[center][sup]Collaboration between: [@Dnafein] & [@Wick][/sup][/center]


[color=gray]Rafe moved at a dogtrot, passing through the forest like a shadow. Disturbing almost nothing as he moved. At the man's side Athena kept up easily, but she was the first to slow. Raphael followed suit; In the I'm since the hunting party separated from the main group Rafe used his constant companion as a means of detecting danger.

Coming to a full stop Rafe waited resting on his heels for his hunting partner. When she approached he asked. [/color]"How close are we to where you stumbled upon it?"

[color=gray] April was tracking the bear's paw prints in the dark which was pretty difficult. She nodded and pointed into the woods. Pixie was less excited and a little more cautious. Keeping close to her handler she waited for the hand signals to continue. April walked closer to Rafe and quietly said [/color]

[color=ed145b]"We need a plan of attack. It's injured but I'm not sure how badly. It was limping and had walkers trying to bite it. It could be dead although I doubt it. I'm thinking Rope it and try to tie it off in the trees then go in for the kill while the dogs keep it distracted. What do you think? Got a better idea?"[/color]

"How about giving thanks to the raven princess." [color=gray]Rafe replied with a smirk, pulling a container from his pocket.[/color] "She gave me this. And thus brings us to the important question. Should we kill the bear?"

[color=gray]April looked at the container and smiled. Leave it to Summer to give him something cool. [/color][color=ed145b]"What is it?"[/color]

[color=gray]Rafe grinned,[/color] "From what she told me a taste of this will put either of us into orbit, probably for the rest of the night. A couple of arrows dipped in it would give us a very high and probably placid bear."

"Meanwhile a double handful in short order will kill it."[color=gray] Raphael shrugged,[/color] "I see no need to kill something that's distracting and crippling a bunch of roamers. But Jax was your companion so it's your call."

[color=gray]April sighed and thought about it a minute.[/color] [color=ed145b]"We should kill it. It's going to do nothing but become a bigger threat to anything or anyone in the area. If it were to get close to other people it could take a hoard of walkers in with it. Besides, what else would we do with it? It's meat won't be any good so we can't eat it and we can't let it loose with people in the area either."[/color]

[color=gray]Looking back at the trail she pointed, [/color][color=ed145b]"It went that way with at least three or four walkers. Something was dragged behind it....  So tell me something. What is it with you and Hector? You love making him crazy don't you?"[/color]

"And you don't?" [color=gray]Rafe chuckled, he made a motion with his left hand and Athena charged forward about 10 feet. Raphael shrugged, [/color]"Honestly Hercules appears to be jealous of our history. As long as he doesn't try to do something stupid, like lead his squad against a bear, I don't mind him. Muscle can be handy, and it makes funny movements when it's prodded."

[color=gray]As he spoke he drew four feathered arrows and carefully coated the tips in the containers paste. The man extended the container to April,[/color] "Don't cut yourself this time. Don't need you and Athena tripping out at the same time, and you know she'll lick the wound."

[color=gray]April shook her head with a low chuckle,[/color] [color=ed145b]"I think we have very different ways that we like to make Hector crazy. My way is a lot more fun than yours. I think he just doesn't trust that you are just willing to 'just' be my scouting partner. He believes you want more still. That will make him crazy but there isn't anything I can do. He trusts me, it's you he thinks can't control yourself."  [/color][color=gray] She took the paste and started coating the spear tips with it.

She remembered the last time Summer gave them something to use on an animal. April had gotten it into a fresh cut and it had made her high for two days. She had been worthless on the trail but Rafe had laughed at her for hours over it. She smiled at the old memory and stopped.

 Raising her hand Pixie and Athena both looked to their masters for orders. April closed her eyes and caught the smell of the bear and her ears picked up a feint sound further into the trees. She motioned to go forward slowly and be alert.[/color]

"So you're suggesting I should give you a pinch around him from time to time?"[color=gray] Rafe asked with a quiet chuckle. He nocked one of the drugged arrows and crouched to shrink his profile. Rafe moved forward quietly his eyes flickering across the forest ahead, his mind was turning over the problem of the undead following the bear. 

He doubted they were all still in one piece; However only a bite was needed to kill. Most likely a half crippled risen was what caused the dragged trail.[/color] "The dogs should stay close until we've hit with a second arrow. Once they bark, any dead still mobile will start towards them. Best to slow the bear before getting everyone's attention."

