Welcome to Gaia! ::

Darkest stands a few feet from the edge of a 150ft cliff. Behind her about 20 ft away the forest begins and covers down the gentle back slope. As she stands there, gazing down on the forest that covers the land interupted by the cliff, she knows They are there in the forest. She can sense them. No, it wouldn't come to fighting today...... but soon. Her muscles ripple under her pitch black coat, causing a glint of light for a moment, as a strong gust of wind rushes against her body. She tightens her wings against her a moment, then tosses her head sending her long mane whipping up. There, a scent faintly familiar yet just out of memory, but carried away too fast by the wind that brings with it another and more familiar scent. "Quiet."

The hoofbeats of another soquili can barely be heard coming up behind her herd leader. She gives a low nod as she comes up beside Darkest. Standing silently the two mares contemplate the forest below. "There is a tension all around. It will be coming soon wont it?"

Darkest and Quiet break out from the tree line onto the open field. They trot towards the far end where two other kalona mares graze.

The dark metallic green mare lifts her head and nickers softly at them. "Greetings Darkest, Quiet. All is well I presume." Medium metallic blues ripple across the coat of the other mare as she lifts her head at the green's greeting.

"Deceitful, Frozen," Darkest greets the green and blue kalona, "Not for long."

"War is coming with the humans..."

Deceitful's scornful whicker cuts off Quiet, "War pah, we can take them on. The four of us will be no match. We'll kill them all and smash their bodies into the earth under our hoofs."

Darkest's angry squeal rings out across the field as she snaps savagely at the green's neck. Deceitful tries to dodge and gets yanked up short by the leader's powerful teeth on her neck. She squeals back and tries to n** at the unprotected chest. Darkest brings a wing forward and roughly hits Deceitful's face, then gives a sharp shake.

Deceitful struggles a moment, however, another sharp shake changes her mind. She relaxes and stands submissively in Darkest's grasp.

Frozen swishes her tail and wonders when her sister will learn. Quickly deciding it wouldn't be today.

Darkest's teeth slowly release Deceitful and she glares a moment before speaking. "You are young yet. And stupid still. Do not worry Deceitful for you will get your wish. We will not leave without a fight, but if we take war to them then they will not rest until our hides decorate the inside of their teepees." The other three blink and remain silent. "I have encountered this before and know it to be true. Can you say the same?"

Darkest trots along a trail at the far end of the herd's territory. She pulls up to stop as the trail widens slightly and lifts her head to test the wind.

Frozen comes up beside the black mare on the trail and looks around. "It's been very quiet these past few days. Do you think their planning something?" She tries not to shift from hoof to hoof to hide her sudden growing nervousness.

"Perhaps. Their ways can be cunning. I should lead a party out tonight and do a surveillance. Perhaps we'll see what they're planning." Her long tail swishes as she resumes down the trail.

"Who were you going to take? I think it would be best if we all go. Just in case anything happens" Frozen follows Darkest and hopes she's not overstepping her place.

"Looking to get a piece of them are you?" Darkest chuckles. "I'm sure the others will feel the same. We will go together; Quiet and Deceitful will provide the backup in case we get in over our heads."

The Chaos Herd charges into the two leggers camp. Darkest and Frozen in the first wave followed by Deceitful and Quiet. Their sharp squeals and whinnies pierce the night. Hooves thundering as they canter around teepees and send warriors scattering for cover and weapons.

Darkest whips her head around. She had one goal, and only one goal. Her blazing gold eyes search the crowd of warriors. A hind hoof lashes back to remove the warrior trying to creep up behind her.

Frozen squeals as she nearly pounces on a warrior. Her strong teeth grab his shoulder and her fangs piece through his skin. With her grip she gives him a whiplash shake before sending him sprawling. She looks up, to see Darkest working her way deeper into the crowd, before she turns her attention to closer warriors.

Deceitful squeals as she lays about to either side of her with teeth and hoofs. Doing the greatest amount of damage in the littlest time. She thrilled in the cries of anguish and agony. Excitement flowed through her veins with each mortal wounding. She was Alive!

Quiet, coming after Deceitful, finishes off the warriors unwise enough to try getting up. Her hoofs are quickly turned a matte red version of her coat. Knowing the two-leggers like to hide she targets the teepees, collapsing them upon the occupants.

Darkest strolls to the middle of the camp; the campfire flames picking up and reflecting off her coat, wings, and eyes. Chaos seems to swirl around her and leaving her untouched as she moves through it. Her eyes for only one warrior. The kalona pelt clad warrior slowly meets her eyes; Darkest rises up onto her haunches, her wings spread wide as she screams shrilly. Her head snakes as she snaps at him then crow-hops forward menacing him with her front hooves. As the warrior moves back she continues to advance and threaten him.

