Moon Blink

Moon Blink squinted his eyes at the snow that billowed up around him, grasping at his tail and pale fur like an impish pup trying to incite a round of play. But the youngster himself wasn't so keen on a game right now, not when his paws felt half-frozen and he couldn't tell which direction he'd come from. He used a broad paw to swipe some snow from his face, but it was covered again with a light blanket of dainty white crystals just seconds later. The wind was simply too fierce, and the snow coming down too heavily. He couldn't see more than a few yards ahead of him; there was no way Moon would be able to scout the mountains where his safe, warm home lay, nestled safely among the stone and trees.

Flattening his cinnamon-tipped ears, Moon Blink called off his attempt to make it back home before nightfall. Answering to self preservation, the youngster scuttled down the side of an esker and curled up in a tight ball. With his nose tucked deep into his plush tail, Moon waited for the snow to bury him, and cover him like an insulating blanket, where he could wait out the storm.

Shadowstep & Erathi

Moon Blink wasn't alone on his journey, at least not for long. His absence hadn't gone unnoticed, and Tersek was quick to send Shadowstep and Erathi out to find the wayward youngster. Shadowstep had initially followed his scents and footprints, making it all the way out to the Eskers before the squall had eventually covered his tracks and the wind scattered his scent.

"I can't follow a damned thing in the weather." The big cat hissed, with her broad head pushed downward and eyes squinted against the assailing snowflakes. The cold didn't really bother her, not with her tiger heritage, but it didn't mean she enjoyed trudging through the storm either. "Erathi, can you manage one more flight?"

The falcon resting on her nape exhaled heavily, but that was all the more she protested. "I can. Can't promise anything with this snow, but I'll see what I can see." Erathi shot up, pushing off from the liger's plush, warm fur, and embracing the immediate sting and lash of the cold winter storm. Her wings pumped and upward she went, moving swiftly until she was all but lost in the chaotic swirl of white.

Tuini, Spotlight, Autumn Sun, & Khala

Like her half-sister, Khala was beginning to struggle in the storm. It had been relatively clear when they'd set out from the northern prairie, but by the time she'd relocated Moon Blink and the others, the storm had unleashed, and now the raptor was fighting the snow and winds. But she had two advantages on her side; she was larger than Erathi, and her white plumage, a gift of her mother Kalina, meant she was perfectly camouflaged by today's weather. Fighting against the freezing zephyrs, Khala locked onto her prey and dove headlong, falling from the sky like a rocket. Here and there she'd shift a wing to align herself, and when she got close enough, her deadly talons unfurled as she prepared for a strike against Erathi's back...

Autumn Sun had eventually switched places with Spotlight during the trek, and now took charge of the hunt. In single file they jogged, correcting their course whenever Khala reappeared through the swirling blizzard to let them know how close they were getting to their prey. And once they were near enough, Autumn finally spotted the faint, grayed silhouette of Shadowstep in the distance. She alerted her pride and dropped into a stalking crouch, ears back and head lowered. "I don't see the mutt Khala mentioned, but a single wolf won't be a problem."

Tuini's eyes were trained on their quarry. "You and Spotlight can have first go; Oracle and I will find the dog, and make sure Shadow doesn't get away." So saying, the lion drew back, letting the larger felines take lead while he slunk to Oracle's side. "Hear that? We're going to make sure this Haunter doesn't escape." He was looking to her now, studying her face for any signs of hesitation or a change of heart.

Autumn, meanwhile, was already charging forward, with Spotlight not far behind. The pair powered trough the snow, sending curtains of it flying up in the wake of their giant paws. Autumn was silent, rushing in and leaping for Shadow's back, claws and fangs outstretched to grasp whatever part of her she could. Spotlight came in from the side, a bellowing roar announcing his presence as lunged for her face and neck...

Moon Blink

Moon Blink was all but buried in the snow, and none the wiser for what was happening a few yards away from him. A blanket of white now covered his form, until he looked like little more than a lump of white on the ground. Nothing more than one of the countless shrubs or rocks that were likewise covered by the billowing snows. His nose was tucked deep into his tail, and his ears flattened back so not even they poked up above his snug winter blanket.

Shadowstep & Erathi

Erathi hadn't seen the the approaching danger right away, and in the snowstorm, there was no obvious shadow to alert her of the incoming threat. It was only by virtue of a chance head tilt that she spotted the spread of wings rocketing towards her at all. The little falcon gave a piercing cry and attempted a sharp roll to the right, daring to flip around in mid-air to expose her talons and lash back at the much larger Khala.

"Moon!" Shadowstep roared into the billowing winds, and felt her voice thrown right back at her, along with a healthy amount of snow. She stopped to fruitlessly paw the flakes from her face, then ceased walking all together. She was just looking up to try and locate Erathi when the raptor uttered a cry so loud that Shadow instinctively flattened her ears back. "Wha-"

Something heavy hit her back and she went down. Immediately the big cat twisted, trying to wiggle free of whatever had landed on her. Jaws and fangs grasped and tore at whatever they could...

Oracle

The pup was of no concern to Oracle, a fact that allowed her to hold Tuini's scrutinizing gaze as she focused on the supposed canine that was hiding around here somewhere. It was Shadowstep that gave Oracle some reservations, and she did her best to put her old packmate out of her mind.

'This is the life I want.' The ligeress reminded herself firmly, tamping down the guilt that was welling up. 'This is the price of my freedom.'

"None of them will escape." The words left her maw, without feeling as though they really had come from her. The pale-coated cat lifted one heavy paw, and then the other, until she was sprinting wide around the opposite side of Shadowstep. Just far enough back that she could make out the giant forms of the three attacking cats, without being in their line of attack.

