A roar cut the air. Tora's fur bristled, the echoes of the deep-throated growl pinpointed as a Bengal tiger. If he ignored it, it'd go away. Seemed like it already found someone to fuck up anyway, by the tone. He turned to ignore it, aware he was much too close to a pack's border for his own liking. He'd been passing by, with no interest in these wolves in any sort of way. He had been skirting the Bay with a curiosity that decided to up and leave within ten minutes. He didn't really give a shit. Wolves could be assholes. He was also one of them, anyway, so what did it matter? If some idiot picked a fight with a tiger or if they were in the face of a hungry one... That was on them. The pack would help, surely. Unless they were past the asshole phase and into the every wolf for themselves phase. He rounded the bay, going further away from the scent line. That's when he saw the tiger. Goddamn it! In its mouth was the frame of a small girl. It seemed like it was going to carry her off, pack be damned. Tora took all of a split second to decide on what to do. He didn't see any of this community around, despite the roar and what he could assume were whimpers from the girl. If they were on their way it was going to be too late. "Fucking hell...!" he launched himself at the tiger. It had given him a dismissive look before that just pissed him off anyway. Time to punt a cat. "he talks" ooc; rheum rescue and potential joining! 1/3 - fight predator (tiger) please do not post until the fight is done, tojo!

She'd wandered out to the bay that morning to see if she could get some supplies from her older brother. Feeling rather adventurous, Rheum knew she'd need some type of protection before wandering outside of pack lands, more noticeably without permission. It was just so hard to corral someone old enough to take her out every day when all she wanted to do was go just past the border. The urge to find new plants, herbs, animals, lands, anything that wasn't in the bay or maze itched at her to go.

What she hadn't expected on the shore that morning was the very, very large feline attempting to get into her brother's recent fish catch. Freezing in place, her yellow eyes widen out of fear and shock as she tries to go unnoticed. Unfortunately, that doesn't work as the sound of her paws scratching in the sand caught the tiger's attention. "Kuroo? Usagi? Dad?! UNCLE?" Rheum's voice heightens in pitch as she calls out for each of her protectors. Pedaling backward as fast as she could, there was going to be no avoiding the slinking cat coming her way.

A cry leaves her lips as the tiger pounces forward and grabs her small frame between its jaws. "Let me go!" The pup whimpers as she wiggles in the tiger's grip. Its teeth leave puncture wounds along her sides and she has to stop. Feeling woozy and light-headed, she goes limp, hoping someone will come along to save the day. Why wasn't Roo here by now? He was always at the shore by sunrise to check the traps. How could a tiger have even gotten across the borders without Uncle Hattori noticing? Or dad?

Shutting her eyes tightly, fear pricking tears along the corners of her eyes, she kept the close even after she heard someone yell at the tiger. The scent was unfamiliar and so was the voice. Too young to be one of the older males, but definitely wasn't the voice of any of her littermates. Whimpers trembled from her lip as she felt the tiger lurch to the side. It was then that she opened her eyes to get a look at her savior.

time to get saved!

He knew he couldn't go head-to-head with the cat. The little girl was there, and she would be in harm's way if he tried. Tora rounded the beast, wishing he had long claws like a feline to easily swipe at the flank. He went a bit more aggressive. The boy launched himself at the side of the tiger, rising to crash his front paws onto the beast's back. It gave a snarl at his efforts but still refused to drop its prize. Let her go! he screamed in his mind, effectively digging his jaws in a meaty portion of the back. That really got the tiger roaring. It dropped the girl, crying out in pain and spinning to strike at Tora. He felt claws rank his cheek, tearing flesh and fur. He growled too, biting further down on the spine before he let go. The cat decided to attack again in retribution but Tora was ready. He ducked and went for the feline's throat, biting there and holding the larger beast. He wasn't as big as some guys out there, but he could be agile if wanted. It was probably strange for anyone looking on that he was taking on a creature that looked like him. "he talks" ooc; rheum rescue and potential joining! 2/3 - fight predator (tiger) please do not post until the fight is done, tojo!

Confusion lit up her eyes as she noticed that her savior was also tiger striped... But he smelled like a wolf. Feeling the tightening of the tiger's jaw around her belly, she closed her eyes again. No time to be staring at some stranger when her life was in danger! Another whimpering cry left her lips as she hoped and wished someone would come help. Being flung around wasn't any fun until...

Suddenly she was on the ground. Covered in slobber and dirt with her fur sticking out in ugly pieces, she brought her paws to her eyes. Shaking slightly, she could hear the scuffle and anguished cries of the fight ensuing around her. As the beast began to gurgle somewhere nearby, Rheum finally got the courage to uncover her face and stand up. No amount of shaking off would clean her pelt so a bath would be necessary for later. And even with the puncture wounds stinging along her sides, she noticed the boy had much more serious afflictions.

