I know why the caged bird sings (Phaedra)

[Feeves]

How could they justify this place? This room, nay all the rooms felt like a dungeon. There was no movement possible, no breathing room. Fyn swept around the room his brow furrowed in thought, pacing frantically around the room in furious fashion. Up and down, up and down. 5 steps across each way. Around and around.

ARGH!!! He was going to go insane if he had to listen to himself constantly constantly measure the steps up and down and around the room. 5 paces up, 5 paces down.

This wasn’t the great plains, this wasn’t the stark forest… just a dungeon with a bed and a desk. For someone like him who had always been used to the grand prowling about, he couldn’t shake this feeling of helplessness. The walls were closing in.

Finally, in anger or perhaps merely frustration, he tore his window open and leapt from the sill immediately losing himself to his anger.

A white tiger met softly with the ground, a silvery tattoo on its forehead glistened in the moonlit sky as it gently slunk off into the night silently, the only indication of its presence being the dark silhouette it cast against bright moonlit sky.

A field full of trees. They certainly weren’t bamboo, but they would have to do. Was there prey on this field?

In a step the lithe tiger had seemed to instantly move into the tree, and stood, calmly staring across the field as wind blew across it. The bright, beautiful white hide ruffled for a moment standing still, as the tiger’s luminous eyes and keen ears detected someone. Something.

A sort of swooshing sound. He wasn’t quite sure what it was.

The sound of a low growl, barely audible, seemed to ride the night air, as the tiger crawled into the shadows, watching and waiting, only its two jewel-like eyes and silver tattoo visible.

[Phae]

Phaedra Weiss couldn't sleep. that was nothing new but she had made a lot of changes in her life recently. She had got and moved again to Phoebe's dorm they shared it now but Phae rarely spent the night in her own bed rather chosing to sleep with Blacky instead. She sighed as she bit her nail she had tried to stay home with Phoebe tonight but she just couldn't do it and it was too late, she didn't want to wake up Richard and so she was in for another sleepless night.

She sighed as she grabbed her sword still dressed from the day in jeans today and a warm soft apple green sweater she strapped her sword around her hips and was out the door. Phoebe was at Xeryth's anyway they were spending a lot of time together and so Phae bounded down the stairs and headed for the training field. She wasn't really supposed to be training on orders from Alastin, her healer, and the fact that she was supposed to be taking it wasy since she was pregnate. But then again she didn't really let rules like that keep her down and so she went anyway.

She stepped out into the training field and inhaled the crisp night air. She smiled it always made her feel more alive at night as she walked into the arena like area pulling her long deep red hair up in a pony tail. She heard a growl and looked over seeing a tiger there and she froze.

"Don't try me." she said looking the cat in the eyes. "Because honestly I am on my last thread of patience and you don't want to be on the recieving end of my blade." she said.

[Feeves]

The tiger heard the edge in the girl’s voice and for a moment, froze. Such a curious beast. So divinely terrifying. The form was foreign to him, what madness was a two legged beast. And that object at her side… there was nothing natural about it. Perhaps she was friendly though. The tiger seemed to linger, confused.

But then its eyes met hers, and immediately something snapped. She would dare violate the sacred volition? She would stare into his eyes? The growling began again, lower, more sinister. Hairs began rising on the tiger’s head as it seemed to crouch down lower, its tail swishing ever so lightly across the grassy field, causing it to ripple. Slowly it crawled backwards into the shadows, though its barely audible anger still rang across the field, causing even the leaves to shiver and tremble in fear.

A sudden rush of wind howled against the grass as all the great muscle and sinew of the beast was immediately expressed; the deadly grace of the movement propelled it forward as it uttered a terrifyingly feral roar.

[Phae]

For a moment the cat did nothing and she smirked. Smart cat you don't get in the way of a cranky, pissed, loenly, pregnate woman. You just don't. She was just about to walk on when the growling became more deep and she raised her red eyebrow. She watched as the cat backed up and she sighed. Damnit I wanted to train not fight, stupid cats. I'll never have a cat those damn creatures just don't know when to give up!

She unsheathed her blade the silver glinting in the light and she used her mana. Black and orange flames licked around the blade as both normal and nether fire swirled around it in a vortex. She was good at what she did and she had practiced a great deal. The fire on her blade also did two things. One. It reflected in the tigers eyes so she could see him and two, it lit up the area a bit more. Yes, she was much better at thinking than most people took her for and she waited.

