ooc: I thought it would be fun to fight a lion then a tiger and then a bear if anyone wants to join me!

Nowhere else in this strange new land seemed to be so alive with the sounds of summer as the Wildberry Grove. The berries were decorating the bushes in a number of rich colors and birds and small animals were taking advantage of the new food source. Bird songs filled the air and so did the sweet smell of flowers and… and…

Shilah came to a stop as his nostrils flared and he worked over the scent. Blood, from some large prey animal. At the moment he didn't sense any other predator scents though he had to admit he smelt just a hint of sickness in the large animal which he soon realized was a water buffalo. Shilah came upon the large bull. It was considerably old and unmarred. His ears flicked up. Something told him he wasn't alone.

Lynvarr panted as he worked his way south. He wasn't entirely sure why he'd decided to do this. It was way to effing hot this far south and he just wasn't built for hot weather. Some part of him wanted to turn around when he crossed the land bridge but he felt compelled to at least see Auster. He could now say he'd been there and add a little feather in his cap.

He was walking through the grove when he caught the smell of a dead animal. Well, come to think of it he was rather hungry. He followed the scent of the water buffalo until he came to the kill and another wolf there however the wolf wasn't alone. At that moment a large male lion burst from the grove with a ferocious snarl.

Káti worked his way through the wildberry grove with the intention of gathering berries for tinctures and various healing ideas. He figured if elderberries had healing properties then maybe blackberries and raspberries did as well though the only way to really know was to try. He at least knew that the berries in question were edible. So at least he didn't have to worry about killing anyone by feeding them to a patient. There was also a chance that the properties could be applied externally to certain kinds of wounds. Time would tell. He stuck his head out of the blackberry bushes into a clearing where there was a dead buffalo, two wolves and a lion charging for one of the wolves. "Hey, look out!"

fight post 1/

Like any other predator Hattori knew a feel meal when he smelled one. Scavenging wasn't exactly an honourable way of filling his stomach and was a considerable waste of his skills, but he supposed that it was better that he took advantage of this situation than anyone else. He needed all the strength he could muster for the road ahead, now simply wasn't the time to be picky and pedantic. Besides, it wasn't as if it was a free meal since some degree effort was involved. His nose twitched as he followed the scent trail lingering in the breeze and he picked up the pace, pushing himself to be swift on his paws so he could claim the kill for himself.

Except it seemed as though he was too late. The wolves were fine, he supposed, but the same couldn't be said for that lion charging onto the scene as though it's tail was on fire. It was a male, with a dark, thick mane
and more than willing to unsheathe his claws in order to claim the buffalo for himself and perhaps even his pride.  It really wasn't Hattori's problem and there was no need to get involved but he just wasn't the sort to turn down a fight. Especially not if in defending the kill he'd earn his own portion, which seemed fair enough, right? A snarl tore from his throat as he stormed forward out of the brush, in part to announce himself and his intentions, since the last thing he wanted was the wolves to get disoriented and mistake him for another foe to battle. Talons and double sets of horns at the ready he swung around as to cut off the cat from getting any closer to the buffalo and reared up on his hind legs to claw the lion's face with two pawfulls of talons. Blood splattered to the ground and the choking scent settled in the back of his throat as the lion roared in pain, blindly swiping at him as blood got in his eyes.

Shilah narrowed his eyes as he squinted into the shadows. At the same time a voice yelled out a warning a lion dove for him. Shilah ducked and scrambled to the side but not quick enough to avoid the lions claws that cut into his left hind leg. Sweet Mother of Earth! Shilah whipped around and snarled. The lion didn't have much time to focus on him as a horned wolf dove forward and attacked with some form of claws of his own. As it turned around to face the horned wolf, Shilah dove for the lion's tail. He bit down hard as he could, seeking to break the bones of the tail and cause enough pain to massive beast to cause it to leave. He hoped the others would join in quickly before the large cat twisted around to get at him again.

