PREHISTORIC SNIPER a story of backstabbing, betrayal, revenge, death, and life. these raptors struggle to live in a wasteland as a female hellbent on revenge on her former mate murders their alpha...   CHAPTER 1 <<<<<<<<*********†**********†*********†********>>>>>>>> No one saw when the animal struck, or where it came from... They just knew that a shadow shot past soundlessly, and the next moment, their Alpha fell, three gashes across his throat, his jugular severed in three places. All watched helplessly as their leader died from blood loss, his lifeless body twitching in final agony before becoming still forever. A hush fell over the small crowd of 'raptors, all faces staring in disbelief, mouths open and eyes wide. A few approached the still-warm corpse of their former Alpha, shaking in fear, anger, anxiety, knowing the one that killed him was nearby, in the cover of the forest. Then, the panic set in. Another thudding of a body hitting the ground was heard clearly through the quiet group, and they knew it had struck again. The Alpha Female fell with a squeal of surprise, choked off by the gurgling of blood in her throat. Those that saw the injury knew, it was the same as the other 'raptor had recieved: three deep gashes in her throat. No one stayed to find out what had attacked them, all ran for the openness of a clearing, of a beach, of something without a place for the demonic one to hide. Another body fell, one of the subordinates. Same injury, and again, the creature was nowhere to be found, by sight, scent, or otherwise. Only seven 'raptors remained, and they can't take any more chances. Their only chance for survival was the wasteland from which they migrated. Eyes dilated, their legs pumping and churning to get away from the silent murderer, they fled into the wasteland, three more of their number dead. Stepping into a patch of sunlight that broke through the leaves of the trees, the killer revealed herself to the backs of the fleeing 'raptors, her foretalons dripping wet in the blood of the ones she had killed. Her face is absolutely emotionless, her breathing even, eyes narrowed as she watches her remaining prey retreat. Before they are out of sight, she turns, spitting into a patch of shrubbery, licking her talons clean, blood dripping down her chin, her crest bristling with the taste. She raised her gaze to look upon the slaughter-field where the carcasses of the five dead lay. Partially lit by another patch of sun was her main target, the Alpha female, her eyes wide and staring, glazed over. It was clear that she had died in fear and realization. *I told you, Heiza, you would pay...* She lowered herself to glare into the corpse's unseeing eyes. *...if you were to take Kyaga from me in exile...* She rose and laughed evilly, reveling in her vengence, the drying life-blood of the dead giving her a satanic appearance. Just as suddenly as she laughed, she snapped her head down, looking for Kyaga's body, finding it half-hidden in a still-quivering bush, his blood leaking from the fatal wound she dealt him. Stalking dangerously, as though gliding on air, she took on a vicious snarl, spitting on his carcass. *And you... you are the one who exiled me... Me, Feral, your mate! And for what? That whore over there, Heiza!?* She pointed cruelly to the female's stiffening body. *Well... now you can be together, forever... in a bond greater than life itself... in Death!* She hissed out the last word, then reared back and howled out her anger to the world, a flock of dactyls taking off and screeching in aggitation. She kicked Kyaga feircely before turning and walking into the territory she now calls her own, the leaves of the shrubs shivering in her wake as she passed, out of sight, into the darkness.   CHAPTER 2 <<<<<<<<*********†**********†*********†********>>>>>>>> The four remaining others of the pack panted, their legs giving out before they could go any further. They were three females and one old male, all panic-stricken to have watched the horror that took place in their valley. They found a large boulder to sit in the shade as they recovered from their fear-borne flight, the two young females who were sisters, shivering, whimpering and tightly pressed together, each offering the other comfort. The elder female shook her head and sighed, laying down and staring distantly at the barren wasteland before her. *I feared this would happen... Kyaga was a fool to exile Feral. She was our clan's greatest warrioress, and honorable, too...* The old female closed her eyes and rested, a long silence sweeping over the four. The elder male spoke up. *Aye... that she was. Kyaga didn't know what he got himself into by taking an older mate... her age made her less attractive to him. To exile one just for that...* He lowered his gaze to the ground, his eyes half closed, *Perhaps that is why Feral ran us out...