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 Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:05 am
 This was the perfect day to be out. While the sun shone down on the lands, a breeze kept the majority of the heat at bay. Even the dragon on her back seemed content with things, which was a rare occurrence indeed. It seemed more often than not he was unhappy with one thing or another, herself included at times. She was fortunate to have Gaul at her side to keep the dragon at bay whenever he did turn against her. Those times were rare but still frightening. Walking across a large meadow Aquitaine inhaled deeply. Everything smelled so different here compared to her ocean side home. Normally everything was masked in the scent of salt water, but here she could smell such a great variety of things. Trees with their woody scent, flowers that came in a variety of smells though for the most part were sweet to her nose, even the breeze carried pleasant things to her nostrils.
Glancing over at Gaul she smiled, seeing that he was as distracted by eating flowers and sweet grass and she was with all the smells and sounds. This was not her first trip away from home, yet might as well have been. So few times she had left her peaceful home that each time she did it felt like the first time. "Isn't this wonderful Gaul?"Swallowing a mouthful of grass Gaul smiled at Aquitaine. "Sure is. Nice to eat something that doesn't taste of the ocean." He never complained once about living by the ocean with Aquitaine and her family, but he did miss the meadow grass so often made trips out here while she was busy with her parents to partake in these particular treats. "Where are we going today?"Aquitaine couldn't help but chuckle at her friend. "Oh Gaul it's not that bad." Then again she had been eating the ocean side grass her entire life so didn't notice the salt taste to it. In fact, she found the meadow grass to be odd tasting, likely because of the last of salt on it, but still took the time to eat her fill of it every time she had ventured out this way. "I haven't decided yet." She decided to go as far as it took to see something new, learn something she hadn't discovered yet, so they continued across the meadow, Gaul bounded along behind her, taking pauses here and there to eat some more grass before hurrying to catch up with her.
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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 8:08 am
 Tsaheylu snorted softly. For once he thought it might be better to prowl the grasses in his feline form. The vegetation would effectively conceal his form as he hunted. It wasn't exactly a tried and true method though yet. It didn't take long for him to shift into the shape of a large panther. Claws dug furrows into the dirt as he flexed his muscles. The fur on his back rippled as he arched his back. This form held so much unbridled power. Padding slowly onto the fringes of the meadow Tsaheylu inhaled deeply. He sorted the smells as they came to him: grass, water; these items had no real hold over the hunger that drove him on. Another scent reached him making him pause. There was an animal; a fair-sized one at that. It was definitely a grazer.
Eyes rose over the tops of the grass that concealed his form and he scanned the horizon with a growing sense of relish. A lone goat was grazing in the far distance. The panther gave a slight grimace of distaste. This pitiful creature wouldn't sate the burning deep inside. But what was this? Another creature had joined the goat and Tsaheylu gave a quiet chuckle. It was a fair sized mare. He drew in the mare's scent with his next breath and frowned at the acrid taste of something completely alien mixed in.
Ah well; his hunger demanded satiation. It decided his next actions. Keeping low to the ground he began to slink forward; pulling his body along the ground with measured strides. He was in full stalking mode now and it would not do well to spook his prey this early in the hunt.
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 7:03 pm
Gaul looked up at Aquitaine and gave his head a shake. "It might not be bad for you, but I'm still not used to the taste Grass should taste like grass, not something else." As soon as he was done speaking he lowered his head and began chopping on the grass once more. He would make sure he got his fill before they went back home. Though their day had only really just started, so he had plenty of time to eat along the way. "Well, I'm sure no matter where we end up it will be nice."
The mare couldn't help but chuckle at her friend. "To me it does taste like grass. But I suppose we are each entitled to our own opinions." Knowing that she needed to keep her energy up while spending the day traveling Aquitaine joined Gaul in taking a moment to graze. Her dragon let out a small rumble and shifted slightly on her back, getting himself a bit more comfortable. Aquitaine's head lifted at the sound of her dragon, sometimes he could warn her when others were in the area but this time he was simply making noise and she didn't see anything out there to concern herself with. Besides he was just moving around a bit, and he was usually somewhat vocal while doing so.