Picking off teepee after teepee, Quiet searches for the ones that scream and move. With quiet delight she silences each of the moving shapes with a sharp hoof.

The kalona pelted warrior stumbles and Darkest seizes the instant. Like a dark whirlwind she's on him. Front hooves coming down onto his legs to shatter the bones. Her head snakes down and her teeth snap shut, but not on his flesh. She pulls the pelt from his body and with a flick of her head lays it on her back between her wings. Gold eyes burn into the warrior's a long moment that he'll never forget. "Live with the shame that you'll never go into battle again two-legger...."

Twang from a bow is heard above the sounds of battle. It impacts into the black shoulder of Darkest. Her scream causes the other kalona to turn their heads towards her. The camp slowly goes quiet.

Quiet sees the arrow standing out from Darkest's shoulder and follows it back the source, not far from her. Metallic reds flash as she charges the archer and runs full body into him, no more than a boy really. Back hoofs trample him ensuring his death.

Darkest's cry to summon the Chaos Herd pulls Quiet up from continuing. Deceitful, Frozen, and Quiet circle around Darkest. The black mare looks at the arrow coming from her shoulder then reaches down to break it off. She spits out the piece, "Come, we're leaving now." Without showing any sign of a limp she starts to walk out of the camp.

"Wait, what? What do you mean leaving now? We're winning! We kill them all now and our territory will be ours again..." Deceitful looks around at the other mares, hoping one of them will support her. She looks first at Frozen, her sister, then Quiet.

A head shake then moving to follow Darkest, tells Deceitful she'll get no help there.

"We're leaving Deceitful. Stay here by yourself and take them on alone if you want." Quiet moves to walk beside Darkest.

Deceitful growls to herself and reluctantly follows the others. She looks at one of the warriors and snorts angrily at him.

The night closes in.

"We will see Deceitful. Perhaps they have learned and will leave us be."

Frozen backs up and tilts her head to examine the wound. "Well Darkest, it should be ok as long as you don't try running a marathon."

Darkest flicks her tail gratefully towards the blue mare and smiles, "I will do what I need to."

Quiet huffs softly and takes the lead to give Darkest a moment to rest. She hears Frozen walking beside Darkest as Deceitful follows last.

Darkest moves easily yet carefully so as not to reopen her wound; letting Frozen assist her so as to humor the young mare. She didn't want to lead the two leggers back home by leaving an easy trail of blood to follow.

Deceitful bristles and turns towards Quiet. "How could you know for sure? She's not here now and she didn't tell anyone why she left in the middle of the night or where she was going. Seems rather suspicous to me Quiet."

Frozen tilts her head down, thoughtfully, "I fear I must agree with Deceitful. It does seem odd she'd leave without saying at least something to you....."

Quiet opens her mouth to answer but stops when she sees Darkest emerge into the glade. Glad to see her, it takes a moment to register in her brain that something was wrong. She looks closer at the black mare with her brow furrowed.

"Oh, so you didn't run off after all? I could have sworn you had Darkest." Deceitful's tail gives an angry flick as the hope of easily taking over the herd vanishes with the sight of Darkest. "So you going to tell us where you got off to, or is this another of your "big" secrets?"

Quiet exhales as it finally dawns on her that the tiny kalona pelt is missing from Darkest's back.

"If you must know, Deceitful, I was taking care of the pelt I recovered from the two-leggers. Not that I have to report to you on what I do, I simply thought the others would like to know."

Frozen nods and sighs. "Thank you Darkest. I know you did well by it."

Deceitful growls low.

Darkest tosses her head, "On my way back I noticed a nice herd just waiting for us to have breakfast."

Three sets of eyes gleam at the mention of food. The Chaos Herd quickly lines up with enough wing room for all of them then follows Darkest into the sky.

Deceitful's skin twitches nervously and she moves up by Quiet. "They're out there aren't they?"

Frozen glares around and rustles her wings, trying to find something to attack. She could smell them. Their hate, their fear.[ /color]

Darkest shifts slightly to the left as her gold eyes search for movement in the undergrowth. The slight snap of a twig and whur of movement behind her and to the right alerts her. She whirls and slams into Deceitful and Quiet shoving them out of the way of a spear. It grazes against her neck before embedding and quivering into a tree.

Quiet screams as Darkest shoves her unexpectedly out of the way. Her hind quarters skid into Frozen and knocks her aside.

Deceitful snarls as she shakes off being shoved out of the way and lunges into the undergrowth where the spear came from.

Gold eyes darken with hate. "Kill them! Kill them all!" Darkest whirls to face several tribesman coming out and hears more behind them. "Leave none alive!"

The herd springs into action and the area fills with kalona and human screams alike.