The Shunned (closed for LoganDarkHolme and DarkWarrioress)

[DarkWarrioress]

Samantha Hughes, Zoologist. As far back as she could remember it was always about the animals with her. At first, hurt and abandoned kittens or puppies. Then it turned to wildlife. She was a loner but she had never felt alone when she was helping out animals. When she had decided to become a zoologist, there were so many paths she could have gone down and she chose to study her friends in their natural environment and that’s how she ended up in the Argentina rain forest.

Dressed in thin linen pants and a tank top, Sam was sitting at her makeshift desk, a notebook laid open in front of her. The cool fruit juice that sat off to her left was now without ice and no longer cold. How in the world they were able to procure ice deep in the rain forest, she had no idea but the locals that were hired managed it. She reached for her fan then sat back in her chair, fanning herself. The other hand was tapping a pen on the desk as she thought.

There were reports. Her eyes scanned to pile of papers on the corner of her desk. Plenty of them about a sighting of a black panther. While panthers weren’t an oddity here in the Argentina rain forest, apparently this one was. It had taken her team a whole year to put together enough information to get her the grant needed to be here and track this cat down. Part of her still thought that this cat was nothing more than local lore. Yet…. There were other reports that showed some really mysterious stuff going on in this vicinity to ignore. She was here to prove or disprove this information about this much talked about cat.

“Missy. Missy Come quick. They found a body. Looks like a cat attacked it.”

Sam got up quickly, dropping her pen on the desk and came around her desk, rushing outside. She quickly found the men forming a circle around something or someone on the ground. She rushed over and squeezed between to men and stopped. On the ground lays a man, his shirt all bloody and ripped to shreds, blood still pumping out of his neck. The natives had tried to staunch it, but the blood was seeping through those bandages. Sam knelt down beside him, looking into his eyes. Soulless. The man was already dead.

“Missy. Missy. Over here.”

Roberto, the man who had come and got her right away about this, was signaling for her to join him a bit away from the others in the crowd. Sam got up an excused herself to the circle of workers and joined Roberto.

“What is it, Roberto?”

“That man. Very bad man. He runs drugs in this country.”

She glanced back at the circle of men, then back to Roberto, shaking her head. She knew that what she was about to say was probably illegal.

“Do whatever needs to be done, Roberto. Just don’t let it interfere with my project. This is too important.”

She went back to her tent without a glance in the direction of the dead man. She could hear Roberto giving orders but his voice was muted. Good. She didn’t want to know. Sitting down she reached for her juice, taking a sip and making a face. It had gotten warm but was still better than nothing. In this jungle anything could have killed that man. She had to wonder if it was the panther she was tracking though. All the reports said that the dead people turning up all were bad people. They all had been on the wrong side of the law. That peaked Sam’s curiosity.

Several hours later Roberto returned to her tent flap.

“Missy.”

Sam looked up from her writings.

“Yes, Roberto? What is it?”

The man stood there wringing his hands.

“That matter? All good.”

Sam nodded her head and sighed with relief.

“Thank you, Roberto. Would you make sure all our gear and weapons are ready for tomorrow’s early start please? And make sure we have enough tranquilizer shots for my rifle.”

Roberto bobbed his head several times.

“Yes, Missy. We’ll be ready at sunrise as you wanted.”

“Very good. Thank you, Roberto. You may go now.”

The man left and Sam continued to work through the night until she was tired enough to sleep. Tomorrow they would hunt down this black panther, tranq him and get him into a cage so they could see if there was any truth to the rumors.

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

People sucked, he hated them, all of them, every last ant that walked this planet. The Panther stopped by a small creek that ran through this section of his territory, a small section of the Argentina Forest, if you call 70 miles a small section, his massive head lowering, his ears on a swivel as he drank his full, washing the blood from his muzzle and paws after his latest kill. Another fuckin drug dealer, shit suckin rat that lived off killing others. He'd been living in this Forest, away from humanity, away from the world, for nearly 25 years, even since he was a kid and had been left abandoned by his family on some convent steps. His birth name, Alecsi Varenov, didnt care for the convent, or the teachers, or the other stupid's, (read: students) he had no real memory of his birth parents, which was fine, ever since he ran away from the small village in the northern part of Brazil he'd chosen to live wild. he'd always been considered weird by others, the way he watched people, his uncanny abilities and senses and reflex's, he'd lived in the forest, scavenging, stealing from other villages in the dead of night, fruit and whatever he could get his hands on, or trap. then puberty hit a year after he ran away, and every changed, well, HE, changed. and it freaked him out.

It took nearly 4 days before he returned to his "human" form as he'd learned to call it, and he'd run back to his village hoping to find answers. only to find his village destroyed, the remnants of the villagers scattered around trying to rebuild, the few people that remained said that some drug dealers, or as they called themselves "Freedom Fighters" rolled through, and when the people refused to pay them "protection money" the killed randomly, then left taking whatever they wanted. He asked around about his "situation" to the few people left and he was dragged to their priest, and the local priest tried to hang him on the basis of being possessed. As he hung there in the air, the rope around his neck, the villagers poking him with pitchforks, something inside him snapped, the rope broke as he fell to the ground and a roar sent them scattering. that had been nearly 20 years ago. and he never returned to Human civilization again.

Blinking from the old memory, he lifted his head from the stream He'd killed one, but the others had gotten away, and he needed to track them down, they'd violated his territory and he wasnt going to tolerate it. he hated people, he really did, this was HIS territory. and he wouldn't allow people who hurt others to survive passing through his back yard. his stomach growled, and he decided it was time to keep moving, he needed to hunt, there was enough wild life within the range he called "his" to keep him fed till he turned grey and old. with a huff the Panther padded off in search of food

 

[DarkWarrioress]

They were deep in the Rainforest, ready to set up camp.

“Roberto! Roberto, where is that man?”

“Yes, Miss Sam?”

The man came up from behind her. Sam twisted around.

“Roberto, we’ll set up main camp here. Take only what we need to use, nothing more, nothing less. If you cut down foliage, find a use for it. Use deadfalls for the fire. I’ll leave it you to get us set up, alright?”

“Yes, Miss Sam.”

Sam had her gun strapped to her back as she walked into the jungle, using her machete She stopped every now and then to check her compass or map or to drink some water. The reports said he was in this area. Of course, there was really no way of knowing how far and wide his territory was. Spotting him here, let alone capturing him, well, the numbers could be astronomical. Still, a panther was a creature of habit. It may take a few days, but he’ll be back around.

Sam wasn’t sure how far into the jungle she went when she came upon a quiet area, where the water flowed slow or stood still. She imagined that in the rainy season it moved much faster and quite higher. In this quite spot she intently searched the ground for evidence that a big cat had been there. She found tracks alright and even a few big cat ones but not the size of the one she was hoping to find. She stood up and looked around. Time to get back to main camp. The other men should be back by the time she got there. Maybe they had better luck than she did.



The men were all gathered around the fire, drinking by the time Sam got back to camp. She headed straight for her tent to drop off her things before she exited again and headed for the circle of men drinking and laughing. It got quiet as she approached. Times like that reminded her that she was the lone woman in this expedition.

“Anyone got any news for me? There is nothing to report where I went. Found some tracks even cat tracks but not the size we’re looking for. We’ll finish up this quadrant tomorrow. Then move on the next day.”

