Al was waiting for the first indication that Edmund’s grip had slipped, and when he felt it, he tried to dart away again, before Edmund could grab on. Like most cats, his skin was thick and loose, sliding over muscle and difficult to grip. His only advantage no was that Edmund didn’t know exactly what he’d do, so he had the luxury of responding to what he felt.

He hoped to leave Edmund behind, to squirm away and return to his wary circling. His king had proven very effective at seizing on, and now that Al knew that, he didn’t want to stay in this position.

With Edmund on the ground, Al was relying on his speed to tear himself away. Another lion might have pushed, flinging himself down on top of Edmund and trusting his weight to pin him, but Al was no average lion. And he was enjoying himself. He didn’t want the match with Edmund to end.