[Seasonal Event] Many Paws Make Light Work

He'd been hanging back to watch, but when he realized the danger - too late, he was going to be too late! - he leaped into action, shaking Isuma off his back with a twist in spite of her squawk of protest. As a fox he streaked across the ground, as a growl echoed through the earth and the fanged rabbit dodged aside, but it was a raven that flapped faster still over Amalia's spotted head, meeting the territorial wolverine as it lunged from its den with splayed talons that raked at its eyes.

He didn't do any real damage, but the heavyset beast was distracted from the snow leopard, its charge aborted as it twisted to rake thick claws up at the white bird that had scratched its face. Jigano cawed derisively down as it narrowly missed his tailfeathers - and he sent out a mental call for two more birds, wicked blue jays, to fly by and taunt the beast.

Amalia was left unhindered in her hunt for the rabbit, which hadn't paused to see how its trap had fared. It zigged and zagged around trees, intent on putting as much distance as possible between itself and its huntress.

But as the chase wore on its magnificent speed grew slower. It was built for the sprint, not the marathon, and Amalia might find it easier to catch up to now.

Unheeding of the scene unfolding behind her, Amalia continues her pursuit of the hare, bounding after it with the tireless stamina of a creature bred to hunt. It is not until she catches it that she stops, her large paws at last swiping across its back and sending it sprawling into the brush. Immediately the leopardess springs, landing squarely upon her prey, a snarl of victory ripping from her throat as she regards the frightened, furious hare. And then, just as quickly, she lets it go. Shaken, the mutated rabbit regards her for a moment before quickly zipping away. Amalia watches with a contented smirk, turning back to where Jigano waits. Huntress she may be, but killing is too much. She is not an animal, after all. Now, at last, she catches wind of the trouble she has led her friend into. Tired from her chase, Amalia nevertheless picks up a loping run, her ears back and fur raised as she rushes to the raven's rescue. Jigano! she calls instinctively, fear and worry a blinding flash across her mind. Like a phantom she materializes before the other beast, hackles raised, teeth and claws bared, a snarl on her lips. In this moment she is truly a predator, a member of a pack protecting her kin. Larger, stronger, angrier than the wolverine, she is a sight to behold - and between her and the onslaught of the flock of birds, the creature hesitates in its approach, seemingly unsure about whether it is worth it to proceed. a m a l i a You were young and you'd stare With a reverence unimpaired Searching in your dark eyes to find the stars already there

Jigano was in no trouble at all. By the time Amalia had leaped past the trap and caught the rabbit, the raven was safely ensconced high up in a tree, cawing derogatory comments down upon the growling wolverine that paced angry circled outside his den, though his jay friends had flown off. His friend's call would meet a mind calm and unruffled since her escape to safety - until the raven realized she was returning to the very spot he had tried to keep her away from.

Stop! he cried, wings flaring in sudden distress as the leopardess put herself right back into harm's way. He launched himself from his branch as the wolverine hunched and snarled at the new challenger to his territory. The big male had faced down wolves Amalia's size before, and though he didn't know what she was, he was ornery enough to stand his ground and defend his home from a single fuzzy intruder.

She at least had its full attention, however, so Jigano's divebomb came as a surprise for a second time, this time as he grabbed at one of its ears with a trailing talon. Amalia! What are you doing?! he croaked, fear for his friend and an undertone of frustration in his mental voice as the wolverine rose and snapped after him, painfully claiming a tailfeather as the raven wasn't quite quick enough to rise this time, and he flapped his way up with a squawk of pain and outrage as he fled to the safety of the branches again.

She has made a mistake. Driven by her instincts, bursting with the fervor of success, she has taken on a needless fight against an opponent to which she is unequal. Human Amalia would never make this mistake, and from the haze of her predatory instinct she can suddenly see the errors of her ways. Jigano's cry shakes her further from her trance: abashed, the leopardess stands down, despite the still-present urge to thrash her opponent, punish it and pummel it for daring to touch her friend. Luckily the wolverine is not hungry, and seems disinterested in any pursuit. Chastised by Amalia's tone, the feline offers a silent apology as she retreats back to the shrine. They have come for a purpose, and she has allowed her animalistic tendencies to distract from it. Embarrassed, awkward, she begins to set to work, using her broad head to push a stone back into place, shy anxiety rolling off of her in waves. a m a l i a You were young and you'd stare With a reverence unimpaired Searching in your dark eyes to find the stars already there

The danger wasn't quite avoided - he was going to have a bruise on his ass when he changed back, and no polite way to ask for healing from any of the usual Infirmary crew - but the price was a small enough one as Amalia fled unharmed and he winged back to Isuma in silent relief. The gryphlet Reep?ed worriedly at the bloody path on his rump as he changed back into his foxform and let her crawl back into his shoulders. It was a good thing she was hollow-boned as an owl, he thought ruefully to himself as he padded in the leopard's wake. She was getting big enough to be awkward, and he wasn't strong enough to carry a proper leopard cub of her size!

