It's been and done

@Hotaru, @Antares, @Sachiko, @Gyrfalcon, @Ceridwen, @Won, @Wylthrose, @Izumi, @Ruelle, @Cirilla, @Orlaith, @Ira, @Loki  |  @Kuhn whenever the time is appropriate and of course @Valmúa if it makes sense for them to return together!

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Today was the day. They had to move as soon as Ira had arrived with her small gang of recruits to assist in this mission against their antagonist. The longer they waited the more chances there were for Kuhn or his companion to catch wind of this assassination plot. The longer they had to heal up from their tussle with the Walrus and the wolves would lose their chance to catch him at his most vulnerable.

The snow had picked up over the past few days, never letting up which Reiko was... uncertain of. It would both help disguise their presence in the Everfrost but also hinder their own senses. It's a double-edged sword and one she would look to Ira for guidance in moments like these. Reiko was no warrior, she thrived in herbs and medicine, in taking wounds away not giving them out.

The Empress was nervous and felt like a fish out of water. Completely out of place while gathering the most capable bodies Shiroshika had to offer, individuals who wanted to protect their home just as much as she did. She wasn't leading them to die, no, she was leading them to freedom and at her side, Ira would aid them with her knowledge and experience. She would not hide at a safe distance, but join the fray and fight with the others as a leader should.

Every once in a while she would look to Hotaru, hoping her daughter would turn and return home where it was safe. Her motherly instincts demanded that her only remaining child would be safe and sound - yet she knew the girl would not. There was already a rift between them because Reiko ran off on her own. This time, they were in this together, regardless of what Reiko wanted.

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The time had come with a chilling blizzard to welcome the band as they made their approach. A sign surely from the gods of the turmoil to come, but even still, she was confident in their odds. By now they were in the thick of the woods, icy winds and snow battering pelts through the trees as each took careful steps. She dared not speak unless she did so under her breath. As far as they knew, it was just the tiger and his devoted woman. Two they could handle, but should more have settled they would need to act swiftly and under silence.

Should they fail to end this here then far worse would beckon fate. Skilled as she was, she was prepared for the worst should it come, and hopefully the rest were too. One does not poke bears after all without knowing they may leave with scars. Standing at the front with @Reiko, Ira would keep her ears alert as she searched for any mark of a step too heavy that may give notice to the whereabouts of their mark. Tracking the beast would be far more difficult given the weather, but if he was injured as their informant shared then he would not stray far from home.

Eventually, they would find a scent strong enough to trace. There was no mistaking the stench of cat, nor the metallic tang of blood however faint it may be. A glance was spared for the empress as she gestured silently with her muzzle towards the source of the scent. They were on the right path, now all they needed to do was follow it. 

And so at last, they would not wait for a war.

They'd bring the war to them.

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She'd be lying if she said she wasn't afraid. With the return of her lover, the return of her abilities, and the return of purpose She was afraid to lose it all. But that didn't mean she wouldn't fight to keep it. No, nothing would keep her away from this, away from dealing out justice to this damned tiger.

With her was @Cirilla and that offered a whole other level of worry and fear. She has just gotten the pretty bee back, the last thing that she needed was to lose her again. Especially now that things were finally looking up.

She could smile again and yet after today there was a possibility that she would smile no more.

She walked with them, keeping up and with a mouth set into a determined line. She was no warrior in the best of times but today she was here to try.
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Loki had dutifully followed his leader when she had called of him. With no memory, obviously Loki had no idea if he had ever done this before. No knowledge of fighting came to the forefront of his mind, even when he tried to bring it. Did that mean he didn't know how to? He didn't bring this up to Ira, fearing she would think less of him. Knowledge or not, he was willing to come and fight alongside their ally. 

He had been told they were going to fight a tiger and its wolf friend. No lies, Loki was scared, but he masked it. He kept his expression neutral as he trailed behind those that led him. The snow was thick, and Loki wondered if mother nature was swarming because she knew what was about to happen. If if their numbers were greater, it would take much to bring down the tiger. 

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^^Cirilla respected the hell out of her leader. She did not bucker down and let the big cat roam freely, and nor did she hid on her throne, but instead, was amongst the hoard of a dozen plus one wolves today.

