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This was supposed to be a routine border patrol - Meleager had come along just for a break, to see the outer limits of his land for once - but that was distinctly a dark-coated, and unfamiliar, Nequus below them. The herdleader frowned. There were a few unfortunates with darker coats among the herd, but he knew all of them by sight and by name, and this Aeri was none of them. He glanced back over his shoulder at the rest of the patrol. Half a dozen in total, all competent soldiers, if not the most experienced bunch. They were spread out, currently, but their nominal leader was close by. He waved the tall stallion over, pointing out the stallion below with a silent flick of his tail.

The other looked worried, but Meleager shook his head. "I'll deal with this. You gather the others, and land, in case back up is necessary." Without waiting for the nod of acquiescence, he began to drop.

He landed well out of attacking range of the dark stallion, but made no attempt at concealment as he walked closer. The Aeri looked a tough one - rather scary-looking, with that colouring and those bones he wore - the stuff of childish nightmares. Not his nightmares though. The bulky grey halted a short distance away from him, body language neutral for now, and called out, "You are not welcome here, stranger."

So he was one for sarcasm. Meleager was not impressed; his expression darkened to a frown. The dark stallion's attitude and expression were irritating. He was actually smiling. "Not 'hellene'," said, resisting the urge to spit the words at the other stallion. "Meleager-hallah, herdleader and lord of these lands."

He paused, muscles tensing. This wasn't looking good; why did he have the feeling that this Lucius was going to kick up a fuss and refuse to leave without a fight? Not that that was a problem; Meleager would have taken him on alone, and was confident of victory with the patrol to back him up. They could use the experience, actually.

He heard the sound of wingbeats and muttering voices, some distance behind him, and surmised that they had landed. Good. They formed a more impressive reinforcement on the ground and in closer proximity. The herdleader himself took a step closer to the trespasser, going through the motions of checking every muscle of his body in preparation for battle. It was almost subconscious; but it might not yet be needed.

"I ask you once more, Lucius. Leave these lands and my herd. If you cease to trouble us, we will bother you no further." It was only fair. Perhaps he was not aware of the beliefs held amongst the Hellenes.

That was just downright rude. Meleager found himself torn between feeling anger at Lucius' words and unsettled at his knowledge of the herd - and of Melantho. The anger was winning, and he began to paw at the ground with one forehoof. Lucius was deliberately antagonising him, he knew that. He also didn't care.

"Melantho," he said through gritted teeth, "could not abide by the customs of this herd and live her life the way it was meant to be. She left. She had more sense than you. Now," he continued, shifting to stand foursquare on his hooves, facing the other head on. A twitch of his tails, a flick of a wing signalled to the patrol his intentions, and that they should stay put. For now. He had no idea how strong this Licius would turn out to be. "If you insist..."

A straightforward charge, head down, but with no real intention to attack. The bulky Reya stopped himself just short of the Aeri and reared at him. A split second later, his large hooves came crashing down on where the dark stallion's body ought to be.

That kick caught Meleager hard in the chest. He hadn't been expecting it at all, and he couldn't move in time to avoid it completely. It hurt - but not enough to indicate serious damage. He stumbled back a few steps, catching his breath. Lucius was probably, as much as it galled him to admit it, stronger and faster than Meleager himself. Worse, though...

...the other stallion was actually enjoying this. He was still chuckling as he turned back and advanced on Meleager again, this time kicking out with his front hooves at any body part he could reach. Most blows missed, but Meleager had to step backwards to avoid them. He was retreating, and he hated it, even if it did bring him closer to back-up. He didn't need that yet.

The herdleader halted for a moment, gathering himself under the barrage of blows. A couple hit, on his shoulder and chest, but he ignored the brief pain and leapt forward, throwing his full weight into a couple of kicks at the dark stallion's chest.

Well, that was undignified. Partially successful though; it seemed to have gained him a break, for now. Meleager took the opportunity for a brief glance over his shoulder at the patrol. They had moved no closer, but even at this distance they looked concerned. They probably weren't close enough to hear what was passing between the two, either. He himself was only half listening. The Aeri's words would make him angry, he knew that, whatever they precisely were. His tone was lazy and disrespectful, and Meleager was determined to prove him wrong.

Lucius was heavier, certainly, being taller than Meleager and as well-muscled. He was powerful, as his kicks had shown - those bruises would ache for days. And he was fast, too, but Meleager was certain that that was the area where they were more closely matched. This was where tactics came in, and in this situation, it was best not to get too close to his opponent. It was, however, safe to circle - the rest of the patrol blocked the way deeper into the herdlands, and one Nequus would not get past them, even this one.

Meleager sidestepped with care, moving slowly. All he needed was a chance to find a gap in the other's defences. Those bones made it more complicated, but he good still get in a quick slash to the flank and then away. If he had the opportunity...

"You seem to underestimate me, Lucius," he said calmly. "It's not quite at that stage yet. My troops will only need to finish you off once you've seen the best of me," he finished with a mirthless grin.

"The black Nequus I have known have brought misfortune upon the herd," Meleager said shortly. And the crossbreeds, exactly the opposite... "And aren't you just a prime example of that?" he remarked.

Damn him. Meleager didn't have the time to think about why right now. Black-coated or not, this Lucius was a nuisance, and needed to be got rid of. His coat was no longer the issue. In any case, such things were not suited to discussion on a battlefield, or by warriors. It was time to get back to business. A flick and twist of the dappled Reya's tails told the patrol to be ready. He waited until he was sure they were in position - spread out behind him to block all flight into the herdlands, and one flying tight circles above - and only then made his move.

It was the slightest of chances, but it was enough. The black stallion's guard was almost impenetrable, but he thought he had a seen an optimum angle of attack. The bulky grey pawed at the ground impatiently, opened his mouth to speak, and then charged. Horn down, he aimed for a slash along Lucius' flank. Behind him, the other four soldiers rushed in.

Ugh, melee fighting. Ugly, messy, and often dishourable... as this was. Five on one, even when the one was as strong a fighter as Lucius, was impossible odds. Not to mention the Bae scout still in the air, who would up those odds to six if she were to land. Meleager sighed, exchanging glances with the patrol leader. This was the closest to battle he'd been in a long time, but it wasn't the sort of fight he enjoyed.

Off to one side, he heard the tall Aeri snapping orders at the two Hellenes who had been taken out by Lucius' attacks, telling them to move back. The herdleader made a mental note of that; he was bright, even if some of his soldiers were rather inept. Still, he supposed, it was valuable experience for them all.

With those two out of the way and feeling sorry for themselves, the three remaining closed in on the boned Aeri: the bulky dappled herdleader, Aeri patrol leader, and horned Jala-cross. Lucius wasn't attacking any more, but Meleager wasn't in the mood for talk, and he wasn't going to give him the opportunity to regroup. At a nod from him, the trio charged once more. One for the throat, one with forelegs, and one with rear...