For Home | Kanu & Ruaridh vs. Charlie

[Ruaridh]


The sky was bleeding. Crimson, cardinal, burgundy, every tone of red to reflect the sanguinous affair below her gravid clouds. Pale, frigid shards of light tore through an otherwise bruised cluster of graying clouds, and the rain pelted relentlessly over the battle field. The sheets of light bleached the scenery, and then retreated almost as quickly leaving everything cast in shadow. Over and over again the light flashed, swiftly followed by the low rumble of war drums in the distance. However war-torn the sky appeared to be was surely a reflection of the desolation, and the blood spilled by those desperately fighting for their causes.

He'd won the last battle. He'd done his herd another strong turn, and had come off less scarred than he had thought. The stallion had come away with somewhat of a prize as well, for in winning his battle, he also managed to retain his opponent. Ruaridh had left the Olde mare, Ari, in the safe confines of the copse where he knew she would be watched over by Aurelie. He had bested her, he had marked her and he had captured her. Granted, the thought of him capturing anyone against their will, so to speak, left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he managed to swallow that particular lump in his throat. It was a lump that threatened to choke him, but to choke would be a weakness he'd not let surface. He had demanded she follow him, more for her own safety. Being in the field with so many bloodthirsty stallions would surely have put her in an awful position. So it was that he had stowed the sweet young mare with his most trusted, and he'd returned to the anguish of war. He cantered from the copse, leaving the safety of the sentinel trunks behind him and launched himself back into the fray.

A flurry of panicked voices, and screams met him as he surged into the fray. Pairings fought hard to win for their side. The heavy metallic taint of blood soaked through the onslaught of rain, turning his stomach. Despite his nausea, and the ache and sting of bruises and skin-deep laceration, he charged forwards nonetheless. The shadow of a frown cast across his features was dower. Dark and lusting for some sort of satiation for the beast that stirred within. He snorted, gusting a torrent of water from the vibrating edges of his smoked muzzle.

"Blasted rain..." He grumbled to himself, chin pressed to his chest and his ears pricked resolutely forwards. 

Many of the faces he had recognized had remained, which suggested that his side were perhaps doing better than he had dared hope. With his forelock across his features, he caught a familiar scent and tossed his head sending the sodden lengths of black and cream strands into a frenzy. His eyes locked on a lone stallion in the distance, one stood pacing amongst many other groups of battling individuals. The dilated pits of his nostrils sampled the rain moistened breeze, and his breath came in great gusts with every pumping action of piston like legs. His steps sunk deep, displacing water in great plumes. On closer inspection, the lone stallion appeared to be an Olde member, which seemed to stoke the fire of determination to greater heights. He kicked his pace up a notch, only to notice a movement out of the corner of his eye.

On an oblique trajectory, one opposite to Ruaridh's, Kanu was flying at that characteristic pace, towards his own target. With a flinch of his eyebrow, and a gentle lip-tlt of a smirk, Ru roared a guttural whinny and threw his head high as he adjusted the angle of attack such that he might meet the Olde stallion's shoulder with the full force of his. Without so much as a warning, or hint, Ru aimed to take the attention of the Olde stallion, to give Kanu the space to make first impact. The question was would Kanu pick up on the game? Would their shared target open the flood gates? Ru could only hope as he hammered forwards, with little thought as to his own safety. This was for his herd. This was for his home. Somehow, he would end it. 

// words: 709