Mount Apikuni heaven calling

posting from my phone, so please excuse typos!

The howl of some beast that was not her own caused Fox to turn from her current task of digging around in her den. Her red ears swiveled toward the sound, and she assumed it was a loner seeking acceptance. That would be good. The more bodies the creek could add to their numbers, the stronger they would be. Pausing only to sit and scratch an itch that had been bothering her, Fox made her way toward the sound of the call. Although her strides were short, they were quick, and she was soon near the edge of her home. She kept close to the ground, hidden in the trees until she could make a visual assessment.

What she saw displeased her. Not one, but four wolves stood near her precious claim. Fox had never considered herself to be especially bright, but she was no fool. She knew she could not fight off four intruders. (She did not care if they were not technically trespassing or not. Bringing four wolves to her border was clearly an aggressive power move.) Fox bided her time for a moment, considering her choices. She could "play nice," but she did not think that they would. She could call for her followers, but that would mean any chance of a surprise was out of the picture.

Fox chose a third option.

Making herself look as big as possible, which wasn't all that big at all, she strode out to them with her tail curled upon her back and her ears thrust forward in a clear display of dominance and distrust of her neighbors. A growl rumbled in her chest, and she flicked her tail. “Leave now, before I call my brothers and sisters to chase you off.” Her tone had no room for humor or question. They had exactly two choices. Her body remained tense, ready to call for the others and defend herself if needed.

Fox wondered if anybody else had heard and heeded the call.