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 Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:05 pm
The white usdia ran, white scales reflecting the moonlight back into the dark forest. Her sides were lathered and her legs were burning, but she dared not stop, not for any reason. Again she felt the urge to look behind her, measure the distance, if she could, between herself and her pursuer. Again she told herself that it was a stupid idea, and that looking back would only slow her.
Her life depended on her speed.
And so she ran, through shadow and moonlight, through the darkened forest. Wondering how it had come to this, and longing to see the dawn with all her heart.
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Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:13 pm
It had been chance, or possibly Fate, that she had spotted the mare again this evening, when sunset turned the land to gold. She had almost been fooled by the light into thinking it was another creature entirely, but memory had asserted itself. She had not forgotten, not in the years since she had allowed this mare to go free. Once. And once only. And she had sworn to kill her the next time she saw her.
But not slowly. Never slowly.
There had been a small stallion next to her, when Wyrsa saw them. And his anguished cries had been music to the black mare's ears. He loved his mate then, she presumed, and would suffer all the more for her death. There had been others as well, grown children. One young stallion had moved as if to stop her - as if some tiny Soquili could possibly hope to deter a Skinwalker! She would have to pay particular attention to that one...he could be...fun.
The mate and children, however, had been left behind hours ago, while the sun still gazed its red eye upon the land. The white mare had fled in directions the others hadn't foreseen, and some were afraid of what Wyrsa brought to their family.
Not nearly afraid enough. But they would learn, and soon.
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Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:22 pm
No matter how long she ran, no matter how hard she pushed her body, there was a foregone conclusion to this flight and it was beyond her power to change that. Esta knew that, but she had to try. She didn't know what she thought it might accomplish, but she refused to simply lay down to die. Not only did she doubt that the Skinwalker would make her death so simple, but she just couldn't bring herself to give up. The white mare knew that her hunter was stronger, faster and in possession of far more stamina than any Usdia could ever have. She knew of no place here, or anywhere else, that she could go to escape this threat.
And still she ran.
Maybe she hoped her heart would give out from strain, and deprive the Skinwalker of her prey. Maybe she just didn't want her family to see her die. There were a hundred maybes, and Esta didn't think any of them were the right answer. There wasn't an answer that she could see.
The white Usdia stumbled over a large root and fell to her knees. There was a sickening crack and she had a feeling that something vital had been broken. Nevertheless, the black mare was coming and she had to get to her feet.
Esta managed to get up on three limbs, but her right foreleg refused to hold her weight. The mare grimaced, eyes rolling in fear. The bone was cracked at the very least, possibly broken. Her escape had ended. Steeling herself, the Usdia turned around, hissing at the pain in her leg, until she faced the oncoming Skinwalker.
She would not lie down to die. Not until her failing body forced it upon her.
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Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 5:03 pm
"Motheeeeeeeer!" The cry rang out desperately through the moonlit forest as a young Usdia stallion crashed through the undergrowth in the last direction he'd seen his mother run. He had no idea what had brought the big black Skinwalker to their family, but he wasn't about to let her have her way with them! All he knew was that his mother had taken one look at the big mare, gone paler than usual, and started running. Quare had chased after her simply as a reflex, but with more heart as he realized the Skinwalker, rather than attack the rest of the stunned Usdia family, had zeroed in on his beloved mother.
He didn't know what the Skinwalker wanted, but it couldn't be good. And it was his place, as a son, to protect his mother.
"Mooooootheeeeeeer!" he cried again, scanning the woods desperately for a glimpse of her white coat.
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Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:09 pm
"Quare!" he called out to the boy. "Quare keep on her! Don't let them out of your sight if you can!" He couldn't say if it was more important to watch the Skinwalker or Esta. He didn't know himself. And he certainly didn't know why the big black mare was so intent on his lifemate.
When she'd appeared out of nowhere mere hours before, he'd felt a sinking in his stomach before he even realized what she was, a Skinwalker. Then Esta had bolted without a word, and the Skinwalker had gone after. Tregaran had still been gathering his wits about him when Quare followed suit. Now he followed, much more slowly than he wanted, cursing his age and his inability to keep up.
Not that he knew if he could truly make a difference. But when he'd fallen in love with Esta, he'd sworn to protect the white mare from anything and everything the world threw at her. To make sure she could always smile.