Cirilla took a moment to glance at each of their faces; some she knew, some she did not - but tonight, they were one. Dark eyes settled upon her lover, her heart beat like a steady drum. She did not know what the outcome was, but hoped that she and Charaxes would see through it. 

Her attention drifted towards the duo of leaders, following their command as they strode better into enemy lines.

It was now or never.

^^
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The day dawned and they assembled behind the Empress, and once joined together with a small handful of Vanderfell comrades, they set off for the pine woods. Antares strategically stayed near the edges of the assemblage most times, watching both their wolves and the passing scenery from this vantage, meanwhile contemplating what was to come with an ear tilted towards the leadership just in case. It could go in so many directions with little notice, and he didn't know how he felt about bringing so many to the strong possibility of battle--some without deep experience, no less, which was much of what bugged at him. And of course, he wasn't a big fan of the snow, either, which seemed to be picking up for now. The variables that would influence the scene were stacking up tall; those were just the ones he could begin to perceive.

So he was somewhere between anxiously looking out for their wolves in the most contained way that he could, and looking forward, ahead, and all around, for any sign of their striped antagonist and his red woman. In time, they were confirmed to be going in the right direction at least. The scent of catsblood invaded his senses, reminding him how tangible the fight could be soon as they tracked onward, getting warmer.

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Some time after the festivities had died down in the west everyone had gotten their fill of the great Boomba, Kuhn began his return home.  With high spirits, Kuhn walked along side Valmua.  Pushing through the blizzard, chatting with his lover all the while, rubbing up against her when he could, obviously he was in a great mood. As good as it was to taste victory and -briefly-  meet new people, he couldn't wait for some alone time with his princessa. Eventually the dark outline of the Everfrost's trees could be seen even through the poor weather. 

Chuffing warmly, Kuhn slid his head along her side, as they approached the gates to their little kingdom.  As if to say welcome home. 

  @Valmúa 

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 They'd had a ball. Somehow, she'd ended up in the battle for the stolen girl that Kuhn was in. Together they'd plunged teeth and claw into the tusked beast and with a group of unlikely heroes, they had conquered. Tiberius was happy. Olive was safe. They had joined in jubilations and found their hearts pumping with distilled and fury-filled delight.
 Valmúa trotted back to their home, dragging herself against her striped prince and charging forward with a lightness and skip in her step. Bounding forward, her energy was built up in spite of the cuts in her shoulder. The snow swam fiercely about them. It clouded the scents of intruders that she might have otherwise caught.

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Nervously she walked ahead. Following the group closely, as close to each of their shoulders as she possibly could without obstructing their stride. Sachiko would try to be as close to Hotaru as she could. One for comfort and another to keep an eye on her friend and princess. It took everything for her to not show fear, the worry that clutched her soul. It didn't help that she could feel it the others as well as the Empress. Not all of them were trained warriors, but instead were simply desperate to feel comfortable in their home once more and no longer threatened when leaving their territory or even in their own territory thinking someone would just waltz in.

Within the caverns of her mind she could only hear... would any of them see Shiroshika again? Were some of them going to perish today in the same of the safety and comfort of their fellow members? Was Sachiko herself going to be one of them?

The blizzard didn't help her fear either. Something about it was foreboding. She gulped nervously, eyes scanning the treeline around them as if Kuhn or Valmúa would just come out for them now - completely botching their ambush.

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They trekked on, some more displeased than others by the conditions or who had chosen to come. Still, she would not have changed a thing. If her mother was to fight for their home then so would she. No longer was she the little girl who cowered and cried. She was nearly an adult and she would be damned if she had other wolves fight and die for her life.

Sachiko kept close to her side as they traveled, something she wouldn't say but appreciated deeply. It may have been her who was among the first to volunteer, but that did not ease her nerves any less. Their odds surely would be enough to best the cat, but at what cost? The pale girl stayed near the center, lavender gaze trained on her mother and the woman at her side.

Did her mother feel just as nervous? The other woman certainly didn't look it...but that was a good thing right? Hotaru sighed, a plume of breath billowing from her maw as she lowered her head from the onslaught of snow that sped down like ice. Whatever gods are out there, let this be swift.

