Tiger, Tiger by the Tail [Amos!]

She’d been ruminating on her plans for several days now, and it was making her restive. So, with a brief word to her father, she set out at a brisk trot, Aelloshir padding after her, as she wandered beyond the Moor, northward. She felt a degree of fascination in how the landscape changed. She knew a desert lay to the north of Celestial—she had accompanied Mask and several members of the pack to hunt a ram there. However, when she’s gone north before then, she’d circled to the west of the place she now explored.

Four hours later, and she was regretting choosing this direction. She wasn’t lost, but danger was definitely on the air. Coming off the huge, black-striped orange cat stalking toward her. Aurielle had tried to speak to him, but Loshir stopped her curtly. He knew the look of a cat on the hunt, and the reputation tigers had.

The best option would have been to run, but they were in an area where the path bowled inward at one side, and they were corralled in the bowl, with the tiger blocking the only way out.

"I dtigh diabhail..." Hissed the Future under her breath, eyes flicking for other alternatives. Maybe if the beast came closer, they could make a dash around him. But the cat obviously knew she was boxed in and stood in the opening, face smug and hungry.

Her mind was racing, by now—flipping through possibilities, strategies. Then it struck upon a thought. What if this cat, who so clearly had a taste for wolf meat, was responsible for the missing members of Celestial? Oh, now that struck a frigid spark of anger in her chest, long canines flashing in a sharp snarl.

Loshir started, glancing aside at the slender young woman who was now glaring piercingly at the similarly surprised tiger. ”Moonchild, what—no!” This shout because Aurielle had bolted forward, long legs taking big, sprinting strides as she arrowed in at the tiger who, thoroughly bewildered by the sudden charge, backed half a step, swiping out for the wolf.

The pawful of claws might have caught her if she hadn’t ducked beneath them, twisting her head sharply and seeking to slash her upper canines for the big cat’s belly, and Aelloshir joined in the fray, sending a caterwaul into the air to hopefully echo far enough that someone might hear and give aid, because he doubted he could hold a tiger off for long.

Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think