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 Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 5:20 pm
 "Damn it all..."
He limped forward slowly, blood dripping down his body and rips littering his wings. Damian hadn't imagined he would run into a Skinwalker so close to his territory. But he wasn't going to let that beast anywhere near his home; he had a hard enough time keeping all these hellions in order. He didn't need some Skinwalker coming in and making everyone feel like they had to do something. He had a feeling that every single stallion and mare within his herd would try and do something about the Walker. And if that happened, there was a good chance that someone would be harmed, and since all their Unicorns weren't within the herdlands lately, he had no one to aid them. And like hell woud he allow anyone to be harmed if they belonged to his heard.
So, he limped back. Damian kept his head high though, as some of the others from his herd seemed to peek out and stare toward him curiously. Some gave him concerned looks, but he ignored them all the same. He wasn't going to allow anyone to treat him any different. Giving a small snort, and a shake of his head, the stallion easily moved through the herd lands ( easily, as in limping every few steps and having to pause to take a short break when he felt the pain was too much ). Eventually he made it to the small cave that he called his den. Though he wasn't cat like, it was still good to be able to have a place to lay down, out of the sunlight.
Letting his eyes drift, Damian glanced around for his mate. She wasn't in here... He figured she was probably out hunting, or grazing, or... something. He honestly wasn't sure what Aerona did in her spare time. But he didn't mind, nor honestly care one way or another. He wasn't over baring, as it really would only just push her away. Damian knew her to be a very assertive, individual, independent mare. And he wouldn't hold her back if he could help it. So, shaking his head once more, he moved toward the pile of leaves and grass and branches, and laid down carefully, wincing, before eying some of his wounds carefully, debating on whether they were needing cleaned or just would be fine on their own. The rips in his wings were honestly the ones that really worried him; but he didn't mind them so much now that they were folding tightly against his back.
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 8:03 pm
 It had been a boring day. Aerona had felt the distinct lack of mental of sensory stimulation from the time she woke up till the evening. It had been the humdrum routine that made Aerona want to avoid herd life in the first place. But here she was, in a herd... but if she had to be honest she would admit that she usually did not mind it.. He made it worth it. Damian. Mate. She still felt awkward thinking that about him, about anyone. Thinking that there was someone in the world that wanted her there, wanted to see her every night. It was... mind boggling. She had gone through so much time alone. No one wanted to be with a half Kalona. Bad luck. Too much trouble for their own good.
So she didn't inflict herself upon anyone. She had wandered, and in her wandering she had found. Or had he found her. Either way, they were together now. She had a herd, and they didn't think she was bad luck. They flocked to her, sought her out, for training, for advice, for company. Being the alpha's mate, the protector of the herd did help some, but Aerona liked to think that at least some of the attention from others was because of who she was on her own, not her status in the herd.
Here Aerona could smile. And so she did, allowing the small grin to creep over her lips, turning and making her way back to the cave she shared with Damian. Entering it, she pauses, because there was an odd smell. And it was too familiar to be good. "Damian...??" She should be ashamed, because her voice sounded weak, sounded fearful. She was Aerona, she did not feel fear.
But she did now. She did with the scent of her mate and blood mingling in the air.
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 8:47 pm
 Damian let out a small groan, shifting his leg somewhat, the small tail he had flicking lightly. He let his ears flick up toward the entrance to the cave, eyes flickering to lock on the twisting tunnels that led to where he laid. He could smell her before she was close to the entrance. Damian could remember the day that they met each other. The day that he had witnessed her hunting in the forest, and instantly felt his heart thrum to life in his chest. She was a great huntress; a wonder among mares. Someone that could actually stand their own. Aerona was perfect, in his eyes. He had fought her; defeated her. And for several months past, they had continued to fight and train and develop. He had fallen in love with her, and despite not knowing how to deal with it, he had followed her easily.
