Jigano may have been distracted by work, but Isuma's hearing was even more sensitive than his own and she was distracted by the world around her. She heard the slightest crush of grass beneath large, soft paws and turned to look - and her stick dropped out of her mouth as her golden eyes grow wide and round and delighted at the biggest cat she had ever seen. Jigano caught the edge of her sudden emotion, glancing back--
He dropped his own branch and leaped high as the snow leopard launched herself towards them, incongruously shedding flower petals in her wake. Isuma! he cried in warning, but far too late for the little gryphlet to dodge such a big predator. Not that she needed to - knocked rolling by a big, gentle paw, the little gryphon squeaked gleefully, a tail that was a tiny match to the intruder's lashing with joy. The fox landed on four stiff legs, fur puffed and bristling at first, but his nose caught something familiar and reassuring from the newcomer. Something he couldn't quite put a name to... but the leopard could only be an Attuned with flowers in her mouth and a purr in her chest that rumbled like distant summer thunder through the glade.
Slowly, cautiously, the fox relaxed, tilting his head as his flattened ears began to rise and swivel towards the big cat, a curious whine in his canine throat.
He dropped his own branch and leaped high as the snow leopard launched herself towards them, incongruously shedding flower petals in her wake. Isuma! he cried in warning, but far too late for the little gryphlet to dodge such a big predator. Not that she needed to - knocked rolling by a big, gentle paw, the little gryphon squeaked gleefully, a tail that was a tiny match to the intruder's lashing with joy. The fox landed on four stiff legs, fur puffed and bristling at first, but his nose caught something familiar and reassuring from the newcomer. Something he couldn't quite put a name to... but the leopard could only be an Attuned with flowers in her mouth and a purr in her chest that rumbled like distant summer thunder through the glade.
Slowly, cautiously, the fox relaxed, tilting his head as his flattened ears began to rise and swivel towards the big cat, a curious whine in his canine throat.