Thankfully Shilah had dived out of the way of the lion's attack just in time. Even though it was a massive male the cat still moved agilely. This was not a great fight to engage in, but Lynvarr wasn't going to let his acquaintance get eaten. Shilah dove for the tail as Lynvarr took the left side. He seized hold of the lion's left knee and ripped his head to the side, seeking to dislocate the joint, all the while being mindful of the claws. The lion curved around blindly, seeking to cut him open. Lynvarr was forced to abandon his hold and he shuffled back, just out of reach of the cats massive claws. He preferred to keep his insides on the inside, thank you very much.

Káti's warning was just in the knick of time as the targetted man just managed to get out of the way of the lion without serious injury. At that point they were joined by another warrior who dug his unnatural claws into the lions face. As the other men attacked Káti hesitated. He really didn't want this fight. Couldn't they just run? Was the kill really worth it? He sighed, he supposed it was. As far as he could tell they were all loners. Food had to be taken where it was available. Sizing up the lion he attacked it's right side, sinking his fangs deep into the lion's right side, just in front of its right leg. His target was the muscles there that assisted in lifting the leg. If he could shred them he could cripple their foe before anyone got to seriously hurt.

fight post 2/

One by one they attacked, wearing down the lion's defences as it thrashed and struggled to hold it's attackers at bay. Had the lion been given ample time to think about the smartest course of action it would have likely just cut it loses and fled,  Hattori wouldn't have chased it and he assumed the same could be said for the others. But the lion wasn't given any time at all, they hounded it from all angles, biting and chomping away at it's extremities the moment it's back was turned. The lion twisted this way and that, reacting to defend itself each time an attack landed, making it obvious to Hattori's trained eye that if it didn't change it's tactics soon it didn't stand much of a chance.  Not that he was really complaining.

Dipping his head down, Hattori charged whilst the lion's back was turned and gouged it's sides with his sets of horns. Snapping his neck down he ripped down, feeling the tips of his horns connect with ribs and danced back out of the way to dodge yet another aimless swipe. Blood rolled down his horns, pooling on the crown of his head as he paced to the side and watched the other's take advantage of the opening he'd given them. As blood loss and panic set in it's attacks were even more sloppy, careless. It roared so loud and fierce that Hattori felt the rumble of it in his chest, the ground seemingly vibrating beneath his paws.

Shilah put as much force into his bite as he possibly could, eventually grinning as he heard a breaking sound and the lion let out a fierce roar of pain. It kicked back, one of its hind legs catching him sharply in the chest. Air whooshed from his lungs as he tumbled back into the brambles. Shilah yelped as he scrambled to free himself of the scratching and pulling raspberry brambles. The thorns clung to and tore at his coat, holding him close. Ah, shit! He twisted and struggled until he finally managed to pull himself free. Shilah collapsed on the ground.

Panting, he took a look at the state of the battle and could see the lion weakening. Surely it had to realize that four versus one were horrendous odds even with the size difference.

Lynvarr circled the lion, keen blue eyes searching for an opening. The lion kicked Shilah back into the brambles and Lyn dove for the lion's already injured tail, he bit down onto it and held tight. The lion struggled, still dealing with the horned man's attacks. The lion lurched forward, it's tail slipping from his grasp but that was fine. Lyn zeroed in on the cat's body language. It wanted to run, he could see it in the way the lion was moving so he dove forward, snapping at the cat's heels to encourage it to flee. As wounded as it was he really doubted it would try to circle back for another attack when it was in such terrible shape. He hoped Shilah was ok and that the others weren't having awful luck with injuries.

Káti held on as tight as he could. He felt his head jerk forward as the lion moved and he shuffled his feet, trying to keep up with the big cat's movements without accidentally getting squished or moving in a way so that the lion could reach him. Pressed up against the lion's side as he was he couldn't really see what was going on with his fellow warriors. All he knew was that he could feel the lion's movements getting weaker and hear its pained cries. Then suddenly the cat lunged forward, pulling free from his jaws. He stared as watched the lion try to run for the brambles. It slowed and turned to face them for a moment but he could see the hesitation on the big cat's face. It didn't want to be driven off by a pack of wolves but it was clearly injured. He looked to the horn man hoping the larger wolf would finish driving the lion off. He was too small to be very intimidating to such a big cat.

