Mæva worked her way west as she tried to get a sense of the regions near where they'd be staying. She slipped down into a gulley that surprised her with the lush plant life that was still growing despite the season turning into winter. She found herself wondering if they'd get snow this far south. It was windy and chilly today and it wouldn't surprise her if in the coming days and weeks the temperature dropped to a point it killed off all the plant life. That would be a shame. Maybe she could pick some flowers or something for her dad? She snickered to herself then froze and looked around.

The birds had gone quiet. Her ears flicked forward and back. Something lunged for her and she scrambled to the side as a mountain lion's claws sliced across her left shoulder. She yelped in pain and surprise, quickly turning to face the cat.

Perhaps he was a little far from home, but Azure was never one to blindly obey even his own father. In the back of his head were the dreaded 'strikes' he was accumulating, though there was no way the warlord would add another just for exploring, right? He even had his mother's toucan with him high in the sky just in case. He was following the rules, but maybe not the spirit of the rules. After all, the requirement of a companion babysitter was so if there was trouble it could fly back and get help. Three territories away was probably too far for a rescue mission to actually succeed before he was kidnapped, maimed, or eaten. Regardless, the youth walked merrily along. He was in a rare good mood, and upon his back his bat was pleased to not have the prince's common anger directed upon it for once. He continued south, wondering what he may find further from home. The sound of the cat felt as if it was heard in every bone of his body. Instinct told him to run, that it was too dangerous to be around. The boy's head angled sharply up towards the circling toucan who was missing - maybe already on it's way home to retrieve his mother. Azure was ready to follow it, when a yelp of pain rang out and he recognized it as another wolf. Without thinking the boy flew in, shouldering the cat hard with all his weight to throw it off the girl and give her some space. He settled in beside her, unwilling to take his eyes off the cat for even long enough to identify her as friendly or foe. It recovered quickly, sprinting back towards the pair and Azure skittered to the side away so that it'd need to make a choice on who to target. Whomever it came towards, the other could access it's flank. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

The mountain lion lunged again but this time she was ready. She slipped to the left and raced past the cat, lancing her jaws out long enough to strike it before she twisted around to face it once more. It was best to keep her blows quick and concise. If the cat got ahold of her she'd really be in for it.

Just as the cat was about to lunge again a familiar form crashed into it sending the puma sprawling to the side. "Azure!" Fancy meeting him again this far south! "Good to see you again. I seem to have found myself some trouble." Snarling the cat eyed the two wolves and deciding they were young enough to risk more of a fight the cat leapt once more for Mæva who dodged to the side, twisting her head to catch the cougar's left wrist in her jaws as its swipe missed.

Her voice reached him and Azure allowed himself a moment to glance over, recognizing her colorful form as the pup he'd melee'd with in the snow. "Mæva!" The boy responded in surprise, though he had little time to respond before the cat was lunging for her once more. It may have been only Azure's unusually good mood for the day that brought him to want to help protect her - or perhaps Sirius' possessive streak had been inherited to the boy after all - but seeing the cat swipe for his friend upset him more than he'd expected. As she grabbed upon the cat's wrist Azure jumped in once more. He caught the cat in his teeth by it's scruff and yanked it towards him to tear it off it's feet. The weight of the cougar shifted and he felt his success, though before he knew what was happening the boy had a claw dragging through the top of his muzzle. He yelped and released it, shuffling backwards and shaking his head to rid himself of the very stingy feeling. "Stupid cat!" When the thing was dead Azure decided he was going to kick it at least once. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Mæva released her grip on the cat as she saw Azure's fangs seize its scruff. In a moment he yanked the flailing creature back and Mæva stared impressed by his strength. Then he yelped. Oh no! She dove forward toward the cat, snagging its long fluffy tail in her jaws. She bit down as hard as she could and thrashed her head. The cat screamed and lashed out for her but by then she had ducked out of the way again. The cat's movement slowed and she could tell by the misshapen tail that she'd broken it. The cougar took a few steps back, looking at both wolves and then between them.

Mæva's ears went back. What did it see? She didn't dare take her eyes off it but behind her she heard some strange cackling noise that sounded almost like laughter.