*   CHAPTER 3 <<<<<<<<*********†**********†*********†********>>>>>>>> Awakening early, the old male stood and stretched, his creaky, aged bones crackling. The sun had not yet risen. Perfect for scouting. He shot a glance at the two sisters and his trusted friend. For a moment, he smiled, forgetting the carnage and their hopeless situation for a blink. *Ah, Vicca... these two are too young... and we are too old to help them hunt,* he whispered, not expecting her to hear him. *Maneno and Lamena are nearly strong enough, though... all we need is a little carrion to get us through the next few weeks.* One of the sisters, Maneno, stirred and sighed, speaking in her sleep like a frightened chick, *Vicca... Gnash... run! Get away! Aah!* She curled into a fetal position and rocked back and forth, whimpering, deathly afraid of whatever dream haunted her. Gnash gave a sympathetic look and moved to gently nuzzle the frightened, half-grown raptoress calm down. When she fell into a peaceful sleep once again, he stood, padding further into the wasteland to look for a water source. Vicca was awakened by Maneno's fearful outcry, but stayed silent and still, as though she were still sleeping, to watch what Gnash would do. When he disappeared from view, she sat up, letting the sun warm her weathered body, stretching and cracking all her joints. Her silvery-grey eyes glimmered as she watched over the two sub-adults, keeping a lookout to ensure their safety, in case Feral had followed them... not that she could do a whole lot about it. Vicca, her once-proud femenine form, eaten away by age, her bones showing through her dulling-brown, scaly hide, wrinkles present on her face, both her hands and her feet seeming like a burden to her hips and shoulders, which now jutted out like wings of an aged dactyl, but much less prominent. Her crest, though once a brilliant bluish green color, not hangs limp, brittle, having lost its color and luster long ago. Lamena opened her eyes and hesitated to sit up, her sister still somewhat clinging to her, probably for some kind of emotional support. Growling under her breath, Lamena pushed her sister away, standing up and shaking roughly, peering at her surroundings with sharp scrutiny. *Oh, what is this!?* She was obviously disappointed, even annoyed by the fact that they were run out of their territory. *You're telling me that Feral succeeded in driving us away? What kind of pack are we, anyway, to let ONE exiled Raptor drive TWELVE of us to either death or to an uninhabitable graveyard!?* Her orange crest bristled in fury, fingers flexing, claws extending and retracting, respectively, with the motion. Vicca chuckled softly and looked up at Lamena with a sad humor. *Child, if this was a graveyard, we would have food, wouldn't we?* She smiled with her eyes, her face pinching slightly as those muscles gave expression to her feelings. Lamena was not amused. *Excuse me... but you know what I meant. This is our future graveyard, and there's nothing we can do about it!* She was ranting horribly, Maneno snapping to alertness, quickly in a defensive posture with her claws flashing in the sunlight, fear in her eyes. *What!? What is this!? Did she follow us!?* Maneno looked around furiously, teeth bared and pupils dilated, full ready to throw her life away in defense of those around her. When she saw only her sister ranting again, she let her guard down and sighed heavily, her form sagging in relief. *Did you REALLY need to do that, Lamena? She isn't here... so make the best of our situation before you bloody waste your energy!* She swatted her sister fairly hard across the muzzle, not hard enough to cause pain, but enough to annoy the hell out of her. *Don't hit me, Maneno... Don't.* Her voice was low and dangerous, but she showed no other sign of threat. Maneno was right. It was virtual suicide to waste time and energy ranting about things she can't help. *But fine... what do YOU suggest we do?* Right then, Gnash returned, tired, panting, his tongue lolling out of his mouth, as though he ran to catch up with everyone. *I... I found... water...! Not the best, but... it's there!* He sighed heavily and lay down on his back to catch his breath, wanting to rest. *Over there... about 1500 steps beyond those boulders...* he pointed to a pair of mountainous rock formations a few hundred yards further into the deserted land. Vicca grinned weakly. *You always know what to do, don't you? We'll get it later. Rest first.*   CHAPTER 4 <<<<<<<<*********†**********†*********†********>>>>>>>> Feral growled in a deep voice, frustrated, digging furiously to get to whatever she sensed by the lake. She smelled another raptor, and it infuriated her that she missed even one of those arrogant fools. A honking, squeaking voice was heard amongst the sand, and she froze in mid-dig, her crest bristling with ire. A chick! A chick, just hatched maybe a week ago. She snarled in a low, guttural voice, bending so the end of her snout grazed against the raptorian fledgeling. With a long, deep sniff, she gathered in scent molecules, and then recoiled violently. It was Kyaga and Heiza's! She hiss-screeched, and snapped the infant up into her jaws, her fangs digging into the scales and hide of it, recieving great pleasure from hearing its tiny, high-pitched screams as she sauntered back into the forest, tasting its blood on her tongue. She took the chick to where she massacred her former clan, and threw it down to the ground roughly, pinning it to the ground with one foot. She bared her teeth and growled, narrowing her eyes at the chick. *Look around you. There is no one left for you, spawn of the ignorant. Your father and mother lay there, dead by my hands... and you aren't far behind them.