The pain had subsided; information had been exchanged, and following those two emotionally draining factors came an understanding that would've taken months to grow without. Treena was easy to like, at least Ava thought so. There was something oddly charismatic about the enigmatic female, perhaps that the black-coated girl even envied. She seemed to easily slip between facades from a broken, lonely girl to a fierce mountain warrior, agony and wonder and jest all flipping through her bright eyes without warning. Ava did often like to think herself an able performer, to match the needs of the situation with her personality as best as she could. Yet Treena made it appear so easy, all while maintaining this undeniable charm. The moonlight caught within her marbled coat, reflecting on each individual color differently, giving her the illusion of being a spectre herself. Either way she was a strange female, beautiful, and interesting, and somewhat intimidating. She struck no fear in Ava's heart that she could not overcome, and yet her presence was transfixing all the same.

A crookedness worked its way into Treena's smile as she remarked of her experiences fighting and snapped her teeth in the air. The playfulness of the motion saturated the air and Ava could not help its affect on her. One would've never assumed with the traumatic way she had run from the mountains that she would find time to play in the night, and yet it was infectious. She could not help but rise to her four and slide her legs out a little, standing in a silly poise. No longer were they fantasts. Now, they would be rivals.

She lifted her head to Treena's mocking provocation and snapped, "Think so?" Her grin was toothy, a little snarl in the wrinkles on her maw, but there was a fiery glint in her eye that told she was not actually offended. Ava did love to play, and she played quite thoroughly. The personalities she adopted often molded into her skin and she would display them as though she meant it - only the observant could find the jest within the molten amber of her stare. Treena didn't seem stupid or easily frightened, though. She would know Ava did not mean the growl in her voice. "Are you so special that you are the only mountain wolf to develop a taste for violence? I've been poisoned longer than you. And I've seen my share of teeth as well."

Which was perhaps only half true; Tisa had awoke within her something horrible yet that had been the only time she'd actually ever thrown down. The only thing to show for it was the tufty fur around her forepaw, which went often unnoticed by others. It was quite the minimal scarring. Its only effects were upon Ava. She would always remember the weeks of difficulty she had in dragging herself around, the way a lunatic had almost stolen from her her most prized possesion... The reminder lifted the fur from her hackles, bristling with the memory although she didn't let any bloodlust soak into her gums as she looked upon Treena. Instead she allowed the fire of her anger to translate into her playfulness, tail rising over her back and waving proudly while her shoulders tensed.

Treena gave her violent facade a run for its money, her butt waving high in the air while she displayed a cheeky grin from the floor of the ghastly wood. And then she would offer so kindly a lesson to the night-coated female. And while she was showing her how 'it' was done, she had to go ahead and suggest that perhaps it was intimidating. Laughter bubbled within her throat and she closed her jaws to prevent its release, bright eyes focused on Treena's scraping paws rather than her silly expression to try and recollect herself. A moment was all she needed to swallow her muffled giggle and drop down to her own chest. Her bright gaze landed upon Treena and she held her stare, eyes wide and devoid of any certain emotion while she considered her approach.

"If I had been any younger you would have me quaking in my very pawsteps," she murmured, her voice hushed and seductive with a hidden power, as though she were about to unleash her fury. "And now I'll teach you a lesson... don't understimate me again!" Snarling her last words, she leapt forward. There wasn't a great distance between the two females, but her movement was exaggerated as if there were, body outstretched and legs flying forward as though she were flying across a great divide. Black jaws parted, a growl ringing from her throat as she dipped down and attempted to grab one of Treena's ears within her teeth. Despite the ferocity of her snarl, she would try to do nothing but nip the very edge of the soft flesh of her ear.

After a gentle tug she would throw her body away from her packmate. Gracelessly she would dance just a few feet off and fling herself to face Treena once again, chest puffed out proudly with a maniacal display of her teeth to match. Top that, she dared.

OOC: I saved my 100th for youuuu <3 Makes up for why it's so short.

The attack was successful; she had wounded her prey and danced away into the night, body swinging as she came back to face Treena with the woman's plea for mercy still ringing in her dark ears. The only obstacle she'd had to face were Treena's deadly white teeth ensnared in her fur, slobbering on the individual black hairs and trying to suck the very life force out of Ava. Well, it hadn't worked! Brilliant eyes flashing wildly, she turned her stare upon her adversary's and allowed her tongue to loll from the side of her parted jaws. Swift as deer the adrenaline ran through her veins, which made even the pitch black of the abyss that swallowed them seem like it was moving too. Still the marble-pelted woman held the main seat of her attention, wavering in place like a mirage. Tell-tale signs of fatigue snuck across Treena's form ever so secretively, from the slight tint of color in the whites of her eyes or the slight bend in her knees as she shuffled her weight from paw to paw. Of all the feelings Ava had been avoiding, tiredness had the most difficult effect to ignore. Her eyes sometimes felt stale, and sticky, as though they could barely move. Yet the blood was pumping from her heart vigorously, masking as much of it as it could. Ava wasn't done yet. She couldn't be.

"Of course you did," Ava snipped back, her comment sassy but meaningless much like Treena's arrogant assertion. Contrasting her commentary was her act of subdued sadness, but the black-coated female knew better than to fall for that. It was old news, not new tricks, and Ava would know; she loved that move. This was not the first wolf she'd played games with, but Ava did her best not to allow the subject back into her mindset. Ice was doing his duty in Swift River; they needed time apart. Treena was an agreeable substitude; just as much fun and with even more flaming spunk. Instead of falling prey to the woman's trap, Ava instead scooched a little further backwards, shuffling one paw at a time to be as silent as possible while Treena moped and stared at the ground. Her amber eyes were ablaze, focused entirely on the Poisoned girl while anticipating her coming attack. Her heart beat hard in her chest, every second taking longer than the last. Waiting was the hardest part. It was easier when hunting real prey, for it was the most integral part. Here, it just seemed like a waste of her energy. The muscles beneath her pelt grew tense - what was taking so l-

Treena pounced suddenly, her body outstretching in the air and her tensed forelegs coming straight for Ava. Gaze narrowing she stood still, holding her breath as she braced for the impact. There was time to run, but she wouldn't do it. Instead she allowed the other female's mass to hit her, and while she bent her knees and brought herself down as well the force was enough to knock the wind right from her gut. It was painful, both the action of hitting the ground and losing the air in her lungs, but Ava would only make it worse. Instead of stopping and allowing herself to be forced entirely under the Guardian-to-be's body, she would push back, turning her body over so that the air-born Treena would succumb to her imposed strength and will, and in turn the roles would reverse: Treena would find herself on the ground, and Ava would be flying downward toward her.

And if she succeeded in turning herself over, Ava would allow her dead weight to fall entirely over Treena's body and nothing more would be done. The tire that she saw in her pack mate was beginning to effect her as well. Though Ava swore she was not finished, the black female reasoned in her mind that there was time for a moment's rest, even if that rest came heaving heavy breaths while flopped all over her friend. There would be time to pick herself back up and go at it, but for now the plush fur that coated Treena was just oh so enticing to take a quick breather.