Walking a few paces from Gaul Aquitaine noticed a small patch of flowers. Most were a light blue though there were a few yellow and orange ones mixed in. Aquitaine lowered her head taking in the sweet scent of the flowers. "Gaul look at these flowers! Aren't they beautiful?"
Swallowing his mouthful of grass Gaul hurried over to where Aquitaine was and glanced at the flowers. "They sure are." Then he smile and bit and took a step closer to them. "Bet they taste as good as they smell." And he quickly bit off a few flowers before Aquitaine could do anything.
Aquitaine was suddenly appalled at her friends actions. "Gaul! Don't eat them!" But it was far too late, he had already gobbled up several of them. With her lowered head Aquitaine butted Gaul away. "I wanted you to look at them not eat them you silly beast. Now come on, we haven't made it very far yet." And with that she began to walk across the meadow, ignorant to the dangers that lurked within the grasses.
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 7:43 pm
Tsaheylu continued to move forward. The skinwalker made sure that his tail was not waving above the grass. He could see the duo more closely now. A surreptitious peek allowed him to estimate the remaining distance that he needed to travel. He scented the air in silence as he watched the mare turn away from the goat's side. Now would be the perfect time to strike. There was still something strange about the mare's scent that Tsaheylu found he didn't like. It was completely unfounded that a simple strange smell would deter him.
It was with thought that Tsaheylu continued moving forward. He watched the ground in front of him making sure that his approach would be completely silent; at least until it was too late. Inch by inch he narrowed the distance. The mare still seemed unaware of his presence. That would soon change.
For now though he wanted to quickly assess his prey close up. The mare was a strange little thing. She seemed to have her neck wrapped in bandages and there was something strange on her hindquarters. Was this what was causing the alien smell? Tsaheylu grimaced again before his tail twitched sporadically. He let out a deafening roar before bunching his muscles. His claws were extended as he sprung towards the mare.
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 1:10 pm
Everything came to a crashing halt at the sound of that roar. Her heart raced, or had it stopped in that first moment of fear and panic. A sound like that could mean only one thing and having it so loud and so close told her she was in big trouble. Her head swung around to turn towards where the sound came from, yet it seemed like she was moving in slow motion. She could hear Gaul yell out her name, he was only a few feet away at the time. But would he be able to help. The panther came into view and Aquitaine's eyes grew even wider in fear. She could almost see the look of blood lust in the creatures eyes. She was his target and it had gotten too close for an quick and easy escape. Behind her the dragons head screamed his own challenge to the attacker but until it got close enough he could only watch Aquitaine stood there.
Though she knew it was too late to move and get clean away Aquitaine still tried. She felt and heard herself scream finally, and her legs moved under her as she tried to pivot and get away. The panther had gotten far too close and as she spin, her back legs kicking out to thrust herself forward and also kick out at the beast she felt claws dig into her side. Another scream erupted from her only this one was filled with pain. Suddenly all her lessons from her father flashed in her mind. The most important thing right now was to remain on her feet, if she let this creature knock her to the ground then the chance of getting up was slim. As fear rolled over her, threatening to paralyze her once more Aquitane threw her head around, trying to impale the panther with her triple horns.
Gaul nearly lost it when he saw that panther leap out of the grass. It was headed right for his friend. "Aquitaine!" He yelled but she appeared to be almost unresponsive. Of all things that could happen to them while they were out this was by far the worse case scenario. Gaul moved as fast as he could, coming around to the side of Aquitaine where the creature now had it's claw sunk into her. He was at least relieved to see the mares shock had worn away and she was now trying to fight back. He would do what he could as well. Bleating out a challenge Gaul raced forward, leaping up towards the panther, head lowered in an attempt to dislodge the frightening beast from his friends hide.
