Cloudbreaker & Others

The journey from the Eskers all the way to the foothills of the White River mountains was an arduous one, leaving Cloudbreaker all more invested in finding Axis those spotted deer she'd promised, once they made it out of this whole mess. From the open fields of the sand dunes, Dally had lead the pair further into the heart of the Valley, delving deeper and deeper into the forests until, over three hours later, they had reached the small vale on the southwestern end of the land. The falcon eventually halted their march along the banks of flooded creek, a mile shy of Ethan's territory, but close enough that Axis and Cloudbreaker would be able to catch the scent here and there of the hunting dogs the man owned.

Dally landed on the trunk of a fallen tree while Cloudbreaker came to an uneasy standstill just in front of him. "Catch your breath, you two. The others should be arriving sooner or later. Once they're here, I'll let you guys figure out what to do next, but I'll keep a vigil in the sky. The human's den is not much further ahead." He turned to preen a few wing feathers, then bobbed his head and swiveled it about, keeping his sharp eyes focused for movement among the trees.

Cloudbreaker was likewise keeping an eye out on the surrounding forest. It wasn't exactly her favorite habitat, preferring the open plains to such confinement, but it did at least make for good cover against the humans, and provide some shelter against the boomsticks they carried.

-----

The trio didn't have to wait much longer before help arrived, in the form of four canines. First and foremost was a massive brute of a wolfdog, grizzled in color and looking entirely of wolven ancestory, despite having some shepherd blood in him. The massive, heavily scarred Tersek was marred only by a spread of gray across his muzzle, and a bit of flatness in his paws that signified his ripening age. At thirteen, the co-lead of the Haunters was well past his prime, but pride and a resilient fighting spirit had compelled him to answer Dally's request to help a former packmember. His two-toned eyes, one blue and the other yellow, studied Cloudbreaker and Axis as he emerged for the forest and made his approach.

Behind him traveled his daughter Duality, an equally impressive canine with two-toned eyes and grizzled fur. Only she was slighter than her sire, had more silver to accent her fur, and less gray around the muzzle. She even gave a friendly nod to Cloudbreaker upon recognizing her former packmate, and was polite enough not to eye Axis with any sort of predator intent.

Duality's niece was just behind her, slightly larger and lacking any of the grizzled patterns of the former two. This wolfodg was slightly larger than Duality, with soft gray fur and an accent of black caping her back and tail. She too gave Cloud a look of friendly acknowledgement, and shared a similar, worldless greeting with Axis.

Last to follow was the smallest of the hybrids, a mostly white fae with dark brown eyes and a dense coat that hadn't yet begun to shed in preparation for the coming spring. A bit more aloof, she only gave a passing look to the horse and deer before stopping and turning her nose to the air, reading what information she could glean on the wind. Nahimana was focused on the potential fight that might be coming their way.

Senka

Senka prowled right beside her other half if you wanted to call the co leaders half of a whole. The bluish tinged mix tigress weighted 600 lbs. Haunters were family whether current or former and when Dally had passed them she immediately agreed to help. There was no reason not to. She moved to step up. it is good to see you all, now from what I understand is this human has taken our family member captive. Well he will learn to not mess with usShe said.

Behind her came a few of her grown cubs. Tyrant who had sadly been one of the ones that had been stolen as a cub but luckily had returned to them. He Blue gray like his mother with bold black Stripes and he was just as big, though you could probably see a trace of snow leopard in his facial feutures..

Next to him was Menace, Light blue gray in color, that faded to white on her underside.Faint stripes on her legs and rings on her tail.Other wise she was a solid blue color.

Radar was next, he was only half siblings to the above two, same mother different father. He was 100 lbs less then his mother. His body was of the amur leopard in him instead of the tiger. Thick fur with stripes on his legs, Wide rosettes on his body(omg his birth doesn't have his color exactly lol).

Stark followed next the youngest of Senka cubs but still an adult. Orange hue in color with black spotted stripes. His body was that of the tiger and his head that of the snow leopard.

Lastly there was Neferti Was the smallest in the litter and resembles the snow leopard. She has her mothers bluish hue.With Light blue spottish stripes and lighter belly.

Aizen Followed his father here He was Grizzle grey in color with a sepia Tone under his first layer of fur. He only has three legs as he was missing his left rear from birth. He refused to be treated as a crippled in times like shese even though another sibling usually always kept to his side.

Darkia in the distant just glared after the wolf dog.

Axis

Axis nodded once more as the zorse explained a bit about humans. He didn't know much about them beyond some of the tools and weapons they used to hunt and trap deer, so the information on their athletic and sensory capabilities was invaluable. When the falcon gave mention of dogs, he felt a shiver rip through his spine. He'd never seen a dog, but he knew they were like dholes, having heard stories of how they would rip apart prey--and each other--like a mad tiger.

The images consumed his mind, and the falcon and zorse had already left when they subsided. He hurried to catch up, once again keeping pace with the zorse at a respectable distance. Once in a while he looked up in search of the bird, but for the most part he kept his eyes on the path ahead as well as the paths around them.

It was a long jog for one used to staying in one place for extended periods of time, and the deer was grateful when at last they came to a stop, and even more thankful that it was at the edge of a forest, where the trees weren't immensely thick but the sky wasn't too open. The chital breathed deeply to catch his breath, hanging close to a thicket as he eyed the area around them, waiting for these others to show up.

What he saw nearly gave him a heart attack. The only thing that kept him from bolting was a combination of the unfamiliar terrain--he wasn't entirely sure which way the humans were, and blundering into them was the last thing he'd want to do--and the zorse's own calm reaction. Once he realized that his companion seemed all fine with it, Axis swiftly steeled himself, planting his hooves firmly in the ground and careful not to meet the eyes of the predators.

Falcons, wolves...tigers? And a whole lot of them, come to help a horse! What kind of horses were these? What kind of territory were they about to lay siege to, to warrant such a large array of carnivores?

