Redrum ventured deeper into the heart of the forest easily, as he had done many times before. Except a sense of unease crept over him this time, a feeling of… being watched by unseen eyes? Instinctively, Redrum tensed, his tall ears swiveling as he strained to detect any hint of danger lurking nearby.

And then, without warning, it struck. A cougar leaped from the shadows with lightning speed, its claws extended and teeth bared in a fearsome snarl. Redrum barely had time to react before the predator was upon him, its powerful jaws aiming for his throat.

A surge of strength, and Redrum sprang into action, his instincts taking over as he fought for survival. He lashed out with his claws, aiming for the cougar's vulnerable spots in a desperate bid to fend off the attack.

""

The woman was on the move. Nowhere in particular, but she had been growing restless and perhaps a good stretch of her fighting muscles would do her well, so maybe she'd end up at the battlefield at some point. Silence fell all around her as she crossed through the eerily dark forest. Her ravens flew low over the trees, trying to remain within calling distance should they find anything of note, but it was difficult with the close proximity of the canopy above her. It wouldn't take her long to get through anyway, she could manage just fine on her own. The silence was almost deafening. But what was even more deafening (and more surprising than anything) was the sudden cry for blood she had heard several times in the past. The unmistakable snarling of a cougar, and it sounded far too close for comfort. Her fur bristled as she came to a complete stop, nostrils flared to determine where it was. She didn't exactly feel like being ambushed, so she decided she would find it first! Following the source, the Viking babe ran headlong through the trees, paws thudding over the ground as the sound drew closer. The call of her ravens led her forward, and there through the trees, she spotted it! It wasn't alone, it seemed. It was attacking something, but all she could see was red and assumed it had already taken down its prey. Food and a fight? Why the hell not? With a battle cry, Brida charged straight at the beast, so focused on the feline that she didn't notice yet that it was attacking a young wolf who was very much alive. She threw her weight into her charge, hitting the feline with a hard hit of her body and sent it careening into the dirt! "Common Tongue"||"Dwarvish (ancient tongue)"

The boy first attempted to slash at its nose and eyes, hoping to hit it in a weak point so that he could keep it from grasping hold of him. He’d been grabbed before by a cougar, and as his heart hammered in his chest from the fear of the present and that past all at once, the boy failed to remember he was simply too big to be carried off like he had been when he was a pup.

He felt the sting of claws catch his chest, then teeth rending through the crook of his shoulder and neck as the cat sought to take hold of his throat. The boy snarled with all the rage and fear-fueled adrenaline in his body, trying to rip himself free before it solidified its hold on him.

And then the cat was flung away from him and sent into the dirt. Redrum’s ribs heaved as his golden eyes searched wide and wild for what he could only hope was his savior. His gaze fell on a large woman of black and blue, but he could speak no words as he huffed and winced in pain and exertion.

""