Hello sunshine / G'day big wheels / Yeah, alright legend = you're going to DIE

@Kuhn

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It got too warm for her liking. She figured that with winter on the precipice that the temperature would, eventually cool to her liking on the plains, but until then she trundled her old ass back to her stomping grounds.

She managed to catch an old runtish caribou unawares — really, they had both been startled. She was impressed with herself for bringing down the old thing.

There was something faintly tingling at the back of her mind. Something about tigers? Lord of...something or other. Hmph. She continued on eating.
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Death was on the wind, and this time, it had not been his own doing. His claim was loose and generally others seemed to hunt his land from time to time. As the cat made his way miles to the scent of blood, it became more apparent that the kill had been a caribou.

Generally, this might imply a large creature, perhaps a bear, Agrona, or a pack of wolves. All where dangerous possibilities. Though as Kuhn approached the bloody scene he only saw a small creature half obscured by the carcass. Was it scavenging? there was no way it did this.

Sauntering across the clearing he half expected the varmint to run off. Though, once he caught a scent of the creature, small nagging alarm bells seemed to go off in the back of his mind. None the less, the lord of the Everfrost strode onward.
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The meat went down significantly smoother than her first outing, the still warm flesh sliding down her throat in large, unbitten chunks and slivers. Khadne ate noisily and happily for a while, her enthusiasm only slowly when she heard the heavy thuds and crunch of snow approached her. His orange color was easy to pick out in the snow, even with her half-fading vision. She squinted at him but did not move, her graying muzzle slick with red and gore.

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He hadn't made much of an attempt to approach with any stealth, opting to walk the distance from the treeline to the kill. At some point, his stride halted when the little beast locked eyes with him. That carcass was still steaming against the brisk air, and this little beast appeared to be the culprit.

Blinking slowly then opening his eyes again, he was expecting that he was just seeing things. Though when his eyes opened the creature was still there. He would have to get a closer look at the beast; was it friendly, did it speak, could he eat it? So he took a few more steps forward. After all, what could go wrong?
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Khadne grunted. The tiger continued to move forward, pace by pace. She felt weariness in her soul — she missed being in a place where her reputation was known. “э! не-а! — Oy! Nope!” The older woman jerked up from her meal and snarled, baring golden teeth stained with blood and gore. “You stop zere. I ain't doing zhis.” Again in this place her meal was interrupted. “You. Tiger. Valk avay. We have no trouble.” No injuries, was the silent (loud by body language alone) implication.

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Bound by pride, never intending to heist a kill, Kuhn was initially driven by curiosity. But now, whatever this creature was, it was telling him what to do, commanding him. Involentarily the hackles on his back began to raise, a slight tremor of rage tingled up the cat's spine.

Releasing a low growl Kuhn diverted his path opting to circle around the kill site, swaying at the shoulders, watching the wolverine closely. "What? Your not going to share..." he joked menacingly, with the tips of his fangs shown. Still circling the cat tightened the radius getting closer step by step.
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Just like the last time, she kept eating. It was an effective strategy that had served her well over the part decade, but doing it in such quick succession within the past few months annoyed her. But it was brief. Despite his bulk he was clearly a child, posturing as a child would.

“Ah, yes. Bravo. You're very scary. No vonder zat likkle volf couldn't bring herself to fight you.” She felt chatty, amused by the tiger's appearance and attempt at intimidation as he moved in. “You Ze Lord?” she intones the words with mock reverence. “Iz zhat vat your stupid haircut iz about?” She chuckled. She'd never seen such a mane on a tiger before. It was ridiculous.

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Apparent by his stride and a low growl, her words where getting to him, his face was getting hot and for a moment fantasized about crushing that skull if hers in his Jaws.

She was right, he was a child, but he at least knew what she was doing. The old hag wanted him to charge in blindly. Perhaps it was a strategy he used in a past life. It was curious though how confident this small old crone really was if she was ready to take a tiger head on, he figured he should be careful.

He let out a long breath into the brisk air, attempting to release his violent thoughts. Still getting closer taking space, he eventually halted his stride keeping his guard up. "So you have heard of me?" . There was only one little 'volf' who would call him lord.
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Khadne didn't take pride in goading him. It was incredibly easy, and she wasn't much of a wordsmith or trickster to use wit and guile to annoy her opponents. She told the truth. And the truth was that he was an entitled idiot. “I say stop. You deaf? Or you just being an ass because you gave yourself title?” She scoffed, disgust and contempt written on top of her scarred face. “One girl used your name like a curse. Vat ze phrase...пе́рвый па́рень на деревне? — best guy in the village hhrrrmm...ah! Big fish, small pond?” She raised a gore-slicked paw and pointed at the maned tiger. “Zat you.”