Axis tried hard not to let his fears show, tried to stand tall and keep his focus on the task at hand. The stench of these beasts whirled around him, not to mention them prowling ever closer. It didn't matter how friendly they were, it was just...unnatural. At this point he had to wonder if he was dreaming.

Cloudbreaker & Others

Cloudbreaker's reaction was the near polar opposite of Axis, if only because in the first few years of her life she had known nothing other than the company of the very creatures that stepped through the brush and into their little clearing. Where a normal horse would have rightly bolted, the zorse's expression and body language now reflected growing confidence, and she even took a small step forward, "Good to see you all again." Her head raised, Cloud let her eyes pass over the mixture of felines and canines, without portraying the twinge of sadness in her heart when Greyfell was not among those present. Gaze shifted between Senka and Tersek then, and with the co-leads before her, the equine dipped her head momentarily in respect, "Thank you for answering our call for help. This is the second time Darkia has been in the hands of humans, and she's not in a good way. The sooner we get her out of here, the better."

As Cloudbreaker was saying this, she caught a curious look from Nahimana, who was eying the poor stag who stood by the thicket, understandably terrified and confused by the presence of so many would-be deer slayers. Mentally kicking herself for this oversight, the zorse hastily added, "He's not part of the Haunter's herd. He was brave enough to answer my call for help without question, and in return, I'm going to find him some like kin." She locked eyes momentarily with Nahi, then passed it back to Tersek and Senka. And once her statement had been made clear, Cloudbreaker stepped back, turned, and moved closer to the chital to whisper to the startled deer, "I'm sorry, I should have warned you... I just didn't realize how many of them would actually show up. Don't worry, none of them will harm you."

Tersek merely eyed the deer with little interest, never having had much respect for the cervids that had served the Haunters. To him, they were little more than food, but he also wasn't going to break tradition and turn on Axis when the deer had been brave enough to step up and assist his pack in a time of need. The old wolfdog gave a simple, almost dismissive nod to Cloudbreaker before raising his gravelly voice, "I'd advise the wolves draw the dogs out from the human's den, lure them into the woods here for an ambush. That should be simple enough, with the numbers we have here. From there, we can deal with whatever two-leggeds come out."

Duality and Blackmist had at least acknowledged Cloudbreaker's words with attentive eyes, with the former even giving Axis a grateful nod. Then it was back to Tersek, listening intently to the brute's suggested plan of attack. Once he'd shared his ideas, wolven eyes were on Senka, to catch her opinion.

Senka

Senka glanced at Axis and dipped her head before listening to everyone. AS it doesn't seem we have been detected yet I agree with Tersek. If however; If the ambush fails in any way we show force, I with my children will rush in there cause mayham enough that the wolves can locate darkia perhaps break her out if they can't thats where you Cloud and your friend will come in and try to find a way to do so. She said calmly.

The others stood there waiting.

Aizen was quiet ready for some action even if he only had three legs.

Axis

Axis breathed a sigh of relief when the zorse leaned in to explain. While his muscles relaxed a little, it was by no means a complete lowering of his guard. After that he was able to focus a little more on what was being said, and paid particular mind when the plans were being laid out.

He was itching to not only get out of this cluster of predators, but to fulfill his promise...not to mention being shown the way to those other deer once all the fuss had died down. It would be nice to finally see--and perhaps mingle with--some of his own kind.

"What should we do?" the chital asked, eyes flicking onto the zorse to show what he meant by "we." Of course he didn't know who "Cloud" was (nor the apparent friend), so the tiger's words were lost on him.

Cloudbreaker & Others

Cloudbreaker listened as the predators fell into discussion, noting their roles as well as her own when Senka ordered it. She nodded to the tigeress, even though she had no experience with the two-leggers and their strange... things. Whatever they faced up ahead, the zorse was ready to destroy it to get her herdmate back. With her gaze still fixated upon Senka and Tersek, she spoke to the chital, "We're going to let the predators take the attention of the dogs first, and if anything goes south on that end, they will handle it. Our job is to move in towards the human's den and find Darkia once they've clear the way, and get her out of there." Now she looked to Axis, and added detail for the deer's benefit. "She's solid black, and on the skinny side. The humans have put a strange thing on her face - you'll know her when you see her." What Cloudbreaker didn't know was that the mare was stuck in a rather well fortified corral, but she'd deal with that little hangup if and when they got there. "If all else fails, your kind has great speed and agility. If anything comes after you, run them straight into the jaws of our party, and we'll defend you."

While Cloudbreaker was breaking down the plans to Axis, Tersek was paying attention to his co-leader's amendments, and heartily agreeing with them. "That all sounds good to me. Nahi, you'll bait out the dogs. The rest of you, take up hiding positions and get ready. And remember - if things get out of control, Senka and her kids will handle the enemies, and the rest of us will head straight for the den, so be ready for additional humans that might be lingering up there." With the assault finalized, the elder took a few paces back and turned for a pocket of shrubbery, where he would take up a hiding position.

Duality chose a location next to the creek, where the rushing waters would help drown out any sound of her rustling paws, while Blackmist took for the thicket that Axis and Cloudbreaker stood near. The smallest of them all, Nahimana remained in the center of the small clearing, waiting for everyone to get into position before she'd make her move.

Senka

Senka and her cubs took up hiding spots where their scents would not be detected till it was too late

Aizen moved to a bush and hid by it waiting eagerly.

Darkia felt a change in the air. She snorted.

Axis

Axis bowed his head to show he understood, and held close to his position as the others dispersed. The chital made a note of the others' positions (the ones he could see anyways) and waited with ears lifted, muscles coiled.

Cloudbreaker & Others

The little clearing quickly grew quiet again, with only Cloudbreaker and Axis still readily visible beside the thicket. And, of course, Nahimana sitting in the center of it all, giving her extended family time to find their positions. After a few moments, the wolfdog tilted her head back and ushered a call to the heavens, proclaiming her loneliness to the world, and a feigned ignorance about how close she was to a human settlement. Her vocals rose and fell in a haunting melody, and echoed back against the steep, rugged cliffs of the nearby mountains.

