So focused was she upon the waters of the Aplos, her reflection dancing in the waves, that she did not notice the looming presence of another until the damned wraith stood in such proximity tht his foetid breath stirred the ruff upon her shoulders. Slowly, deliberately she moved to stand before turning to face the one that stalked her, ears folded into the fur upon her head which pulled back the skin of her eyes into a dangerous slant. Trying to process that sight that greeted her, she raised her gaze to follow the rough hewn chest, the tree-trunk neck up until the enormous, slavering jowls. It was clear, even from this partial view, that the black knight dwarfed her, his gargantuan frame casting a shadow so deep that she felt lost within its bowels. A thrill of fear flared inside her breast, but she concealed it carefully behind a wall of rage that burnt so fiercely she seemed to glow with the force of it. Twin eyes glared down at her, their green depths seemingly fathomless, and she could make out no sentiments swirling behind his lids, nothing but hunger and desire.

The world around them continued to exist, unconcerned with the events that played out in its midst. Nothing moved to soothe the ravaged nerves of the young girl, nobody would protect her from the danger she sensed in the dark phantom that confronted her. She was just going to have to protect herself. With a confidence she did not feel, she raised her tail high, ignoring the fact that, even when it stood straight up in the air, it was barely tall enough to brush his brow. Shutting her eyes for a brief moment, she allowed herself to be filled by an indignant rage at his rude approach, a vain denial of his air of entitlement. When again her eyes flicked open, they were narrowed against his own, her lips lifted in a silent snarl of defiance so like her grandmother's that it was eery. He did not appear aggressive towards her, merely curious, but his entire body screamed for her to submit. It was unusual and disagreeable, a combination to which Fiam did not take very kindly. She let her heckles rise to mirror his own, her legs locking and her body quaking as adrenaline began to course through her veins. She was blithely aware of her foolishness, and yet even when the odds were so stacked against her, she could not bring herself to bow to another. If he wanted her on her knees, he would have to put her there by force.

Despite her little show of insubordination, the great warrior continued forward, seemingly unfazed. And why would he be? It must have been akin to how Goliath would have felt facing David, except in this instance David had no assistance from God. She did not draw back from him either. Instead she stood as tall as she could, facing him squarely, her silent snarl beginning to rumble on the edges of hearing, growing louder with every step he dared pursue. His own lips lifted in quiet command, knife-like fangs flashing as white as the snow behind them, made even more formidable against the crimson backdrop of his gums, as though he were showing her what the snow would look like painted with her guts. Still, Fiammetta refused to back down. Instead, and against every instinct, she took a step towards him upon his halt, closing the distance between them to a gap barely wide enough for a locust to fit through. By now she was practically roaring with anger, her minute chassi quivering at the noise that grew inside her breast and flowed from between her own set of teeth. Time seemed to stretch into eternity, the tension growing with every second that passed, until it became clear that something had to break soon. Unable to bear it any longer, Fiam spoke one word, breathing it out with a long, guttural snarl,

“Go!”

Jaylah would have turned in her grave, to hear her hot-headed granddaughter speak to Tobias so, knowing full well what he was capable of. And yet, somewhere inside of herself she would have felt pride too, pride at her courage and willingness to fight. It seemed that Tobias had not yet picked up the hated smell of his long-time rival, King Kong, who had fathered Jaylah's litter and Fiam's own dam, Iskra. It was a mystery, how he would react to the combination, whether he would even understand the implications of it. And, oblivious to it all, the eye of a brewing storm, stood Fiammetta. She faced the gargantuan beast, ignoring the loops of saliva that dripped from his jaws, even ignoring the smell of death that lingered on his tresses as flies around a carcass. Whatever this encounter would bring, one thing was clear.

The brave little wolf would not go down without a fight.

Fiammetta - female – No Home – No Family – 3YO – 22 inches, 32 pounds