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^^It felt like Won had been placed into an opposite universe from the one he’d come to love. In that universe, tigers were never a threat. Now, Won was part of the convoy that was going to take a tiger down. Together, as an entire unit, these now-warriors approached the thicket that the tiger had claimed as his territory.

No one spoke.

Instead, they huddled towards their closest friends and family members. Won parked himself nearest the queens, an ear flickering within the silence, in wonder what they were waiting for. Movement? A signal?

He, too, sighed, as he kept his attention on the forest.

^^
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Entering the towering gates of the Everfrost, the winds almost imidiately lost most of their effect, at least when compared to the open tundra. Still, the snow filtered through the trees in a violent torrent, sweeping away any traces of the pack of intruders in the area.

Walking along side Valmua, he made his way through their territory, to their primary den site adjasent from the bone yard. To the intruders, it wouldn't be too hard to figure out that his scent was strongest here. His step almost carried a delighted dance, obviously still high off of their recent heroic deeds.

Looking over at Valmua with a devious smile, licking a canine, "Can't wait to warm up that den." After staring for a moment, suddenly faux lunging at her, snapping his jaws together with a little growl. Almost in the same motion, he was quick to rub up against her, motioning her along, with a warm rumble, holding his tail high.
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 The trees were sheltering from the gusts and whipping cold about them. The warmth that met them in the familiarity of their home was visceral, like a hug after a long parting. They had eaten well despite the battle and the journey afterward. That she had met him at all in the same place and conquered in victory gave her such thrill that she had been largely unable to contain herself.
 The devilry in his glances and slick rubbing was mirrored easily by her own decadent tenderness. Her voice made mild, but luxurious groaning sounds every time he came in contact with her.
 The silence in the wood should have felt eerie and abnormal. But in her hasty delight, Valmúa could only see through a bright and rosy lens. For too long had she waited to see battle and feel the taste of blood on her lips. The result was crushing to what was left of the careful guarding she'd been holding onto. Long had she adored her prince among cats, but a new threshold had been reached. Together they were warriors, perfect compliments in the heat of the chase and takedown.
 Leaping away from his lunge playfully, Valmúa answered. “If we are not careful, it will burn,” she said, the words slipping over her tongue delicately as she eyed Kuhn. Snow blew about them. It stuck to her fur, coating her in a dusting of white. Her own footsteps were the loudest thing near to them that she could tell.

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A following to war. It had been some time since the adrenaline of true battle brushed against her — were only fragments of her battles were barely remembered. Perhaps too much excitment on the upcoming ways, especially to fight such beasts that dwell within the northern chambers. An advantage, upon their side as they skulked through this blizzards, the surprise of an army within the wake.

Nose to the ground, they marched on. A following between the other warriors and the High Queen herself as she prowled through, careful in steps and counting to stay behind figures who matched more to the natural habitat. Her large and bright pelt was something to despise at the moment, for the camouflage wouldn't work well.

Though she supposed, none of it truly mattered as long as the other was tucked into the ground.

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❁

  Reluctantly, she marched on with her pack, through the turbulence of storms that came their way and blurred their path to prepare for the storm of manmade creations;
  to war they went.
  Izumi, no matter how much she tried to twist the situation to villainize the very man her homeland was bent on taking down, could not will herself the feral instinct within her to kill for the honor of her pack -- especially when it was Kuhn of all people. Choosing to stay behind made the duchess feel like she'd be betraying her people, whilst arriving made her feel like she'd be betraying a friend. Confliction and heavy feet made Izumi arrive to the Everfrost regardless, but slowed her pacing and hunkered her head in this lack of confidence upon arriving to marked borders.
  Taking in the scent of her friend -- even hoping that the markings of a certain red-headed cunt would rile her up enough to participate, yet anger refused to boil the kettle.
  The crane bird lagged behind the group to stand next to the base of a tree and allow the blizzard's wind currents to make her feel like she was disappearing in the moment. Whether she was on Khun side or Reiko's -- none of it would change the fact that she'd be a betrayer at the end of the day,
  and the ink blotted dame allowed this guilt to eat at her in these moments of inwardness where she stood...