The call certainly did not go unheard. It was several minutes before the distance between Ethan's house and the clearing could be covered by canid paws, but sure enough, a five large forms came bounding into sight, while the roar of two engines sang not too far behind them. In front of the pack of king hounds was Carbon, a brute of considerable size and a weight topping 155 pounds. The four just behind him were of equal measure, and each wore the broad, spiked collar and leather harness that Ethan often equipped on his hounds.

Carbon stopped immediately at the edge of the clearing, at first seeing Nahimana, and then the horse and deer not too far off from her. It was the scent of felines and additional wolves that made his hair raise though, and a snarl play across his black and tan muzzle. "She's not alone..."

The other four were immediately on guard, pressed in close to Carbon as ears and eyes scanned the land around them, but didn't yet see any of the adversaries hidden nearby...

Senka

She watched and waited and then frowned. She heard vehicles. Her claws etched in the ground. The wind was coming toward her and the other felines so even if they smelt them they wouldnt be able to tell my scent where they were.The five Canines seemed to have something on their bodies and necks, the harnesses didn't look like they would pose a danger but the things on the necks mite. She paced a little. She was slowly making her way around. But until the vehicles she believed she heard showed she wouldn't cut them off. Her cubs followed her.

Aizen watched. He was itching to go but his good hearing heard the sound of those things the two leggers drove. Should they wait for the vehicles to show or should they attack? One ear was forward and he was ready to head to his companions aid if he needed to. The other ear was on his father waiting for the single to pounce.

Cloudbreaker & Others

The sight of the unknown canines was just as potently frightening for Cloudbreaker as it surely was for Axis upon seeing any dog. The mare's ears dropped back and she huffed loudly, expelling a sharp breath of anxiety. "I'd rather not have the two-leggers set eyes on us." She whispered to Axis. She took a few steps back until her rump hit the sprawling branches of a shrub that was just beginning to bud out in anticipation of warmer weather. With a swish of her tail, Cloud wheeled around and galloped further into the forest, putting distance between herself and the approaching pack. She didn't run though - the zorse made a semi-circle, swinging back aground so that she would be heading in the direction of the house, but with enough space between her and the clearing so that Carbon and his buddies hopefully wouldn't see her. And enough space to bolt away from the humans, should they head in her direction.

In the center of it all, Nahimana hid the annoyance and disappointment that the hounds had caught scent of the others, foiling their plans of a perfect ambush. She figured they had been downwind enough, but apparently these dogs were a bit brighter and more keen of scents than the average hunting canine. The lean wolfdog stood, tilting her head ever so slightly, "Others?" Spoken innocently, she began to pad forward, trying to play a coy game, "I caught your scent. And..."

Nahimana didn't even get the chance to try and distract Carbon with her wile before he uttered a deep and unsettling bark. Without much notice, the massive brute of a dog lunged forward and would have tackled the wolfess if she wasn't already on her toes and ready for a fight. She leaped aside with a snarl of her own, as now the other four dogs began to rush her...

Moving ever closer, it was an ATV that could be seen first weaving between the trees. A small vehicle, but one with a cover over the top of it, and a single person inside. Not too far behind him was a truck, following the rough path ahead as it bounced along with only some difficulty. There appeared to be two humans in this one.

Senka

She Instructed Radar and Menace to slink away and head to the house. Finally when the vehicles came into site she wouldn't risk leaving her pack mate alone and as the hound attacked she burst forth lunging straight for him, paying heed to his dangerous collar.

Tyrant also charged and lunged at the others.

theo ther tigress also lungest in but was heading straight for the ATV intending on jumping at the person aboard it if possible.(if its an atv that isn't enclosed if not she'd just go at a hound.)

Aizen couldn't wait either and even with three legs he made to lunge for a hound .Don't touch my sisterhe snarled out.

Darkia ears flicked as she heard noise in the distance and she smirked.

Menac and radar slunk away and moved toward teh compound intending on finding hte horse.

Axis

Axis bristled as the dogs drew closer, an unusual scent mixing in with that of the predators. It smelled of wolf, but also human. He could hear something rumbling loudly towards them. The chital had just caught sight of one of the dogs---massive brute---before Cloudbreaker whispered to him. He nodded in agreement and followed swiftly after her, ducking and weaving in the brush where his spotted coat could more easily break up his form.

Cloudbreaker & Others

As large as he was, Carbon still managed to pivot quickly enough on his paws to swing around and catch Nahi by the shoulder before she could completely dance away. The second the smaller fae was between his jaws, he began to thrash her viciously, driving his teeth in deeper and rending the flesh around them. Nahi yelped and tried to snap back, but Carbon's thrashing prevented her from getting anything more than a mouthful of his fur. Thankfully for her, Senka came to her aid seconds later, barrelling across the ground to attack her assailant. Carbon was unable to release Nahi quickly enough to escape, and the tigress managed to catch him...

Leo, a tan furred hound, was getting ready to circle around Nahi when Tyrant exploded from cover next. Though only a fraction of the feline's size, Leo met his charge and aimed his keen fangs for the cat's upper leg, to tear at the muscles there if he could get to them...

Blue, a dark coated, chocolate-eyed hound was the one to meet Aizen. Seeing the brute only had three legs, she had turned away from Nahi and went straight for him, running hard and fast with the goal of tackling him off his feet. This commotion caught Duality's attention however, and she was not going to let her half-brother come to harm. The grizzled female drew her ears forward, lifted back her lips in a snarl, and rushed at Blue...

Carrie was the fourth hound, a slightly smaller, sable-marked female with a creamy undercoat and deep yellow eyes. She paused only slightly amid the chaos of charging felines and wolves, giving herself just enough time to pick her victim. Her eyes soon set on Tyrant, and in two short bounds she reached the big cat who was attacking her brother. While Leo was going for a front leg, she went for the enemy's soft stomach...

Blackmist and Tersek both teamed up against a particularly large hound named Kong, once the leader of this small hunting pack before age had robbed him of his title. Blackmist harried him from behind, snapping for his flank and haunches, while Tersek boldly when for the face and jaws, unable to reach the collar-protected throat.