She looked over the group but no one had offered anything so she knew they didn’t have anything to report either. She turned on her heel and headed back to her tent, leaving the men to their own company. She went over to her stash and pulled out a warm bottle of beer and wrinkled her nose, putting it back. No refrigeration. No ice. She pulled out a bottle of Jameson and poured it in a glass before she retired to her desk. She sipped on her drink as she wrote out her reports. Then she shifted to the map. She marked off all the areas her reports stated he had been seen in. However, after the incident today, he couldn’t be that far away. The man they had found, the drug dealer, his corpse was still fresh. Tomorrow she would talk to the men who had found the body. Tonight, she just wanted sleep.

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

It had taken him 3 days of back tracking to where he'd killed the one, he'd picked up new scents at the where the body no longer lay, he assumed villagers or the smugglers own men had returned to retrieve the body,. he left scent marking directions, and sneaking around villages at night listening to chatter for him to locate the camp with the rest of the smugglers, they'd made it only 7 miles east, they were headed towards the brazlian border, despite his metabolizm and size, he needed very little rest, he only ever slept 3 maybe 4 hours a night. Time was fluid while he lived in his fur , no clocks, no schedules, no worries, hunt, eat, sleep, bat around a hedgehog or two for entertainment that was his life.he didnt even remember what month, or even what day it was any more. during he night he had made rounds, around the camp, watching the men, several of them still nurse severe wounds he'd given them as they scrambled around like idiots. Finding a decent sized tree he climbed it, lazing on a low branch he watched,


he'd dozed off sometime into the evening and woke with a yawn, they were still in camp, and the sun has set, he watched as they muttered and talked, his night vision even better then his day vision he watched as they set patrols and watches, he quietly leapt down from his perch, sniffing the air as the pungent scents hit him, 1 man patrols, *snort* easy. he followed a sickly scent out into the woods, could hear the man trudging through the muck, his flashlight a dead give away of his position and he hunkered down on his haunces, watching. waiting. he smuggler talking to himself and rather loudly, he didnt see the shadow on the ground 4ft from him as he walked right past him, and he pounced, with his panthers scream shattering the silence of the forest he leapt, landing on the mans back he heard shouting from the others as they came running. with one snap of his massive muzzle he bit into the mans head, crushing his skull in one clean bite, leaping away and into the shadows as flashlights blazed and ran towards his location. he tucked himself away into a high tree branch and watched with smug satisfaction

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She spent most of her time writing and researching. If they were right, this panther would be her biggest find yet. Sam wasn’t sure how she felt about caging it and bring it home so a team of scientists could study, poke and prod at him. She studied the map. She had been here. Her pen was put on that point but the body had been found over here. She took a pin and put it in the map. That area was east of her current area and about 7 miles away. She knew there were little villages and camps in that direction, why was he seen there? Usually panthers stayed in the forest. Was he hunting something? If so, what?

The evening hours melded into the late darkness. She slept lightly. In the jungle it did not bode well to sleep heavily. There was no light on in her tent but the front flap was turned back allowing the moonlight to sneak in. She woke once, thinking she had heard something. She was still and silent but all she heard was her heartbeat. With a little shake of her head, she went back to sleep.

The sun rose and cast its light where the moonlight had been, Sam sat up on the bed and stretched. Dressing quickly she scrambled to get her gear together and went out to meet the men. Each group, of which there were three, not counting her own, were given their assignments for the day. Go back and finish your quadrant and comb the forest for anything that might help them locate the big black cat they were hunting. They all agreed on when to return to camp by and everyone set off. Sam’s group stayed behind. Pulling out a map, she set it on the ground and they all circled it. She told them of her plan, to return where they had found the body. Her group was to break up in twos and go in different directions. Roberto objected by silenced him with a look.

“I have my tranq gun. My machete and my handgun. I’ll be fine. Worry about me if I don’t come back to camp when I should.”

She sent them off then took off in the direction of where the body was found. She checked the map a few times. Making her way through the forest, she came upon twin falls which fell into a small pool and then ran down over rocks, Green foliage gathered on either side. It was a solitary place. The only sound was of water falling or going downstream. Sam looked at the map again. This was the place. By the water’s edge. Her eyes focused on the ground. New tracks. Okay, that was expected. But wait…. She looked closer. These tracks were the size of a cat she was looking for. He came back? Why? Was he searching this area for something? Was he just patrolling his territory? She took pictures of the tracks.

Would he be back? And when?

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

The sun had begun to peak over the horizon as he returned to the falls, he was coated in blood, he'd spent much of the night toying with the smugglers before he finished off their leader, once everyone was dead he allowed himself a rare moment of returning to his human skin. looking through tents, and boxes, and supplies for information he gathered a few things, money, food, he'd looked down at his blood covered body he sighed, tucking the items away in small pack he shifts back, growling he grabs the pack in his jaws, making the trek back through the forest taking his time. As he neared the falls he detoured to his small cave behind one of the falls, dropping the pack next to the fur's of animals he'd killed. He spent the majority of his time in his fur, but that didnt mean he didnt like some of the creature comforts....no pun intended..... yawning with a deep growl he made his way out into the pools, the sun was above the clouds and he was filthy. He took his time as he swam around, the water here was warmer, the falls bringing in water further up the river that had more sunlight, after an hour or so later he crawled up onto a rock, stretching out he relaxed, letting the warmth of the morning sun warm and dry his fur.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She stood up a hand going to her back and looked around. Her eyes spied something near the falls. She reached for her binoculars and peered into them. Ooooh. It couldn’t be? It was black and from the looks of it, a panther too. He was huge. Just looking through her binoculars, it was hard to tell and without a measuring tape, she couldn’t be sure. However, even though it might be a foolish thing to do, she crept closer. She wanted a better look at him. She kept her eyes on him as she moved, trying to be as quiet as possible. God, he was gorgeous. Powerful. Sleek. She gave momentary thought to tranqing him, but she needed more men. She’d have to settle for taking pictures, even though she wasn’t sure when he’d be back. In this setting, he was in his own world. She really didn’t want to do what she had been sent here to do.

Quietly and slowly she set her pack down and carefully opened it, withdrawing her camera. Holding it up to her eye, she focused the lens on the big cat sunning himself. Again, she couldn’t help silently exclaiming what a handsome cat he was. Sam was thankful that the camera silently clicked away. She knew panthers, like many other wild animals, had a phenomenal sense of hearing as well as smell. She moved through the brush as slowly as she needed to so she could get as many shots as she could from different angles. She hung the camera around her beck and sighed inwardly. She didn’t want to leave such a magnificent sight but she slowly started to back up and start back the way she came.

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

He laid on the warm rock, his fur drying as he relaxed. His eyes closed as he listened to the sounds of the falls, ears flicking as he listened, not that he was worried. There wasn't another predator in this jungle that could match him, outside of other humans at least. No, he king here, the local tribes knew he wasnt a threat, they often left him "gifts, and offerings" animals for him to snack on. He had just started to doze off when the chittering of an angry squirrel and a birds squark peaked his ear, lifting his head he looked in the direction of the animals chittering, the light reflecting off something in the brush as his ears swiveled forward, his head canting to one side, a low growl rumbling in his chest he rose to his paws, eyes searching the area, and then he spotted movement in the brush, his iris's turning to slits as he focused on the movement, a cat hunting prey, he saw the human in the bush, sucking in a breath he let go a roar, his panther's cry shaking the trees as birds took flight and everything in a mile radius took to running. His body clenching he leaped, clearing the rock he deftly jumped from rock to rock as he moved across the lake quickly, leaping to shore he charged at the figure who stood frozen in their tracks.

