Sofia blinked quickly as her world shifted and she craned her neck to keep an eye on the threat. She had gone from glancing up at her partner in a deep dip to upright with her feet on the ground in a matter of seconds. Her disorientation lasted a few seconds while her vision was blocked once more by Dex rising to his full height in front of her. Her dark eyes scanned the back she had so admired over the years, watching his muscles ripple against the fabric while reached for his weapon...his hatchet. He planned to fight close range, she realized taking a step back and bumping into the heated metal she had rested on just a few seconds prior. Growling, deep and guttural reached her ears and she felt her anticipation rise. Dex sunk into a familiar stance and Sofia slowly bent her knees, her head peaking around his thighs to see the coyote raise its hackles and saliva dripping past his sharp teeth.<br/><br/>Her fingertips touched the searing asphalt, moving around as fast as she dared until she felt the weathered handle of her aluminum bat. Immediately she gripped it tightly, and once again rose to her feet, her eyes never leaving the coyote. Her fighting abilities weren't the best but she could swing a bat and do some damage. Dex had kept her away from most of the sharp objects after she had proved herself to be more of a danger than help. His voice pulled her from her current musings and her focus immediately shifted to his waist. Her brow arched at the mention of the gun. They only had three bullets and those were like freaking gold in this time and age. Her concern mounted at the desperate suggestion but she did as she was told anyway. Sofia doubted she would have to use it considering it was one measly coyote but if things got bad she would do her best to hit the right target. If the situation wasn't so serious she would have rolled her eyes. One time. Just one time she closed her eyes when she shot her first bullet ever.<br/><br/>She quickly placed her bat between her thighs as to not draw anymore noise with it clattering to the ground. Her nimble fingers worked purposely, carefully pulling their only gun free from his person, not wanting to interrupt his concentration. Once it was safely in her hands, she rolled it over and found the little lever she was looking for. It clicked and suddenly her tension rose, not liking to have an active gun in her hand with Dex directly in front of her. Sofia quickly pointed the barrel to the ground and peeked around his shoulders once more. The coyote's ears pricked up and Sofia's brows furrowed in question.<br/><br/>Her blood ran cold when answering howls became closer and several other coyotes emerged from their hiding places. All panting, all starving, and all looking ready to maul their next meal. Her muscles tensed and she licked her dry lips. This was not a good way to start their journey to the new land...She looked them over, noting immediately that none sported the tell tale signs of infection from fungi, a small relief, and as she studied each one she noticed two human figures pause in their tracks as well.. A small sense of relief calmed her rapidly beating heart just the slightest and she took a step back further when Dex drew his bow and notched his arrow. His rapid fire was quite impressive and she loved to watch him practice. In the heat of battle was another thing entirely. His focus was intense and his aim true.<br/><br/>Sofia clicked the safety back in place and tucked it down the back of her pants, her bat once more her primary weapon for this fight. She wouldn't kill the canines as fast as with a knife or arrow but she could dislocate jaws and knock them unconscious. Her hand gripped the handle tightly, seeing what Dex hoped to have happen in battle. They didn't want to cause them to rush towards either pair but she knew any sound would draw their attention. Instead, she twirled the bat in her hand and angled it in front her body, grinning as the light from the sun bounced off her weapon and towards the pack.  She had read a while back that canines in general, hated bright lights as much as they hated loud noises. Their brief stay in a library paid off from time to time. While her distraction wasn't much, she felt triumph pull at her chest when the bright light shown directly into several of the members' eyes, forcing them to shift their stances anxiously and shakes their heads, teeth gnashing in agitation.<br/><br/>"Too bad we don't have more time to work on these guys." She said softly under her breath. "Doubt they'll give us much meat but those pelts would sell for a good price." She mentally calculated how much food they could get for trading those furs. It took a long time to scrape the fat free, salt them, hang them to dry, smoke them so they could be used in wet weather, and even take the fat to make soaps. Too bad. Her battle prowess was laughable but her skills in other areas excelled. She was the one that dressed and cooked their meals, tanned their hides, made their supplies, and heckled the hell out of traders. She rolled her grip, changing her pattern to distract the canines, from the two at their backs. Her aim kept the focus on her and Dex, while making sure to avoid getting it in the eyes of the other two humans.