Quintessential Quasar (Eikask’s Maiden Run)

[Rowana]

Roisk was pleased. The more chasers his lovely queen had the better the chase. He gave each new one an appraising look. Normally he was more accepting of others, but tonight they were all potential rivals. Strong ones too, by their look. This would be a fine Run. Only right to honor the beautiful Eikask. He watched her patiently, poised to run the moment she gave the word.

But she clearly had other plans. Roisk was a little taken aback at her sudden leap. Not afraid for her, he knew she was capable of gliding great distances. Yet this was a Run, not a Flight. They were not dragons to take to the skies. He hesitated for a moment, feeling a little miffed. Such improper behavior for a wher. He could glide fairly well himself, though not as well as he once could before the burns. Even so, he refused to be baited. It could be a trick to see who was silly enough to follow. Running was much better. The fact that everyone else wanted to try their hand at flying just clinched it.

The big bronze ran full tilt down the winding halls. Yes, this was his element. He would make it to the bottom in time to see what the tricky queen wanted of them. He knew each turn well enough to go at nearly full speed. It was a good thing few people were awake at this hour, or they might have found a charging wher who was not in the mood to stop. He burst out at ground level, crooning his approval. Eikask was a fantastic glider, there could be no doubt. He would run as far as she wish for the honor of the chase.

Roivao smiled at Eikane's approval. He wanted to show he was a good male. Many of the others had not come, or had no partners to share. Piden was here too, and Roi nodded at him. What was a chase without other males? But who would Eikane favor in the end? He batted at the annoying Tiida. She was getting in the way. Tiida hissed, sending up her tiny frill in dislike. Precious mine! she insisted. She clung to Roi's shoulder possessively. Go way!

[Ember]

Eikask's look back proved to show her that her males had handled the cliff well. Not all glided off it but those that didn't found creative ways to work around that obstacle. She marked Pidesk's impressive gliding skills. He landed on the ground while she proceeded to stay in the air, playing with the lower air currents to keep her going for as long as possible. She didn't want to make her run easy for any of them and she certainly couldn't dominate them if she was running on the ground. Quintresk, her undeniably favoured brown, had managed the cliff most impressively. He was a quick creature too.

The young wild brown earned an amused and contemptuous snort. He ought to learn how to use his wings properly before actually using them. He did launch himself off the cliff bravely though. That did earn him a few points, she supposed. She heard the wildling that had wanted her to come to him call out again. This time he was closer and she was pleasantly smug. No male could resist her. As she finally saw him she growled in warning. He had a lot to make up for. Eikask was not without sympathy for the bronze when she saw the chain around his neck but that wouldn't earn her forgiveness right away.

The other wild bronze was several places ahead of the newcomer already. He'd taken the leap as well and he was proving to use the air currents well. Eikask knew skill when she saw it; all she had to do was measure it against her own skills after all. She took noticed of her blue as well. He did well with his plunging glide. Roisk...Roisk had disappeared. She was annoyed and slightly confused until she saw him appear out of the tunnel. Oh? Well he and the others not gliding may wish they had. She caught a current that gave her the lift she needed and she turned sharply for the river.

The gold landed on the other side of the river and began to run. She hissed quietly as her own legs kept tripping her up. She focused her attention on making them land properly but inevitabley she'd pay attention to her chasers again and stumble about again. She briefly shot a look back at them, daring any to insult her. She was still the best and any who thought otherwise could leave. They'd be the first she would choose to banish from her run.

Eikane smiled at Piden's huff. Angry for his queen's sake, was he? He'd be rewarded for that but Eikane's attention was caught by the one he'd almost missed. Quintrell. He'd been lost to the man's eyes in the darkness. Dmitri's arrival was noted but not given comment. He was just a blue in the end and not worthy of such. The blue was well liked and belonged to the gold and his presence would be enough not to insult her. There were no other expectations besides that. The gold whirled on Roivao. To be more precise, he rounded on the green nuisance. "Stupid green. Mine now. He left you for me." Eikane refused to be one-upped tonight so instead of wasting anymore time on the 'mandyr he walked away briskly with all the grace his wher lacked. Come, come.

