Shadewood there is a bear in the wound

She decided to venture westward today, traipsing through miles of woods before coming upon a sheer cliff face. Masquerade knew it must end at the seaside to the north, so she turned south and loped along in its shadow until she came across quite the secret tucked among the trees. They thinned a little around a pool at the foot of a great waterfall.

Masque marveled at it for a while before slaking her thirst in the rippling pool. She immediately wanted to tell @Riley about her discovery, bring him here. Reluctantly she pulled away and traipsed north again along the rock wall. She began veering east, headed back to their stretch of the woods.

She didn’t see the attack coming. One minute she was trotting homeward, the next she was rolling over and over from the brutal force of impact. Masquerade managed to find her feet just in time to field the second onslaught from an unfamiliar she-wolf. She leaped not for Masque’s face but for her hindquarters, fangs sinking into the meat of her thigh.

A sharp snarl tore out of her as she reflexively snapped at whatever part of the stranger she could reach, which happened to be the side of the other woman’s face. She ripped an ear to ribbons and slashed that same cheek, prompting her attacker to release her rump. They sprang apart.

But the other wolf was relentless. Half her face covered in blood, she once more tried to savage Masquerade’s hindquarters. Masque managed to evade a second direct hit, though the stranger seized her by her overlong tail. Just as she was about to deglove it, the Redtail kicked out a hind foot, landing a sound blow to the other she-wolf’s lower jaw.

A yelp echoed through the woods as blood poured from her mouth. Masque thought of Avicus as she spun and seized the other wolf by the nape of her neck. She only meant to subdue her, forcing her into submission and then hopefully retreat. Then a savage indignation pulsed through her and as the other wolf attempted a death roll, she doubled down and deepened her bite.

A moment later, she shoved away from the slumped body of her nameless adversary. Masquerade panted heavily, her heart pounding in her chest. She could feel blood pouring from her upper thigh but she didn’t turn to inspect it just yet. Instead, she made certain the other she-wolf was dead, then hastily retreated from the scene.

She limped back across her borders a short while later and sent up a shaky howl for her mate.