They had confessed the day that she beat him. Aerona was free to leave, if she chose, since she won. But she stayed, because she too was in love with Damian. That felt like ages ago. Shifting slowly, the stallion lifted his head from the hay, and stared with intense eyes. He took in a deep breath, letting his lungs fill; mostly to calm his heart. "I'm in here... Aerona." He called, trying not to cough from the pain in his ribs. He hated Skinwalkers. As much as any other breed could; but due to the attack today, he hated them more. He forced himself to stand, eyes flickering, closing for a brief second to calm his body, before he moved forward.
It only took him a few moments before he was nearing the entrance to the cave. Damian was a fast walkre, even when he was in pain. The stallion moved forward easily, before pausing when he saw her. Aerona. She was as lovely, as fierce as she always was. It made him happy to see her. Flicking his wings slightly, Damian moved forward once more, and smiled toward his mate, eyes softening. "Did you have a good hunt?" He asked, ignoring the obvious fact that he had wounds littering his body.
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:10 pm
 She was perfectly still, staring at the male. Staring, heart thundering in her chest, as her eyes moved slowly over him, taking in the gashes, the tears in his hide, the blood, the bruises that were slowly forming, mottling his beautiful hide.
And her rage ignited. Scars were the mark of a warrior, to be worn with pride. But only if the enemy that inflicted them lay dead in the dirt. She snarled, her fangs showing, tail lashing wildly, ears laid back. "My hunt is about to begin, Damian. What direction or do I need to scent it myself."
She knew his pride. Knew that he would not just roll over and hand over information. Which was why she was ready to knock him unconscious when he tried to argue. It would be easy in his weakened state. Just one lunge, one knock of skulls together, though she would have to watch the horns. She didn't want to become entangled. That would be amateurish. She prided herself on being better then that. Just as she knew that Damian's pride would not allow him to just leave an enemy alive. Either it was dead.... or he had been too injured to chase it when the cowardly creature took flight. But her Damian did not run. Still, she wanted her opportunity to hurt the body that did this to her lover, get her pound of quivering flesh. It was dead, or it was about to be. And if she had missed her chance, she would spend the entire night searching for something to take her anger out on. She was Aerona. She always found her prey.
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 8:37 am
His ears flicked back instantly. Eyes narrowing slowly, Damian frowned. Her hunt? Like hell was he going to allow her to go out and hunt a Walker. Narrowing his gaze some, the alpha lifted his head, letting out a slow snort and a shake of his head. He let his gaze flicker along her. It was one of the things he loved about her, to be honest, but at the same time it was a pain in his flank! Aerona was so independent and aggressive it meant that she was going to attack as soon as she could; and without argument. Shaking his head some, he breathed out a low grunt.
"It's nothing, Aerona. Leave it. You're not to hunt after that damned creature. I ran it off. End of story." He stated, nodding his head easily, before moving forward. Damian let his eyes flicker along her body. She was unmarked, perfect as always. What scars she had were perfectly healed now. And most of them were by himself. Hell, he had scars that Aerona had got on his body as well. They spared often, so it was easily determined that they would have marks. Shifting forward slowly, he moved until he was near her, his head dipping down slightly so he could stare into her eyes a bit. "Promise me you won't hunt it." He stated, voice low.
Though he hated to have her have to promise, it was the only way he could be certain that she wouldn't leave. Aerona had never broken a promise to him, just as Damian hadn't to her. They were too close for that. Too much trust. He breathed out a small sigh, before nudging his velvet noise against hers for a brief second. Once he was done, his head moved to be held high once more, and he stared down at Aerona with the look of the alpha on his face. Determined, hard, and demanding. She wasn't to go hunting, even if it meant he had to fight her to stay.
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 11:05 am
Her eyes narrow before snorting, head shaking in anger and she rears some. Landing, and glaring up at Damian, she let's her voice drip with her anger. "Ran him off?? You didn't even kill the thing that did this to you?" She swallowed, looking back at the cave entrance before forward at her stubborn alpha. "I do not promise. I do not promise to go against the duties I received when accepting you as my mate. I do not promise to avoid vengeance on the thing that hurt you. I do promise that I will hold the fact that you asked me to against you."
