Kestrel strolled slowly through the Avian Estuary. Another part of the raiders hallow terattory, and one he realised he hadn’t spent much time exploring just yet. The sound of bird song came from every direction, inspired by the start of Spring and perhaps a desire to seek a mate. He made his way past herons and storks, and pushed past a paddling duck in the shallow water her trotted through.

He could see the rather large form of a willow tree in the middle of a dry island, and angled his path in that direction. Heading to the largest landmark in the Estuary. At least, that had been his intention until a particular and rather huge beast stood in his path. As he went to move around it, the ostrich snapped out, clamping a bit of his shoulder in its beak. “Oye! Get off, you load of feathers!” he said, shoving a paw at its chest. The bird shrieked something awful at him, and snapped at him again. Every time he went to push at it, its bill was snapping at his flesh. “Do you want to die?” he growled at the stupid oversized bird.

WC: 201
"Speech"

He's patrolling as usual. Every step, every moment, every minute of every day that he can. If he's not out with the pups or Modesty, he's patrolling. Keeping the borders safe, keeping everyone out and those he needs to in. Already, Jael had turned up missing. Gilgamesh isn't sure how, but she's no longer to be found on Raider lands. Not even her scent or a few of the pups. The fear he feels about more going missing well up inside of him from time to time, but he refuses to dwell on it. Instead, he continues to patrol. Pacing back and forth until he can come up with a solution.

It's the time of day that one might find him in the Avian Estuary. His well worn path of patrol can be seen along the edge of the border by now and following it isn't difficult. Some days, he switches it up, but not this day, and perhaps that's a good thing. Out toward the center of the estuary, he hears a call of pained surprise and from the corner of his eye, he can see the ruffle of feathers flying all over the place. Confusion draws his brows together as he turns to watch the interaction. An ostrich? Where had that come from?

Not wanting it to turn on the pups if any where lingering around, Gilgamesh travels forward toward Kestrel to assist. He hasn't met the man yet, but Modesty has informed him that the man is considered her "guard." Whatever that was supposed to be mean. It didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. The man is a Raider now and that meant Gilgamesh was going to protect him whenever the need would arise.

Charging forward as he closed the distance between himself and the angry herbivore bird, he lunges forward toward the bird's leg. From the looks of it, if Kestrel could keep the bird immobilized by the neck and face, the legs and sharp talons were the next target to take down.

"speech"

wc: 541 / 1500

Kestrel had not expected to need saving from an oversized bird that had decided it was having a bad day. But every time he swiped at it, it just kept coming. The damn thing was almost three times his size, and if he’d given it some thought he might have stared clear. But it was just a damn bird! It shrieked at him again, and he managed to smack a paw across its oversized neck.

The damn neck just bounced back like it was made of rubber, and snapped at him again. Kes was about a moment away from losing his cool. He didn’t want to pick a fight with an oversized chicken, he just wanted to explore the territory. Somewhere along in the fight, the swampy area had fallen silent. Birds had scattered, giving space to the bird and wolf war being waged in the shallow waters.

Just when Kestrel thought he might have to make the humiliating choice of turning tail, his backup arrived. The wolf he recognised as being described as the Raid king shot into the area and went for the birds' tall and imposing looking feet.

While the Raid King did that, Kestrel lunged forward, trying to smack at the long thin neck of the overly aggressive pile of meat and feathers. If he could just grab it and keep it from pecking at them, the Raid King would be able to bring it down to their size with a well aimed strike at its legs.

WC: 251
Total: 792

"Speech"

It was safe to say that fighting the ostrich was most likely out of their scope of expertise. Wolves were used to taking down grouse or swans or hell, even pelicans. But an ostrich!? This thing was monstrous! Gilgamesh wasn't even quite sure how large the thing was until he was attacking its leg. The one leg along was wide and meaty with a harder exterior skin that was difficult to chomp though. Plus those talons on its weird looking finger toe things were sharp! If it weren't for Kestrel attacking its neck, he was sure to be fully stomped on.

What the ostrich could do in its bout of frustrated and aggravated confusion now that two wolves were attacking it back was hop around on the leg Gilgamesh had ahold of while picking up the other one to try and claw him in the face. Once or twice he had to fall back, breathing labored, eyes wild with excitement as he tried to avoid being blinded or worse have an artery cut open. Of course, he wasn't getting out unscathed. Cuts lined his face, neck, and shoulders. The damn bird was fucking relentless, that much was true.

Just keeping going. Gilgamesh told himself as he lunged back in, aiming lower this time, closer to the ankle. Pushing himself in toward the leg, he hopes to try and knock the damn thing off balance. Yes, the ostrich is incredibly larger than them, but it was two versus one now and over powering the herbivore was more likely. It couldn't fully focus on both of them at the same time so it would have to decide whether it wanted to keep its balance or continue trying to peck Kestrel's face apart.

"speech"

wc: 1082 / 1500

“What in the four oceans is this crazy thing?” Kestrel huffed. This was his first experience with an ostrich, and so far he really wasn’t very impressed. What should have seen itself as a meal, seemed to think it was at the top of the food chain. When faced with two attacking wolves, it didn’t stop and run or try to do anything sensible. Instead, it attacked, as if they had killed its babies or something.

It was proving surprisingly limber, too. Able to shift its weight to one leg with ease, and twist its creepy long neck around in ways that forced Kestrel to struggle with keeping it under control. At the very least, he was able to offer a bit of distraction while Gilgamesh worked on its legs. Kes just wished he could stick its whole beak in his mouth. that if nothing else, would stop everything this bird was doing.

While Gilgamesh got peppered with claw marks from its taloned feet, Kestrel ended up with little peck holes from its beak, and scruffs of missing fur from where it managed to get hold of his coat and yank. He just wanted it to die already!

Gilgamesh had the right idea as he put effort into compromising its balance, trying to get its feet out from under it. Since the bird was all height, pushing it over would put it at a serious disadvantage and likely end this overly bizarre fight.

Wc: 247
Total: 1329

"Speech"

Water splashes up around him. Dirt and mud fling onto his coat from the way the ostrich struggles. Blood from all three of them speckle the surrounding area and their own bodies. Thankfully though, they appear to be doing more damage. With Kestrel poking away at its fleshy neck and he gnawing away its ankle and knees, the ostrich was soon to begin to tire. Gilgamesh had never fought one before either and did find it bizarre that it would be so determined to fight them, but he figured that it probably did have a nest somewhere. Or it was just plain stupid. He didn't care, either way, the bird would be dead soon enough.

Using the terrain of the estuary to its advantage, Gilgamesh snaps and yanks at the ostrich's legs to direct it to a muddier area where the debris was sticky and thick. With the ostrich too focused on killing them itself, it didn't notice Gilgamesh pushing it into the muck until it was too late. With one talon clad foot stuck in the mud, he was then able to clamp down and push the ostrich over until it was thrashing and writhing around, unable to get up. A smile breaks out over his muzzle, pleased that they were about to be victorious over such an incredible beast.

Without waiting for the go ahead to do the deed, Gilgamesh leaps atop the bird, nearly riding it like a bucking bronco. Wrapping his legs around its neck, he clamps down over the area that is near the base of the skull. Using his extended fangs to dig in to sever the spinal cord, it isn't long until the life has left the bird's eyes. Soon it stops writhing and twitching, laying still bleeding out in the estuary's swamp.

Now that the bird was dead, Gilgamesh steps off of it, giving his coat a good shake out before turning to Kestrel. "That was an ostrich. Don't usually seem them around here. They tend to stick to the prairie," he speaks matter of fact as he always had.

"speech"

wc: 1677 / 1500