Redtail Rise Battle of the Gods

Her ears twitched at the sound of flatulence, indicating that the badger would indeed toilet as soon as he stepped out of doors. Masquerade braced herself, glancing over at Avicus right as the Wealda looked at her. She flashed her mother a little grin, then turned her attention to the badger now squatting right on top of the spoil heap just outside the set’s entrance.

The temptation to bum rush him in the middle of his business was strong, though the Toweard came to the same realization as her mother: he was still much too close to the den. He could swiftly lodge himself back in there. She’d seen it happen once before, when she’d accidentally alerted him of her presence.

But that made Masquerade think of myriad other times when some small noise in the forest had elicited an entirely different reaction from the badger. Once, a squirrel had bounded past and he’d lunged after it, defensive of his territory. The bushy-tailed rodent had narrowly escaped up a slender fir.

Now an idea struck her. Masquerade looked around for a stick, then picked it up in her teeth. Clenching it tightly, she tried to catch Avicus’s eye and communicate her intentions. She would toss the stick off to the side, luring the badger away from his hideaway. Her mother could cut off his escape route and Masquerade could close in from the other side.