Bison were big, angry things. Taiga was also big, but if she could make things less dangerous for herself, then she very well would. The lioness chose an area on a natural game path. A thick tree had fallen across the path, but it was nothing that the bison couldn't jump with ease. That was the plan. Dig a pitfall on the opposite side. She didn't even need to line it with sharpened sticks. The fall alone should snap some limbs. Afterwards, all Taiga would have to do is finish them off and warn the rest of the herd away. She'd be eating like royalty.

Downwind of the herd, the lioness began using her huge, snowshoe paws to scoop away layers of earth. Every now and again she had to break out the claws, but it was coming along just fine.

"Taiga"

I wish you could see me for something more than the things I'm confined and condemned to be

Stjarna wandered along the border of the Range and Buffalo Knolls before slipping off into the Knolls. She wasn't too worried. Álarr was nearby, gathering herbs and if she ran into trouble she could call for him. Growing more comfortable in her route she started sniffing for prey. Maybe there were some prairie chickens about or grouse or… or… Star paused and sniffed around a strange source of scent. She'd never smelled such a creature before and she immediately went to tracking it, following the scent until it lead to the biggest cat she'd ever seen in her life. "Whoa!" She gasped, before she could stop herself. "How come you're so big? What are you doing in the dirt there?"


Speech

It's verbatim and it's shakin'

R̶ E̶ D̶ R̶ U̶ M̶

This morning, as the dew kissed the earth and the scent of wildflowers danced in the air, Redrum found himself drawn to a peculiar scent lingering on the breeze. It was a scent he recognized – a scent that belonged to a young girl he had sparred with not long ago. Star. Intrigued to find her here, he followed the scent trail she’d left in her wake, his curiosity at its peak.

As he ventured deeper into the Buffalo Knolls, his senses leading the way, Redrum's ears pricked up at the sound of the girl’s familiar voice. He approached cautiously, his instincts on high alert. Who was she talking to? Had he made a mistake seeking her out? Peering through the foliage, he caught sight of the source of Star’s attention – a massive lion, its monochromatic pelt shimmering in the sunlight, mucking about with the dirt.

Fear gripped Redrum's heart like icy claws as he watched the huge beast, his instinct to flee warring with his desire to protect. He had always harbored a deep-seated fear of big cats after his attack, but this.. This thing was so unreal. It was too big. Much too big. And Star was headed right for it, Redrum was deaf to the awe in her tone.

Without a second thought, he sprang into action, his protective instincts overriding his fear. With a low growl, he rushed forward, positioning himself between the girl and the lion, his red fur bristling with terror bridled only by his urge to shield. "No!" He barked, his voice tinged with both fear and bravery. "Do- not harm." What could he do other than posture though? Wait, wasn’t this the same cat from that day of Ghoul’s challenge? Anxiety spiked within his chest, but he was damned if he was gonna back down.

murder

Code by TR

Rounded ears perked as a little voice called out in exclamation. Taiga turned her attention to the blue marked pup and chuckled. "Hello, young one." Species didn't matter to the feline. Taiga adored children. "I'm big because I come from a land where everything is big," she explained simply. "As for what I'm doing, I'm digging a pitfall so that I can catch a few bison for dinner. Do you want to help?"

Before the girl could answer, a red flash charged between the pair. Taiga remembered the boy from the pack challenge and tilted her head a bit at his odd display. The boy's choppy words were surprising. Do not harm? Though she was digging in the dirt, Taiga sank down to lay on her belly so that she and the pups were on a similar level. "Young one, I do not harm children. I don't even harm wolves unless they start it." The lioness' long tail swished back and forth behind her and she gave the boy a gentle smile. "In fact, I've saved many of your kind from harm. I've returned lost pups, have assisted others in fighting off predators. You've nothing to fear from me."

Rising back to her impressive height, Taiga began scooping the earth from the hole again. "The sooner that you two help dig, the sooner we can have a nice, fresh meal. I can even help you cart some to wherever you call home, if you'd like." The hole became larger with each swipe of her paw. Gigantic claws cut through roots and dislodged rocks. The holed wouldn't have to be terribly deep; just big enough for the bison to leap over and snap their legs.

"Taiga"

I wish you could see me for something more than the things I'm confined and condemned to be

Stjarna nodded thoughtfully as the large cat explained that she was big because she came from a land where everything was big. Yea, that made sense. It also added a list of places she wanted to visit some day. Before she could ask more on the feline's origins the lioness explained that she was digging a hole to catch bison. Her eyes lit up. That was such a cool idea! And it would have to be such a big hole. "Yea! I can help." Stjarna bounded over and started digging. She actually really liked digging but didn't really think you could use it to hunt unless you managed to corner a prairie dog.

