Dragoncrest Cliffs We can weep and call it singing

The coywolf looked frustrated--why wouldn't he?--but at least it seemed that Ephraim took his advice to heart. Vercingetorix glanced down and saw a blur of tans come flying at his legs, moving left and then right, at the last moment. He connected, and perhaps a bigger wolf would have knocked the cheka down.

Still, he decided to give his friend at least a glimmer of hope, and threw his weight forward, but awkwardly, so that the blow made him wobble on his forelegs. Stopping short of tumbling down in a crashing heap, Verx went to his knees--okay, shit that hurt. Down to his knees in the dirt, his face caught between a grimace of pain and a delighted grin.

Yeah, good, good, he complimented Ephraim, beginning to try and scrabble backwards. Would the other take advantage of his sloppy recovery and bring him down for real?