Charn, Enyalius, & Callaquoia

A night as dark as this one, with thick cloud cover that blotted out what little illumination that stars and moon might offer, made the stallion nervous. He slept lightly where he stood, not too far from Enyalius.

The mare was also dozing on and off, her ears tilting towards any noise that might creak or crack too close to her. Her daughter, nearly a year old now, was curled in the grass nearby. The little filly was sleeping more soundly than her parents.

Xenorona

Xena always kept herself between Charn and the others and only letting him even stay near at night like now. Other times she would berate him with teeth and kicks if he got to close to any of them. Her ears twitched every now and then as she slept.

Kacheska slept right next to the other filly.

Velvet

Deer.

This was the first thing that Velvet picked up on when they crossed into the land of the Golden Rose Canyon. There was definitely a herd here, but she couldn't tell whether they were related to the old herd or not, or how many might be here. She wrote that off as a minor query to investigate later, for a more pressing odor had caught her sensitive nose.

Horses.

The lioness's pace ebbed and she eventually came to a stop. Quietly, she spoke to her son, "We're in luck, I do smell horse here. How many, I'm not sure - but with good planning, we will have food tonight." Normally, she would take the lead from here and strategize a plan, but the old cat hung back and let her son take the lead now.

Maelertech

Mael only knew one horse and that was Darkia so he did know the scent but listened ot his mother as he now moved slower and used the scent to start tracking the herd. Spying poop piles here and there. He had learned how to sniff poop to get information from it. Funny how something so disguiesting could be beneficial. atleast two I thinkHe mumbled as he moved slowly.

Tyrant was quiet and lagged a bit behind.

Velvet, Charn, Enyalius, & Callaquoia

Charn hadn't yet heard the big cats, but Callaquoia stirred and raised her head. Blue eyes peered into the darkness, not knowing what had really woken her from sleep; had it been a noise, or a scent? Maybe nothing at all? She peered up at her mother, who remained asleep, then stretched her velvetine muzzle out to Kacheska to give her friend a nudge.

"Kacheska. Kach, are you awake?" Call swiveled an ear, then her whole head, looking to the thicket that stretched out behind them. "Daga? Are you there?" Now she called for her young deer friend, wondering if perhaps he was nearby.

Velvet had nodded to her son's assessment, "Good, I think you're right." She too investigated the dung piles, and through scent found that there was at least one stallion and one mare in this area, if not more. And if there were a stallion and mare, chances were there could be foals, or pregnant mares that would be easier to take.

Somewhere off to the right, muffled by distance and thick plants, a sound caught Velvet's ear. Was that a voice? She couldn't be sure, so she glanced to Mael and Tyrant to see if either had caught the sound themselves.

Kacheska

Kacheska yawned and blinked her eyes . Her nostrils flare as her ears flicked.Its probably a deer meandering aboutShe said. However, she stood up stretching.

Xena ear flicked as Kacheska got up but she did not wake.

Maels ears flicked as well and changed direction. Slowing his pace down and crouching.

Tyrant followed his sons lead.

Velvet, Charn, Enyalius, & Callaquoia

Calla waited, auds straining to hear the soft shuffle of her smaller friend. But Daga didn't answer, and the young filly sighed in disappointment. If it was a deer, it was probably one of the adults. "I suppose so." She flicked her dark tail and pawed quietly at the earth, "I wish it weren't so dark, we could sneak off and do something fun."

Some distance away, Velvet was stalking closer to the sleeping herd, following her son as she held her body low to the ground and moved with a slickness that belied her earlier wounds. The lioness spoke no words, and would frequently glance to Maelertech, awaiting any signal from the male.

Kacheska

She nodded then nibbled at the grass.

Mael moved for a little longer before freezing. I see faint shapes, 3 big 2 slightly smallerHe said. equine I thinkHe mumbled.

Xena ears twitched now.

Velvet, Charn, Enyalius, & Callaquoia

Charn stirred, blinking his eyes open in the heavy darkness of the night. Up came his ears, swiveling like two giant radars as he groggily took survey of his land and his family. He couldn't see much; only that the mares were nearby, along with his daughters. Thick scrub blotted out any other details his eyes might have been able to pick up, leaving him temporarily blind to the presence of the nearby cats. But now that he was awake, any sound, or a shift in wind could betray their position.

Bored, Callaquioa nibbled at some grass alongside of her sister. She raised her dial once more to the nearby brush, hoping again to hear the rustle of her friend, but everything was silent. A little too silent.