* She glared vehemently at the chick, and dug her sickled talon into its belly, hearing it squeal and watching it agonize under her anger, laughing wickedly from it, then tossing it into the air, catching it once more in her jaws and biting down, hard, its miniature bones crunching. The chick no longer squealed, or moved, and for a moment Feral just tasted the meat and blood of the chick, then swallowed it in one bite, her eyes dark and filled with rage as she completed the deed.   CHAPTER 5 <<<<<<<<*********†**********†*********†********>>>>>>>> The remaining pack of four trudges the many steps they needed to make it to the watering hole. Thankfully, before the attack, they had taken a drink from the lake, and had just got done eating from a semi-decent Iguanodon carcass, so their bodies didn't give out on their way to the water source. *Ugh... How far did you say this pond was again, Gnash?* Maneno was dragging her feet, her neck's s-curve sagging lazily, as though the clan had forced her to come along on a desert trek with no food and no water. Gnash looked back at her and snorted softly... ::Youth,:: he thought, ::gifted in phisicalities... cursed with impatience... especially at her age, where she would still depend on her mother...:: He quickly squashed any thoughts of scorning the young one. Losing your parents is probably one of the most traumatic things that can happen to a young mind, especially if the cause was a maniac bent on the destruction of others. *We're almost there, Maneno. Only another hundred paces. Chin up.* He grinned weakly and lightly nudged her, trying to raise her spirits a little. Lamena snorted as well, watching the two interact. She sauntered up to the other side of her sister and nipped her on the shoulder, hard. *Aye, quit being such a wimp! Tuck in that neck! Hold your head high, or I will hold it up for you.* She bared her teeth and snarled at her sister, letting out a low, guttural growl as she did. Promptly, Gnash snapped his fangs, barely an inch from the startled Lamena's muzzle. *Get along, you two. You are soon going to be the only capable members of this pack. Vicca and I are already 23 years old, past our life expectancy, and now that we've been run out, it is going to catch up with us. Now, you two are nearly yearlings. When we get our territory back, you need to search for males, so that the clan can thrive once more. Hear?* He looked at each in turn with an intensely serious gaze, under which the females cringed. *Yeah... okay, if you say so...* Lamena was feeling rueful, and it showed in her posture, her shoulders held low as well as her head, bowed in respect for Gnash. Maneno, keeping a wary eye on her sister, also expressed regret for acting so lazy, knowing that she'd slowed them down. She said nothing, standing up straight again, her expression stern, focused, as though determined to make it to the water without another complaint. Nodding firmly, Gnash took the lead once again, holding himself high, in a dominant posture. As they approached the watering hole, his thoughts wandered to the speech he had made. ::23 years... My time is nearly up. And Vicca...:: He looked over at Vicca, unease in his eyes. She was already as tired as Maneno had acted, and she had good reason. Her muscle was disappearing, leaving her bones to show through her scales. He winced slightly when she looked back at him and hurriedly looked onward, stopping less than a pace from the surface. He cleared his throat, not even having known that he almost walked into the pond. *Er... Here it is... We'll be staying here a while, so we might as well make a temporary nest.* The others were already plunging their snouts into the water, taking in great gulps of the water, each in turn gasping for breath afterward, floppng down on the ground next to the pond, sighing in relief. Gnash shrugged mentally, and a little more conservative than the others, he lapped up a few mouthfuls of water and relaxed in a bit of shade provided by a nearby bush.   CHAPTER 6 <<<<<<<<*********†**********†*********†********>>>>>>>> The caves proved excellent shade from the sun, better than even the veil of the forest, which allowed sunlight to enter in various, scattered places. To add more bonus to the cooling value of the den, it was near the lake, making for an easy source of water. Feral lay idly outside of the cave, chewing on a long shin bone from an Ostrich-dino, obviously remarkably bored with the monotony of a Raptorless territory. No one to terrorize, no one to taunt, no one to brawl with. It was downright tedious. Crossly, she lobbed the bone into the lake, watching as it made a none-too-grand splash, hardly interrupting the ripples in the lake's surface. Sighing, she rose and shook off, bits of dust and pebble flying from her hide, her off-white crest fluffed slightly, and she snorted, combing it down with a foretalon, muttering to herself. *Bah... the irksomeness. There aren't even Acrocanthosaus here to goad.