The Brush gave way to his massive body, his snarl echoed around them as the female came into sight before him.....the....female.......he skidded to a halt before her, teeth bared, hackles raised, his eyes quickly roaming over her, he spotted the rifle, but it was too small to be any kind of hunting weapon, tranq gun? he spotted the camera around her neck, his lips peeled back he roared again his paw swiping out he knocked the gun from her hand, his claws sheathed. The scent of her fear was tantalizing, he guessed from her height she was at least 5ft 6, his head came up to just about her chest, and he was about as long as she was tall. Their eyes met and his flashed fire, dropping to the gun now laying on the ground and he placed his large paw on it, as if tell her "youre not keeping this" he snarled again but made no further advance on her, his eyes looking to the camera around her neck and narrowed. His ear flicked as he heard shouts of humans nearby, footsteps pounding towards their direction. he snarled in irritation as he took a step back from the women, his eyes never leaving her his head dipped and he snapped his jaws around the gun, picking it up, then he turned and vanished into the forest, like a ghost he just melded in and vanished

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Sam just happened to look up at probably the right time and dropped her camera in the mud close to the water’s edge. It was him! He came charging after her and she found her feet wouldn’t work. She couldn’t move. All she could do was stare at him. God, he was beautiful. Sleek, solid, huge. The power in his muscles bulged. His cry filled the air around them.

He landed on the same side as she and she didn’t move. If she had turned and ran, he would have come after her. He skidded to a halt. His teeth bared and her heart jumped up in her throat. She could see his hackles were raised and it wasn’t good. Sometime, probably when she had dropped the camera, she had slid her rifle from her shoulder. Automatic response. She watched his eyes assess her and roared. It gave her goosepimples but she stood her ground. Quicker than she could inhale, his huge paw came out and swiped the gun from her hand, knocking it to the ground. Oddly, he hadn’t used his claws, just his paw. Their eyes met and held… and she was mesmerized. His large paw stepped on her fallen gun. He snarled again and they both heard shouts from her teammates. She wanted to tell him to go and yet, she didn’t want him to. He picked up the gun in his mouth and vanished into the forest. Only then did she seemingly start breathing again.

By the time her teammates found her, she was still standing in the same place, staring off into the forest where he had disappeared. Her camera still lay in the mud at her feet. They surrounded her asking if she was okay or if she was hurt. They had heard the scream of the big cat and it had been very close, they knew. Closer than they think, was Sam’s thought. One of the men picked up her camera and was removing the mud from it. When he had gotten it as clean as he could, he handed it back to her. Sam absentmindedly put it in her pack. She’d develop the pictures later.

That evening, she called the group meeting earlier. Plans were made. Assignments given. Now came the part she didn’t like. They were going to cage him. The thought of that beautiful beast being tranq’ed and caged made her heart sore. Later, after the meeting had been dismissed and dinner had been made and served, she sat in her tent, thinking. There had to be a solution. He didn’t belong locked up in some science lab or in some fake jungle to make him feel at home. He belonged here. Free.

Her thoughts wandered back to their encounter. Had it been her imagination? The way he had reacted to her gun. That wasn’t normal and his eyes. When she had stared into them, there was something…. deep in them… she couldn’t quite consciously bring it to the fore yet. It was going to bug her until she did. He hadn’t attacked her like a normal panther would have either. Something was off. Something wasn’t quite right here. And they weren’t leaving the rainforest until she figured it out.

When the camp had settled down for the night to sleep, Sam lay in her bed, tossing and turning. The big cat’s eyes just wouldn’t leave her alone. When she finally slept, her dreams were of him.

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

He paced in his cave, snarling as he replayed the encounter again and again, her scent had been clean, only the faintest hit of sweat, no gun oil, no gun powder, she didnt have the scent of a hunter, her rifle....he stopped pacing to look at it..... was a tranq gun, his mind flashed back to the camera she'd dropped, she'd been taking pictures of him, that he couldn't allow, if pictures of a massive panther got out into the general public, trophy hunters around the world would come looking for him. Snarling again he batted at the rifle like a toy, watching it slide across the floor into the wall of the cave. Leaving his hiding place he sniffed the air, the sun was down and the nocturnal animals were waking, he padded around the pool, drinking his fill he trotted back over to where he'd pounced at the female, sniffing the ground it didnt take him long to again find her scent, females were rare enough in these woods her scent was easily identified among the teeming mass of males that had been here. he'd watched them as they've gathered around her, she was clearly IN charge, the way they took her orders, his eyes had narrowed as he'd laid, hunkered down in the thick underbrush. His nose flaring he took in the scents, following their tracks and scent back a ways into a small clearing, a small camp having been set up, he spotted the cage, a large cage, and a low growl slipped passed his lips. They WERE hunting, and judging by the size of the cage, they were after Him, but as he laid, watching the 2 man night watch meander around the camp, lightly armed, it was clear they werent normal hunters, he took stock of the camps layout, all the tents where the same, nothing to distinguish one from the other.

he watched for a while, the 2 men talking quietly as they sat by the fire, focusing on the weapons, these men had Rifles, but they had a second weapon strung to their backs, must also be tranq guns......he huffed, padding silently around the outside of the camp, ears on a swivel he listens, deep breathing, slow heart rates, he sniffed the ground quietly, till at the far edge of the camp he caught the womans scent, he followed it to a smaller tent, his eyes watching the two men, they had their backs to him, he sniffed quietly around the tent, finding the flap of the door pinned open, his lithe form slipped into her tent, his pupils dilating as his night vision changed, and he looked around her tent, maps, pictures, books stacked around a table, he saw the camera, sniffing the air he almost purred at the clean scent of female, her back was to him and he padded silently towards her table, nosing the camera, he didnt know if it still had the film in it, and he would have to shift back to search, but he wasnt nearly as silent on 2 legs, so he would just have to chance it.

opening his jaws he grabbed the camera, but as he turned around, his tail caught a stack of books and knocked them off the chest, they hit the ground with a thud and he winced at the sudden sharp sound, movement had his head swiveling as she sat bolt upright in her cot, and their gazes met, her eyes rounded and he growled in irritation as she began to flail, trying to get away or go for another unseen weapon he didnt know, but he quickly back out of the tent, knocking over books her cry of alarm spooked the men sitting at the camp fire and he turned as they turned, spotting him he heard curses and shouts of alarm as people in the camp Roused. he dropped the camera outside her tent as gun fire whizzed over his head, he snarled but now too many people had risen from their tents and he back peddled quick, the soft "pop pop" and he felt something sting him in the ass and in the shoulder, he leapt up and took off into the forest, with his pulse racing it didnt take long for the drug to burn fire through his system and he had to slow, he heard footsteps following, and he shook his head, trying to clear the fog, then another soft "pop" and again something hit him in the side, he snarled, whirling but his movements where unsteady, his fangs bared, he backed himself against a tree, his eyes growing fuzzy he shook his head agian, too many voices and lights, his chest heavied,

He snarled again as men surrounded him, he tried to lift his paw, tried to swipe but his body would not respond to him, his eyes frantic he hissed, darkness consuming him he fought, eventually, darkness took him and he slumped to the ground, deep asleep

 

[DarkWarrioress]

What in the world was happening?

Sam came awake with the crash of her books. It took a minute for the fog of sleep to clear her brain. She was looking into the eyes of the … cat. But how did get in here? How had he found her? And what was he after? She screamed instinctively and flailed about trying to untangle herself from her thin blanket and the mosquito netting. After she had screamed, she wished she hadn’t. She was bringing the whole camp down on them. He had her camera between his teeth but why? What did the panther need with her camera? Why had he come for it in the first place? Far too many questions and not enough answers. She ran out after him. He was dodging bullets right and left.