[Rei]

Gorgeous. That was the only word that befitted the gold the wildling followed so dutifully. Flicking his tail to the left he caught a draft and swung wide to glide just over the river in Eikask’s wake. His legs just barely grazed the surface of the water sending up a thin spray that danced in the moonlight. As he landed lightly in the shallows he flung up his head to give a happy bugle. Talons digging into the soft sand he plunged after her. The mossy bronze did well to stay just below her pace. Not because he had to but because he wanted to spur her forward. He never drew close enough to touch. Just close enough to offer support if she needed it. If the wildling noticed her trip ups he gave no indication. Instead he hummed singing her praises. Oh lovely queen of all she surveyed. He would follow her anywhere.

He had chased many queens in his time. Won a few to. But this one was different. In her maiden run she was inexperienced, but he had the desire to claim her all the same. He had enough experiance for them both. It was her confidence and determination that drew him. Pushing himself faster he drew up to a position behind and to her left. He was determined to be one of the forerunners in her run. Anyone who sought to usurp that position would be run over. The half blind wher followed her closely, using both scent and heat detection senses to their full advantage. Run lovely run.

[Avu]

Oh. A river. The wild brown eyed the water cautiously for a moment before he threw himself forward in a flurry of wings. His entire, dark body stretched out, foreclaws reaching for the opposite bank, as streamlined as he could possibly be…and then he hit the water with an impressive splash, throwing up water, glittering dark droplets, on all sides. The brown wiggled, almost pleased by the coolness of water against his hide, before he struck out, water ripples making him look long, lithe, graceful in a way he wasn’t on land, the wildling using wings and legs to push himself forward rapidly.

On the opposite bank he crawled out, bugling cheerfully, and took off, dripping, leaving a slime-wet trail of water in the grass and dirt behind him, after Eikask again, undeterred by his wetness. His eyes were flickering from Eikask to the other males, to the trees and their surroundings (he saw the green-blue eyes of a wherry peering out at them and his stomach gave a little growl at the thought), but they returned instantly to the gold the first time she stumbled.

Oopsie!

He offered a low bark, a sound of good-natured encouragement; naughty, naughty ground, grabbing at the goldling like it was. Of course it wanted her too, how could it not when she was so pretty? But still, grabbing was cheating, wasn’t it? Silly silly ground. At least it hadn’t accidentally hurt her, sometimes it did that to him when wherries got away from him too quickly and he couldn’t catch himself in time. Lovely goldling, so lovely that the very ground wanted to catch her. But she was far too clever for that! (Cleverer than him, it appeared, since the ground usually managed to catch him when it grabbed for him.)

The young wildling bounced, puppy-like, over a log, crooned once, a low sweet sound, in his throat, before he tilted his head, offering a playful snap towards the nearest of the other suitors – one of the wild bronzes, the one without the chain ‘round his neck. Hello, hello; wasn’t the goldling so lovely? He barely paid attention, though, as he bounced sideways, skittering. Such a nice game. Why didn’t he play more often? He’d certainly have to now, but next time, maybe when he wasn’t hungry. His stomach was just making the most upsetting of noises.

[Ruby]

As he ran, Pidesk dropped his lower jaw slightly, making it look like he was smiling. He loved to run, the smooth movement of his legs, the woosh of wind past his head. He remembered Nautsk's run, the joy he'd felt, and let that feeling rush through his bond, taking strength from Piden. The two had always had a strong link, but it seemed to have been growing over the past few weeks - ever since the greens did start to mature, and Pidesk was finally able to chase on a regular basis. Maybe that had something to do with it, Piden thought. Then he made an effort to stop thinking, putting his attention into the run.

It showed. Pidesk put on a new burst of speed, aware that he was at his best when at full throttle. Eikask swerved for the river and he followed, using a raised rock to launch himself back into the air. He cleared about half the distance before skimming the surface of the dark water, kicking up a fine spray with his hindclaws, then plunging in all the way. On the far side he pulled himself out of the shallows, shook himself like a dog, and bolted again. He wasn't worried about the few seconds lost, not when he was one of the fastest Whers present.

He did notice Eikask's stumbles, but chose not to comment. Pidesk himself, while an excellent runner and fairly competent glider, had a very awkward gait when he walked. His long, slender limbs, so coordinated and powerful at high speeds, were difficult at best on the ground. He got tangled, he tripped, he put things in the wrong place, and even pure concentration couldn't fix it. So he knew how hard that could be, and assumed Eikask would be touchy... hopefully nothing else was wrong. How embarassing if she had hurt her foot, or something. Not gallant at all.

