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Ever since the earthquake Finn had been in a mood. While he was snippier than usual with those in the caravan the yaeli outright ignored Katori. When spoken to he would answer in one word answers, do what was asked of him and then go on about his business. Day by day they were getting closer to her families sanctuary and he was no closer to calming than he'd been that very first day.

That very morning they'd split off from the group and were now on their own, much to his chagrin. The caravan itself would be heading down an opposing path, thus taking them further away from the North, so while it made sense in the long term he still wasn't pleased with the notion. At least around others he had a reason - an excuse - not to talk to her. Now? It was either her or the dirt.

At the very least they were passing through a smaller village - a trading outpost, really - when the rumors caught up to him. A beast as white as the mountain snows had been causing issues for a while now. It would strike just before the hunters could grab it and disappear for days before repeating it's actions. Something needed to be done!

Finn would have passed it up entirely if there wasn't the promise of coin and now here he was, traipsing about the Sauti-Zena border looking for a solid white beast.

Finn didn't care that she was being helpful; the yaeli stilled turned on Katori with the same venom as if she'd called him a slur. When he shook his head and moved to inspect the tracks it was with a scoff. At the very least it seemed like the locals weren't making up tales. He'd half expected to come all the way out here only to find a little moracker chewing through feed bags and tent flaps. These though...these were from something far more formidable.

While she moved forward, Finn stayed back to examine them further. There was something odd about the tracks that he couldn't place. The shifting snow didn't lend much in the way of an identity, but the snow looked like it had been messed around by something and not just the wind. Something long, and maybe-

-feathered?

A loud, shrill cry from above caused him to look toward the sky. Even if he couldn't see the beast just yet he knew they'd been spotted. By the time he did make eye contact with it a massive Chiavi was slammed him onto his back, massive talons clenching around his shoulders and biceps like prey.

Finn dropped his staff in favor of grabbing hold of the talons currently digging into his flesh. One was clamped on his right shoulder blade, another onto his left bicep, but the one that truly stung was the one on the left side of his ribcage. The grip there seemed the most awkward so the Chiavi was doubling down on it's strength, clearly intent on keeping it's prey even as Katori made herself known.

He was lifted off the ground for all of a few minutes before the Chiavi was crying out. If anything the massive beast clung onto him harder until Finn singed it's leg with a burst of fire. With another shriek it flung him down onto the ground, and he landed with a hard thud that did his injured body no favors.

When it landed this time it was between him and Katori, one massive foot uncomfortably close to his head, as if defending it's prey from another predator.

Burning the chiavi alive would be a lot easier if he could breathe properly. Finn placed a hand over the puncture in his left side, holding it as best he could with what he assumed to be a broken collarbone on the right. Really sucked that Tacrith hadn't decided to come along at the last second, especially when he felt the urge to cough and his exhale gurgled.

Finn had no idea what he was even looking at. A giant avian, bigger than the kinfa he'd seen in Tale, with talons the size of blades. He rolled his head on the ground, doing his best to keep a visual on the events as they played out while trying to formulate a plan in his head.

The creature's feathers fluffed just from watching Katori and it lowered it's head. He may not have been savvy to the Northern beasts, but in his eye it looked like it was making itself seem bigger than it was which was pointless. Nothing would compare to this thing in size; he was sure of that much.

Without reason to argue, Finn closed his eyes and immediately grit his teeth against the sound. His lighter body actually rolled a few feet, and had the yaeli not reached out to grab the earth it might have been further! It might have been enough to stabilize him until Katori doze into him and they both went tumbling into the woods.

There was no hiding his wheeze or the resounding wet, bloody cough that came out of the act. "What the hell is that thing?!"

"Could you at least wait-?!" Finn had already been fighting a chill before the attack, but now a harsh shiver down down his body, causing his already wounded body to recoil. It wouldn't take the beast long to figure out where they had gone, or at the very least, to start searching for them. The smell of blood would be strong enough between the pair of them to draw it in.

He couldn't hold his stomach when the wound was being messed with and quickly turned his head to the side to vomit. Most was blood, considering they'd eaten hours ago, but in a strange way it felt better. Almost like he could at least breathe and that the pressure was gone. It was still sore and tense, with his collarbone still fractured, but at least he wasn't in any immediate worry of dying.

"It's...kind of acting like a mother? Like the xaraan back at the stable I worked at in Oba." Finn grumbled. It was a lot different than the beasts he'd saddled back in the sands, but the behavior was eerily similar. "...still doesn't make sense why she's been attacking people, though."

Just getting settled into a different spot caused Finn's stomach to roll. He very nearly repeated his earlier act, but the yaeli was able to keep himself steady. There were some choice words under his breath as he pulled the heavy wool over himself; mostly expletives about the North and what one could do with it.

Now that he could see the damage she'd taken as well Finn very nearly grabbed Katori's hand to pull her back. What was the use in keeping him behind if she looked like that? "Or if the egg was stolen." He'd seen it enough. Poachers staking out high value nests to run off with eggs or younger creatures. "Beast like that would sell for a lot and even if it's chicks weren't solid white their size would be enough."

So what? She was just going to go out there and wave around some food like a magic wand? His face was very expressive in the moment, but ultimately Finn sighed and leaned back against the tree. "Go on then; get. If you can't calm it down, though, I'm burning it. Job ends when the threats over."

Finn wasn't proud of how he handled himself after Katori left. The yaeli had tried to keep an eye on the area, but he felt his eyes fluttering closed. Blood loss coupled with his own exhaustion of the day and a sudden loss of adrenaline laid him low. While he was drifting he never actually fell asleep, though; instead Finn found himself jerking to consciousness at random bursts. Every sound woke him and he would turn sharp eyes toward it, one hand raised in defense, but it was always just sounds. Noises in the distance, not all of them pleasant, and spirits was his arm even supposed to hang that way?

By the time Katori came back with her bundles he was in a semi-state of comfort. Finn was used to bedding down in worse spots, with much more dire injuries, so while uncomfortable it wasn't the worst. He gave the ground beside him a pat and lifted the flap of her cloak. If he was cold then she must be too and...well, she looked like she needed it.

"You did good. I'm sure she'd say the same."