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 Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 9:47 am
It was not easy getting to shore, especially while holding ones foe throat within her teeth. But somehow they had worked together, funny how that worked out, and managed to get to short. A wash of relief came over her as they pulled themselves, fairly awkwardly, out of the water and onto the short. This was probably the strangest fight she had even been in and it wasn't over yet. They were still locked together in a battle to see who would be victorious and who would wind up dead.
Pen's sides heaved as she attempted to get her breathing down to normal. Battle she was no stranger to, but this had been far from anything training or her years of fighting could prepare her for. Her muscles ached more than she could remember them doing in a long time. She wanted to just let go of his throat, to give herself the opportunity to rest. She thought even the stallion would probably appreciate a breather...what was she thinking, she couldn't let him catch his wind. And so they were back to where they had been, since they had latched on to each other in mid-air.
She couldn't help letting out a small snort of frustration. Never had she had any trouble in fighting off and attacker. But to be caught in this situation with a stallion was almost insulting. Yet, a small part of her gave the stallion credit for being able to catch her in such an awkward and life threatening way. Shifting her tired legs to stand more solidly Penthesilea began to weight her options. If they both continued to hold on like this they would eventually drop from exhaustion. But could she really trust this stallion if she chose to loosen her grip just a bit? She wasn't sure about that just yet and so she remained as she had been, holding on and trying to figure out what would happen next.
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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 10:05 am
They could not stand like this forever, Achilles knew that and by the frustrated noise the mare was making he was pretty sure that she knew it too. He had seen deer whose antlers became locked together during battle die because of it and it was terrible to think that after all this time he would suffer much the same fate.
But he couldn't let go, not and keep his life, the second this mare felt his grip release she was liable to close her own and finish him off before he had time to blink. No he couldn't let go - and neither could she, nor could they both stand here until they died, or they were found by some local predator. It was a fine situation that they had found themselves in now wasn't it? What he needed was some sort of leverage, something that he could offer her or tell her that would allow them to break this death grip without killing each other.
They could always fight again later..or not, though he had never before not completed a job, Achilles was willing to admit he had never before seen a mare like this one, she was strong and powerful and knew what she was doing, why she was almost like him and that was an attractive thing to the stallion, it would almost be a pity to kill her now wouldn't it?
He was going soft! Too tired to think straight or something to that effect, no, what he had to do was break off this death lock with her, leave to recover and come back to finish her off another day. Yes, that was more in line with who he was, none of that sappy horse dung from before! The foal..of course the foal, how could he have forgotten about her? Perfect.
"If we kill each other, no one will know where the foal is." He stated, voice muffled somewhat by his grip but he was sure that she would understand.
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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 10:19 am
At his words Penthesilea's ears pinned back. Damn. She had pushed all thoughts of Kadira to the back of her mind when the stallion had come out of hiding on the attack. The poor filly was probably scared out of her wits and wouldn't know what was happening. She had to get Kadira to safety, and much as she hated to admit it, the stallion did have a point. If they continued in this death grip match they would both fall and then Kadira would be left lost and open to predators. But surely the other Sisters would go looking for her. Yet Pen couldn't take that chance.
She could have told him that she had others with her that would find the foal and then come looking for her. It wouldn't have been a lie but she didn't want to reply on the idea of being rescued. How badly would it look for her and her new position to have to have others come and pry this stallion off of her before he snapped her neck. Those few she traveled with may be safe with that information but any other member that returned would see that as a sign of weakness. Damn, she hated this stallion as much as she respected him.
"So let go and I will do the same." She muttered around his throat. He would likely think that a trap. But she had to make sure he knew that she was conceding, not to losing the battle, but that this stalemate was never going to end except in their pathetic exhausted deaths.
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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 10:31 am
When her ears pinned back they brushed against his muzzle and Achilles wrinkled his lips slightly at the sensation though he kept his grip tight while he considered. By her reaction he knew that he had managed to strike something of a nerve and that was good - but could he really truly trust her to let go of him when he moved first?
No. If he let go she could kill him and then return to the foal with no problems. "No." He replied "You are the one who desires to save the foal, you let go first. I give my word as a Mercenary that I will do the same without harming you further." He replied
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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 10:48 am
She couldn't help but snort. Like his word as a Mercenary meant anything to her. If anything if gave her a sense that if she let go he would simply finish her. Yet, what choice did she have. It was either suffer through the stalemate until death claimed them both, attempt to crush his windpipe and thus kill him before he snapped her spine thus killing her, or trust his words and begin to let go. Neither open sound good to her, but the latter at least gave her a small chance to survive, if his words could be trusted. "The foal would be safe now if it weren't for you." She pointed out.