Piden furrowed his brow at that thought, narrowing his eyes at Eikane's foot. No, everything looked all right here, although the foot was leaving. Wait. What? He hopped to with startling speed, trailing in Eikane's wake, not clear on where they were going or why they were leaving. That certainly did not concern Piden; only Eikane was worth noticing, not the words coming out of his mouth (especially when those words were directed at someone else).

[rii]

She landed on the.. other side of the river.

Increasing his pace, Quintresk continued on the opposite shore with periodic glances back toward Eikask and her chasers to gauge the speed of her run. The stumblings did well to slow her progress, but those chasers were.. too close, and him too far. The brown wher powered forward, rocks and bits of grass being ripped out and flung in his wake as he ran. In a full on sprint Quintresk put all his muscles to work, the strong core of his slender body visible as it moved just beneath his dark hide.

He found his destination and turned sharply, tail long tail whipping sharply as a counter weight to make the turn as smooth as possible. Back legs coiled and Quintresk lunged out into the river.. his claws finding the half submerged piece of debris of the former main hall where it still remained wedged between the rocks. Quintresk drew in on himself again before making a long jump toward the edge of the main hall. He didn't quite make it all the way but it was close enough that he was up and running across the charred remained of the behemoth trunk with water droplets trailing him.

Another powerful leap and a short swim and Quintresk was pulling himself onto the bank. He was ahead of her, just as he predicted, and immediately he slipped into the trees so the trunks would disguise his heat signature. He didn't like how close that bronze wildling was to the queen – touching her. He wouldn't put it past any of the wildlings present to leap upon Eikask if her stumbled turned into a fall. That could not be allowed to happen. Panting only slightly, Quintresk turned himself around in the trees and shot out at just enough angle to re-join the run. However, Quintresk had a different objective to complete first.

Coming in on the bronze's blindside, Quintresk stepped purposely into the male's path. His long tail whipped sharply at the bronze's flank to knock him off kilter – the nearly prehensile tail wrapping around the wher's back leg to actually pull him further if not completely off balance. Claws flashed at the wild bronze's neck, along with a sharp snap of teeth. With this attack came a strong emotion of disapproval, enough for Eikask to hear as well, that Quintresk didn't approve of this one being so close to the queen. He wasn't neither trusted, nor welcomed.

Not having sacrificed much speed, but hopefully throwing the bronze temporarily out of the chase, Quintresk leapt back into motion. Head low and his body moving in that carefully calculated fashion of a feline hunter that gave him the impression of gliding over the ground even thought his wings remained tightly folded to sides.

Quintrell watched Eikane go. There were no wildlings here, so the thief eased up onto his feet and followed at a more subdued pace. His gaze flickered brifely to Dmitri in passing before the brown handler fell into place behind Piden.

[Requiem]

Dmisk ran easily, allowing Eikask to land a fair distance ahead of him. Allowing the other whers to stream behind her in a ribbon of failures. Venomous slit to his eyes. The three wildlings ran closest, followed by Pidesk, who was fast enough to outpace the others, yes, but he ran straight. Foolish bronze...should have circled around, cut them off. Not that Dmisk cared if he wasn't smart enough to reason out that no matter how fast you were, if the others blocked your path it would do you no good.

The half-gliding, half-loping gait elongated, stretched into a burst of speed. That's when he heard it. Saw the stumble, heard the barking laughter of the little bitty brown hatchling who couldn't manage his own wings. Heads up, pretty...you're not worthy of chasing any gold, much less Dmisk's clutchsister. Was it coincidence, that the silent blue leapt, his wings taking the air and allowing him to hover for a few brief, fatal seconds above the young brown wildling at the same exact moment that Quintresk cut out of the trees?

His legs thrust forward, weight landing hard on the forward shoudlers of the brown. Poor baby, flipping forward in a flail of limbs. Dmisk utilized an economical backsweep of his wings to keep him in the air a moment longer, tucking his legs. Stray claws blazed trails down his left hind, but shallow. Ah, but he didn't like being marked. It made him just a touch...annoyed. Foreclaws landed on the shoulders of the rejected, muscles snapping forward, and his hind claws raked. Long neat furrows down the exposed underbelly of the wildling. Ichor, excrement. Such invigorating scents. He didn't pause, continuing the chase, one less unworthy to taint it. Let the trailing whers - Pidesk and Roisk - deal with the disemboweled brown and his sea of entrails.

