Ravensblood Forest Diamonds on the soles of her shoes

She didn't need to be told twice. Pied sped up to a quick lope, Pump towing along behind her like a misshapen shadow. The trail grew hotter by the second and, though the snow was sparse this deep into the forest, Pied soon found a trail of paw prints in the dusting. Saliva began to pool in her mouth and she licked her jowls, hungry not only for the meat but also for the killing. Like any other hot-blooded predator, she enjoyed the act of taking prey.

Exchanging a silent signal with Pump to indicate they now proceed in total silence, Pied slung her belly close to the ground and began to slink. Her ears flicked, picking up on some faint noises: the shuffling of a low-set body over the forest floor, the quiet snuffling as the badger himself searched for sustenance. In spite of her healthy appetite, Pied crept forward with painstaking slowness, knowing that their best bet was to take the badger by surprise.

Finally, they came around a bend of trees and spotted him on a narrow deer trail, shuffling about in the light snow. Without speaking, Pied used her eyes and body to exchange a directive with Pump. You go right, I'll go left. We'll attack from either side. With the game plan set, she then melted away into the flora to the left of the trail, prowling forth even more slowly now and angling herself to make a direct line of attack on the badger's left shoulder.