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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 5:50 pm
The ideas that Tsaheylu had running through his mind fled in the primal dance that he had initiated. His claws sank deeper into the mare's hide as he fought her efforts to buck him off. It was a struggle but so far he was holding his own. He needed more leverage if he wanted to bring his prey down. Scrabbling forward Tsaheylu attempted to bring his jaw down on the mare's mane. That was until he saw the mare swing her bead towards him. The horns which adorned her forehead would be very bothersome, especially if they connected with any part of his body.
It was in this small mental lapse that Tsaheylu felt another impact. His green eyes narrowed onto the small goat from before. Maybe if he could down the creature the mare would lose any rational manner of defense and throw caution to the wind. For good measure Tsaheylu's back paws scrabbled at the mare's side before he disentangled himself. The goat's impact hadn't really hurt but it was enough of an annoyance that he didn't need. He stalked forward ready to pounce at any moment. His tail whipped from side to side as he advanced. His ears through remained canted to the side. If the mare made any move he would not be caught off guard.
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 11:49 am
The pain seared through her as the panthers claws dug in deep. Though her father had taught her the basics of fighting and explained about how at times there would be distractions in a fight she was not prepared for the blinding pain that came with it. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes and that would only decrease her ability to see her attacker. On her back the panther's weight was doing it's best to bring her down, she had to remain strong. Her dragon growled and snapped at the beast but it was just out of his reach and he moved too slow to be of much help unless the panther inched closer to him. Aquitaine's main focus was keeping her balance, as long as she could remain on her hooves then she might have a chance. Blood flowed from her wounds, she could feel it running down her pelt but she had to ignore it. Force out all the distractions, focus on the fight.
She felt the panthers weight lurk suddenly and she stumbled forward, bracing her front legs wide to remain standing. His paws moved on her, and she went to swing her head at him again only the panther disengaged and was on the ground. While there was a flood of relief Aquitaine wasn't about to let her guard down. She doubted to creature would give up so easily. Turning she faced the panther only to see him stalking after Gaul. "Gaul!" She called out, her friend was in danger! Though the pain in her back made her want to scream and cry Aquitaine forced herself to move. She had to help Gaul. Aquitaine reared up, fighting the strain it put on her bleeding back and kicked out at the panther.
He had not managed to knock the panther off of Aquitaine but at least he had turned it's attention away from her. Gaul backed up quickly, trying to put as much distance between himself and Aquitaine as possible though he never took his eyes off the panther. He needed to keep the beast distracted so that Aquitaine could get away, if he saved her life that was all that mattered. He bleated out at challenge at the panther. Gaul was confident in his agility and quick thinking to stay one step ahead of the creature. His eyes ticked up for just a moment to see Aquitaine coming at the panther. "No Aquitaine, run!" He should keep his attention on his attacker, and he quickly turned back to the panther. "Run, save yourself!" He screamed at his friend, he didn't want to see her hurt any worse than she already was.
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 7:21 pm
The move to disengage from the mare's back had put Tsaheylu at a slight disadvantage. Sure there was the fact that he could always reengage the mare in battle but that darned goat had to be taken care of and soon. His eyes tracked the little goat's movements before his attention was sidelined. His ears twitched, catching the sound of movement behind him. His tail lashed the ground as he turned to keep the mare in his sight. The glimpse he caught of her was probably what saved him from having his skull bashed in from her hooves. The kick that she lashed at him with grazed his side and a sound of pain escaped him before he could even stop it. That had hurt!
Tsaheylu crouched down in the grass before rehashing his options. He could press his attack on the mare again in his feline state but the reverberating agony from his side made the panther reconsider. Perhaps it was time to reveal his true nature to this mare. He'd surely surprise her if he shifted forms and the fear might even put the battle back in his favor. He scanned the mare's size and realized that he would have a slight advantage when it came to height. Tsaheylu prowled low to the ground before swiftly pouncing at the mare once more. He just needed to draw a little more blood; an ideal method to weaken her defense before he revealed his true nature.
