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Seph nodded, even though he knew Zephre couldn't see it. Leaning down he picked up the piece of meat he'd been carrying. Regardless of the circumstances he'd still refused to drop it until he'd jumped in front of the Hyena. The warm blood dribbling down his muzzle might have added to the reason why it had fled from him. Whether this was fact or fiction didn't really matter much to Seph though, instead he just padded away towards the Den.

Once he was there he stood at the entrance and dropped the chunk of Oryx meat, then let out a small cry, just to get the attention of the others. Licking part of his jaws as he waited a moment in silence, he then spoke "Tami, Zephre has asked me to tell you to start treating the injured. He'll arrive in a bit." After that Seph waited silently outside the den for a response.

Gado grunted slightly, speaking as he surveyed the area with his eyes and ears "Hyena's attacked. They swiped two cubs, both have been taken back alive. Three of the Hyena's are dead, the fourth escaped. Bianca has been injured, but otherwise everyone seems to be okay" Gado words came out more like a status report then the answer to a question, but that didn't really matter to him. Seeing the danger had passed for a moment, Gado rose his left paw and began to lick the blood from his claws, his ears still trained and alert.

((I am afraid we've lost Acebirchy for a while, that means Mahora, Azure and Jaqueline are gone. If no one wants the position I'll put Raiden in as Outrider second to help with the plot.))

Brindle met Calyn's eyes, but there was no anger there. Slowly she leaned over and put her chin on the back of her second's neck, the feline version of a hug.
"You're always so selfless. I couldn't scold you, I'm too proud of you right now for that."
Then she grew a little more serious, "If you think now would be better, then go, I will say you've gone to the healer's den though. For now I don't want anyone else to know you've left.

((Hey Thymeast, do you want me to come up with a way to heal Calyn's wounds faster? It seems they are getting in your way a bit.))

When Zephre had finally calmed the cub down enough he picked her up ever so gently in his huge mouth and began to carry her back. The smell of blood was thick in his nose, both hyena and pride cat. He would have his work cut out for him it seemed.
Making a quick detour to his den he gathered the remainder of one herb and others that may serve as substitutes, at least until he could replenish his stores.
The cub by this time had insisted she walk as Zephre began to joke with her about the experience to take some of the fear away.
When they returned to the den sight the cub was also carrying some of the herbs, the ends dragging in the dust behind her.

"Sorry Tami," he apologized as the cub dropped her load and pattered over to Bianca, mewling in distress at the state of her den mother.
Zephre knew Tami wasn't yet comfortable treating cats on her own. "I didn't mean to leave you hanging."

Raiden paced away from the den sight furiously. When the scout finally did answer his summons she was out of breath and panting heavily.
"Where were you?" Raiden's tone could have frozen half the savannah.
"Hyenas...chased them...to the borders..." the scout wheezed, she was a middle-aged lioness, lean and small.
"And while you were doing that more slipped by you and attacked the den!"
The lioness' eyes widened and she shrunk back under Raiden's furious stare.
"F-forgive me. I didn't anticipate that-" She was cut off by a savage blow to the jaw, which knocked her back and left her scrabbling for her feet in shock.
"You had better learn to anticipate then. Get out of my sight, your punishment will be decided later."
In truth punishments were only applied to traitors..but if Raiden obtained power...that would change.

Raiden watched her run, a smile snaking its way across his muzzle.
Gen, the tiger came up behind him.
"Things are moving more quickly now. We act tonight."

((yes please... *will worship you forever* For now I'll have her go to Miros. Do whatever you want, even if it does require a bit of control over her.))

Calyn nodded. "I'll be back soon, we'll send word somehow once I make it to Miros." she said softly, nuzzling Brindle gently. "Don't worry, Brindle. I'll be careful, they won't find me." she added, hoping it would reassure her. She paused a second, watching her then looking back to the rest of the pride before she started to pull away, fur blending with the tall grass and hiding her. She moved as she would when hunting, careful of where she stepped and never moving much faster than a easy walk or stepping very loudly. She'd need to stay hidden in order to sneak out of the pridelands. "Please don't let him have gone elsewhere." she murmured, hoping Miros was where she'd last seen him.