Velvet was aware of the still in the air, the silence of little prey species who were knowing of their presence. She crouched lower to the ground, making sure that her profile fell below the height of the scrub brush and grasses around her. "Three adults? I think I see them as well. I'm ready, if you are."

Mael

Mael was studying the three adults. he wasn't one to go for a foal. Not enough food let alone he was itching for a fight. One ear was on his mother as he crept closer to the three adults. One of the mares would do. His eyes focused on what he believed to be one horse but as he was about to move the mare turned her face. Such strange coloring for a horse. One side was one color the other a different? He finally turns his attention to the other mare. He creeps closer his eyes glued to her but he was aware of the other two..The second mare should be doableHe mumbled softly and then he moved his large paws pushing him off the ground and toward the mare.

It was Kacheska who heard the sound of rushing paws and her dial lifts quickly as she races towards her mother unsure of what was actually going on.

Xena head shot up as her daughter bolted to her side and it took her eyes a moment to adjust and she saw the two large male lion well one looked to be a hybrid. She saw him pause as she had turned to look and thats when she nudged her daughter to the other mare and she moved just as Mael moved to lunge. Enalyius take the girls and flee nowShe snorts and rears up lashing her hooves at the incoming big cat Mael. Her ears flat back. She was a fighter and if it meant saving her daughter, Eny and Callaquioa then so be it she needed to give them time to flee.

Velvet, Charn, Enyalius, & Callaquoia

Everything happened so fast. Enyalius was just attuning to the alarming silence in the air when a bit of movement and the sharp snort from Xena fully roused her from any lingering sleepiness she might have felt. She kicked into action immediately, wheeling around and shoving Callaquioa and Kacheska harshly with her muzzle, "Run, girls! This way!" Though she didn't want to leave Xena behind, it was too dark for her to properly see how many cats were around them, and she had to get the grown fillies to a safer, more open location.

Charn's bellowing trumpet erupted above the snorts and rustling scrub brush. The stallion came thundering forward, crashing through sage brush and saplings as he barreled towards Maelertech, aiming to trample the big cat with his front hooves...

Velvet slunk behind the two males, letting them initiate the rush and take the attention of the horses first. Her goal was to catch the hindquarters of whatever mare Mael targeted, but when Charn came screaming into the scene, the lioness changed her plans. She put on a burst of speed and leapt for his side, trying to land on the creature's back and seize the back of his neck.

Kacheska

She whinnied out for her mother but was forced to run.

Xena nostrils flare as she now lashes out with her front hooves at tyrant.

Mael barely pulls out of charn's way his nostrils flare as his mother goes for Charns back he goes for the throat.

Velvet, Charn, Enyalius, & Callaquoia

Branches snagged against her legs, threatening to trip her up, but Enya kept running. She kept the fillies in front of her, giving them harsh nudges if they slowed or started to veer the wrong way. Occasionally, a frond of grass or clump of vegetation would touch against her flank, and she'd kick her hind legs out at the perceived threat, but never did she stop galloping.

At one point, as she crashed through the underbrush beside her friend and half-sister, Callaquioa turned to look back at the dimly visible scene that was playing out behind them. There were big shapes leaping through the air, entangled in dust and darkness so that she couldn't properly make out their details. She'd never seen a big cat before, but these ghostly images were seared into her mind now.

Back at their once quiet resting spot, Charn had spun himself about after first missing Mael, and that quick movement had saved him from Velvet's initial leap. As the stench of cat invaded his nostrils, the stallion reared back, flailing his front hooves at Maelertech in an attempt to drive the big cat away. And when those front hooves land, the hind ones lashed out immediately after, blindly striking out towards Velvet as he roared, "TORANK! Aid us!"

Velvet wasted no time regrouping herself and lunging again, striking for the back of Charn's neck as he reared up to hammer those front hooves against her son...

Xena

Xena ears were flat back. She turns her hind end now toward velvet and sends her legs straight for the feline while her teeth go for maelertechs face.

Mael hisses as front hooves land against his right shoulder. But felt his teeth make purchase. He reared up on his back paws and as charn had bucked at his mother his claws unsheathing and aimed for charns face.

Tyrant lunges at xena side aiming his teeth for her left shoulder as she is kicking at velvet

Velvet, Charn, Enyalius, & Callaquoia

Charn tosses his had back, pulling his rugged dial out of the reach of Maelertech's cruel fangs. To his side, he could see Tyrant striking for Xenarona, and he makes a bold move to lunge past Mael and drive his front hooves for Tyrant's skull, but not before bucking again, and swinging those deadly hind legs at the lioness. "Xena, run! Follow the others to the northern plateau!"

