9” x 12 3/4” color pencil
 
Well, she’s about done for now. I tried for a couple hours to take a good photo and its is the best I could do. Background is kinda missing some colors. Original of course is much nicer.
 
The following is a response to a question I received on WIP 1.  
“It is a mixed sex unit but what the personnel do when off duty is their business. As for uniforms, they really don’t have any.  
Most dress quite lightly with little to no armor and are armed with but a short sword and light shield and perhaps a sizable knife in case a sword is lost or broken. They dress and arm such so to remain light which allows them to utilize their speed and agility to its utmost.
 
The Tygran are the fiercest and most feared warriors known, being at least twice the weight of the average human, much stronger pound for pound, and far faster and agile than any man. Archers at close range in open country are the Tigran’s greatest challenge and they avoid that situation unless the need is dire. But in a forested setting, archers at any distance are of little concern as there, the Tygran can dodge arrows easily, darting between and behind trees until they are within striking distance. Then they will make a head on charge, using their light shield to deflect the first shot. Rarely is there ever time for a second.  
Then too, the full throated roars they produce when at a distance will unnerve all but the most seasoned veteran… but in close proximity, the cacophony of a combined unit is said to cause sword and shield of the enemy to vibrate such that they are unable to be held. Truth be told, the few enemy that have survived such an attack have used that as an excuse for their retreat rather than admitting that they just threw down their weapons and ran.
 
Humans are not usually considered an enemy and Tigran often trade with human settlements in their region. But the current war is against humans, but of a race that has invaded their domain in mass from the eastern lands, cutting down any and all that stand in their way.
 
In the story I envision, the Tygran, while tracking a sizable legion of invaders, encounter another band of soldiers of similar number as their own. They charged the newcomers but these humans stood their ground. They too, they never raised a weapon or shield or showed fear…they just waited. The Tygran charge hesitated for just a moment and during that brief few seconds, the apparent leader of the humans raised a hand, palm forward, toward the cats and called out one word in clear Tygran tongue, “coumraah”. This was followed immediately by the rest of the troop as one, the same motion and word. “Brothers in arms”, was the rough translation but it brought the oncoming Tygran to a complete stop.  
The leaders of the two squads met soon after and a truce was called, then an alliance, for both leaders were aware of and believed the ancient adage, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”.  
The alliance was tentative at first but during their first battle together, they discovered that the combination of their two different warring methods complemented one another and they became the most formidable fighting force known. During their first battle together, each Human and each Tygran, earned the respect of the other which may have been an even greater boon than their combined fighting ability.
 
Comments and critique welcome.