[color=gray] April kept her eyes open and her ears alert.[/color][color=ed145b] "If you pinch me in front of him he'll give you what you deserve. If you do it away from him, I will." [/color][color=gray]She said stopping suddenly. Moving swiftly and in total silence she maneuvered herself further ahead and more to the right of Rafe putting distance between them. She could hear noises ahead and it wasn't good. Peering round a bend in the trees she saw the bear fighting off a few walkers while trying to protect a small bear cub. 

[i]Crap! Mama bears are the most dangerous![/i] she thought to herself. Raising her hand she used sigh languare to tell Rafe about the cub then she moved forward and sent in Pixie to divert the walkers. Working her way around to the other side of the bears she stayed downwind of them and she sunk a spear into the mother bear's side. [/color]

[color=gray]First the addition of the cub, and then April started with a spear. Raphael smoothly drew the fletching to his ear and released. The second arrow was loosed before the first impacted the bears side. In the process of drawing the third arrow he flashed a hand signal to Athena,[/color] "Orate"

 [color=gray] At the command Athena started barking, jumping from side to side as she did. The intent was to further distract and confuse the walking dead. She kept her head turned partially towards the bear to watch it for sudden moves.[/color]

[color=gray]Pixie had walkers that were more sturdy than most than they had seen lately trying to bite her. She was dodging quite well though and she moved the walkers further away from the bear and April.  April sunk another spear into the mother bear who was now growling and swatting as she stumbled around from the paste on the arrow and spear tips. The baby bear was really little about the size of a large five year old. It's nails were as long as April's fingers were. When the mother bear started to fall the walkers started to come back.

April's instincts took over and she picked up the baby bear and called Pixie back. She looked at Rafe as she ran past him with the baby.[/color][color=ed145b] "I'm not leaving it here for them to eat it alive."[/color]

[color=gray]Rafe fired the last two drugged arrows into the bear. As April sprinted in Rafe turned his attention to the walkers. As they closed in on the three larger living beings Raphael barked, [/color]"Check." 

[color=gray] At the voice command Athena charged the undead from the side and leapt swinging her body to hit the closest. The zombie stumbled and fell, and Athena sprinted away on April's trail. As the woman passed Rafe he threw her a smile; What they'd do with the cub he didn't immediately know. However he couldn't kill it any more than April could abandon it to the dead. Rafe drew a cloth fletched arrow and turned his attention to the dead as he started backing away.[/color]

[color=gray]April's cub was holding onto her making a wimpering sound that threatened to break her heart. [/color][color=ed145b]"Shh little one. Your mama was sick. I'll take care of you."[/color][color=gray] She murmured to it as she exited the forest with Rafe and the dogs not far behind her. Once cleared of the forest she carried the cub into the clearing and she waited for Rafe. Pixie was wagging her tail and looking curiously at the cub who was clutching onto April leaving nice little gashes in her where it was scratching her up good. April ignored the cuts and settled the cub down until they all were able to head back to the group. 

She looked at Rafe and said,[/color][color=ed145b] "Petra should be able to do something with it don't you think? Either that or she will know where to take it so it can live with other bears." [/color][color=gray]She sang softly to the baby and it seemed to keep it happy in her arms.[/color]

[color=ed145b]"You know what? I think Summer likes you. She never gives me cool stuff but you? You she keeps packed pretty well. Yeah, I think there is at least a crush going on there."[/color][color=gray] She teased him.

Raphael ended the undead life of one of the risen before he turned his full attention to following April. Catching up he heard her question and shrugged.[/color] "If the pony princess can't figure something out, our fairy priestess will have an idea." [color=gray] Rafe chuckled as an image of Summer riding a bear instead of her horse.

He was thankful for the darkness as he felt his cheeks heat.[/color] "She might," [color=gray] He admitted. He glanced first to the bear claw around his neck, then to the most comfortable pair of boots he'd ever worn.[/color] "It could also be that I don't avoid her when she's being mystical."

"If you're done resting," [color=gray]Raphael changed the subject.[/color] "We should move on. I don't want to spend the night out here babysitting..."[color=gray] Rafe narrowed his eyes trying to recall a distant memory. [/color]"Smokey."