Though the ATV was covered, a window was soon rolling down a few inches as the vehicle rumbled to a stop just at the edge of the clearing. The man inside was reading his gun and pointing out through the gap in the window, waiting for an opening shot...

The truck had stopped just a few feet back from him, unable to get into the clearing with the smaller vehicle in the way. Ethan was already on his phone calling for assistance, while the other man was likewise rolling down the passenger side window, just enough that he could aim a gun out. But like the other fellow, he couldn't quite take a shot yet, not without risking hitting one of their own hounds.

---

Cloudbreaker checked her pace once she and Axis had made it into deeper woods without anyone else noticing or trailing them. The roar of the engines had fallen into a quiet rumble, and was quickly overtaken by the snarls and cries of battle that she was all too eager to leave behind. She turned focus forward, leading her smaller cervid friend in the direction of the human's den; at least, she was relatively certain she was going in the right direction.

It wasn't long before Menace and Radar caught up, to which Cloud gave them a thankful look. "Lets make this quick." The zorse whispered to the three, just as the paneling of a dark, slate-blue house came into view between the tangle of trees and branches they were traveling through. Two large barns were set a distance from the house, and around and in between them all were cages and pens of various sizes. Cloudbreaker froze there, at the edge of the yard, where there were still enough trees between her and the human structures to provide decent cover. A shape caught her attention, drawing her eyes towards a small, mostly black wolfdog laying in front of the nearest barn. A larger, silvery canine was standing nearby him, saying something that the mare couldn't quite hear.

"Menace, Radar... you two want to distract those fleabags? Our friend and I will find Darkia." What Cloudbreaker hadn't noticed yet, thanks to a trailer parked conveniently in her way, was the black mare stuck alone in a corral, just a few yards from where the two dogs were conversing.

Senka

Senka aimed for his back, intending on breaking it. But harming the canine at the very least was her goal.

Tyrant snarled at the canine as he felt the canines teeth grip his leg however his own teeth are now aimed down at his head, not neck but his head. However; He snarled as he attacked leo but felt the bites on his stomach and he brought a back foot forward claws out aiming to scratch the dog anywhere he could get.

Aizen heard the one coming at him and barely swung his attention to her as he aimed to meet her fang to fang if his half sister didn't intercept succesfully.

Menace listened to cloudbreaker and moved on a head of the two herbivoirs. ONly coming to halt to study the two dogs. GladlyThe tigress said and burst out in the opening and ran straight for them without a care.

Radar followed his half sister running straight for the dogs.

Darkia heard the roars of tigers and her ears flicked and she snorted and began trotting the line of the corral.

Cloudbreaker & Others

Teeth burrowed into Carbon's nape, cutting through the thick fur that had only just begun to shed now that spring was upon them. Thick muscles ended up saving the hound from an instant death, slowing Senka's fangs just enough that he was able to wiggle and pull back, so that her grip did not reach his vertebrae. Nonetheless, she had a secure hold on him, which left the leader with scant room to maneuver around. With a roar of pain and rage, Carbon twisted his head to the side and slashed at any bit of the big cat he could reach, while pawing and flailing about in an attempt to get free. Nahi was on him at the same time though, sinking her ivory daggers into the brute's side.

The second Leo had flesh between his jaws, he twisted and thrashed his dial, trying to maximize whatever damage he could rend. And though his head was a wildly moving target, Tyrant did manage to bring his own keen teeth down over the dog's long cranium. Leo yelped and tried to pull back, but the big cat had a firm grip.

Hearing her brother's cry of distress, Blue only dug deeper into Tyrant's belly, trying to open up the big cat's guts. She saw the hind leg and tried to swivel away, but she would not give up her hold, and so she willingly took the damage that tore across her shoulder and muzzle, leaving several bloody gashes.

Carrie took a few snaps to her muzzle, leaving her face bloodied after running into Aizen. She snapped right back at him though, up until a powerful force hit her across the hindquarters and spun her to the ground. In an instant, Duality was at her throat, trying to end the dog's life before she could get back up...

In the midst of it all, Kong clashed with Tersek and Blackmist, struggling against the more youthful fae, and the war-wizened brute.

-----

"Uh, grandpa- shit!" Silver Fyre saw the movement in the treeline, being on high alert despite her calm demeanor and casual chatter with Tommy. "We have company. Get out of here!" The silver-coated wolfdog sprang up and bolted across the yard, leading Menace and Radar on a chase if they wished to pursue her. Tommy was scrambling up just as quickly and pushing his old, splayed paws into action. He bolted after his granddaughter, but split off shortly after and darted under a large tractor, where it would be difficult for the bigger cats to squeeze beneath...

Cloudbreaker almost laughed at the way these mongrels ran in fear from her friends. With a nod to Axis, she used every once of courage she had remaining in her tense muscles to step from the safety of the trees and until the yard, moving slowly passed the truck. She didn't see the bit of movement from the nearby barn, but she did finally see the dark mare pacing the fence of her corral. "Darkia!" The zorse whinnied, before swishing her tail and galloping towards the strange structure that held her friend at bay, "Darkia- are you okay?" Her eyes turned from the mare to the metal wall, having no clue how to defy it. "How do we get you out of here?"

Axis

Axis could hear the battle raging not long off. The stench of blood stained his nostrils, pushing his nervous system into overdrive. His ears pinned when the zorse brayed a laugh beside him, unable to understand what was funny about all this. He hardly noticed the two dogs running away, fixated only on anything that might rush for him. He mindlessly lurched after Cloudbreaker when she suddenly broke off, his senses coming back to him when he saw the dark form in the pen.

He looked at the horse's large form and determined that she couldn't squeeze under the slats in the fence. Technically he couldn't either, not with his antlers.

"You can't jump over it?" he asked dumbly, eyeing the wall, wondering if it was something even he, a springy deer, could do. Maybe if he went vertical...broke his ankles on the landing.

Looking around to glean where the enemy might be, Axis paced along that side of the corral, searching for a gate.