“DON’T SHOOT HIM!” She yelled into the chaos, ”Tranq him! I’ll have the head of anyone who harms him.”

Idiots. The lot of them. Excitable idiots.

Finally, someone had the sense of mind to tranq him but one wasn’t going to be enough. By the size of the cat, it would take more than one shot to bring him down. He took off for the forest as fast as he could but the drugs were starting to work. They tracked him and she held up her hand for the men to stop as she approached the great cat that had backed himself into a tree.

“Easy, love” she crooned, “you beautiful thing.”

She slowly approached the cat and stopped until it slumped to the ground.

“Go get the cage.”

She barked the order not taking her eyes off the massive beauty before her. Crouching at his side, she plucked the darts from his body and gently ran her hand over his head, between his ears and down his body. He was so soft. He was breathing easily enough. A little harsh, but that was to be expected.

“I’m sorry, love. I wish you hadn’t come to our camp. I---”

Headlights interrupted what she was about to say. The men had returned with the jeep and cage in tow. This cat was so massive and heavy that there was no way the lot of them could pick him up. She fashioned a collar for the cat and somehow got it around his neck. The jeep was repositioned and then wench pulled through the bars. Sam clipped the hook on the wench to the makeshift collar and they gently pulled him into the cage. Once inside, she took the wench clip and the collar off. She quietly closed the door, locked and chained it.

“Take him back to camp and cover the cage with a trap for now. No one goes near it or him.”

The cage was hooked up to the jeep and taken away. Sam followed behind. Several of the men went back with her, carrying torches so she could see. She checked on him once back in camp and he was still out. She went back to her tent and rummaged around for a few things she needed. She’d need to work quick before he woke up. Making sure everyone, except the guards were about, she went out back and lifted the tarp, reaching for one of his paws, which she tugged to the cage bars. She set about her work and quickly. She had five vials of blood. That would have to suffice. When she got back to her tent, she put the vials safely into a small wooden chest on her desk and crawled back into bed with a yawn. Morning was going to come way too soon.

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

At first there was just blackness, he was floating? no? swimming? no, that wasn't it, god he was tired, sooo tired, he thought he heard voices, but then the darkness took him again. The second time he felt lighter, not as foggy, god, did he get hit by a black mamba again? he couldn't remember, the last time he'd gotten bit by a snake it took him 2 days for his healing abilities to burn the poison from his system, he felt hot, really hot........ the fever,....... he realized, his shifter body was healing, burning through whatever he'd had coursing through his system ......why couldn't he remember? memories were a jumble, noises, he could hear noises, but couldn't make them out. He didnt know how long he'd been out, he faded in and out, each time stronger when he roused. after the 5th? or was it 6th time he woke maybe 7th? he was able to twitch his paw, felt his muscles, sluggish, his body was numb yet, but getting better, his tongue was hanging out his muzzle, goddddd, cotton mouth, slowly he was able to suck his tongue back into his muzzle, his jaw working, he licked his muzzle, tasted stale sweat coating his muzzle, gahhh, he needed water. he lay there, breathing, each breath coming back stronger, the noises becoming slowly clearer. the tones were mostly male, deep, rumbling, his whiskers twitching with the air currents, his leg twitched, he was regaining control good. why was he hear noises? he should be hearing the drone of the falls, he was in his cave? wasn't he?.

he lay there, breathing, he didnt know how long but finally he was able to open one, then the other eye, his vision shot to hell, god yea, he felt like he'd been hit by 3 copper heads, he focused on his eyes, he needed to see, awareness returning his gaze little by little sharpening as he felt his Iris's contract back to slits, he couldn't lift his head yet, but he looked around, first thing he saw were the bars, and he froze.........he'd been captured......memories returning, the girl, the fucking woman, her camera....it all came flooding back to him on a surge of adrenaline that gave him a surge of strength, helped to kick his system into overdrive, a growl rumbled his chest, he continued to look around, the cage he'd spotted in the camp, the darts, the girl, she'd talked to him as he faded, her voice was music, melodic, a siren that had soothed him into sleep. he snarled as the adrenaline continued to course through his system and he was able to roll to his stomach, his muscles weak yet he sniffed at the bars, realizing there had been a tarp laid over the top of the cage, for shade? or transport? he didnt know, his ears twitched as they too began to focus, he heard soft voices, no engines, no smells, still forest, and camp fire, and her, her scent was all around him under this tarp, like she'd spent time near him and recently. he purred momentarily at the scent, then frowned at himself and shook his massive head.

He snarled now, louder and he heard all voices ceased talking, oh yea, great job, he'd gotten their attention now, idiot..... the tarp rustled and his body coiled, not that he could do anything in this cage, but his lips had begun to curl into a snarl when the woman ducked under the tap, that stopped the growl dead in his throat, his eyes watched her, his nose flared as he scented her, his head cocked to one side, there was no malice, no anger, only trepidation and curiosity in her scent, he growled gently but it was short, their gazes locked at he watched her, lips curling in the smallest of snarl, sitting up on his haunches, he felt a tingle in his paw and set to licking himself, gnawing at a spot that itched before his paw settled, and he yawned, intentionally showing her how large his teeth and mouth where, he could have taken off her head with one bite, with a grump he pawed at the cage, his ears staying turned towards her he looked and paid attention now to his surroundings the tarp had kept him outta the sun, which was a nice touch he'd admit, but he was still in a fuckin cage.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Sam looked at the small wooden chest that held the blood samples. Opening the lid, she took them out and put them in her test tube holder as she gnawed on her bottom lip. Why did she feel it was so wrong to do this? But it seemed the only way. If she didn’t, she’d have to send them the panther and that was something she did not want to do. He belonged here, in the rainforest. Getting up from her table she took up the tube holder and set it in the mini fridge that drew on solar energy to make it work. Walking over to her tent opening she stared at the rain falling. Ugh. Rain. Rain. Rain. But, that’s what made the rainforest so beautiful. She loved it here, despite the creepy crawlies ad the bugs.

She went out to the cage where the trap kept him out of the rain and the sun. Checking, she saw he had been fed and watered. She didn’t get too close to the cage. He didn’t trust her and she wasn’t sure about him.

“Good Morning, Handsome.”

She spoke quietly and softly, watching him. Slowly, but without any fear, she put her palm on the bars of the cage. Cats like most animals, use their sense of smell. She wanted him to know that she could be trusted despite the fact that he was in a cage.

“I took some of your blood while you slept. It was the only thing I could think of so that I didn’t have to ship you to the states. In my opinion, you belong here, in the forest not in some cold steel lab so they can study you. This decision is probably not going to go well for me with those that hired me, but the hell with it. I’m tired of the cement buildings, the traffic, the crowds and all the assholes in the world. Why can’t I just stay someplace like this, studying and caring for the animals of this world? And why am I telling you all this, you can’t understand me.”

She looked up at the sky and sighed.

“At least the tarp will help keep you dry. I’ll be back to check on you later.”

She took one more long admiring look at him then walked away.

