[PRP] Saviour [Cuauhcoatl & Ikinya]

[Tirokio]

It had been at least a day since Ikinya had split from Starlet, the usdia taking on the last leg of her journey alone up the steep slopes of the mountains. Certainly she was not such a pleasant sight from her journey back to the stallion who’s effortlessly captured her heart with dishevelled hair and fur, mud caked to her hooves and legs. Yet nothing was going to keep her from Cuauhcoatl, she had to tell him what was in her heart before he realized such notions to someone else; if he hadn’t already. It seemed a crazy thought, an usdia claiming her love for an angeni nearly four times her size but times of doubt and uncertainty was behind her…even if she was rejected she knew that she would have no regrets. Wasn’t that what life was about anyways?

Nearing one of her final plateau’s as she could see in the distance the gap which lead to Cuauh’s longhouse she sighed in relief…hopefully he was home.

Step by step she pushed her tiny body up the slope, the rocks occasionally slipping from under her weight as they fell down and down before disappearing, figuring it would be quite deadly if she fell and thus needed to take caution. She had been a fool, realizing this now…how her heart ached as he flew off, how he remained on her mind for a few days she was left alone by her own fault. She missed his warmth, his smiles, how he didn’t see her as a burden as most others would have and embraced her limitations…more than willing to help her and make things easier without so much of a remark otherwise. She wasn’t another angeni, or even some beautiful mare…quite homely and plain in appearance compared to his angelic or godly like form…but her heart didn’t care. She so desperately wanted to tell him…that she was indeed falling for him.

That was when she heard something, something that had the mare a bit concerned…although the wind was something else in this altitude, Ikinya could hear the distinct cry of a foal. What was one doing all the way up here? Wandering around the rocky slope, the mare noted that there wasn’t anyone else around when she followed the faint whimpering to a bush and sure enough a basket sat snugly under the fauna. Wide eyed at the basket, the mare took another look around for any parents…but there was none. “Oh…have you been abandoned?” Her sad voice faded as she nosed the basket out from the bush and gave it a look over. It seemed unharmed, hopefully not too chilled from being out for long…

“Well, looks like you’re coming with me!”

Grabbing the basket by the rim, she began a slow walk backwards as she dragged the basket as gently as she could along the slope. What would he think, if she brought this basket to him confessing her feelings for him? The situation sounded weird, but from the limited time she’d been with him, Ikinya could safely assume that he would hear her out before jumping to conclusions. Thus she kept walking and pulling, slowly getting closer to the top. Stopping on a rocky shelf some time later, the mare allowed herself to catch her breath, her legs trembling from the constant week long journey and screaming at her to stop and rest…but she was so close. Already she could envision the long house; the garden…Cuauh reading his scrolls…it brought a warm smile to her face.

However, the shifting of rocks and the frantic flight of bird drew her attention down below, as her eyes widened in horror at the grizzly making its way swiftly and easily up the slopes. Immediately she knew it was no normal bear as the strange glowing markings ran up its legs, glowing eyes consumed in bloodlust and hate focused directly on her.

No…no she was so close! Her whole body began to shake as her blood ran cold…there was no way she could take on a skin walker and win by any means…if she took the bear on it would mean her cruel demise. Her eyes immediately flew down to the basket at her hooves, surely if she left it the skin walker wouldn’t think twice about eating it, and there was no way she could let that happen either. It was a bit shocking to say the least how her motherly instincts had kicked in so hard for a basket she’d just found.

Closing in fast, the mare did the only thing she could think of and threw precaution to the wind as she staggered and ran full tilt up the slopes as fast as she could pulling the basket at her side, ignoring the pain of slipping and stumbling over rocks; it was nothing compared to the pain of being torn piece by piece. Immediately the skin walker sprang into action, flying up the slopes grunting as Howl knew her paws were suited for mountainous climbing while hooves where Ikinya’s flat hooves were at a disadvantage. While holding no grudge to the giraffe spotted mare like she did with Starlet and Mecho, food was food and it was just a bad hand that she had travelled with the usdia who was being tracked by the skin walker for days now. Closing in fast, Howl smirked viciously as she spotted the usdia mare head straight for a dead end, a cliff with only two paths, off the edge or back towards where she approached. The game was over.

