Lion Head Mesa a-weema-weh

and so she's come to live with the lion, a situation she's much more contented with than being alone, and before that, skulking around the nightwalker's territory. this place is in startk contrast to any she's seen before, wide-open and sunlit, dotted with small copses and little lakes she thinks might have been bigger, once. 

the morning is laced with a chill that whispers of rain to come. she is made restless by it, and so the pup deigns to examine more closely the stack of rock and boulders that had interested her yesterday. scrabbling atop the pile, she presses her snout into a cavity between two rough-hewn stone, scenting something musty, old, along with fresher scents of damp and life. 

@Virtute

Life, for the large cat, hadn't changed much. Given her size, he was easily able to feed both of them though he was aware that he would have to begin teaching her to hunt so that once her apetite grew, she could feed herself. He'd begun wondering if his techniques would actually work for her- though naturally, he had his doubts as she certainly couldn't leap the same way he could, nor were her claws built to hook and cling. It would've been useless for him to teach her to climb trees as well, he mused. He had yet to see any sign that wolves were actually of some use- but he gave her the benefit of the doubt and kept her alive regardless. 

She was a curious little creature, and he kept her under his watchful eye, studying her to see what it was that made wolves' brains tick. It seemed she was motivated by scent, and that she had little regard for how she looked while tracking and sniffing around. Her personal hygiene also left something to be desired. Presently, she scrabbled over rocks, sniffing in and around them where he assumed perhaps a mouse had made a little path, and he left her to it. He, on the other hand, preened his fur so that it shone with a dusky lustre in the morning light.

she pressed her muzzle further in the gap, until the stone began to cut against her face. the boulders were unyielding; withdrawing, she began to scrabble at the cleft with her paws in one final effort. when this failed to shift anything in the slightest, a brief investigation around the boulder in question was made. it was ultimately made clear that she would be unable to reach the source of the scent, in the least, not today. 

and so her attention returned to Virtute, who's life she'd rather taken a shining to. all this was his; with him she never wanted for something still-warm from the hunt, and from him radiate a kind of quiet confidence she found intriguing. and so wordlessly the pup began to mirror him, side-eyeing him as she sought to groom herself with the same long strokes.

let me know if this is not okay!

he'd wandered far—too far. so determined was he to hunt that he kept going, trying again and again to bring down game and bring it home. just one, he told himself. i just want to catch one thing.

but he'd caught exactly zero things, and he'd crossed the mountains to boot. now he found himself in an unfamiliar place, a wide-open land where the blue sky threatened to swallow everything up. he swallowed and looked back, then carried on, drawn to the rock formation up ahead.

perhaps there were goats. or other creatures hidden in the cracks. he needed food. he needed to go home.

his eyes widened as he drew closer and saw the young girl nosing about. hey, he called out to her, voice hoarse with misuse. was this her home? maybe he could stay here and rest, get back his strength before returning north. he began to trot her way, then stopped dead as a golden form caught the corner of his eye.

oh, god! he stood frozen in place, wondering whether to put himself between the girl and the cougar, or shout at her to run. surya did neither, perfectly petrified at the edge of the rocks.

100% OK with me :3

It would have only taken him a moment, likely, to investigate whatever it was that his ward was looking at, and he might have even been able to move some of the stones aside so she could get whatever it was that she wanted to get. But that would get him dirty, and he wasn't terribly intrigued in whatever it was that canines found so interesting about nooks and crannies...Though he was disappointed when he noticed the blush of her cheek when she withdrew from her search. 

Fortunately- though, she began to clean herself, preening her fur and smoothing it out the same way he did, and it pleased him to see her mimic his actions. She was the most willing subject, and so long as he kept her fed and didn't pick at her mannerisms too much, he found that their life together, thus far, was quite peaceful. Sure she still had habits he wished to break, and she was still moved by her canine instincts- but she had to admit, she was learning. And he was charmed to see her begin to tidy herself up without being asked, or without him doing it for her. 

Relaxed as he was, and having been distracted by his ward's behavior, he had not seen the wolf as he picked his way up the slope, his tawny fur, ticked with slate and mottled with cream aiding him with the power of natural disguise. He'd called out, catching the cat's attention, and only a moment later the two locked eyes. At once, Virtute forgot his cleaning, and slid to his feet, rippling silently across the stoney landscape like a beige ribbon. "Stay," He hissed to Veritas as he glided past her, the tone of his voice demanding that she comply. With a yowling warcry, he descended toward the wolf, a fury of hooked claws and bared fangs.

their simple peace is disturbed, rather suddenly, by the sudden appearance of another. she ought to have noticed him, really, but awareness of her surroundings was not currently her strongest trait, and she'd been much more invested in attempting to emulate her newfound guardian. but the hey had her attention snap toward the stranger like a rubber band, blinking in surprise. the mesa was devoid of other wolf scents, let alone an actual wolf. 

before she could think to offer anything in return, instruction was given and she slid onto her stomach, hind limb reaching up to scratch her side as her guardian moved with remarkable grace that gave way in a moment to fierce violence. excitement flared; she had no intention of moving and instead watched whatever might unfold with wide eyes.

