There it was again.. that prickling in his coat. The sensation of hairs lifting along his spine that usually predicted something bad about to happen...
Launching himself to the side, hooves cutting great gashes in the hard baked earth, the powerful blue stallion shot away from where he had been stood, shoulder ducking low as a far smaller but equally blue figure went flying right over his back, landing on all four paws where he had been stood just seconds ago. Sliding round in a circle the stallion snorted loudly, head up and ears pricked as he grinned widely down at the disgruntled looking mountain lion before him.
"Took you long enough, Kanti." Amused tones rumbled playfully, drawing a haughty look from violet feline eyes.
"I wasn't serious, Cloud. Or you would not have known I was even there... " Plopping her butt down on the ground she proceeded to groom her cheeks as if the little incident and her failed 'hunt' had never happened. Cats never admitted failure, they just pretended it was all on purpose.
Grinning the blue stallion rolled his eyes then dipped his head, licking the lioness's ruff playfully. "Awww come on Kanti... if I didn't know you were there what would that have said about me? You have been using me as stalking practice since we were young." Chuckling Cloud flicked his short tail.
Scowling at the large blue nose of the stallion as he mussed her carefully smoothed fur, she sighed and set about fixing th damage carefully, tail flicking over the ground in a comfortably lazy manner. "I am a hunter, you are prey, one day you will learn to act like it." Chuckling at her friend's expression of disbelief, she turned and stretched out on a low, half rotten log, settling violet eyes on the equine. "So.... tell me all about her."
He considered another lick but took pity on the feline and instead moved closer then settled down, snatching a mouthful of leaves from the branch hanging temptingly close to his head. The sudden mention of the mare made him flush from nose to tail, grey eyes blinking wide at the cat, whom simply looked smugly back at him. Swallowing he stutted at her. "Wha.. how... Hey!"
Amused at the shocked expression she grinned and flopped on her side, draped over the log like only a cat can. "Oh don't give me all that, I saw you day dreaming at the river earlier.. its her isn't it, the pretty russet mare." Taking pity on the stunned stallion, she smiled gently. "I am your best friend, Cloud, I see more than you would think. So... whats she like?"
Shaking his head he let a warm, dreamy smile curl across his muzzle. "Shes.. beautiful... fun and so full of life... I think.. Im in love." Flushing at the romantic sillyness he droped his head, cropping the grass so he wouldn't have to see Kanti's expression. For all that h had claimed to revel in his freedom and the 'lone wolf' life style they shared, here he was mooning over a mare. To his surprise, the soft warmth of her paw settled on his head, causing him to look up without moving.
"Silly boy. I'm glad you have found someone. I can not be the only female in your life you know, and besides, from what I saw of her, you have picked well. She seemed very sweet and kind." Smiling softly she settled back on her log, chuckling at the bashful and rather shy look on her friends face.
"You really think so?" Taking a breath he smiled softly, thinking of the amazing russet mare 'Suli.. she made his heart sing in a way even the Winds had never done.
Nodding she licked he paw lazily, secretly smiling over the happiness on her friends face. Every since they had met, when he had saved her from the river, she had wanted him to find his own happiness. To find someone to settle own with, someone who would finally tame the wonderlust in his heart, to be someone that she, a lioness, could not. "Of course I would not say something I..." Suddenly she stopped speaking, body lifting into a half-sitting position as both blue ears shot forwards.
His expression went from happy to wary in an instant at the lioness's reaction. Every line of her body held tight and taut, something he knew meant she had heard sound that didn't belong.. something that had often meant trouble. Ears flicking, straining, he struggled to pick up what she had heard. Frowning when there was nothing he carefully swung his head, straining to see into the forest around them.
"Cloud....." She whispered, her voice holding a note of fear. "..... run"
Just as she said those words, he heard it.. the clink of metal buckles, the creak of leather harness, the heavy thud of iron-shod hoof. Hunters
"Meet you at the river tree, don't get caught." They shared a silent look, knowing, if the fates abandoned them, one or the other may not be there once the hunt was over. Turning he carefully picked his way into the forest, vanishing into the undergrowth, as behind him, Kanti did the same, melting into the shadows of the forest, becoming no more than the faintest trace of blue shadow.
