Emberflame Ridge Whatever you wish for, you keep

teeth found flesh, netting the redwhite fur as she grappled and pulled, taking the child up and away from where it had partially climbed the tree; but that was all. there was struggle that sulukinak had not expected (and why not? didn't all prey fight back in their way?) and it was a loud affair, breaking the quiet that she had cultivated. burning in her ears.

the thrashing of sulukinak ended as the girl's voice erupted, screeching for help.

then there was pain! first a flame lick along her side, which sent sulukinak spinning away hip-first; but the fire kept pace and struck at her, bit at her, and like fire curling away from its origin the shadow girl tried to bow and twist.

she had released the child by now — almost immediately when there came push-back — as the instinct towards self-preservation reversed her course. yet even as she tried to do this, a flare of sunlight streaked among the trees and —

sulukinak found herself flanked by two!

she bared her teeth and tried to keep her head bowed but ready. it was hard to turn quickly enough to fend off everything; and she was running! down the hillside, away, as fast as she could. as desperately as she tried to reach for the next step, and to lunge and to dodge and to go, there was at least one assailant keeping pace.