Turning, she begins walking towards the entrance to the cave, but after a step or two it was no longer a walk. It was a trot, which quickly morphed into a gallop. And she was running, running away from him. Running towards the enemy, her short mane flying with the force of her steps. How dare he try and corral her like that. If he would not defend his pride, his herd, then she would. It was part of her now, the duties she had taken on. So he couldn't get mad right? She was just protecting him. Protecting their family, their herd. The angry indignation pounded through her with each hit of her hooves against the ground. He would sacrafice all, and demand she stayed behind. How dare he. They were supposed to me mates. Equals....
Planting her hooves, she leaps, leaving the cave air born, and hitting the ground at a run, making for the trees, her eyes, even at the fast pace of her movements, having no problem following the drips of blood, her nose only serving to confirm her choice. She was headed in the right way. Now to concentrate. Lowering her head, she takes a deep breath, pushing her muscles harder, going faster. She would have vengeance on the creature, whatever it was, that hurt her mate.
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 9:18 pm
He could tell it had been a bad idea to say that to her. Damian let out a frustrated, angry growl. She was pissing him off now. Which wasn't the best of things to do. Damian never did well when it came to anger; and it usually meant that he was going to go and attack someone ( be it a normal herd member or his mate ). And being that Aerona was now practically spitting at him in anger, he could tell that it was more than likely going to be her. He didn't enjoy being spoken like this; he didn't enjoy the fact that she was ready to just be pissed at him for the rest of times, and to hold this against him. He was still alpha, and even if she was the protector of the herd, Damian would not allow her to fight a Walker.
Not alone.
Before his mind caught up, she was already running. Damian blinked, before letting out a snort of irritation, and ran after her as quickly as he could. His hooves beat the ground hard and fast. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, blocking the pain from entering his nerves and making him forget it existed. He ducked his head when nearing the entrance, so that his horns didn't scrape the top of the cave, before bursting out, wings spreading slowly, and let himself take flight as best as he could, despite his wings being ripped in different places, he was still able to sore slightly. He dived down as he moved, wings folding tight against his back, before he started to weave after Aerona, eyes hardening.
"Aerona! Stop! Get your a** back here!" Damian bellowed. She was as fast as he was; and due to that, Damian felt as if he had to run twice as hard. He panted heavily as he moved, weaving as best as he could through the trees. She was more petite, smaller, and her horns were a quarter his size. His got tangled often when he wasn't paying attention, so it was taking all he could to keep them out of the tree branches this evening as he ran quickly toward his mate, wanting to stop her. "Now! GET BACK HERE!"
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 9:39 pm
She could feel him running after her, feel him like a pounding presence behind her, as his hooves hit the ground, as he tried to catch up. he wanted to stop her. His bellows were evidence of that. But she couldn't let that happen. She had a job to do, and nothing, loved mate or not, nothing would stand in between her and her duty. So she would have to put more distance between herself and her Alpha. More then her physical match.
There was one huge difference. She was fresh, uninjured, well rested. She would win. Alpha or not. Ducking under a low hanging branch she surges over a log, holding her breath for that one moment that she was air born. Then she was hitting the ground, her hooves making a spray of earth hid the trees around her. And she was running again, inhaling almost desperately, trying to find the scent again, making sure she was going the right way. She couldn't afford to back track. Not with Damian so hot on her heels.
But she was. Now that she was looking she could smell the blood. See the spots, the drips on the bark and fallen leaves. And there was her determination. It fulled her, drover her to push her body harder, faster. She had to be getting closer. The blood was getting thicker. More frequent. It was dryer as well. Yes, she was getting close.
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Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 7:49 am
Damian despised when she didn't listen to him. Which was often. He never held it against her though. He knew it was just Aerona's personality. Free spirit and all that jazz. He had to pause during the duck and then immediate jump. He couldn't make that with his antlers. Digging his hooves into the ground, he reared up and beat his front legs into the air, bellowing out loudly. When he landed, he could have swore he shook the ground with the force. She was still within sight. Moving quickly, he swerved around the tree, before jumping over the log. She would not get far from him!