Senka

Senka would not give up at all, She held onto the dog even if she didn't get the killing blow she wanted and she made to shake him and then even toss him as far from her as possible.

Tyrant held tight pressing down with as much pressure as he could. Though his stomach was bleeding now and he aimed his clawed foot for her again. Whether or not he killed the dog in his teeth he sent him flying most likely when he twisted his head and then let go as he was twisting it back. Then he would aim to latch onto the one at his underside this time really intending on snapping her back.

Aizen grunted when Duality tackled the dog he was fighting. There we go again. But he refused to give in and aimed to bite for the dogs throat.

Menace and Radar tore after the two. When they split up Radar went after the female to make sure she didn't come back and Menace followed the older male. She held her head low growling at the dog under the truck.You better stay under there flea bag. We'll leave once our friend is freeShe hissed.

Darkia watched the tigers take off after the dogs she was not fazed. The fence is too high to jump and im afraid I don't have much energy to use to jump anywaysShe said. Sure she had just eatten alot of hay but it wasn't nearly enough to restore her. She then looked up at cloudbreaker and the deer with her. Im not sure, they had the truck against this spot, there must be a lever or latch or somethingShe said but was not sure. The fence was too high for her to jump, these human must capture wild horses a lot t o know to make the pens high.

Cloudbreaker & Others

Carbon was more or less at Senka's mercy as she shook him about like he were no more weight than a tissue on the breeze. Nahimana scored a mark against his side before the tigeress flung him suddenly across the ground, where he rolled a few times before scrambling in a haze to his feet. Before he could quite get his barrings straight, Nahi was at him once again, and the two were soon locked in combat.

-BAM!-

The air was split by a horrific explosion of noise as a gun went off, though no bullet struck any of the fighters. Ethan had taken a shot into the air, making an attempt to spook the animals first, rather than risk a shot at one of his dogs. The fellow in the ATV, however, had his gun trained on Senka, and his finger on the trigger, ready to pull..

Leo was not so lucky as his leader. His skull could not withstand the pressure put onto it by the big cat, and it gave in with a terrible crack when Tyrant put all his might into his bite. With a shudder, the big dog's fight was over, and his limp form rolled to the ground after his foe tossed him aside. Blue, meanwhile, took another raking across the face, with one claw catching just beneath her eyelid and very nearly puncturing the orb behind it. She yelped and ducked back away from the feline, scrambling out of his reach when he turned on her. She wheeled around just as quickly and tried to bite at Tyrant's neck, attempting to latch on where he couldn't bite back at her.

Nearby, Carries was just about on her feet, having slapped Duality's muzzle aside before the fae could reach her throat. But as her paws went back for the earth, a new set of teeth were at her neck. Aizen had gotten his hold. The big dog kicked out at him in a panic, trying to push Aizen off before his teeth could go too deep into the throat...

-----

Tommy wiggled himself between rows of giant tilling blades at the front of the tractor and peered back at Menace, his teeth bared defiantly at the cat he was hiding from, "You'll be leaving in pieces, cat. No wild thing enters Ethan's territory uninvited." For all his brave words, the little wolfdog didn't dare budge from the protection of the giant metal circles that surrounded him. He did spare a second to glance in Silver's direction, just in time to see his granddaughter dart beneath the deck on the side of the house.

Cloudbreaker looked back at her cervid companion, then to the metal fencing that kept Darkia separated from them, and her optimism for this potential solution faltered. "I'm afraid we're not so nimble as you." The fencing was indeed high, at least enough to discourage all but the most wiley of equines, and certainly too much for an energy depleted Darkia. She nudged the wall with her nose next, testing its durability. The cold metal refused to budge even with a hearty shove, leaving that method of escape out of the picture as well.

"Lever?" The zorse perked an ear at her friend, as she joined Axis in circling the corral, looking for any means of overcoming this obstacle. "...I don't know what I'm looking for." Darkia and Axis were on the right path though, and the chital would soon come across the gate that the mare had mentioned. It had two latches on the lower half, designed to keep any clever horses on the inside from reaching down and unlocking. But for someone on the outside, it would take just a bit of fiddling, patience, and clever thinking to undo them both.

While the trio were working to figure this out, their daring shenanigans were being observed by a pair of dark, brooding eyes. Harthrou, the black-coated marwari stallion, stood at the edge of the nearby barn with his head raised high, and his curved ears swiveled forward at attention. The beast of a horse snorted loudly, stamping a hoof to the ground, "My human doesn't have any need for more deer meat. But I'm sure the dogs wouldn't mind an early dinner tonight."

Axis

Eventually he found it---a section of fencing that rattled and wiggled when he nudged it, loose but unwilling to budge. The chital tilted his head nearly upside-down as he tried to his focus his eyes towards whatever could be holding it shut. He was about to explain to the zorse when a voice broke in, breaking his focus.

To his surprise, the words came from a horse.

"Your human?" he echoed, eyeing the stranger incredulously. Did the horse think he was a dog? No...it referred to the canines separately. Once more, he was utterly befuddled, having no idea what use humans had for horses, much less why a horse might side with them.

Keeping his eye on the stranger, to the zorse he said, "See where the fence moves? That's where humans get in." He knew this from experience...after all, he was a chital far from home. "There's a...stick...if you get it to turn the other way, there'll be a hole in the pen. Try kicking it," he suggested, knowing horses had fearsome back legs. He rubbed his shoulder in the general area where he thought the lever was.

He was starting to step towards the stranger, wary and tense. He wasn't behind any fencing, so he wondered if the horse was free to move around, or if the humans had perhaps tied him down. Given his words, if he was free, then would he try to stop them? The zorse would need some time to get the gate open, and Axis was ready to put his nimble hooves to work if that was the case.

Senka

Senka would gone after the mutt herself if it wasn't for the noise. But she did not run, no Darkia was not free and therefore she would not abandon the diversion in the least. However; she didn't know what was in those boom sticks if it couldh urt them. However; she could tell they were avoiding shooting most likely in fear of hitting their own animals. She didn't move though her eyes keen on the ones with the boom sticks.

