First, there was success. The intruder still had not retreated, but her mouth clamped down on a good chunk of the wolf's scruff at least. The cacophony of growls continued as they wrestled. Raela began shaking her head as her teeth clutched the extra skin, but it seemed to do little to deter the woman. Instead she managed to writhe her head free; shooting straight for the agouti female's head. Still clinging to her opponent and refusing to let go, the subordinate could do little to prevent the retaliation. The pale wolf's growl was deafening in her ear; quieting only when those bloodthirsty jaws had slammed shut. Pain tore through the thin flesh on her hear, forcing the Crest wolf's growl to leap in pitch. She couldn't let go, not to yelp, not to cry, not even to howl for her pack mates. Golden eyes shut tight and welled with tears against the burning gash that now oozed blood onto her already red-hued ear. 

The girl threw her weight forward, struggling desperately against the larger wolf's might. Another angry growl sounded as the witch levied one more blow. Fangs grasped at her own neck now; weight beginning to crush the smaller female to the earth. At first she hung on, still clinging to the tiniest shred of hope that she could defeat this challenger. The merciless pressure only came harder, straining her tired legs under the force. She was loosing. Her heart sunk, stomach churning with panic and dread. The loner could kill her if she wanted. Her yellow eyes flashed open, wide and worried. She could see the female's white victory banner flying high; her demanding growl ringing forcefully through the air. Only a moment passed before the tawny girl released her hold; lowering her head and slowly giving in to the pressure. Her heart was racing now, terrified of what the bitch could do to her, and then to her home. 

Slowly her belly reached the dirt, tail tucked submissively beneath it. The woman passively placed her head between her paws, all of her muscles ready to flee if the female so much as loosened her grip. No no no... Her mind raced. What good was she; a single lone wolf had her on the ground and was in a position to end her life. Oh she had failed them. She had failed them all. Her ears were practically ringing with alarm bells. She would have shivered if her muscles weren't so tense. All the woman could do was stare ahead, waiting for a chance to run. The white one's teeth were like nails against her prickling skin. Survival. That was the one thing she thought of now. Survival.

For the moment she was paralyzed. The white wolf's growl was the only sound her bleeding ear and it's companion could register. Oh how she wished someone was nearby. In reality, the sounds of their fight mixed with the scent of a stranger on pack lands was already drawing in attention. In the meager handful of minutes their battle had lasted, there was little time for help to actually arrive. But it would come. Sadly it could be useless to her if she didn't get away from this woman now. After an eon, the teeth in her neck began to loosen. The subordinate's muscles tightened; ready to launch her away but the wolf moved swiftly to her ear. The proximity of her weapons and the commanding tone chased away all concept of escape for the moment. She was still far too close. If Raela moved, the teeth would be on her again. 

Her sickeningly malicious voice slithered into the girl's damaged ear. Safe? How could that be? Relief began to follow the confusion, but the white witch wasn't letting her off that easily. ”For now.” Again the agouti girl's ears flattened. What did that mean? Was she coming back? When? Suddenly panic overtook the woman again. The possibility that her life would be taken again stabbed the Crest wolf in the gut. To her great surprise, the loner moved away. Shock managed to keep Raela frozen for a few milliseconds more before instinct swallowed her whole. The wraith was visible in the furthest sliver of her vision, but all it took was that tiny glimpse to tell her subconscious it was safe enough to book it. Her body rose; paws skidding and pedaling frantically backward. Away. It might have been a pathetic display to an onlooker, but there was no part of the girl that gave a damn. She stopped only when it became apparent that the intruder was not interested in pursuing her any longer. The bitch's teal eyes regarded her distastefully only once more. Raela was completely still under the brief gaze, daring not even to breathe should the wolf turn on her. 

Instead another irritated growl stung the air; drifting away as the trespasser made her way back to the border she'd so disrespectfully ignored. Raela's brilliant yellow eyes stayed fixated to her back; desperately trying to assure their owner that she was indeed leaving. A terrified howl lodged itself in the subordinate's throat for fear of retaliation.  If she called out, the female might have returned to finish the job out of anger. The wolf passed out of sight between the trees in no time; leaving only the sound of her footfalls and her dangerous scent to torment the would-be guardian. Finally, her gaze could move, and move it did. Her eyes sought out the mountain at her back, urging her legs into action again. Raela shuffled backward; hurriedly pressing her form against a steeper incline. The wall of dirt and rock was just the semblance of support and security she needed as her mind collapsed. 

Her chest began heaving now; frantically trying to supply the panicking woman with the air she'd been missing. Her stomach churned with fear, dread and utter trauma. Not once had she faced a loner on pack land before. Not once had she been forced to play guardian. No, her family knew she was far too weak to be useful at such a thing. They knew it. At the time she'd thought them wrong, but deep down her insecurities and self esteem had agreed with the pack. Now it declared them right in every way. She was useless to everyone, and the voice in her head refused to let it go. It was her mother's voice, her pack's voice and it was deafening. What could she possibly do? She couldn't go and report to Minka or Gent how she'd been so easily beaten by a single lone wolf; report how obviously she'd failed them. Shaking now, the woman shriveled down to the earth. Her body crumpled up; wanting to fold itself into oblivion. If any logical piece of her mind were present and not completely mortified, she might have called out for the pack now that the despicable creature had vanished. 

