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 Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:35 pm
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 5:38 pm
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The sun wasn't even peeking over the horizon yet, but the sky was brightening, heralding its arrival.
Only Nagual and Sanika were awake. The flutters didn't care for night, and chose to stay in the warmer confines of the teepee. Granted, Viola was off somewhere, as usual. Raum, the mare's buffalo friend, had stopped by and told them the gossip before leaving off again. Viola had had children again, this time to another flutter. Since that time, Thistle had been a bit disgruntled that his mother had done so...especially since there was another son.
Nagual was outside, with Sanika beside her. The two tended to share their dreams, and lately it had been the woman's dreams that they knew about. They were confusing to the Soquili, who was still trying to understand the mind not only of a two-legger but also a Seer.
The dreams were disturbing to both, and Tlocatl was at the center of them all. Sanika was not surprised, nor horribly concerned. She didn't care for the kalona, but his mother did. Nagual, no matter how much he tormented her, loved her son and if she could would keep him protected from all harm. The dreams were a blur of Tloc and coyotes.... so many coyotes... and they had started just a few nights ago. Ever since, Nagual would go out before the sun rose and wait for his sun - knowing full well that if he returned (which wasn't often), it would be by moonlight.
As the female waited, Nagual standing with every muscle twitching anxiously and Sanika lounging at the mare's feet, they saw the upkicking of dust. Something was coming. Though Nagual wanted to streak out there, see if it really was the sun that looked sort of like her, the presence of the two-legger kept her in place. No, they would wait together and also together confront whatever might happen.
Mare and human watched them come. It was Tlocatl, they could tell that much, and he was accompanied by someone else.
Nagual was almost shaking with anticipation, but Sanika kept her in place. Finally, she caught the words, "No.... something's wrong..."
The mare dropped her head quickly, not taking her eyes off her son, in her own way of questioning the human, for Sanika could not hear her words.
Sanika patted the nose absently, "We will wait and see...." But she scowled at the second soquili. Something wasn't right!
So they continued to wait, Nagual ready to scream in frustration. But they did come. She blinked at Tlocatl's strange stopping procedure, and flinched distatefully at his greeting, but when he collapsed she finally jumped forward to him - bruising Sanika in the process.
"NO!" Nagual lunged all the way and was at his side. As she got a good look, she gasped in despair and horror. Tlocatl, her son.... was in bad shape.
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 5:52 pm
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 6:01 pm
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Sanika had disappeared into the teepee almost immediately.
Nagual leaned down and nudged the wing in question. Luckily, when he had fallen it was on the good wing. When she nudged the offending limb, the stallion groaned in absent pain, but did not wake.
When the human return, she man-handalled the mare back, giving Nagual a look that said she would deal with the problem. Also with Sanika were bandages, pumices, agiments, jars, sticks, and other medical supplies. She didn't speak, just went to work cleaning off Tlocatl's sides and wings. Almost all the damage was on the right side, and so it helped.
Nagual turned her attention to the mare and nodded in understanding. There was not much they could do, but she was able to dreamily 'send' the information to her soul-half. Sanika looked up and at the gray-spotted mare, intrigued she was able to send a thought, but then went back to her charge.
"Sanika can.... deal with that." Nagual sighed, upset and frustrated she could not do more. Instead, she turned her attention to the other mare. "Who are you? What happened?" The mare thought it was this one that might have caused all the damage, she seemed to know at least some things.
And Sanika was dealing with it. She had the right wing cleaned off to assess the damages, though it still bled, and had already managed to get some kind of liquid down the stallion's throat.
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 6:05 pm
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 6:32 pm
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Nagual met the gaze, and her pink eyes searched yellow for more answers. She seemed to be telling the truth, so the mare relaxed just a little bit. The mare cocked her head to the side in inquiry for more, but this Wyrsa didn't seem to know more.
"The forest?" The mare asked, "that's a long ways away...." It was just an observation, it didn't require any comment.
Tlocatl's eyes opened and he lifted his head. The stallion looked around smugly. He felt tons better! Of course, he remembered the run here, and falling unconscious again... but now? He felt downright great! That was, until her felt the deft fingers to Sanika working on his wing.
With a growl, he bared his fangs at the woman. "Be careful with that!" Tlocatl snapped, knowing full well she couldn't understand him.
But she understood his tone and just gave him a dark glare.