Xena's attack had caught her off guard. Velvet wasn't expecting the strike from the mare, and was winded enough from her previous fight that she wasn't moving on her best reaction time. She yowled at the daring mare, but didn't change targets - Charn's blood was in the air, and she was determined to spill more of it. She sprung again for his back, aiming to lay tooth and claw into his skin...

Xena

Even if she partially hated charn she couldnt rightfully leave. "You will die if i do that. I may hate you but im not having your death hang over me" she snorted as tyrants teeth puncture her shoulder. She aims her front hooves for tyrants skull and hind legs for velvet as she moves for charn

Tyrant hisses but aims again for xenas legs this time with his claws

Mael squeals a bit as his face is bit he lashes out with his claws at the mare before driving his teeth for charns throay

Velvet, Charn, Enyalius, & Callaquoia

Her harsh words aside, Charn was surprised that Xena elected to stay on his behalf. He, the overbearing, pushy stallion who'd not done much to earn the affection of his two mares or his two daughters. A bit of pride swelled in his heart, and he drove at Tyrant with greater zest than before, lashing his dangerous pistons on the big liger, "I'll ground you into the dirt foul beast! Leave my mare alone!"

A sharp pain at the back of his neck, and the sharp weight of Velvet falling against him forced the stallion to split his attention between two attackers. Snorting sharply, he bucked once again, throwing his hindquarters up, and kicking out with all his might in the hopes of shattering whatever part of Velvet he might make connection with...

Velvet felt her claws slip through Charn's coarse coat, finding no purchase thanks to the stallion's thrashing movements. Her fangs had at least made contact, but the taste of blood came with a price, as Xena's hooves slammed against her flank, throwing her off balance just enough that she slipped from Charn's side, and was then stomped on the hind paw as his hooves came down. The lioness held back a yowl and supressed the urge to scramble away from these horses; she had to finish the job, and quickly. With a throaty growl, she switched tactics and aimed to leap on Charn's hindquarters, to sink fang and tooth into his hid, and use her weight to hold him down and make it harder to kick...

Mael

Mael decided to mostly ingore Xena now as his mother grapples with the stallion he aims to latch his mouth onto the stallion's muzzle and place his claws into the stallions chest.

Tyrant nostrils flare as he feels the searing pain of the hooves but as Velvet and their son focus on the stallion he turns his attention to the mare. More to hold her off. He lashs out with a claw as she attempted to by pass him and go for velvet.

Xena feels the blood but ignores it as she struggles to assist Charn but when Velvet latches on she tries to get at her only to be blocked by Tyrant. She rears up and lashs out with her front hooves for his skull.

Velvet, Charn, Enyalius, & Callaquoia

Weight again falls against him, this time coming down against his backside as Velvet finds a solid hold on his hindquarters. But unlike last time, he isn't able to buck her off so quickly, and shuffle his body to dislodge her grasp. The stallion gives a panicked squeal as he throws all his strength at the lioness, trying to buck against her full weight and fling her from his hide...

Whether or not he's succesful in this venture, Charn has another threat to face, in the form of a determined Maelertech. His eyes go wide as he tossed his head back, and frantically throws front hooves at the attacker, aiming to stomp the liger's head and keep him at bay...

Velvet remains right where she is, ears flat back and a terrible growl rolling through her battered chest as she digs her talons deeper into the horse. There's a moment of panic herself as she sees Xena coming at her again, but in the last moment Tyrant swoops between them, lashing at the mare and distracting her. The lioness briefly closes her eyes in relief, but doesn't celebrate too long - Charn is bucking again, and she does her best to shift her body and avoid the deadly hooves, without releasing her hold. She does dart a venomous glare to Xena though, and through teeth clenched between horse hair and hide, snarls out, "If you value your life, you'd flee with the rest of your herd. The stallion is ours tonight."

Xena

Xena wanted to help him even if he was a complete jackass. this isn't the end lioness don't return herewas all she finally spat at the ligress. As she spun to run off she does send one last kick for tyrants face.

Mael attempts to keep a hold of Charns nose in order to start sufficating him.

Tyrant lashs out at her with his claws.

