Bearclaw Valley bear with me

dice roll here! - i think we can go with a major injury/sprain instead because santiago would need to be able to run away. <3

the serpent and the blackbird work together, weaving in and out -- while around them,  fur and fangs fly.

astara's vision ebbs away to only her quarry, forgetting merrick, forgetting fields -- forgetting even the svelte ico on the rise.

santiago's face comes for her like a maul, contorted and dripping deep crimson. astara's fangs hold tight, remaining steadfast -- while above the male thrashes like a fish plucked from the water.

her grip tightened as she felt sinew turn to ground meat between her slavering jaws; blood, thick with the tincture of iron, coats her tongue.

now it was her time to retract, and she does so while santiago's teeth clutch her ruff. with his paw held firmly in her mouth, he would be unable to move her much, if at all given their similar physiques -- for his front end's balance was now within her control.  she felt his teeth dig deep into the back of her neck and instinctively rounded her shoulders as she gritted her teeth in pain. she would not -- she refused -- to ever let go, and the agony of his teeth raking down her spine only serve to incentivize the fire of her wrath.  she dropped forcefully to the ground now to unseat his hold, but still, he stuck to her with his needle fangs.

with his limb still held in her jaws and their bodies parallel, astara flung her head upwards in a savage wrenching motion, pulling the beast's forelimb up up up against her chest -- with every intent to hear bone crack backwards as it was forced in a direction it could not go.