Skidding to a halt at the edge, Ikinya’s heart pounded as she realized she’d just walked her way into a trap, turning her head to see the skin walker slowly loping onto the ledge as well. A low growl rose from the bear’s throat as the little usdia turned and stood her ground over the basket protectively; if she was going down…then she was going to go fighting. Snorting loudly, Ikinya took a step away from the basket towards their attacker, stomping her hood and letting out a defensive whinny although she doubted it had much effect towards a bear. It was at that moment in time where everything seemed to stand still, that the knowing ache in her heart told her she wasn’t going to see Cuauh again…this skin walker would make sure of that. As quickly as it came, the moment disappeared and she found herself facing the charging bear as she jumped to action and leapt at her, managing to bite down hard on her neck even though she mostly got a mouthful of fur. Jerking her head left and right did no good but to make the skin walker even angrier, using its paws to smack her away to skid against the wall of the mountain side rock. Swiftly as if every moment was her last she jumped to her hooves only to have the skin walker jump into action, sinking his claws into her back as she cried out, pulling the mare under its massive frame as its jaws came down to bite but missed as she thrashed with vigour, although pulling and raking the claws on her back further she managed to get out from the grasp and that fatal bite. Blood trickled down her back, the warmth sickening as pain flooded Ikinya’s senses…quickly stumbling to the basket as she huddled over it.

“Fool…” The dark laughter from the skin walker echoed in her ears as she approached the Usdia…they were always such an easy mean.

Tears trailed down the little mare’s face, scared of what was to come. She didn’t want to die…not when she’d found what she’d been longing for all this time with Cuauh…what could have been with this little basket that would never experience life. Shaking horribly as droplets of her blood splattered against the stone of the cliff, Ikinya closed her eyes as she waited for the blow…but a part of her couldn’t help but call out, just in case she could be blessed with a miracle. “Please…oh please… CUAUHCOATL!” Ikinya screamed, feeling the presence of the skin walker nearly on top of her.
 

[mindsend]

Cuauhcoatl was, luckily, not in his home, cuddled closely to his tomes and scrolls, but rather on the wing, having been flying the line of the mountains aimlessly, an odd mix of listless and restless, unable to stay still and yet unwilling to go anywhere. It had been almost two weeks since he dropped the small mare back to her preferred location by the beach. He had spent days bundled in his longhouse, sulking, before deciding to take wing, in search of someone to speak to.


And yet, While encountering a fascinating specimen of a mutant with living fire, another usdia, and mistaking another Giraffe colored mare for his spotted companion, he realized it wasn't the same. He missed Ikinya, however she had practically made it clear he had made her uncomfortable somehow. And so he had hovered high into the air around the valley of his home, unsure of where to go or what to do, yet unable to rest, simply floating on the winds like his namesake the eagle, Xochicoatl, his long time friend and spirit sister, by his side.

However, as the cry echo'd loudly through the roughly hewn gap in the granite, Cuauhcoatl's ears perked , turning his head and swooping down quickly before leveling out a little to get a better look. He could have sworn he had heard his name called.

It was then, with the more preditorial, binocular and humanlike eyesight of the subspecies of horse, Soquili, that he spotted the giraffe spotted mare, injured and cowering near an outcropping, as a Skinwalker moved ever closer, obviously savoring the flavor of fear and pain.

Kawani Skinwalkers were an abomination, an insulting smear on the once proud ability, something neutral, but often gifted to heros, chiefs, Shaman and Elders. They were demons, cruel and sadistic.

And one of them was attacking his Ikinya.


Lips curling in an uncharacteristic snarl, he folded his wings to dip him into a sharp, fast drop, practically roaring as he charged towards the grizzled, cruel abomination to the name of shapeshifters, and quickly shoved the bloodthirsty mare back with the force of his hooves as he slowed to keep himself crashing, flailing with his front hooves as he set his back hooves hard on the ground, landing in the tight quarters the best he could. In here, he couldn't take off, but he could block the way to Ikinya with his bulk, his wings lifted slightly from his body to take up as much room as possible, tilted in the five point star formation to make himself look even bigger, "... S-S-Shoo."

.
.
.


So it wasn't the most intimidating command, but he was little more then an oversized bookworm with next to no training in combat beyond learning about it.  