Suddenly he sprung out of the shadows and she smiled letting him leap. Most would be scared as a cat came hurling towards you the size of one that ate antelope in africa for a snack between meals. But she wasn't afraid. She was going to take this cat out and that was all there was to it. She spun quickly using her heal out of its line knowing it couldn't change direction in mid air. Whipping her flaming sword around she sliced at it's forearm hoping to slice into it and burn the skin and flesh around it with the flames. Blacky and Alastin were going to kill her but this.. oh this was fun.

[Feeves]

Instantly there was a flash of red as the blade bit straight through the side of the beast. The beast’s movements had been swift and fluid, and it had allowed a hit to its flank by slightly moving its arm in mid pounce, letting it slide underneath the flaming blade. The loss of some blood on the side was far better than the loss of an arm.

But what a costly mistake indeed. The sword’s flames bit into flesh and fur, instantly cauterizing the wound it had just opened, leaving only a flash of blood to spatter across the ground and over the girl. The only trace of the cut was the gigantic burnt scar on the otherwise pristine fur. Instantly the tiger felt dizzy, as it landed, struggling immediately to stay on its feet but again alert. That creature! How dare she cut him! The wound was bitterly painful as though the flames were still licking it. The beast slunk around her, circularly, keeping his wounded side away.

A threat. A threat indeed. The creature’s mind was vividly angry, expressing its furious pain with a low growl yet again.

The beast let loose another roar, snarling angrily as it stood, swaying in its attempts to keep on its feet. A truly feral creature, it was most dangerous as it was. Cornered by strength.

[Phae]

The sword had hit and cut good. The beast was hurt now and it seemed more mad than before. It was sizing her up right now and she knew it but Phae wasn't the kind of girl that backed down from a fight. No she liked to fight and fight hard it was what she was good at and what kept her same most of the time. She stood there her sword still alive with flames as she watched the tiger. He roared at her and she chuckled. Yes chuckled.

"You think that scares me? Do you honestly think I have not seen horrors in my life more fiercsome than you? Well you're wrong. My life is wrought with horrors and your little meow over there isn't going to make me shake or tremble. I'm not in a good mood. You got that. And if you want me in a better one either you turn back into a human as I've never seen an animal student before.. or you prepare for some serious hurt. I have things to protect and I'll protect them from you if I have to." she said.

She sighed softly and looked at the cat leveling her gaze. She looked him right in the eyes. She wasn't going to put up with this crap he was mad.. why? She didn't know except maybe the wound she had just given him. But at least she had burned it back closed it would heal over time it wasn't bleeding anymore she could have been tacky and let him bleed to death.

"So? What's your choice kitten?" she asked.

[Feeves]

As if the beast could understand the complete incomprehensibility coming forth from her mouth. Still he felt her anger and her rage, in reply he snarled and roared angrily, spitting like any cat would, as he paced about her. She was obviously not going to make the first move, but this pain wasn’t going to allow him to make a quick move either.

Honestly he was terrified. The black red flames encircling that object honestly made him want to crawl back into his den in fright.

But she was a threat. How would he know if she would stalk him and kill him with that sword? How was he supposed to know what it felt like to have the blade bite into him further? He couldn’t take chances with this one. He had to attack and attack quickly.

The tiger boldly paced around her, quickly, as he snuck back into the shadows, again the only thing showing were his luminous eyes. The moon fully silhouetted his form. He again let lose a growl followed by another beastial roar and thus time charged, but this time he was wary of the blade, ready to dodge strikes made for him. Meanwhile his claws grew ever more thirsty as he tried to run in quickly to strike. He was tiring quickly though. His limit was rapidly approaching, and anything more and he would be too tired to move, especially after that wound.

He could already feel that the wound was beginning to reopen splattering drops of his beautiful scarlet blood all over the grass.

[Phae]

She saw him pacing and she watched him. He could probably just swat out at her with his claws but he didn't seem to want that. for some reason he was dead set on a huge and debilitating attack and she didn't know why. But he was not going to land it that was for sure unless he caught her by surprise and even then .. well maybe. But she was strong and had been sword fighting all her life and so she was prepared for what he might be able to throw at her.

He suddenly went back in the shadows and she smirked. So he was going to try again hmmm? Well that was fine she was ready. She took her stance ready for his attack firmly planting her feet but her knees bent incase she had to move. Her sword held one handed to her right as she waited and watched. Suddenly he moved. Instead of jumping this time he ran charging her like she was his prey. Sad thing was, she was probably his prey in his eyes but the thing was she was stronger than he gave her credit for and that was all that mattered right now. He was underestimating her probably because she was A. Human and B. A girl. Stupid males.