He was gaining on her now. Irritated, his energy went straight to his legs. Damian was known for never giving up, and never ( now rarely ) losing. He fought until he couldn't any more; if that meant passing out, then so be it, he would pass out. But he wouldn't stop until he physically had to. He stretched his neck out, trying to bite ahold of her long tail, but knew he missed by a long shot. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he moved, hooves beating the ground harder and faster than before. "Aerona! Stop this instant!" He shouted. He knew if they kept up, they'd be in trouble...
If he kept shouting, the Walker was bound to hear him...
If they kept running, the Walker was bound to see them...
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Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 8:16 am
Aerona was so caught up in the chase, caught up in getting away from Damian that she didn't realize what she was running towards. Looking back at her mate for a brief second, she swings her head back around front and very nearly skids to a halt. There... through the trees... she saw it. It.. it had to be.. she had never seen one up close before, but.. it was the only explination for the hide perched on the horses back, the predatory way it moved, like it's bodies natural limitations had been unlocked so it could better mime the species it had merged with. Slowly stopping, because really, she was no longer in control of her hooves, she stares, sizing up her enemy, trying to form a plan of attack, and, though a small part of her would never admit, wait for Damian to catch up. If anything he could give her ideas, means for attack. She would rather knock him unconscious then let him fight with his injuries... so it would have to be something she monitored closely. Seeing him almost to her, she turns, and feel like ice water took the place of her blood.
The walker was looking right at her.
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There was ringing in her ears... a hollow, numbing sound as she walked, pressed to Damians' side. They were keeping each other upright and moving forward.
It was almost too much, too hard for her to think. They had run away. Literally. The fight had been a blur, the enemy breathtakingly ferocious, and graceful, a kind of grace no normal equine could achieve. They had been doomed from the beginning. Now, leg throbbing as the torn flesh and muscle rubbed together, heart hurting at the knowledge she had caused her mate more injuries, pride hurting because she, too, had to run away, Aerona couldn't seem to find the strength to lift her head as she walked. She was ashamed... and that bit deeper then the walkers claws.
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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 5:36 pm
The alpha had refused to let one of his herd go into an attack alone. Let alone against a Walker.
He breathed in as deeply as he could. Damian's ribs hurt from the expansion of his lungs. He grimaced lightly at the feel, before shaking the feel from his body. He held himself up straight, strong. His eyes were narrowed. He was furious. Damian couldn't remember the last time he was literally this angry. He wanted to shout at her, to scream at her and treat her as one of the lower of his herd. Hell, he was... just angry. She had deliberately ran away from him; ran straight into the Walker's claws. And due to that, she was hurt, he was even more hurt, and he felt as if his trust had been ripped from his body, tossed to the ground, and stomped on until it was flatter than a leaf. What was wrong with her? Why had she...
Taking a deep breath once more, Damian glanced down at her. Where she was wearing the emotions on her sleeve, showing her disappointment and shame, he held his head high and refused. The stallion breathed out a low grunt, entering the herd lands easily. He was certain that one of his wings would be useless for a while, if not forever. The Walker had ripped long tears in it, and a bone was broken, he was certain. He would never fly as he used to again. He would never be able to touch the clouds as he did when he was younger. Hell, it just wouldn't work. His tail gave a small flick, his ears tilting back. He would have to once more walk the herd, limping, in pain, and hiding his throbbing pain.
So he did. Damian kept his head up, kept his body as strong as he could. He breathed out a sigh, eyes fluttering some in pain, before he moved toward the cave that he called his home. He glanced toward a few of the others, nodding his head in a minor greeting, and shook his head whenever they offered help. He would be fine. He could do this, and he could support her, even though he was highly furious still. He wouldn't show his anger, not in words. But next time that the two of them had a sparing match, he would not go easy on her, he would not hold back the strength and rage that he knew he felt. Oh no. He would fight her as hard as he could, and as fast as he could. Damian was angry, and he would prove it that way, rather than upset her emotionally.