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Whatever this thing was it continued.  It didn't in the least seem scared of him, which was surprising based on their difference in size and species.  Judging from its appearance it had likely seen more than its fair share of battles.  Part of him still wanted to rip her in half, though technically she hadn't really done anything wrong defending her kill, though Kuhn couldn't help but grind his teeth at the old crone's cutting rudeness.  "I have no title..."  Kuhn replied with a yawn, thinking about just leaving this crone to her business, it wouldn't be long now until father time killed her anyway.

"I'm lord of nothing, and you are eating in my home.  Lots of souls hunt here, but you are the first  to try and provoke me."  he continued, not moving any closer, but standing on the borderline.  "I wont steal your kill, I can do better than that myself." 

"Though... Hear me out, I could use a good fight, first to yield.  If I win, you share with me and tell me how you got this way. If you win, you can hunt my wood forever uninterrupted, until your last teeth fall out. " 
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She rolled both her eyes, for the blind one was still remaining though now only offered her fuzzy vision at best. He had provoked her: she was defending her kill, as had many here had done before as he said.

The old woman cackled, witch-like and boisterous. “Oh! So I don't bow and you feel threatened? несчастный парень. Ай-ай-ай! — Poor boy. Tut-tut.” She returned to her meal. It was getting cold now by the work she had to do with her jaws. “Have to beat an old voman just to feel in charge.” she swallowed the chilled meat half chewed, too busy talking to focus her jaw on the task of eating. “You really vant to fight me, мальчик? — boy?”

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His brows could only angle downward as he listened to the creature continue. By now the cat realized he wasn't going to get any sort of amusement from the creature. No matter what he said, it would just say something, cutting. In fact alot if it seemed to be on the mark, maybe this creature had a point, at least for about a quarter of what she said. To someone observant, the cat could be seen pondering fragments of the insults that where thrown at him, only that some of it may be right by chance.

All at once his posture seemed to relax. Silently observing this hideous, but honest little creature; watching her eat messily, with her old and worn teeth.
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She'd gotten him to shut up at least, though not to leave. She continued eating without pause, engaging in the familiar rhythm of tearing off a bit of meat, chewing, holding it in her mouth, chewing, holding, again and again until she felt ready to swallow.

All the while she pointedly ignored the tiger, hoping that eventually he'd get bored enough and leave.

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Never having to deal with something like this before, he took a moment to sort through his self pity about the situation.  It wasn't that he cared for her opinion, though he wondered if by chance part of what she was saying was true.  Was he just a entitled child? 

After some time, as he sorted through it all, less of it seemed to stick and he began to eye back at the carcass and the horrid little creature.  Never being great at hiding what was on his mind a smirk plastered his face inching closer.  All at once, the tiger dashed forward intent on touching the carcass with a paw. If he was able to do it, in the next second he planned to leap back and enjoy the angry reaction of this little creature.
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As he charged she held her ground, her head snapping up to glare at him. She would like to think that she called his bluff but it may have really just been her slower reflexes. “э! — Hey!” The old woman snapped her jaws at the tiger's paws, emitting a loud pop! as they clacked together. “Alright, boy. You really vant fight, a — eh?” She stepped on top of the half eaten carcass, balancing steadily on what remained of the cervid's chest and back. “Я дам тебе взбучку. — Ill give you an ass kicking”

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At this point the tiger no longer had any anger left for the little beast, and he found himself so thoroughly entertained as he hopped backwards, hearing her jaws pop close to his paw.  As he landed backwards kicking up a plume of snow he had a mischievous smile across his face.  Obviously, he was quite proud of himself getting a rise out of the old woman.   In fact he couldn't really understand what she said apart from the word fight, the rest of it was just some hilarious gibberish from an angry little creature.  Like he said earlier, he never had any intention of taking the kill, but this felt like the right way to deal with a creature with a cutting tongue he could not compete with.

Now he just stared back at her, still smiling at a distance, swishing his tail back in forth, waiting to see what she would do next.
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Rolled 1d20, DC of 10 for attack, 15 for hard hit: got 16

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Khadne wasn't much for fighting, relying mostly on her stubbornness and biting wit to ward off most. But she knew how to fight. The scars on her face and her age told of her successes, or at least the near misses. But she was old, and not as fast as she used to be.

