The bow wouldn't be much use inside, but Jigano hoped to draw the wolf out into the open, where Melita's weapon would be of most use, and where she would have the most space to find a tree to retreat to if things got, well, hairy. Of course, that had been partially predicated on the assumption that he was a sneaky bastard who get into the house undetected and lure the wolf out at his leisure, intending to control the encounter with confident aplomb and grace.
Instead he nearly landed on the damn thing and got wolf slobber on his proud brush. It was not, as these things went, his finest moment, but luckily Melita was ready and waiting when he made his ignominious retreat, with the sick and angry animal hot on his heels.
The wolf might have been focused on Jigano, but it wasn't deaf to the twang of Melita's bowstring. The beast twisted its head, rising up as its hindquarters slid underneath it in a slight shift to face the new prey, but before it could do more than begin the motion the sturdy shaft slammed into it. Not into its head, as she had hoped, but lodging deep in its chest. It snapped instinctively at the feathered pest protruding from it before the pain hit and it yelped, tumbling as it scrambled to come to a stop, panting and snarling weakly in the middle of the weed-infested cucumbers. Paws scrabbled for purchase as thick red blood welled from the wound, the punctured lung torn as much from its continued movements as the initial entry.
Jigano paced back towards it, watching the wolf with solemn blue eyes, resigned but far from horrified as it struggled. There was the scent of sickness about it, and it was no wonder it had begun hanging around the farm hoping for an easy meal. But he couldn't let it have Rory's goats, and he didn't want the dogs getting hurt fighting it off, either. This way was better for the Farm... and he had his own responsibility for bringing things to this point.
Though he didn't like shifting in front of others short of an emergency, he did so now, the fox flowing upwards into a tall, slender horse. Blood flecked the foam at the wolf's mouth as it struggled to regain its feet, snarling bitterly at the pain and strangeness of what was happening. Its confusion lasted a handful of seconds more before a pair of hooves came crashing down upon it, ending its misery. He stepped back almost immediately, shivering a little as he tried to scrape the blood off on the grass, even as Isuma bounded towards him, peeping her concern.
Instead he nearly landed on the damn thing and got wolf slobber on his proud brush. It was not, as these things went, his finest moment, but luckily Melita was ready and waiting when he made his ignominious retreat, with the sick and angry animal hot on his heels.
The wolf might have been focused on Jigano, but it wasn't deaf to the twang of Melita's bowstring. The beast twisted its head, rising up as its hindquarters slid underneath it in a slight shift to face the new prey, but before it could do more than begin the motion the sturdy shaft slammed into it. Not into its head, as she had hoped, but lodging deep in its chest. It snapped instinctively at the feathered pest protruding from it before the pain hit and it yelped, tumbling as it scrambled to come to a stop, panting and snarling weakly in the middle of the weed-infested cucumbers. Paws scrabbled for purchase as thick red blood welled from the wound, the punctured lung torn as much from its continued movements as the initial entry.
Jigano paced back towards it, watching the wolf with solemn blue eyes, resigned but far from horrified as it struggled. There was the scent of sickness about it, and it was no wonder it had begun hanging around the farm hoping for an easy meal. But he couldn't let it have Rory's goats, and he didn't want the dogs getting hurt fighting it off, either. This way was better for the Farm... and he had his own responsibility for bringing things to this point.
Though he didn't like shifting in front of others short of an emergency, he did so now, the fox flowing upwards into a tall, slender horse. Blood flecked the foam at the wolf's mouth as it struggled to regain its feet, snarling bitterly at the pain and strangeness of what was happening. Its confusion lasted a handful of seconds more before a pair of hooves came crashing down upon it, ending its misery. He stepped back almost immediately, shivering a little as he tried to scrape the blood off on the grass, even as Isuma bounded towards him, peeping her concern.
