This was her home, she knew that. Yet even now, within the borders of where she was born and raised, Illinga felt death pounding upon her door.

Maybe it was the pack of wolves chasing her that caused this feeling.

The probability of this had gone from 0.01% to maybe, oh, lets say, 0.1% chance of surviving. Illinga felt the familiar nostalgia of returning home, but it was marred with fear and danger. She hadn't felt this unsafe since Poltergeist chased her all the way home with snapping teeth and thundering roars. Even then, he hadn't been the real danger, just the saviour. Her saviour was not here now though, she was grown up, and alone.

Well, not entirely. Her new friend, and now fleeing partner, Serrengeti, was with her. Serren copied her manouvers a second behind she did, Illinga was glad of her quick thought and speed. If not, she would be easily lost. The mare was just a dark shadow weaving through trees she mermorized a long time ago, she made sure her path was complicated, and that the hot breath on her hooves would disappear.

It was hard, and the anglo-arab was exhausted before long. Pain burned through her muscles as she concentrated on where one path lead and how to dart from there to another series of turns. Plus there was the ability of staying on her hooves, not stumbling through the undergrowth. Soon the thinking felt automatic, she was past feeling the pain, and she was just a horse using instincts she'd have never thought of in a safer situation running for her life. Soon enough, she could hear her critical thoughts remind her, soon enough she'd run out of places to run, she'd run out of energy. And what would she do then? How would she survive?

A scream erupted from her maw as one lucky wolf leapt forward and landed on her back. Her speed was too fast to easily stop, but something told her that if she stumbled to the ground, they would be on her and devouring her alive. Her desperation was great as she bounded from left to right, now smashing into whatever trees she could rather than delicately weaving through them life before. The wolf growled in her ear, she felt its teeth clinging onto her withers, its paws scrabbling for a hold on her back.

"Get off!" She neighed, fear in her voice as she stopped quickly. It was difficult but she managed to throw the wolf forward, her lowered head dodging as it rolled straight over. Then she ran forward, feeling the crush of bones under her as she trampled it to death and carried on fleeing.

[[ZOMG THREAD CLAIM. GEIST WILL BE HERE SOON.]]

Serengeti raced alongside Illinga, hooves flying. She could tell Illinga was begining to feel the effects of exhaustion. Serengeti was a good long-distance runner, but this, along with a ll the bucking and kicking going on, was making her tired. She saw a wolf Jump onto Illinga's back, and neighed in fear. She put on a burst of speed to try and knock it off, but Illinga had already succeeded in doing so. The wolves were switching out; fresh ones taking the place of the old ones. She followed Illinga for dear life. She looked down and saw the wolf trampled as her feet flew over it. She called to Illinga "Dont look back!" Serren knew if she looked back, she could lose an eye. Teeth encased her right back hoof and she jumped as high as she possibly could. The teeth flew off, and her bleeding leg, now joined by the bleeding hoof, left a dark trail in their wake. She looked at the usually graceful mare beside her, but now saw dark drops of blood on her back. A coat of sweat covered both horses, and Serren was getting desperate. She looked over at Illinga and whinnied loudly, asking what they were going to do. She bucked again and saw, out of the corner of her eye, a wolf shy away.

[[i'll wait, but you MUST reply soon muma lol can't wait forever while this thread ish going ... ^.^]]

[[My bad. Go reply in Carpendell, you <3]]

He didn't need to hear the screaming whinnies to know she was in trouble. Poltergeist could hear the desperation and fear in her thoughts that barraged against his skull. Illinga! The wind rushed around his body as he took off in bounds, racing through the trees. Every so often his hide would - barely - scrape the trunk of a tree as he passed too close because his depth perception was not as clear as it used to be, but he paid no mind. Dancing with trees would not slow him down. His large feathered hooves pounded on.

