Games at the border

Mal was... fine, and she was not. Her earlier panic had shaken her, slowed her movements and softened her blows, and initially, she did struggle against the wild dog. As its jaws clamped repeatedly into her haunch, she only sunk her steel claws deeper, feeling them tear through skin and flesh as she raked her claws down the animal's side. Focus! She snarled and ripped her leg away, rolling out of the dogs reach as her own blood trailed behind her. Focus! Rolling quickly onto her own paws, she was up before the dog could even know where she went.

Mal barreled into the creature, tackling it to the ground and pinning it on its back. She dragged her steel claws down his chest, his belly, raking back and forth even when the dogs own paws pushed her back, its snarls half whimpers at this point. Suddenly, it surged upwards, lunging for her throat. She dove for him in the same instance. Malalia sunk her teeth into the thick skin of his neck, lower than was lethal, while the dog grabbed onto her shoulder. They tussled and rolled, its own teeth piercing her shoulder painfully.

But she could deal with it. Mal's ears were pinned as she snapped higher, and higher, until she felt a gush of blood on her tongue and the jerky, frantic movements of a dying animal.

In a daze, she removed herself from the entanglement, rising to her paws on unsteady legs.