wolven gods, carved into her skin and glowing with a blue energy.

she woudl do thier bidding, search for the sickened ones, and turn them back into that which they once were... If she could find them in time. He was coming afterall, the Beginner, the Source. If he arrived before her work was done, then the end was truly certain. Head held high and mismatched eyes blazing, Inara the Plague-Healer stepped forward to begin her mission.

(how do you like that? X3 I was just thinking we seriously needed something to keep the sickened wolves at bay, give the healthy wolves some sort of hope, you know? plus i can't wait to see Lance's reaction when he comes across Inara.. again :P)

OoC: This is a really cool thread but I don't really want to be in it anymore. I'm not very good at RPing a wolf, so yeah. I wish you the best.