She saw him running going to charge at her and she held her sword to the right watching him. When he sprang she went to strike but his dodge worked his time and his claws grazed her upper left arm. She cried out but not for long as she was livid now. Her breathing was heavy as she moved fast spinning around she brought her sword down on his left back flank right above his hip bone cutting it deep. Her blade, if it hit, bit deep into his fur and meat as she cried out to him and pulled it back.

"Damnit." she cried out as she looked at him. She wanted to clutch her left arm and stop the bleeding.. DAMN it hurt but she wasn't done with him. If he attacked again she had to be ready she had fought through pain before she wasn't afraid to fight him longer. Though.. she was going to be in trouble now she had evidence of where she had been.. training grounds and fighting. Crap.. damn cat!

[Feeves]

He was ready to dodge the blade again. It was a fast slash, aimed straight for his leg. But no tiger would allow someone to maim them in such a way. He hunched, ready to lunge to the side.

But he paused. That scent… yes it permeated around him now, as he noticed it now for the first time. A scent overpowering his very senses.

Strawberries? He was back at home, picking wild strawberries for supper carrying them home with his sisters. He was human right? He wasn’t a tiger. So why was he acting as one? At that instant his human mind snapped back into reality, and the blade struck his left flank entirely ripping it open, blood splattering across her and the ground. He roared in anger, but it was futile. Blood was pouring out of both sides now. He stumbled forward a bit almost laughing as if bitter irony weren’t sweet enough. The pain of steel and flame wrapped around him like the vortex that wrapped around her sword.

“Am I…” his voice was soft and melodic, the voice of a cat, but one that spoke human words nonetheless. What happened? Where was he? What had just transpired? All he could feel was pain… pain beyond his tolerance, pain that was so amplified that he wanted to lift up and scream.

In a moment, his father's face crawled back into his view, shaking his head slowly. It was that that lesson again… patience. He had forgotten it again. In his haste to escape his prison, he had lost his patience. He had become a true beast.

With that he fell unconscious, the gigantic cat listing forward ever so slowly, changing back to his robed form. By the time he had hit the ground he was human again.

[Phae]

The sword hit and tore into his leg. She heard him scream for pain but then suddenly he stopped. There was something about him he .. just froze she didn't know why but he did and she couldn't explain it at all. She looked at him and she waited. But words came human words. So he was human after all. She bit her lower lip and as he fell she rushed forward dropping her sword and she caught him quickly. She gritted her teeth through the pain in her arm and she held this mans body to her.

"Don't you die on me now you crazed cat." she whispered.

She picked up her sword disengaging the spells she slid it back into the sheath. The first thing she did was take off her sweater it was already torn to hell and that didn't matter anymore. She put it in her teeth and began ripping it into shreds. Crap this sweater was expensive. Jun's gonna kill me. Oh well. She sighed and parted his robes slightly and saw the wound and winced.

"Sorry my friend." she whispered as she tied one really tight around his leg to stop the bleeding putting pressure on the veins in his leg. Then carefully wrapped more strips around his leg to staunch the flow. She sighed softly as she put his robe back around his leg and then looked at his arm. It wasn't as bad bleeding only a little and so she wrapped it with the last of her sweater. She sighed and looked down at him.

"Well you aren't going to be much help at the moment now are you. And when you wake and find out some redheaded pregnate girl carried you all the way to the hospital wing you're going to blush.. you look like the blushing type you know." she chuckled softly and winced as she picked him up.

One arm underneath his legs at the knee joint and one arm around his back holding him bridal style. Damn.. you're.. heavy! She sighed as she began making her way back to the academy the blood running down her bare arm only a skin tight lavender tank top covered her upper body and it was blasted cold tonight. The blood was thickening from the cold but still.. it was cold! And it was a deep claw wound too. Honestly striking a girl. I warned you kittyman.

It was fifteen minutes later she lay him on a bed in the hospital wing and the healers went to work cutting away her sweater from him and Phae turned away as they removed his robe to tend to his wounds. They came and wanted to heal her but she wanted an old fashioned healing. Sure she could hide this from Blacky, Alastin, Phoebe, Xeryth, and Junpei but she didn't want to and maybe it would keep her off the field for a week or two. Though she doubted it. So they cleaned her arm as she hissed and then dressed it as Phaedra Weiss sat there with her back to the man she had beaten and waited for him to wake.

((Continued in a Recovery Wing thread)