Sleepy Fox Hollow took a market of filth and sold like summer

looking for a short chase thread! hoping for no more than two other participants, since i want this to be quick; if more join, i'll exit the thread & give the first person to respond the option to continue in a private thread. she'll be back, though!

Her scouting with Aldric had turned up nothing, and though Nirali is frustrated with her less-than-ideal route to and from the pack, the prey has not returned to their side of the mountains. It is difficult to drag herself into what might turn into a death trap, but it is more difficult to watch her family starve. She descends into the hollow with a heavy heart that seems to weight her normally light steps, but she does not falter.
It takes her longer to find a cache this time, and she's certain at least one of the wolves here is aware of her presence by the time she does. She can hear the rustling, the sound of urgent footfall. She snatches the largest morsel without truly seeing it as she comes upon the cache, hit with the scent of a wolf (@Antha) as she spins and darts for her escape route. A howl pierces the air; a call for help. Her jaws tighten around her prize. The sound of pursuit is louder behind her. Still, she does not falter. She simply runs, heart in her throat — and for once, she finds she isn't enjoying the chase at all. Not when there is so much at stake.

She was already tracking the intruder with bloodthirsty focus when Antha's howl sounded across the hollow. Rage had burned in her chest when she noticed the unfamiliar scent crossing over the borders while on her patrol, and had vowed that the trespasser would not be leaving in one piece if at all. Her packamte's call gave her an idea of where the intruder was, and a vicious smile spread across her face as she realized how close they were. Wasting no time, she sprinted in the direction of the sound, muscles burning as she pushed them to carry her faster and faster across the valley. 

She burst from a large thicket near the borders, coming to Antha's side as if it had been planned all along. The intruder could be seen far in the distance, the scent of meat wafting by on the breeze whipping against her face, making her realize that this was the thief—the one who had managed to slip by their defenses once before. Rage swelled even more in her chest and she seemed to find some hidden reserve of speed as she pushed ahead of her packmate. Her gaze bore into the fleeing form of her prey as she demanded more from her protesting muscles. She closed some of the distance between them and snarl moved from her chest as she imagined sinking her teeth into the wolf who had the audacity to cross over their borders and steal what was theirs.

There was silence. Sycamore lay still with one ear perked and both eyes open. In the distance, he could hear the sound of paws approaching, frantic but steady. A moment later, the thief dashed past, leaving behind a gust of wind. The battle-cry was sounded and the echoes of footsteps rang once more.

Takiyok sprinted by, her determination signaling Sycamore to follow. Instinct called him to the side of his superior, despite his unpreparedness. As she pushed harder, he did the same, paws falling one after the other in an effort to keep up. A bark escaped his maw as he whipped around a nearby tree for an alternate approach.