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Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 6:59 am
She hit it! She had actually hit the panther! Of course the knowledge that her strike had landed now turned to panic, just because she hit the creature doesn't mean that she had won the battle. And in fact it would likely turn the panthers attention back to her. But wasn't that what she wanted? Well, no not entirely. Aquitaine had wanted to protect Gaul from the panthers claws and teeth, and in doing so had lashed out at it. So she had known there was a change it would turn on her again, but it was only now truly registering to that fact. The cuts on her back and side burned still as blood continued to flow from them. Watching with wide eyes as the panther turned back towards her Aquitaine was too scared to react in time. This was something she needed to work on...if she survived this ordeal. As the panther pounced towards her again Aquitaine half reared, hoping to prevent the panther from gaining a good grip.
Her dragon screamed a challenge once more as the panther turned on Aquitaine again. He had little choice but to wait for the creature to get close enough to attack, but his mouth was open, ready and waiting for that opportunity. Hearing her dragons scream Aquitaine felt somewhat assured by his presence, if the panther got close enough to her hair then the dragon would help to protect her, and she knew how painful and deep his bites could get.This was getting them no where fast. Gaul had to get that creature away from Aquitaine and more importantly she needed to listen when he told her to run. He had had the creatures attention but that silly mare had come upon the panther in that moment of distraction and now it was attacking her again. "Aquitaine, you must run!" But it was too late, the panther was already jumping at her again. Damn. Gaul had little choice but to try to knock the creature off her or if he was fast enough knock it away before it could reach Aquitaine one more. Gaul ran fast and launched himself into the air again, head lowered aiming for the panthers side again.
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Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 1:20 pm
Tsaheylu growled low in his throat. The mare had evaded his latest move to inflict damage. His shoulder still throbbed but he pushed the pain back to the deepest recesses of his mind. He'd not let a little pain deter him from the battle. His eyes considered the target that the mare presented. His tail lashed wildly in the air behind him as he ignored the goat's presence. The time had come so to speak to make his grand reveal. He was hoping that the shock to come would be enough to momentarily disable the mare.
He slowly brought his mind to bear on the change. Muscles rippled and he gave a silence bark of laughter as he felt his form shift. What might have seemed like an eternity only took a few seconds and soon Tsaheylu's full height was realized.
His green eyes narrowed onto the form of Gaul as he lashed out with his back hooves in an attempt to severely cripple the little familiar. His eyes flashed back to Aquitaine. "Are you ready to dance again my dear? I seem to have put you at a slight disadvantage. I must say though that the color red suits you very well. Perhaps I should coat your body with it ... what do you say?" His colorful wings opened and closed at his attempt to distract the mare with the brilliant colors. He hungered for the stained flesh before him.
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 10:32 am
What was going on? One moment they are fighting a panther and only a few short moments later a large Soquili was standing where the panther had been just moments before. His mind was racing too fast to realize they were up against a skinwalker. Confusion aside he had to protect Aquitaine and most importantly they had to get out of here before either of them were too badly injured to flee. Twisting in the air Gaul did his best to avoid the crushing blow of the skinwalkers hooves. He let out a bleat of pain as the hooves connected and sent him flying away. Stumbling once he hit the ground Gaul could feel a fire ripping across his side, especially near his back leg. But he would need to ignore it as best as possible in order to help Aquitaine get away. "Run Aquitaine! Don't look at him just run!"
Aquitaine watched in stunned horror as the panther transformed into a winged, pelt wearing Soquili. Skinwalker! Had she had any sense she would have used those moments it took him to transform to run away, try and put some distance between her and this monstrosity. But instead she just stood there, wide-eyed, mouth agape, heart racing. No, she was certain at this point her heart had actually stopped from sheer fear of what was standing before her. Her father had told her of skinwalkers, and kalona, when she was younger but never had Aquitiane imagined that she would be standing before one let alone be in a fight with one. Her slim chances had likely just dropped to none for surviving this fight.
