[Tala]

OOC - Any thread that has been posted before this one, are considered completed before this one happens. Which means anyone currently in acceptance threads as this plot unfolds is considered a member of the pride and may participate in this plot regardless if (their thread has been completed or not) or (their characters have been added to the rank list.) In this plot, a prior member of the clan that used to live in the cave Stoneclaw currently lives in, returns with an unfamiliar enemy hot on their tail. This enemy will be felled before the start of the plot, but they will later come in waves and those who chose to participate in the defense efforts will have full control over the enemies they fight. This will give you better freedom to A- kick giant chicken butts or B- gain some wicked new scars, or both. 

The waves of enemies will come days after the events of this thread. We will either make a separate thread for that second part, or just continue on in this one. We'll see how this goes. Questions and suggestions are always appreciated. And as always, have fun!

---

Her lungs burned, but she never stopped running and never looked back. There was nothing more to do for Calia. She had met the same fate as her stubborn son. Tala's paws slipped in the sand as she ran, nearly twice losing her footing. The bird followed her at a similar pace, though she knew it could have outrun her if it wanted. The beast enjoyed the chase, and she cursed inwardly knowing that she was just delaying the inevitable by continuing to run. She couldn't defeat it. Oh she would give it hell once it caught up to her! She certainly wouldn't go down without a fight! Tala would make sure to leave some scars to be remembered by, but she knew this was a fight she couldn't win.

Her lungs burned, and she knew the bird would catch up to her eventually, but she wanted to make it back home... if only to die in the place where she had grown. The pride had thrived for so long... and then it was like fate was against them. Sabres went missing, others got sick, then there were some accidents... and fights that didn't end well. Hard times bringing unnecessary risks, until all that was left of the clan was her, Calia and her son. Then Tenno spoke of revenge for his father's death, a brave sabre felled in a battle against the terror birds of the east. He hadn't listened to their pleas to give up his folly and left... and the days passed, and Calia slowly descended into madness out of worry for her son. Then one night, Tala awoke to find Calia had also left. She had gone after them, the last remaining members of her clan, but her bones were old and her joints ached and she had not managed to catch up to Calia. She had followed the tracks over the course of weeks, only to find tragedy at the end of the trail. Tenno had failed his flawed quest for revenge... and Calia had suffered the same fate as her son.

Then the birds had seen her, and Tala had fled. Believing she had escaped them she would rest, but they would always catch up on her trail no matter how hard she tried to fool them. She used up all the tricks she knew to get them off her trail, discouraging the group until one stubborn individual was left. That morning, he had picked up her trail again. Too far and too long she had run with little rest and food. They both knew this. So rather than trying to escape, to survive, she just wanted to make it home... or as close to it as she could, to see something familiar and comforting before leaving this world for the next.

Soon the tide pools came into view, and hope grew in her chest that she might see the cave before she died. That hope was shattered, the moment one of her paws slipped and she hit the sand. By the time she would get up again, she knew the bird would be on her. Looking back, she would see it getting closer, a determination in it's eyes that could only mean one thing: He was done with the chase, and he was coming for the kill. Tala stayed on the ground and snarled quietly, keeping her strength for when he reached her; for a chance to leave a mark on her killer.

[Roderik]

The pride was growing. New cats of all shapes and sizes came to the new Stoneclaw everyday. But they needed more, so much more in order for the pride to become even a portion of the great nation it had been before. Roderik was happy to have trustworthy cats by his side. Tiberous and Dahx were both wise in their own ways, and the young king felt blessed to have their knowledge and experiences to support him through his trials as a leader. It was.... the hardest thing he'd ever tried to accomplish, but it was also one of the most rewarding experiences of his life. To see the pride grow and prosper brought him a feeling like no other, and Roderik was ready to do anything to make sure it continued this way.

Now his sister was here too! Bringing along a niece as a pleasant surprise. He was an uncle now? How strange, and how fantastic! He was sure he would love her as much as he loved his big sister. Had she ever told her daughter the story of how she'd saved his life once? He would have to re-tell the epic tale, with a few exaggerations and dramatic pauses for good measure one of these days.

