cats. why did it have to be cats?

Since arriving in Duskguard, Torben had seen little strife. The run-in with the snow leopard with the assistance of Hawking aside, the Vale was pretty peaceful. He walked until he spotted something moving by the cache, fueled by the sleep he got during the day. "Oi!" he barked, the scent of feline hitting his nose strongly. Too small to be that tiger, and too blended to be anything but a leopard against the snow.

The cat would stare at him, a deer in headlights. A piece of flesh hanging from its jaw. How it had managed to get in, he didn't know. Torben growled and launched himself at the thief. It really didn't matter how. The point was; that it was scavenging from their cache. Duskguard's cache. He wouldn't let them get away with such fool behavior! He rammed into the cat head-on, causing it to yowl and fling the meat to the side. A fight or flee reflex ticked in the leopard's eyes.

It decided to fight.

Lunging, it managed to grab Torben by the scruff and pull. His tone rumbled with pain and anger. He smacked it a few times with a raised paw, trying to make it loosen the hold it had. Barely registering the other wolf as it came to the fray, he was too consumed by getting the leopard off him to greet @Tiberius properly.

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note for myself: warden

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This event would only lead Tiberius to kick up his patrolling even more than before, which he hadn't thought possible given how obsessive he was about it. Yet the leopard had slipped through his defenses, unknowingly to the titan sneaking in to snatch up some food. He had smelt @Torben at the same time the scent of the leopard met his nose and the titan wasted no time in following the conjoined scents. He hadn't much time to spend with the albino man since his arrival in Duskguard and he hadn't anticipated their first, lengthy interaction to be accompanied by a snow leopard.

Tiberius wouldn't sit and leave one of his Duskguardian's to fight off someone alone, no, those who called the Vale their home were his to care for, to ensure that they were surviving and happy. Not dying so soon after joining. His molten gaze was alive with fury, a blaze that was unwavering as he saw the way the leopard held Torben by the scruff, the wolf batting at it to release him. Tiberius snarled, the sound rumbling and deep from his throat as he lunged forward. His main goal would was to get the leopard to release Torben.

He aimed to collide with the leopard, seeking a hold on the feline's own scruff as he used his body mass as his weapon. ^^

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The man came in so suddenly that Torben yanked himself backward. He fully expected there to be another attacker, his nose stuffed full of cat scent. Gross. He never seemed to conjure a memory that liked the smell of feline. Thankfully, he yanked himself clear of the leopard just as the dark-hued man collided with it.

With that beast thrown to the side roughly, Torben turned to confront it. He flickered one red eye at Tiberius, a low grunt of acknowledgment - of thanks. There would be time later too. His scruff smarted but he didn't feel much blood drip. It wasn't like he hid his previous scarring anyway if it came to burn on him forever. The cat would try to recover quickly, but he was already there.

Torben moved fast for a hefty man, all things considered. He was motivated, so there was no slacking on his part. He turned at the last moment. Due to the size difference, he more or less jerked a limb upward to collide with the cat's neck. It would potentially send a shockwave through their system, and he saw the cat's shock flicker in its eyes. A gag of gasping for air lost.

But while he had the feline in his grasp, Torben bent his neck. It was like giving a bearhug, only vicious. He gripped the back of the cat's neck and held it in his jaws, slowly closing around them.

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By nature he was a protective man yet also by nature, one that had been withheld due to dramas, responsibility and growth, he was a touch bloodthirsty. He had been just shy of a year when he had helped take the life of a trespasser, when he was more rambunctious and training, touched by hurt from the moment of his birth. Tiberius hadn't blinked twice then, going so far as enjoying it for she had done wrong and he had been able to punish her for it. She had been given the chance to leave with her life intact but she had chosen to continue the disrespect upon a land that wasn't hers.

She had lost her life for it.

Tiberius had revelled in it.

As he was now, it seemed. He was goddamn stressed, okay and this creature was trespassing, not to mention attacking one of his own. Tiberius snarled as he skidded in the snow, catching himself on more solid earth as he turned, watching Torben attempt suffocation from the felines throat. The titan shot forward as he came from behind the cat, encasing its squirming body with his own and pressed down, enjoying knowing that it squirmed with fear. Tiberius gripped it scruff with his own teeth, chomping down with angry teeth. More pain for it was fine, it was meeting its end soon enough.
^^

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Torben had been in one fight after the other with predators, it would seem. The thrill was lost on him, fueled solely to protect and not harm. If the leopard had fled, he would have chased it. It decided to fight, stand its ground and own that it had been trespassing. Boldness or ignorance was replaced with regret. Fear. Terror of losing its' life. It shook and snarled and fought violently. 

The albino earned a few scratches and even bites to tell about later. He didn't focus on the pain or the bleeding of wounds. He held on, his jaws clamped around the neck as Tiberius took the cat from behind. He growled lowly through the toned neck but knew the cat had no chance of escape now. Not with both of them on either side, attacking and wounding. The leopard grew faint, the light leaving its eyes as it grew limp.

Torben let go, allowing it to collapse. A panicked flow of breath escaped it one final time - before it stopped. The eyes glazed over. Dead. He spits the disgusting cat blood to the side, cringing at the taste even leaving his mouth. Two leopards, one bear. He had fought them so far and won - with help. A splutter of breath left him, huff-sighing. "Sorry" he breathed to Tiberius, sitting now. He feels faintly exhausted.

