and fill your heart with smoke

So distracted was she by the physical contact of battle, of the sounds and the sensations of it, that Szechuan did not notice when the target of her aggression fell in to the snow. She was hell-bent on beating down this cur, in taking everything she could from him. He had his chance to drop the meat and flee - and now, rising to the challenge he posed despite her injuries - Szechuan would take the prize, and him as dessert.

His teeth were abruptly present, along with an unhindered snarl. Without the possum to keep him occupied, Dogmeat could do as he pleased. And in the flash between dropping and reacting, he was suddenly countering Szechuan's attempts. His paws narrowly missed their target as he lunged, and she side stepped; but his teeth made contact, scissoring in to the flesh of her cheek.

She withered in his grasp. A piercing whine-hiss declared her own defeat, and she pulled away quickly - losing a chunk of her damaged face in the process. The bitch stumbled and swayed, and then she sagged to the ground below just like the possum - absolutely distracted by her own pain.

Through gritted teeth the mongrel let loose a rumble, but it was a piteous sound indeed.