The Tangle la mer

A few things happened at once then. First, the stranger started stuttering anxiously at him, and Artaax immediately stopped listening. He couldn't stand listening to broken speech, so he didn't. He was over her, and would otherwise have driven her out then and there were it not for the second thing to happen - Mallaidh.

His attention shifted swiftly to his friend, taken by surprise at her sudden arrival. He already was on edge at the other presence he'd sensed, and Mallaidh injuring herself immediately upon arrival was not at all helpful for that. Artaax looked away from her as she blinked at him, his gaze sifting through the trees until he found the cougar, prowling through the brush to step into view.

Stiff-legged, the lion stepped forward towards the beast, shifting so he was in the forefront with the two females behind him. His lifted his lips in a silent snarl, warning the creature away. He wasn't quite stupid enough to attack if he could send it off with just posturing, but he was ready to engage if it decided it would be stupid and ignore the warning.