What's worse is his wings opening and closing were distracting her. Those colors flashing before her made her eyes train in on them even though her mind told her not to look. Her dragon screamed again, both to break her from the skinwalkers spell and also to challenge the newly changed beast. But it was Gaul's voice that truly reached her mind. But how could she run now? Would that not present her back to the beast and make her an easy target? She needed to put some distance between herself and the skinwalker, or have some kind of distraction in order to make it out of this alive. Taking a shaky step back, then again one, Aquitaine shook her head. "No." Her voice was small as her mind was still half stunned.
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 4:54 pm
A toothy grin was revealed as Tsaheylu heard the bleat of pain from the goat. It probably would have been better if it had fallen over dead but injured meant that it was out of the fight. It wouldn't be attacking again anytime soon. Vibrant green eyes locked on Aquitaine's form as the mare began to back up slowly. She didn't turn her back to him which was a wise move but still the lure of the chase flooded the stallion's mind. To track down and subdue his prey - it was a heady feeling. Tsaheylu let his wings open and close a few more seconds before folding them with a snap. He bared his teeth before a new idea came into his mind. Why should he chase down this mare when he could use the little goat to his advantage. Surely with the interaction he had seen between them there was a bond he could exploit.
Tsaheylu paused in his motions and made a tsking sound. He narrowed his gaze on the mare before shaking his head. "Would you carelessly abandon your friend to whatever whimsical ideas are floating around in my mind? Could you live with the knowledge that you caused a slow, suffering, and painful death? I can assure you that if you flee that is what your little friend will experience. Injured as he is he would not be able to outrun me and I do not think that you can protect him from my claws and teeth."
Tsaheylu watched for any sign of indecision on the mare's part. If he could find a c***k and worm his way into her mind he could have a little advantage. If not ... well the chase was just as fun.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 6:17 pm
He could see she was caught. Aquitaine was his friend and she would never abandon him even if it meant risking her life, which being up against this beast was exactly that. If they stayed here much longer neither would be returning home. Curse her loyalty to him, he wanted her to run, she deserved to be able to return home to her family even if it meant sacrificing his own life to do so. "Don't listen to him, he's trying to trick you. Just run!" He wasn't sure if his words were getting through considering she was standing there staring at the winged and pelted beast.
Hearing Gaul's cry of pain ripped Aquitaine's heart wide open. That was her friend and he was in pain, all because she had wanted to wander away from home today to seek out some new knowledge. After today she was certain that she would never ever leave her home again - that was if she survived this encounter to begin with. The flickering of the stallions wings had a hypnotic effect on the mare and she struggled to pull herself from it's grasp. Gaul's words along with that of the cursed stallion practically fell on deaf ears as she watched the flickering colorful wings move. But something in her began to force itself to the surface. Her mind was breaking through the stallions spell and though it felt like she had been standing there locked in place for hours it had only been a few mere moments that she had been frozen.
Look away, she told herself. He is trying to trick you, Gaulr's words repeated in her mind. She blinked once then twice and the spell was mostly broken. Her mind raced. Aquitaine knew she only had a few short seconds to react. There were three options before her, stand here and do nothing, attack the beast and hope to save herself and Gaul in the process or flee and leave behind Gaul to whatever cruel fate the stallion had in store for him. No matter what she knew the beast would spring on her soon, Skinwalkers were not the type to wait around for their prey to simply walk into their awaiting mouths. "No." She said, at first her voice being small and then got louder. "No! I will not let you hurt him, or me any longer." There were more words she wished to say to the creature but how much for it would he stand there and listen to? Likely very little now that her mind had been made up. Her eyes flicked to Gaul for a moment, an unsaid word passing between them. "I'm sorry."
He feared she would not move at all but slowly Aquitaine came to her senses. And it was about time too. Pain was coursing through his side and back leg but he dare not look towards the injury. Aquitaine's words broke through and he cursed her stubbornness. But then she caught her gaze and knew instantly what he needed to do. With a nod he took off as she spoke those final two words, veering to the left of the pelted Soquili. The pain intensified but he would not let that slow him down. He did have speed and agility on his side even with an injury. As he ran his eyes moved to Aquitaine, seeing that she too was on the move now, except that she moved towards the stallion. Now he turned back to aid in the attack, they would stand against this evil together and he hoped that his initial flight had provided enough of a distraction to let Aquitiane get a hit in.