[Tirokio]

...and then it was gone. Ikinya blinked her eyes open when a sudden wind swept across her open wounds causing her to flinch but whirl her head around to spot the heart fluttering sight of the stallion. Her trembling continued to take a vicious toll on her lithe frame, but she couldn't help but thank the high heavens that by a miracle he'd heard her. (Even though they were so very close to his longhouse...)

"C...Cuauhcoatl!" She cried out in unbridled joy to see him again for reasons besides the obvious. Without a second thought, she pushed the basket against the stone siding and huddled infront of it to keep it out of sight. "Please...b-be careful...." Her words came out more of a whisper, but meant all the same as a spell of light headedness came for the mare from her wounds.

That is untill he decided to speak. What was he thinking!? The situation could have almost been comical if their lives weren't in immediate danger, but none the less she let out a typical snort. "Cuauh! Can't you think of anything more...intimidating!?" Seriously, for such a giant stallion one would think even a 'Boo' would have more impact.

None the less, Howl was not amused as a feral growl rose from her throat while she picked herself up from the ground. Perhaps her instincts would have told her to run if she had the mental ability to pick out that he was an angeni, to which in the end she was no match for...but in her mind...her food was behind him.

Which meant she needed to go through him to get to it.

A hungry cry erupted from her jaws as the grizzly Skinwalker charged the stallion, shifting to her hind legs and swiping out her paws to try and land her claws into any flesh she could grasp.  

[mindsend]

rearing up again, Cuauhcoatl flailed his hooves at the Bear formed Skinwalker with his massive hooves, a glancing blow of the claws scraping raw stripes across his skin, the blow glanced off by the leather straps and golden disk on his legs, the material slicing and falling off as he moved forwards with another lucky blow, stepping forwards and stomping his feet loudly on the stone, "Git! YAH!"

He flared his wings and charged as forwards as much as he could without endangering himself too much -- if he couldn't move after this was over, he wouldn't be able to help Ikinya to safety or protect her. Hooves stomped loudly on the stone again as he snorted, making himself look as big as possible as he continued to approach at a slow, steady pace, wanting to get the Skinwalker to realize she had no chance, especially not in beastial form, against him.

Xochi, having watched this all happen from above, swooped past Howls head, grasping eagle claws to scratch and face and fur best as she could while avoiding flailing hooves and claws, swooping back up to triangulate for a second attack. There wasn't enough room for a proper fight, and he wasn't experienced enough to do so on his own, so she had decided that while she was a lover, her brother needed the help.  

[Tirokio]

Howl continued to charge with vigor, each movement a deadly dance towards victory...or so she thought. While the smell of blood increased her hunger, a setback, one seemingly so small and insignificant but potent against her natrual instincts none the less. The loud noises of crashing hooves sent pain vibrating against her ear drum, her paws twitching to flee yet her rational side kept her focused.

Wait...how did the angeni get so, so big!? Folding her little ears back, the bear ever so slowly began to back up, her eyes deceiving her as it seemed the stallion had grown quite literally into a giant of a horse. Unable to see the usdia behind the colourful display of wings, her eyes darted to look behind her when she decided one last attack would suffice.

Even those plans were tossed when the attack came from above, a agonized cry rose from her baritone vocals as sharp talons scratched and grasped at her face an head, heaving one heavy paw in a swipe into the air yet got just that...air. Snarling in anger, the skinwalker turned tail and loped down the slopes into the forest.

God, she hated usdias....they brought her too much trouble than their worth.

Shaking slightly from the stress her little body endured, Ikinya kept herself a living shield for the little basket. Occasionally looking to the fight, the little mare had a harder time keeping her eyes in focus as the blood trickled from her back. It was worth it though, as she could faintly hear the small breaths of the inhabitant of the basket and gentle shuffling.

At the sounds of the fleeing skinwalker, Ikinya let out a sigh of relief, as it really had been a chance blessing that Cuauhcoatl had been around to save them. "Do you hear that little one? We're safe. We're....safe."  

[mindsend]

"Ha! Heeya!!" Cuauh followed a few steps as the skinwalker trotted out, whistling sharply through his teeth, making sure the feathers of his flared wings remained partially puffed as he watched her leave, "Stick to eating roots fish and berries, It'd cause less trouble for everyone, yourself included, Cursed one. Baah. idiot." He moved carefully backwards once she vanished past all of his senses, Xochi circling slightly where the bear vanished off to before becoming just a dot in the sky, keeping an eye on the bearwalker for them.