Nagual came forward and nuzzled Tlocatl's cheek caringly, "She's just trying to help."
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" The stallion snarled and bit at his mother.
The mare jumped back, her soft nose now wracked with bloodied stripes from his teeth. Nagual blinked, and her eyes hardened just a little. She didn't say anything, just watched her son on the ground as she looked down at him, her blood running under her chin and dripping off her cheek.
Tlocatl hissed in pain, and swung his head back to the human, "I said be careful!"
Sanika had twisted a bone in the wing, not being nice about it in the slightest. She didn't care for the stallion's treatment of her soul-half. And if he insisted on such behavior, then she would make this situation less bearable. The woman knew, she knew exactly why Tlocatl had come here...and now she made she Tlocatl knew that she was aware of his intentions.
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 6:39 pm
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 7:18 pm
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Nagual shrugged off what happened and took a step back behind Sanika to lay down and soak up the heat from the rising sun. If Tlocatl didn't want her around, then she'd stay off to the side. She didn't need to give him any more reason to pester her - when he got better.
She peered at the other mare and smiled, her eyes sparkling. Nagual liked her! What a kind soquili.
Sanika wouldn't agree. She didn't care for the other mare, though she might have had a semblance of gratitude for bring the stallion back. The woman would most likely be sleeping with a spear next to her for some time, though.
The woman continued with her administrations. She had the wing lifted very gently as she cleaned the wounds underneath. "Tlocatl..." she spoke clearly. "I know you can understand me, so listen well."
"As you know, you have a broken wing, it is actually broken in four places. One of the bones has been done in completely in two. Also, I could two broken ribs and can feel some bruising that could be internal. Along with those, all the wounds and tears, on the side, stomach, and tail. There is a little on the neck, and while it has clotted enough to stop the bleed where the others haven't it is still deep enough to need attention."
"Are you following all of this?" At the stallion's nod she continued. "You will not be able to fly for awhile," and his eye twitched though he didn't do anything more. "I already gave you a pain-drought, but I still have to treat the wounds and bind your wing. You will feel this pain and it will hurt. Can I continue without your meager threats?"
Tlocatl sniffed at the thought. Meager? He'd make well enough real if given a chance. He should not test her, but the stallion nodded again, though with reluctance.
Thistle picked that moment to come out of the tent. He was small, especially after having just awaken - more like a little faerie of a soquili. The purple stallion took in the scene and his eyes sparkled it mirth. "So... let me guess...." His voice was laughing, "Tlocatl got a little too frisky with that mare there and her male-friend taught him a lesson?"
Not that he minded. Tlocatl looked injured but he was alive... and if what Sanika said was true, Thistle would be free of the menace for awhile.
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 7:39 pm
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 8:01 pm
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Tloc sent a glare at Wyrsa before the pest of a flutter came out to annoy them all. "Thistle, go back into that hole you were just in and drown yourself!" His teeth gnashed, as if it was the little flutter that was being ground and not just enamel.
A pain shot through his shoulder and broken wing and he twisted his head to pinpoint that gaze on the human. She didn't even look up, the nerve!
"Stay still."
Thistle zipped to another side and peered at Wyrsa playfully, "Ho, ho! She's got some spunk to her!" The flutter paused and grinned toothfully. "Of course I could guess again, dawling, but I don't think you'd care for those attempts," he winked again before going to Sanika and, getting very small, resting on the woman's shoulder.
"Now, Tloc-a-fan, that wasn't a very nice thing to say. So, tell me, what really DID happen to you?"
Tloc had to twist some more to get a good look now that the annoying bug was unreachable. "And what do you need to know for?"
Thistle preened, "Why, you don't think I care?" He stopped the teasing and looked serious.
Nagual slithered closer on the ground, leaning in to hear what he son had to say. She was interested too.
Sanika hissed under her breath, "I said stay still!"
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 8:16 pm
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 8:22 pm
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Tlocatl grumbled to himself at Wyrsa's comment. He had never chosen these soquili, or the human... and they were the very reason he rarely stopped by. They were annoying and dimwitted, and he did not care for their company. He was sorry to see Wyrsa leave, she was the only normal one around. The stallion grimaced as she was gone, but he figured he had all the time in the world to hunt her down again, once Sanika did her job and got him back on his feet!
Thistle wasn't so impressed, though he was indeed curious about this mare that came in with Tloc. Who knew the firey stallion had a damsel hidden behind the bush.
