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This had been a great trip - not only had she been able to sort out a few minor problems with the newly started off shoot herd, but she'd been able to spend some extra time with Hypnos. It might not seem like much to anyone else but to Oke it meant the world - she rather liked the stallion, he was good and brave and just the sort of stallion that she would have taken home to her mother. It was really too bad that he was active during the night while she spent most of her time active during the day.

Well..she wasn't going to ruin the last of her trip with him thinking about such thoughts. That would be a waste. When he suggested they stop to spend the night in a small clearing she gave him a warm look - grateful that he wasn't wanting to push through the night. She would have if he had insisted but truth be told she was tired from the days work and the unaccustomed traveling already. "I hope so, I felt so badly for that little foal with the cut over his eyes - I'm hopeful that it will heal without a scar now that I've given them something for the infection though" She stated, always happy to talk about her work."The grove sounds lovely, have you stayed there before?"

"Well that makes sense" Oke stated with a nod of her head after Hypno's had explained how he knew of the grove. It was nice to be traveling with someone who was used to it - made her feel a bit more confident about spending the night away from the protection of a herd. It wasn't often that she did so - only a few times in the past when some medical emergency had necessitated it.

Following after Hypno's, Oke peered into the darkness looking for any sign of this grove he was talking about. Of course her eyes were not as accustomed to looking for things such as that in the dark and she quickly realized that the chances of he spotting it were slim to none. Best to just stick close to Hypno's and let him do the job he was so good at.

Of course, unknown to the two Soquili, they were not the only thing on the trai this night - trailing a bit behind them was a Coyote, lean, thin..starving, the scarred creature was on the look out for an easy meal. Of course he was currently so famished that any sort of meal would do..he wasn't going to let any chance go by.

Oke couldn't see what had caught Hypno's eyes at all - she merely nodded agreeably when he sated that this was the entrance to the grove they had been looking for. Truth be told to her eyes..all the plant growth looked pretty much the same, but if he said this was it then she was just going to have to trust that he was right. She tried to help him with the clearing part but in the end she found she was just getting in the way more then helping and backed off to let him handle it. It was nice to see him in his element just as he had seen her in hers during the healing at the herd.

"I really don't now how you manage to remember all of this, places and pathways and signs" She told him with a warm look as she looked about the grove - it would make the perfect sheltered place to spend the night. "That grass looks lovely and I'm absolutely beat" Oke agreed as she moved towards the grass with a large yawn. She was so tired she might even skip eating and just lay down right now.

The coyote had sat and watched as the two Usdia cleared out the pathway - a lone usdia he might have attacked right off the bat but two? Well two were a bit much to take on on your own..no he would wait until they settled down to rest for the night - then perhaps he could kill one and drag it off while the other slept..or scare them into bolting during the night and separate them from each other.

Licking his lips at the mere thought of such a meal the Coyote slunk along in the undergrowth, following and listening at the pair started to settle in for the night. He hoped they went to sleep quickly...he wasn't sure how much long his hunger would let him stay still and wait.

"I suppose that's true" Oke agreed once he had put it in that light - she certainly did have to remember a lot and she could recognize a hundred different herbs at a mere glance, just as he could spot the differences along the path which spoke of good or bad conditions..or the overgrown opening to a comfortable resting place.

Seeing him yawn as well made her feel better about being as tired as she was - if he was tired to well, then perhaps she wasn't as ill suited to this traveling thing as she had first thought. " I think that's probably a good idea" Oke agreed as she lay down next to the stallion. The glow of his lantern in the fading light was nice - it cast a subtle glow over the clearing that made her feel safe despite being outside the herd with its many guards to keep watch. Before to long Oke's eyes had closed and her breathing had deepened.

Yes..yes this was nearly the perfect time. The coyote had waited as the mare fell asleep, waited until he knew that she was good and deeply asleep and while he couldn't see the stallions face he was pretty sure he was asleep as well. It it wasn't for that dratted lantern casting such a bright glow on the place he'd be able to see better.

