The woman wandered from Tojo-kai, keeping to her mind the focus of the community. They were private and self-reliant, something to be respected and kept secret. Alpha Hattori did not even introduce to others at first, keeping a level and cool head. Sayuri had proven herself a worthy member of the pack - for now. It was enough to grant entrance, but not respect. No one barely knew her name and she sought to rise in rank, make others tremble at the smaller woman's prowess. She knew as a smaller wolf, she was an easy target. This rang true into the tiger's prowling, who had locked an eye on her already. It leapt down from the oak above her. Sayuri had time to gasp lightly as she felt claws on her back. She was pinned, and she struggled to shrug the tiger off. But even if this was the end - she refused to call out for help. Her maddened snarls and growls could be heard from the entrance of the Ancient Oaks, her against the predator's grip. speech here 1/3 fight predator (tiger) 0/3 first patient tended to

Umbra had told her about a whole other world that lay beyond the Bifrost. Medusa has no idea the world was bigger than Boreas, so when she followed her new cougar companion to the bridge that connected the two continents and crossed to the other side, she was in awe. They'd been in the area for a few days now, and she liked it down here better than anywhere else so far. She had been having fun exploring, and she was doing just that when they had arrived at a place Umbra said was called the Ancient Oaks. Medusa took everything in, like a pup seeing things for the first time. They weren't here long, however, when Umbra growled and her hackles rose. At first, Medusa didn't know what the feline was on about. But then she heard it. The familiar sound of another feline and a wolf. She cocked her head for a moment, her own hackles bristling as the sound appeared to be relatively close. Moving to investigate, she soon found a wolf that appeared to be pinned to the ground by the much larger tiger. With a gasp of surprise followed quickly by a snarl, Medusa didn't hesitate to jump into action. As soon as she saw them, she raced forward like a bullet train, aiming her body at the tiger while it was distracted with its would-be prey. She slammed herself into it along with Umbra, and the pair managed to knock the tiger off its target and sending it rolling. Medusa snarled again, hackles on end and her teeth bared in a challenge as she dared the beast to come at them. It did of course, get up and shake the dust off its coat. Readying itself to fight with a challenging roar of its own. "Medusa"

Sayuri let out a vicious snarl of her own, feeling her short koi-colored coat prickle with pain and hostility. The other woman was a welcomed sight, colliding with the tiger and shoving it off her. The tiger righted itself just as the skull-lady issued a challenge. Sayuri rose to all fours, panting with the effort. She had a few scratches along her back and shoulders but otherwise - she lived. There would be time to thank her rescuers later. Ignoring the pain, she twisted her neck and drew her blade. The shine of the long dagger blinded the feline's eyes before Sayuri lunged. She aimed a swipe across the beast's chest. It nicked, drawing blood. With another swipe, she marked X - expertly and fluidly. The tiger roared and smacked the upside of her skull, causing the small woman to roll backward from the force alone. She fell onto the ground with a huff, still holding her blade. speech here 2/3 fight predator (tiger) 0/3 first patient tended to

The stranger woman had gotten to her feet, and Medusa was glad she had given the stranger the opportunity to get up and face her attacker the way it should be. Face to face, and not like a coward like the tiger. It roared its challenge, causing her ears to pin back against the sound, but she was not afraid. No. Medusa hardly knew fear. It didn't matter what or who she was up against. The last time she felt fear was when Habari punished her for trying to live her life, and they broke some of her toes as a result. Medusa isn't afraid anymore! She screamed in her head. When the other wolf drew her blade and put her mark on the tiger, Medusa raced forward as soon as the beast lifted a paw and smacked her fighting partner to the ground. While she hadn't been quick enough to stop the other from getting wounded, Medusa was quick enough to launch herself at the very paw that had knocked the she-wolf down, teeth closing around the beasts paw and she clamped down, shaking her head and body like an attack dog and she kicked out, using her weight to drag the tiger down. With Umbra's help, her feline companion leaped upon its back, claws digging into its shoulders as she pressured the tiger further. "Medusa"

She rose, like a lotus blooming. She rose, like a dragon rearing its head. Sayuri gave a final huff before launching herself at the tiger again, slashing the side of its throat with a precise blade draw. The beast, between the skull woman and the koi woman, was in darkening pain. The blade struck true and hit an artery. Blood poured immediately from the clean-looking wound. Sayuri stepped back and allowed the beast to die. Her eyes never left its face, though. She expected it to fight back. True, it struggled against the earth and the other woman holding it. But it grew weaker and weaker... Finally, the light and fight died. It grew still. Tongue hanging from its jaws, the beast stilled and drew a final breath. It was dead. She looked at the rescuers. "My thanks" she said to them, bowing her head "if one has need of healing, I can fix them." True, she felt weary and was hurt herself... But a geisha always tended to their host. speech here 3/3 fight predator (tiger) 0/3 patient tended to