89/100 damage -- do your (almost) worst! you can decide whether any of surya's hits land.

before he could even formulate his next move, the cat was gliding toward him. its grace was beautiful; surya would have admired it if not for the grave danger he found himself in. but if he fought the creature, the pup would be safe. . .right? he could buy her time to get away.

RUN!! he called out to her, before readying himself, steadying himself—and then he charged at the cougar, lips lifted in a fierce snarl.

this was almost certainly a terrible idea.

The feline was aware that the wolf assumed that Veritas was in danger, but he wasn't about to expose his softness to the canine, and tell him that the wolf-cub was his ward. If he did that, the wolf would certainly try to take the pup away from him, thinking that it would be better off with its own species. He didn't have time to check and make sure that Veritas did as he'd commanded, as he fixed his gaze on the wolf who rose to meet him in battle, presumably for the sake of the child he assumed was in danger. 

And it was not in Virtute's nature to charge into battle if it could be avoided with words...But he felt that Veritas was better off with him, and was convinced that this wasn't something the wolf would understand. So they met with great force, though Virtute would have the advantage of both gravity and size. As a mountain lion, he was adept at maneuvering on loose footing, and would use that skill to his advantage. He knew that the wolf's greatest advantage over him was the sheer crushing weight it had in its jaws- so he would have to be mindful of that. He would need to knock the wolf off balance in order to safely make a bite- and he aimed to do just that with a hefty smack of one large paw, claws extended to reach, grab, and haul the wolf off its feet.

veritas remains still, though the male's shrill cry has her auds flick forward. she does not interpret it as a warning, but rather, a threat. for what other reason would he demand her to do very opposite of what Virtute had commanded, after so boldly approaching them? as she paused in her scratching, somewhat taken aback, she felt for the first time a keen sort of worry, watching the pair charge at one another. 

her Vitute was bigger, stronger, of that she was near-certain. still, as they clash, she shifts uneasily, though remains well planted as she is. eyes follow every move with rapt attention, but unilke her hot-headed parents, she's no desire to even attempt to enter this fight.

the cougar was obviously an experienced mercenary. surya was not. despite what power his crushing jaws could do, he was clueless as to how to use them effectively. he felt the claws dig, rip, the paw sweep him completely off his feet. spinning air and then THUD, he landed on the ground, the wind knocked out of him.

he gasped for air but didn't find it. it was a heartstopping few moments where he could not breathe, and still he saw the girl behind them, unmoving. was she crazy?!

run, he choked out, but it was the barest exhalation, not audible to anyone who needed to hear it. he sucked in what oxygen he could, when he could, and scrabbled to his paws. time for plan b. if the girl would not heed his cry, he would have to ferry her away himself.

the whites of his eyes gleamed as surya darted, headed toward the girl with the intent of herding her to safety. run! he told her, voice desperate.

Having flung his foe aside, Virtute felt confident that he wouldn't have to use too much of his own energy, or risk injuring himself though the male's verdant gaze remained upon his ward- calling out to her. He glanced toward Veritas, and was relieved to see that she'd stayed where she was, but in a flurry of courage and movement, the male had picked himself up, and sprinted toward her. Virtute screamed in anger, and after crouching to ready his muscles, he crossed the distance between them in three powerful bounds- and leapt for the wolf's side, with both forelimbs outstretched, aiming to grab him and tackle him to the ground so that he could not touch the young girl.

she scrambled onto her paws as suddenly the male slipped away, and set his sights on her. verdant green gaze met the whites of his for a moment, and then she was scrabbling backward, hackles flared and lips curled over her needlesharp teeth. "stop!" slipped from her maw, low and underlined with fear. Virtute, then, bounding toward the stranger. 

whatever were to occur, the girl would remain light on her ways, always ensuring at least a few tail lengths space existed between herself and the stranger, hoping for a swift and violent end to this.

the situation kept getting more perplexing. the girl did not run—not really—only baring her teeth at surya, and the cat was hot on his heels. he gave her a shattered look before the impact; he couldn't understand. what was she doing? why didn't she run?

it was like being stuffed into a paper shredder (though surya wouldn't know it). a heavy weight, squeezing, claws ripping, tearing. his maw was forced against the ground; he bit his tongue; he tasted blood.

and blood welled out beneath him, and every bone ached. searing pain rippled through his body, the likes of which he'd never felt before. he could not even draw breath to cry for help. every nerve and muscle were focused intently on his survival—the chances of which were dwindling with each passing second.

surya fought back, but his counterblows grew more and more feeble. he was fading.