fight post 3/

The lion was on it's last legs. Their joint efforts had taken its toll, it knew if it stayed any longer it might never escape at all. It didn't seem to know where to look as it's gaze darted from wolf to wolf then the gaps in between. Thus far Hattori managed to dodge all hits thrown his way but the longer they kept this up the higher the chance he'd get hurt. Given his condition he needed to avoid that at all costs, lest he draw out the healing process of his still damaged sides. With this in mind Hattori hung back a little longer, pacing as he watched and waited to see what the lion would do next.

To his surprise the lion broke into a sprint, charging towards him in an attempt to forcibly break through their line, it was going to be risky but there was just something he had to do. Just to prove his point. Hattori remained where he was, breathing deep as he counted the seconds in his mind,  judging the timing perfectly he dove out of the way though not before extending his talons out once again to rake them down the lions thigh as it fled. Even with all the blood flowing from it's various wounds it vanished off into the brush, crashing and squashing the berry bushes as it went. It was gone, the buffalo was theirs for the taking.

Shilah breathed a sigh of relief as the lion raced off into the brambles and disappeared from view. "Nice work." He started moving toward the kill but paused as something else large and dangerous emerged. "Aw, shit." A large male tiger sauntered into the clearing, it was a bit thin but still boasted power in its limbs and claws. The tiger roared, revealing its huge teeth. Shilah wasn't super keen to back down just yet. They'd fought off a lion for crying out loud. He wanted at least a bite of food. Shilah bent his head and nipped at the carcass, testing to see what the cat would do. The tiger was not amused. It bolted forward and stood over the carcass as Shilah scrambled back out of the way, his ears pinned back and his hackles raised.

Lynvarr sat down heavily as the lion took off. He was exhausted, not to mention very hungry. He moved in quickly to join Shilah but as the other male froze so did he. A tiger? Really? He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. The kill was bound to attract any predators seeking an easy meal. Shilah backed off as the tiger moved in. Lynvarr puffed up and strode toward the tiger, snarling. He hoped their numbers might spook it off if it expected a fight. However, the tiger didn't seem to eager to move. It swiped out at Lynvarr and he ducked, just avoiding the claws. The tiger lunged and he ducked to the side but not quick enough as the animal's claws ripped into his shoulder.

Káti flopped down on his belly, panting. He could feel his limbs quivering a bit from the adrenaline and the exertion. What a mess. He'd need a minute to calm down so he let the others go for the kill but it seemed they weren't done yet. Shilah had barely gotten to the kill when a tiger showed up. Oh no! He looked at the other men to see what they would do but it seemed Shilah and Lynvarr weren't interested in just bailing on the kill. The tiger lunged forward. Káti kept quiet. He snuck around, seeking to get toward the back of the tiger so they could attack it from multiple angles. Maybe that would be enough to frighten it off when it realized it was surrounded and badly outnumbered.

fight post 4/

Hattori had seen all sorts of questionable things during his time as a shinobi, there wasn't much that surprised him these days. But seeing a tiger waltz onto the scene after they'd just finished fighting off a lion was pretty high up there. Like the others he wondered whether he ought to just give it up, it was clear that the buffalo was in high demand and as hungry as he was he wasn't sure if it was worth all the effort. There was plenty of prey to be found and brought down, what was so special about this buffalo? Except that he'd already invested so much time and effort into claiming it as his own, to give up now was unthinkable. As though he was backing down from a fight that could be won with enough perseverance. Fine, then so be it.

Hattori squared up once again, given that he was the largest of the bunch it only seemed fair that he took the brunt of the tigers aggression. Just as before their aim was not to kill, only to inflict enough damage to send the cat off on its merry way. And then they could eat. Except that the tiger seemed far more cunning that the lion, instead of running in blind it took immediate possession of the buffalo and stood it's ground. Internally Hattori cursed at himself in his native tongue, for having allowed the tiger to gain the upper paw so easily. He sensed that this fight would be tougher than the last but he'd give it his all regardless.