Tyrant was very much satisfied when he heard the others scull crack. Now he had one opponent and he had intentions of doing the same thing to her.The boom stick sound cause him to hestate though Felt the canines teeth in his neck and he snarled and rared up and threw his head back when that didn't work he brought his hind leg up intending on scratching her once again. Thats when Senka attention snapped and she ran to help her son aiming to grab the mutt by its back.

Aizen felt his teeth hit its mark and even at her thrashing about he refused to release. He did stumble a bit but once he got his legs in a better position even having three legs he was steady. He shook his own head closing his eyes to protect them from any attack to him.

Menace smiled at him.Thats your thought mutt, he shouldn't of taken our friend, that was his first mistakeShe said swipping at him with a clawed paw.

Radar paced the deck .Better stay under there, we aren't here to kill anyone unless they get in our wayHe said.

Darkia was at the part of the fencing she was sure opened some how. She had tried to push it, tried to kick it but it didn't waver. She snorted and reared at the boom sound though and began pacing the enclosure.We have to hurryShe said. She hated loud noise in general. She glared at the other horse. im sure my tiger friends will gladly eat you stupid slaveShe snorted.

Cloudbreaker & Others

-BAM-

In those moments when Senka stood still, with no fighters around her, the fellow in the ATV took a chance and pulled the trigger, aiming a shot at the tigeress. A second shot followed, but this one was from Ethan, and directed into the air once more in a desperate attempt to scatter the quarreling animals.

The sounds of gunfire had little effect on the canines, who were raised around such things and didn't so much as flinch at the deafening booms or smokey burn of gunpowder. Blue had other things to worry about as it was, such as the large hind paw swiping her way. She dug into the neck and thrashed as fiercely as she could before giving up her grasp and springing sideways. Two claws still managed to snag her shoulder, slicing open the flesh and staining her coat red. The hound was not daunted though, and nor was she stupid - when Senka joined in the fray, she bolted in the opposite direction, making a dash for Ethan's truck...

Carrie was held fast, and soon her hind leg was snatched up between the vice like jaws of Duality, who pulled against her brother's hold to make it all the more difficult for the hound to thrash about and break free. The dog stifled a yelp and she continued to slap and claw at Aizen, desperately trying to break away from his grasp. Teeth dug in deeper, and only her thick dewlap saved the dog from a quick death, keeping his teeth from striking her jugular vein or windpipe. But it was close, and she wouldn't not be able to last forever in this position...

-------

Tommy winced and hunkered back when the paw came at him. The claws missed him thanks to the many blades of metal he hid behind, but if Menace were determined enough, she could score a mark against the elder hybrid. "Ethan takes what he wants." Even with a sharply grayed muzzle, the canine's bared fangs stood out in sharp contrast against the otherwise black muzzle.

Silver Fyre watched the shadows and beams of light dance above her through the slats of wood that made up the deck. Oh, how she wanted to lunge up and take a bite at that soft belly dangling above! But alas, she couldn't reach him, and was smart enough not to try and take on a big cat by herself. "What's got you prowling in our neck of the woods then, cat?"

Across the yard, Cloudbreaker's attention flashed to Harthrou and her ears immediately went back. Being larger than the ebony stallion, thanks to the draft blood mixed into her genepool, the zorse was more than willing to bum rush the fool and give him a swift kick for his troubles, but her first priority was to get her friend free before the humans and hounds had a chance to show up. To that end, she shifted her attention back to the perplexing latches that Axis was now explaining to her. Cloud's ears came forward again and she studied the contraption along with the chital, nodding slowly at his advice.

"A stick?" Her eyes caught the latch, but it was so foreign to her that she couldn't quite figure out what the deer meant. Regardless, she trusted his experience and took a step back, turning herself about as he bravely took on Harthrou's attention. With a look back to steady her aim, Cloud gave the gate a swift, powerful kick. The metal rattled loudly, and the latch shifted under the impact, sliding slightly. She kicked again, and the first latch fell open, leaving just one more...

"My human." Harthrou affirmed, his voice dripping with aggression as he ignored the mares for the moment, and the big cats toying with their canine prey. His attention was on the antlered Axis who dared to step in his direction. The audacity! The marwari took a step forward himself, moving further out of the shadows of the barn, and revealing that there was no tether holding him down. That fact that was free of his stable was thanks to Tommy, who had the penchant for causing mischief about the ranch to alleviate his own boredom now that advancing age kept him out of most hunts.

"Do you really think you can stand between me and my prey?" It was rather dark words coming from a horse, and followed immediately by a snort and a slam of hooves as Harthrou charged suddenly at Axis, neck stretched forward and maw parted...

Axis

No rope. Axis was ready when the horse charged forward, but his muscles froze up at the sound of another gunshot. By the time his body reacted, the horse's teeth had closed around the loose skin between neck and shoulder.

The deer kicked and twisted about to release himself from the stranger's grasp; yanking hard, a good chunk of skin was ripped halfway off his body, flopping over his shoulder. Despite the injury, at the very least he could hope that might have stopped the horse's momentum. Quickly he bounded a few paces away to give himself some distance to work with.

If it wasn't before, now the adrenaline really started to kick in. He started to prance with his hooves high to show that the horse hadn't hurt him in the least.

"'Prey!'" the deer huffed, scrambling for a taunt to keep the stranger's attention on him. "So the horse does want to be a drooling dog! Your head must be full of hay. Let me bay with you!" And he offered the sharp, squeaky bark of a chital. Very intimidating.

Senka

Senka had begun to pivot when the shot came, it was that that saved her however her side bled from being grazed by the shot. She snarled out ad that gave the dog time to start running. She ignored the pain shooting through her leg and shot after her refusing to let the loud noise scare her.

Aizen held tight and shook his own head violantly. Until the second gun shot and then he released her to freeze and try to find the culprit. When nothing further came he attempted to attack her again.

Menace snorted.well perhaps he'll learn to not mess with usShe hissed she then heard the going ons between axis and the horse nd without warning she shot away and lunged for Harthorou jugular aiming for her teeth to latch onto it from the underside.

