Redefining 'Lionhearted' [reserved]

[Holly]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] Cold, clear winter air parted around her, ruffling fur and feathers even as it supported her weight, thousands of feet above the ground. It was frigid, at such an altitude, but a necessity if she were to remain unnoticed. At her current height, from the ground she would appear as nothing more than a large bird, a silhouette against the clear sky. Any lower, and sheer size would mark her an oddity. The big cats that had claimed the Huntingrounds knew to keep an eye skyward. Thankfully, the prey she drifted in wait for was a bit less intelligent, and completely unaccustomed to airborne predators. With a tilt of her massive wings, she swept into an arch, circling high above the forest. The motion was accompanied by a flash of light, as the late afternoon sunlight glanced off gleaming feathers. Holly sighed, and stretched out lazily, the steady wind holding her aloft. She had been waiting for over half an hour, and was getting bored. The clearing she overflew was empty, a flat expanse of pristine snow. This is why I prefer scouting. At least then I’m actually doing something, not just waiting for a herd that may or may not show. Hunting was not her forte. Another few minutes crawled by without any change, tempting her to break out of her lazy circling pattern and perform aerial acrobatics for her own amusement. Her feathered tail flicked in an unconscious, cat-like response to annoyance, wobbling her flightpath slightly and causing her to sigh again. Her hawk form never had such a problem, but now that she had a flexible tail, it seemed to have a mind of its own. Rarely did it disrupt her flight enough to be a problem, but it did tend to take her by surprise. She yawned, then scanned the ground below. At the sight of a deer stepping out into open space, the feather crest around her head puffed out in excitement. Banking sharply, she glided over to a position directly above the herbivore, shadowing it as it wandered farther into the clearing. The talons on her forepaws unsheathed in expectation, larger and more powerful than any cat claw, but she waited for doe to get farther from the cover of the trees before making her move. Several others trailed after the first, nosing under the snow for the grass that lay beneath. Only when a dozen yards separated the intended target from the forest did Holly take a deep breath and pull in her wings, tipping into a steep dive. The earth rushed forward at a rapid pace as she plummeted, silent and focused. If the deer saw the shadow that suddenly appeared over them, they gave no sign - unlike smaller prey, their predators existed solely on the ground. Moments from crashing, she threw her wings wide, catching the air with a resounding snap that startled the herd into action, too late for escape. She slammed into the doe with the force of a wrecking ball, paws catching flanks and shoulders, beak closing on the back of its neck and breaking it with a sharp twist. The kill was over in less than a second. She released the doe to catch herself before she could fall from the momentum of her landing, wings pulling in to a partially folded position, half raised. Satisfied, she straightened, glancing around. The other deer had fled, of course, and the forest was quiet. However, as she bent to grab the carcass and haul it over her shoulders, a flicker of motion caught her eye. Holly spun toward it, dropping into a crouch with a low growl that seemed at odd with her eagle’s head. Two lionesses had slid out of the tree line and were prowling toward her, orange gazes fixed on her with predatory intent. A glance to each side confirmed that another two were approaching from her left flank. It was just her luck that she’d run into lions, who hunted as a group, as opposed to the other big cats that did so individually. Raising her voice to a carrying pitch, she addressed them in a mocking tone. “Come on now, we’re all cats here. Sort of. Admittedly, I have some abnormalities, but you’d have to take that up with the Keepers.” While she spoke, she calculated her chances of escape. It would take a few moments to get the deer situated on her back, and several more to get into the air. Even in the time it took to get a few feet off the ground, they could cross the distance and pull her down through sheer weight. And after all that damned waiting, she didn’t fancy leaving the deer behind. ooc; could NOT think of a decent title for this >.> words; 788

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[Crash]

