It was an unusual moment of peace that found Naira sunning herself in the heart of her home. Her small break from the constant demands of leading a pack and protecting their borders would be short lived as ever. On the cusp of dozing off, an alarm was sounded from further up the Pass, a voice she was growing used to and more grateful for the presence of as days came and went. The girl was fast on her feet and quick to answer her own call, she would return the courtesy now. A short call left her lips as she pulled herself upwards. She was coming, just as fast as she could.

Being a large woman, she was not the fastest of creatures on four legs. The pass was steep and winding and it took her far longer than she would have liked but finally the smaller grey girl came into sight, facing off with the heavy golden cat. She added her own warning growl to that of the other wolf, her hackles rising and her movements stiff as lips drew back from fangs in warning - drawing on every inch of her heigh to appear as imposing to the intruder as possible, her tail a fierce banner above her back. This was their mountain now, and with spring well on the way predators would not be tolerated this close to her home... their home.

She kept the smaller wolf in her peripherals as golden eyes narrowed on the cat before them. Would it be brave enough to take on the both of them? Or would it turn tail and flee?

It seemed the cat had not anticipated her arrival, and her appearance was met with a hostile hiss. The clear arch in the cat’s back along with the lashing of it’s tail instilled a confidence in the leader that wasn’t necessarily warranted just yet. Her head was lowered and her shoulders hunched. She allowed her teeth to clack between growls in a clear warning of what would happen if she caught the cat, the heat in her eyes magnified by the adrenalin coursing through her veins. It was these times when she was most at peace. No words. Just actions. It was times like this she felt alive.

As Sagacity stepped forward, so did Naira, a bark of warning leaving her lips as she moved in closer. The cat took another step backwards with its ears pinned flat to its head, lips pulled back to reveal his own sharp fangs. Deciding to take advantage of the enemies slow retreat, Naira took a bold dash forwards snap at the paw she suddenly found flying towards her shoulder. It was pure luck that she managed to catch it between crushing jaws. She was quick to let go and dart backwards, but not quick enough to avoid the counter-swipe by the large cat, a burning tingle opening up on her left flank as sharp claws sliced through her skin.

She didn’t yelp, but she did growl, a twisted smile painted on her face. Finally a challenge worth taking. The thought was quick to dart through her mind before she took another bold step forward. It would take more than a little scratch to make her allow this cat passage through her home.

The tingling increased to a burn as she could feel the warm dampness spreading down her flank. It was a small, shallow scratch, but she would need to do something about it just as soon as this intruder was seen to. She was glad to see that Sagacity had escaped her own assault unharmed though. She had been in enough disputes with cats to know statistically they were outmatched and unless more backup arrived soon or the cat decided to turn on it’s heel and flee that they were not necessarily in the best of positions. She took a moment to grow frustrated at the lack of response from other members of the pack, they would each catch a piece of her teeth for their lack of response... provided she got out of this alive.

The cat stumbled and the large wolf stepped forward again with a snarl. The cat lifted its paw again but a clack of her teeth and a growl was enough to plant the paw back on the snow covered ground as it backed up another step. It would seem, for now, they had the upper hand. All it would take was the late arrival of another of their pack mates or maybe another bold attack to finally drive the cat away from the pass, or at least she could hope it would be so easy...

Blood tainted the air, but the cat was retreating quickly. The two females pursued the cat until their message was clear, and finally as the tip of the tawny tail slipped from her sight, she allowed herself to slow, golden eyes taking in the smaller silver female, the gashes on her chest shallow, like the ones on her own shoulder.

She offered the scout an easy smile as she took a moment to catch her breath properly. "Thank you." She offered sincerely, turning to lick at the gash on her shoulder. "I should have some Solomons Seal stashed away somewhere if memory serves..." she offered conversationally. It would be old, and dried now, but still better than nothing at all. She indicated the other woman should follow her with a tilt of her head, not yet bothering to grow frustrated that no others had come to their aid.

She hadn’t given herself much of a chance to get to know the new scout yet, and the short walk to the medicine cache would offer them both a chance for idle chit-chat if she wanted it.

A small smile graced her face at the others words before she turned to lead the way down. It was a steep climb back down into the Pass from the ridge on which they had fought the angry cat, yet Naira placed her paws surely as they descended, the path remaining strong, even under her weight. Overhead the sky remained clear, and the further they travelled down, the less the wind pulled at her fur. It was a sheltered little Pass that she had found for them, and although it was still blanketed with snow she knew it would bloom in time, if only for a very short while.

Prior to Rhysis choosing the Lake, she had always been a creature of the dense forests, and while she missed the earthy musk of rotting leaf litter and wood, and trees so thick that they blacked out the sun, she had grown to love being able to look up at the sky at night and see the stars, to feel the sun beating down on her back. She couldn’t help but wonder if the rest of her pack felt the same? Where they had come from before, and what it was that drove them to make their home with her in such a challenging location? But she would not ask, not yet.

Finally, the ground leveled out beneath her paws, as much as it did anywhere in the Pass and she elevated her head to try and remember exactly where she had left the few precious leaves of herb. Had it been anything other than the festering claws of a cat, she would not have suggested any sort of topical application, but given the high chance of infection, she’d rather not risk it. Deciding on the position of the herb in relation to her current location, she set out again, only a short trot away from where they had descended. Her nose poked into the small hole (just wide enough to fit her muzzle) and pulled out a few small dried scraps of what had once been a reasonably sized cache.

Picking the last few leaves up, she began to chew them, allowing her saliva to work the cracked leaves into what would have been a paste if they weren’t so dry, but she was also careful not to swallow, for she had precious little enough of the plant to begin with. Leaning closer, she worked the green slime to the center of her tongue and reached out, smearing the paste against Sagacity’s chest with her tongue. The mixture would cool quickly in the air, and she knew from experience would sting for a moment, but it would speed the healing of the cuts and lessen the chance of infection. Something they could not afford with spring still but a dream off on the horizon.

Once the grey female was seen to, Naira applied the same mixture to her own wound, settling herself back down comfortably to try and return to her rest. Yes their were borders to patrol and animals to catch to fill the caches and children to be hunted down and checked on, but she was determined that today she would take a moment for herself. Settling her head on her paws and allowing her eyes to drift half closed, she watched the paws of the only other female in their pack slowly fade from view as a contented sigh left her jaws. Just five more minutes... she thought to herself quietly. There was always more to be done.