Damn, she was hating herself right now. Okay, there was little else to do but go against everything she had been taught and what her gut was telling her and let go. But she wasn't going to be stupid about it, if she fully let go then she would be completely at his mercy and she didn't trust him that much. So she lightened her grip on his throat a bit, enough to show him that she was willing to end this stalemate, but her teeth were still there, close enough that should he show any signs of going back on his words then she would tighten them once more. She could only hope she was making the right decision.
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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 11:24 am
"The world is a cruel place" He responded to the mare, he could have argued that the foal had never truly been in danger, he would have seen to her safety after the deed was completed but that seemed like a pointless argument to get into at the moment. He doubted that she would believe him anyways. Still her grip loosened and Achilles took that to mean she was agreeing to this truce for the moment.
He loosened his own grip, before releasing her completely a few seconds later and wrenching himself backwards in the same moment, the bleeding gashes from freeing himself from her loosened and vulnerable grip were a worthwhile expense for ensuring his freedom, her could have waited to see if she would have followed through but he had known he could escape and Achilles, as always, took the known over the perhaps.
So now they were free, but still too beat down from the long fight and battle with the river to consider continuing, at least today. Shaking his head he flung drops of blood onto the closest plants but he could feel the wounds were surface only and posed him no long term danger. "You are not what I expected." He finally told the mare, because standing there staring at one another seemed awkward "By your brothers description I thought you'd have a trail of beaten and abused slaves following your every step."
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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 11:35 am
She did not clamp down as Achilles pulled himself free, for he had also released her in that moment. Sure, it would have been nice to finish this here and now, but they had come to a truce and she would not back out of that. Like him she took several quick steps away from him but neither of them were willing to press into battle again. She took a moment to stretch her neck, the wound wasn't deep but it would be painful for a while still. She would need Yakut to look at it once she returned to the others.
His words brought her head up, and before she could say anything he continued, giving her a hint as to who and why he had come after her. Penthesilea stamped a front hoof in anger. That b*****d brother of hers had sent this stallion to kill her. She knew her brother hated her, hated the herd and everything they stood for but she had not expected him to ever stoop so low. "Tierehl sent you?" She said, nearly growling his name. "He always one to blow things out of proportion." She finally continued once the initial wave of anger subsided. "But to send a Mercenary to do what he wants..." She shook her head. "I should have expected this from him, he was always too much of a coward to do anything himself." Damn her neck hurt, she could feel a small trickle of blood coming from the wounds but they were not life threatening, just annoying. "Tell me your name Mercenary." She needed to go find Kadira and to ensure the foal was safe, but she also needed to know the name of the one who had tried to kill her for her brothers sake and had failed.
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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 9:52 am
Achilles watched the mare as he divulged the information on who had sent him - it wasn't something he typically did, the condemned rarely had a right to know who had struck the deal to end them but this job was different, there was something fishy about the entire thing now that he had seen the mare and her apparent willingness to do anything to protect the foal. Surely that was not the actions of a vicious and brutal creature such as the stallion had described.
"He was loathe to do anything himself, that was obvious...most who call upon me are but then they are generally powerless victims, I expect that your brother would have been no match for you...but I also expect that his grievances are greatly exaggerated. I am Achilles, I already know who you are." He told the mare, there was no point in not answering her questions - he generally liked to know who tried to kill him as well, it was just polite really, just because he was a Mercenary didn't mean he couldn't be civil about the whole thing.
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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 10:02 am
"I am surprised he has lasted this long without someone to take care of him." She replied. Her brother may have hated the way he was raised and the herds traditions, but when it came down to it Tierehl relied heavily on others because he was unwilling to do anything for himself. She had pretty much assumed he would die on his own once he left the herd, but obviously that was wrong. "Tierehl would never attack me even if I presented him with the opportunity to do so. He always has someone else do work for him when possible." As was such the case now.
"Achilles." She repeated the name, storing it away in her memory. This was a stallion that she would remember, for he was so different than any other she encountered. "I am not one to let anyone who tried to kill me go. However, I think we both see that a truce has fallen between us. Let it stand for now." She figured he would try again, but perhaps not, but for now they were in a moment of peace. "And I still have Kadira to rescue." She pointed out. The filly was probably scared and wondering what had happened since she had not been rescued yet.