His father was also here...
This thought brought a weight to his chest. Roderik had expected everything else but what had happened with his father's arrival. He'd expected an outpour of love and support, but he'd gotten nothing of the sort. Rather than to offer his wisdom and experience to help him, Shai had done nothing but express his concerns about the current state of affairs. It seemed like in his father's eyes, he simply wasn't ready lead the pride. It had wounded him more than he had let it show. Part of him wanted to prove his father wrong. Tackle every task and rise to every challenge just to prove his worth. But honestly? He didn't need to prove himself to anyone... Stoneclaw was back, and yeah it was small but it was growing; just as he was growing as a leader. In time, hopefully, both would be worthy of the epic tales Ferdinand hoped to someday tell. If his father couldn't see that... then it was his loss. Roderik believed those who burned the bridges that stood between them, were simply losing what they didn't deserve. He only hoped his father would see this before it was too late and before the bond they had once shared was shattered forever...

The sounds of something falling into the sand brought him out of his daydreams, and Roderik looked out to the beach ahead of him to see a sabre on the ground. The color of it's pelt was unfamiliar to him... definitely not a member of Stoneclaw.... and... something was coming towards them. What..... what? WHAT WAS THAT? It looked like an angry chicken, but super sized!? One look at it's giant beak and it's chicken legs with the monstrous claws and Roderik knew that the other was in danger. Without wasting a moment, he ran towards the fallen sabre, hoping to get to them before the bird did. Getting to the other, Roderik jumped above them and landed on the other side, just as the bird reached them. Hoping to frighten the opponent, the monarch bellowed a powerful roar from the depts of his chest. The bird came to a halt, at first seemingly confused by this sudden appearance. It paced by a few steps from side to side as it kept moving it's head, and Roderik thought it might turn and run. But then the beast fluffed it's feathers and lowered it's head before letting out a sound unlike anything he'd ever heard before. It was the loudest mixture between the shriek of a bird, a roar, and something undefined he couldn't associate to any living animal he knew. It shook it's small flightless wings on each side of it's head, in something Roderik could only guess was an attempt at intimidation.

It was going to take a lot more than that to make him back down.

He snarled again and took a step forward, a clear signal for the other to either back down or fight. It was obvious by now that the fight was inevitable. Refusing to abandon the other, Roderik lunged the first attack, making sure to keep himself between the attacker and his intended victim. Claws raked against the side of the bird's head, just as the large claws from one of it's foot came down with an aim to his own face. He avoided them in time, the claws snagging on some of the fur at his neck and ripping some out. So it could use it's legs to fight? Okay... he'd remember that. Maybe if he took an aim for the creature's legs he might mobilize it in order to deliver a final blow. It was easy enough in theory, but every time Roderik tried to go for the beast's legs, he would have to move sideways or backwards to avoid the sharp beak. Aiming for the throat like he did with prey was not an option... he would find himself torn open by the sharp talons long before the bird suffocated.

He stepped forward, seemingly leaving himself open for attack, but the moment the bird would reach forward to grab at him with it's beak he would move to the side and try to attack it's head from there. Fangs met flesh but the hold was not solid and Roderik was forced to abandon it when claws from one of it's talons opened two straight gashes along his side. He took a few steps back, wanting to reassess the situation, but the bird gave him no chance to do so as it lunged for him again.

Another tactic, the sabre sidestepped and continued forward to position himself behind the enemy. From there, he grabbed hold of one of the talons with his mouth and gripped onto the other one with his claws. The beast fell onto the ground with a loud thud and began to trash about. One of it's legs was already too damaged to allow it to stand up again, and Roderik aimed to maim the second one the same.

He heard the cry from the other, but never got the chance to move in time. The birds head swiveled backwards and reached at him with that gigantic beak, sinking it into the flesh where his shoulder met his chest, right below the collar bone. Roderik wasted no time disconnecting his jaw from the creature's leg and grabbing hold of the soft spot behind it's jawbone. His fangs tore into the flesh of his neck as easily as the creature's beak had sunk into his own flesh. The two struggled for a moment, until one of them went limp under the other. Roderik stood up, the giant bird beneath him covered in blood; too much blood...