Azure heard the crack of the creature's tail in her jaws and threw her a grin, proud the feisty girl could land such a solid blow. They were definitely, one-hundred-percent going to murder this sucker now. There'd be no hope for it, and Azure was already excited to see the insides of a predator and not a prey. He crouched to prepare himself for another lunge, but before he could spring forward the cat was frozen in place with it's eyes firmly between them. A cackling laugh sounded behind them and Azure whirled suddenly to face the strange noise. When he realized how that left his back expose he glanced back towards the cougar, but it had already fled. His fur stood on end and he bared his teeth in a growl. What the hell was it making that sound? He'd never heard a laugh come from anything but a wolf, but the noise was much too different to be belonging to any familiar canine. "Mæva.." The boy whispered softly, watching the bushes move. "What do we do?" "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

The mountain lion fled and Mæva whirled around toward the sound. Instinctively she moved closer to Azure, ears flicking forward. Out of the bushes emerged two of the ugliest creatures she'd ever seen. She couldn't even really describe what she was looking at. Sort of like a coyote and a warthog got smooshed together. "I… I don't know," she whispered back. "I don't know what those are."

"They're hyenas," said a familiar voice. Mæva jumped and looked to her other side.

"Geira, you found me!" She was delighted to see her caracal friend but she didn't get much of a chance to say more as the hyenas dove at them. Mæva snarled and snapped at the one closest to her and the hyena slowed and instead started circling her. Geira frizzed up and hissed.

It was not comforting that his companion could not name the gross looking creatures, and Azure took a moment to steal a concerned glance her way before the caracal showed up. They had a name now for their enemy, and the hyenas were stalking closer. One jumped at Maeva and Azure had to hold himself back from assisting his friend. If they tried to gang up on just one hyena, the other would easily rip them to shreds. While she battled her own, Azure intercepted the pounce of the second. He sunk his elongated fangs into it's nape and forced it to the ground, catching some scratches as it kicked out in protest. He was forced to release it, throwing his oversized paw hard against it's head to daze the canine long enough for him to reposition. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Unperturbed, the hyena dove toward Mæva who skittered out of the way just in time. Geira promptly swatted the ugly creature across the head and it turned its attention to her. The caracal took off running and Mæva let out a yell as another hyena started chasing her! She scrambled then twisted around, ready to fight. She dove forward and latched onto the side of the hyena's face to make it difficult for the other creature to retaliate. It wrapped it's arms around her neck and the two of them struggled. Behind her she could hear Geira and the other hyena hissing and snarling as they dueled.

The hyena recovered quickly and Azure snarled his frustration across the short distance to the stupid looking canine. It growled back, and Azure suddenly thought that it's teeth might have even been scarier than his own. He cast a hasty glance towards his companion and her own battle while he circled, immediately drawing his focus back when he found a time to strike. He leaped at an angle, hitting the hyena hard upon it's shoulder. The heavy pup was learning how to use his size to his advantage and pushed through the resistance. Rewarding his effort the hyena was knocked back to the ground and this time he was in a position to end it's life. His jaws came down upon it's throat while his oversized paws were thrown down on it's face and side to steady it while he bit. The killing blow sent blood splattering upon his face and he reeled back, unable to take the time to see if it was truly dead while Maeva was still fighting. Maeva's companion was still fighting also, a third hyena having joined the battle. Azure stood awkwardly between the two fights, leaning this way then that way to see if either needed him to jump in. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Geira had been keeping an eye out on her charge and saw that the girl was struggling but she had her paws full. The scent of blood thickened in the air and as she danced away from the hyenas jaws she saw that Mæva's strange friend had dealt with his. "Hey, take this one!" The caracal's legs coiled as she leapt right over the hyena onto the back of the one that was attacking Mæva. It yelped and squealed, distracted by the cat on its back.

Mæva dove for it's left knee, her jaws connecting as she viciously thrashed her head. The hyena twisted around to get her but at that moment Geira's claws sank into the hyena's eyes. With a pained cry is spasmed and flailed, dislodging both Geira and Mæva before fleeing.

The caracal called out to him and in an instant abandoned her battle, leaping in to assist her wolf instead. Azure barely hesitated before replacing the cat, cutting off the hyenas attempt to give chase with his own body. He was slowing down after the fight with the cougar as well and knew his energy would quickly vanish. Fight or flight had kicked in and he was smart enough to realize the adrenaline wouldn't last forever. The boy focused upon his defense rather then trying to kill the thing, matching it's movements and throwing his paws out in heavy swats whenever it dared to come too close. It didn't take long before he heard the fight slow behind him and realized Maeva's hyena was fleeing. He snarled at his own, lunging forward threateningly at the ugly creature until eventually it decided to join it's companion. Az's eyes did not leave the predators until both tails had long vanished into the underbrush. With a heavy sigh he turned towards his friend and her cat. "Everyone okay?" "Speech" "Thinking" "You."