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Ruadh Wolfbane was, likewise, not in a good mood. He preferred to sleep in the day, not be called out for watch. The lighter stallion found there to be no reason for him to be here. Why couldn't Thistle keep watch instead? It was degrading to his pride to be here!

But he did his duty, watching for the dark spot of his brothwe against the desert sad.

That night, Sanika had woken from bad dreams. Usually, Wolfbane enjoyed such things - seeing the generally calm human acting as a newborn. When she came out, she had stared him in the eyes (never mind he had been eating....slowly.... his meal's heart still beating) and said that he would remain at the teepee for awhile - his brother would be returning but it was not safe to be travelling around right now. He could hear the rest of her unspoken words too, that it would not be safe anywhere right now - not for him. Almost, he went off just to spite her.... but remained out of curiosity.

There - Wolfbane squinted in the sun. Yes, that was his brother. Without a word, he went to the teepee and tossed open the flap. Then took to the air and went out to meet his flashy brother. Though, why wasn't Somnium flying as well? That was odd in itself.

As he soared in the thermals, extracting almost no energy with his malformed -but fully functional- wings, Wolfbane could tell what had happened. His brother had gotten into some kind of fight. At least one wing was no longer functional and he could smell the blood dripping with Somnium's sweat all the way up here.

Effortlessly, Wolfbane landed just in front of his brother. As he curled his wings to his back, he snarled at his brother - mocking him for being less than their father's son for returning in such a mess.

He was not to be ignored. Wolfbane would not allow Somnium to just turn his back on him!!! He was in perfect condition - minus altered wings - and he no longer was! This was delicious, this was wonderful!

The kalona chuckled deep in his throat and as Somnium walked around him, he watched intently - also looking at the wound and trying to decide just how wonderfully painful it must be (for his brother). It looked pretty bad.... and he couldn't think of a better way of getting his scaled brother home than pestering and showing off his own healthful perfection.

Wolfbane trotted to catch up, and pranced (quiet literally) next to Somnium as he trudged along. His short tail was lifted like a short flag and each knee just about hit his chest. Ruadh lifted his wings and arched them as best he could... oh yes, he was in good condition....

Wolfbane did not often like to indulge in words... but this was just too good. He had to say something, but oh, what would it be?

The stallion cleared his throat and then spoke deeply, jokingly, "Somnium, didn't she tell you 'No' means 'No'?"

Of course, he had no idea where his brother had been.... so of course his mind jumped to a mare - a mare that Somnium stooped too, probably a kalona mare - his brother would stoop no lower.

Then, he pulled forward just a little so that he knew his face was in his bright brother's line of sight. Wolfbane was smiling and his eyes shined, knowing that his brother would have to be blind to not see him.

Wolfbane's own smile diminished when he saw the expression on Somnium's face. It wasn't writ with pain... instead he was thinking, and intensely. That was usually a bad sign and he got more irritated after such an excursion as well - he would have to tred softly.

It was the grin the was the most troublesome. Maybe he was going insane from exhaustion? Maybe he was running low on energy juices from not eating?

With a sigh, Wolfbane took to the air again. He would find something for his brother to eat. It would do no good if he passed out due to low food intake - no, that would not do at all.

+
When Wolfbane opened the teepee, it had alerted Sanika and Nagual and Thistle as to Somnium's distance. They went to work immediately. Nagual had to leave the teepee for she was too big to move around. Thistle had actually zoomed off - someone had to go tell Tlocatl.

+++

At the time that Somnium returned, Nagual was outside, but on the other side of the teepee, in the shade. When she heard a large onject hit the ground, the mare twirled and ran to the other side. There, she saw her grandson. He had collapsed in the sand and his side heaved in large breaths. Blood dripped down his side and pooled, micing thickly in the sand.

She lunged towards him, avoiding his face as she remembered that mistake from her last encounter with an injured flaming stallion. "Somnium, Somnium," Nagual asked quietly, trying to break through to his mind. "What happened? We need to know."

The mare was close, and trying to inspect the wound that she knew was there and hidden from her view.

+

Meanwhile, Thistle had found Tlocatl. The stallion was on the edge of the desert, hunting through the slightly larger animals that lived in the brush.

"Tlocatl."

Thistle spoke up from a higher perk. He never trusted the kalona. No doubt, those sharp teeth and burning flames would be turned on him!

