And then there was a girl throwing apples at the creature. Not likely to be a very effective weapon on their own, but as a distraction? They could be very useful indeed.

"That's the spirit, darling!", he called out as her apple struck the vaguely feline monster right in the eye, making it yowl in mingled pain and anger and paw at its face. "An apple a day keeps the monsters away!"

Though a sword certainly didn't hurt either, and he took advantage of the situation to leap into the fray. Literally. He leaped from the top of the barrel, bringing down his sword in a long slash across the monster's back and giving it a whole new reason to yowl, before ducking nimbly away from its claws as it lashed out at him.

"Another one, if you please, Miss?", he called. Best to distract the beastie again before it had a chance to focus too much on him...