Porcupine Ridge I found myself in the fire burned hills

It's fine! I like short posts. :)

Madmen they may have been, but both Jhala and Farstep came out of the stampede with little more than bruises. His shoulder ached and surely his whole limb would bruise purple for the impact. He would do well to keep the injury, minor though it was, hidden in the presence of the other males of the pack. Ambitious subordinates would surely attempt to capitalize on any vulnerability, and he would be hard-pressed to assert his own dominance if those above believed him to be unfit.

Panting, the tawny male slowed to a trot and made a half-circle along the edge of the cliff, burning off what remaining energy he had and allowing his heart to come back to a steady rate. He favoured his right side a little, but was quick to correct it, even though it was still sore. His eyes searched Jhala's face for signs of stress or injury, hoping to find neither.

Whether either wolf knew it or not, they had trained themselves here. They would be better equipped to avoid the jaws of an enemy in the future, however brief the game and however minor the effect.