Stone Circle in the bleak mid-winter

@Banner Feel free to choose the creature they're up against (or, if you want to, mistakenly be the creature itself haha!)

The forest was usually quiet, and Nanook felt her hackles rise. Beneath her stalled advance, the snow scored a well-worn path, a trench carved by cycle after cycle of increased patrols. But neither the visibility of the border nor the strong mark of Easthollow seemed to deter some creatures from pushing the boundaries and testing the pack's united strength.

Moonlight reflected off the cover of snow and bounced against the trees to illuminate the darkness with a bleary glow. Something hid there in the forest, perhaps mere steps beyond her, testing the territory - and her temper - by sheer presence alone. Nanook's lips curled, and she scanned the shadows, seeking any sign of movement, any glint of an eye, any sign to point her in the right direction for the needed attack.

sorry for the delay on this!  I'm back home (:

Increased patrols kept her busy.  Since she'd volunteered to take the night shift, it also kept her from meaningless wanderings instead of rest.  Her sleep schedule wasn't impacted too badly - Banner essentially moved her days a few hours back.  She'd patrol at night until quite early in the morning and then rest until late morning.  Sometimes afternoon, but hopefully that wouldn't become a habit.  When she did find sleep, she found that it was actually good sleep, nothing like that fitful half-slumber she'd become accustomed to.  And she had her nightly patrols to thank for that.

Just as she did every other night, the short lady pushed herself on yet another circuit of Easthollow.  She kept a brisk trot most of the night and luckily hadn't seen anything of interest so far.  Banner slowed when she noticed a packmate up ahead.  Grayscale female.. the name escaped her.  Had she ever learned it?  Damn it, she was so awful with names!  Biting the inside of her cheek, the dark brown female approached carefully and only when she was practically upon her packmate did she noticed how incredibly agitated she was.

Instantly on guard, Banner's hackles rose and she stalked off the well-worn patrol path.  Her bright green eyes were trained on the spot the gray female had indicated as she slowly approached, head down to protect her neck just in case.  Once she'd gotten about fifty yards out, she decreased her pace even more.  A few more steps.. just as a growl left her lips a red fox darted toward her like a bat out of hell.  Son of a..! she exclaimd as she quickly jumped out of the way.  Whipping her head around to look at her packmate, she yelled: Incoming!

It's all good! Apologies for my own delay, school is just as meddlesome as the holidays, it seems (: Also, if the content of this post is scattered, it probably just reflects my brain right now haha!

Nanook acknowledged her packmate’s approach with the subtle turn of her ear; though she didn’t get a closer look at who approached her exactly, the other carried the scent of Easthollow, and that was enough. It seemed she, too, sensed the danger crouched just beyond them, and the Apaata readied herself as the dark woman passed her to approach the woods. Time seemed to crawl - the woman drew nearer, and Nanook held her breath and tucked her own head low in mimic of the other. Something ran amiss in the looming shadows - and as Nanook began to echo the other woman's growl, a furious bolt of ruddy fur jolted to meet them, leaving her packmate with a warning shout, and Nanook in line with the furious ball of fox.

Though prepared for the missile by the woman's shout, Nanook's reaction came a fraction too slow. The fox lashed with a bloody cry toward her and lunged for her face. Nanook turned to protect her eyes, but the creature managed to grasp and pull at the length of her muzzle instead. Pain seared her snout, and Nanook shoved her head and the fox toward the ground.

The wheeze of a scream accompanied the breath-knocking thump of the creature's body against the frozen dirt, and the pressure unhinged from Nanook's face. The pain only incited her. She reared and plunged, and flesh broke between her teeth. The fox screamed and tried to tear away - inadvertently leaving pieces of itself tight between the polar woman's jaws, and on a course away from her - and hopefully into a greater danger.

Unfortunately for Nanook, the damn fox had the element of surprise on his side.  Even though they were cautious and had expected something at their borders, both wolves had been unprepared for the little shit to launch itself at them.  Banner cursed loudly when it attached itself to her packmate's face.  Her paws carried her back toward the grayscale woman as the fox was batted to the ground and promtly torn into with great ferocity.

Somehow it managed to claw its way from Nanook's clutches, though at great cost.  Banner lowered her head and froze.  Her joints locked and her lips curled to show brilliant white teeth.  This time, she was ready.  The fox, bloodied and battered, came darting toward her, no doubt attempting to return to an area outside of Easthollow - anywhere that wasn't here.  Having none of that, the dark brown lady made short work of snapping her jaws around its neck.  She didn't bear down enough to break it, but instead looked to Nanook, a question swimming in her eyes: did she want the final kill?