Onok

A few miles east of where Firah stood trapped in the pit, Onok finally broke through the timberline and slowed his gallop. He'd hit freshly mowed lawn, and across the neatly trimmed sea of green was the cabin house of Moonlit's former owner. All of the stallion's courage and certainty suddenly wavered, and he stopped fully in the center of the yard. The scent of wolf was strong here, and the oily odor of human permeated the place. His flaxen-white tail hung still and stiff behind him and his auds froze in place. Was this really the right choice to be making?

"Human!" Despite his sudden insecurity, the thought of his daughter sinking into that deathtrap compelled the stallion to trumpet out a call for the beast that resided here. "Moonlit and I need your help." A forelimb tensed, and he lifted it slightly, so that the very point of his dagger was hovering above the ground. Ever muscle in him was begging to move, to turn him around and send him galloping back into the safety of the trees. But again, the thoughts of Firah swarmed his mind, and Onok held firm.

Quentin & Shrike

Onok's trumpeting voice caught the attention of man and beast alike. Shrike had been out in the yard gnawing on a bone when the horse showed up, and was instantly on his paws and sprinting towards the stallion. He stopped at a halfway point across the yard and gazed across at the intruder with hackles and tail raised... until he realized who he was dealing with. "Oh, it's you again?" Shrike huffed. His tail eased back down, "What kind of help do you need?"

Quentin was soon stepping out of the house to the sound of a creaking screen door. He stepped to the edge of the newly constructed porch and leaned out against the railing, using a hand to shield his eyes from the glaring sun overhead. "Gentleman?" He murmured the name that the researchers had given the zorse, easily recognizing Onok's unique patterning. "Out here by yourself, big guy? Or did you bring the family?"

Onok

There was a moment or two where Onok's ears flattened back as old habit got the better of him. But he remembered Moonlit's assurance on this particular wolf and his relative, and forced his auds into a more neutral pose. He also compelled his raised leg back down, ignoring the itch to dig it into the ground or give the grass a good stomp to show he meant business. If Firah were to be rescued, he had to play nice.

"My daughter is stuck, and we need your human's help to free her." Looking now to Quentin, Onok tossed his head and and turned halfway towards the forest. He'd since come to understand that the two-leggers simply couldn't speak his tongue, so in lieu of using words, Onok used body language instead. To Shrike he added, "She's not far off, only a few miles west of here."

Quentin & Shrike

The wolf's emerald gaze scrutinized Onok's movements just as much as his ears analyzed the horse's words and their underlying tones. Shrike had slowly transitioned from a rescued 'pet' to a full-blooded guardian since their move to the mountains, and he would be sure that Onok wasn't a threat to his master. "That's up to him. But if he helps you, you better play nice." He didn't offer any growls or flashing fangs, but his bright eyes were steady and his posture confident. If Onok got squirrely, Shrike would intervene.

"You've got Moonlit out there with you?" Deaf to the conversation his lupine companion was having, Quentin's soft voice continued. He watched Onok toss his head and turn to the woods, and assumed the brief interaction was going to end there. But instead of disappearing back into the forest, the big, chocolate and white stallion had stopped. "What's this all about then, Gentleman?" Quentin clucked his tongue a few times, noticing that the stallion seemed... nervous? Agitated, maybe? It was hard to say, Quentin was never the one who understood the wild animals, but he was trying to get better at it.

Onok

Onok tossed his head in frustration and turned back to Quentin when it was clear the human wasn't following him. The creature had yet to leave the safety of the porch! A few hasty steps were taken in the man's direction before Onok circled back to the woods and looked over his shoulder with impatience, "Can you not communicate with the two-legger that he needs to follow?" He huffed to Shrike, and this time, an anxious hoof dug at the turf.

Quentin & Shrike

Shrike padded closer to Onok, though he stayed a few healthy feet out from the stallion's kicking range. "Can you calm down a second? Geesh." Once near enough to the horse, Shrike wagged his tail and looked back expectantly to Quentin, an act that finally connected with the man as he watched this unusual display of behavior from the two. "You just have to learn to be patient with humans, horse. The speak differently than us."

"Be careful, Thander." Quentin called out, his words and tones alike registering as caution to Shrike's ears. In response, Shrike wagged his tail again and uttered a pitched whine, trying to beckon the man his way. "Alright, alright, let me grab my bag. We'll go for a hike." He eyed Onok for just a moment, surprised at how tolerant the stallion was being with his canine companion. But more than that, he was intrigued by the way the horse seemed to be waiting for him, and how Shrike had joined in on the antics. Quentin pushed away from the railing, and the wooden boards of the porch creaked as he moved across them and disappeared into the house.

"He's going to follow us! I do know a few human words, and one of them means 'going for a long walk'." Shrike explained proudly. And sure enough, it wasn't long before the man exited the house with his hiking pack slung across his shoulders. Though he wasn't sure where Shrike was intent on leading him, it was clear the horse and wolf wanted him to see something, and Quentin half wondered if it had something to do with the mare he'd released earlier.

Onok

"I don't have time to dally." Onok rumbled back, but had little choice but to wait if he wanted the human's help. So he stayed at the edge of the woods, one chocolatey ear cocked at the two-legger's curious noise-making, and the other angled down to the wolf as the trio fumbled through a dense language barrier.

True to Shrike's assertion though, with time the human seemed to understand what was being requested. Onok wasn't sure if he was happy for this, or feeling regret all over again - could he really trust this man, after another had taken so many from his herd? The stallion's dual-toned sides heaved with a deep breath. He had to stick to the plan.

He turned back to the forest, with one ear turned back to listen to the pair at his back. "Tell him to walk quickly." Was all Onok had for Shrike, having no time to ponder over the creature's incomprehensible sounds or how Shrike learned to pick any of them out as individual words. He started off, moving at a quick trot that would eventually lead the three back to the meadow where the herd was waiting.