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It was over for the feline once two had started to wail on it, trapped between black and white, tooth and claw. It flailed, continued to fight as it's instincts remained intact but surely it knew it was done for. Tiberius had kept his grip, teeth embedded into the flesh of it's neck as it flailed and fought, Torben keeping his own grip on the delicate flesh of it's neck and drained the life from it.

Tiberius felt it, the way it grew limp in his grip. It had no life left and Tiberius spat it out, stepping back as he drew his tongue along his lips to lap up the wayward blood. "Ain't git nothin' ta be sorry fer, mate," he rumbled as he glanced down to the feline. "Ain't never no need ta be sorry fer defendin' Duskguard." ^^

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The albino let out a weak chuckle, shaking his head. "Ain't that" He felt proud he had been able to do something, contribute something... But he still felt the early settling of exhaustion "been fightin' since I got here. Bear, leopard... 'Nother leopard." He shot the body a firm look as if thinking it'd rise again.

Or just call out a horde to Duskguard. "Hadn't the time to settle down, rest" Torben lifted his head, forcing his nose skyward so not to droop too much "afraid ya ain't seeing me at my best" he rumbled an explanation. Just a quick fight knocked the wind out of him? Terrible. Unacceptable. He opened his eyes. "yer, ah, Tiberius?"

His nose twitched in the scent of his leader and packmate before lowering. "Others told me what ye look like. I'm Torben. Friendly nighttime albino" He smiled uneasily, through his pain "guess I cannae shake the scratches off this time" He glanced at Tiberius "could ye point me to a healer?"

He didn't know if Priestess Olive was available, and he assumed she was into the healing parts. But she had pups to deal with during this time. He hadn't seen Soledad lately, and Aries... hunted? He didn't know what Aries did outside of enjoying a hunt.

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"Sometimes it's like tha'," he rumbled, "especially in tha Tundra, mate." Tiberius mused, not entirely surprised that he had fought more than one foe but certainly not happy that he was in so many rumbles. "Ain't fer everyone an' it shows yer spirit ta give them shit righ' back," he nodded as he regarded the albino man. "Maybe fer a while yer stay within tha Vale's 'eart, yeah? Rest up. @Genghis an' I git it," wouldn't do him any good to be too tired too soon.

He nodded, "aye," supposing he wasn't entirely hard to remember or place if someone described him. He nodded, "yeah, mate, I'll take yer ta @Aries. Am sure she's 'round 'ere somewhere," Tiberius decided, hoisting himself up and leading him towards where Aries might be, her name on his tongue as he called for her. ^^

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She was a bit tickled pink to be called over due to medical duties ; Olive was the key opponent within Duskguard as the resident doctor, and she was but a helper. Aries knew her knowledge lacked and she was still learning, appreciate the Priestess a lot for showing her more onto the ropes of what it takes ; at the very least, she had some sort of affinity, much to her relief. Enough where the other trusted her as a momentarily midwife.

She was gathering herbs within her pouch, gathering a mixture of some to help any bleeding, wounds.. Couldn't forget the poppy seeds, glancing at the sometimes rather addictive substance but otherwise a great helping. With so, Aries with the make-shift satchel came forth to the scene!

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Aries was called to the scene, and they waited in near silence. Torben knew if something came knocking on this Vale's door, threatening others, he'd try his best to protect them all. Genghis, Tiberius... He knew them to be guardians too now. It helped to know who to rely on. Sometimes Torben thought he had to do everything himself, considering the world he had come from.

Late night patrols had been his duty. He barely had any men or women to help with that. He slumped down, weary from waking up and the fights. His little past catching up with him. He nodded to Aries as she approached, forcing a smile. Not because of anything she did, but because it even hurt to curl his lips. Torben didn't know her to be a healer until now. It'd be useful information down the line.

"I got, erm, a bit clawed" he remarked to Aries. Though it was pretty obvious, the way his snout smarted and his neck and shoulders were bright red. Sometimes it didn't help to have pale fur.

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Torben slumped, exhausted and likely in pain. Aries came not long after and he glanced to the albino has he told her of his well being. "Tha lad fucked shit up," he mused, commenting on the way Torben had ensured the safety of Duskguard. Pride was in his voice but concern laced itself not long after. "Needs ta be taken good care of, Aries," the titan requested but knew he really didn't need to tell her. Aries was good at what she did, hearing from Olive of the willingness to learn and the skills she already held but seeing it in action when she came to be with Olive at the birth of the children in case she needed tending to.

"Yer gonna be righ' as rain, Torben," Tiberius assured him but didn't seek to leave. Torben had defended Duskguard and the titan would remain with him as he got tended to, ensuring nothing came to interrupt. Torben was due a rest after his constant battles.^^

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"Here, this should help dull some pain.. Only a few though." As she unrolled the satchel and a plethora of herbs was unleashed in that bundle, she picked through and sat an amount of poppy seeds onto the ground ; just enough where it should help dull some pain. Aries winced lightly as she looked at the injuries through the pale skin, scraps and bruises, how it reddened and bled. 

"Please lay on your stomach," as she would need to properly apply medicine in the most obvious places. All over to say the least, but more safer around then of the stomach — not a life and death situation that Aries felt relieved with as she smiled at Tiberius, but it was still one needed to be treated, "what happened?" as she asked, the snow-hare was waiting to apply some snow on the more reddened, and bloody areas.. Ah even his face had some, she would usher to lay all the way down.

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