After the pine trees began to thin and ultimately disappear, the territory opened up into a large stoney valley. Patches of snow still lingered here and there, but it seemed that maybe even the white rock was able to retain enough heat to keep them somewhat clear. The valley was silent for the most part, except for the casual sound of movement coming from himself- and from Absinth a short distance away. Out of sight, hidden on a different elevation, but still close enough to be heard. Squinting against the afternoon sun, he couldn't help but marvel at the appeal of the terrain. It was as if nature had been stripped down to its most essential element: rock and sky, with a trace of gold painted intermittently through the valley.
As he walked, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Perhaps it was merely the silence. Or perhaps it was something else entirely. Aresenn couldn't quite shake off the feeling that the world around him was holding its breath. He looked around casually, but his posture was tense. Even more so when he heard a sudden scream. Immediately lowering his body and tensing his posture, he couldn’t immediately tell what had been the source. But Absinth’s echoing cry was all the information he needed to know. Aresenn propelled himself forward, and up the rocky slope where he believed the girl to be. As soon as he cleared the edge of a shelf, he saw her there under the large feline form of a mountain lion with it’s fangs rooted in the back of her neck, claws pinned in her shoulder. Lunging forward with a snarling roar of his own, he made his own advance.
The cougar must have been too distracted in its own fight to notice the presence of another predator. Aresenn lunged for the back of its neck. Shaking furiously and pulling it away to dislodge its hold from Absinth. When the lion’s grip fell away, it shrieked in a way that could only be described as cat-like. Though, he didn't need to be a cat to understand the clear expression of annoyance, frustration, and pain. He fought to hold his grip, but as it fought to round on him, it was nearly all he could do to evade the claws that struck out at him from an awkward angle.
Juggernaut
Professor