Still her sensitive ears picked up distant footfalls. Raela drew her own feet up, tucking them as close as possible and wrapping her soft tail under her head. She was a tiny, pathetic ball of a wolf now; eyes wide and wet as they stared into nothing but her own thoughts and replayed the scenes of her defeat. Pressed tightly against the mountain ledge she trembled as the blood soaked her side. The pain was real now, unhindered by adrenaline. She could feel the exact spot in front of her hips where the teeth had ripped open two good cuts to her skin. The blood was even just beginning to dry amongst her fur. The contradistinction of crimson liquid against hair on both her bloodied ear and flank looked far more gruesome and serious than her actual wounds were, but the failure of a wolf made no move to clean them. She was barely present at all. 

His approach did not go unnoticed. The frantic footfalls struck fear into the woman's heart for just a moment before common sense told her it was probably a pack mate. She had seen the white woman leave, and this sound came from the other direction. Nervousness tried to hold onto her, but the broken female still refused to move; to hide from the fact that she had let them down. If they found her, and they surely would, so be it. Her eyes managed to pull back from the abyss, turning to find the man with curiosity. The sight of her good friend hit the Crest girl at the same moment his frantic voice crashed down. Not once had someone called for her so pleadingly. Raela's heart dropped; her ears folding against the sadness. Instead of words, her wide golden eyes simply stared at him in reply. She was here, and she was alive, yes, that much was true. 

His presence made her feel unbelievably less tense, but it did nothing to quiet the onslaught of her thoughts. When he looked after the intruder's escape route, something in her stirred. She didn't want him to leave. Rae didn't want him to go chasing after her even if she deserved all of the great mammoth's wrath. No, she didn't want to be alone right now, and still a primitive part of her expected retaliation for her failure. He was her Alpha, and she had disappointed him. She must have. Confused and anxious, her eyes pleaded for comfort she didn't truly expect to receive. He turned then, moving decisively toward his fallen subordinate. Every tormented, abused piece of her instantly cringed; her body visibly flinching in anticipation of punishment it would not endure. Nothing about her companion read as aggressive, and as she lay curled up in her protective ball, he  answered her silent pleas. 

His gigantic form moved behind her, settling gently against her side and over her spine. He'd chosen to hug her. The quixotic gesture eased her tension immediately. The sensation of simply having him so close to her in such a protective and caring manner managed to melt the woman out of her fright. Her head finally moved, seeking the comfort of his fur. Still her body shook beneath his, but the quiet words he offered calmed her breath and beating heart. ”Whatever happened, you're safe now.” For all Raela knew, she'd almost died moments ago. All but overwhelmed, the agouti woman let a few silent tears wet the fur beside her eyes. The girl's voice edged upward in her throat. She needed to tell him what happened. “She trespassed. She wouldn't leave.” Raela's voice wavered with exasperation and trauma. She pulled her head away, feeling his tongue against the painful wounds on her side. “I tried to chase her off but...” Well, it was obvious wasn't it? Resting her head against the ground, she continued. “She just left – said we were safe, for now. I don't know what she wanted.” A brief pause followed as her thoughts became more torturous. “She could have killed me,” the girl quivered. The next admission threatened to shake her voice apart altogether. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.” Her eyes shut tight against the reality. “I can't do anything.” 

His comforting protection seemed to be the only thing keeping her in one piece. It felt as if she would crumble to the earth without some kind of support. His embrace served to melt any semblance of composure the woman had once had; reducing her to quiet sobs beneath his mighty frame. His words were practically alien to her flattened ears. How was this not her fault? The bloodied subordinate's face pinched tighter; anguish flowing freely from her core. Oh, she did not deserve this. If anything she felt even worse now for failing him. Still, the girl did not speak. It was of little use to protest now. She simply wept; gritting her teeth against the humiliation and the fear. All the while the ebony mammoth remained at her side. After endless moments of darkness and regret, she felt his warm fur part with her own. 

By now she had only silent tears staining the short hair on her dulled face. He beckoned for the woman to rise. Raela regarded him with lifeless eyes; unsure if she still had enough energy to stand. Lifting her head seemed difficult enough, but when his glacial gaze did not leave her, the girl tried anyway. Slowly she stood, feeling lightheaded and exhausted from the trauma. Her hip seemed less than happy about the new development; eliciting a hissing wince from the wolf. It was then that her friend's voice gently broke the silence. Muted, wet eyes found his face while she processed the words. Still unwilling to speak, Rae settled for a slow nod. Yes. The wounds needed to be looked at. What had become of her stinging ear? The worry turned her stomach as she tried stepping toward her guardian. 

His howl only made her nervous. The woman's ears flicked back and forth; eyes searching the woods for any sign that the witch had heard him. The fright on her face was obvious even after the call ended. With the last bits of survivalist energy coursing through her limbs, the dizzy female made her way closer to his side. She wouldn't stray an inch the whole way back. She didn't even know if she'd stray from the den much at all after this. 

-Fade-