Oh well, one had to deal with the cards once was dealt and right now he had two sleeping meals sitting right before him. The mare was the smaller of the two and so he dubbed her the easiest target..slinking through the grass the coyote skirted the light until his was right beside the mare, his eyes flashing in the lantern light as only a predators can mere moments before he leapt out of the woods with fangs flashing as he aimed for the sleeping mares throat.

The coyote's mad starving dash was slowed slightly as the stallion called out - blast, he had thought the beast to be asleep. He should have waited longer but hunger had won out over patience and a growling stomach was a demanding master. Checking his lunge the coyote tried to avoid the stallion's flashing hooves with a dart sideway's a small yip escaped his lips as the stallions teeth snagged his back however, teeth raking a furrow down his back.

Growling and bristling and too hungry to realize he was fighting a loosing battle the Coyote spun around and launched himself at the stallion instead jaws snapping at the beast's legs. If he could break a leg then the stallion would be all bu helpless - he knew this from hunting deer.

Oke's head jerk up as Hypno's screamed her name and for a few moments everything seemed to happen in slow motion as the mare's tired mind tried to figure out what was happening. Hypno's hooves flashed by in front of her nose and a furred form yelped in pain and spun around. Wolf! Was her instant through and terrified she lunged to her feet, taking half a stride towards the trees before pausing, they ought to run, running was their only chance against a wolf..but Hypno's was fighting, fighting to save her and she couldn't just run off an leave him!

Spinning back around the little mare refocused on the fight- not a wolf she saw with a great deal of relief...but s coyote, coyotes were much more doable, not pleasant but at least they stood a chance. Of course she had no idea what to do - Oke wouldn't know how to fight if her life depended on it..which was kind of ironic she thought - since it very well might right now. "Hypnos!" She cried out. "Hypnos's what should I do?" Seeing a branch laying on the ground nearby she snatched it up in her jaws and tried to whack the coyote with it.

The coyote snarled around the leg that he had grabbed, shaking his head furiously from side to side to try and knock the little stallion off balance, he ignored the branch the mare was trying to beat him with - she was hitting him from the leaf side and really it wasn't doing much in the way of damage. It was clear that she had no idea what she was doing so he kept his attention on the stallion. When the beast reared back and tried to slam a hoof down on his back the Coyote was more then willing to let go..if only to dodge under the stallions stamping hooves and try to lunge for his exposed and vulnerable underbelly. Maybe he'd dine on the stallion tonight instead of the mare after all.

Her strikes with the branch didn't seem to be doing anything useful, the coyote was all but ignoring her but she seemed to be distracting Hypnos and so when he asked her to stay back..she backed off. She couldn't help pacing back and forth and shaking as she watched the fight however, cringing and crying out as she the beast lunge towards Hypno's underbelly. Maybe she should go for help..but that would require running blindly through the woods blindly and who knew how far she would have to go - no she would have to stay here and hope that Hypno's chased the beast away - it was likely that he would need healing after the fight. Anxiously she danced in place and snorted.

When the stallion jumped over him and his jaws snapped shut on thin air, the coyote inwardly cursed his luck - if only the beast had remained sleeping, he would have been happily filling his belly right now. Sadly with teh way things were going he was starting to fear that he would grow to tired to hunt any longer if this fight kept up. With the stallion still gathering himself behind him the coyote cast a hungry maddened gaze upon the mare and snarled, spittle flinging from its jaws as it advanced upon her menacingly. Lowering himself to lunge..just as the stallion, who in his hunger he had briefly forgotten about, rushed him from behind, the gnash of teeth against flesh brought a yelp to his lips and the Coyote decided he had had enough of this, tail between his legs he made a dash for the tree's and the shadows.

Oke trembled when the Coyote turned upon her, backing away with widened eyes until her rump hit a tree, before the starving beast could attack however Hyno's was suddenly there, teeth flashing as he snapped at the creatures side..and the coyote,taken by surprise, seemed to have decided that he could find an easier meal somewhere else because it suddenly broke off it's attack and ran towards the trees. While she was loathe to consider the Coyote truly gone, Oke turned her attention to Hypno's, his leg was bloody and in the darkness it was hard to tell how much damage had been done. "Hypno's! Let it go!" She urged the stallion before he decided to chase after the beast. "Your leg needs attention."