* And with that, she stalked into the greenery of the forest, following the fading scents of the four who dashed off. *Maybe those dolts are still near. They can provide a bit of amusement to appease this tedium, for a while.* She was far from happy, her eyes half-closed, claws extended for absolutely no reason other than to possibly scare off a small mammal. A bush shivered behind her, and she whirled around to face whatever it was to cause it. She growled and slashed at the leaves, plant dross floating to the ground. She extended her head into the shrubery, teeth bared, nostrils flaring. No one was there, but she detected the faintest scent of male Utahraptor. How could she be so empty-headed? If another Utahraptor was around, why was she sticking her head in a bush like some furball-hunting chick? Hurriedly, she turned back around, coming snout to snout with a tall, muscular male. His teeth were bared in a hideous grin, saliva dripping from his fangs, his neck slowly uncoiling as he edged ever-closer to Feral. He let out a low, mocking laughter. *Frivolous, chick-minded female. Were you looking for me in there?* His eyes flashed with derision, his voice grating, backing Feral into the plant life she had previously been investigating. As soon as she felt the stiff leaves of the bush, she hissed and slashed at the male's lower jaw in an upper-cut fashion. Ducking his head back enough to avoid being cut, he smirked evilly at Feral, clicking his tongue in ridicule. *Now, there's no need for violence here. You would just as soon attack me as mate with me, and you know it.* Feral pulled back, her neck in a tight s-curve, jaws parted slightly, lip curled in a sneer and claws held ready to attack. *If you are trying to antagonize me, Fodder, you are doing a great job.* She twitched her feather crest in annoyance, emphasizing her point. *Fine. I will hear you out. What is your name, and what do you want?* The male swept his long tail back and forth in an annoyed fashion, standing at ease, though mentally ready for anything this female has to throw at him. *My name? If that were your business, I would have already introduced myself, now wouldn't I?* He smirked as Feral started to walk away, sighing in exhasperation. *But wait! I'll tell you. I am called Lirk. My clan has exiled me, so I have been wandering for so long. I seek a clan to join... or to conquer.* He raised his muzzle and sniffed long and loud, coming back down with a sigh. *Seems, though, you've already run the previous clan out of here. So, I have a new proposition.* He was once again, moving in on Feral, acting like a long-lost friend, not caring to be submissive, nor dominant. Feral was suddenly intensely interested. A kindred spirit, not driven away by the scent of blood and decay. She took on a much less threatening posture, standing at ease. *Hmm. A new proposition. What are you implying...?* Lirk just smirked and laughed. *Come with me, my dear... We have much to discuss...*   CHAPTER 7 <<<<<<<<*********†**********†*********†********>>>>>>>> Vicca and Gnash set up the temporary nest, being the only two who have actually had experience to aid them. The younger sisters studied the adults intently, and occasionally asked if they could help. Needless to say, a lot went wrong for the young raptors, this being their first time constructing a nest of any sort. The adults looked at eachother and smiled, nodding in silent agreement. Each knew what the other was thinking: You take this one, I'll take the other, and we'll teach them seperately. Gnash took responsibility of Maneno, becoming her mentor, while Vicca took Lamena under her wing, at least for the time they had left. Each of the four raptors knew in the backs of their minds that if Feral were to find them all in their current states, she could easily overpower them with little or no effort on her part. That, and the fact that the two elders were nearing their lifespans' ends. Nevertheless, the four worked together, their first priority, after finding water, was building the nest. Vicca and Lamena worked on constructing the nest, while Gnash and Maneno gathered fallen branches and the bones of old Astrodon corpses long past rotted away. Sighing heavily, the makeshift nest built between two oversized boulders, Gnash, Vicca, Lamena and Maneno plopped down in the sand, surveying their work. *Hmm... Not bad. It's no cave, but it'll do, no?* Gnash smiled at the females, his eyes sparkling slightly in amusement. Vicca tilted her head to the side a little. *It's missing soemthing...* She looked a little disturbed, her brow would furrow, if evolution had allowed her such expression. *Ah! I know.