Galen heard a quick, suddenly ceasing, choking noise up ahead, coming from one of the group. He darted forward and saw a series of vines encirling the sergal, rapidly snaring and crushing her neck. His right hand darted to his hatchet, and after unsheathing it, he ripped the vines from Zaida with his left hand and moved to hack at the vines with deliberation, using his razor-edged claws when necessary, and continuing his assault on the plants until each writhing vine posed no thread to the sergal.
"This place is not safe." He said, half panting from the sudden exertion.
"Wherever we are going, it better be more secure than what we've seen so far."
He slid the blade of the hatchet along his pants to clean it of plant matter, before sheathing it at his hip.
(Apologies. I will take your preferrences into account.)