Caine didn't have to be told twice and, as the small army of feathered fiends stayed trying to add their weight to the tree, the man's gaze narrowed as he sought out the ugly thing that was still where it had been. He flipped one dagger over in his hand and, with a quick glance to the beast that was now focused on Ace, he took off to the cover of shrubs and branches to make his way up towards it.<br/><br/><br/><br/>The enraged beast had lost all other care for the other small things it had seen moving. Single minded and focused in on Ace, it didn't notice the branches of the fallen tree suddenly gave a rustling groan. It thundered forwards, meaning to take an entire leg off this time, but it only made halfway in its stride before a sword skewered the beast on the ribs, force able to send it nearly to the hilt. As the animal rose up with a roar of pain, Dane came sprinting from the mass of branches. He leapt over one to the other, running along the length of the tree. Not unlike Ace, he was suddenly launching himself at the animal. While it was blinded by pain, Dane latched himself onto the hilt of the sword and put all his weight into dropping down on it.<br/><br/><br/>But his arms were tired and he'd only pulled the blade down half the length he'd wanted to before the Owltrice bucked in pain, swinging back around and dislodging him, blade and all, from its side. The man skidded across the ground, turning and standing while the beast was roaring and twisting from side to side. The sound in the air turned deafening, causing the owls around it to cry out as well. Dane had to clasp his hands over his ears, delicate hearing causing his head to ring under the assault.<br/><br/>"We have to keep it busy!" came the strained bellow, hoping that Ace could hear him. Dane wasn't, at the moment, privy to just how badly wounded Ace had been once he'd left the tree.<br/><br/>The Owltrice, though now lifting one front leg off the ground and sporting a deep and angry wound, turned to face them again. It staggered only for a moment before those large wings opened wide. In the space it had, it send a sudden rush of air washing over them that normally only a strong storm could bring. Dane was pushed back and into the broken mass behind him, head turned to the side to guard his eyes from the dirt and debris that was launched into the air.<br/><br/>The beast kept it up as it stalked forwards, the tactic effective enough to blind its prey as it closed in on them. It made it several more steps before the thing suddenly stopped in its tracks, head lifting and snapping forwards.<br/><br/>Even over the dying roar of air, Dane heard the cry (and Ace would hear the scream) that ran out into the air in a familiar voice. It was enough to send the man struggling to stand up out of sheer instinct.<br/><br/>Thankfully it had also, for the moment, kept the Owltrice from closing into finish what it had started. Instead, the large beast was turning now, sending out a sharp and piercing call before it was lumbering over the fallen tree and down the path and towards the opening in the trees beyond where the small figure was now staggering forwards to close the distance between them in a desperate attempt to flee the second of Caine's blade. The first of which was currently buried deep into its side.<br/><br/><br/>To Caine, the sickly looking impish creature was giving a warbling cry out to the Owltrice. To Dane and Ace, and in painfully familiar voices, it was sobbing for help.