Rallying the others with a sharp bark, Hattori mock lunged at the beast, changing direction at the last second to avoid the incoming swipe of the tiger's claws. He pushed around, hoping to get behind the cat only for it to follow his every move. Thin or not the tiger wasn't stupid, he knew how to hold his own at the very least. Hattori was sent stumbling once again as the cat barged into him with his shoulder, the sheer force of it sent the shinobi hurtling to the ground as tiger descended upon him. He would have been pinned and ripped to pieces were it not for his quick thinking and horns, with a sharp jabbing motion Hattori stabbed the tiger in the chin, denying him a bite as began to rip and tear at his exposed underbelly with his talons. Being pinned beneath a tiger wasn't a good place to be but Hattori was making the best out of a bad situation.

Shilah did his best to look as intimidating as possible but the tiger didn't back down. This cat knew it was outnumbered but it still felt it had the upper hand. Perhaps it could sense that they were tired from a previous fight. Shilah listened as he heard the horned man's bark. Suddenly the tiger lunged, knocking the man to the ground. Shit! Shilah lunged for the back of the tiger, seizing hold of the middle of its tail. He bit hard and pulled back. Though it was thin the tiger was still considerably bigger than himself and alone he wasn't going to budge it but the others dove in to help. They had to get the tiger off the horned man before it did irreversible damage. Shilah dug in his feet and as he dug he bit down harder until a yowl erupted from the tiger mouth as one of its vertebrae cracked under the force of Shilah's bite.

Lynvarr flinched at the pain from his wound, blood staining his white coat. The tiger's attention was soon fixed on the horned wolf. The great cat leapt for the other, tackling him to the ground. Oh no! Shilah dove for the cat's tail and Lynvarr followed close behind, biting into the back of the cat's left hind leg. His fangs dug into the heel and with a might pull he lifted the cat's leg up, seeking to throw it off balance. The cat kicked and snarled but Lynvarr held on, working his jaws to get his upper fangs in front of the heel and his lower fangs across it so it would be harder for the cat to kick. While the cat had plenty of force in its hind legs a wolf's neck was thick with muscle and he would not be tossed so easily from his grip.

Káti eyed the cat, trying to get around to its backside as the horned wolf drew its attention to himself. Káti was just about to spring when the tiger lunged suddenly. He stood for a moment in horror but quickly recovered as the other two lunged for the tiger's backside. Realizing quickly what the plan was Káti dove for the back of the tiger's right leg. He latched his jaws over the back of the knee and pulled. In a moment all three males had coordinated their pulling and successfully lifted the cat's back half off the ground and started dragging it. The tiger yowled in surprise and thrashed, it's thick abdominal muscles pulling it into a sharp c-shape as it reached around trying to claw Káti. Káti let go hoping the other two males could drag it a bit further before they were forced to let go.

fight post 5/

Hattori had managed to ward off the tigers attacks but he wasn't in the clear just yet. He'd clearly taken the cat by surprise and thus bought himself some time but the clock was ticking and the longer he stayed trapped between it's legs the greater danger it posed to him. The other's- to his subdued relief- sprung on the opening he'd given them and got to work, grabbing a hold of the tiger and forcibly pulling it off of him so he had space and time to clamber back to his paws. He shook off his coat with a grunt, his side still throbbing before he leapt back into action. When it came to fighting a beast as dangerous as this there was no time to delay, every second counted. The cat was focused on the others now, it whipped around with claws slashing at the air and Hattori noticed they were slowly but surely edging away from the buffalo. The tide was shifting, they'd gained the upper paw for now.

Joining in on the tug of war Hattori went in to grab at the cats scruff from behind, hoping to slow it down before it could crash into one of the others. The cat couldn't turn around to face him given the angle but to compensate for this it kicked out with it's hind leg, meaning that it's sense of balance was compromised. If the others were half as smart as he thought they were they'd take this chance to try and band together to make it lose it's balance completely. If they knocked it to the ground with enough force surely it'd realise that they meant business.