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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 10:11 am
"Perhaps, though he was willing enough to trade fetching something for me for your death." Achilles replied "I too, am not in the habit of letting a job go unfinished...but it had been a long day." Achilles agreed, there was simply no point in pressing the issue any further today, they were both tired and drained and any fight they had now would be pathetic and pointless, certainly it would be a disgrace to kill her or die trying in such a manner. Achilles was not about to let his reputation take such a hit, he was not Achilles the slayer of the tired.
"The filly should be safe enough - I merely trapped her in the dry riverbed but a bear I know was supposed to return and remove the logs blocking the trail before the afternoon was through, she might even be free already." He remarked with a glance towards the sun.
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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 10:24 am
"I should say that you might find yourself disappointed when my brother fails to bring you the item you requested." She wouldn't put it past Tierehl to avoid doing that work, or get someone else to do it for him. Either way she was certain he wouldn't actually go and get the payment he owed to Achilles. She nodded her head. "Then let the truce stand for the remainder of the day." She would see tomorrow, or perhaps further along the line, if he would return to finish the job, it didn't matter, she would be ready for him if he did.
"Let us hope that she is safe." If anything happened to Kadira, then the truce may very well be broken. She took a few steps back, the longer she stood around talking to this stallion the longer it would take to reach Kadira and the foal had been trapped for a good deal of time already. "Until next time Achilles." She said and turned, not putting her back to him, but disengaging completely from him - both fighting and conversational wise. As Penthesilea began to walk away she kept her ears turned back, listening for any movement from Achilles, but she truly doubted that he would break their truce right now, for he has already agreed that now was not the time to return to their prior battling state.
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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 10:35 am
Achilles watched the mare leave, he had already considered that her pinto brother would fail to hold up his side of the bargain but for the moment he was not concerned with this - so far the stallion had nothing to pay for. Penthesilea was still alive.
When the mare was several paces off Achilles turned and left,choosing to take a path which would lead him away from the filly and the mare going to make sure she had been released. If he had killed the mare Achilles would have gone to check on the filly himself - he was not in the business of leaving foals to die, but that chore was something he no longer had to worry about. He needed to find a place to recover and think. Unfurling tired wings he took to the air and spiraled away from the retreating Queen and her herd.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 1:59 pm
At first she had tried to get out. She was so afraid. She didn't know if the stallion would attack Penthesilea or come back to the ravine after her. The logs proved impossible to climb over and she had fallen a number of times when she first attempted to get over them. Kadira considered trying to find another way out of the ravine but wanted to not wander too far. Look at where her wandering had already gotten her. And Penthesilea had told her before that if she ever got lost to stay in one place if at all possible since it would make finding her easier. So she did the only thing she could do, lay down and wait to be rescued.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 2:00 pm
Once she was sure that Achilles was not following her looking to start their fight again Penthesilea moved quickly through the forest towards the ravine. Kadira had been there for quite some time and she truly hoped the filly was alright. When she was nearly at the ravine she spotted a bear. At first she worried for Kadira's safety, but then she noticed it was moving the logs. This must be the one that Achilles had mentioned. Well she didn't want that bear around either. Rushing forward Penthesilea approached the bear. "Be gone beast!" The bear hesitated for a moment and then made the smart decision and ran off. On the plus side the bear had cleared nearly all the logs and so Penthsilea descended to find Kadira. "Oh Kadira." She said giving the filly a loving and reassuring nuzzle. "I am sorry I took so long."
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 2:01 pm
The arrival of the bear scared her more than anything else. She had quickly gotten to her feet and made to retreat. But as she backed away not taking her eyes off of the bear she noticed that it was actually pushing the logs away, clearing the path for her. Her head tipped in curiosity but she was not willing to chance getting close to the creature. What if he was just moving the logs so that he could drag her out of her and make her it's meal.
Kadira almost cried in relief when she heard Penthsilea's familiar voice and watched the bear take off. She ran to meet Penthesilea and pressed herself tightly into the mares side. "I was so scared!" She half cried. "That stallion...he chased me...and then he trapped me here and..." She didn't even want to talk about it but she continued her fear filled babbling. "I tried to get out...I was scared...and then I thought he might go after you...I didn't want him to hurt you...and then that bear came!" She was shaking but also was feeling relieved that Penthsilea had finally come to save her.
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