Radar paced.For our friend who your master kidnappedhe hissed.

Darkia snorted at the stallion.your human, thats a laugh! He is a slave driver. She snorted.

Tyrant slunk off but came back toward the vehicles from the other side and attempted to attack the machine or anyone hanging outside it.

Cloudbreaker & Others

Instead of diving beneath the truck or scratching frantically at the door in the hopes of being let inside the cab, Blue whirled around with an explosive snarl to greet the charging Senka. Bleeding and wounded as she was, the giant hound plunged herself back into the fray, with her long, powerful jaws rushing straight for the tiger's neck, just past the jaws...

With the tiger so close to his vehicle now, Ethan had a much clearer aim. Without hesitation, and with years of practice to guide his hand despite the adrenaline rush of having so many dangerous beasts around him, the man rolled the window down a little more and pointed the gun at Senka's hindquarters to shoot at the legs. It may not be a kill shot, but it at least wouldn't hit any of his hounds.

Carrie had just barely escaped the jaws of death when Aizen loosened his hold. She sucked in a deep, hoarse breath and pivoted on her front legs to send a quick and vicious bite to Duality's face and neck. The suddenness of the assault forced the wolfdog back with a yelp and a snarl, her flesh ripped open and oozing. Carrie then countered swiftly, lunging at Aizen just as he was biting at her. She went low, sacrificing her upper body to assault while she went for the chest...

There was a shout from the man in the ATV as a few hundered pounds of big cat gave the shocks a good workout. The small vehicle shifted and bounced under the impact, and prevented the fellow from lining up another shot. He was safe enough from Tyrant right now, as long as the windows didn't come down any further, but it was rather unnerving to have such a large predator so close. The man began to bang on the roof of the cab, trying to scare Tyrant away.

-------

Harthrou wasn't fond of that bitter taste of blood in his mouth, but right now it tasted victorious! His only regret was that the deer had pulled away before he could bash the lesser creature with his hooves and stomp it into the earth. Indignation rose in his tones as he retorted to Axis, "I am above the likes of those fanged mongrels. A trueblood, I-" But Axis was already prancing away, tossing his hooves with the grace and agility of his kind, and giving out such a peculiar bark that the stallion was thrown off for a second. Was that suppose to instill fear, or was the deer mocking him?!

Harth pinned his ears back and charged forward again, trying to catch up to his fleeter adversary and deliver a pummeling with his hooves. Whether or not he quite reached Axis, the dark stallion quickly had another problem at hand, in the form of a big cat. With the wide, flat yard giving him plenty of time to see her approach, Harthrou spun around and kicked hard, letting Menace deal with his hind legs before she could reach his throat...

Like a streak of silver, Fyre squirmed out from beneath the porch and rushed at Menace. And unlike the other fighting hounds, Silver only darted in to nip at the cat's haunches before dancing away, aiming to harry her like she had Darkia earlier. Seeing this, her grandfather scrambled out from his own hiding spot and sized up the two cats, ready to either have a go at Menace, or intercept Radar if the big cat went after Silver.

Cloudbreaker had winced as Harthrou snagged the deer, tearing back a flap of flesh. "Hang on, we're almost there..." She muttered this under her breath while striking again at the gate, her attention torn between the fencing and the fighting nearby. Thanks to Menace and Axis though, the zorse was able to keep at her own task, and repeatedly lashed at the gate. The first several kicks did nothing more to loosen the latches, but the fifth one came at a slight angle, snagging the second latch and turning it down and out in one fell swoop. The sixth strike sent the gate flying inward...

Axis

Axis stopped prancing when the horse charged at him, readying himself to dance out of the way. He was startled when one of the tigers came out of nowhere, and the horse twisted about to kick him. Not knowing what he was doing, his body reacted automatically; his muscles were prepped to dodge, but focused to push himself forward instead, back in the direction of the zorse and the gate. This resulted in the chital bounding once to close the remaining distance between the horse and himself, bouncing high and driving down with head bowed and antlers forward, with gravity at his back and the horse beneath of his sharp tines.

Senka

Senka snarled out as the dog as she came back at her and she aimed her clawed paw for the dogs face as it lunged for her. However; that ended up causing her to get shot in the leg and she snarled out in pain and turned and lunged at the atv lashing out at the open window with her clawed hands.

Aizen snarled as she attackedh is chest but that left her top side open and the three legged wolf mix lunged for her neck now aiming to grab and clamp down on it.

Tyrant did nt get scared from the banging instead it just seemed to piss him off more and he threw his weight at the vehicle.

Menace saw his legs coming for her and veered off just in time but she also turned back and now aimed to latch onto said legs. She felt the canines teeth but ignored her entirley. Her hunting instincts really taking over.

Radar snarled as the canine got out and went for his sister and he was off the porch and running straight for her. When he'd get to her he'd lung for her neck.

Darkia snorted as the gate opened and she got out of the pen in seconds and she ran head down ears back straight at silver the dog and snapped at her even if radar was going after her. She refused to leave here without causing harm to someone. Once that was done she would spin around and take off running calling loud to those fighting above about her freedom as she ran.

Cloudbreaker & Others

The ATV soon had two big cats on it, and the tires bulged at the sides for the added weight placed upon them. And while the frame of the small vehicle could at least hold up to the pair of giant felines, the man inside the cab was not doing quite so well. He flinched down when Tyrant pounced on the vehicle, and was so caught up with banging his fists against the roof that he didn't notice the incoming swipe from Senka. His arm was close enough to the window that two of her wicked claws caught his flesh through the small crack of the glass, and he cursed as the surprise and pain of it. Unable to handle his long-barreled weapon single handedly, the fellow grabbed at the two toes that poked through the window, trying to pry the claws out of his skin.

Carrie bit hard and fast at the brute's chest, not carrying whether her teeth tore flesh, struck rib, or snuck past to pierce a lung. As long as she had flesh between her jaws, she was going to bite down as hard as she could and shred it. The trade off was that the back of her neck was now seized by Aizen, and there was no way she could defend against that.

