People who lived in close proximity to animals knew better than to think they were as cute and friendly as ones show in a Disney movie.  Animals were, well, animals with the same base drives and instincts that made them potential threats at any time.  More than once she'd seen a seemingly domesticated reindeer turn on a herder, especially during rut, to hook at them with their antlers or stand up on their hind legs and bash at them with their sharp front hooves.  Animals were dangerous, vicious creatures and Alejandro was being mauled by one!<br/><br/>They might have thought him soft, thought him weak especially compared to the tattooed man, but Alejandro was a fighter.  Scarlet ribbons of blood coursed down the animal's hide, vivid against the black skin that was patchy with spiky bits of hair.  Alejandro had stabbed the animal though it seemed far from a mortal blow.  The pig was trying to savage Alejandro's face, back legs digging at the ground to try and gain leverage and even though he was holding the animal back for the moment he was in real danger of being seriously hurt.<br/><br/>Her own knife, the one this same brave man had given her, was back in camp.  Even if she had it Asta would have hesitated to take it on with just a knife and longed for a rifle with which to dispatch the beast.  Her hands would be useless so there was only one thing to do.  Pausing to grab the crucifix out of the ground, she swung it in a quick sideways arc, short arm held parallel to the ground.  Every animal had two real vulnerable spots they were always protective of.<br/><br/>One was the eyes.  Any animal flinched away from a blow to the eyes.  But the pig's head was trying to bury itself in Alejandro's throat so she did not dare try to hit it there.<br/><br/>A squeal of pure outrage sounded as the arm of the cross buried itself in the sensitive skin around the boar's anus.  It trampled across Alejandro, poor man, but it did break away only to turn and glare at Asta.  She didn't give it any time to gather it's courage, screaming at it and swinging the now broken cross at it's face, forcing it back and back and back until it turned and scrambled away, leaving a smear of blood on the greenery surrounding the clearing.  Not turning away from where it disappeared, she slowly walked backwards until she was standing near Alejandro's head as he lay on the ground, edge of the tennis skirt swaying almost enough to offer him a glimpse of Heaven but always leaving him in Limbo.<br/><br/>"Alejandro!" she called, voice worried.  "Alejandro.  Nouse ylös.  Nouse ylös!" she urged and bent at the knees, holding a hand out to offer to help him rise.