Gual had caught her cue and as she uttered 'I'm sorry' began to race off. She hoped it would work. No matter what they did the skinwalker would press the attack. If she could just push him back, somehow injure him enough to get away and to safety then this would all be worth it. Thoughts of her mother, father and brothers passed through her mind, giving her the momentary courage to do what she least wanted to do and that was to move forward and attack. She moved as quick as she could, her injuries screaming, hooves flashed towards the stallion, as she twisted her body so she could bear down towards him with her teeth as well. Her dragon also screamed at the stallion, his dark maw opening wide, moving as close to the stallion as he could while perched upon the mares back. He would protect her because she was his even if they rarely got along. This stallion had no right to hurt the mare he lived on.
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Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 2:47 pm
Surprise registered as the main expression on Tsaheylu's face as the goat sprung up from where it had laid; supposedly injured and out of the fight. Well of all the nerve. The stallion glared at the direction the goat had taken off towards. How was it even possible for the creature to move so fast? Tsaheylu rolled his shoulders before returning his attention to the main prize. The mare seemed to have broken through the haze that had clouded her mind since he had transformed. She moved closer Tsaheylu noticed the fire in the mare's eyes had returned. So it appeared as if round two had begun. The mare was foolish enough to believe she could take on a skinwalker and live to tell the tale, did she?
The roar of the weird dragon-shaped tail made Tsahelyu pause. He flashed his wings in one more attempt to ensnare the mare's mind before pressing forth with his own attack. Hooves and teeth were no match for the weapons he possessed while in his smaller form but they would have to do. Tsaheylu winced as the mare's body crashed into his and he struck out with the fangs that lay hidden inside his mouth as it opened, thirsting for the crimson liquid that continued to pulse beneath the mare's skin. He wanted to sink his fangs into her neck.
It was with that thought that he reared, attempting to bring his hooves down onto the mare's back. It would be a move that would cripple her if the attack succeeded. At the height of his rear something rammed against his hind legs and he spun wildly, out of control. His gaze tracked the small gray figure and he snarled. That blasted goat would pay. Tsaheylu moved awkwardly to regain his stance before feeling gravity pull him down. His first reaction seemed doomed to fail and it was with a quick twisting motion and even quicker reaction time that saw his form shift back into that of the panther. Even the change didn't save him from an imperfect landing. The breath left his form as he impacted the ground. Lying there would be a mistake. Tsaheylu snarled as he fought his body's natural reactions. He pushed himself to his feet and darted into the long grass. This battle was over. He'd left his mark on yet another but the result was the same. He'd no choice but to flee the scene of battle. One day, he thought to himself. One day and I will be the victor.
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:00 am
Aquitaine could feel her strength fading, but if she stopped fighting back now it would have all been for not. Her life was worth fighting for, and Gaul's was as well. It took a great deal of effort to remain on her hooves as she slammed into the stallion. This close to him her dragon snapped his jaws at the beast but he could not gain any purchase on the attacker. Aquitaine tried to back up on shaky legs as the skinwalker reared up. No, this can't be the end. She did not want to give up, but neither did she want to see the death blow coming, so she closed her eyes and prayed it would be over quickly.
But then the blow never came. She had heard the stallion shifting, a growl and Aquitaine forced open her eyes. Gaul had come to her rescue once more. Her breathing came in erratic bursts as she watched the stalion begin to falter, shift back into his panther form and then crash to the ground. Run! She told herself while the beast was down, but exhaustion was creeping into her limbs, blood lose was making her mind fuzzy and that adrenaline that had her fighting earlier was now fading away. Her eyes widened when the panther got up again and while she fought to get her legs move again the creature raced off. Aquitaine was too much in shock that the skinwalker had left to truly register what all had happened.
