Ouroboros Spine Just looking for a fight

The effort it took to make his legs move with a thick coating of mud seemed astronomical. The drifter was of half a mind to rest here, on the banks of a no-mans land, until it dried enough for him to be able to flake off the majority of it. His haunches scarcely touched the ground before the sound of a snapped twig made his ears prick, and as he turned his head to scan the area, he saw the glimmer of the cat's eyes.

Cougars were nothing for two or more wolves, but solo, they were a problem. The lone wolf was keenly aware of all the dangers of the world and when he should and shouldn't hold his ground. Often holding one's ground against a bear was productive, but cougars were far quicker to attack than were bears, and he knew holding his ground now would be foolish.

So he began to sidestep, dragging the added weight of the mud and finding it easier now that there was a legitimate reason to get going, away from the cat. He couldn't turn his back on it so close without inviting attack, the creatures were wily and played dirty that way, but he could potentially put a good amount of distance between it and him before he turned and attempted to flee.