So you think that you can take me on?

SHE SAYS THAT BEAUTY IS PAIN

Magg attempted to get her three paws back under her, but she was having difficulty and the danger of her position was not helping for the anxiety it now caused her. All at once, there was no one else to worry about but herself, her sister and father both gone in a blink. She could only stare after Nash's back, a small "Dad?" leaving her lips without her meaning it. A brief moment of utter vulnerability, as though she were still a child.

Galen's raucous barking broke her from it. The bear had regained its footing much more quickly, and given she had never managed to separate herself from the beast, that meant she was underfoot. Her tail was yanked by one paw and another swiped with enough force to knock all air from her chest and send her rolling. Pain shot through her body and every thought outside of her own survival was banished completely.

Magg desperately tried to get back onto her paws and flee the entire situation, no matter how few opponents remained.

AND THERE'S BEAUTY IN EVERYTHING

A cacophony of snarls, yelps and roars rang in his ears, seeming to come from all directions, and Leo was far too preoccupied to zero in on any of them. Whatever was happening with his pack mates and the other bears might as well be miles away at the moment, as he dueled the adult on his own. The beast was far too big for that though, its continuing rear lifting his scrabbling hind paws off the ground, leaving him to dangle dangerously.

But his jaws held their steal grip, trying to weight down his opponent as he kicked out with a - now free - back leg, scraping his claws through the dense, stomach fur, not causing much damage. The bear let out a pained bellow non the less, and out the corner of one eye, Leo saw one front paw coming up, readying to strike. And he could do nothing to stop it.

Torn between the horrible options of releasing his grip and taking the fall, leaving him possibly injured right beneath the beast; or clinging on and taking the blow, with whatever terrible damage that might cause, Leo found himself frozen. All he could do was close his eyes and wait, one heartbeat, two… And then everything suddenly inverted, his belly rolling as the bear was pulled off balance, tumbling sideways and hitting the gravel, hard!

His jaws parting with the blow, a strained yelp escaped Leo’s throat as the air was knocked from his lungs and white-hot pain shot through his shoulder. And just for a moment, his world went black.

”Speech" Thoughts

dawnthieves.de &
Twimperology @DA

Everything was going so wrong so fast. Nash looked over the scene of devastation. His pack had answered quickly and he was sore, but he could see more injuries coming. Having determined Eclypse would be okay he'd sent her back to the den and limped back toward the fray. Only the sow was left now, and Leo lay limp on the ground. Panic shot through him. He barked, loudly. "Everyone together!" With a coordinated attack they could drive her after her cubs and away from a prone Leo - and out of their territory.

"As one! Watch out for her paws! Let's get rid of them at last!" He surged forward, trusting his pack to have his back, and latched into her shoulder with a heavy snarl. He was sure he would feel it worse later, but Aquene would be able to help. For now his goal was to protect his pack and he would take whatever injury came his way in the process.

Together, they could do this.

Fade