Velvet, Charn, Enyalius, & Callaquoia

Xena's threats don't fall on idle ears, and Velvet wonders if this mare would prove to be a future enemy or not. She makes a mental note of the horse's unique, split coat pattern, dedicating it to memory, before turning the rest of her focus on Charn. The stallion bucks and throws his deadly hooves at her, but again Velvet clings on, defying the leader's efforts to break free. She bites harder, until her jaws ache, and refuses to let go herself.

For Charn, there was a bittersweet moment of seeing Xena turn tail, offering a wild kick at Tyrant's face before heading in Enya's direction, and to hopeful safety. He couldn't tell if that kick made contact or not though, for jaws had closed around his soft nose, and paws wrapped in a vicious hug about his neck, pulling his head down and preventing him from landing a solid kick against Mael.

'I have to hold them off a little longer.' The thought crossed his mind, thinking now of his daughters, who would be such easy prey for these murderous cats. Despite the pain that seared his flesh, Charn mustered his strength and tried rearing up, attempting to pull his head from Mael's grasp, while kicking awkwardly at the cat. He tried to same against Velvet, only this time he didn't buck - he was afraid he'd buckle and collapse on the ground, so he kicked a single leg out, trying to hit any soft spot on the cat he could...

Maelertech

Mael holds on tight as he can his claws aiming to dig into the horses neck as he grabs hold.

Tyrant is forced back by the mares fleeing kick his nose spewing blood. His eyes going blurry. He wants to help his son and his mate but he can't see currently to do a thing.

Xena hated to leave him but she saw no other choice as she fled to return to her daughter and the enya.

Velvet, Charn, Enyalius, & Callaquoia

The heft of two cats, one significantly heavier than the other, now weighed down on his muscled frame. Mael was simply too strong, and he couldn't pull away from the predator, not even enough to strike him with a hoof. Charn collapsed briefly to his knees and struggled to draw in a breath of air, but his flaring nostrils were being smothered in the cat's own mouth, and his jaws trapped shut. He was running fast out of time. With waning strength, Charn tried to throw his head back again, thrashing his dial frantically from side to side in a bid to free it, and if he managed that, he'd throw his front daggers at any place he could reach on the big cat...

As for Velvet, he made another desperate strike with a hind hoof, believing that to be his only chance to dislodge the lion. But even this effort was half-hearted, as his main concern was freeing his muzzle...

The lioness found herself in a better position now, thanks to Tyrant's efforts. She mentally winced when she noted the blood that dripped from his face, but his sacrifice had finally driven off the feisty mare. And with Maelertech now pinning Charn down, and the stallion briefly falling to his knees, Velvet switched tactics. Dropping from the leader's backside, she circled and drove straight for his throat, hoping to latch on and help her son finish off their quarry, while her claws went for whatever parts of the horse she could reach...

Maelertech

He keeps his hold biting as hard as he could. His paws though now on the ground attempting to keep the stallion down on his knees.

Tyrant couldn't do much but watch.

Velvet & Charn

If only he could get off his knees, he'd have stood a chance at breaking away from Maelertech, but the big cat wouldn't relent. Charn's thrashing only dragged Mael's teeth deeper into his delicate snout, and burned up what little oxygen he had left in his starving lungs. The kick he'd sent for Velvet struck nothing but empty air, as the lioness had released her hold and shifted it to his exposed throat. He tried one last time, heaving his body upward, but the combined weight of the two cats nearly matched his own, and he couldn't muster it.

The stallion collapsed on his side. He tried swiping a hoof at the pair of felines, but his energy was gone, and his hoof did little more than drag a shallow rut in the trampled dirt. The darkness of the night seemed to grow thicker, inkier, until all at once, everything went black.

Velvet maintained her hold on the horse's throat, panting heavily and digging her claws into the neck and shoulder as his struggles waned. She continued to hold for another minute or two, until she was certain his life had fled, and only then did the lion release her grip. Still panting, she looked to Maelertech with pride flashing in her exhausted expression, "Well done, Mael. You have proven yourself tonight, and you've earned first pick at your meal." So saying, the battered feline took a few steps back, placing herself nearer to Tyrant, whom she started to groom the blood from. "We can eat our fill, and drag the remains back for the others."

Maelertech

Mael held on as well till he was absolutely sure the stallion was dead. Only then did he drop his hold panting. He licked his liips as he panted. Giving himself time to cool down before moving to the stallion's stomach nd tearing into it.

Tyrant nodded letting her clean his face. The bleeding was slowly stopping with her tongue going over it. His eyesite on the other hand was potential problem if it didn't get better in a day or two.