it was different in blood

The moon, a cold and distant witness, hung low in the night sky, casting its haunting glow upon the ancient oak forest. Fuji's ram horns felt particularly heavy on her head this night, so her crown hung low as she tried to move stealthily through the underbrush. The majority of the problem had been dealt with that night in the bamboo, but there were always stragglers to take care of. Still, the ominous presence of the not-wolves still lingered in the air, and unluckily for her, she was pretty portable if they decided to strike. She probably should have bought more back up than her golden cat.

A sudden gust of wind rustled the leaves, and the twigs, stirred from their slumber, danced in the air. What was once a mere breeze escalated into a miniature tempest, pelting Fuji with tiny projectiles. The wind, while more of a nuisance than a menace, posed a different threat to the tiny wolf. Fresh wounds, still healing from a recent scuffle with some coyotes that had thought to try and help themselves to a border cache, could easily be aggravated by the unrelenting assault. Though she had applied poultice to the nicks and scrapes that littered her tiny legs, she hadn't bandaged them, an oversight, but not a deadly one, or so she hoped.

Fuji winced as the twigs stung her, the annoyance far outweighing the pain. Her ears perked up, detecting the approach of a stranger, and her feet shifted in response. Instinctively, she drew her katana, a blade fit for her tiny stature, barely a dagger in the mouth of a larger wolf. She wore her vest, and it offered her a semblance of protection, and when coupled with the crystal spikes nestled in the fur about her neck, it left fewer options for attackers to target. It did, however, have that unfortunate handle on the back. She would have to be particularly mindful that it didn't get grabbed if this turned into a full-blown attack.

Concealed as she was in the underbrush, she had a clear view as two of the creatures emerged from the shadows, their eyes gleaming with ill intent. The capricious wind made their movements less predictable, and ran the risk of blowing her scent straight into their faces. As the wind picked up, it would impact their balance as well. She would likely be buffeted just as hard, despite the extra weight she carried, she would need to use the fallen trees and underbrush as wind breaks to her advantage. Mind racing, she adjusted her strategy, they were bigger than her, with less cover to utilise. The Archer girl would need to use the unpredictability of the weather to her advantage.

The pink of Fuji's coat blended to grey in the shadowed woods, the white appearing almost ethereal as she flitted between shadowed patches of the moonlit landscape. She emitted a soft, eerie howl, an attempt to unnerve her pursuers, and alert any other Tojo wolves nearby of their uninvited guests. It gave her presence away, but she considered it a necessary risk with younger siblings to protect.

As the wind carried her tiny voice through the forest, Fuji swiftly moved, her nimbleness and familiarity with the landscape allowing her to evade the approaching canines with ease.

The wind, a whimsical accomplice, continued its playful dance. Fuji seized the moment, darting in and out of the shadows, avoiding the invaders advances. The moonlight revealed the vulnerability of her assailants, and with calculated precision, Fuji struck. Her miniature katana found its mark on the tendons of the first assailant, bringing them crumping to the ground in a yelping heap. They almost caught her as they were falling, having darted between limbs with her sword to the left. They still had two good legs, but they wouldn't be able to weight bare on the other side, and their flailing had knocked their companion off balance too. No point in hiding in the shadows any longer, they knew they weren't alone.

The remaining pursuer hesitated, just long enough for Kenta to join the fray. Fuji, though buffeted by the relentless wind, stood defiant. She wanted to lunge forward, with her blade, but she wouldn't risk cutting her cat, so she lowered her head, ram horns intimidating the interloper, who now faced the consequences of his pursuit. The tremours of her hit were the sign her cat needed to let go, and she whipped her head violently to the right, bringing her sword up in turn, the sharp edge almost severing the head of her opponent, showering herself in gore in the process, staining pink fur to red as the body crumpled to the ground.

A sharp pain in her rear leg, she turned back to the flailing interloper who had dared to try and retaliate against her, She watched as fierceness turned to watery fear now her eyes were upon him. Her attacker quickly let go and began to shuffle through the undergrowth, crawling like a worm. Fuji had to brace her paws against the next tempestuous gust, paws flexing to find purchase as the wind dragged cloud to obscure the moon, plunging them into an eerie darkness. Her cat was unaffected by the sudden drop in visibility and guided her closer, the sound of crunching leaves punctuating the two-limbed canine's attempts to escape.

A break in the clouds illuminated her target and she didn't hesitate, pointing the tip of her blade between the fourth and fifth rib on the creatures left side. She pressed down without hesitation, piercing the heart like soft butter. There was a spray as she removed her blade, and wiped it carefully clean on the hide of her would be attacker. Tori would probably be pissed about having more bodies to deal with, but if they'd just stop coming, then she wouldn't have to kill them.

The threat had been quelled for now, but her patrol had only just begun. She continued, letting the direction of the wind guide her journey thought the subtle moonlight and haunted shadows that dwelled between these ancient trees.

“Speech”