What Doesn’t Kill You

Their combined breaths could be seen billowing into the cold morning air like smoke from a fire. Snow was kicked up and the white powder went airborne as they dodged another flurry of paw strikes from the large feline. Khranbari bravely threw himself at the creature which was no surprise to the earthen woman. He tried to latch onto its throat which elicited a furious yowl from the cat as it writhed under his added weight. Seeing her opportunity to help, she lunged for the creatures side that was not occupied by Khranbari’s heaving silver body. It felt like slow motion to her as she glided through the air aiming for her targeted spot on its flank. Quicker than she could blink, the puma whipped around and caught her hind leg with one of its razor sharp claws. A pained yelp came from Varushka and blood splattered the snow beneath them. Despite the searing pain she felt in her leg Varu held on until her weight pulled the cat to the ground. Now the danger for her was its pummeling back paws so she had to let go. Rolling off the cat she backed away momentarily before going back in to bite at its long golden tail, hoping to distract it from Khranbari. Her leg hurt but the adrenaline kept her going. She wouldn’t leave him to fight the fearsome cat alone.

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