It's alright, Amalia, he murmured back in the speech of the Attuned, more comfortable sharing it with her than he had been with Caiside - or perhaps it was because Caiside had helped him practice that it came easier now. Remi told me that it takes getting used to. At least for those not born into shape shifting. But with the danger passed he was more than happy to join her in cleaning up the Shrine, dragging twigs and branches in his teeth to leave the green grass of the lawn within the circle clean and uncluttered once more.

A few flowers had popped up here and there, adding a festive feeling of Frey's blessing to the place, but there was one near the central altar that looked more then merely robust. It towered above its brethren, vibrant violet petals with yellow tongues looking silky-soft in the sunlight, and its thick green leaves veined in a lovely red. Like a three-blossom snapdragon it bobbed heavily with its great blooms. Isuma, tiring of work, had begun chasing a beetle across the grass, her playful bounds taking her closer and closer to the large flower in a slow, circuitous route.

Or maybe the flower was slowly moving closer to her?

Appropriately chastised by her last misadventure, the leopardess sets to work diligently, though she nods in agreement as Jigano says it takes work to adjust. It feels like my brain is working differently, the girl admits, grabbing a large branch with her teeth and dragging it away from the shrine. I'm still me, but I'm not afraid of everything. This last thought comes with a rueful feeling, the indirect admission still a challenge for the girl. Being Amalia is confining, constricting, like there is a hand that never leaves her throat and squeezes every time she tries to gulp for air. But as the leopardess she can shake off that hand and finally, for the first time, breathe. Returning from depositing her branch, Amalia pauses a moment to gaze upon their work, satisfied that despite their distractions they have been able to accomplish a fair amount. Her dark eyes soften as she watches Isuma, the gryphlet unassuming in her pursuit of a beetle, circling closer and closer to the center of the shrine. The center, where flowers bloom in Frey and Rae's care, beautiful and vibrant and robust and large... ...very large... Isuma, stop! Amalia exclaims through her mind, though what leaves her lips is a concerned growl. Fast as a comet she bounds to the child, reaching the younger creature's side with two great leaps of her powerful legs. She crouches protectively between Isuma and the flower, which is now far too close for her liking, lashing out with a claw-drawn paw to swat away the danger as the bloom, in turn, seems to writhe and snap in anger. a m a l i a You were young and you'd stare With a reverence unimpaired Searching in your dark eyes to find the stars already there

I have always thought you strong. The fox paused from dropping a stick in his pile and looked over at his friend fondly. All the more so now, knowing that you have kept moving forward and helping others in spite of your fear. Was that not the definition of courage? To overcome fear, rather than to not feel it at all. Someone who felt no fear was a fool, and not likely to survive long without the luck of the gods themselves watching over them. Even if Amalia didn't face her fears directly, she still did not let them stop her.

Just do not become so addicted to the leopard that you lose the woman, he warned her gently, collecting a last piece of deadfall from the Shrine's confines and trotting it out of the circle of stones. The trick will be in keeping a piece of the leopard in your heart when you change back..." He trailed off ruefully, a faint feeling of wry humor traveling along his thoughts as he realized he was ill-equipped to give Amalia advice when they came by their animal shapes so differently.

The peaceful afternoon was sundered by Amalia's growl, and Jigano's head shot around at the sound of Isuma's name in his friend's mind. The gryphon couldn't hear the leopardess, but before she could cross the final line that separated her from the snapflower's range a bristling shape of fur and claws and bared white fangs interposed itself.

It was threatening Isuma. It was threatening Amalia!

The fox snarled and twisted his body to race across the lush green lawn. He bounded onto a glowstone, then a second, using the height to fling himself at the carnivorous plant. Its blossoms had opened wide to reveal rows of sharp, sharklike teeth that clashed unsettlingly, but he managed to land on top of one and clung with all four paws while he sank his teeth into the stem behind the blossom and chewed with all his might. It jerked and flung itself beneath him while one of its sibling heads tried to bite his tail and pull him off.