For a moment he slipped, digging in his claws to right himself. Pesky ichor making the ground slippery. Tch. He sprung forward, seeing Quintresk's attempt to remove the bronze from Eikask's heels. Never trust a wildling at your brother's back. What right did they have, to think themselves worthy of Eikask, anyway? No warning. His fangs plunged into the back of the bronze's other hind before Quintresk's tail fully released the first, closing around the tendons behind his knee and tearing them free with a vicious jerk of his head. And if his foreleg came out to rake down the inside of thigh, and if it just so happened to find the pulsing life artery there, why, he was just a touch excited, was all. It wasn't every day that Eikask ran and wildlings attempted to pounce her at every stumble.

Nimble skip to one side, perhaps a dangerous one as the bronze crashed. He wasn't sure if he'd killed him, after all, and there was always the threat of a stray swipe catching him as he passed. His flank pressed hard against the last of the ones Dmisk had decided should no longer be chasing. (Nevermind if it was his decision or not. Eikask may think she owned the whers, but she was Dmisk's, and none of these met his approval as her mate.) His fangs flashed at the male's neck, the scent of ichor and intestines hanging heavy about him. Run little wildling. Run back home to mommy.

Quintrell's brief glance got a smirk from Dmitri, and unlike his normal smirks, this one held glacial ice. He slipped hands into pockets and followed after, watching the other males with a flicker of deadly amusement. There now...cleaning up a few ghosts.

[Rowana]

Roisk's eyes were on the sky, feeling the breeze that lifted Eikask across the river. He barely spare the obstacle a moment's thoughts. The river might slow him down a little, but it would prove a small challenge. Hardly pausing for breath, he ran towards the bank and leaped into the air. His wings caught a little extra air, enough to push him half way across the wast waterway. He might not be one to glide, but jumping was another matter. Tucking close, he dove into the river, swimming the rest of the expanse to the other side.

Most of the others were already across. Roisk's nose flared angrily at the copper smell of blood. What was this?! They were supposed to be honoring Eikask with their chase, not fighting! Roisk's roar split the air as he charged Dmisk and the wild brown. It was too little and too late. The violent blue had already moved on to another victim by the time Roisk reached them. The wild bronzes would have to watch themselves as best they could, Roisk's concern was elsewhere.

Gently, the big wher nuzzle the smaller one's neck. He crooned softly in a mournful song. He was sorry this had happened. Sorrier still that he could not prevent it. With a sad cry, he bid Eikask farewell and good speed. He could not, in good conscience, leave the poor brown to pass alone. He knelt down and covered the wildling with a wing. He would stay, until the time was done. Just as he had done for his poor clutch sisters barely out of the egg.

Roivao watched Eikane go with regretful eyes. He wanted to follow, he really did. Roisk was holding him back. This was not to be their chase after all. He sighed and knelt down, watching the others from his place. Tiida offered Eikane a glaring hiss of victory. Ha! Precious stay with Tiida! Not follow shiny. Tiida better! She nuzzled her precious soothingly. He would be fine once the stupid shiny ground beast let go of his mind. Yes, all would be well and proper then.

[Ember]

Rage mixed with her lust as the gold became quickly aware of the fact that her chasers were not focused on her. She stumbled to a stop - there was a clear advantage between whers and dragons when they needed to mate. Whers could pause their runs if they needed to - and whirled on her males. No matter how badly they had been doing or how unworthy they were, it didn't give any of them the right to attack each other. That was entirely her honour and they'd taken it from her. Not to mention she'd rather liked that half blind male. He at least knew better than to earn her ire.

She slashed at Quintresk with an infuriated growl. She wasn't stupid enough to actually injure her own minions so her claws missed their mark. She projected such clear thoughts of rejection of her remaining brown chaser. Go. Away. Perhaps the wild bronze wasn't worthy of her but that was her choice to make anot his. What made him any more worthy? The brown had just lost any of her favour for him. He'd have to earn it all over again - but not just then. She didn't even want to see him for quite some time.

