"All right." Juniper took a deep breath, bracing herself. Part of her hadn't expected Deimos to say yes -- had almost hoped that he wouldn't. As bad as she would feel if they left the bobcat to die, she hadn't set out today to get hurt. But she trusted Deimos to extricate her if the wicker woman caught her ... didn't she? And she had faith in her own speed and agility, too.
Setting her pack down -- she might move a little faster without its weight, and that could make a difference -- Juniper nodded. "I'm ready."
This time, as Deimos's magic peeled the wicker woman's branches away from the cat, Juniper darted in, dodging hanging tendrils, and snatched up the animal. It yowled and tried to claw her, but it was too weak to struggle much, though it did leave a nasty scratch across Juniper's arm. Then Juniper back-winged, moving erratically as she tried to balance the squirming cat. A tendril touched her ankle, but she managed to shake it off before it got a good grip, and then she was out of the wicker woman's reach.
Juniper returned to Deimos and adjusted her hold on the bobcat, pinning its legs against her body so that it couldn't claw her any further. "All right. That wasn't so bad."
She was bleeding a little from the cat's claws, but it looked shallow; she'd just have to make sure to wash it thoroughly when she could.
"I can take the bobcat back to Sidhe Village," she added. "There are a few Fae who nurse injured animals back to health; they'll get it back on its feet."
Setting her pack down -- she might move a little faster without its weight, and that could make a difference -- Juniper nodded. "I'm ready."
This time, as Deimos's magic peeled the wicker woman's branches away from the cat, Juniper darted in, dodging hanging tendrils, and snatched up the animal. It yowled and tried to claw her, but it was too weak to struggle much, though it did leave a nasty scratch across Juniper's arm. Then Juniper back-winged, moving erratically as she tried to balance the squirming cat. A tendril touched her ankle, but she managed to shake it off before it got a good grip, and then she was out of the wicker woman's reach.
Juniper returned to Deimos and adjusted her hold on the bobcat, pinning its legs against her body so that it couldn't claw her any further. "All right. That wasn't so bad."
She was bleeding a little from the cat's claws, but it looked shallow; she'd just have to make sure to wash it thoroughly when she could.
"I can take the bobcat back to Sidhe Village," she added. "There are a few Fae who nurse injured animals back to health; they'll get it back on its feet."
Juniper
"art nouveau winged fairy" by e³°°° is licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit here