After ramming the stallions hind legs Gaul twisted away. He wanted to have room to maneuver and come in for another attack if needed. Watching the skinwalker shift from horse to panther was a disturbing image and as he moved to put himself between him and Aquitaine the panther hit the ground then got back up. As Gaul lowered his head ready to charge in once more the panther took off through the grasses. Did skinwalkers truly give up or was this a tactic? He wasn't about to wait around and find out. Watching the spot where the panther had disappeared for several moment to ensure it wasn't simply returning Gaul turned his attention to Aquitaine.
Blood coated her pelt, her dragon was still eying the place where the panther had disappeared. Gaul could see her legs were shaking. "Aquitaine!" He moved closer but didn't dare touch her, with all that blood it was hard to see where all the wounds were.
"We...have to go." Aquitaine's gaze slowly moved to Gaul. He wasn't looking too worse for wear but she could see by the look in his eyes he was concerned about her. And rightfully so, even a non-healer could see Aquitaine was pretty bad off and needed her wounds tended. As her breathing came back into it's normal rhythm once more Aquitaine willed her legs to move. Even if the skinwalker didn't return she was a sitting duck for any other predator that passed by. She had to get to someplace safe, not to mention find a healer. Slowly her legs began to move, it was painful as each step pulled at her wounds and she had so little energy left. The will to live was strong however and while each step set a wave of pain and brought a grimace to her face Aquitaine slowly began to cross the expanse of the meadow. Gaul stuck close to her, moving to one side or the other whenever her strength wavered too much, she was grateful he was there to help for if she fell now she would likely not be able to get back up.
It too far too long to reach a small patch of trees where there was shade. It was the closest place where they could reach and take stock of their wounds. Reaching the shade Aquitaine took a ragged breath and practically collapsed to the ground. Without looking Aquitaine knew her back and side were a mesh, ripped apart by teeth and claws. They needed healing now, but there was no healer nearby that she knew of. "I...will heal..myself...then you can...find a healer...to help."
Gaul was so worried that they wouldn't make it to the trees. He kept encouraging Aquitaine to keep moving, that they were almost there. He wasn't sure how much of it she had heard but the fact that she kept moving was at least a good sign. When she collapsed to the ground Gaul's heart nearly leapt out of his chest with fear but when she spoke of healing herself he nearly cried. "Aquitaine, don't waste your strength. You know you can't heal yourself, your power is too weak, you are too weak."
Aquitaine smiled weakly at Gaul. "I have...no choice." She knew her power was weak, so much so that she relied on herbs to do all of her healing, only using her healing power on rare occasions to help accelerate the herbs. Taking a deep breath Aquitaine lowers her head, resting her horn near the edge of one of the tears at her side. Closing her eyes Aquitaine concentrated, it took a lot of effort to tap into and use her powers and it was much harder today. Slowly, weakly she could feel her powers flow into her wounds. It wasn't much, but if she could at least stop the flow of blood it would help. She tried to pour everything she had into it, but between the blood lose, her weak powers and her faded strength it wasn't much. Her head swam and she made a pained sound as she tried to tap into even more power, though her eyes were closed Aquitaine could feel her vision turning black. No, I can't pass out, she thought. It happened every time she tried to use a large portion of her power. But it was inevitable. Feeling the wave of blackness wash over her Aquitaine's body went limp, her head flopped to the side and then she was out.
Gaul could only stand there and watch as she attempted to heal herself. He thought it was foolish but he knew she didn't have a chance if she didn't try. "Don't worry, I'll find out a healer." He told her confidently. Her cry out made him jump but there was nothing he could do. When she fell lip to the ground Gaul moved closer to her and pushed his nose gently on her neck. He could still feel her pulse there but it was certainly weak. She needed help and she needed it now. "Keep her safe." He told the dragon head as he looked at it and then lowered his head to her ear. "Hang in there Aquitaine, I'm going to get you some help." He hesitated for a moment, worried that leaving her alone would be bad but if he didn't get a healer she might not make it. Turning Gaul raced off, he had to work fast if he was to save her.
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