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Round 2 has begun! The fight has started and anyone who missed out on round 1 can still post to join the fight! Remember you cannot be NPCed for the fight, you must post to participate otherwise it will be assumed your character did not. 3rd round will start next week. We are hoping for 2-3 rounds for this battle to keep it brief!

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Damned if she does, damned if she doesn't.

With leadership difficult decisions must be made, she was reminded over and over. All she could hope for is that for each member who silently opposed this action, that they understood the predicament they were in. The predicament she was in for such a decision. She would be blamed for not taking action and letting the risk of Kuhn continue to loom over their heads; or take action and them judge her for taking out what some saw as a friend.

Their friend or no, he was no ally of theirs. Tearing the pack apart and instilling fear in others while worming his way into others good graces.

Cerulean eyes would meet Ira for guidance, the roan woman already catching a trail and signalling for them to move. Reiko would cast a glance at the rest of them behind, only faintly seeing Izumi in the back. She couldn't linger on Izumi's feelings now... they were far too deep into this. “Stay near the trees until we are all in position. We are approaching.” They had to keep themselves from being seen too soon and so she would keep her voice down enough for the group to hear with the winds blowing all around them. With a tilt of her head she would separate the group into two.

They would circle around where the scent of Kuhn and Valmúa were strongest. Sticking to the evergreens for cover while they slowly picked their way through into position. Every second that ticked by while they prepared and got into position around the returning two - their amber pelts shining like beacons through the blizzard even if it were just small glimpses - Reiko grew more nervous.

At this moment she barely recognized herself. To think she would act in such a way. Bring a war against two individuals though troublesome they may be… She was not only scared of the fight, for her people’s safety but of herself as well. Of who she was becoming. Of what this world was turning her into. The cold winds must be seeping through her coat as she could feel its frigid touch rake frosted fingers along her skin which had never been a problem before.

Through the blanket of white she could see the two jumping playfully with one another, tears welled up and nearly froze on the spot as grief already took hold knowing what was to come; brought on by none other than herself.

The same feline she had helped heal while she was sick.

The same feline Tiberius was excited to work with Shiroshika.

That familiar bitter, sour taste bubbled up at the back of her throat only to be harshly swallowed. Though the following actions took place in only a matter of seconds, to her, it felt like a lifetime. As soon as the Shiroshikan and their allies were in place, she and Ira would begin the charge themselves. Reiko occupying herself with Kuhn’s attention first, this was her battle she started. Hers she rallied them all for - it was only right, only fair that both Kuhn knew who had started all this, but for her to lead the others by example. During it all it felt as though she was watching herself in an out of body experience seeing her teeth snap with the intent to not only hurt Kuhn - but to kill. The world around them went cold and silent.

There was no turning back now.

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 The blizzard raged, making it near impossible to see anything… but she was there with Cirilla. Her heart pounded in her chest… she was no warrior, she didn’t know what she was doing but she would help. She would help bring an end to his terror. Once he was gone, they’d be free. Maybe her life really would get back on track… more or less.

 She pulled into position, not wanting to be seen before it was time. Their scent was heavy upon the air… she looked at Cirilla, a determined glint in her eye as she gave her a kiss on the cheek –it might be the last time she was able to ever do so— and then rushed in behind their leader. While Reiko went in from the front, Gyrfalcon circled behind as fast as she could run –which was still surprisingly quick—and then attempted to latch on to the tiger’s rear left. Her goal to rip and tear and sever anything that she could. Cripple him before the fight even really started.

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^^It had taken several months, but the stars had finally aligned and the two had finally turned to the same page. There was hope, yet - that is, if they would survive this. Cirilla didn’t even know the first thing about fighting; she wasn’t some toned, skilled warrior that was hardened from the things he’d seen and done on the battlefield - but if she survived this, she knew she would be.

Part of her wondered if it was too late to change her mind; too late to take her babe and run to safety. And then there was that final lick to the cheek and the glint in Charaxes’ eyes as she dashed forward, and oh - oh it felt like her heart was being torn from her chest.

Cirilla wasn’t thinking anymore; her Charaxes was attacking and if they were to die - Cirilla would want it to be with her. She dashed forward, aiming to flank the tiger’s rear right, and sinking her canines into him and thrashing about. If they could actually manage to cripple him, then perhaps there might be an outcome other than death.