The loud, ringing call from Darkia found its way to Tersek and Blackmist, who were just now finishing off the old brute Kong. Panting heavily but not seriously wounded, Tersek barked out a short command to the gathered Haunters, "Darkia's been freed - fall back, away from the boomsticks!"

Blackmist readily heeded her grandfather's orders. With a slight limp that attested to her quarrel with the elder King Hound, the hybrid's only action before running for the trees was the body check Carrie, to give her aunt and Aizen time to retreat.

Duality wasn't keen on leaving a fight unfinished, but she couldn't deny the danger of the boomsticks. The dogs were one thing, and the humans would be simple to kill if they were outside of their cars, but the boomsticks could not be fought against. She gave Carrie a vicious bite to the side before turning tail for the woodlands, though she did pause and linger halfway there, making sure Aizen made it out okay too.

Loathe to put a stop to her fight, Nahimana almost ignored the call. As bloodied as she was from going up against the much larger hound, Nahi detested the thought of leaving him and others alive. She sent a rapid burst of snaps at the brute's face, taking several in turn, but ultimately driving him back a few paces. It gave her just enough room to turn and dart away, snarling as she went for the safety of the trees.

------

In very quick order, Harthrou found the tables decidedly turned against him. His hind hooves hit nothing but air, missing the tiger completely. For his troubles, a series of claws raked down and dug into one of those limbs, drawing a stream of oily dark blood down his ebony coat. A horse built more for speed and endurance rather than strength, Harth was able to kick his leg free before Menace could secure a hold, but the movement did leave some of his flesh in ribbons. Of course, that was not the end of his troubles in this brief moment.

He'd seen the chital move, but had put the creature out of his mind as harmless, even though he knew stags could and wound put their deadly antlers to use if need be. The Marwari paid the price now as the full weight of Axis came crashing down against his flank and side, tines digging savagely into flesh. The strike was so sudden and unexpected that Harthrou's legs buckled momentarily, bringing him to his knees with a scream. The whites of his dark eyes were visible as he turned to bite first at Axis, then at Menace while pawing himself desperately back to his hooves...

Silver Fyre did what damage she could to the legs before turning for the sensitive tail, knowing she had to distract Menace from the stallion before it was too late. Whether or not she got to clamp on big cats tail, Fyre soon had another problem to contend with, in the form of the black mare rushing past her. The hybrid bolted to the side to avoid the legs, but didn't realize it was the horse's teeth she had to watch for, and Darkia was able to tare not only a chunk of fur out of the canine's back, but a bit of flesh to go with.

Tommy's target quickly landed on Radar, who he saw going for his granddaughter. Putting his old paws to the test, the labrador mix picked up speed and charged headlong for the big cat, and vaulted towards the cat's feet in a bid to trip him up and send them both tumbling...

Cloudbreaker hesitated before starting towards the trees, "Fall back!"

Axis

Working on the adrenaline, Axis dug his hooves into the dirt as he landed, trying to step forward in an instinctual attempt to push his opponent back---which, given the horse's weight, obviously wasn't going to happen. The horse's teeth sung over his ear, but he forced the tines deeper until the spray of blood whipped over his brow, turning his mind back to the situation. Axis staggered back and, hearing the zorse's voice, whirled about to bolt. Catching a glimpse of the freed horse as she ran, he moved quickly to rejoin the zorse, casting a glance over his shoulder to check if either dog, horse, or tiger were coming up behind him.

Senka

Senka the bluish tigress felt her claws sink into something and growled in anticipatication even when the male inside grabbed her paw. She tried to get her head in however; thats when the call to retreat came and with a roar at the male she yanked her clawed paw back not caring if she shredded his arm in the process and forcing herself to not limp or show weakness she took off back into the wood.

aizen snarled as he bit down and shook. When he call came he growled but released her and the moment he was free he took off running fater his sister and father.

Menace snarled out as she bit her tail but luckily Darkia came in and bit the dog. The two then took off into the woods.

Radar heard teh dog coming and spun around lashing out with his claws till the fallback command and then he took off.

Darkia took off avoiding the clearing where the major fight had gon down.

Cloudbreaker & Others

The air-rending crash of gun blasts followed the fighters that were retreating from the clearing, where the humans now had clearer shots to take at their retreating forms. Thankfully for the Haunters, the distance between there and the safety of the forest was not a long one, and the trees were thick enough here to make aim difficult for the two leggers once the animals had gone deep enough into the woods.

The smallest target of them all was one of the unfortunate ones to take one of those wild bullets, and announced this with a pained grunt. Nahi stopped and turned her muzzle back to lick at the new wound burrowed into her side, "Damn those boomsticks.."

"We can't stay here." Duality brushed shoulders with Nahimana, holding in a wince at the red that slowly blossomed against her packmate's pale fur. "Come, I think I hear the others." With another encouraging nudge, the larger wolfdog pushed her sore body into a steady sprint, momentarily leading Blackmist and Nahi until Tersek overtook her and assumed the lead.

----

Cloudbreaker watched as Harthrou had gotten back to his hooves, and as those pesky two dogs circled nearby him without any inclination for pursuing their quarry. With Menace, Radar, and Axis heading her way, she slipped into the brush and followed after Darkia, delving deeper into the dense woodlands to put distance between them and the human's territory. And she didn't stop until they rendezvoused with the other half of their group, some quarter of a mile away.

Tersek, the grizzled old co-lead of their ragtag bunch, was the first cross into her path. Two-toned eyes looked harshly up at her, then quickly past the zorse to assess the damage on her end. "...Menace, Radar, Darkia.. good, good. We're moving out then, no time to stop and lick our wounds here." Seeing that all were accounted for, including their missing packmate, the elder wolfdog didn't even slow down before adjusting his course and leading their Haunters towards Galar's Marsh.

Cloudbreaker sighed quietly and murmured under her breath, as to avoid Tersek's ears, "And don't forget about Spotted Deer." She wasn't going to hassle with correcting him, but she did glance back just to make sure Axis was keeping up, then turned her dial back and followed her family out towards Galar's Marsh.