We are Plagued (open)

[KingKovu44]

Leonidas merely growled and slashed the doe across the chest with his claws. "Stand down! I must prey on deer! That is the way of things!" he shouted.

[TheLionQueen]

Jade felt the full blow of the claws to her chest and fell, "If that must be....." She started, "then take me, I have lived long enough, don't take the life of a child who has barely lived." Jade said couragously inside she was screaming to herself 'No!' But she knew what was right. She stood up, the wounds left on her chest hurt tremendously and bled a bit, "Come on, only a coward would kill a child. Is that what you are Leonidas? A coward." She added Jade heard him say his name in a third person earlier and decided to use his name against the puma.

[KingKovu44]

Leonidas smiled wickedly. "Are you sure you want to die this day?" he asked.

[TheLionQueen]

"For my son." Jade replied. Devons eyes filled with tears, "Mother no." He said scared. Jade looked at her son and smiled, they both knew that the puma needed one of them. "Can you just do it where my son can't watch?" Jade pleaded.

[KingKovu44]

Leonidas nodded. "Yes, I can. Better that your fawn doesn't see this," he said.

[changa]

Siarra, although she had known Jade for mere minutes, felt her eyes beginning to sting. "Devon, come here. I can take care of you now."

[Ophelia]

Loch had been stunned by all of this. He knew not what to do; he wished that the doe would've stayed behind and protected her fawn. It would've been better that he, with virtually no importance, would've perished on this day. Bounding forward, he charged, ramming his sharp antlers into Leonidas' side. Loch hoped that it damaged the puma as much as he had hoped - he knew his antlers were strong, and since the rut had barely just ended with the females' pregnancy, his antlers were still rather powerful. Loch could hear Devon's soft voice crying out; pain seared through his chest, and he spat to Jade, "Go! Go to your son! Run! He needs you." He reared up on his hind legs again, boxing the air, and came down upon the puma, or at least attempted to.

[TheLionQueen]

Jade made a dash to help Loch she knew Siarra could watch Devon for a minute and she tried to hit the puma as Loch did she got a hoof on Leonidas's head and hoped it would knock him out. Someone as brave as Loch deserved to have someone help him for once and that's would Jade was hopeing to do.

[KingKovu44]

Leonidas had had enough. He pulled away. "I shall return," he said as he walked away, thankful that the antlers had not hit vital organs.

[Ophelia]

"And I shall be ready for you when you do," Loch snorted, pawing with a single hoof at the soil. Though Leonidas' did not seem to be too badly wounded, it seemed that the puma recognized that he should leave now, and if he wished to capture one of their herd, return on another day. Not that I'll let you get any of us, thought Loch angrily, his black eyes glinting fiercely in the half-light beneath the copse of the woods. "Jade," panted the stag, walking over to the White-tail doe, tail flicking curiously, "you were quite brave. I appreciate your help." Loch was still rather dazed, and slowly he began to leave the forest, muttering, "We should get back to the herd, to the clearing. You need to go assure your boy." Loch walked back to Siarra and Devon; he was still panting, but not quite as heavily as he had been before.