Her cry was a bell pealing on the wind- and for a moment Virtute was distracted. He thought for a fleeting moment that his ward was begging him to stop, and spare the wolf's life- but when he saw that her terrified gaze was instead directed at the canine who'd come to claim her, he found pride swelled within his chest, and urged him forward in his onslaught.

With his heavy mitts, he was able to grab the male, and kick with the dagger-clad hind feet, biting down into the thick, earthy fur. He raised his head to find a better grip, and was struck by a snap that sliced through the fur and skin along his hard jawline, causing him to snarl. The wolf's jaws worked instinctively, which told the cat that he wasn't in control of himself. Virtute had the upper hand from the beginning, and save for the wolf's surprising second wind, he'd been the inevitable winner. 

He used his size and strength to haul his adversary toward where he knew the slope fell steep, and the jagged stones along its slope were teeth that would saw through bone and skin. With the wolf's strength sapping with the blood that ran from his flesh and along the slate, it became easier for the panther to wrestle him toward the drop. He felt his own muscles ache, and felt the sting of tearing flesh as the wolf snapped at him, landing several painful bites in one particular spot on his shoulder. Virtute was done with this- he loathed that he had lost blood to the wolf, and now sought to rid himself of the nuisance altogether. He put an extraordinary burst of strength into forcing the wolf toward the drop- and would allow gravity to wrench the wolf from his grip.

such violence had she never before seen, even in a place as chaotic as the Nightwalkers. blood lay thick in the air, heady and metallic, the tear of flash audible amidst the snarls and the growls of the two entwined. heart pounded against the walls of her chest, unable to make sense of the suddenness of it all, and yet unable to tear gaze away from the spectacle. 

they moved, or rather, were driven by the force of her guardian. she followed at a distance, a heavy weight in her chest that was all parts excitement, awe, and dread. and then Virtute moved, a sudden, powerful, push. 

surya offered no resistance to being moved. he was half-conscious at this point, strength sapped almost entirely. his senses came and went—vision blurring, all sounds like they came from the depths of a cave. he mumbled something that could have been a name, or a protest, but was utterly unintelligible.

then, the stomach-dropping sensation of empty air. wha. . . he murmured, in that split second before he began to fall. and tumble he did, down and down the rocky slope, careening off ledges, pelt and skin ripped on jagged edges, in some parts down to the bone.

there were no screams or cries, no final words, only the chilling noise of a body finding its last impact and rolling onto the prairie grass.

and then no noise at all.

He licked his lips, twitched his tail, and turned his back as soon as the wolf slipped from his grasp. Given how limp the creature was, he assumed that the fall would kill him- or that nature would, before the sun rose the next day. It wasn't his concern. He had defended his territory and the young pup he had taken in, insuring her future for another day. 

His shoulder ached as he walked back toward her, and a few crimson streams of blood wove their way down his leg toward his ankle, leaving a little trail of droplets in his path. He approached Veritas calmly, and checked her over, fanning his whiskers out so that they could trace along her sides and back to reassure her. He smoothed the fur along her spine with gentle swipes of his tongue, and nuzzled the short fur at the nape of her neck. "Remember to clean the fur behind your ears, dear," He said quietly, and though his voice was warm, it was tired too. "Use your paw, like I showed you."

— and then he was gone. the girl can only blink at the place where he had been. gaze flickers to her guardian, trying desperately to find his. "is he dead?" maw opens and closes; she does not want to know. shroedinger's surya; if she does not look, does not ask, he is just as likely to have wandered away than be lying broken wherever he'd landed. 

a tiny shred of panic, fright threatens. but virtute's calm approach, his gentle touch, tamper it down. "I will," she promises, but first, she noses carefully the gash across his shoulder. "are you ok, virtu?" something to direct her focus toward, though she remains aware of the place the stranger most recently stood, should he somehow return. veritas presses her forehead against her guardian's chest, feeling the warmth there, and the heartbeat beneath. gradually, slowly, the frantic thrum of her own begins to slow. she's more or less kept her distance thus far in their relationship, but the sudden violence has made his calm a magnet.