Nevertheless, she got him, right under his elbow. She made the bite hard, sinking her teeth in until she felt warm liquid fill her mouth and things tear underneath. Her head jerked back and forth for a moment, just enough to make it hurt for him and leave him limping for a few days. And then she let go, mostly because her neck was hurting.

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The little devil got in and out at surprising speed for her stout appearance.  Instinctually, when the pain of the bite hit Kuhn took a rapid swipe at the creature intending to snag her with a claw, though he only caught air as his claws hissed through the air before his paw pounded into the ground with a sturdy thud.  When the powdered snow began to settle, the ache began to set in, and the wrenched little hag was out of reach. His angered expression drifted to his wound, which was trickling some blood.  "...Haha!", after a moment he began to laugh as it began to throb.  His scowl turned to an odd smile as he looked over at the hag.  

Maybe he liked her, maybe he wanted to rip her head off, he couldn't even tell.
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Rolled 1d20, DC of 10 for attack, 15 for hard hit: got nat20, rip

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The whiz of claws above her head was a familiar feeling, prickling the fur at the back of her neck. Khadne growled, her irritation becoming something more.

She couldn't reach as high as she might've in youth, but she could do plenty of damage while remaining on all fours. The crone doubled down, ignoring the tension growing in her neck. Her next attack aimed at his chest, tearing at his pectorals and the connecting tissues and ligaments before backing off. Her stamina wasn't what it used to be, but her jaws were still strong.

“Это моё последнее предупреждение... — This is my last warning.... Last varnin'!” Khadne made a point of baring her tiger-blood-stained teeth at the brute. “Fek off, or I aim higher next.”

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Kuhn could see how his initial instinct with this creature was correct, despite it's size it's ferocity and perhaps lack of self preservation was nearly unmatched, making it much more dangerous than it's size would suggest.

Somehow the hag had managed to slip past his guard and latch on to his chest, dealing a painful bite, which would only be worse the next day, when the rush of battle had worn off. This whole thing really didn't seem worth it now as he was left with another wound and could barely hear her taunting him.

Against his better judgement, his pupils dialated he walked a bit more circling once again. After only a short moment the massive cat went on the offensive himself, charging in on the hag. Amidst the plumes of snow he felt a relief as he claws had hooked into the flesh of the little devil. Following his claws to the target, his large Jaws found their mark on the smaller creature, there was still blood, though it didn't feel like anything lethal, likely skin and fat around the neck, nicking the bone.

Thrashing his head violently shaking the creature, he hoped he could at least rattle the hags old bones, before tossing her away, perhaps out of a sense of self preservation. He wanted this thing as far from him as possible. Coming to his senses and backing off now that he had bought himself some time, he looked himself over, seeing just how not worth it this had been. Licking his teeth, her blood didn't even taste good, likely not even the crows would touch the crone.
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To her annoyance, he came for her again. She was getting tired. She usually hedged her bets on initial ferocity to end all her quarrels with larger animals, but he kept coming. She was too old to avoid the grasp, and there was a quiet realization that he was holding back some even as she was tossed through the air.

Her skin and fur was thick enough to take the worst of the blows, but she still bled. The cool air on her open wounds was almost nostalgic. The mild concussion as well, though it was far less pleasant and easy to bear. She shook her head, feeling her mind spin as she rose onto her feet, her grip slipping under the layers of upturned snow. “You 'appy now?” She spat a mix of snow and mud and blood onto the ground, trundling back to the caribou carcass. She couldn't really stand another round, falling back on her tenacity to ward the tiger off once and for all.

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He wasn't happy about what just happened, but he certainly didn't regret it either. Though he certainly wasn't interested in starting another round either. Throbbing, the endorphins and rage where wearing off and the painful puncture wounds where starting to make themselves known. For the small size of whatever this creature was, she could certainly pack a punch.

Looking over his chest and shoulder, the white portions of his fur where evidently matted with blood, it really hadn't been worth it. This was a fight over nothing.

Looking back to her, obviously he had rattled her, and yet defiantly she was returning tho her previous task of eating the carcass. Their probably wasn't anything short of eating her, that would stop her. Turning to leave with a new limp, "Well... I guess, I'll see you around." He shrugged, just seeming to accept a new denizen of the Everfrost.
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Mounting the carcass once more, Khadne made a show of tearing flesh from the, now mostly frozen, caribou corpse as the tiger retreats. But the pain remained, hard to ignore in her advanced years. The blood coagulated quickly, leaving her covered in dried blood: hers, the caribou's, the tiger's. “пока́, тигрёнок! — Bye, tiger (cub)!” The old woman said in a mocking tone. Even with the pain she was proud of herself. She still had it, despite being a little over a decade old.

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