The other faced down Amalia, striking swiftly and unexpectedly as it tried to get around the guard of her claws to sink its teeth into tender feline flesh.

Something like a laugh escapes her then, the assertion that she is strong causing her to shake her head wryly. Stubborn, perhaps; resilient, even; but strong? Fearful, anxious, morose, withdrawn, shy, timid, meek- these are not the adjectives of a strong individual. Still, it's a pleasant thought. She likes the idea of keeping a part of the leopard when she shifts back. Something tangible, to remind her of that sensation, of being the graceful, fearless cat. With a silent nod she continues to work, letting her mind wander and drift as they continue to work and the day grows long. That is, until the flower attacks. Amalia snarls at the attacking plant, still hovering defensively over Isuma as petals give way to clashing teeth. The bloom that strikes toward her is met with sharp claws, and it seems to recoil as petals are torn away, the beautiful beast now a haggard, damaged thing. But she is not swift enough in her rebuttal, and the flower is sporting a mouthful of long, thick fur. a m a l i a You were young and you'd stare With a reverence unimpaired Searching in your dark eyes to find the stars already there

It was not a good day for his tail.

The third blossom finally caught him and jerked him away from its sibling, though his clamped jaws tore the last strands of the stem as he was flung dizzyingly through the air. One of the flower's heads fell lifeless, and one was badly hurt by a leopard's claws, but one remained hale and whole, and with a white fox it had developed a taste for.

Jigano snarled, a sound half-anger and half-agony as he struck hard against the earth and scrabbled for purchase to try and pull himself away. Help came from an unexpected source as Isuma bounded around Amalia and grabbed a leaf in her small beak, yanking - and scratching - at it with pint-sized fury. Perhaps the plant was surprised by this onslaught from an unexpected source, for it released Jigano as both remaining heads arrowed in for the smaller, bite-sized prey.

The fox wasn't going to let that happen - and he knew Amalia wouldn't either. Switch! he called fiercely along their telepathic bond. Heedless of the bloody length of his tail he switched targets, leaping high and landing hard on the wounded blossom as though he were hunting mice, knocking the surprised collection of bruised and mangled petals off target even as he laid into them with scratching claws and tearing teeth in a vulpine frenzy of destruction, leaving the final bell to the leopardess as it opened its maw wide to close over the struggling gryphlet.

Amalia's flower falters and fades, nearly beaten down by sharp claws and furious strength. But before she can deliver the killing blow Jigano's voice resounds in her mind, his firm command not one she would question. With a killer's instinct the girl redirects, leaping away from her straggling blossom to land atop the hale one which threatens the minute gryphlet. Something clicks in the leopardess, fearsome and ferocious, protective and cruel. She hurls herself above Isuma, her bulk sailing over the kitten in distress. Crashing into the attacking flower, Amalia pins beneath a massive paw, easily capturing a fistful of teeth and tearing it apart with her own sharp jaws. Nothing will hurt her kitten, she vows, snapping and snarling as she tears apart petals, dedicated, destructive, leaving little but sap and saliva behind. Her prey at last defeated, Amalia turns back to Isuma, falling to her belly as she spins around. Extending a great paw she captures the gryphlet and quickly sets to work with nose and tongue, inspecting and grooming, sniffing and reassuring, working to soothe ruffled feathers and assuage her own fears. a m a l i a You were young and you'd stare With a reverence unimpaired Searching in your dark eyes to find the stars already there

Isuma squeaked and scrambled back, wings flapping uselessly as she released her leaf and backpedaled away from Amalia's greater bulk, trying to avoid being stepped on as the snow leopard leapt to her defense. The flower had no such protector, and it was caught off-guard by the sudden switch of its more intelligent prey. Shredded and torn it couldn't even snap back in defense, pinned as it was, and soon it was no more.

Jigano fared as well as his partner as he finished the job that Amalia's greater claws had begun, sending chunks of petal flying and avoiding the remaining teeth of his target as he shredded the final blossom and left the plant looking wilted and bare without its beautiful blooms. He stepped away panting and spitting sap, feeling the angry throb of his wounded tail - the damage mostly cosmetic, at least, his brush missing chunks but a little fresh blood staining his white fur as well. He glared balefully at what was left of the vicious flora, considering what to do about it. The blossoms had been destroyed, but the stem and leaves remained and it was possible it would survive to bloom again if they left it...