* And with that, she stalked over to the pond, thrusting her snout into the water to the bottom, scooping mud into her mouth and down into her neck pouch, until she couldn't hold any more. She looked immensely uncomfortable, hobbling back to the nest, then stooped over it, hacking and spitting mud all over the inside, emptying her pouch and spreading a thin layer of the dirt-water mix on it. *There,* she said, short of breath, *now in a few, the sun will dry that and hold the branches and whatnot together.* Maneno and Lamena looked at eachother, slightly perturbed by the elder female's actions, but they both knew there was loginc in what she had done. With a silent, sullen agreement, they trotted to the pondside and repeated Vicca's actions, promptly returning to the pond for a long, throat and mouth clensing drink. *Ack! How can you STAND that!?* Lamena let her tongue hang out of her mouth, the memory of the gritty constitution of the mud still fresh in her mind. Her eyes showed bitter disgust, and she looked as though she might be sick. *Yeah!* Maneno wiped her mouth with the back of one forepaw, caked mud transfered from scaled lips to scaled hand. *That was... revolting, to say the least!* A sour look appeared on her face and she took another long pull of water, desperate to free herself of the awful taste. Vicca chuckled softly and simply said, *Well, if you have to do something to ensure the safety and well being of your pack, there has to be minor sacrafices.* Her eyes shone with amusement, not only at the fledglings' displeasure, but at the fact that she still had enough left in her to teach others a thing or two about survival outside the protection of the territory. Gnash, resting comfortably in the shade, spoke up after the females stopped milling about. *Well... time to rest up. This might as well be called our... territory... for now. In the morning, I'll mark a one-mile radius, with this nest as the center. You're all welcome to help, if you like.* The others agreed and gingerly stepped into the nest. It was sturdy enough to hold all of them safely, and they had enout room to sleep with one foot of space between raptors. Before sunset, all were asleep, except Vicca, who remained awake to guard the others.   CHAPTER 8 <<<<<<<<*********†**********†*********†********>>>>>>>> *WHAT!?* A strong voice echoed throughout the territory, a flock of dactyls taking off from the treetops. Feral was furious. She flailed her arms and snarled at Lirk, her crest bristling with animosity, though her eyes clearly showed surprise, even intrigue, with what the male Utahraptor had to say. She put on a show of rage, teeth bared, claws arcing dangerously, carving the air. Lirk was not impressed by her display, though a bit amused by it. He leaned against a tree, watching idly as she made a show of cutting him to pieces. But he saw that look in her eye, and that look was exactly what drove him to persistence. With a great yawn and a glance up at the canopy, he looked at Feral, flicking his crest slightly. *Are you done with your show, now?* He stated austerely, rubbing his shoulder against the rough bark, then advancing on her smoothly, clearly unshaken. Feral stood in disbelief, chest rising and falling with heavy breath, pupils dilating and contracting steadily, lip curled in a snarl, otherwise not moving as the male stalked past her. She simply closed her eyes and tightened her jaw shut, Lirk moving so he might whisper right into her ear, *We can rebuild this ruined clan. We can raise chicks of our own, and train them to be just like us. They will hate their former clans from which you and I hail, and will aid us in killing off any left of your old clan, as well as mine...* Drawing back to look at Feral, his eyes filled with intensity, glowering as the female slowly opened her eyes, though narrowed. She took a deep breath and snarled lowly. *The last time I took a mate, it ended very badly... for both me, and the clan. How am I to know you won't pull the same shit he did?* She stood agressively, her tail gliding about behind her. Lirk chuckled lowly. *How am I to know you won't stab me in the back?* His smirk widened as he showed his fangs in it, a sort of evil humor in his eyes. *After all... it WAS you who took down those many raptors out there, wasn't it?* Feral was far from amused. *Fine, Lirk... you can stay here. But I won't mate with you. I refuse to take a mate yet. Not until I kill the remaining fools who escaped into the wasteland.* She glared deeply at him, awaiting his answer, her upper lip curling slightly. All Lirk did was shrug and look indifferent. *Your call. Fine, then. You complete your revenge... and we'll see what happens after that... okay?* He looked displeased by the idea, but Feral didn't care. With that, the two raptors went their seperate ways, Feral to the cave by the shore, Lirk to the scene of the massacre, each taking care of their own business.   CHAPTER 9 <<<<<<<<*********†**********†*********†********>>>>>>>> *Okay, then you and Lamena will remain close to the nest, while Maneno and I circle the area and mark it as ours. Agreed?