^^
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"Come on lets...", loving words where cut short as he first saw Reiko charge forward.  There was actually a moment of disbelief as he witnessed the initial charge.  Was this for real?  All he had time to do was pull his head back still in disbelief..  The petite wolf, although small was able to find a hold on his lip as her fangs split through his lips.  Rather than sit still, instinctually the cat sprung back into the air, pulling his face from her clutches, severing clean through his lip, beads of blood arcing through the air.  Typically a sensitive area for a cat, the bed of the whiskers would be immensely painful if not for the adrenaline that he found as he traveled backwards through the air. 

This was no joke, it was a fight for life and death.  A mind in this state could take a lot in quickly.  More following after the little empress.  Luckily the three legged wolf was the first to follow, her relatively slow speed gave him some time to react. By the time his feet hit the ground,  his muzzle was already beginning to seep blood, though he didn't yet seem to notice.  It wasn't his first fight with wolves, and he wasn't foolish enough to get flanked so quickly though eventually he would be surrounded.  Backpedaling, he ceded ground to keep the first three opponents to his front side, all the while keeping his rear end low to the ground, to protect the vulnerable flank.  Mitigating the attack to his rear left to a gash across the hip before re-centering the fight, he retuned a swinging blow aimed to make space an regain his reach.

If the three legged wolf had not been first to flank than perhaps the dog would have had time to land a bite. Luckily for him their poor decision let him pivot hard, loading into his back, and throw a massive sabre like blow aimed at the exposed face of that dog. It was only about that time did he have a moment of space in his mind.  From the outside, his face changed from an instinctual shock aimed at survival, to a gnarled expression of pure hatred. 

 

After throwing his counters, with another step back, the blood continued to matte his face. Planting down, from the depths of his core he released a horrid roar containing the malice he felt for these pathetic creatures, every word lost on them, every bit of dignity they thought they deserved. He never wanted this, though if they where intent on making him play the devil, he would show them what horrors of hell they had unleashed.  

 

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Orlaith charged, though she lurked behind for moments ago now did the woman leap to the head of the group. Yet she wasn't the first in the threshold of attacks, and by no means were there a few within this brawl. Wolves spiraled out to attack this man, a tiger of the tundra itself. Orange in hue, large in height, stripped colored like the black sky. Not something that easily can be taken down, but something she so looked forward to. An ecstasy, upon her face as a smile of a warrior crept upon and she charged without — specifically, after @Gyrfalcon. A girl without a leg, but her courage was not cut as she went forward ; something that it looked the tiger, was fully taking advantage of.

With a leap of faith did Orlaith flash her own fangs, a howl of honor, and pride! A roaring rage from the growling of the beastly wolf as she aimed to leap over the three-legged wolf as a cover, and directly attack head-first at the tiger itself. There was no fear within her thoughts, only the bloodlust of battle that clouded her judgement. She was never one to think, always a bull within the fray.

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Once they had found their path it took little time to locate the duo. The roan queen eyed them from the distance, her body lowered between trees and snow-covered brush in an attempt to hide her slated tones better against the white. They danced and twined just as she had seen once before along her borders; something that once confused her though now she understood with clarity. How they held such a relationship despite being incompatible baffled her, but those lingering questions mattered little here in the now.

They had come to kill the one she loved, and there was no doubt in Ira's mind that Valmua would do everything in her power to stop them.

Hunting a beast like Kuhn would be challenging on its own, even with their numbers, but her interference was not one Ira wished to afford. Preventing her from entering the battle would cost them just the same as Ira was one of, if not their best, fighter, but the sheer numbers that could swarm as a result would surely tide them to victory. She had already made her intentions clear to Reiko before they began their departure. Ira was by far capable of handling her own, the rest should focus the beast.

Sharing a final glance with the Empress, she nodded, and then both were off. Reiko would charge for the tiger with the rest in pursuit, but Ira would look beyond the striped man. Her eyes sought the flame of @Valmúa's pelt and with the surprise of their charge she hoped to grapple the woman or secure a hold in which she could force the other back preventing her from aiding her Lord.