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

they'd brought him food and he sniffed it, with a low growl, he didnt detect the hint of any drugs, but that didnt mean anything, he batted at it for a little while, a lip curled in disgust at his situation, but eventually the need to eat won out if he was going to keep his strength, if they drugged him again, well, there would be hell to pay eventually. he had been listening to the sounds of the camp throughout the morning, he'd picked up they were researchers, not hunters, at least, not all of them, they had a few trackers but that was too be expected, so that had settled him, not much, but a little. Good Morning, Handsome. he lifted his head as the female ducked under the tarp, his head canted to one side, his nose flared, her fresh scent flowing to him as she disturbed the air. he watched her as she looked him off with a clinical eye, although her scent also held sadness, and his heavy brows dipped in a near frown in curiosity. I took some of your blood while you slept. It was the only thing I could think of so that I didn’t have to ship you to the states his gaze fell to his paw, which he lifted and licked, it still itched like hell, but that would explain it, his paws were sensitive, in my opinion, you belong here, in the forest not in some cold steel lab so they can study you. This decision is probably not going to go well for me with those that hired me that statement caught his attention and he studied her closer, she was young, mid twenties? maybe? early thirties? it was so hard to judge age in humans some times, but her words also held a ring of truth to them confirmed by the scent of her sadness, she cared about what happened to him, she cared, and that made him pay attention to her. Humans didnt care, none that he ever had, but the sadness that wafted from her at the admission she would be in trouble, he growled softly, a reaction that startled him, he was upset that she would be in trouble, why should he care?.


I’m tired of the cement buildings, the traffic, the crowds and all the assholes in the world. Why can’t I just stay someplace like this, studying and caring for the animals of this world he snorted at that, almost nodding in agreement, yea, he had grown sick of the world too, hence why he lived here, in his fur, on 4 legs, such a simpler life, he watched as she extended her hand to the cage, his tail twitching midly behind him, his nose flared, taking in her scent, his muzzle reaching out, he growled, then licked the palm of her hand, his eyes going to hers, watching, patient, aware. he watched her get up and grumbled a noise not wanting her to leave yet At least the tarp will help keep you dry. I’ll be back to check on you later. he chuffed a sound that could have been a snort, as if saying "well ill be here"

he emptied the water dish he'd been given, deciding to have some fun, he caught the tin bowl between his muzzle and started banging it again the cage, the ringing of it hurt his ears, but it got the attention of a few of the men who came running, he tossed the dish against the bars and waited, a few of the men frowning, talking amongst themselves, wondering if he was just playing, or what the hell he was doing. he picked it up and banged it against the cage again, when one of the workers tried to reach through the cage to grab it, well, he took the guys hand off with a snap of his teeth, swallowing the hand whole., tail twitching in amusement as the women came running, they explained to her what he'd just done, but he just sat there, with the bowl in his mouth, hand canted to one side, looking cute, as she approached the cage he set the bowl down by her, then lowered his head to his paws, watching her, a plea in his gaze

 

[DarkWarrioress]

““Missy Sam! Missy Sam!”

Roberto came running into her tent. His eyes looked wild and his breathing was erratic. Sam got up from her desk and rushed over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Roberto, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”

For surely something had happened to send him scurrying like a scared mouse to her tent.

“The panther. He…he bit off a hand of one of the men.”

“He what? How the sam hell did that happen?”

Not waiting for an answer or expecting one, Sam rushed from her tent to the tarped cage. Chaos had erupted again in camp. The man whose hand had been bitten off, was being helped to the medical tent. In the cage sat the panther, his water bowl in his mouth before he dropped it to the floor of his confinement. She almost thought he was deliberately trying to look cute as he lowered his head to rest on his paws and looked at her with an almost human like plea in his eyes.

“Now, now. What is going on here,” she spoke quietly again as she approached the cage.

“Really, you took his hand off because he reached inside to get your water bowl?”

Roberto had hurriedly explained what had happened.

“Now, if I had only got video of you dragging that bowl across the bars like some human in prison would do….” She laughed. Granted, the whole thing wasn’t funny but the image of him with his bowl in his mouth and dragging it across the bars, was.

“That man did nothing to you, Cat. You took his hand off, why? Because you’re locked up and don’t like it? Well, he’s not responsible for that, I am.”

She stepped closer to the cage and stuck her hand inside, reaching up to scratch him between the ears. It wasn’t the smartest thing she had ever done. After all, just a moment ago, the Cat had shown his power by taking off the man’s hand with a simple snap of his jaws. There was something about him. Something that didn’t make her afraid of him. Wary, maybe. Cautious, yes.

“Will you behave, please? I need to get my report in and hopefully, I can set you free soon.”

She took one more long look at him and turned to head back to her tent.

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

Really, you took his hand off because he reached inside to get your water bowl?” the look he gave her at that statement as she stood there, hands on her hips clearly said "yes" his tail swished, honestly he didnt want anyone near him except her. He didnt know why, but her presence was.........calming.......which was weird, he fucking hated people, she'd trapped him, well, ok, she hadnt, she'd just taken pictures, and well, she was cute. That man did nothing to you, Cat. You took his hand off, why? she would not be able to miss the fact that he straight up rolled his eyes at her, sitting up the best he could inside the cage, his tail tucked around his feet Because you’re locked up and don’t like it? That curled his lip and he gave a short snarl, was the women really that fucking dense? YES he was pissed because he was locked up, stuff her tight ass in this fucking cage half drugged out of her mind and see how SHE liked it, his large paw swatted the cages bars as if saying "DUH"Well, he’s not responsible for that, I am. his head cocked to one side and he gave her an imperious stare, his right eyebrow arched, he batted his water dish at her till it rested against the cage bars

He watched her, the hestitation, then she moved closer, his ears twisted foreward on his head as the scent of her trepidation again wafted to him, she was nervous, but.....giddy?, his nose flared as she ever so slowly stuck her hand through the cage bars, and he let her, curiousity did get the cat killed after all, the soft touch of her hand on his fur however, was like an electric shock, no one, not one person, except one wayward child who'd spotted him in the bushes had DARED to touch him, he knew thats how he'd earned the stories about him as a guardian spirit, a protector, he'd picked the damn child up by the shirt and padded into the village, dropping him at the stunned and scared shitless parents feet, he'd just turned and strolled away as casually as nothing. Now, here, this twig of a female dared to touch him....anndd........he let her, his eyes locked with hers, but he instantly started purring, his ears relaxing as she scratched them, his purring intensified, damn, that felt REALLY good, his tail swished, and it was over too soon as she pulled back.

Will you behave, please? I need to get my report in and hopefully, I can set you free soon he snorted, his head twisting from side to side, clearly saying "No" at her, the slight widening of her eyes before she turned and walked from his make shift tent amused him as he yawned and laid down, he needed a nap, first chance he got, he was fucking out of here, he'd aready looked over the cage, they didnt even have a pad lock on it, well, they did, but it wasnt locked, and it was a simple heavy guage slide bolt, he'd shift back to human, jiggle the lock off, open the cage and he'd be a free kitty once more, just needed no one watching

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Her imagination was working overtime. As she got back to her tent she had sent Roberto off for some tea. Sam sat down and began a letter to her superiors telling them that she was going to release the big cat back into the wild where it belonged. She was sending along some blood samples she had taken along with pictures. Suddenly there was a commotion outside. The sounds of gunfire filled her ears. What the hell? Leaving her work on the top of her desk, she hurried to to the entrance of her tent.

Outside were people she didn’t know. They had guns and were lining up her men.

“What the hell is going on here?” She was outraged.

“Senorita, if you please..”

One man, with a gun, pointed it at her and motioned for her to join the others.

“What do you want? We have no money. Nothing you might want.”

“No, Senorita, you have exactly what we want. The cat. The big cat you caught. Where is it?”