Tami nodded, obviously relieved when Zephre came up. She'd tended to one of the other cats, somewhat hesitant to approach Bianca. And she hadn't exactly demanded the treatment so far, as had the other cat. "What do you want me to do?" she asked, calmer now that he was here and wanting to help.

Dene jumped, quickly limping to hide behind her sister. The new cat frightened her, and she made a small mewling sound as she pressed her stomach to the ground. Her ears were flat and her nose was placed between her paws as she tried to make herself as invisible as possible.

Etana whirled to face the snow-white cat, her tawny eyes boring into his as she lifted her lip in a snarl. She placed herself directly between the male and Dene, her head lowered as she glared up at him.

"She's hungry, and sick," the leopard growled. "Surely even you wealthy Pridelanders aren't too stuck-up to have mercy on a cub," she continued, a low blow to the white male.

((If ya like I could step up to second, unless it's just easier if Raiden did. ^^;; ))

Thela nodded as Gado explained. She felt guilty that the outriders had failed in their duty, and angered that she hadn't been there to help stop the fight. However, it seemed that things were getting under control. The healers were here for Bianca, and both cubs were now safe.

Cats milled about anxiously, many tense from the attack. Even Thela felt extra alert, even though it was highly unlikely that further attacks would take place, not with how badly it turned out for the hyena's.

"Let's let the healers do their work. We should form a perimeter just in case," the jaguar said to Gado and the other outriders who were just milling about. It would be best just to protect the main den for right now, within earshot of one another.

As she moved away from the incident, she noticed Raiden speaking (and then hitting) another outrider. It didn't take much for Thela to figure out that the lioness' area was where the hyena's came from. She recalled their route and plotted the direction the hyena's came from. They may need to increase patrols in that area in case they came back for revenge.

Once at a suitable distance, Thela began to quietly pace, still hyped-up from the attack. Unbeknownst to her, Seph was within calling distance away at the hunter's kill, talking to the two interlopers...

Etana didn't really know what to say to the snow leopard. If he had tried to run her off, or if he had ordered her to come back with him to be dealt with by the leader of the Pride, she would have known what to do. She hadn't expected him to calmly explain himself to her. He didn't owe her that; even Etana knew that much.

In the midst of the awkward silence, Dene gave a sneeze that shook her whole body. It was followed by another, and another. Etana's stance softened somewhat as she turned to the cub behind her. She licked the little one's nose, then ran her sandpaper tongue up Dene's muzzle to her head, smoothing the fur there and reassuring the little leopard. She made certain, however, to keep her body between the male and Dene.

((So is their like a patrol rotation or something? I'm a gonna guess there is, or otherwise my post won't make much sense. sweatdrop Probably won't anyway, ahaha... ))

Thela's ears flicked back in annoyance briefly before she answered Gado. "My patrol had ended; I was to report if anything was wrong, and then I was to rest until my next patrol. But why would I idly stand by when this is going on," she said in a quiet but forceful tone. Her tail lashed a few times, showing her anger at the situation.

She attempted to walk around Gado, to set out what she originally had planned to do.

((For now lets just continue on with the assumption that there is some sort of rotation or something like that.))

Gado nimbly stepped back in front of Thela, his face remaining placid "If you were or are tired, in that kind of situation you would do nothing but get in the way. We have outriders stay behind to watch the Den for a reason." The old cats whiskers twitched slightly, almost like he found something amusing for a moment. The foolishness of youth....

Looking back, Seph stepped out of the bush, walking around Etana in a wide arc back to the Oryx. Leaning down he took a large chunk of the left over meat in his jaws and tore it out. Then he returned to his previous position and began heading for the den at a slow pace, easy for someone with a squirming burden to follow. His ears swiveled this way and that, inspecting the area around him. His paw steps were light and bouncy, the walk of a cat built for movement in high altitudes.