Big Salmon Lake With our eyes wide open

Realising the situation, the woman's tone changed instantly; despite the ferocity she was met with from the girl. Feeling paws punch into her gut, it hurt a bit and indeed allowed the woman to half feign her reaction. She rolled off the pup with an anguished grunt, to play her part, and lay on her own back.

Now, the woman knew little about pups. She knew not how to entertain or how to train, but she knew how to fight softly, and the shadow-girl certainly had the ferocity to indulge in it. Flicker could take a battering, she didn't mind. If it meant boosting the girl's confidence and helping her develop. 

She hid the false ploy -- well, half false -- and attempted to anticipate the shadow-child's next move.