Joly sees only a flash of color and then Combeferre doubled over. But the cats are fluffing up, arching their backs and drawing in closer to him. He reaches a hand out to Combeferre while looking around the woods.
"Are you all right? Did you see--oh!"

Another shape makes a quick dash at them, swerving when Meta leaps at it with claws. And while Joly's watching that, something THUMPS into the back of his legs, nearly knocking him over.