She looked at both the injured whers, in particular the young brown. She'd been about to dismiss him from her run but now she only felt sympathy as she knew his fate. Even he did not deserve to be disembowled. Eikask also could no longer consider the half blind wher. Even if he was to survive he sure couldn't provide her with what she needed now. The gold brushed the mind of the remaining bronze wild wher and told him to leave too. She was undeniably arrogant but she wasn't mean spirited. The other males were clearly targeting the wild whers and he need not suffer the injuries they may inflict on him. Go enjoy your freedom, ex-Handled wher.

The gold's gaze alighted on her blue and she growled menacingly. He was hers, not the other way around. He had no more right than Quintresk to choose who could or could not participate in her runs. She'd accepted them all into her presence in the beginning and that should have been enough to tell her blue that they were, at the very least, worthy to chase her. Eikask didn't brush his mind at all. The growl was enough of an indication that she no longer tolerated him following her. She didn't revoke her claim on him just yet. He had been working for her best interests but she was angry, oh so angry.

Dmisk had cost her Roisk and the gold now turned to her final option and she closed the distance between her and Pidesk with a growl. He was hers tonight and if he dared to leave her there would be trouble. He hadn't bothered to tamper with other chasers and he'd done well enough that she wasn't too disappointed with her choice. She brushed up agaisnt the smaller bronze's side and pressed into him to get him moving away from the smell of ichor and injured whers.

Eikane merrily lead his group of males towards the same ledge Eikask had first leapt off to start the run. He wanted to show them how well he glided, how he practically flew in the night skies. As anger seeped through his and Eikask's bond he stopped and turned to look at his males. None of them were injured but...those two. His eyes narrowed and he approached Quintresk and roughly shoved his chest. Get lost. He wasn't entirely sure why that one pissed him off so much but he did. Dmitri too.... His lips curled up and he whirled away from the blue.

That left him with Piden and...no, just Piden. Roivao had stopped following and he huffed in annoyance. Stuck with one male! He looked over Piden and his eyes softened slightly. Not worthy but he would do for tonight. She needed a male and he'd done better than some of the other males. Eikane grabbed Piden's shirt and hauled him away forcefully. The bronze dare not refuse him! A small distance away from where he'd stopped walking Eikane pulled hismelf against the bronze's body and claimed him as his for the night.

[neeuqtar]

The former watch-wher moaned in disbelief as Eikask caught a gust of wind, carrying her across the river... the river he had just crossed to get to her. He knew he didn't have the strength or the time to find another launch-point, and try and glide to the other cliff. He called a final time, mourning his loss. She was worth so much more than the males who Chased her, who followed her from a higher point than he. Cut off from the Run, the wher realized suddenly where he was and tensed. Bellows and ichor met his nostrils from across the river, and in terror he whirled and fled into the jungle. He would find a way up the cliff so he could get back home, but later, later.

Now he had to escape, flee, get away from the pain across the river and the haunting melody of screams and death that called back phantoms from the past. Eikask was forgotten as he ran headlong into unfamiliar jungle, trying to get as far away from the murder of his kind and the memories it brought back. He would not return.

[Rei]

Thud, thud, thud. The sound of the wild bronze’s footfalls was the only thing he noticed besides the gold in front of him. So concerned was he with Eikask that the other chasers where totally ignored. Which would prove to be a fatal mistake. The appearance of Quintresk in front of him was a surprise and he tried to pull up short. He wasn’t quite quick enough however. The smack of tail to flank had him barking sharply in a warning display. The half blind bronze was able to pivot away from the claws and teeth of his brown antagonist by sheer luck.

However just as he was about to give a return attack he felt teeth plunge into his hind leg. Swinging back with a growl and snap of teeth, he was too late to prevent damage. The blue had torn tendons and as he tried to pivot his back leg crumbled unable to support his weight. The next moment the wildling had crashed onto the ground, Dmisk’s talon’s missing his main artery by mere inches. The ground soaking with ichor he thrashed and snarled, eyes bleeding in crimson and yellow. The attack had been unexpected but if they thought to kill him now they where mistaken. He wasn’t going down without a fight. The fact that the run had stopped was not noted. Roisk’s approach was noted and he lashed out at the bronze in passing although he missed. A angry snarl ripped from his throat but his attention was taken by a rustling of the underbrush to his left on his blindside.

