Duck Lake Ain't it good being all alone

The pack wolf and the lone wolf faced off in that instant. Fox held herself neutrally, portraying no outward desire to harm Ptarmigan, who continued to hold her defensive crouch. Tension rippled along her spine in the form of her coat lifting and falling. With ducks at her backside and a pack wolf defending its territory at her forefront, the Endore had few options other than to run straight into the mountain... Where she would easily be cornered if the other chose to chase her that far. It was safe to say she was nervous.

Unfortunately, she had never dealt with nervousness in a mature fashion, so when Fox issued something of a thinly veiled threat — join me or piss off — Ptarmigan giggled inappropriately. It was clear from her skittish behaviour that she didn't really find it that funny, but despite knowing she should keep her mouth shut, the female couldn't help herself. As her ears skimmed back over her skull in hopes of blocking out the ducks (which, for all she knew, were creeping up on her), she brashly said, “why should I?”

She winced when a duck quacked loudly from the lake's edge.