Scarlett hadn't wandered terribly far from her mother, despite being given permission to explore. There were flowers to admire, interesting little stones to collect, and all manner of lovely things she thought might make Raisa smile. She'd even found a pretty feather that she planned to bring back as a gift, carrying it carefully between her teeth as she made her way toward the familiar scent of her mother. Mama had seemed awfully sad lately, ever since Anastasia had....had, her eyes welled with tears at the thought. Choosing to believe instead that her sister was just someplace else, someplace beautiful.

It was the sound of another that drew her attention, followed by the thunder of paws against the earth. Scarlett turned, her feather falling from her mouth as she watched large figure come barreling toward Raisa. For a heartbeat she stood perfectly still struggling to understand what she was seeing. Why was someone running at Mama like that? Why weren't they slowing down? Surely they weren't going to...

MAMAAAA!

The scream escaped her before she could think better of it, shrill and horrified. Scarlett had never understood why anyone would want to hurt another living creature. Even the rougher games of her siblings left her bewildered and the idea that someone might deliberately attack her mother was utterly unthinkable! Yet here it was happening right before her eyes! She scrambled forward in a flurry of uncoordinated paws, heart hammering fiercely against her ribs.

PLEASE, STOP! DON'T HURT HER! she cried, voice cracking beneath the enormity of her distress.

Rather than bare her teeth or attempt to fight Scarlett threw herself directly into the path of the approaching Queen planting her little paws as firmly as she could manage. Her entire body trembled ears drawn back tightly and eyes already glistening with tears but she refused to move. She's my mama! She's a very good mama, and she hasn't done anything wrong!