He could see shapes ahead now, a mix of blurred colours and shadowy, blobbed shapes, depending on which eye it was he saw with. A miniscule turn of his head to the left allowed his right eye to see more clearly, though the stench that filled the air was confirmation enough. Wolves. They haven't been here since... The thought broke off as Illinga's companion whinnied, those same desperate, frightful whinnies he had heard before.

Poltergeist dodged to the right, past a tree and up a small incline of rock- not quite small enough to be called stones, but not large enough to be called boulders. He remembered this incline was a favourite jump-practice point for the young ones, back in the day... Leaping from the incline he twisted his body sideways, turning so that he landed with a skid right in the path of the wolves, facing them with what Illinga used to call his "angry uncle" face. He used this furious expression with her often.

"GO!" He told Illinga and the other mare, whom he did not recognise. She always did have new friends every day, he mused off-handedly. He had grown accustomed to sorting several thoughts at once, even when they weren't his own.

The wolves slowed, only two left now, and lowered their fronts, teeth bared. Sizing him up. And he wouldn't be too bad an opponent for the pair of them. Poltergeist was large, but not giant. "Get the hell off my land..." He growled, faking a lunge at them. They started, but held their ground. Poltergeist prepared himself for a bloody defence.

[[I will!! After this haha]]

Don't look back! She heard Serren call, and Illinga knew with all her heart that if she wanted to keep her face, she would obey. Suddenly a scent filled her nostrils and a black blur crashed just behind them, pulling the wolves up short with his thunderous presence. She skidded to a stop, turning to face the stallion. But she knew who it was. Poltergeist. Even she was still frightened of his expression, and it wasn't even aiming at her, but for her. She stepped forward to stand by him, but his order stopped her. GO! He yelled, and she skittered back a few startled steps.

She would have run, her instincts still told her to. The danger was not over yet. Just because he was hear did not mean the battle was won. Get the hell off my land... His threatening voice and lunge made her half rear in fear, surely he would not attempt to fight them? She certainly wouldn't. But he is stallion... you are merely a mare, you need protection. He gives it. He thoughts murmured, as she stood undecided to leave or stay. The wolves held there, hunger flaring in their eyes.

It was now her sharp eye took in the saliva dripping from their jaws, the ribs sticking ut under their limp fur. You could see the long, stringy mucles rippling under their skin. They were starved, they couldn't give up a kill now. They would fight till death, but who's death, Illinga feared.

She stepped forward, finally deciding strongly that she'd never leave Poltergeist, no matter his strength, along with them. She was brave like her father, and she would not cower like a little filly anymore. She was not a foal. And I'll never leave you, Poltergeist. He aimed her thoughts at him, knowing he would hear them clearly and strongly. Her hazel eyes had determination, and as the first wolf snarled and bunched it's muscles to leap, the black mare reared and met it's gaping jaws with striking hooves of her own.

Serengeti spun around just as fast as Illinga. He was large and black, and a strong stallion. One thought went through her mind. Poltergeist. She saw the wolves were at bay, but not for ever. Serren pinned her ears back but didn't move at his thundering GO! She glanced at Illinga, wondering what she was thinking, when suddenly she heard Poltergeist's next words. She stamped her hoof, her ears as far back as they could go. She saw the wolves standing there, ribs sticking out like a light in the darkness. She turned her attention back to the present. She snorted loudly. She was done running. Illinga seemed to have the same thoughts. They stepped forward together, legs moving at the same time. Now there was an even match. A stallion and two mares against two full grown hunger-driven wolves.

There was no time for scilence. As soon as Illinga and Serren stepped forward, the area ripped into chaos. Nothing more, but oh, nothing less.Illinga's hoof made contact with a wolf that had jumped at her. Serren was rearing with her, and she felt her hovves come down heavily on the back of the wolf. She looked over at Poltergeist. It was him, one on one, with the wolf. Serren had Illinga to fight with, but Poltergeist had no one. Serren turned her attention to keeping this wolf down. She flared her nostrils, and dived back into the fight.

[[come on Ayat!!]]