She was walking along the river sort of away from the sight and sound of her family like she usually did, only something would be different about today. For starters, she noticed there were tracks in the snow that didn't belong to any of her family. And there was a smell that also didn't belong to her family. Eyes narrowed as she stopped and looked around, fur prickling along her spine as she felt like she was being watched. She slowly looked around but didn't really see anything out of the ordinary. Hm...maybe she was imagining things...or maybe if was one of her siblings trying to play a joke or something. Still, she remained cautious as she continued a little more slowly along the bank, only this time, she had turned around and was making her way back towards the direction she had come from...you know...just in case...

Where had the last few seasons gone? Nami herself wasn't quite sure. More than once she'd found herself wondering if she ought to go back home, but the thought of facing her family again brought her enough shame that she wasn't sure she could manage it even if she wanted to. Mostly she was just grappling with an ever-present sense of unease and uncertainty about her future - she had no idea where she belonged or what she should be doing with herself here in Boreas. All she knew was to follow the water and her fish, and that was why she found herself drawn to the wide river that cut nearly completely across the continent. She'd been traveling its length for quite some time now,

The scent of a stranger up ahead piqued her interest. There was another scent that made itself apparent as she drew closer though, and her pace slowed once the stranger - a child, it seemed like, and one with a coat as pretty as anything she'd ever seen - came into view. Cautious, she hurried forward, though not before she saw something out of the corner of her eye creeping through the underbrush. Crap. "I think - you're being followed by something," Nami warned her as she rushed forward within earshot, trying to get her bearings and figure out how to proceed.

Her steps were a little hesitant as she moved. Okay, it definitely wasn't her family that she was smelling, but she didn't know what it was. She wasn't aware that someone other than a member of her family was nearby until she spotted someone approaching her with a warning. "I think - you're being followed by something," The blue girl stopped where she was, eyes scanning her surroundings. On one side of her and the new stranger was the river. On the other, dense brush and trees. "It's probably...one of my siblings..." She said slowly, but she sounded unsure. Everything seemed eerily quiet save for the sound of the river, and just as she was about to ask who the stranger was, something leaped out.

Startled, Brida barely got a glimpse of the spotted fur when a leopard jumped out at her. She was still a pup, inexperienced, an easy target despite her growing, gangly size. The leopard landed on her shoulders, its claws digging into her skin and she let out a startled yelp and a cry of pain as she twisted her head around to try and snap at the leopards paws, but she couldn't reach. "H-help!"

Nami wasn't so sure this girl knew what she was talking about, but then again she was just a pup and she didn't expect her to. She doubted it was one of her siblings, at least based on how the creature was moving, and she swore she saw a glimpse of an eye that was distinctly not canine. Instinctively her hackles raised and she tensed herself as she slowed, nearing the child cautiously and trying to get her bearings. She hardly had time to react before the creature sprung out of the underbrush toward them, though she quickly reacted as if this child was one of her own and not some stranger she'd just stumbled upon.

"Don't worry! I got you!" Nami called out, springing forward and sending her light form barrelling toward the leopard with as much force as she could muster. The feline had instantly targeted the blue-furred child and latched onto her shoulders, and Nami was determined to disrupt its attack as soon as possible. A snarl ripped forth from her throat as she charged, lunging for the creature's face with her jaws unhinged. Luckily she found purchase on the attacker's cheek, causing the leopard to briefly relinquish its hold on Brida and redirect its energy to Nami, wheeling around long enough to lift a paw and slash its unsheathed claws toward her chest.

The leopard's claws hurt, and she was likely to have a bit of scarring on her shoulders after this. While her family wasn't here to help her, a stranger was, and lucky for her, too! The stranger managed to distract the leopard enough to where it loosened its grip and turned its focus on the other woman, and Brida took the chance to shake it off and dislodge it from her back. It growled in agitation, swiping at Nami but also wanting to go for Brida. She barely had time to recover when the leopard aimed a swipe at her, though it wasn't as full of vigor as it should have been considering it was mostly focused on the other. With a snarl, Brida charged the leopard and smashed her weight into it while it had its head turned the other way, teeth seeking its shoulder. She tore into it with her sabers, causing the leopard to cry in pain and whirl at her. Brida let go, but not before the exotic cat scored its claws across her muzzle, sending her backing up with a yelp of pain. Still, it wouldn't deter her. An idea formed in her head, and this leopard would have to figure out if it wanted to live or die today. "Drive it to the water! It swims or dies today!" "Brida"

Nami could only hope the damage the leopard was doing to the child was superficial at best, though she knew how dangerous an angry feline could be, especially to a young wolf. If she got out of this without any bad injuries she'd be quite lucky, and Nami wasn't even considering what sort of injuries she herself might end up with. The leopard slashed a paw at her, hitting her square in the chest. The bob-tailed wolf winced but held her ground anyway. Later she'd get a better look at her injuries and tend to them, but right now she was intent on protecting Brida from this predator.

The cat moved to swipe at Brida, though the girl seemed to have other plans, not about to back down either. She charged into it, tearing into its shoulders with her saber teeth for a moment. The plan Brida suggested seemed like a good one and Nami reacted quickly. Driving it to the water would mean their victory. The tides of the river were far too strong for the feline to fight against, at least at this time of year. Putting pressure on the leopard too she lunged for it, feeling the telltale sign of blood trickling through her fur from the wounds on her chest, but ignoring them for now as best as she could. A snarl ripped from her throat as the leopard made to swipe at her again, though it made a few unsteady steps backward, just as expected - only a few feet from the river's edge now.