She hesitated. She refused to give them the cat. One of the hands was struck by the butt of a gun. All because one of their men refused to do something. The man with the gun pointed at her turned swiftly toward the ruckus. In that moment, she looked to Roberto and gave him a look then looked toward her tent. He barely moved his head in a nod and waited. When he found the opportunity, he slipped behind the tent. Sam silently sighed with relief. The man with the gun turned back to her.

“Now, Senorita, if you please, the cat?”

Sam stood there, her hands on her hips, her brow arched.

“No.”

“What do you mean no? Not a wise choice, senorita.”

“Or what?” She stared into his rough scarred face.

“What do you want with him, this cat? What has he done to you?”

“He has killed many of our men. Now it will be our turn. Where is he?”

Sam shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. Even if I had him I would not give him to you.”

“Pedro. Back here.”

The man with the gun pointed at her, wheeled and looked in the direction the other man called from. Sam’s breath caught. She silently prayed that Roberto had got to him first. She knew what they would find. The tarped cage. The man Pedro motioned for her to lead the way and she refused. He was getting impatient with her and drawing back his hand, he hauled off and slapped her. Sam fell to the ground, the corner of her mouth bleeding.

“Get up, senorita! Get up or I will hit you again.”

Sam scrambled to her feet and stared him down.

“You have a death wish, woman. Now, go. Lead the way.”

Sam refused. Again. The man drew back his hand and hit her face again, this time, Sam stumbled and staggered back, falling over into the dust. Her mouth now bleeding profusely.

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

He smelled them coming on the wind long before they arrived, he smelled the gun oil, the stink of Rot and unwashed flesh, and he grew aggitated, he had begun gnawing at the bars, he'd smelled someone walk by him earlier heading into the forest, one of guides? he hadnt smelled like the rest of these people, there was a sickness to his scent, it had made his nose wrinkle but he hadnt thought about till now. He heard the shouts and the gun fire and his hackles rose, the shouting of voices, accents he didnt recognize as his ears swiveled, the gun fire making him flinch, he had begun to growl and chew at the bars, he'd looked at the chain and lock on his cage and there was nothing he could do about it, it was trapped, and it pissed him the fuck off. his ears swiveled as he listened to the shouted demands, the man that left the camp earlier had to have alerted them to his presence, he left none alive that could have figured out where'd he'd vanished to.

The tarp covering his cage rustled and he hunkers down, his lips peeled back off his fangs, but as he spotted the man....Roberto?, one of the womens assistants he cocked his head, the man approached him with his hands up, whispering hushing words at him "its ok, im getting you out of here, please dont kill me" he watched as the man pulled a key from his pocket and undid the lock, his ears perked as the chain slid free, Roberto trying his best to get behind the cage as he popped the latch and the door swung open. He as out of the cage in a flash, moving he turned to head into the forest when he heard the females outraged cry and he froze, indecision warred with his better judgement, he knew this men would never believe he escaped, they would kill everyone here out of spite, he didnt care.........he..shouldnt have cared, his ear flicked as he heard Roberto whispering for him to "shoo" and he turned to eye the man, who just held his hands up like he was the one who had a gun on him. Another low snarl he melded into the shadows of the forest, circling around the camp, his eyes taking in everything, counting bodies, at least 6 men with guns, another 3 in the forest as back up, their stench made his nose wrinkle.

he circled behind the females tent and hunkered down, watcing the biggest of them, probably one of the cartel's lieutenants. His iris's turned to slits as he focused on the man as he threatened the woman, his lips peeling back as he watched the man strike her, and his body coiled, he may be more animal then man but he knew better then to strike a women, he was honestly impressed as she got back up, only to have the man hit her again, and his rage snapped, one very loud, very pissed off panther's scream echoed throughout the forest, as the woman hit the ground a dark shadow passed over her, the panther hitting the man square in the chest, claws digging into flesh, shouts rang out as the panther snapped his teeth and the mans face was torn off as he jerked his muzzle away, snapping the humans neck, he followed the mans body down as gunfire rang out, and the animal moved, several bullets grazing but he was too fast, claws flashed as he batted at the gun of the nearest man, flesh tearing as he severad the arm at the elbow, teeth flashing as he tears out that ones throat. He jerked as a bullet struck his shoulder but he continued to move as chaos erupted, 1 by 1 the attackers fell to his teeth and claws, peeling his claws from a dead mans chest, now a gaping hole that showed spine, he panted hard, blood dripped from several bullet wounds in his shoulder, side, and hip, his head swiveled around as he watched, several of the scientists had their tranq guns pointed at him but non fired, they all looked between each other, several talking at once.

some arguing they should shoot the panther now while was wounded, others wondering why hed'd only killed the smugglers and not them, his head swiveled around as he looked to the women, standing now, but her eyes were taking in the carnage, and honestly she looked a little green, he padded to her and he heard the cocking of a tranq gun but the woman held up a hand as the panther approached, a low growl rumbling from his chest he his eyes took her in, as if checking her for injury, he felt every bullet wound in his body and knew he'd been shot at least 4 times, his muscles ached and he could feel the blood trickling down his wounds, his head lifted and he stared at her, flashing a fang in irritation before he limped from the camp, he heard her soft call but he didnt stop, it took him some time but he made his way back to the falls, his large body slumping to the ground by the water's edge he drank, his chest heaved as the pain set in, his adrenaline was crashing and his wounds were begining to take their toll.

He was finding it hard to breath and wondered if they'd nicked a lung, he definitely had a cracked rib, maybe broken, or two, his tongue hanging out he panted, taking a few more drinks he struggled to stand but couldnt, he already felt that familiar heated flush wash through his body, he knew that the fever was coming, it was a way for his body to heal but it completely shut him down, with a huff he tried to fight it but his lids drooped, his massive head laying on his paws, his breathing grew short as the darkness took him

 

[DarkWarrioress]

The camp became a place of bloody carnage. It was the panther, even though Roberto had freed him and she had hoped he would run into the forest, he had not. Instead, he had torn up and killed every one of the men who had come in to hurt them. He had moved so fast. Sam hadn’t even been able to get to her feet for the second time before the big cat had attacked. There were screams and blood flowed freely. Sam took it all in and felt like she was going to be sick.

After it was over. When it was quiet once more, the panther padded over to her. She heard the guns cock and she raised a hand to still them. They watched in awe as the big cat walked up to her and was seemingly looking her over.

“It’s alright, boy. Nothing serious. My aw may be black and blue for a few days but that’s all.”

She talked to him quietly and slowly. She didn’t know how long they had stared at each other before he turned and padded away. Sam got to her feet and called after him but he didn’t stop or turn around, he just kept walking into the forest. For a moment, she stared after him. Dusting off her clothes, she made to follow. She stayed a some distance away from him but he never turned around. He simply headed for the falls. She had noted the blood flowing from his injuries, the bullets he had taken for saving them and she was determined to return the favor.

As she watched, he slumped to the ground near the water. He drank some and tried to stand but the effort was too much and he sank back to the ground, that was when she went to him, kneeling on the lush grass at his side. She ran her hands over him, her hand coming away with blood.

“Roberto!” She yelled but unnecessarily for Roberto was behind her.

“Have them bring the stretcher and the cage. He needs help or he’s going to die.”

Roberto made it halfway to the camp before encountering some of their men and he gave instructions which, they set off to follow. In the meantime, he, himself, set about have the camp cleaned up.

