You have the initiative AND advantage on any actions since the creature's attention is fixed upon it's soon-to-be meal.  You can attack/distract/attempt to drive off. Also, it is within your movement range to place yourself between the creature and your mule - though that will use your action for the round (drawing weapons would be deemed part of the action also).

The panther looks too dangerous to make friends with. Besides, her pet mouse had been afraid of cats, and some wariness of cats had rubbed off on Rin. So before it gets close to the mule, or anyone else gets close to the panther, she'll cast an Ice Dagger at the panther, her strongest attack spell. 

(OOC: If there is anyone within 5 feet of the panther, she will NOT attack with Ice Dagger, since it's a small AOE spell!)

Attack: 22 (with advantage), Damage 2 piercing, DC 13 Dex save to avoid 6 cold damage when the ice dagger explodes

Lumaris reaches a hand out as if throwing something, and with a gesture and a muttered word something that appears like a thorny vine whips out and circles around the panther. Lumaris snaps her wrist, and the panther is dragged back towards her.

To hit: Thorn Whip 24 (nat 20!)
Damage: 3 piercing
Drag panther 10 feet towards Lumaris away from the mule.

{OOC} I just noticed this game was live again! I hope it's not too late to jump back in?{OOC}

The creature is unable to dodge the effects of the ice dagger whilst being dragged by the thorn whip. It lets out a shriek of pain and pulls itself free of the whip and leaps up towards the edge of the dell in an attempt to flee.

(OOC, Hi Lyrel, of course you can jump back in. Nice to have you back.)

Lumaris smiles wanly as she lowers her hand, letting the animal flee. "It may be hungry," she says, "but we are responsible for our own."

(Yes, happy to have you back Lyrel! We have only just restarted!)

Rin is satisfied with the panther leaving, so she will not try long ranged attacks on it.

 {Thanks all!}

Gwen is slower to respond to the threat than her companions and the panther is already fleeing before she has a chance to assist. She sits up with her companions as they watch the beast flee. "I am sorry, my friends. I am... unaccustomed to such assaults it would seem. I will strive to be better!"

Once you have completed your breakfast and broken camp, you are able to resume your journey.  On leaving the dell, you are slightly concerned to see that the injured panther has left an intermittent blood-trail in the pristine snow.  It leads away from your direction of travel, fortunately. (You can make a Survival or Nature check).

Pressing onward, you each have a sense that before this day is out, something significant will occur.  The after-effect of your dream, most likely. Lumaris has the additional sense of closing with your first destination - nothing specific but it's a sense she has learned to trust.  The woodland seems not so distant now.  The snow is well compacted and travel seems easier, allowing you to make good time.

By early afternoon you are convinced that it would be possible to reach the shelter of the trees by nightfall or just after with a bit of determined effort.

Rin will keep prompting the mule forward with carrot flavored straw. As for Rin herself, while she hasn't been on long walks prior to the trip here, she is used to being busy all day. Though the steady trudging through the cold is wearing. Rin finds that drinks of hot water helps, though it does go through her water faster. Which means she needs to reload her waterskin with snow, and then melt it. Once she discovers this, she'll offer to heat the waterskins of the others.

Lumaris leads the way across the snow, the rhythmic cadence of their trudging footsteps lulling her into a kind of alert trance, breathing in the cold air and the land around, feeling the course of their path as if it guided them along it. She carefully eyes the trail of blood, wondering if the injured panther might circle back around. They will have to be vigilant. Lumaris enthusiastically accepts Rin's offer of heating the waterskins, the extra hydration that this makes available from the snow while walking a welcome refreshment. She picks up her pace, keen to get them settled in the shelter of the trees by nightfall.

Survival: 12

{Also, each day before the group heads out on their morning journey Gwen will ritually cast Endure Elements.}

Gwen follows along behind Lumaris as she leads the group along through the wilderness. She also keeps an untrained eye upon the panther's blood trail, concerned that the beast may still attempt an ambush due to a lack of other potential sources of food. She smiles and gratefully accepts the melted snow from Rin. "Thank you, my friend. I do hope we can reach the shelter of the woods tonight. I will push myself as well so that we can hopefully do so!" She smiles encouragingly at the others while she hikes her pack higher upon her shoulders and matches Lumaris' pace.

{I rolled a 15 Survival check in the campaign log!}

The sun has just slipped below the horizon, taking the last warmth of the day with it when you reach the eaves of the forest.  Gwen's Endure Elements spell definitely helps take the edge off the cold.  Passing under the eaves of the trees immediately takes you out of the biting wind. There's a lot less snow underfoot also and plenty of material to make a fire.  Moving a short way further in will prevent the fire's light being seen from too far away.