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Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 8:50 pm
Breaking away from him at the cave entrance, she paused, looking back at the entrance, then at him:: "I will wait here, for a moment." Looking down, she limped in a circle, before lowering herself, wincing slightly at the movements, her head craning back to assess the extent of her injuries. There was still shame.. and pain. Now that she was not moving, now that the adrenaline was all but out of her system, it hurt worse. With no chemical assistance to mask it, the pain grew, her sides and back throbbing, ears still ringing from the walkers cries. It went so much deeper that that. Honestly, she was a little afraid. Aerona was not used to emotional reprocussions. They just.. didn't happen for her. She killed, she survived, she walked away and didn't look back. This was.. this was a first in so many ways for her. She felt heavy, which was illogical, because she had not extra weight on her. She was tired, which was totally understandable. But the exhaustion reached deeper then it normally did. All the way down into her bones.
Gingerly licking the blood off her flank, she settles some, shifting slightly to get comfortable. She didn't want to.. she could not handle a small room with Damian right now. His presence was too big for the room, mostly because he was mad. She knew she could handle it if she needed too, but she was to heart weary to seek it out right now. He was like a hot fire in a small space, comforting if properly looked after, but now, with all his explosive energy, rage, and pain fueling him, he was intolerable Too hot, too intense for her to handle, when she had so much thinking to do. Aerona rarely had to do any self speculation. This was the first time in many years, and she found it ultimately uncomfortable.
She didn't want this.
The life in the herd, yes, a thousand times yes. And her mate, so much more then he appeared. The good sides to the new life she had taken filled her with.. joy. She never thought twice about them. Until now. She had failed. All of them. Her herd, her mate. Herself. How.. was she supposed to continue on? How should she act? As if nothing had happened, glaring at anyone who dared to so much as ask? No, her actions were not their fault.
Giving a heavy sigh, she rests her head on the ground, eyes closing, her mind turning inward. She had a lot of thinking to do.
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Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 12:45 pm
Damian sighed, his eyes narrowing some. He allowed her to leave, his short tail giving an irritable flick. His eyes closed for a second, as he tried to keep himself under control; tried to keep his mind calmed. But, he was so angry, so upset. And so… So… He growled, shaking his head, his large antlers swinging a bit as he tried to keep himself calm still. He wanted to bash that damn Skinwalker’s face in for harming himself, but he wanted to rip the Walker to shreds for hurting his mate. He paced slowly back and forth, his body limping from the pain, but he needed to think, to gather his emotions and thoughts. Glancing at the cave, he frowned, shook his head, and stalked off, head lowered.
He limped over toward the healers, locating one of the stronger of healers and settled down. The Uni stared at him for several moments, before healing as much as he could. Damian thanked him, before he stood and stalked off once more. He was so irritable. So angry. He wanted to shout at her, to tell her never to leave the herd again. He knew that he was the alpha, and she was the protector; she was the mare that would ensure that they were safe. But, he was still in charge, and he was still stronger. He had more to do than travel the borders of the herd and ensure nothing was wrong, that’s what she did for him. And she had gone out and done this… Challenged a Walker. Was she nuts?!
Shaking his head again, Damian sighed, and dragged his hoof along the ground for several moments, before he moved forward and into the caves. He walked with his head held high, the limp now barely noticeable. He needed to talk to her, to tell her just how angry he was. He grit his jaws as he let his eyes narrow slightly, and paused right before entering the larger cavern that he knew Aerona would be within. He stared toward her for several moments, his tail giving another small flick, his wings folding tight against his body. She was… she looked sad. Frowning, he took half a step forward, before pausing, and let himself linger. What was he going to do now…
Shaking his head, Damian moved forward. He walked slowly over toward her, his body giving a small ripple as the muscles tensed and relaxed several times in a few seconds. He walked over to her, and lowered himself down onto his knees, before laying down beside her. Lifting one of the torn wings, he shifted it over Aerona, and let it lay lightly over her body, kind of protecting her from the world that was around them; from the Skinwalker and the pain of failure and disappointment.
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