Tuini, Spotlight, Autumn Sun, & Khala

Tuini nodded to his snowy companion, a small, delighted smirk crawling across his muzzle. He may not fully trust her yet, but he was encouraged by her response, and watched with satisfaction as she bounded around the opposite side of the embattled trio. For his role, Tuini covered the other side, moving in closer than Oracle had so that he could jump in and help with the fight if it Shadow somehow bested either of his pridemates.

A yowl arose from the fight, marking the moment Shadowsteps' claws raked across Autumn's face and nose, very nearly taking one eye. She threw herself again at the other cat, jaws going directly for Shadow's face, while clawing at her neck and shoulders...

Having a better time of it, perhaps because Autumn was taking the brunt of the abuse, Spotlight tore into their enemy without mercy. He bit again, this time trying to grab a shoulder while reaching his claws for her sides...

For the falcons, there was no draw of blood yet. Khala cursed when her own talons dug through enemy feather without hitting the soft skin below. Flapping laboriously, she tried to maintain her position in the air and lash again at the other, going for the soft underbelly as Erathi dared to flip around and expose her vulnerable parts.

Shadowstep & Erathi

-Oracle?- Shadow thought she heard the other's voice. No, she knew she'd heard it, and it turned her blood cold. She would have called her packmate's name, but had no attention to spare to such things as she struggled against her rivals. Snow and frozen chunks of loam flew as she thrashed about, blood and fur dotted the ground around them. Most of it was hers, and as she yanked her head back to narrowly avoid the crushing jaws of Autumn, Spotlight's dug into her exposed shoulder. Claws simultaneously raked her sides and she yowled in protest, thrashing again to try and break free, while lashing her own claws at Autumn's face in a bid to keep her from biting at least. She twisted around then, trying to turn her jaws against Spotlights's face, and latch onto his sensitive nose...

Above the bedlam, a now upside down Erathi was plunging her talons directly for Khala's own underbelly...

Tuini, Spotlight, Autumn Sun, & Khala

Tears immediately sprung to life in Spotlight's eyes as his tender nose was pierced by a fang, along with his sensitive mug. He tore his face away from her clutching jaws, losing a whisker or two in the process, and roared his defiance back in her face, "You'll pay for that one!" The giant liger threw his weight at her then, using his claws to dig at her upper body as he turned his gleaming fangs straight for her throat...

Autumn Sun had the luxury of dodging away from Shadow's swinging claws while Spotlight was busy taking the abuse of their enemy's fangs. She winced for his pain, and used that brief window of time to reposition herself for a better attack. When Spotlight threw himself at the other, Autumn went for the hindquarters, trying to latch onto any part she could grab with fang and claw, and pin the other cat down...

Tuini was watching this go down with cold satisfaction. He was pleased with Oracle's behavior so far, and seeing Shadow was on the loosing end of this fight, the lion finally stalked forward through the raging storm, squinting his eyes a bit against the bits of mane that were being whipped about his face. He stopped within pouncing distance of his daughter, a grim expression upon his long face, "It really does pain me Shadow. We tried to save you and the others, but..." The sigh he gave was lost to the raging zephyrs around them, "..your blood is on the Haunter's paws today. If only they'd not been so greedy, you could have been with us, part of our pride."

The plight of the big cats was going unregistered by Khala. The storm was making it difficult to keep herself in the air, and she felt them descending closer and closer to the ground as they traded lashing blows. She twisted and turned, trying to avoid her sibling's talons, but one got through, and a smattering of red soon stained her pearly white underside. With an incensed screech, she not only plunged her talons for Erathi's throat, but folding her wings back, hoping to drag the other straight into the ground below...

Shadowstep & Erathi

Shadow's eyes went wide when Tuini stepped forward with his proclamation, delivering a speech as cold and biting as the winds that roared about them. She didn't have time to answer him back, or even contemplate the meaning of what he'd offered, as Autumn and Spotlight were relentless in their assault. She lost sight of her father as the Autumn came down on her, forcing Shadowstep to the ground, where she writhed and attempted to bring her hind claws about to kick the aggressor away. But then Tuini came in, rushing for her throat before she could tuck her chin in. Darkness came quickly to her vision, and then... all was silent.

Fairing little better than her friend, Erathi's plight when from good to dire in the stroke of a single talon strike. Smaller than her sister, those talons dug deep when they struck her neck, and she felt the two of them hurtle to the ground. The snow at least cushioned their fall, but now Erathi was on her back and under the clutches of a larger raptor. She felt a steady weakness sap at her strength as fire seemed to burn in her throat. "Wait!" She breathed out, her screech rising above the howl of the winds, "Spare me, please!"

Oracle

Wherever Lupanare's son was, Oracle couldn't find him. She turned back towards the fighting, keeping an eye on the progress just as she'd vowed to do. And when it became apparent that Shadowstep was going nowhere, the ligeress set her sights on the other pair of combatants and began to stalk their way. Feathers flew as she watched the two hit the ground in a tangle of beating wings and clutching talons.

"We don't want any word getting back to the Haunters too soon." Oracle murmured beneath her breath as she loomed above pair of raptors. With a careful reach, Oracle stretched a paw down to crush the struggling Erathi - the last thing they needed was to be ambushed by the Haunters in this storm. And... she wasn't quite ready to face the reactions of her former packmates.

Erathi

A hail of feathers littered the ground around the two struggling avians, and the more Erathi struggled, the further she sank into the snow. She tried to strike at Khala's neck, to force her back so she could wiggle free of those powerful claws, but her size put her at a severe disadvantage.

And then a shadow fellow over them, and for a brief moment, Erathi's squinted gaze swore she saw Velvet peering down at them. But the fur was too pale, and in a heartbeat she recognized the feline's daughter. "Oracle...!" Before she had time to register any confusion at the liger's words, a paw larger than herself came down, and quietly snuffed the raptor's life.