Fox's Glade [m] Two Birds, no Stone

Wouldn't dream of it. Grackle's voice was a low growl, filled with a mix of challenge and dark amusement as she readied herself for what was to come. The viper sidestepped his attack with the grace of a flowing stream, her body moving like a shadow in the night. She managed to evade the brunt of his assault, but his shoulder collided heavily with hers. Razor sharp teeth missed her scruff and grazed her flank, sending a searing slice of pain through her body as warm crimson bubbled forth, matting her oil-slick coat.

The coppery tang of blood sharp in her nostrils, Grackle retaliated with fierce precision, gritting her teeth against the pain. She lunged forward, her jaws clamping down on his shoulder with a vicious snap. The taste of fur and flesh filled her mouth, the resistance of muscle and sinew beneath her teeth a testament to his strength. If he wouldn't hold back, neither would she. Only the weariness in her body kept her from breaking her own teeth crunching through his bone.

Leaping back, her adder-like gaze never wavered from her target. She attuned herself to every heaving breath, every twitching muscle of her opponent. The clearing filled with the sounds of their panting breaths and the rustle of leaves underfoot, punctuated by the distant call of an owl.

If you lose your head, you'll also lose the fight. Focus up, Bonnie! she barked. There was no anger in her tone, only instruction and steely determination.

Grackle braced herself for his next onslaught, every sense heightened. She could hear the thudding rhythm of her own heartbeat, feel the cool night air against her heated skin, and smell the heavy sweat against the pine and decaying leaves.

She would meet his next charge head-on, colliding with bone-jarring force as teeth snapped shut on empty air with an audible crack! With a growl, Grackle spun around, using her momentum to aim a powerful swipe at Bonnie's head.

Grackle's muscles screamed in protest, still inflamed from their last clash, and her vision blurred at the edges, but she refused to give in. She lunged again, her movement already growing sluggish.