And he kept carefully walking backwards, his body trembling slightly as the adrenaline continued to pound in his veins, moving step by step until he stood carefully over his spotted companion and the tiny basket she protected, lowering his head down to look between his front legs, peering at them while upside down, "..A-a-are you alright..?"  

[Tirokio]

Ikinya hadn't noticed right away that the massive frame of the angeni stood over her and the basket, casting a shadow over them. She didn't notice a lot of things, like when her body started to tremble as she cried quietly; not wanting to wake what was in the basket.

Looking up to Chauh with bleary, fear stricken brown orbs she tried to smile...but failed miserably. She hurt all over from her wounds, she was scared and relieved at the same time. Ikinya was a mess, and she didn't care.

"Y-y-yes..." She hiccuped lightly, her brow knitting tightly together as she squeezed her eyes shut. "I...I was so scared! I thought...I thought I was going to die, die without seeing you again!" Her life meant a lot to her, or else she wouldn't have gone that extra bold mile in everything she did. Yet she didn't spend a week and a half making the journey back up here to die en route, and subject an newborn basket bound foal to death before it began to live. Slowly pulling herself from the basket as she didn't wish her body tremors to hut the basket any further than her dragging it had, she curled up against one of his legs.  

[mindsend]

Murmering soft comforting words, Cuauhcoatl gently nuzzled her with his nose, nibbling a little at her frazzled hair, barely held together in the braids she had last been seen here, having had no one to tame it, either since the last they saw each other or on the last harrowing leg of her journey, "I-it's ok, Ikinya... You're safe now.." His gaze shifted to the basket, mind clicking quickly, "That doesn't look like yours.. Hmn.. Must have gotten carried away by a preditor hoping to come back to it later while going to try and find the others. Or p-perhaps hidden as the parents tried to lead them away... We.. We can try to find the parents later, but for now we need to get both of you to safety.."

Moving carefully to keep from stepping on or knocking over either of them, Cuauhcoatl shifted back fowards and carefully knelt down, "I cant exactly turn around in these quarters... Could you climb on and drag the basket onto my back, and I can fly us away from here, so the Skinwalker cannot track us."  

[Tirokio]

Taking deep, soothing breaths to try and calm her frazzled nerves, she let out a comforted sigh at his nuzzles and affections. Well, untill he made a quite obvious statement. "Ah! N-no its not mine....of course not!" Although he figured it out right away from the very different markings the little usdia felt the need to confirm his thoughts. Little did he know that it was he that she'd given her heart to, yet she wouldn't leave him in the dark for long. "I found it hidden fairly well, there was no signs of anyone around. A part of me things it was abandoned...." Why anyone would do something like that was just atrocious in her books, yet it wasn't like she could change how everyone thought.

"I'll try.." Ikinya watched out for his legs as he shifted to try and lower himself, backing towards the basket and grabbing onto the wicker ledge with her teeth and dragged the basket over to the large stallion, pulling, nosing and adjusting the basket up his side and into his little back carrier. She winced a bit from the puncture wounds along her back, but carefully she'd managed to flop herself into the basket and around the oh so precious cargo also in its basket home. "Okay...we're ready, Cuauh."  

[mindsend]

It was obvious from the inside of the basket saddle he was wearing, that he had collected a few items mostly leather bags with decorative items and beads, bundles of feathers and herbs bundled together in vines in his aimless wandering. He slowly rose to his legs, legs trembling softly in the adrenaline poisoning.

I need to get home before this wears off, he thought as he folded his wings tight against him, "... Hold on tight. This particular set up doesn't exactly allow for a smooth take off I'm afraid..."

Taking deep, slow breaths, he took the first step forward towards the entrance of the narrow cleft, accelerating quickly till he was tearing full speed for the exit , which at the steep incline down, much safer for smaller hooves of an usdia or the gripping claws of a feral bearwalker, then the large hooves of an angeni, might as well be a cliff. Nearing the exit, he lept out into open space, wings flaring to catch himself as soon as they past the walls or rock, tips brushing its granite face.


For a few heart stopping seconds in open space, they began to fall down, swooping parallel with the incline, before his wings caught thermal and the lifted straight up vertically. Circling the collumn of hot air slowly and smoothly, the rough part of their flight over, he relaxed slightly as he first flew west, towards the Kawani lands, "Are you alright back there?"