You have entered the trees on a direct line towards the two peaks you were told to aim for. Experience suggests that you have probably lost the track, since roads usually don't take the most direct path, but Lumaris is still anchored to her Waypoint and can navigate the forest.  You may will find the road again in the morning as you move on.

A quick search around the area reveals some fallen nuts and mushrooms in the shelter of tree roots which will bring some fresh variety to your rations.

(Survival: There is a risk of the blood trail attracting other hunters to your dell and so onto your scent trail)

As the group sets foot in the sheltering woods, Lumaris finds a hidden location for the fire and begins collecting firewood and brush. Clearing an area of the forest floor and stacking the wood to best house a fire, with a gesture and a whisper she easily lights it. She removes the iron pot from the mule's bags and starts a warm soup, adding the nuts and mushrooms, feeling and smelling them to make sure they are an edible sort that she recognizes. Once it is simmering well, the elf quietly backtracks to see if the blood trail has gone near the camp, and if so, if she can bury it to avoid attracting predators.

Survival: 22

Lumaris can find no trace or sign that the party are being followed at this time, though she fancies that the sound of wolf-howls carries on the wind from the direction of the previous encampment.  It may be that they have just picked up the blood trail - which is probably bad news for the snow panther.  It would take running wolves several hours to follow the party to the forest (on the off-chance that they do so) which will be something to keep alert for during the night.

Looping back to camp, Lumaris spies the route of a track in the distance. It's empty at present but runs towards where you have been led to expect that Skirnvjar will be found.

Rin creates the bonfire first, then adds wood to it to keep it going. She then starts working on preparing a meal for everyone. The mule gets normal straw for his meal, along with some carrot straw for desert.

Lumaris returns to the camp and sits down by the fire. "I have found no sign yet, that we are being followed, but I believe wolves have picked up the trail of the panther we injured. They may have picked up our scent as well and could come hunting. We must be wary of further predators tonight." She smiles. "But I have also found what I believe is our road to Skirnvjar. We can be on our way first thing in the morning."

(ooc: So sorry for the extended seasonal break.  Work, family and illness in equal measure!  Hope you all had a good holiday season).  The night passes without event - the distant call of wolves suggests that the pack has not followed you but is hunting out on the tundra.  You are untroubled by strange portentous dreams on this occasion and are all refreshed  and alert when the time comes to break camp and move on.

It takes only a short walk to reach the track Lumaris spoke of which shows sign of regular use.  Deep cart ruts have formed in brief moments of warmer weather, only to re-freeze, making it one of the most difficult "roads" you have seen in quite some time.  Particular care is required to prevent Oss from turning an ankle on the pitted, uneven surface.  So much so that you are obliged to leave the track and travel in parallel to it, just inside the treeline for fear of making the poor creature go lame.

Skirnvjar turns out to be little more than a collection of twenty or so log huts of various sizes scattered without plan or logic in a clearing.  The clearing was made when the trees were felled for the cabins and so is irregular in shape and as haphazard as the town it contains.  It is striking, after being alone in a barren landscape for just a few days, how alien it is now to see movement, bustle and all the sounds and smells of habitation.

The largest cabin, set a little off to the north, appears to be a tavern or lodging house of some kind.  It has a lean-to stable for animals and the smell of woodsmoke and cooking flows from the large-flued chimney at one end. It is early afternoon, so there is much activity within the town, but also there seems to be much coming and going from the tavern.  You would guess that it serves as a local hub of food, drink and information more than as a place for passing travellers.

Looking about, you see a good mixture of people.  A few dwarves, many northerners and a handful of southern accents can be detected.  All are well wrapped against the cold and far too busy with their own business to pay much heed to you, beyond the occasional curious glance in passing.

Rin starts feeding the mule several pieces of carrot flavored straw as a reward for making it this far.

It is almost meditative for Lumaris to be trekking through the wilderness. The beacon of Oriellen's guidance burns like a warm confidence in her breast, and the rhythm of her steps over the snow keeps her in a peaceful trance. When the snowy landscape is finally broken up by signs of civilization, the smoke of woodfires and the dotting of wooden cabins, she stops for a moment, as if taking time to adjust from her Wayfinder's meditation.

"Skrinvjar," she says, after a moment, and smiles. She turns back to look at her companions. "We have arrived. Perhaps we should introduce ourselves to the locals." Her grey cloak and hood seems like it ought to stand out against the white snow, but oddly, it doesn't. She seems barely noticeable as she leads the way towards the large cabin that seems to be a focus of activity. As she walks through the little village, she endeavors to make eye contact with any passersby, nodding in friendly greeting to them if she is able to catch their gaze.