Ezra walked around the edge of the plains with Eska, attempting to make an active effort not only to be more helpful around the pack again now that his side was fully healed but also to get to know Eska better. He had already liked her well enough before his father had told them the news, but now that it seemed like she was really going to be in their lives for what he kind of hoped was forever he figured he better really get to know her. He walked along the patrol route with her, a trail worn into the grass from the countless times that one of them had walked it now. It was pretty quiet as they patrolled, but he didn't mind. The occasional small talk back and forth was good enough for him. However, a noise in the trees at the edge of the plains caught his attention and he slowed a bit, asking, "Did you hear that?" He turned toward the trees curiously, adding, "Do you think we should go check it out? I haven't seen many of those saber cats since the last one I fought, but we should probably make sure it's not that just in case."

Ezra Adravendi

Eska enjoyed having Ezra beside her. He was a good lad and she could see a lot of his father in him. The silver spattered woman thought wistfully that, had time fallen differently, he could have been her child. They all could have been her children, from sulky little Emile, to happy Jane, to pensive Lillith. The more time Eska spent with all of them, the more she came to care for them. Really, it didn't matter to her that they weren't her blood. If she never had children of her own, she would have been fine with it. As long as she could continue to nurture Ulric's children, the woman could be content. Dark ears perked and the brindled woman stopped in her tracks just as Ezra began to speak. She'd heard it too. A single nod was the answer to his question and she began to move forward ahead of him, placing herself between the boy and danger. Yes, he would be bigger than her, but Eska was naturally protective and older to boot. Pushing through the foliage, a low growl sounded along with something big pulling backwards through the brush. Eska recognized it as the growl of a cat, but she couldn't tell what kind until she flushed it out of the thicker grass and bushes. The stripes made denial impossible. A tiger. The cat growled again and tucked its neck, lips pulling back in a snarl. Between its forelegs was a dead alpaca, though it didn't look like one of the Hallows beasts. Still... having gotten the taste of alpaca, Eska worried that the cat would come for their own herd. Flashing a glance towards Ezra, Eska's muscles bunched and she leaped forward, her own jaws wide and snapping at the cat. They needed to chase it off and make it remember that these lands didn't belong to it, nor did any of the creatures within it. "Eska"

Ezra followed after Eska as she took the lead, moving forward toward the brush to investigate the sound. As they began to move into the brush he heard a growl and he knew it was at the very least a predator of some sort. A few moments later the tiger in question was revealed and his icy gaze fixed on it with trepidation. It certainly wasn't as massive or as imposing as the saber cats that he encountered several times over the past season, but he still didn't want to take the big cat lightly. The fact that it was currently guarding the carcass of an alpaca - even if it wasn't one of their's - didn't sit well with him and pulled a snarl across his lips.

As soon as Eska lunged forward to launch an attack on the striped feline he did the same, following her lead with snapping jaws and deep growls as he loomed over the big cat to try and intimidate it into running away. It did back off somewhat, but it seemed to realize that it was being driven off from its prey and grew more angry, starting to advance back toward them and lashing out with large paws armed with sharp claws. He snarled as he dodged one of the swinging paws and then reached forward and snapped at the retreating leg, catching it between his serrated teeth. The feline yowled at the pain of the bite, but he didn't maintain the hold long, quickly letting it go and backing off again. He wasn't trying to gravely injure the cat, he was only trying to send a message.

Ezra Adravendi

Ezra followed suit, rushing the cat just as she did. The pair of fairly large wolves should have had no trouble getting the point across to the tiger, but of course, in feline fashion, it decided to be dim-witted and not accept the invitation out of the territory. As the striped beast moved forward towards them, Eska moved to the side. With Ezra having bitten the paw, the brindled fae took a bite of the cats long, striped tail. The feline wheeled with a chuffing growl of surprise and Eska hopped back a few steps. That was what she wanted. Now it was pointed in the proper direction. As they harried the tiger, Eska had one eye on the cat and one eye on Ezra. She wouldn't allow the boy to get mauled or even hurt at all if she could manage. The seasoned loner had an eye for danger, so she watched and guarded, pulling the attention back to herself whenever necessary with well placed, hard bites. "Eska"

With Eska drawing the Tiger's attention, he was able to reset his footing and get pivoted back around to behind the tiger while Eska fended off its attacks and landed a few bites of her own. He waited for a good opening just before the tiger went to lunge at Eska again and he jumped forward himself latching his teeth around the ankle of the feline's back leg. He bit down fairly hard, hard enough at least to draw another angered yowl out of it and taste blood. He yanked back hard on the tiger's leg, pulling it out from under their feline opponent and making the cat crash to the ground. While it was trying to get back onto its paws he rushed around to stand beside Eska once more, giving the cat a deep warning growl as he glowered down at it. Now would be the perfect time for it to finally run as long as it wasn't dumb enough to keep fighting.

Ezra Adravendi

Luckily, it seemed that the cat wasn't dumb. With the promise that they could inflict more damage, the pair of wolves advanced. Eska's silver tipped tail curled above her spine, making her appear larger. Not that she could ever look as large as the dire boy beside her. Together, they were enough to make the tiger rethink its position. The feline spine and began rushing off, but not before Eska placed one more bite to his rump for good measure. The tiger would escape with nothing but a few bites and some wounded pride. Eska stood still, listening with dark ears pricked until the sound of the retreating tiger could no longer be heard. She turned her attention to Ezra and shot him a grin. "We worked well together, I think." Then she added jokingly, "Don't tell your father that I took you tiger hunting." "Eska"