The moment of impact sent the thrill of success down my spine. At last I had perfected the maneuver, and I felt the give of the girl's body as the air was forced from her lungs and her body was shoved forcefully away from mine. Following through, I continued only a couple steps further and then came to a stop, watching triumphantly as the younger shewolf rolled to the ground. A faint warmth blossomed across my shoulder where I had collided with her, but it was nothing like when I had rammed into the mountain lion. My success was short lived, however, as the girl quickly regained her feet. Lips peeled back in a threatening grimace, accompanied by a low growl that built in my throat. She seemed unstable, and short of breath, and for a moment I thought she would do the smart thing - turn tail and run.

Instead, she snapped at the air and stood her ground. My hackles bristled in response, and my tail flung high above my hindquarters. Boldly I stepped forward, head lowered to protect my vitals, though my frame was held high and domineeringly. Sunset rimmed eyes glared down at the smaller shewolf, doing my best to intimidate her into leaving before things escalated any further. I wanted to get rid of her quickly so that I could find the injured shewolf and make sure she was able to see a healer. But in that fleeting moment when my mind wandered to the cream girl, my opponent charged forward. She moved surprisingly fast and with deadly intent that I had only ever seen used in the hunt, and I had barely a second to prepare myself for what was to come. I lunged forward to meet her, snapping at her face, but just as my jaws closed on empty air, hers sank into the meat of my shoulder.

An unbidden yelp escaped my lips at the very real pain that radiated out from the wound. Without thinking I countered, turning my head down towards her and attempting to sink my own fangs into the side of her neck that was presented to me as she dug into my shoulder. My intention was clear - cause her pain the way she had done to me, and get her to let me the hell go! Darkened ears flattened against my skull, infuriated that I had left myself so open to attack, that I hadn't been more focused on the here and now so that I could have dodged the assault. Whether my attack was successful or not, as soon as she released I would do the same. I then mimicked her earlier behavior, snapping my jaws at her face, intent on driving her back and keeping her from attacking again.

Once free of her grip, blood leaked from the bite wound and darkened my gray pelt. The pain was intense and very real, but I would not tuck tail and run because of it. I pushed through the agony, brows knitted together in fury as a savage snarl ripped from my throat. I would not stand down until this girl was gone from Spirane. Today, this girl had made a very real enemy of the mountain.