Ground soft beneath her paws as she weaved between the trees, joy swelled within and lightened her heart and her steps, confidence singing in her veins. She hadn't had such excitement in evading a Capture in what felt like ages, Each attempt losing the excitement in steady increments. This time, with the hot breath of the dogs on her back, The smell of the horses, the intense expression on the young Lord's face, feelings that she thought had been lost to her were reviving somehow and she felt younger by years. With the joyous laughter and shouts of exhilaration echoing from behind her, Branna felt almost invincible.

With a small shower of broken twigs, the black hare leapt through a tangle of low bushes and out onto a barely perceivable deer run, Turning sharply to the right to point herself directly in the path of an approaching group of humans, dogs, and horses. Panic comically ensued at her sudden appearance, Several of the mounts whinnying and prancing or kicking out there front hooves with alarm. Those on their backs cried with dismay, Clutching at reins and kicking with their heels to try and control the frightened animals, but all the attempts made seemed only to alarm the equines farther. The only ones that seemed even relatively unstartled by the situation were the hounds, Appearing excited contrast to the rest of the party as they howled and barked, jumping forward into action quickly. With a fresh surge of adrenaline, Branna twisted her body just enough so that she clipped the lead dog with one of her back paws before jumping back into the forest, helpfully lleading The group towards a small clearing amidst The trees.

As she vaulted over a clump of twisted vines, a daring and reckless idea suddenly struck Branna, Causing her already quickly beating heart to increase in speed. But when she broke through the trees into a small meadow filled to the brim with wildflowers, she didn't hesitate as she slowed her pace a fraction, Allowing one of the beagles to catch up to her momentarily. As his breath grew hot on her fur, The proximity of his teeth to her skin became dangerous, she suddenly put on another boost of speed, darting out from beneath the hopeful hound's nose just as hiss fangs were beginning to close, Listening to the sound of a snap as they caught only empty air. Such Energy flooded her limbs at the new game, She could barely contain her excitement, loopingg around a trunk on the opposite side of the clearing and immediately repeating the process.

The dogs were less amused with her antics, growling as she continued to slip away from them at the last moment, Running circles around their paws and forcing them to run in ever increasingly difficult patterns through the flowers. One poor beast finally gave up at one point, pink tongue lolling out of his mouth as he panted at the edge of the trees, sitting down on his haunches as he watched the remaining duo continuing the Chase. Branna was continuously increasing her recklessness, delaying the time when she would dart away from danger, putting herself into increasingly difficult situations that nevertheless made her blood sing with excitement. She had just bounded away from an attacker, allowing him to just get his teeth on her flank, When a horse unexpectedly broke into the clearing, startling the hare. She had almost completely forgotten that there were riders following the dogs in the thrill of her game and The surprise of the mount's entrance made her muscles jump, paws momentarily stumbling over the ground. She recovered after a breathtaking instant, Turning her trajectory in the opposite direction, but the delay had given one of the pursuing dogs the advantage. Sharp pain suddenly cut into her back right leg, Jerking her momentum to an abrupt halt as she fell hard against the ground, sharp squeal issuing from her mouth at the sensation. Panic instantaneously replaced the excitement, dread clutching at her heart, and Branna felt The caress of death at her back for the first time, her foolish actions suddenly crashing down around her.

[i] what have I done![/i]

Claws scrabbling at the ground in her fright, Creating small furrows in the soil, the hare began to twist and struggle against the hold of her captor. Intermittent squeals continuing to break from her throat. She was beginning to lose herself to the animalistic instinct for self-preservation when her humanity screamed at her from within to break free, Arguing that she was smarter than this. Fighting to control her breath, She rotated the top of her body, struggling against the sharp pain it sent up her leg, and sank her long incisors into the muzzle of the hound, hoping against her fears that it would do the trick. She was rewarded with a sudden loosening of the jaws, teeth slipping from the wounds they had created, and a yelp of alarm and pain from the dog. She collapsed heavily to the ground, momentarily overwhelmed by her sudden freedom, But was brought back into reality at the barking of the dog's companions, The surprised shouts of the humans. Gathering the last of her strength, she shot off of the ground, Ignoring the throb of her back leg as she called on the her muscles to provide her with the speed she needed as she fled into the undergrowth. Trying not to think of the trickle of heat sliding down her leg that was her blood, She disappeared into a bramble bush, Shoving past thorns and twigs to dive into the protection of the waiting mouth of a Long forgotten burrow.