His vision began to swim as he looked down and realized he was bleeding heavily from a shoulder who's skin wasn't exactly where it was meant to be.

"...Fuck"

Famous last words.

[Shangra'la]

Twin Star of Stoneclaw                      "The only paradise is paradise lost." - Marcel Proust

The Twin Stars had been a bit further down the beach, sitting together in the sand and weaving seagrass into knotted chords that were slowly forming a net.  There was an abundance of food to be found on the beach, but most either flew too high or swam too deep for the wolves to catch.  Seabirds could be caught with the proper equipment, and so the budding young artisans had gotten to work.  Ronno and Shangra'la made an efficient team.  Intending to make a large net to corral fish, they had been at it for a few days.  The result was a net that was easily two sabers long. Then there was a commotion on the beach, and They heard Roderick roar a challenge.  Lala looked up from her work and then back to her brother.

"Some shit's going down. Come on, this may come in handy!"

Shangra'la dropped the grasses she had been spinning and frantically began rolling up the net.  She thanked the spirits for Ronno's clever idea to wrap the net around a large driftwood pole.  Most of it was already wound, and so all that was left to add was the mostly loose end they had been working on.  If there was an intruder, being able to catch them could be a great advantage.  If she could get an end lifted, Ronno, could duck under it and balance the pole on his back.  Lala would carry the other end, helping to balance it while she matched his pace.  A difficult task for less in-tuned individuals, but they had been entangled since the womb.  What bond was stronger than that?

It was lucky that the twins were not far away. They got there just in time to see the big take down.  But when she saw Roderick stumble, Lala realized that something was very, very wrong.  

"Roderick!"

Arina had sought to pass on her knowledge to her children.  They knew what bleeding like that meant.  The starchild's eyes widened in horror, and she began howling, a high, shrieking keen.  They had just gotten some semblance of their family back, were just starting to rebuild their lives.  Now their childhood friend was torn and bleeding from a monster suddenly in their midst.  Was there even a healer with them?

"HELP!"

They needed a healer. They needed... Arina's bag.  If there wasn't a healer close enough, she and Ronno had some training.  Her brother usually had it.  She frantically turned to look at Ronno.  Had he brought it with?  Lala's mind raced frantically as the terror set in.

[Tala]

For the mesure of bravery and fight she felt she had inside, Tala felt an equal measure of fear. She wasn't afraid of dying. She had, after all, lived a long life; something that wasn't given to many. She was, however, afraid of dying alone. As the giant bird closed in on her, Tala found herself giving in to the fear and closed her eyes. But even as she waited for the end, she found herself praying for a miracle.

The spirits must have been listening this one time. The sounds of footsteps in the sand made her open her eyes in time to see a large shape soar above her and land between her and her pursuer. The sound of his roar shook her to the core, and for a moment she wondered if it wasn't Auduril himself that had appeared. Was she dreaming?

The screech of the bird pulled her from her disbelief and she stood on shaking limbs to place some distance between herself and the two enemies. The young male seemed to be discovering the terror bird, testing it and learning it's patterns and moves. It seemed like he was gaining the upper hand on the beast. An opportunity to strike, gave the bird an opening. She screamed at him to watch out, but the bird's beak had already met its mark. The young sabre finished it's opponent, as though barely phased by the gaping wound between his shoulder and his neck.

"...Fuck"

She watched in horror as the blood quickly soaked his fur and rapidly pooled beneath him on the ground. It flowed in jets, by this she knew that one of the main arteries had been nicked and that unless she tried something, he would bleed to death before sundown.

"Lie down!!! Don't move!"

He eyes scanned the surrounding area. The tide pools nearby proved a blessing. She picked a piece of driftwood made dry by a full day in the sun and quickly wrapped dried seaweed at one of its ends. Her gaze swept the cliffs frantically, searching for a stone of a particular color and texture she knew well. Just when she thought there was none, she spotted some on the wall of stone and she rushed to it, carrying the makeshift torch in her maw. Raising her paw, she struck across the stone with her claws while holding the torch close. Tala closed her eyes as sparks flew off the wall and onto her.