But what was she supposed to do? She had no fighting skills. She was a healer! Cringing every time the tiger and the boy swiped at each other, Rheum backed away a safe distance to wait it out. Hoping someone would come along to help chase the tiger off, she glanced around to see if there were any healing supplies she could grab to help him. Spying the hut that her brother Kuroo stayed in sometimes, she thought maybe he would have something in there. Racing over as quickly as she could, Rheum winced through the pain as she thankfully found a small kit she assumed Sayuri or her mother had put together.

Grabbing it without thought, she rushed back over to see the boy going for the feline's throat. "Get him!" She squealed as she began pacing anxiously on the sidelines. Secretly, Rheum felt worthless but knew she would be able to help once the threat was gone from the bay.

time to get saved!

Crunch! The tiger struggled against his jaws, but Tora bit down hard. Too hard. It wasn't enough that the beast was trying to survive. He could not fault it for that. But to carry off a child so brazenly - off pack lands to boot! - was enough for him to get pissed off. If he chased it off, the tiger would just come back when he wasn't there. It wouldn't learn the lesson intended. Don't fuck with pack children. There was always someone around to get mad about that. Now that it lay dead, his cheeks thoroughly scratched to shit, Tora let go. He panted, feeling dizzy, and began to sit down. He stumbled awkwardly to all fours instead, feeling the red of his anger fade. It was replaced with pain and hurt. He was close to the border of the pack, but not over it. His neck slumped as he tried to catch his breath. Blood poured from his wounds indiscriminately. I'm alive he thinks alive... alive... The tiger was dead, suffocated by his jaws. He was okay. The kid was okay, too, surely? He barely heard rushing paw steps. "he talks" ooc; rheum rescue and potential joining! 3/3 - fight predator (tiger)

It felt like ages that she watched the stranger tangle with the tiger until finally, it lay still on the beach. Blood seeped into the sand around it as she let out a sigh of relief. The boy was at least somewhat okay from what she could see... Until he started staggering and losing his balance. Eyes widening out of fear and worry, Rheum rushed forward with the bag of medical supplies.

As the boy fell to the ground, she finally noticed the surplus of blood also gushing from his own wounds. Inhaling a deep breath to steel herself from vomiting at the sight, Rheum set the bag down and got close to the boy. Unsure if he could hear her or not, she still spoke to him. "I'm gonna try to help. I-I don't really know what I'm doing, but I think I can help," her voice trembled with her uncertainty as she grabbed out the bundles of wool her mama had told her to use for wounds. Pressing down firmly on the worst ones, she held it there until the bleeding stopped. "Please don't die," Rheum whispered as her eyes watered.

Tend to First Patient 1/3

The only sound was the girl's frantic actions and words. Tora had an amused, fleeting thought of where the hell was everyone else? If this was a pack, why hadn't they intervened? The girl could have been eaten by now if he hadn't stopped the tiger. Was this a test? A trick? Was it a trap? Was he going to be baited by a tiger, a little pup, and eventually be set upon by the whole pack? His eyes showed panic as he tried to get up and limp away. He immediately flinched and growled, whipping his head around to stare at the purple child, as she pressed something to his bleeding wounds. He hadn't asked permission to save her, but surely you had to ask permission to touch someone? "I'm!" Tora wanted to act big despite the burning and lightheadedness. Fine, he wasn't fine. He was bleeding out, his inexperience with a fight making him act rashly and pay the price "that hurts!" He didn't wail it or cry, grunting out the reply matter of fact. He tore his gaze away from the girl, just letting her do what she wanted. Please don't die she had whimpered. Fuck. How was he supposed to keep that sort of promise? "wh... where's your pack?" He murmured, tired green eyes flickering almost closed. He felt himself hitting the ground again, full-bodied. A thump echoed through the Bay, and he realized the tiger's claws had almost punctured his throat completely. Shit. He wasn't only bleeding out but dying on the spot. "he talks"

Rheum didn't care if he protested. There was still blood pouring from his wounds and that was very much concerning to her! When he finally fell limper with a loud thud, she could see the open gash across his throat. "chikushō!" The swear word fell from her mouth as she searched for a clean piece of wool and bandage. While her father and uncle didn't know that she knew swear words, she had also gotten really good at sneaking around and hiding when they started speaking in their native language. Quickly pulling out a new piece of wool, Rheum pressed it to his open gash.

"I said DON'T DIE!" Rheum nearly screamed as her eyes shone white around the edges. Grabbing the bandage and lifting his head with her other paw, she messily wrapped it around his neck so that it was probably choking the poor dude. Not that she could tell if he noticed or if he was even conscience at this point. Fuck, wait, was she supposed to put the salve on before the bandage? Tears bubbled around her eyes as she tried to stay calm. This was so hard! "Onegaishimasu," she whispered over and over again. Why Japanese was her comfort language in this time of stress, she didn't understand but it was helping.

Once the bandage was tied as firmly as she could get it around his neck wound, she moved back to the bag. Taking out a mixture of herbs that she had been told was for pain, Rheum turned back to the boy and shoved it in his mouth. "Swallow it or I'll make you," she hissed as she felt out of breath and her own lungs fighting for air. Pulling a flask of water from the bag next, she tried to drizzle some into his mouth to help him swallow whatever ungodly mixture of herbs she had just shoved in there.