She battled with the tiger, shaking her head and pulling back with everything she had to keep that paw from ripping free from her mouth. She had a good grip, and there was no way the tiger was escaping. It had chosen death today, and Medusa was eager to bring it down so she could take something from it. That was always her thing. Taking a trophy from anything she killed. Focused on the paw in her mouth, she forgot about the big cat's other paw. With Umbra still on its back, the tiger twisted towards Medusa's direction. A large, heavy paw came at Medusa like a heat-seeking missile, and she felt the sting of claws slice her right shoulder, and still, Medusa held on. She yelped in pain, a whine and whimper escaping her as she tried to stay on her feet through the daze. Umbra had been thrown off from the violent motion. But before the tiger had a chance to do anything else, the other she-wolf had put an end to it. Medusa saw the blood spurt from the tiger, coating both her and the ground. As the beast fell limp in her jaws, Medusa let go of the paw and dropped to the ground herself, immediately choosing to lick at her new wound in an attempt to quell the heat of the pain. The woman thanked her for the help, but Medusa was a little more preoccupied. "You are welcome, stranger." Umbra stepped in, shaking the dust from her ebony cat. "Medusa was only doing what she does best. Strange she may be, but she has never left someone to suffer and struggle alone." Umbra swiped her tongue across her jowls for a moment as she glanced at her strange charge. "I think she may be in need of your assistance now, healer." She sat and then promptly set to cleaning herself. Though she kept one vibrant eye on the koi-wolf and the girl she was meant to protect. "Medusa"

She set to work right away.

Sayuri had not missed the cries of pain from the woman, nor did she miss the bleeding. "Medusa?" she said, inching closer to the injured woman. A kind smile featured, yet she was wary of touching the other without permission "if you like, I shall work on your wounds" her eyes drifted to the Oaks, where her satchel of herbs lay "I have things to stop bleeding, and ease the pain." Without a second thought, she dragged her bag toward them.

"I am Sayuri" she added, digging around for marigold and lamb's ear "this shall stop bleeding" she placed a dainty paw on the yellow flower "this shall bandage." Her blue pools lifted, wondering if Medusa would allow her to touch. She was, how you say... Feral, in features and actions. Sayuri did not wish to step over an unspoken boundary.

"Speech"
1/3 - treat patient

She frantically licked at her wounds until she heard her name. She stopped midlick as she listened to the stranger. Telling her she could tend to the wounds she now wore and that she could stop the pain and bleeding. Nobody had ever offered her any sort of help like that. Nobody offered to tend to her wounds. Nobody offered anything outside of help to fight or hunt something, and even then it was often for their own gain as much as it was for her own. She had only ever allowed one other wolf to touch her outside of fighting and that had been Wren. It was a shock to her system when she had actually gotten a caring, comforting touch. "I am Sayuri," Medusa's ears perked as she gave a last lick to her wound before giving her attention to the koi wolf. She was...hesitant. But this woman seemed kind. She cast a hesitant glance towards Umbra who subtly nodded before resuming her own cleaning. "Okay...Sayuri can help Medusa." She was tense, but tried to make herself relax. If this turned out to be a trap, then she supposed lesson learned, right? "Medusa"

She gave a nod, grateful for the consent. Sayuri bent her neck, chewing the marigold first. It would stop the bleeding easily. She wished Medusa hadn't begun to lick the wounds, because her teeth and mouth could be dirty from the fight. She glanced around once to see if there was water. Alas, no dice. The Oaks was a massive presence, but the water was a vacant mistress.

She skittered a bit closer to the other wolf, attempting to apply the chewed marigold onto Medusa's wounds. The burning and bleeding would eventually stop, soothed by the flower. She went to work on chewing the lamb's ear to bind the wound in a poultice. Sayuri did not speak, too focused on her task to be of much use as a conversational partner.

"Speech"
2/3 - treat patient

She watched and waited as the koi woman prepared the herbs. Medusa's nose twitched as she caught the scent of the flowers being chewed up, curious about what Sayuri was doing. She had never seen anyone work with plants before, so this was something interesting to her. Something new. Nobody in Habari cared enough about her to heal her wounds, so they were often left untreated with all but the bare minimum of cleaning them herself with either her tongue or water to keep them clean. So far, her basic methods had worked. She hadn't gotten an infection or lost a limb or an eyeball, so she was doing something right, at least. Sayuri approached, and Medusa forced herself to not lean away from the stranger. Did she have any reason to distrust her? She wasn't sure. The woman smelled like another pack, but she didn't know which one. There were a couple in the area that she had smelled on the way here when she skirted the territories, but they were unknown to her. When Sayuri applied the medicine, Medusa tensed a bit at the unfamiliar stinging sensation of the herbs working their way into her wounds, and then she relaxed. "Medusa smells pack on Sayuri. What pack does Sayuri live in?" She asked cautiously. Were they like Habari? Or something different? "Medusa"

A pack...

Medusa did smell like one she had seen at a distance, their scent still strong despite the length taken to avoid it. "Tojo-kai" she answered quietly, applying the crushed lamb's ear to make the medicine a proper poultice. This would make sure the wounds didn't open again for a bit. It was important to ease Medusa in the moment, not over a long period of time "hope Medusa understands; we are a secluded pack. Sayuri cannot say more about them to an outsider." She tried to speak clearly, with pronounced and correct English.

She scrunched her brow at her own words, not understanding. Tojo-kai was strong and capable; why not announce their presence to the world? "Sayuri does not agree with it but must respect the wishes of their leader" She admits to the feral woman, making sure the lamb's ear stayed put "you belong to a pack as well, yes?" She added, knowing that Medusa could dismiss her words or refuse to say as much to Sayuri. She didn't blame her. She really did not.

"Speech"
3/3 - treat patient