The Bracken Woods Night of the Red Moon

Redmoon hit the soft dirt and flopped over his back, rolling over to his feet once more. That was a hit worth a million bones right there and he was feeling it. Nothing was broken but the wind was stolen right out of him. It seemed even though wounded, the buck mule deer wasn’t about to give in. Wearily the red pelt rose from his crouched position just in time to see the dark pelt race in and nearly get skewered despite his obvious grace and agility. It spoke volumes in fact that he’d not been impaled. It was time to get back into the fight though he was unsure of the next strike - the obvious attack would be for the left flank and haunch, debilitating both rear legs would end the battle and with Anubis keeping the beast’s attention, this was Redmoon’s opportunity to miss. 

Covered in earth and mud, his red pelt was now mired in the grime  - he didn’t give it a second thought as he spread his stance and flashed his fangs once more. Pearly teeth shown in the dim light of the red moon though pieces of the buck’s skin were caught between some and the canines were tinted red with the blood of his prior successful strike. He tasted blood and he wanted more. 

Somewhere deep inside of him the taste of blood unleashed a terrible feral urge to go forth and rend that buck asunder, to feast on the animal’s cooling corpse and awash himself in the warm bloods within. Every hunk of meat torn from the prey would be another significant display of their victory here. The beast inside of him stirred to be unleashed and his consciousness fought to suppress it. This was no time to fall into a rabid attack with only the two of them. He needed a clear mind and an effective strike. 

Backing into the shadows, he attempted to mimic Anubis’ movements earlier and while he paled in comparison to the black pelted lupine, he made a generous effort to make himself scarce. Crossing behind the bark of a stump he slinked away into the underbrush as the dark pelt continued to do a dance against the deadly prongs that assailed him. 

Legs shot in all directions as both animals fought for footwork, keeping them going and on sturdy bases. He watched for a moment as the buck reared and failed, nearly getting the dark pelt’s jaws as a reward. It seemed the wounded appendages were hampering its movements far more than he suspected they were. Good, that meant this attack would bring it down or would have a grand chance at doing so. Redmoon spotted the left leg and his green eyes zeroed in on the tendons of the ankle. It wouldn’t take a kill shot or anything fancy, just a lunge and sweep. If timed and done right the tendons would be ripped away and the beast would tumble - simple as that. Once on the ground there would be nothing it could do, the wolves would find their late night dinner indeed. 

Step, step, balance, step. The buck wasn’t giving up and the whites of its eyes were bright in the red moon’s glare. Mud began to splash up with each step as the deep stamped the earth beneath it with signs of a struggle. Here the black pelt came again and the deer was repositioning to thwart the assault. Step, step, stumble! There is was - the sign. 

Stepping on its right and pressing with weight, the deer’s butt lowered as the knee gave in. The left leg tensed to compensate and here came Redmoon like a bullet from the concealment of the brush. He put all the speed he’d been worth into this and he darted out of the wood. Crossing the distance in a flash he leapt forth and closed in. His jaws opened and he caught the meat of the tendon perfectly, flesh and sinew parted in a swamp of red fluid combined with a failing bleat of panic. It tumbled backwards though the front feet clawed and scrapped to sustain itself, it wheeled ninety degrees and the rack’s underside blasted Redmoon hard, straight down into the mud just in time for the deer to roll over the top of him, smashing him into the dark, moist earth. 

The front feet kept churning, managing to make two accidental punches to Redmoon’s ribcage and left hip before flopping to the side, perfectly positioned for Anubis to end this bout once and for all. 

Redmoon flailed, popping himself out of the earth’s suction. His entire right side was matted and black from the caked mud. His right eye was closed as a chunk lay there too and was only released once he shook his pelt free of the majority of the debris. Favoring his left hind leg, not from actual damage but from the impacted soreness. Redmoon was clearly out of this fight. Perhaps he could muster one last charge but he surely hoped the dark pelt could close it out for he wasn’t too certain that he could at this point. 

The bruise was already forming on his ribcage and hip, he wasn’t looking forward to waking up in the morning. Then again - he planned on waking up with a full belly. Something he’d not had in weeks.