From the underbrush slunk the dark tiger striped brown. His jaws where parted in a feral smile, amusement coloring his whirling eyes. The brown had been following the chase since it’s beginning. Just out of sight. The disablement of his bronze opponent proved to be just too enticing to pass up. Now as he approached on the half blind wher’s blindside the brown had one thing in mind. Death to this usurper who dared try and claim his territory, his kills. Only the strong could survive and this bronze had proven himself most unworthy.

Roisk and the rest where kept track of out of paranoia but his target was clear. With a vicious snarl he pounced, teeth finding the main artery in the bronze’s neck, as claws pinned the other wher by the shoulders to the ground. With a quick flick of his head he tore out the bronze’s throat, pinning the other wher’s body as the bronze went though the final throes of death. Tongue flicking out to clean the ichor from his maw, the dark brown crouched on the dead bronze, his muscles tense. Eyes whirling in pleased blues. He warbled to the blue who had given him such a nice gift. Most pleased he was.

[Requiem]

Dmisk didn't shrink back from Eikask, a foreleg lifted as his tongue flickered out to clean the ichor steadily dripping from one clawed foot. Perhaps just the barest hint of amusement...Quintresk had made his intentions clear. Nothing but worry that a wildling wouldn't understand the laws of the more civil whers and take advantage of her stumbles, and not an unfounded worry, given how close he'd pressed. But Eikask interpreted it differently, and she was, of course, the queen. Who could fault her? Ah, but the ichor had such a nice taste. Much better than blood, he considered, noting with faint amusement the movement of another wildling in the shadows. Well well. Eikask drew them out nicely, didn't she? All in one convenient place for him.

It did indeed cross his mind. The striped brown, preoccupied with his kill. But so, too, did Roisk's recent anger, and much as Dmisk didn't fear the bronze, it would be such a shame if he had to hurt him out of some misplaced sense of honor. The wildlings were threats, or couldn't the bronze understand that? Little greensisters wandering into their territory...most unsatisfactory. Take opportunities when they present themselves. None of these thoughts were made known, not a one, just as none of the earlier ones had been. All nicely locked away behind the icy silence that was Dmisk. He did, however, return slightly toward Roisk...between him and the slaughter? Eikask and Pidesk were gone, now, and his head dipped, words slipping coldly through Roisk's mind. A noble effort, bronze teacher, but the striped one had the right of things. More merciful to kill the little one and end his suffering, don't you think?

He turned his head to regard the brown thoughtfully. He thought it was a gift for him, did he? Well...perhaps there would be no need to risk Roisk feeling the need to intervene, after all... Dmisk padded a couple steps closer to the other wher, his own maw just as stained as his wild cousin's. He addressed the striped one silkily. Most welcome. And if he wished to follow, and expand his territory to that of the domestic whers...to have their support and give his in return...Dmisk would be most willing to welcome such a strong, able addition. Yes. Did he like the taste of bronze wher? There was another. Let them go together, make the territory undeniably theirs. He tilted his head towards the path of the fleeing bronze, the terror carrying nicely on the wind.

A private exchange, meant for no other, though he let his brown brother hear. Then addressed Quintresk without once breaking gazes with the striped brown, words meant for his brother alone. Quintresk, brother, his abject apologies for the outcome. How would he like to expend his frustrations with their new...minion. The clutchsisters must be safe as they patrol, and Dmisk was not fond of wild whers in the territory. A hunt, brown brother?

Dmitri blinked, staggering back. It looked much as if Eikane's anger with him had sparked the response, but no, he'd been released from his wher's mind abruptly, the sense of blood and ichor all over him making him physically ill. What...he turned, his steps faltering for a moment, before striding swiftly away at what was almost a jog. Elysia...where was she?

[rii]

Quintresk returned the growl, head still bowed low to the queen as she slashed at the air. Rejection – for what? Competing for her? Did she not notice the way the bronze had rubbed up against her as if to mount her mid-run without waiting for her to choose? All he had done was stall the bronze to let Eikask have room to run without having to worry about tripping. The brown wher's lips pull back in a silent snarl. A run was meant to thread out the weak from the strong, how could she let her arrogance blind such a decision.