[th][cs=3][rs=3][atrb=border,0,true][bg=000000] The lion waited silently, his pale sandy fur only a few shades darker than the snow around him. Though Crash wasn’t completely camouflaged, he kept unnaturally still, crouched low so that his thick belly fur was pressed deep into the snow. His icy blue eyes were locked onto his target, a rather plump-looking hare just a few yards away. He watched as the little creature dug through the snow, looking for any last bits of greenery he supposed. The Carna Beta licked his powerful jaws in anticipation. Just imagining the hare’s warm body in his mouth, the aroma wafting up into his nostrils was enough to make him salivate uncontrollably. He didn’t even think it an odd thought any more, killing and eating his prey like any other lion. His claws worked the snow impatiently, the tip of his tail twitching back and forth as he waited for the hare to come just a little closer. His prey nibbled the last of the grass in it’s spot, and then, finally, hopped forward in Crash’s direction. He sprang, and in one quick pounce had the rabbit dangling lifeless from his jaws. The taste of preyblood in his mouth made his stomach growl, but Crash knew he had to bring the kill back to the small group of hunters that had come over the mountains with him. It’s what a good Beta did; The ring came first! …But perhaps they wouldn’t question him if the rabbit was missing a leg. Crash shook his head and began to pad back towards the makeshift camp. He’d missed hunting! He hadn’t gotten to go on many long hunting trips since he’d become Beta, so it was nice to get out and stretch his legs again. He’d always loved it in his days as a Carna hunter, so to lead a small patrol was an honor. Crash loved his ring and all the people in it. When he reached the clearing that they’d settled as homebase, he was surprised to find that no one was back yet. There were a few small pieces of prey in center, and Crash dropped the hare on the pile. He looked up at the sky just in time to see Holly diving down into the woods a little ways away. “Jackpot!” Crash took off at a run through the woods, excited to see what the gryphon had caught. He skidded to an awkward halt when he finally reached her, just noticing the two lionesses up ahead. “Oooh. …Hey there ladies,” Crash gave a crooked grin, which looked more like he was baring his fangs, and the two lionesses hissed dangerously. “C’mon girls, can’t we work this out?” He questioned, striking what he thought to be his sexiest lion pose, before strutting his stuff in front of them. The two lionesses gave each other an unimpressed glance, before looking back at Crash. “That’s our prey!” One hissed, lunging at him with claws outstretched. “Baby, don’t be like that!” Crash gasped as she tackled him to the ground. “ You women and your hormones!”

[gossamer]

to the ends of the earth

Poised and elegant as always, the stark white lioness paused in her tour of the woods and sniffed the air, jowls hanging open to reveal the glittering rows of teeth. She was flanked on either side by three of her warriors - fellow lionesses, like she. It gave her solace, a deep comfort to be hunting like she had in her old home, with those of her kind instead of an odd, uncomfortable mix of other big cats she'd never met before. The spotted ones still made her nervous, even to this day - in her old life she would've forced them off her territory in the blink of an eye, or treed the spotted things. But now she was forced to work along side them, and though she'd gotten used to it as time progressed, her skin still crawled when around them.

But she was with her makeshift hunting pride, red eyes glinting with intense concentration as they padded quietly through the forest, ears pricked forward as they crept through the undergrowth, breath coming out in powdery puffs. Gossamer felt in her prime, at the moment - the forest floor was covered in thick, white snow, and her pelt blended perfectly, only the soft click of the feathers and beads dangling from the curls of wispy fur around her cheeks. One of her warriors pulled to stop and Gossamer flicked her tail, motioning for them to do the same. "Layani?" Gossamer hissed softly, to which the lioness flicked her eyes skyward.

Gossamer looked to the skies and sighed - the Lawaii, then. But it seemed a small one - they would keep an eye skyward, but she didn't give it another thought. A low hiss formed in her throat and sh scented for others, but the wind shifted and she was drowned in the heady aroma of prey. Gossamer stilled even more if it were possible, crouching low and creeping forward through the snow to the low growing brush. She peered through the leaves and her pupils dilated instantaneously as she focused on the herd. They were does - scrawny, as all prey was in winter. But they would do. Gossamer flicked her tail and her lionesses made their way to the other side, so to hem the deer in. She was about to give the command to attack when she saw the shadow and let out a sharp gasp as the large, odd looking creature plummeted from the skies and scattered the herd, a deer dangling from it's...beak? Gossamer's muscles tensed, but she gave the signal to advance.

They worked their way from the underbrush and advanced steadily upon the freakish beast. Gossamer was taken aback when it spoke. “Come on now, we’re all cats here. Sort of. Admittedly, I have some abnormalities, but you’d have to take that up with the Keepers.” "Splendid - for once a bird with a bit of a brain. I'm impressed - the Humans must have worked for years on that project."

It was barely a minute before a light pelted male lion crashed through into the clearing. Instinctively Gossamer shied back at the presence of such a large male, though only for a moment. She could hear his thoughts - something about striking a sexy pose. Gossamer snorted derisively, exchanging a glance with Layani, just to her right. This male obviously knew nothing about what was attractive in a proper male lion.