Tears blurred his vision as he ran, contemplating his failure to keep those unspoken promises.
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Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:19 pm
Wyrsa's ears swivelled back as she heard a voice calling out. Then she bared her fangs in a silent, savage laugh. What, did they think that words alone would save the white mare? The Skinwalker had never seen or heard of such a foolish thing. She wondered if it occurred to the tiny stallions that it would be child's play for her to find them by the sounds of their voices, kill them, and then return to her quarry at her leisure.
Especially now. She'd slowed when she saw the white mare stop up ahead. Was the small Soquili actually thinking of making some sort of idiotic last stand? But no, as Wyrsa came closer she could see the mare's stance, favoring one foreleg. An injury, and one that would keep her from running any further. She did have to commend the small mare on her courage - it took guts to turn and face a Skinwalker, especially one who had promised to kill them.
"Shall we wait for them?" she invited mockingly. It would be wonderful to watch their faces as she slaughtered their mate and mother right before their eyes...but then again, she could watch their reaction to the white mare's corpse at her leisure if the Usdia was dead before her family arrived. Either way, Wyrsa won.
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Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:48 pm
Esta's heart sank as she heard Quare calling out to her. The mare had thought her family far behind - she didn't want them to see her suffer and die. She thought about asking the Skinwalker to end it here and now...but two things stopped her. First, to do so would be to acknowledge weakness and allow the big mare to exploit and torment her further. Secondly, it went against Esta's wyrsa pride to do such a thing. She would not beg, not even for death.
Even so, a tear slipped out of one green eye.
"I cannot stop you, no matter what you choose to do," the white mare pointed out sardonically. "But I can't help thinking how silly it will sound, if you brag about killing an injured Usdia."
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Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:56 pm
The Skinwalker surprised both herself and her victim with a laugh. This one had spirit yet! She truly was worthy of the heritage they both shared. She knew the small mare was frightened, and she had seen the tear, no doubt the white Usdia knew the voices they could both hear, and knew them well. Part of Wyrsa was tempted to stretch this out, soak up every possible moment of pain and anguish and torment.
Part of her still remembered the respect that had given this small mare a pass the last time they met, and felt it even now. Her words about bragging were meaningless, as Wyrsa had ceased to care long about what others thought of her. Bragging was something for stallions to do to impress a mare. Not something a Skinwalker would do with their kills.
"Quite correct," she acknowledged. Then, swift as a serpent, she struck.
Her fangs dug deep, penetrating the Usdia's scaley hide and piercing the large artery in the white mare's neck. The rush of blood and the thrill of the kill lit Wyrsa's eyes with a savage joy. The coppery scent filled the darkened woods as the black mare brought her teeth together and began to chew. There was something delightful, she thought, in having what should be one of her own as her victim, her prey, her dinner.
And the meat was simply delicious.
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Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:59 pm
The forest at night was a fearsome place and Quare ran around frantically, trying to find his mother, her doom, or both. Finally he caught a glimpse of moonlight on scales and barrelled towards it.
Just in time to see the Skinwalker lunge and fasten her mouth on his mother's throat...
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The cry was torn from his lips as he watched his mother's eyes glaze over in death, her body hanging limply by the neck, still clutched in the demon's mouth. He could smell her lifeblood, could hear the wet, crunchy noises of chewing. The shock and sudden despair froze the young stallion where he stood, tears rolling freely down his face.
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Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 8:05 pm
Tregaran had a feeling that he was rapidly running out of time. He ran in the direction he had last heard Quare calling from, cursing his slow pace, the Skinwalker, anything and everything that might have had a hand in bringing this upon his family.
Then he heard his son cry out again, in an almost completely direction than before. The stallion stopped, hearing that heartbroken cry, and knew the worst had happened. He knew, in a way beyond knowing, that every moment from before he had even met Esta had been leading up to this, and now the time had come. Esta, his beloved Esta, had been taken from him by the claws and fangs of a Skinwalker and he, her knight and protector, had been helpless to stop it.
The red stallion hung his head in shame and slowly sank to his knees, turning his head into his flank. Even if he found them now, there was nothing he could possibly do but mourn. Or die. And he knew his mate would have sharp words for him if she caught him dying for such a stupid reason. She'd want him to live, to take care of the children (regardless of how grown up they were).
But for right now, in this place, he would mourn her with all his heart.
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