Metallics.

The brown gave a dismissive flick of his tail and turned on the spot to face the carnage that painted the last stretch of the chase. The brown should have been annoyed, but he wasn't. Let Eikask harbor her anger because such emotions meant nothing to the brown. He simply had no use for pointless things.

Attention swinging to Dmisk, Quintresk silently regarded the words while padding closer. He circled around behind the pale blue, eying the stripped brown's response. Most unfortunate, he commented privately back to his blue brother. But not much of a loss, in the end. Quintresk's nostrils flared as he scented the air. Ichor, fear, lust. Again a flick of his tail, attention swiveling back to the wild brown. Wouldn't leave this one alone with his brother (as capable as Dmisk was) considering he had seen and taken the opportunity to take out the wounded bronze..

Quintrell seized Eikane's forearm upon being shoved, lip curling back in a sneer at her directed rage. Was he sorry? No. Not in the slightest. He released Eikane's arm as the harper turned to head off with her bronze. She didn't realize that the status of her color only meant.. ..the thief blinked a few times, coming out of the haze with a sense of relief. Oh good. Quintresk had not won and he wasn't waking up tangled naked with some other guy. Oh thank Faranth. Lifting a hand a hand to his chest, Quintrell let out an expressive breath, sinking to his knees and simply staying there and letting the cool breeze of the night waft over him.

[Ruby]

Pidesk was chugging along, fairly far to one side, letting the other hold on to the lead for now. He and Roisk were trailing, but when Pidesk shot the other familiar Bronze a look, he still looked very solid. They were simply biding their time, waiting for the uncontrolled lust of the wild Whers to burn itself out. When it did and they began to slow, Roisk and Pidesk would be in prime positions to show their potential. Already, Pidesk was convinced that this would not be a matter of catching Eikask by speed, or when she made a mistake, but rather waiting for her to select her mate. As it should be.

He was on the far side of the chase from the wild bronze, so it wasn't until Dmisk leaped on the youthful brown that Pidesk realized something was wrong. The pacifistic Wher scuttled sideways, eyes going wide at the ichor staining the ground. Not wishing to get in the middle of Dmisk's vendetta, Pidesk circled around, hovering near Eikask. Certainly she could take care of herself, but in case the Blue had really snapped, or one of the Wilders turned on the Queen, Pidesk felt that he should at last be in a position to try and talk them down.

Pidesk wasn't sure if it was his proximity or her lack of choice that made Eikask turn to him in the end, but he wasn't about to object. He nuzzled her briefly before happily acquiescing to her push, allowing to her to herd him back into the bush before snuggling in tighter, humming. He wanted to make sure she knew that her choice was a good one, forced or otherwise.

Piden followed close behind Eikask, just close enough that he wouldn't step on the Gold's heels. She was leading them up, into the night, and the Bronze was not about to be left behind. When they reached her destination, Piden didn't stop, refusing to stay so far from his goal. He watched while Eikane dismissed the others, glowering in the background, approving of his Queen's decision. Then she made her final choice clear, and he melted into the night with her, not even a little regretful. She had made the right choice.

[Rei]

The striped brown cocked his head as if considering Dmisk’s offer. It was a good one. All in return for helping patrol for intruders that shouldn’t be there anyway. He dug his talons into the dead wher below him and barked in agreement. Yes the taste of the ichor was most welcome. Dipping his head down he picked up a ichor soaked forepaw and licked it. Shaking form head to toe he climbed off the corpse to bow his head in a gesture of difference to Dmisk. His terms where more than acceptable. He would patrol for them. In return for freedom from harassment in this jungle he called home. It was a fair enough trade and he hated interlopers just as much as the handled whers did.

The striped brown gave a short yap of greeting to Quintresk before raising his head to scent the air. Yes the fearful bronze would have to be hunted down and ripped apart. He agreed. The striped brown padded forward then and gave a short bark. He knew all the good trails in this area, the swamps, the caves and streams. He was willing to teach. To guide and make patrols easier. But first they would hunt yes? The bloodlust singing in his veins would not be denied. Flinging his head up the wild brown gave a chilling howl. The call of the hunt, before taking off at an easy lope. Come cousins. Let them sign this new pact in blood.