Tend to First Patient 2/3

He was dimly aware of the girl's efforts. The added pressure from the wool was causing the blood to stop, but he felt intense pain either way. It was like he wanted to scratch but didn't have the damn energy to lift a leg or even a paw. Tora was also aware of the strange language she spoke, which had been his adopter's language. The old man had tried to teach him before he was more or less murdered. "Trying... not... to." His head pounded after she screamed at him not to die. It would be funny if it wasn't so serious. "Irk..." He forced an eye open to focus on her as she proclaimed she'd make him eat something. Maybe it was poison. He really didn't care if it was right now. If he could drift off peacefully, it was better than nothing. Maybe he shouldn't have bothered to save this kid. Nobody cares about her, clearly, if they hadn't shown up yet! But that wasn't fair. Nobody cared about him either, and nobody was going to save him... Except her. "fine." He finally managed to say, sticking a weighed tongue out to lap at something. Gross. Something gross. The earthy tinge hit him immediately, recognizing them as herbs. A very poor concoction of herbs, messily done. Rushed. Tora was too tired to care. He lay there, blood not pouring as steadily now but was it too late for him? He felt pain still, which was a good sign. He wasn't going to die. There was hope. Surely. "he talks"

Glancing around frantically, Rheum wondered why no one was coming to her rescue. His rescue too! She still had teeth punctures along her sides from the tiger's grip that would need tending to soon. The boy's were much worse but thankfully the bleeding had slowed. Even though he was barely conscious, he had taken the herbs she had shoved into his mouth. Hoping the effects would kick in soon, Rheum sat back a moment to catch her breath. When she inhaled deeply, her lungs felt strained and in pain. Wincing, she focused back to the boy at hand.

Grabbing a jar of salve that was really sticky, she leaned forward toward the neck bandage. The other wounds on his body would heal fine without extra treatment from what she could see, but his neck one needed more work. Taking another deep inhale, she gently pulled off the bandage and wool. Trying to work quickly, even though her paws trembled, she squished the open wound together as best she could before slathering on the salve. Adding another ball of wool to the now salve-covered wound, Rheum covered his neck back up with a fresh bandage.

Putting the jar back in the bag and pushing the soiled bandages to the side, she looked at the boy. "I hope you're still alive," she whispered through gritted teeth as she tried to wipe her paws clean of the sticky salve. "If you need more pain relief, say something," Rheum's voice was hoarse and shaky as she waited for the boy to say something. Anything.

Tend to First Patient 3/3

If he was dead, he'd at least leave a mimicked corpse. Tora blearily stared across at the dead feline, feeling like its shadow. Not fully grown, he was smaller than the two or three-year-old once-alive-cat. If he had to guess, that's what the cat's age was anyway. The girl was a novice healer at best, scrambling and pushing and having no bedside manner. She placed something on his fur that smelt and stuck to it, and he just let her. The girl also 'hoped' he was still alive. "Mm." He managed that at first. His throat was dry from the blood loss. Tora coughed, but nothing came up. "W-Water..." he felt parched and tried to struggle toward the waves he saw around them. Alas, the scent of salt was also clear as he got closer. He grumped to himself. If he drank that, his throat would burn. It would be more trouble than it was worth, not satisfying a thirst. He let himself relax again. Or as close to relaxing as possible, laying half dead on someone's border. "he talks"

Hattori did not guard the borders to the Bay as vigilantly as the Bamboo, but he was aware of goings-on all the same, thanks to the diligent eyes of his eagle companion. As soon as he received the report he was on the move, transitioning from Bamboo to Bay on swift paws. His companion's words were few, offered not a lot to go on and granted very little understanding of what was going on. But from what he'd managed to piece together it seemed as though a tiger was on the loose, that it had intended to attack one of the pups before being intercepted by someone. Someone the bird did not recognise.

That was more than enough to get Hattori to pick up the pace, to push himself hard till he arrived on scene, slightly winded but ready for action, if need be.

The scent of blood lingered in the air, that of feline and wolf, but Hattori was relieved to see Rheum was well. Shooting the pup a look, he would speak with her later, he turned his focus to the injured loner as he splayed out on the floor. For now, he regarded his bird companion once more and sent it off to fetch a water flask and pushed it the stripped wolf's way once the bird returned, talons full.

"Drink. And then tell me what happened. Who are you."

Distracted by trying to ensure that the stranger wouldn't perish on the shore, Rheum didn't notice Hanzo's approach. When his shadow began to tower over her, she quickly scrambled back. Sand clung to her toes as she tried to right herself. Catching the look her uncle shot her, she felt her insides quiver. Hopefully, she wouldn't be in too much trouble... It wasn't like she had wandered out of pack lands alone.

Inhaling a deep breath, Rheum began picking up the soiled bandages and used ointment. "He saved me," her voice is quiet as she glanced at Hanzo. Knowing it was probably better to let the boy speak for himself in the presence of the Kaicho, she went back to cleaning up the mess. The blood would need to be cleaned up off the sand at some point, but maybe it was better to wait until after the large feline was disposed of.

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