Crow Talon slunk down from the hollow, chasing animals with no intention of actually killing or eating them. She frightened a large group of colorful birds and watched with some fascination as they flew up in a rainbow. She kept doing that, too engrossed in the animals to notice the wolf closing in on her. When the animals started running, she frowned and looked behind her, yowling and jumping away just in time to avoid the wolf's crushing jaws. She scurried up the closest tree, hissing with her back arched.

Dapple Pelt whirled around, rushing back as soon as he heard the yowl and wolf's growl. He caught it's scent and stalked towards it, fluffing his fur. He appeared two times larger and he yowled at the wolf, trying to scare it into leaving.

The wolf snarled and snapped its jaws at Dapple Pelt, showing clearly that it wasn't leaving without Crow Talon.

Dapple Pelt lunged, clawing at the wolf's nose. As it snapped to his side, his fur lost its fluffiness, becoming sleek and making him 3 times smaller than before. He darted onto it's back, sinking his jaws into it's neck.

Crow Talon lunged down from the tree, sinking her teeth into the wolf's leg until she heard a satisfying snap. It kicked her as she ran back, and she landed limp against the tree.

With a furious yowl, Dapple Pelt dropped and ran around the wolf and then lunged, catching it's neck and biting straight through it. The wolf dropped dead but he ignored it, rushing towards his mate. "Crow Talon!" He shook her, trying to get her to wake up.

Her eyes fluttered and she whimpered.

He dragged her to the stream which was now nearby and pulled her into the burrow. He licked her pelt, trying to calm her.

She whimpered, her body weak and barely being able to breathe. "Why . . My lungs I can't . . . They're squeezed" She wheezed out.

Dapple Pelt made a sharp intake of breath. Her rib cage was dislocated, and she would need to take a deep and painful breath. "Crow Talon?" He whispered. "I'll need you to take a few very deep breaths, as deep as you can." He whispered sweet nothings, trying to calm her enough so that she could do it.