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Aderes hit the ground hard as her knee gave way finally after another blow. Anger and rage controlled her now, and as she snaked her head around to the the blue stallion that had found her one weak spot she couldn't help but try to rip his leg from him. She lashed out with no result, he was out of her reach. She thrusted herself onto her hooves and attempted to lunge futilely, falling to the ground once more. With all her strength, will, and power it still wasn't enough; her knee couldn't hold her weight after the blows it had received.

She snarled in rage at the blue stallion, set on killing the beast one way or another. He had embarrassed her by exploiting her weakness, her injured knee, and that was unforgivable. She would make him pay, but for now she could do nothing.

She had to give him credit though, no other soquili had actually turned to fight her, all others ran or became her meals. Foolish creature; he should have ran.

Aderes was useless now, unable to attack (or kill, for that matter) the blue stallion before her unless he was foolish enough to come into her reach. Little more than a writhing mass of furious fur and fangs, Aderes watched her would be victim.

The stallion just stood there, but Aderes couldn't see if it was because he was stupid or unable to move. She didn't care either way, she didn't want him anywhere near her at the moment. "If I were you I would leave... Before I was eaten. "

(Transfered from AIM. Cloud is plain text, Aderes is small bolded text. )


"You mock me, not wise..." Aderes growled at the male. She tried to stand once again, rising further than she had previously before falling again. "I'll make you pay for this, make you pay dearly..."


Cloud looked back at her, taking a couple of steps back as she struggled up before collapsing back once again. His heart having jumped at the thought of her actually being able to stand. His own foreleg was now useless, the shoulder stiffening up and throbbing bad enough to make his muscles twitch involentarily. "Its not mockery when it is the truth." He returned, lip drawing back from his blunt but still powerful teeth momentarily, ears pressed back against his skull. Suddenly the howling of a wolf close by made him jump, head whipping round to stare at the shadowy forest around them.


Aderes chuckled at the howl, a harsh sound to her ears. She didnt like laughture, but she found the situation laughable. "Looks to me as though you'll be the meal of something else tonight. A pitty really, I'll have to kill whomever kills you..."


Cloud turned back to the fallen mare, one ear flicking forwards as he arched a brow. "And why is that? Though I am fully intent on staying alive... So you might still get to kill me later."


"You think that I cant see your bluff?" Aderes asked. "Why would you stay if you could move yourself? You are either incapable of moving as I am at the moment," She emphasized the at the moment part. She knew she would be down for a while yet, but she didnt have to let the male know. "Or you're frozen with fear..."


Cloud couldn't help the smile that touched his lips. After nearly dying at the fangs of this female, he was now chatting with her while wolves were no doubt closing in on them.. he had to be the biggest fool around. "I admit to not wanting to move, but I am capable of a last stand at the very least. Besides.. I figure if I stick with you, you aren't about to let any old wolf take you down.. you may be wounded but your not helpless.. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.. at least temporarily.." He added with a quirk of his muzzle.


He had a point, and it seemed he wasnt as stupid as she thought. They werent friends or allies, she'd kill him the first chance she got, but he was right that she wasnt helpless. That and she'd bear through any pain to keep some other lesser from getting her kill. She smirked, lowering her head but not her gaze. The wolves in the area had always ran at the sight of her like beaten dogs, but she would, in her current predicament, seem helpless to the eyes of a predator. "There may be a brain in that thick skull after all... Though you are the only creature to have actually fought me. You do realize I'd kill you the seccond you came near me."


Cloud watched her, still attentive to her motions, not stupid enough to assume she was out of action for any length of time. After all it was his hide on the line. Ears flicked forwards again from where they had been monitoring the sounds of the forest around them. "Of course.. Id expect little else. But if we are attacked, we stand a lot better chance sticking together than alone. You know I will fight them.. and I know you will also.. I cover one side, you have the other.. if they can't suround one of us, we should hold them off." He studied her, seemingly calm even in this situation. Well, there was no point in panicing..

He nodded his head at her words, having already expected her to do so. It simply seemed to be her nature to fight and he knew one such as her wouldn't let themselves be prey to a bunch of wolves just to spite one she considered food.. It was beyond foolishness.

As was what he was now doing.. trusting, if only a little, a skinwalker who wanted nothing more than to tear his hide from his bones. Yet, what choice did he have really? Between the wolves and the downed walker, he preferred the walker.. She, at least, was partly disabled, and being only one creature, she couldn't flank him by sheer mass of numbers like a good pack of wolves could do.

Suddenly he swung round, ears flattening. The shadow of a wolf faded back into the bushes from where it had emerged, too fast to be seen clearly yet he knew there were more just beyond the treeline. As he had expected, the scent of blood had been strong enough to gather the pack... even with the skinwalker’s reputation.

"Great... " he muttered, scowling at the shadows surrounding them.. the night was deep, and dawn was a fair way off as yet.

Aderes sat there and watched the male fling the wolf. At least, even wounded so, he was quick enough to counter the attack. She half hoped that the male before here would go after the wolf, torture it, make it pay for it’s insolence, but she knew such actions were not the ways of this one… yet. If he was willing to fight, he might just be willing to learn to kill.

Aderes’ head swung around as the rest of the pack attacked. They were quick and she could not count their numbers. Fresh adrenaline and anger flooded her veins as the ‘mangy dogs’ dared to come near. She was wounded, not dead; they should have known that and stayed their distance. She caught a brief glimpse of one as it drew near, thin and bony as if it hadn’t eaten in many days, a crazed look in it’s eye; it was not of any of the packs near her territory. Aderes let out a roar as they drew near and attempted to stand to fight. It was useless; she only managed to prop up her upper body somewhat with her good leg. She readied herself for any that would attack her, and attempted to get closer to the blue male. She needed to protect him; he was her kill after all.

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Cloud:


As that first body sailed away from him, the stallion roared his own challange to the pack. Latting himself react with instinct and not thought, he charged forwards, solid hooves flaying, the creack of bone splintering under his strength echoing through the forest. The crazed yowling of the wolves only made the blue stallion wilder as the instrinct to defend himself and the mare behind him over rode the last of his natural, easy going personality.

The harsh thud of his hooves connecting with furry bodies was a sickening backdrop to the screams and squeels that rose around the pair of soquili. Blood ran free, coating the ground in shadowy crimson droplets.

A wolf threw itself at Aderes' unprotected rear. Spinning the wild stallion lashed out with his hind legs, the sickening crunch as the wolf's body was shattered joined the howls that filled the air alongside the stallion's shrill scream.

Sinking his teath into matted grey fur he flung another canine away from him into the mass beyond. Blood streamed from his shoulder wound, the taste of it filled his mouth as he tore into the pack once again. The crazed attacks always staying close to the downed skinwalker, the wolves that tried to circle her met with Coloud's teeth or hooves.