Tlocatl jerked his head up. "What do you want, ya pest!" His sharp teeth snarled in the light. The sun made him rough and iritated.

Thistle sighed, "We have to go back to the teepee."

"Why? So that pathetic mother of mine can dote and talk?"

"No, Somnium's returned.... and he looks... he looks like how you looked after your encounters with Skinwalkers." Thistle frowned. No, the boy had promised he wouldn't go. He gave his word that he would not look for that good-for-nothing Wyrsa!

That got Tlocatl's attention. The stallion pivoted and ran, he ran as hard as he could.

Thistle went with him, but instead of ground flight he was in the air.

Nagual grumbled herself, something about the unbreakable and unshaking pride of kalonas - it was near impossible for her to recognize this as one of her ilk. Why, oh why, did they all have to take after Ramoth? The stallion the tricked into such a game. The mare pushed that aside, she needed to concentrate on Somnium.

The mare came forward gingerly, worried about his wound. Nagual nuzzled the wing she knew hid the wound, she could smell it - and it smelled familiar. She lifted the wing with her head, watching her grandson for any movement whatsoever. As much as she cared for him, she had no intention of adding to the scars on her muzzle or otherwise.

.... !!

"Skinwalker," Nagual gasped, and carefully dropped the wing before taking a step back in fear and sadness.

With a nicker, she was able to call Sanika out of the teepee and with her arms full of cotton wrapping, ointments and salves, and anything else that might help them with this situation.

Following the sound of Nagual, the human came forward and next to Somnium. She poked and prodded at the wound after moving the wing away - watching him and daring him to try anything.

+++

Wolfbane returned, and he had a small deer resting along his back. Landing, he walked over to his brother and shook it off - not a peace offering but a means to prolong his suffering.

Allowing his brother the space, the kalona looked to his started grandmother and foreign companion and snorted... only to move back so he could enjoy the show.

+++

Thistle arrived next, only because he could manage the speed better. Upon seeing what was going on, the flutter moved to Nagual and made a nest in her mane to settle.

"What happened?" he whispered for her ears only.

Nagual didn't look up, simply shivered. "I think Skinwalker."

Thistle froze. The arrogant, foolish kalona! He's lucky to have returned at all!

+++

Tlocatl was the last to arrive. Immediately, he moved to his son's side - the one that was injured. Seeing the wound, he looked to Ruadh and scowled, "Did you do this?"

Wolfbane rolled his eyes. Was his father kidding? Sure, he liked torture... but did he really think Somnium would stand for suck a beating from him? Probably as much as he can stand the endless prattle his brother so enjoyed. No - it was not him.

Tlocatl looked back to Somnium, knowing it wasn't his lighter son. He refused to think who else could do this. Somnium was a strong stallion and could easily hold up his own. What had happened to bring his proud and kalona son to such levels?

Wolfbane snarled at his father. He had some semblance of morals, thank you!

Tlocatl was watching as his son ate, pondering what had happened. In what was left of his heart, he had a clue, but the mind refused to believe or dwell on such a thought. The wound was very similar to his own...the only difference was that he was healing (finally). The stallion could manage jump-hop flights and was working his strength back up for actual flight.

Sanika warned him not to overdo it - and he admitted that she had been right so far and wanted to fly again that he was willing to listen to the human's advice (this time).

Nagual watched carefully, her muscles tensed to go fetch something if called on. Her heart tickled as she held in a breath.

Sanika was done with her visual analysis and had moved on. Her deft finger gingerly applied the pain-killing salve to the wound. It was one that would be icy cold at first but unpainful - more of an irritant. Unfortunately, it only worked where nerves and/or blood were exposed. If something was bruised, it would need a different ointment.

Once the ointment was applied, the woman washed out the wound and then used the same solvent she had used on Tlocatl to disinfect and clot the blood from a Skinwalker's saliva-ridden bite. She then went in with sinew and bone needle - sewing as much as she could. Unfortunately for Somnium, he wasn't just bit... he had a whole chunk of himself taken out!

The best she could do was pack it with herbs and moss - those that would encourage the muscles to grow back as much as possible, and the skin to eventually cover again. It would be a long time, and he would mostly likely always have a dent there.

When Sanika finished that part of her dressing, she bodily grabbed the injured wing and - although it must have been painful - tried to tie it to Somniums side. Deep inside, the woman prayed that the injured stallion was more interested in his meal than he would be in her.