When the seaweed wrapped around the driftwood took aflame, she carried it back to her injured rescuer. It was just then that she noticed there were others there that seemed to know and worry for the bleeding male. What's more... They were wolves? It was a strange occurence to her, but she had no time to waste upon such questions. She gripped her torch with a curved paw for a moment while she spoke.

"Hold him down if you can."

Taking the driftwood ablaze back in her maw, she gave the young sabre a look of apology before sticking the flames onto the wound. She would wrinkle her nose at the smell of burning flesh. She wondered if the youth would faint, many would have, but she did not pull the flames away until the wound was fully cauterized and had stopped bleeding.

Throwing her tool aside, she inspected the wound. It would take time to heal, and it would leave a terrible scar... The young male had lost a considerable amount of blood, but he would live. He had saved her life and she had saved his, but she did not consider her debt repaid quite yet. After all, the youth never would have been injured in the first place if he hadn't come to her rescue...

"There was no other choice" she offered as an apology, both to the boy and his canine friends. "You would have died otherwise, and I couldn't let that happen... Not after what you did for me".

She stared at him a moment and tears began to pool into her eyes.

"Roderik... I owe you my life." She wouldn't even had known his name if not for the fact she had heard it from the canine.

Her gaze rested on the corpse of the terror bird and she gave a shudder. She knew the others would not be far behind once they realized one of theirs had not returned. The beasts were ruthless when it came to hunting down prey. The fact she had escaped them had already riled them up. Now that one of theirs had been felled, she was sure they would come to exact revenge. Staying in the open wasn't safe anymore... But the injured youth couldn't very well just run home in the state he was in. It was then she noticed not far away, the net that the wolves had brought with them... A beautiful piece of handwork she would love to inspect at some other time, and which might very well suit their needs at the moment.

"Do you think your net might be strong enough to hold the boy so we can get him home?", She asked the wolves.

Together perhaps they could drag him on the beach and get him somewhere safer.

[Roderik]

Roderik heard his name being shouted and raised his gaze to see who had called for him. The simple motion of raising his head caused his vision to cloud up and his sense of balance left him. The young sabre stumbled, and while shifting his stance his left paw landed in a wet puddle. Slowly this time (he'd learned this quick lesson), he lowered his head to look into the ground. He didn't think they'd been so close to the tide pools. But looking down he saw what he'd stepped into wasn't a puddle of water, but a puddle of blood. Wow. Those birds bled a lot, he thought...

...until he saw it gushing out of his shoulder and realized it was mostly his blood.

"Lie down!!! Don't move!", He heard someone say.

The voice was unfamiliar, but he didn't look up to see who it was. Roderik just stared at the puddle of blood that grew larger by the second. Life was dumb like that, wasn't it? One moment you were there, making plans for the future, and the next you were contemplating your own end as you watched it all happen. Had it been the same for Taverin? Had he felt this equal mixture of fear and of anger? No, Taverin had seemed at peace, almost serene. Then why? Why was he unwilling to accept what seemed inevitable?

Because of Stoneclaw.

At least he would leave the clan in capable hands. Dahx would do the right thing and continue on without him... And his father... Roderik groaned, his joints buckling under him and causing him to go down. Ironically enough, it was the corpse of the terror bird that propped his back and kept him from completely going down. The twins were somewhere nearby, he could hear their voices but they seemed so far away... And in the distance he heard the other who's voice he once again couldn't place.

"Hold him down if you can."

What? Hold who down? The bird? He was dead. Why would anyone need to-

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??!!!!!

When his world exploded into pain, he hadn't been prepared. Thoughts became impossible. Yeah he had felt the initial wound. Despite the fact he had lost all feeling in his leg in his childhood, he had felt the bird tearing into his shoulder. It was painful but still on a level he could manage. But this wasn't manageable. It took his breath away and left him gasping. It felt like there was a fire in his chest that took over his blood and seared him from the inside. The pain was physical in every way. He could hear it in a busied white noise that took over everything. He could see it in the way the colors seemed to pop out and bleed on each other. He could smell it in the sickly smell of burning flesh. And he could feel it so that it took over all the other senses and blended the all into an experience that almost made him wish they'd let him die. Roderik didn't  know how much of it he would be able to take. Darkness lured at the corners of his vision though he fought to stay conscious.