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 The rush of sudden smells lit up blaring alarm bells in her mind. Almost instantly, her ears grew hot with instinctual fury and fear. Her heart began to race as she saw the forms of several Shiroshikans come from the snowy abyss, launching themselves after the suncat. There was no time for confusion, though she did not know why they were attacking.
 This was serious. Moving toward Kuhn to defend him, she was intercepted before she was able to get a count of how many there were. There was no time to shout, no time to ask questions, and no time to avoid the attack from Ira.
 The female struck her backside, pulling her with the strength of a warrior to keep her from the defence. Enraged by the turning of a woman that she had offered her trust to, Valmúa snarled wildly and spat like a cobra, leaning all of her weight sideways to throw the woman off of her, twisting her head around to grab anything she possibly could. Her tactics were devilish, and she looked for a foot or a leg to try to disable this backstabbing piece of shit.

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The orders were swift as each split to a side. They waited in silence beneath the storm that howled with baited breaths. Hotaru saw her mother first followed by the rush of footsteps, but by the time she and others reached Kuhn's side she could swear the air went silent. One after the other bit and lunged for the man who, naturally, swung and roared in protest, but the sound never reached her ears. It was all just a slowed clash of fangs like the recounting of a highly imagined tale, but this was no story. Not yet, for the pages were yet to be written.

She wasn't sure what slowed her paws, nor what made her stare, but she knew deep down she couldn't stand around forever. Perhaps it was the shock of war, of truly seeing that bloodshed for the first time en masse. Though at the core was it truly different from those who have fallen before? It was not the first fight she had witnessed, nor would it likely be her last. It was ugly and cruel, but that was what she had signed up for, wasn't it? To pay to cost for a brighter tomorrow.

As Kuhn swung to face his attackers Hotaru would find the will to move her paws faster. Another she did not recognize surged past her to Gyrfalcon's aide, but with the turn of his body, it seemed they would all end up to one side of the tiger. Hoping to keep her presence shadowed by those who already met the battle head-on, Hotaru would keep low strides to the ground hoping to blend with the snow as she rounded to aim for the man's free side. Surely he would continue to guard and turn to avoid being surrounded, but he could only keep that up for so long, right? Maybe he had already given up on that approach as more fangs were thrown his way. 

Honestly, she wasn't sure where to aim along his flank, but anywhere distanced from his claws and fangs felt best. Others already looked to grab his leg rather they missed or not it seemed she should aim elsewhere. Having made her circle to Kuhn's free side, the pale princess would dart in, eyes honed to the stretch of skin between his hind leg and stomach. It may be a useless attack in slowing him with no muscle to damage, but as far as she was concerned she only needed to add to his pain. Even someone of his side could only fight for so long before losing his strength.

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tldr; little fight experience so shes probably not going to do much damage if she hits where she aims. She's biting skin flab vs injuring muscle

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^^The big cat did as big cats do; roaring and swatting, because what else was there to do? Some folks went towards the back, and others to the front - leaving much exposed. The move the enemy moved, the more spots he exposed, and the more places the military had to attack.

He hated that it had come down to this, but an order was an order and the enemy would either be subdued or killed - or whatever their desired outcome was. Won didn’t care; he’d do as told. He proceeded closer, eyes on the other canine that was not with them; eyes on those attacking, and awaiting for the tiger to strike.

He steered forward, and once the tiger had attacked, Won aimed to lunge forward - attacking his sides with claw and tooth.

^^
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Loki tried leveling out his breathing to control his anxiety about this situation, but it did little to reduce his heart beat. He really wished right now that he had some kind of memory of ever having fought such a beast before, but his mind was as blank as ever. But, when their targets came into view, and wolves began to charge and attack, Loki knew he couldn't now bow out now. He had pledge his loyalty to Vanderfell Woods, who had pledge their allies to this pack, who needed to rid themselves of an enemy. He was going to have to learn on his paws this time. 

One after another, each wolf took their mark on the tiger. They quickly swarmed their target, to the point that Loki wasn't really sure what part to attack. He seen one opening, but he worried he'd make a wrong move. But, he would feel worse if he didn't try. So, he got a good running start from behind the beast, and jumped, attempting to land on the back of the tiger as his jaws searched for the back of his neck. He would treat it as any other prey item, except this prey was huge, and had every means to turn and kill Loki. Loki just hoped the other wolves would keep him distracted properly. 

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