* Gnash, attempting to give direction to the pathetic excuse of a straggling clan, took the position of Alpha Male. Though he didn't really have a choice, being the only male in the small pack, if he were a few years younger, he might have taken advantage of that fact. He now looked quite a bit old, showing his age in his facial features, as visions of his late mate passed before his eyes. He quickly shook his head and blocked the images almost as suddenly as they had appeared, looking up at the females as though he were caught in the middle of a heinous act. With a slight cough, he turned, pretending to busy himself with scratching small lines into the sand. Vicca offered a concerned look, then decided against it. They had better things to worry about. *Alright, Gnash. What will you have us do while you and Maneno are marking territory?* Okay, not bad for a distraction. At least it will get his mind away from his former mate. Maneno and Lamena were getting bored with listening to the adults, and slipped away as Gnash gave Vicca instructions, their voices fading as the sisters got further and further from the nest. *Well, THAT was educational...* Lamena snorted, glancing back over her shoulder at the adults, as if they had wasted her precious time. She smirked and nudged Maneno, amused. *YOU get to go scent-marking!* She lifted her head and laughed heartily. *How do you plan on doing it? Scratching a tree? Rubbing your throat on the wounds you cause? Pah!* She spit out the last syllable. *There ARE no trees here. Have fun watching Gnash take a dump in the sand!* Maneno hissed, her upper lip curling into a snarl as she shuddered in annoyance (not to mention the graphic visual Lamena had graciously given her). *Ack! You HAD to say it, didn't you!?* She growled and nipped Lamena's neck hard. *As though I hadn't already known that!* Lamena snarled, ramming her sister squarely in the chest with her forehead, attempting to knock her down with the force, only succeeding in making Maneno stumble back a little. *Of course I did, it was too easy to pass up!* She hissed gutturally, lunging at her sister, this time succeeding in catching her by the throat and throwing her to the ground. Maneno wouldn't go down without a fight, and managed to catch her sister by the arm and drag her down with. The two rolled around in the sand, snorting, growling, screeching at eachother, kicking up sand and dust, Lamena's tawny hide and Maneno's forest-green scales showing up brightly on the rust-colored ground. Little had they known, just beyond the sand dune not 5 yards away, a young male Utahraptor watched the sisters fighting. He was about six feet tall, 15 feet long from muzzle to tail. His lanky, awkward form was stained a deep red, only slightly different from the land around him. He was obviously still in his adolescent stage of growing, the size of an adult male, but not yet filled out, muscle-wise. The crest on his head and down his neck was a sandy-brown color, and his eyes were golden, intense. He was highly intrigued... forest raptors... unattached females... He took in another deep, soundless sniff, reading their scents. Only slightly younger than me, he thought, and both strong. He purrgrowled softly, swishing his tail side to side, observing the two from this short distance, waiting until the correct time to approach them.   CHAPTER 10 <<<<<<<<*********†**********†*********†********>>>>>>>> Lirk growled, leaning down and sniffing at the now week-old corpses of the clan Feral had slaughtered. His piercing gaze swept over the battlefield, counting six, then seven bodies, all stiff with death, each poisoning the air with their stink of decay. One corpse caught his attention, however... The one of Kyaga, the Alpha of the dead clan, had a heavy scent of Feral on him, one in his side, accompanied by a scabbed-over gash. He narrowed his eyes. *Mmh... This one must be why she hated the clan...* He sniffed at Kyaga's throat and snorted. *Oh yeah. She definitely was after this one in particular.* He surveyed the three deep cuts in his throat, deciding if she were going to kill him, that would definitely have been the deathblow. Stalking swiftly to Heiza's rotting carcass, he didn't need to study as closely, for the same trademark deathblow had been delivered. *Hmm... do I sense betrayal?* Lirk smirked evilly, resisting the urge to laugh, not only at the circumstance, but at the fact that this female was quite capable of orderly slaughter. Footsteps in the mud, extending to the barren, brick-colored sand of the desert, told the tale of the retreat that took place when this clan was attacked. Stooping to sniff at them, he snorted. *Not even a hint... the scent's gone dry.* He shrugged, then turned, kicking plant debris at the footsteps that were already fading. He leaned against a tree to admire the slaughterfeild once more before drifting into his own thoughts. --That female is so perfect... her execution of this pack proves it. I'll be able to take over my own clan in no time at all.-- He smirked, eyes closed, then chuckled lowly, then loudly, almost growling it out. By the lake, the sounds of the waves crashing on shore masked the sound... though Feral looked up in slight confusion upon the unfamiliar sound.