Then the pain began to settle into a pulsating burn, and he realized why as he caught sight of the very sabre he had saved tossing away a bloody stick on fire aside. Had.... Had she shoved that in his wound? What the hell???

"F-... You.... Ngh... What is WROnG with yoU??? Ahhh...."

"There was no other choice. You would have died otherwise, and I couldn't let that happen... Not after what you did for me. Roderik... I owe you my life."

"Uhhngh... Remind me.... Never to ...d-do you any favors ever again... Ahhngh... Okay?"

He felt drained, for lack of better words. Looking around at the scene, it wasn't hard to see why. Roderik closed his eyes, trying to focus on his breathing and perhaps gain a bit of control on the pain he was experiencing. He wasn't sure what manner of plants or product Amabelle had found for pain management. All he knew is he wished he had a bucket of whatever it was right now.

"Do you think your net might be strong enough to hold the boy so we can get him home?"

Net? Hold? As in carry? Ha.. no.. no no no. No. Nooo....

"No", the word came out harsher than he meant to say it. "I..Nghnn...will not be seen by my people being ...*gasp*... carried."

Some would have called him stupid, or stubborn, or both, but Roderik prefered the term determined and goal oriented. He hadn't been the king of Stoneclaw for very long, and his reputation was still in its building stage. What would the others think of their so called king if they saw him being dragged back home, half dead, lying on a fishing net? No... He would find the strength to stand somehow.

[Amabelle]

Amabelle was, admittedly, not the fastest runner. Especially not when she was startled by yelling and rushed to grab all her herbs and items, fumbling over her large paws as she ran toward the source of the screams. More specifically, the cry for help. What really made her hurry was the smell of blood and burning flesh, certainly not a good combination in any situation. Especially not when she could hear an unfamiliar voice in the mix, although it didn't sound hostile. Goodness, she hoped she got there in time. She had to do her job, after all!

Coming onto the scene, the portly snow leopard took in what she saw with wide, pale amber eyes. A saber that she didn't know who looked like she had seen quite a few years. One of the wolves of the pride that she wasn't quite familiar. A dead... bird? Was that a bird? Did birds get that big around here? She had never seen anything like that, though it had feathers and a beak so she was sure it was a bird. A big one, certainly, but a bird. And it was dead, of course. Oh, and the king, writhing in pain from a cauterized wound.

"Oh yes you will, young man!" she said sharply, hurrying over with a frown on her normally smiling features. She smiled at the others, turning her attention to the king with a frown. "I don't care for your pride or reputation, I care for your health. And it sure wouldn't be healthy for you to be up and walking after killing that bird thing and having a wound burned shut," she scolded him, turning to look at Tala and asking in a quiet murmur, "He did kill it, right?" Regardless of Tala's answer, the leopard would set down her little baggy and look inside.

Pulling out three-pointed leaves and odd, long stalks tipped with feathery filaments, the leopard dropping it near her king's face before sitting with a firm glare. "Chew the leaves thoroughly then swallow regardless of how bad it might taste or else I'll feed it to you like a mother bird, and I can guarantee to you that it won't be pleasant," she said, gesturing to the broadleaf. Not the most clever name, but it worked. She looked toward the blades of crestt grass. Also not the most creatively named herb, but Amabelle wasn't exactly known for being the most creative of the bunch.

"This'll be mixed with some algae and be spread on your wounds when we get home. And no, you won't be walking home," she announced, strangely bossy despite her normally calm and sweet demeanor. It wasn't often that the snow leopard truly spoke off and stood her ground, but when the health of her pride-mates was involved, it was her primary concern, their opinions aside. Even if it was the king. Heck, especially if it was the king.

