pixiedust won't make this better

ooc. rip to me replying a million years late

The distant, muted echo of a scream that came from the trees made his hair stand on end. It was rare he spent much time beyond the borders of Avalon lately, as he was getting used to a patrol schedule and the new rules of the pack. So it was this unfortunate soul's lucky day that he was nearby, it seemed. Taking off at a dead sprint, the titanic warrior cut through the forest with long strides. By the time he arrived it was too late, the stench of blood was thick in the air and there was a corpse already cooling on the ichor-soaked earth. Its killer had stuck around, it seemed. A burly jaguar was shredding the rotten bark of an ancient log nearby, growling with frustration. The pallid male cut a knowing glance to his feline companion, who melted into the undergrowth to circle around and take the spotted cat by surprise. As he crept closer, head low to keep his throat covered, his eyes caught on the fresh debris around the edge of the log. Flakes of rotten wood and thin score marks in the dirt, like something or someone had frantically burrowed into the small hollow.

"Are you alive in there?" he called out, keeping his attention trained on the jaguar as it turned on him. This was an older male, littered with scars and covered in rippling muscle. Not an easy beast to fight off, if he needed to rescue whoever might be in that old tree trunk. An ear splitting snarl was the only warning the jaguar issued before it leapt at him. It took a great deal of effort to keep his eyes open, when every instinct said to pin them shut and keep them from getting gouged out by searching claws. All things considered, he took the hit like a champ. The smack of a massive paw against his cheek rattled his brain around in his skull and left his ears ringing. The big cat didn't have much time to continue the assault, as Sonnet launched herself from the undergrowth to distract their opponent for a few precious seconds.

With blood dripping down the side of his face, there were only moments for him to slide across the ground and peer into the hollowed, decaying stump. "We'll get you out of here, don't move!" he growled, before he hauled himself back to his feet to rejoin the brawl.