As Sanika wrapped the wing so carefully and secured it to the kalona's side, neither stallions spoke. However, the flutter had a small attention span and his patience didn't even know it existed. Thistle shook some pollen out of his mane and piped up. "So, Tloc, what really happened to you?" he said, voice still tripping with humor.
Tlocatl didn't want to talk much about it. He snorted as the human moved to massaging salve and ointment into his wounds - wounds that were only now beginning to clot, something that must have been in the concoction. "You already solved that case, pip-squeak - Wyrsa did it." Granted, he wouldn't say it was because they were playing to rough... actually, he wouldn't go so far as to give her all the credit. But that wasn't the point, he simply didn't want to get goaded by Thistle.
The flutter snorted just as harshly, "Yeah, right. What really happened?" That small voice hardened. Thistle knew that the mare hadn't done this, there was no way.
Sanika paused in her administrations because she knew something was going on, and Nagual crept a bit closer, her sharp ears straining to catch on the words.
The kalona knew that they would not let him be until he spoke. With a sigh of exasperation, Tlocatl gave a very brief overview of his fight. Very brief. He didn't want himself to look weak or anything. Everyone listened carefully.
Nagual shifted uncomfortably. "A coyote turned into.... a soquili? But that's not possible!" The mare had heard of no such thing, though it was possible that if she had such a horrible thing would be filtered.
Tlocatl twisted his head around to glare at her with those piercing red eyes. "That is what I said, is it not!?"
Thistle clicked his tongue against the back of his throat, "Not kind to treat your mother as such, she simply does not know the stories." The flutter took off from the woman's shoulder and landed to face Tlocatl.
The kalona's eyes narrowed suspricious, "You know something?"
The little purple stallion looked aghast. "Of course, it's a story I heard. Maybe if you spent more time around the humans, you would know it as well." Tlocatl's response was all that was needed to know what he thought of that idea.
Thistle ignored it. "What you met was not really a soquili... or not mostly. Because you were so adamant on the paws... I have to conclude the worst. You see, there could be said to be two types of Skinwalkers - for that is what he was. A soquili that has another form, that of a coyote. As a soquili as well, they are quite destinguishable by the coyote pelt they wear." The flutter shook his mane out as he paused. "Those that are cursed keep much of the soquili-ways, like their hooves. In fact that is the easiest way to tell them apart. The Skinwalkers that always have their paws are more demon than anything else. It is said that they are from the depths of Hell and were released onto this world."
He paused again, to let his words work their most dramatic effects. "It is no wonder that this Skinwalker-from-Hell did so much damage. In fact, I am suprised you are still alive. They are faster, stronger, and more committed than any other soquili. Some think the Kalonas are creatures of nightmares...Skinwalkers are living horrors." Thistle stared down at the other stallion, his generally soft eyes baring into that firey soul. "Tlocatl, there is no way you can fight a Skinwalker and come out unscathed - even surviving, as you have discovered, is difficult. The next time you see one, I suggest that you maybe run."
Tlocatl, in the first time in his life, felt fear creep into his bones. He remembered that stallion, that Skinwalker, quite well. The eyes, the teeth, the coyote-paws, everything, was etched in his memory in livid detail. Thistle was right, for once. He could not fight one again and truly expect to win. That wasn't to say he wouldn't try. If he could, and if it happened, he might get that demon back for what he did. Once his wing healed.
But like he'd let Thistle know that. Tloc's expression didn't even change, in fact it looked as if he were bored out of his mind. The kalona yawned, "Is that all, Thistle? If it is, I'd like to get some rest now."
Thistle, who usually would have baited Tlocatl at that point, gave one more glare before turning around. He peered back, "I mean it, Tloc - you see a Skinwalker, you run. Run as fast as you can...." The stallion walked off, the day was still young. "...because you may not fly."
The stallion on the ground heard that, but chose to take his loses. Sanika was just finishing up, and he really was tired. Tlocatl rolled a little and then struggled to his feet. His balance was off and he took a few tentative steps towards the teepee. He preferred the dark, and he would not stay in this intense heat for much longer.
As he settled in and started to fall asleep, Thistle's words on Skinwalkers continued to run through his mind.... and Tlocatl's dreams were of blood and claws - mostly his blood and the claws of a demon from Hell.
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Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2008 11:26 pm
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