[This is a story that was inspired by the included image. I found it on an Instagram site shieldmaiden_sisters. Sadly, my ‘Googlefoo’ wasn’t strong enough to identify the photographer or model, so I can’t give full credit for their work. (Defeating my ‘Googlefoo’ is not a high benchmark 
)
The picture does, however, fit nicely into the story where Aath and her pups had been ambushed by Orochi capture teams. These teams were actually searching for Ghost (A character belonging to a good friend EccentricGinger … Aath and her kids were targets of opportunity.]
The Romanian woods are quiet, the Protective Detail ECHO-1 has finished setting up their perimeter. The capture team had moved out as soon as they had stopped about 30 minutes ago. ECHO-2 and 3 and their respective science teams had deployed a kilometre or so to either side. The intel was apparently good, a quartet of ‘Transpose Capable’ specimens had been located, virtually by accident.
The powers that be, wanted as many captured alive as was possible. Romania being Romania, resources were stretched. Only three ECHO teams were available to shepherd scientists into the area. ECHO-1’s ranking NCO’s thought the sketchy plan had FUBAR written all over it … But orders are orders.
Doctors’ Lovemen and Haig are in the mobile laboratory, completing the preparation of their equipment for when the specialist capture team returns with the specimens … things are a little tense. In the 30-40 minutes or so to get everything ready, the usual quiet of the forest has become eerily so. There was not even the soft cicada of insects to sooth the tension.
There had been rumours of the re- appearance of an Orochi Boogeyman who first surfaced during the Tunisian campaign a couple of years ago – The Blood-Ghost. That and the fact that the capture team were now 15 minutes late just added to the increasing tensions that pervades the small outpost.
The defensive perimeter is rattled by the sound of a loud and powerful howl from somewhere east of their camp. This is answered by howls coming from the north and the south west. Something about the howls seemed to fill the gut with a feeling of dread and doom. If possible the following silence is deeper… more ominous … threatening.
The all pervasive silence persists and nothing more is heard for what seems like hours but is really just minutes. Corporal Kestling tugs at his collar as despite the cool of the Romanian forest, perspiration runs down his face and under the collar.
The sky blanketed by a wispy cloud cover … the full moon’s light dimmed, made spectral. The darkness of the surrounding forest ebbs and flows. The expectant silence persists.
The shadowy silhouette of a large winged creature passes across the face of the moon.
The birdlike creature circles over the camp for a short time before flying off to the east.
Although, this fact was likely missed as all attention turns to the something that bounces into the middle of the camp after hitting the roof of the mobile laboratory with a loud meaty, thudding crash.
The crash of the object and the screams of alarm from inside the vehicle shatter the pseudo calm of the already rattled campsite. The bouncing object comes to rest by the Area Heat Dispersal Unit Mk2.
Corporal Kestling closes his eyes a moment as he realises that he is now in command of ECHO-1. The object is a severed head and looking up at him is the now deformed face of his superior, Sergeant Alice Murphy.
He can’t stop the small shudder … “What if it’s the Ghost?” … What was scarier, The Ghost or the fact that he was now responsible for the likely failure of this mission?” The irony isn’t lost on him … He wasn’t sure if it would be better to be Sergeant Murphy or himself right now. Sort of like preferring being in the coffin than giving the Eulogy at a funeral.
Inwardly cursing his luck, that wouldn’t matter if they didn’t survive. He checks the perimeter and alarm system … nothing …
The silence, the time, the lateness of the Capture Team and now the head … have the remaining 6 troopers’ nerves on a knife’s edge. The scientists, who had been quiet, until Sergeant Murphy’s head hit their vehicle, had not helped … their fear having escalated to near panic levels. He’d even had to ‘waste’ a trooper to guard the door of their laboratory.
The deathly silence is broken by the snap of a twig to the north, resulting in a barrage of automatic rifle fire that goes on for a full seven seconds before he can bring his wide eyed troopers under command.
Control had just been achieved when there was a second snap to the south, again resulting in panic fueled automatic rifle fire. He was required to punch one trooper to get him to stop firing.
This trooper’s courage snapped and he stood, yelling into the face of his Corporal …
As he yelled, from the darkness, there was a sound …
“Whop! … Whop! … Whop! … Whop! … Thud!”
Corporal Kestling’s jaw drops as an axe with a 24-inch handle and a wicked looking 8-inch crescent blade appears in the centre of the trooper’s chest. As if it wasn’t there, the weapon had cut through the high tech, Orochi armour and penetrated deeply. In doing so, lacerating the Trachea and Aortic arch. The trooper’s mouth opens and closes silently, his ability to scream further is inhibited by his life’s blood gushing from his mouth.
Simultaneously, there is another noise to the north and the uncontrolled fire restarts, drawing the attention of the defenders to that direction.
The corporal watches the trooper who’d been axed fall away lifelessly and from the corner of his eye, he catches movement.
In that moment, he sees two things: the largest wolf he’d ever seen, appearing from the trees, leaping across the doomed trooper and into the camp proper.
Even more pressing, there was a woman charging at him, the top half of her face roughly, painted, her light coloured hair flowing wildly. Something compels his eyes to remain on the woman’s form and the spell was only broken by the glint of light reflecting from the blade of the axe she was swinging at his head that broke the spell.
The speed of the woman was unbelievable, he didn’t even have time to raise his weapon.
All he can do is try and turn his head away from the vicious looking crescent of steel, the sister of the one presently residing in his trooper’s chest.
He has only a fraction of a second to regret his decision as the axe cleaves down, removing most of his lower jaw and tongue … the expertly controlled backswing driving the wickedly sharp crescent of steel into the top of his right shoulder between neck and joint. Paralysing his arm and making him drop his firearm. Numbed, he drops to his knees. While his fight may be over his ordeal is probably not.
The wolf that had been accompanying her barrels through the outpost, attacking troopers from the rear. Following it are another two equally large wolves. The three make short work of the remaining troopers.
That left the two scientists cowering inside the laboratory and the badly wounded Corporal.
As it turns out it was Corporal Kestling’s ‘lucky day’. As he was not dead, the woman had thought to question him, but once she saw he was in no condition to talk … she simply slid a small knife across his throat, before lowering him to the ground with a paradoxical gentleness.
Turning to her wolves she projects “I am proud of you. Head home … Oh, and clean up before you go inside, or your father will rightly turn you all into throw-rugs.” looking at the vehicle, “I need to talk to the ‘scientists’ (the derision in her voice, of the title scientist, is obvious) and use them to send the Roach a message … “
The wolves disappear into the trees as she twirls her small blade about her fingers and turns toward the vehicle.
There was no mercy evident in her eyes.