Looking towards Shangra'la and Tala, the snow leopard tilted her head. "Could either of you carry him? Uh, I don't know your names by the way. I'm Amabelle, if it helps!" she introduced herself, smiling sweetly despite the situation. If she were honest, she didn't think either could really do the job without a net handy. The saber... well, she looked a bit old, if Ama were honest. And the wolf just seemed so small. Amabelle knew she certainly couldn't drag the king along. Sighing, her tail lashed behind her as she tried to think of solutions.

"Oh. You have a net," she ended up commenting lamely, eyes landing on Shangra'la's net. "We'll have to be careful dragging him back, then, if we do. We don't want any rough treatment to reopen the wound or cause more potential damage." She looked around, eyes searching for someone else. Yes, there were three of them, but one of them was probably going to be occupied with keeping Roderik from doing something stupid and there was no guarantee that the other two could handle the king's weight. Where we all the bigger, stronger Stoneclaw members when you needed them?

[Tiberous]

Unbeknownst to the group ahead the golden saber was a few yards downwind of them exploring the coastline for a prime fishing spot that he planned to bring his fellow commander, a serious saber by the name of Dahx, for a day of fun. It wasn't hard to see that the brown warrior was keeping to himself and always seemed to be on guard.  Not that it was a bad trait to be so driven but the old saber believed that there was more to it than just a drive to prove himself. Then again Tiberous had always been more laid back than most who wore titles of familiar ranks plus he had not been a part of the old Stoneclaw like Dahx had been; which seemed to have been a time of great uncertainty and heartache from what he had heard from tales of his young king.

Perhaps he would be forced to deal with familiar struggles in due time but he had no idea that his seemingly unevetful day was about to take a turn for the worst as his black cupped ears twitched picking up the sound of voices being carried through the open air perking the fangs interest and drawing him in to investigate. He could continue his search for a fishing spot later for now he had to see what was causing such a ruckus. Whoever the voices belonged to didn't even seem to be trying to be keeping a low profile since he could hear bits of their conversation over the sound of the waves rolling in and out against the beach. Sadly, although he could hear different voices, he couldn't make out exactly what they were saying as he was still a fair distance away but close enough to know that people were speaking loudly and their tone seemed panicked? On edge? This didn't sit well with the golden guard as he started to picked up his pace. 

Only to stop after a few minutes of jogging.

His deep blue eyes observed the sand which had been disturbed by something large and....was that a....feather? The saber walked closer to the said item and was baffled at its size. He had seen a great variety of fowl during his years as a loner but never had he seen a bird capable of bearing feathers this big. He lowered his head towards it and sniffed the item. His nostrils flared as he processed the scent. No, this smell was unfamiliar to the guard captain but it was obviously indigenous to the area. Turning away from the feather he turned his attention to the large footprints that marred the soft golden sand around him. The creature walked on two legs, like most birds did, but the girth of the thing was unlike anything Tiberous had ever seen. Even his paw prints couldn't match the size of the tracks left behind by the creature.

You would need the paws of five sabers to match the size of one foot.

Whatever it was it was probably nearby judging by the freshness of the footprints. Deciding to keep moving Tiberous was eventually able to see the figures up head. He could make out the figure of their healer, Amabelle, tending to someone who lay still on the ground. Did he just hear her say something about a net? As he got closer he noticed her looking around before locking onto him. His eyes then fell towards the saber at her feet and he felt his blood run cold...Roderik?! He rushed up towards the scene worried for his young king and fearing the worst. "How is he," the fang inquired waiting for the healer to answer his question before the corpse holding his king caught his attention. Curious the golden saber moved towards its feet and was, somewhat, surprised to discover it bore the exact same foot shape of the tracks he had found further back. "We'd best get moving I don't want to find out if this thing has friends close by," he then turned his attention towards the three unfamiliar strangers, "you need to come as well we need to know who you are and what you saw."Sadly he couldn't treat them with the same kindness that Amabelle had been. They were possibly trespassers and seemed untouched where as their king lay in a puddle of his own blood. All Tiberous could offer them was a kind but firm tone , "we shall provide you with food and shelter for sometime until somethings clear up." More like until our King is able to tell us what happened and if his story matched theirs. Why couldn't things ever just be boring?