Moving ever higher to crest the mountains and get out of possible view of the skin walker, before slowly moving north, north east for his longhouse.  

[Tirokio]

Oh no. Oh no no no no!

Remembering the first time she'd enjoyed the flight under the comfort of his wings; she knew she would be no longer blessed with that reality. Pushing the basket against the walls of the carrier and using her body weight and jaw to hold on tightly to the edge her heart flew up into her throat as they plummeted down into the dear air, resisting the urge to cry out and let go which would most definitely have been a bad idea. As if reading her thoughts the Usdia barely noticed the familiar feeling of soft feathers against her back, but her uneasiness did not return. Feeling the momentary weightlessness in her hooves as they hovered up from the cushion; it was at this point in time she'd wished she'd have any sort of grasping limbs or appendages to hold on.

As fast as the drop came, gravity and momentum took over as she felt her weight rest firmly against the carrier as her heart pounded dizzily, barely willing to let go of the basket long enough to answer him but she did.

"I....I'm alright!" She yelled out against the sounds of the wind as it ripped past them, as her eyes caught glimpse of the ground way, way below from the partial safety of the basket. "If you need to use both sets of wings, I think we're pretty secure back here!" She offered while pushing her front legs between the basket and the carrier wall to make a snug, locking fit. Whatever she could do to get them back on the ground safely and quickly.  

[mindsend]

Cuauhcoatl slowly spread his wings out, relaxing slightly, "I need to install some sort of belt for your while your seated... Or perhaps build a basket specifically for you.." He tipped his head back, looking at her from the corner of his eye with a smile, the broken leather strap dangling from the corner of his mouth, biting hard on it, having gathered his lost accessory before standing.

unlike the wild take off, the flight was smooth, and calm, his flight slowing and returning to his peaceful glide, the air fairly calm, no longer a race as he hovered over the peak of the mountains, and he hovered for a while in hopes of Xochi spotting them and knowing they had escaped, before sliding down gracefully over the treetops towards his home, "That was a highly unpleasant takeoff... I'll make sure the landing is much kinder.."

There was another long pause before he turned his head towards her, voice worried, "What were you doing so far in the mountains?"  

[Tirokio]

Nodding her head slowly even though she was sure the stallion couldn't see, her eyes slid over the motionless basket nestled infront of her. How was the foal? Ikinya wished she could see; to take a peek but knew it to be unwise since then it would get cold. With a gentle sigh she turned her head against the wind to look at Cuauh out of the corner of her eye as she strained to hear him speak; not accustomed to the wind in her ears in the slightest.

"Belt? That would be nice!" She called out, before meeting his eyes and nodding. Nice landing....it was exactly what she wanted to hear

Unlike what he asked next.

Immediately she felt her cheeks heat up, turning her head to the side as she looked as if she was gazing off into the distance. Indeed her thoughts could have stretched out that far though, as they made her heart pound in her chest. "Can we talk about it when we land?" She called, buying herself a little more time.  

[mindsend]

Landing was not too far away, the longhouse visible in the distance. He smiled softly at her, expression warm and surprisingly affectionate, "I suppose.." He trotted in the air, seeming to walk on the tops of the tree with light steps, before slowly spiraling down to land in the clearing. He paused by the orchard section of his garden, looking over his shoulder at her with a smile, "I'm sure you're fairly hungry from your trip -- Care for a pear?"  

[Tirokio]

As much as the little mare was relieved that she was actually able to see the longhouse again and the familiar sights around her, she'd expected to come here on well...more controllable circumstances. Her back ached and felt outright disgusting as the blood tried to dry on her hair yet still warm. Not to mention the basket she'd brought with her, wanting to get it inside and out of trouble's way safe and sound.

The landing was nice, just as Cuauh had stated and immediately she shifted to a more comfortable position as she was met with his face peering at her a moment later. "Ah...Maybe if we can grab one or two that would be good. I just....really want to go inside." Ikinya decided to be honest, after her harrowing journey the last thing she wanted to do was remain outside, finding the comfort of her last stay in the longhouse (despite the 'bout of cabin fever) with him urging her inside.

"Once we get the basket settled.....we need to talk." Her tone dropped to a serious one as she felt she could no longer hold his gaze and found herself staring at the basket once more.