Northstar Vale And nobody owes you now

indeed, the wisp of a wolf was safe for now; well out of the reach of shardik's scrabbling claws -- yet not entirely hidden from the prying of his slavering, hungry gaze. the monster worked the brittle slabs, crumbling stone and earth beneath his weight as he struggled to mount the last embankment. the last embankment refused each of his advances; with each heavy thud of his body more stone gave way -- until at last the chattering of loose stone tumbling down the natural stair ended, and all that remained was the settling cloud of choking dust.

shardik snarled into that blackness, placing one immense paw against the wall in which mou had slipped. he unfurled his great form and rose, peering in the gap he could not climb to. shardik pressed his massive head against the slit, his malevolent eye searching that impenetrable darkness until at last it rested with profound avarice on the wounded, ragged form of the dog.

a dog kenneled; trapped as beast and stone closed about him.

a small victory, but not one that meant much to the slavering demon. if mou died beyond his reach, he was hardly triumphant in his chase. he withdrew for a moment and darkness crept in where his piggish eye had been.

shardik considered his options. he would not be able to fit in the gap mou weasled into, but there were other tunnels nearby. at the same time, shardik was aware mou could slip away if he turned his attention elsewhere. which would it be? a waiting game, two beasts hunkered down battling for their survival? or would he crawl down some other tunnel, taking the hunt into his own claws in the hopes there was a different egress that might cross paths with the slit mou holed himself in?

another grumble of displeasure slipped from his fluttering lips and he reared again, one long arm pressed through the slit; his claws groping blindly in the darkness for mou's form.