Isuma couldn't avoid the paw that momentarily captured her, but she was surprisingly wily as she immediately slithered free of Amalia's smothering attention with an impatient and imperious reep!, more demand than protest. Her path wasn't hard to guess, however: a straight line to her wounded companion as she cuddled close against his side and sought to reassure herself that he was mostly alright, in spite of the pain that lingered in their bond.

He curled around her in turn, nuzzling the top of her head gratefully for her concern. He could feel that she was safe and unharmed, only worried about him now, and he licked her ear to distract her as she tried to scramble back to check on his tail. His pride and joy as a fox, no less... ah, well. Fur would grow back, and scratches heal. But the flower needed killing lest some other shrine-goer be surprised in the midst of their prayers, and the fox heaved himself to his feet and padded back to begin the task of digging the monstrous flower out.

Are you alright, Ama? he asked quietly, his physical discomfort making him sound more subdued than usual.

Isuma escapes her searching grasp, freeing herself from the long barbed tongue and bounding to her companion's side. Amalia watches with a surprised wuff, her dark eyes wide as she watches the child retreat to Jigano. She wants to bound after her, sweep them both up in her embrace, coddle and laugh and rehash the adventure. Amalia readies herself to rise hen something catches her eye, and she finds herself suddenly lonely, empty and cold. Jigano is bleeding, wounded, injured, red blood harshly staining his white coat. How? When did that happen? Why hadn't she seen? Was it the wolverine she provoked? The flower she could not conquer? Which of her mistakes have the fox again to peril, left him broken and wounded and raw? What good is the brute-like strength of the leopard, if she still cannot protect her friends? From outside of their happy glow, Amalia watches the pair caress and reassure, something shuttered in her feline face. Her right forepaw is injured, the circle of teeth marks not unlike the one he once gave her on her left, but the girl shakes it off. Rising back onto her feet the girl sets to work, pushing the last of the glowstones back in place. I'm fine, comes the silent reply, concern and anxiety clear in her thoughts. He seems quiet, distant... angry? She deserves it, if he is. What about you? a m a l i a You were young and you'd stare With a reverence unimpaired Searching in your dark eyes to find the stars already there

I'm--hrrffff!--glad, he replied, growling softly as he clamped his jaws around the base of the plant and pulled, now that its shallow roots had been loosened. It thrashed weakly even then, but had taken too much damage to put up a proper fight. Dragging the dying stem and leaves out of the Shrine's main circle and leaving the remains of the plant to wither atop his pile of sticks, he finally collapsed to the greening grass and began washing himself with the fastidiousness of a cat.

I've been better, he admitted wryly, flicking an ear at the dutiful leopard as Isuma flopped dramatically onto the ground beside him, reeping softly to herself as she closed her eyes. The fox nosed carefully at his injuries, beginning the unpleasant task of licking them clean. Scratches, mostly. A few deeper cuts from its teeth, but it got more fur than flesh, thankfully. I'm not going to be sitting down in my human form much for the next few days though, he admitted wryly, raising his head to give the leopardess a wink. Thank you, my Amalia, for acting fast enough to save Isuma, though. It would have done far worse to her, if you hadn't noticed it in time. He inclined his head in gratitude, knowing that things could have gone far worse if she had't been there.

Jigano collapses, and Amalia settles too, lowering down onto her belly to watch the fastidious fox. Dark eyes flicker to his tail, a little ragged and worse for wear, guilt rising once more in her throat. She should have been able to prevent this, to save him, to conquer her enemies on her own. Lowering her head, Amalia sighs, tired and grumpier than when they began. Except- the Leopard's head picks up again as the fox continues on. Thank you, my Amalia. Something rises in the girl, bittersweet and beautiful, a memory of the last person to call her theirs. She would not have been mad, either, and suddenly the girl is filled with fresh vim, a newly reignited desire to be happier, kinder, better. Strong, like the version of her he sees. Rising back up to her feet, Amalia approaches the fox and gryphon, stopping above where they rest. I would not let anything happen to her, she avows, the steel in her voice reminiscent of when she said the same of Rory. She wields the promise like a blade, staring intently at Jigano, ardent gravity in her wide eyes. Or you. You're my family. And just like that the leopard relaxes, reaching out one great paw to sweep them into her embrace, her stocky body and long tail coiling around the pair. Hesitating a moment, she reaches out carefully with her tongue, an offer to groom Jigano that, should he accept, she will commit to with fervor. a m a l i a You were young and you'd stare With a reverence unimpaired Searching in your dark eyes to find the stars already there