Big Salmon Lake With our eyes wide open

She'd taken her leave from the woods, marking her scent as she left to ensure the pack that she had every intention of returning soon; and as a sign to Wintersbane that she would be back.
 'Dumbass.'
 First, she traveled back in the direction she'd followed Maegi, but more northwards. She'd followed the scent of the herds, marking the direction they'd come from. It was good to know where they wouldn't go when they decided to move again.

It was a deer herd she was following, their numerous tracks and crossing the lands on their westbound track. Soon, she'd have to stop. She couldn't go too far for she didn't want to travel far enough to run into trouble, knowing her personality. Soon, she came across a lake, partially frozen where the shadows ran. It smelt slightly of elk and seemed a good enough place to stop and refresh quickly. She'd continue on, maybe until she reached the mountain range she seemed to be nearing.

She also smelt wolf, specifically a pack, carried along to her across the winds. If she could be bothered, she would've deciphered @Llewellyn's scent. But she did not but recognised it was very vaguely familiar.

Absorbed as she was in her own task, she did not notice she had a shadow that had emerged from the woods along with her own path, for the wind blew into her face and, well, the one following her was a good stalker. Dipping her head, Flicker sipped at the lake, completely oblivious to @Astara; and whatever she may be plotting.

youre the best for starting!

the recent rumblings in Blackfeather meant little to Astara, who went on living life as it was intended to be lived; bite everything, chew anything, and trust nothing. 

she found herself stalking Flicker out of boredom, but what originally was a game transpired into something far more sinister. a primal focus seemed to come to life in the girl as she remained undetected; it gave her peculiar delight to see her “victim” so clueless. 

but eventually stalking and the subsequent lack of detection became boring — so when Flicker bent down to drink, the nightcub sprung from the brush like a little lion, paws outstretched to buffer her packmate with pellmell slaps before scampering off like the little demon she was.

Quiet rustlings were head nearby, causing her attention to turn to them but before she could even react, a small, devil-shadow sprung at her and hit her square in the face, along with other hits that reigned down upon the rest of her face. Reeling backward and snapping wildly at her attacker with a bark of alarm and the swift sting of pain, she opened her eyes to find the shadow streaking away again.

She gave chase with a guttural snarl of anguish.
There was no way in hell she would let the hellion assault her so brazenly without warning. She charged after her quarry, her long limbs carrying her like some antelope over the slightly uneven ground until she was upon the demon. Extending a paw, she attempted to flip the assailant and then fall upon then with teeth. But, should she succeed, her eyes would find the child's and stop her immediately for she recognised her from when she came face-to-face with the trespassers.

 

No problem!

astara might have cackled with delight to see her victim's surprise, except the roles were reversed swiftly, and in a matter of a few short strides astara suddenly found her world upended.

she had been snared by a paw and pinned; blinking at the cartwheeling world that sailed past her vision, astara landed on her back with a heavy thud and stared into the eyes of her victim-turned-tormentor.

this was not the deportment of a hellion in astara's eyes, to be rudely pinned to the earth like a flattened hare.. her ears swept back and she growled, kicking out against flicker with her hind legs like a pinned and very angry cat.

Realising the situation, the woman's tone changed instantly; despite the ferocity she was met with from the girl. Feeling paws punch into her gut, it hurt a bit and indeed allowed the woman to half feign her reaction. She rolled off the pup with an anguished grunt, to play her part, and lay on her own back.

Now, the woman knew little about pups. She knew not how to entertain or how to train, but she knew how to fight softly, and the shadow-girl certainly had the ferocity to indulge in it. Flicker could take a battering, she didn't mind. If it meant boosting the girl's confidence and helping her develop. 

She hid the false ploy -- well, half false -- and attempted to anticipate the shadow-child's next move.

hah! victory! the pale pelted wolf lifted her grasp, allowing a weaselly astara to slip out from under her. the girl withdrew with a smoky growl, eyes flashing in menace as she went.

she turned 'round, half expecting the jaws of her opponent to be upon her. instead the sylph was prone across the ground -- astara did not need an engraved invitation then; like a loosened spirit she fell upon the woman with a series of playful nips, mostly aiming for leg as she went.

She let out a whine before a soft yelp as her paws were assaulted by sharp teeth; to encourage her of course. Flicker tilted an ear, listening. Always listening. She softly batted the girl's muzzle in retaliation and bared her teeth.