The crew came back with the stretched and the cage. It had taken everyone there to get the big cat in the stretcher and the stretcher in the cage. She knew there were no doctors available within miles and the panther didn’t have that kind of time. The cage was parked behind her tent, the back flap opened. Sam was familiar with the cat’s anatomy but she was not a veterinarian surgeon. No matter how she tried to make it work, there just wasn’t enough room in the cage for a big stretched out cat or herself to work in. So, she had the men remove him and haul him inside her tent to a big table she had free on the other side. Getting him up on that table was another miracle. When settled, lanterns had been strategically placed, the men waved outside, Sam prepared a shot and gave it to him in the neck. It would keep him asleep for a while. At least long enough for her to work. She ran her hands over his body and found the bullet wounds. Probing them, she located the bullets and extracted them. His breathing concerned her and without the proper equipment, she couldn’t be sure if his lungs had been nicked. It felt like a rib or two were broken and the only thing she could do was wrap them.

How many hours she had worked on this gorgeous creature, she had no idea but when she had done everything she felt she could do, she stood back and stretched. Her back was killing her but her concern was for the cat. She left him lying there as she went to change her clothes. Sitting down at her desk, Sam ran her fingers through her hair with a sigh. A quick glance across the room showed her he was sleeping quietly. Folding her arms on her desk, she put her head down on top of them. People owed their lives to this cat as did she. Now, she hoped she had done something good for him. Yawning, she decided to close her eyes for a bit. Just for a bit.

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

He floated, dreamless, he caught pieces of sound, but it was like he was under water, deep voices, but there was one, it was soft, it lulled him to sleep with its gentle tones, he felt on fire, but he didnt care, if only that voice would keep talking to him, it soothed the pain. he heard it constantly, a low throaty voice, it spoke just to him, He enjoyed listening to it, he faded into darkness again, maybe it was an angel coming to finally take away his pain..


**************
4 Days later
**************

He woke slowly, everything in his body hurt, his paws flexed, he was laying on something hard, he fall asleep on a rock again? he didnt feel the suns ray's on him, was it night time? he didnt know, his ear flicked, his hearing was tinny, he pawed at it, his tongue thick, he worked his jaw slowly, the soft "slack, slack, slack" his tongue made against the roof of his mouth and he growled, his body stretching out, he felt more then one muscle pop as he did, a soft growl as his paws flexed, claws sheathing, unsheathing as he did, god his side and his shoulder hurt, must have laid on a stone. slowly he forced his eyes open, it took a while before he was able to focus, he pawed at his eyes, they were crusty, he hated that shit. a scent was in the room, familiar, calming, where did he know that scent from? his tongue licked the air as he tasted it, oh yeaaaaa, he liked that scent, why did he know it? he'd have to find its owner...........his head lifted slowly as he focused, his night vision was sharp though, he was right, it was dark and he was looking at.........fabric?......ceiling.... a tent?........a.....tent...?.... he blinked a few times, and tilted his head down, he was laying on a desk.......why was he laying on a desk.....what the hell, he get high on catnip again? then his eyes landed on HER, her head rested on her arms, tucked under her head, she was asleep, his ear twitched and he heard the steady slow beat of her heart, she was asleep next to him, propped on the desk, he watched her, memories trickling back. The Smugglers, the fight him passing out after getting shot.

his head tilted more as he looked down the length of his body, saw the bandages and gause tape on his fur......she'd tracked him down after he'd made it to the falls, transported him back here, well, at least he wasnt in a cage this time........she was a brave little thing, a panther as large as he was, unbound, with her vulnerable to attack, he had to admire her, with a groan of effort he lifted his massive head, snuffling his nose along her hair, her scent, her scent was familiar, soothing.......why was it soothing?........the scent from his dreams? it was her? *he snuffled her hair, his hot breath moving strands from her face, he nosed it out of the way, his dry tongue licking her cheek gently, tasting her skin, mmmmm, yummy......he licked her again and saw her eyes open, she blinked a few times, then looked up at him, blinked again, then suddenly she was up and tripping over her chair as she shot to her feet, the scent of relief and fear flying from her skin as she tripped over her chair and landed on her ass. he rolled to his stomach on the desk, his head peaking over the edge of the desk to look down at her, an eyebrow peaked as he canted his head at her, tail twitching in amusement

 

[DarkWarrioress]

For four days and nights, she stood vigil over him. When he got restless, she crooned to him and let her hand brush over his fur. He seemed to settle then. In those four days she was tormented by her thoughts. She trusted her knowledge of animals. She had been rescuing them since her parents allowed to wander on her own. So, taking the bullets out of him had been the easy part. The not so easy was combatting infection. She just prayed his constitution was strong enough to get him through. In the meantime, when she wasn’t caring for him, she bundling up and shipping the blood samples. Hopefully, they would be content with that but some foreboding told her otherwise. Still, it was worth a try. After she got the package off with a messenger, Sam checked on her patient and then sat down, her head resting on her forearms. She was tired. So very tired. Maybe if she just closed her eyes for a bit…..

Something cold and wet swiped at her cheek and woke her. Blinking, her eyes wide, she looked around and came in contact with the panther. When the signals finally muddled through to her brain, she jumped up, knocking over her chair and tripping over it. She couldn’t get her feet under her to maintain her balance and felt herself go down, right onto her ass. He was hanging his head over the edge of the desk and staring at her. She stared back at him with a look of indignation.

“Did you have to scare me like that?”

She muttered to him as she got to her feet and righted her chair. Her eyes looked him over and then looked into his eyes. They looked a lot clearer than before. Stepping toward him, she raised a hand and petted his back. Her fingers passing over the wounds that had started to heal. Her fingertips gingerly probed his ribs, those too, seemed to be on the mend.

“You seem to be on the mend, my friend. I’ll need to listen to our beathing. I’m not sure if you broke a rib or two but you definitely had a rattle going on in there. Your ribs will be tender for a while, at least until they heal completely. Okay, so now, I’m going to lay my ear on you. Be nice.”

Careful so as not to make any sudden moves, she leaned over him and laid her ear against him. His heart sounded good and his breathing was still a little crackly. She stood up again.

“You’re definitely on the mend. Are you hungry? I could get one of the men to get you a half of antelope they brough in this morning.”

Her eyes looked him over. He really was a magnificent specimen. Normally, she would never turn her back on a wild animal, but in his case, she made an exception and walked to the front of her tent.

“Roberto?”

The man showed up at her side.

“Yes, Miss Sam?”

Her eyes wandered the camp and it looked like the bloody carnage never happened four days earlier.

“Would you have one of the men bring me a half of an antelope they brought in this morning? Our friend is awake.”

“Right away, Miss Sam.”

“Have them just leave it right here at the door.”

She turned back as soon as Roberto went off to carry out her wishes to find the panther staring at her and she just couldn’t look away.

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

Did you have to scare me like that? that brought a snort from him as he watched her get to her feet, his eyes trailing over her, his tail idly twitching as he lay across the desk, he watched her as she gathered herself, he had to admit she had a fuckkk ton of courage to be face to face with him alone, as far as she knew, he was a normal panther, if he had been a wild panther and not what he was, she'd more then likely have been attacked the minute it woke up, he really admired her for that, she had the barest hint of fear from her, but now it was more curiosity that drove her actions. I’ll need to listen to our beathing. I’m not sure if you broke a rib or two but you definitely had a rattle going on in there ok, he retracted that previous statement he watched as she approached and a low growl rumbled from his chest. He knew he had a few broken ribs, he could feel them moving as he breathed, laying as he was, felt then cracking and rubbing together but they were mending, his higher then normal body temp told him he wasn't fully out of the Fever yet. which was fine. The Cartel had found him once already, whoever the traitor was, they would more then likely report their men where killed again, it was now a double edged blade, he could leave, and maybe they would leave them alone. but the only possible outcome he saw was they returned again and killed everyone, and he cursed himself, he shouldn't fucking care he really shouldn't.