Suddenly, a flash of red streaked across the prairie and she watched Redrum place himself between her and the lioness. She swiftly realized he thought the cat was going to eat her. Star reached out gently as the lioness explained she didn't wish to harm either of them. Star tried to place her paw gently on Redrum's shoulder. "It's ok, if she wanted to eat me she'd have done it already. Or at least tried." A mischievous grin darted across her face. She'd been attacked before, she remembered the bear that nearly murdered her on Avalon's borders. One good electric shock to the tongue and most predators would drop her. Star got back to work digging, kicking up earth. "How far we have to dig?"


Speech

It's verbatim and it's shakin'

R̶ E̶ D̶ R̶ U̶ M̶

His crimson fur bristled with a mix of fear and courage, and in that fleeting moment, he was a protector – his every sinew dedicated to shielding Star from harm. But the giantess merely laid to bring her gaze closer to his own, and he stood fast despite the fright within his heart. Her voice, a soft rumble that echoed through his flimsy skin and bones (or at least that's what it felt like at the moment), tried to weave a sense of reassurance into the boy, gently coaxing him to believe her words of helping other puppy kind.

It should have been obvious, but he had met this cat before, though at the time the chaos of the moment had not allowed him to fully memorize her features. Big cat wasn't exactly the best way to commit a soul to memory, now was it? As Taiga returned to her task, her powerful form effortlessly rending the earth asunder, Redrum stared with wide eyes. The ground trembled beneath the force of her efforts, roots and stones yielding before her unstoppable might. He was scared- he-

With a gentle touch, Star’s paw sought to ease the tension that Redrum had created, her words an attempt at soothing the fears that gripped him. He shifted to look at her, his ears trained on the big cat just in case. The girl was so at ease, but then again… she didn’t have a reason to dislike cat’s like he did. Okay. He did his best to ease the raise of his hackles, his muscles spasming all the while. Focus, focus on the moment.

Star was all smiles as she returned to the task at hand, paws dancing across the earth, sending clouds of dust spiraling into the air. Redrum was still at a loss, peering up at the cat as she dug. What was that about the sooner they dug, the sooner they ate? He sniffed the air, scenting some sort of animal on the wind. A trap? Like mother always made? His own experience with trap making was rather.. Little. He was more of a hands-on hunter, but.. It couldn’t hurt… right? With a distrustful furrow of his brows, the boy settled in to dig next to Star, his gaze flicking up to the cat every now and then. He was unsettled, but sticking around in case something went wrong was better than running off to calm his heart...

murder

Code by TR

The blue marked girl calmed the red boy with a touch and some playful banter. Calmed him enough that they could get back to work anyway. The girl asked how far they had to dig and the feline answered as she pulled away big pawfulls of earth. "It doesn't need to be too deep. The aim in to have the bison jump the fallen tree and expect there to be land on the other side, not a big hole. They could possibly break a leg and then we dispatch them."

After a bit more digging, Taiga dusted off her paws and checked on the herd as quietly as she could. They had moved a bit closer but were still munching grass. Perfect.

"The plan now is to chase the bison and lead them down this path. There will be so many that some won't have a choice but to jump the tree. Do you two think you can help keep them hemmed in?" Raspberry colored eyes shifted from one wolf to the next.

"Taiga"

OOC: So, so sorry for the wait!

I wish you could see me for something more than the things I'm confined and condemned to be

Stjarna's toes spread wide as she dug, eventually falling into a rhythm where she was most effective. Every so often she'd glance at Redrum, noting he still seemed unnerved by the giant cat. She did try to offer him a reassuring smile as she kept working. She could understand being freaked out. After her experience almost getting eaten by a grizzly bear if Taiga had been a bear rolling up she'd have ran without a second thought.

Her ears flicked up as Taiga explained that the goal was to dig far enough that it would cause the bison to stumble when they tried to leap the log and ended up misjudging the landing. "Ok!" That made sense to her. Star figured she'd just keep digging til told otherwise and secretly hoped this wasn't some sort of prank. Afi was a butt about that. The Pallas cat seemed to get a great deal of amusement out of tricking her.

After they were finished digging Taiga explained that the goal now was to chase the bison down the path. Stjarna nodded confidently. "Yea, we can do it! Right, Red?"


Speech

The crimson boy diligently dug the earth, maintaining a proximity to Star that allowed him to swiftly shield her from any potential threat posed by the feline, while also ensuring enough space between them to do their task effectively. Constructing this particular trap was unfamiliar territory for him, but the cat's instructions were clear and easy to follow. With a slow nod, he acknowledged the allocation of tasks to the pair of pups by the feline. His gaze flickered momentarily towards Star, trying to mirror her confidence with a tentative smile. "Y-yes. Redrum and– Star can do it." The boy’s voice was a mechanical thing, forced out from his maw with a careful regard towards Taiga.

""