But her words, when she glanced from him to murmured them into the air, aggravated him again. Vikram's long tail swayed with a vigor that didn't quite belong to any one emotion, and his voice rumbled out, husky with the things he held back. "You needn't have made those actions if you'd asked for us, Mirage." His golden, slitted eyes glanced pointedly at Akaith, her name unspoken but implied as well. "That stallion was a bully, and doubtlessly would have left you well enough alone had you asked for my presence. I would have gladly flown at his head, and made it perfectly clear that his ways were intolerable." His ears had swept back into his mane, pressing the tangled locks down to the point where a few of his spikes peeked through.
It was a fair guess that he likely wouldn't have settled at just dive bombing an annoyance like that. Perhaps he would have had to fight, defend her honor. But that prospect did not concern him. That was what friends did, they supported one another in whatever situation came their way.