He was drawn out of his thoughts as he felt warmth against his fur, he blinked a few times he looked down his body, watching as she pressed herself to his chest, listening to his body, and he just couldnt quiet stop the purr that vibrated in his chest as she pulled back, blinking at him. You’re definitely on the mend. Are you hungry? I could get one of the men to get you a half of antelope his stomach chose at that precise moment to growl, His tail twitched and he grumbled at her as she stepped away, yes, he was hungry, he normally ate at least his bodyweight in meat every day, he watched her turning her back to him, that was dumb, most predators struck from the back. Silently he slinked off the desk as she moved to the tent's entrance. and padded silently towards her, the man that arrived, the one that had let him out of the cage spotted him and he froze mid walk, his eyes widened a bit seeing him awake and he made a show of stretching. He needed to stretch, his body was tense, his mouth opening wide in a yawn flashing his teeth at the male, then proceeded to scratch at an ear.

He watched the male turn and walk away and he padded up behind the woman, sniffing along her lower back through her shirt, he pawed at his nose, the bug repellant and sun block still on her skin it made his nose tingle and he shook his head before he sneezed, watching her jump realizing he was so close, he sneezed once, twice, his teeth snapping inch's from her hand as he shook his head and pawed at his nose again with an annoyed chuff. He sat back on his haunches as he looked at her, tail curled around his paws he watched her. She stood there, frozen for a moment, he saw her eyes dart to the tent entrance then back to him, he saw the debate in her eyes on what she should do. A heavy sigh he felt a few muscles in his side pop and he flinched. shaking out his fur he headed for the tent entrance, stopping to look back at her, tail twitching, he waited. Her eyes watched him, he could tell she wanted to ask, well, say something. he looked to the tent entrance again, taking a few steps, then again looked back at her, as if waiting for her to follow.

He nosed open the flap to her tent and padded outside, heard her call after him and again he stopped, waiting for her to join him, everyone else in the camp froze as they spotted him, the scent of fear growing rank in the air he pawed at his nose and chuffed, scanning the camp he watched a few go for weapons, but none of them actually pointed them at him. He heard the tent flap open and he looked back at her, his head canted to one side, his tail twitching he turned and walked around her tent in the direction of the falls, again, he stopped and watched her, waiting

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Sam could admit, that she had done a lot of crazy stuff in her life, but following a dangerous black panther into the rainforest was not one of them. Yet, somehow, she got the feeling he wanted her to follow him and when they left the tent, she heard several guns lock and load. But no one fired. So far, he had not once hurt one of her people, in fact, he had readily defended them so they weren’t quick to assume he was going to hurt their boss. Besides, they all knew she had spent the last four days in her tent with him and he hadn’t hurt her. She followed him.

They traveled back into the forest to the falls, where she had first found him. He went across the river to the other side where the falls were and she followed him. He led the way and seemed to head for the falls themselves but before she could protest, he disappeared behind them. She stood just outside of the falls and stared at them. She could feel the cool air the falls gave off and felt the spray from their travels into the pool at her feet. Biting her bottom lip and against her better judgement, she went behind them too and found herself in a cave. She looked around at the cool darkness of the cave with only the sound of the waterfalls hitting the pool. It seemed like a peaceful space to her.

She looked around for the cat. He was black as well and blended into the darkness of the interior of the cave.

“Why did you bring me here?”

She called out as she wandered in further.

 

[LoganDarkHolme]

Why did you bring me here? her voice echoed around the small cave, it would take her a little bit of time for her eyes to adjust, which was fine for him, his night vision adjusted faster then hers, and he could see perfectly well as he navigated the small tunnel into the back where he'd made up his own make shift camp, he had a feeling he wasn't going to be returning here any time soon. there was just too much he had gotten involved in, and for whatever crazy reason, he just could not bring himself to walk away from this female knowing that more cartel members could come searching, and probably kill them just for spite. An irritated growl rumbled his chest as he nosed around the meager belongings he possesed, his mouth closing around the tranq rifle he'd taken from her just a scant few days ago and he padded back to her, seeing her still standing at the caves entrance, he dropped the gun at her feet, and nosed it towards her as if saying "youll need this" before padding back into the darkness.

He'd taken more then one gun from the smugglers and poachers he'd killed over the years, cant have weapons just laying around the jungle, so a few moments later, a small fanny pack she would find loaded with rifle ammo and a hunting rifle between his teeth he also dropped this at her feet, sitting on his haunches, tail curling around the bottom of his feet he watched her, head cocked to one side as he studied her, lifting a paw he began to clean himself, licking and rubbing his paw at his head and ear then settled, again his eyes trailed over her, then moved to brush against her and walked to a rock beside the falls and laid down

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She blinked, trying to get her eyes to adjust to sudden darkness of the cave. He padded back further into the darkness and came back a few moments later with something in his mouth. He dropped it at her feet, nosing it closer to her. He turned, heading back the way he had come and she bent down to retrieve the item. It was her tranq gun. He had kept it? Why? He came back moments later carrying a small pack, a fanny pack from what she could make out. He dropped this at her feet too before he turned once more, heading into the darkness. She bent to retrieve this too and found it packed with ammunition. Where had he gotten this? He wasn’t done either. He cme back with another rifle and dropped that to the floor of the cave as well. She looked from it to him and back to the weapons. This was no ordinary cat of the rainforest. He sat not far from her, head cocked to one side as he regarded her then began to clean himself. When he was done, he looked her up and down, padded past her to go back out of the cave. She stood there a moment or two longer then turned on her heels and followed him.

Coming out from his cave, it took a minute or two for her eyes to readjust to the light. When her eyes searched for him, she found him sunning himself on a huge rock by the falls, his tail flicking back and forth lazily. God, he was a handsome cat. Once again, she wondered why she wasn’t afraid of him. It wasn’t something she could explain to anybody. She crawled up on the rock and joined him. Sam looked out over the pond of water, watching the ripples the falling water made as they met the pool of water below.

“I wish I knew why you did what you did. I wish I knew why you cared enough to bring me here to collect the guns and ammo. I have a feeling there is so much more to you than meets the eye.”

She stuck out a hand and ran it over his fur. It was warm and silken to her touch. She had this sudden urge to lay her head on him and just let the peace, the sun and this big cat take her away from here for a while.

“They’re going to come for you, you know,” she talked to him like he was a person, “I wanted to just leave you here, where you belong. There are people who are not going to let that happen. I’m still going to send your blood back and hope that’s enough. I know you can lose yourself in forest if you want to. Heaven knows, the rainforest is big enough. It may come down to my job or you and I can always get another job. I hate starting over, but I’d hate to think of you in captivity more.”

She sighed and looked up at the sky for a long moment, wishing she didn’t have to go. Turning slightly toward him, she ran her hand over his side once more.
“You be careful, Cat. I’m assuming it’s the Cartel out here, they’ll be hunting you.”
She scrambled off the rock, brushed her clothing off and went to gather up weapons and ammo. She took one last look at him lying on that rock and she headed back to camp. She still had work to do.

Once back in camp, she passed Roberto the spare gun and ammo and took her tranq gun back to her tent. Sitting down, she leaned back in her chair, running her hand through her hair. She had packed up the blood samples and called Roberto, handing him the package with her instructions. Now, it was simply a matter of wait and see.