Minutes past and the sounds behind him faded, as gradually, with careful step, he threaded his way between brush ad tree, carefully stepping over fallen log, avoiding the dry snap of branches and the hidden burrows of small mammals. For a brief moment he thought he had escaped notice, but then suddenly a yell went up behind him, the two-legger's weird voices an ear-splitting and indecipherable shriek as they spotted quarry. Bursting forwards he threw himself into a full gallop, no loner trying to be quiet, now was the time for speed.
Crashing through the undergrowth the sapphire stallion charged forwards, legs pounding, lungs bellowing, heart thumping. Branches whipped at his head and stung his eyes, bushes clawed at his flanks and shrub an half-rotted logs reached out to trip him. Nostrils flared wide, head bobbed, as he powered through the forest, darting this way and that, barely managing to avoid thundering directly into the many trees and too-thick bushes that grew close together. The forest pressed in around him, opening into small glades where ancient forest giant had fallen and left a gap in the canopy, before the trees grew clse and dense once again.
He was fast, strong and youthful, a stallion full of the strength of life, yet as fast as he was, the sharper, loud clattering of metallic hooves behind him stayed right on his tail, and then, slowly, inexorably, gained on him. Young and fit he might have been, but he was not fed on grain daily, nor was he kept in a pen, safe from predators, never needing to waste energy constantly checking for danger. Gradually, as his legs tired and the air burned in his lungs, the pounding behind him grew louder. Weariness plagued him, how long had he been running flat out through the dense bush? His vision misted red, blood ringing in his ears yet not enough to block out that terrible sound of hoof beats and human yells.
Suddenly a sharp stinging pain lashed across his shoulder, jolting him out of the haze of pain. Proping left he darted under a low branch, ye still those hoof beats followed, so close now, he could hear the rasping breath of the tame horse. No.. he couldn't get caught! Fear gripped him, froze his breath in his chest as he strove to force his legs faster, straining over the ground, lengthening hi stride, and for a moment, it seemed to have worked! The other horse dropped back, the ringing of metal hooves dulled, yet suddenly something brushed his ear, then a sharp yank dug in his neck, momentarily cutting into his flesh, blocking the air from reaching his lungs. darting to the side he shot round a young tree, hoping to dislodge whatever it was that burned through his coat, yet suddenly he was stopped dead, dragged back on his hind legs by the grip around his neck. Whinnying in panic, the sound choked before it could escape, he found himself swung brutally round to face the way he had come. Spotting the hunter he screamed in defiance, rearing back, foreleg slicing the air in a mad attempt to free himself. Blind panic set in, over riding his common sense, rendering him senseless to all but the pain in his limbs and the agony of the thing at his throat that prevented his escape.
The stallion fought against the rope like a thing possessed, all blue limbs and flashing teeth. He raged like a trapped god who furious at his own inability to get free. Yet the rope had become entangled round the young tree, which bent and swayed under the stallion' strength, but did not snap. The hunter sat on his blowing mount, the rope safely anchored, his horse hunched on its haunches to counter the weight of the wild stallion on the other end. And gradually, as the hours wore on, the stallion tired. The wild struggles would fade briefly, then renew their ferocity, until the stallion would fight between periods of exhausted rest, the sweat a white foam on muscular body, ears pinned back as he gasped for breath against the noose that tightened with every desperate lunge.
Finally, as darkness began to creep slowly up from the valley below, the sapphire soquili stood silent and exhausted, ribs heaving for breath that rasped painfully. Limbs trembled from exhaustion and fear so that he could barely stand. The hunter turned to the man who had appeared at his side during the fight and they spoke in low tones. Moments later, a second noose settled round the low-hung head of the wild stallion, yet he was too weak to resist any further, and once the first tether had been unwound, carefully, from the tree, the two turned their tame mounts and with the exhausted and trembling Cloud between them, turned and started the long, slow ride back to their camp in the valley.
