Tyr's wings twitched in agitation. He didn't have a good answer - at least not one he wanted to examine too closely.I don't know,he admitted finally.I just... wanted to be sure Beth was safe.
The admission hung between them in the cool night air. Tyr could feel his brother's curiosity and concern bleeding through their telepathic link, but he kept his own thoughts carefully shielded. He wasn't ready to analyze why Beth's vulnerability called to something deep inside him, why the thought of her sleeping unprotected made his protective instincts surge.
A flicker of movement below snapped Tyr's attention from his brother. His enhanced vision zeroed in on Beth's patio as a small shadow detached itself from the deeper darkness near her French doors.
The clouded leopard moved with liquid grace, the large cloud-shaped splotches on her coat blending perfectly with the dappled shadows. Even with his enhanced vision, Tyr might have missed her if he hadn't been watching so intently. Her compact form was smaller than he'd expected for a leopard, roughly the size of a spaniel.
Beth's feline shape paused at the edge of her patio, her rounded ears swiveling to catch every nighttime sound. Her long tail curved gracefully behind her as she settled onto her haunches, face tilted up toward the star-filled sky.
Tyr found himself mesmerized by her peaceful stillness. The trauma and anxiety that clung to her human form seemed absent in her leopard shape. She looked... content. In this form, the weight of human trauma seemed to lift from her shoulders. Here, she was pure grace and instinct.
She's beautiful.Awe colored Tobi's thoughts.I didn't realize clouded leopards were so different from regular ones.
Yeah,Tyr agreed, watching Beth's graceful movements.She's not much bigger than a house cat.
Well, a pretty big house cat,Tobi amended.But yeah.
They fell silent as Beth gathered herself, muscles bunching beneath her luxuriant coat. She launched upward in a fluid leap, catching the lowest branch of the massive oak tree beside her patio. Her claws found easy purchase in the bark as she pulled herself up, moving with the natural confidence of a born climber.
Tyr tracked her progress as she emerged onto a thick horizontal branch about fifteen feet up. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns across her rosette-marked fur as she prowled along the branch. Her long tail provided perfect balance, barely twitching as she moved.
Finding a spot she liked, Beth stretched out along the branch, her spotted form draping gracefully over the rough bark. Her head rested on her crossed paws while her tail hung lazily below, swaying slightly in the night breeze.
Aww, she's adorable!Enthusiasm bubbled through Tobi's thoughts.I just want to scoop her up and hug her and squeeze her and call her George!
She's not some stuffed animal, you idiot.Tyr's wings snapped out in irritation, and he lunged at his brother, beak aimed for those pristine white feathers again.
Tobi danced sideways, nearly sliding off the roof peak.Aww, is someone feeling protective of the cute little kitty cat?
That did it. Tyr launched himself at his twin, talons extended. They tumbled across the rooftop in a flurry of brown and white feathers, each trying to get the upper hand. Tobi's wing caught him in the face while Tyr managed to yank out another chunk of that ridiculous white plumage.
You're just jealous because you look like a common hawk,Tobi taunted, pecking at Tyr's wing.
That's falcon to you! And better than looking like an overgrown cockatoo,Tyr shot back, dodging his brother's attack.
Below them, Beth's leopard lifted her head from her paws, ears swiveling toward their scuffling sounds. Her luminous eyes reflected the moonlight as she scanned the rooftop above.
The brothers froze mid-wrestle.
Tyr reacted on pure instinct, his wings spreading wide as he shifted position to shield Tobi's bright form from Beth's searching gaze. His darker plumage blended perfectly with the night shadows, while Tobi's white feathers stood out like a beacon against the dark roof.
Stay still, you idiot,he commanded along their twin bond, keeping his own form motionless as the leopard’s eyes swept across their perch.
Tobi, for once, listened without argument. The gyrfalcon's warmth pressed against Tyr's side as they waited, barely breathing, while Beth's keen gaze lingered on their position. Her spotted ears remained focused upward, clearly having caught some hint of their presence.
After what felt like an eternity, Beth's head lowered back to her paws. Her eyes drifted closed, though her ears still twitched occasionally toward any nighttime sounds.
Too close.A hint of sheepishness crept into Tobi's thoughts.Sorry about the teasing.
Just... be more careful,Tyr responded.If she realizes we're here, she's going to think we're stalking her.
Aren't you though?Tobi's smugness radiated through their link.Stalking her, I mean.
Idiot,Tyr projected back, his feathers bristling with irritation. He kept his larger form positioned to shield hisbrother's ridiculous white plumage from Beth's occasional upward glances.
Well, have fun playing guardian angel. I'm off to check the vet clinic's perimeter again.With a nearly silent rustle of wings, Tobi launched himself from the rooftop. His white form quickly disappeared against the star-filled sky, leaving Tyr alone with his thoughts.
Below, the sleek clouded leopard remained stretched along the oak branch, her spotted tail swaying gently in the night breeze. The peaceful rise and fall of her breathing carried clearly to Tyr's enhanced senses.