Soon, when she was bored of letting her paws take the brunt of the attack, she let her own jaws snap together by the child, feigning an attack; for science of course.
She started to push up, grumbling softly and pushing her face closer to the girl but dared not snap her jaws again. Not until she was certain of what the adolescent would do.

the little savage was being humored — astara’s teeth flashed at the tempered retaliation flicker ministrated, her eyes trained on the adult’s large muzzle. 

these fights— play fights as they were — would condition the child to something more than savage beast. each blow taught her a new lesson; sometimes at the price of cut flesh or pain. 

astara instinctively pushed against the pressure flicker introduced, her throat rumbling a growl in response. and then she leapt back, giving the she-wolf a wide berth. her new motives were hidden, but she circled around the adult cautiously, her gaze measuring her opponent.

The girl fought fiercely and would certainly grow into a powerful protector of the woods. Her head snapped back as she was pushed upon again. Grunting softly.
The woman certainly didn't want to be a pushover for the girl, but also tried to keep the balance of being a challenge.

She stood with a warning grumble, starting to mirror the shadow. Her golden gaze flitted over the form, assessing the next move. The next attack. Why did she not pursue a mercenary trade, she didn't know. She landed herself in enough troubles as it was. Bore the scars of it. She lifted her head slightly as if she could feel those teeth at her throat, tightening, ripping. She swallowed and only then realized her distraction had been an opening.

That is why she was not a trained warrior; too easily distracted.

astara leapt the moment she saw vulnerability -- if flicker believed herself a poor mercenary, astara believed herself a wicked one; her pride would be her fall, eventually.

she dove straight for the elder's throat, heedless of consequence -- and in that moment, left her entire body to be blindsided and easily overwhelmed. if flicker proved swift enough, she could easily shove the nightcub down and pin her to the earth.

Sharp needles met her thick throat. The woman quickly advanced and bawled the shadow over with a  sweep. Surely she'd be unbalanced from the reach.
She flasher her own teeth down to the girl, letting them just brush the fur of the shadow.

She took a dancing step back and took a shuddering breath, ridding herself of those thoughts of past. It was done. This was now; now was what mattered. She circled the shadow, readying for the next assault to besiege her body.

the girl's assault was bold -- too bold.

quickly, she was swept aside; her fur rustling as the thick of the blow forced her back. three times the girl rolled before she caught her footing, her eyes flashing in heated rejoinder. her adversary was older, stronger -- and easily fended off the piranha's advances.

astara learned then that too big a move left too much time for an adversary to react. next time she would have to be stealthier, sneakier -- and with a grandiose move compacted into a quick one, perhaps in the future she would not leave her sides so vulnerable.

and now she was being circled, though flicker's steps were nimble. astara monitored the she-wolf for a pattern, and then lunged low for a forepaw. only, the move was a feint -- and halfway through commitment she swung her jaws upwards, again looking to nip throat or chest.

She kept steady eyes on the girl, watching for the next move. Setting her next trap. Yet it was the shadow-spirit that had lain the trap. She dove for a paw -- an easy target the woman supposed -- and moved to intercept with her jaws, and yet needle-sharp teeth latched onto the base of her neck.

Slightly stunned by the girl's agility and wit, Flicker took a step back before deciding to rear up, like Siqsa had done -- albeit not as dramatically. Saving the girl's teeth. She half rose before diving down onto a back leg, letting herself fall down to complete the dive. The woman rolled onto her back, yet now with the black back leg clasped in her jaws. Touch firm yet not painful -- the care of a mother influencing her actions.

there was little time for the girl to preen herself over the success of her actions, for flicker whirled upwards like a wild colt, rearing beyond astara's reach. in a matter of split seconds she had flourished and fell, drawing her weight downward in a manner that forced the nightcub to buckle underneath her.

she felt her hind limb yanked out from under her, and it was a culmination of events that caused astara to entirely crumble: the weight of the she-wolf upon her, the theft of a limb she had used for balance, and the overwhelming surprise of it all.

pinned underneath flicker, astara went limp -- though a frustrated growl of defeat rumbled from her belly.

The woman took the girl's defeat, releasing her leg. She moved to stand, a small smile playing on her lips, her tail swaying softly, "You're talented. Say, what's your name?" Her eyes trained on the girl as she stood, shaking the dust from her fur. There was a small amount of pain from where the girl had made her marks but decided it was good that she had no quarrels about fighting. It would prove her a talented warrior. With training, of course. 

Her head tilted slightly, studying the girl and making sure no harm had come to her. She expected an answer to come quickly, yet wondered if she'd get one at all for she didn't utter words in the woods. No question had come from her; a red ear flicked in contemplation. 

as soon as pressure was lifted, the nightcub was on her feet. she flicked an ear as she heard the woman’s inquiry, leveling her with a rather indifferent stare. 

astara had never spoken — and likely never would. words were as insensate and meaningless to her as time’s influx on a stone. with no answer to give, the melonii slunk off, eager to find drink after so invigorating a wrestling session.