“That’s our prey!” She heard Layani hiss, and Gossamer was brought back to the gravity of the situation. A snarl tore from her chest and she cut Layani off in her lunge, her instinctive leadership coming through as she herself tackled the male to the ground. “Baby, don’t be like that! You women and your hormones!” "Restrain the bird!" She yowled to her warriors, who lunged for the winged thing. "And you! Shut your maw, trespasser! You are not of the Analoya, and are not permitted to hunt on our lands!" Gossamer hissed, struggling with the larger, heavy male.

She was built slighter than the average lioness, true, but she had fierce determination to serve her Master and protect his lands. It got to her that he took this as a joke, the anger igniting in the pit of her belly and blazing in a flare of frustration in her seemingly pupiless eyes. "Males and their idiocy!" She snarled, claws tearing into his furry chest, muzzle darting forward as her jaws sought the tender flesh of his throat, even through the springy coarse fur of his mane.

ooc; came out longer than I intended, but I hope this is okay? lemme know if I needa change somethin'

[Holly]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] She straightened from her defensive crouch, expression one of affronted indignity. “I am not a bird, I’m a-” She was cut off as Crash slid to a halt beside her, greeting the lionesses with a snarling smile that inspired hisses in response. “C’mon girls, can’t we work this out?” He struck a pose, head tilted back with an arrogant lit, then paraded in front of them. Holly rolled her eyes. She was decidedly skeptical of his ability to charm their way out of the situation. Crash had the tact of a crackhead rhinoceros. The lionesses apparently agreed. The pair in front of her exchanged a glance, then the one on her left bared her fangs. “That’s our prey!” She lunged for Crash, but her white furred counterpart beat her to the punch, slamming into the larger lion, who gasped as the air was driven from his lungs. “Baby, don’t be like that! You women and your hormones!” Holly just stared at him, horrified, the deer lying forgotten between her paws. Dear God. My beta is an idiot! "Restrain the bird!" The screeched command snapped her attention back to the present, and she dropped low over the doe with a defiant snarl. While the two who had been circling to get behind them were still some distance away, the albino’s companion provided a much more immediate threat. She leapt for the griffin with a yowl, forepaws extended. Holly reared up and took a pivoting step to the side, curved talons sinking viciously into the cat’s side as she overshot, using her own momentum to fling her away. As she crashed into the snow, sliding to a halt and leaving streaks of steaming blood in her wake, Holly dropped back to all fours and wheeled to face the other two. In the instant it had taken to throw the lioness, they had closed the distance. Even as she turned to meet them, one slammed into her shoulder, trying to fit jaws around her throat. Thankfully, the feathers were large, smooth, and tightly plated, and the lioness’s grip slipped right off. Holly twisted her head to one side, and slashed at the conveniently placed shoulder with wickedly sharp beak, parting muscle like butter. The lioness cried out, faltering, so she took the provided moment to ram the wounded cat, tumbling her to the ground. As she did so, pain bit into her shoulders and back, accompanied by a heavy weight. The third had jumped upon her, and was trying, like her fellow huntress, to rip through the feathers protecting her neck. With an irritated snarl, Holly thrust her wings up and over her back, slamming the lioness that crouched there. This elicited a growl in return, and then searing pain as ripping fangs sank into the dense bands of muscle that covered the joint of shoulder and wing. With a furious yowl reminiscent of a hawk’s cry, the griffin reared again, beating her wings savagely to dislodge the lioness, disregarding the damage the motion dealt to the already gaping wound. She was in this vertical pose, stretched up on hind legs with wings spread wide, when the first attacker she’d confronted slammed into her. She crashed backwards, landing heavily on the one that still clung to her, mauling her back. The lioness that had tackled her dug claws into her stomach, obviously intending to rip open her innards. Holly snarled, and kicked her savagely in the chest, sending her flying off. With a sinuous twisting motion she was on her paws, leaving the other dazed on the ground, to leap after the thrown cat. She thrust her down as she tried to rise, and pinned her where she’d landed, golden eyes blazing as she pressed talons to her throat in a silent warning. The lioness bared her fangs, but flattened ears to her head and cringed against the ground in loathing submission. After a moment, satisfied that the cat would lie still, Holly looked around. The second of her opponents, the one whose shoulder she’d slashed, was helping the third to her paws. Both of them glared balefully at her, but seemed to understand the concept of hostages easily enough. They came no closer, fearful of losing a companion. If her current form could have supported the expression, she would’ve smirked. As it was, she settled her wings higher on her back in an arrogant motion, ignoring the pain of her injuries, and turned her attention elsewhere, looking for Crash and the white lioness. ooc; wasn't sure what to have them up to, so just left it xD words; 750

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