The ground shook underneath the males and Archibald thanked the Gods with a silent prayer. His magic was a great gift. Not only was it a great gift, but it worked for what he had imagined. Archibald noted Birch’s loose footing and his golden eyes glinted with a sense of accomplishment—it was a small accomplishment but one nonetheless. His glint of achievement was short lived, however, as his first strike rolled under Birch. The warrior grunted as his hooves met air beneath the white stallion. With a mouthful of annoyance Archibald tightened his jaw and let his hooves fall to the shaky earth. The black was undoubtedly skilled in moving across the small quake because of the practice he put in to be able to use the skill successfully in battle.

Turning on his heels quickly Archibald moved to his right and forward to get away from the tree trunk that narrowed in for a damaging blow. Archibald lowered his center of gravity, knees and hocks bending to help his balance. The earth stilled beneath the massive creatures as Archibald moved away from Birch, keeping his flank unscathed. With all of his focus on the tree Archibald missed the alien’s teeth aiming down. Archibald felt hair and skin peel off of his left leg’s gaskin area, leaving a small, stinging bite. The flesh, now raw, spotted with pin-sized droplets of blood as they pushed through the broken skin and into the air. The red liquid was not major and did not poor down his leg. The blood simply painted itself over the wound and within hours the bite would be hard and it would start to stab over. Had it been Tallsun Archibald knew the bite would have probably been deeper, but Orangemoon thickened his coat in preparation for Frostfall. He was thankful for the Orangemoon now—not only for his long coat but also because the flies hid in fright of the coming colder days. This wound and any others he may endure would be free of the pesky creatures that bothered him so highly during Birdsong and Tallsun.

With his hind end now facing Birch’s face Archibald threw his weight forward, strong shoulders and forelegs supporting the massive beast. Quickly and precisely Archibald thrust his back legs out, two hooves aimed for Birch’s face. His attack was instantaneous to the pain of the bite and Archibald only rationalized that Birch’s face would still be in close proximity. Archibald’s power was held mostly in his legs, as any horse’s was, and his kicks were powerful. The warrior used his legs skillfully in killing the fathers of his two younger brothers, Casimir and Knox. His legs had hammered down on Roanne the Sentinel. He remembered the sensation of his hooves cracking over his former leader’s body, breaking skin and bone and exposing weakness. The Sentinel had been a group effort, that was true, but Archibald had been the general above his brothers—as he usually was. It had been he alone, though, that killed Casimir’s father. He did not even know that stallion’s name; he could only remember the face of the poor brute as Archibald took his life. Something about fighting and killing gave Archibald a sense of pride, whether it be for his mother—as in the case of the Sentinel and the forgotten one—or for practice—much like his spars with Smoke or the unnamed unicorn(Leyra)—or whether it be for a sake of pride—in this case, his fight against Birch.

Archibald let his hind legs fall to the earth again, and back up quickly. Archibald tried to push as closely into the male as he could and sent out another driving kid, this time willing it to land on the tree-creature’s brachial tricep or brachial bicep muscles. Archibald hoped the male had not turned, as he was unsure of how his hooves would feel crashing into the tree that sprouted from Birch’s shoulders. It appeared to have bark, and he knew that kicking real trees was just unintelligent.


[WC: 675 | Archibald turned and moved away from Birch, causing the tree to hit nothing but for Birch's teeth to get a grip on his leg. In a quick defensive attack Archibald kicked out with both back legs, hoping to strike Birch's face. After those kicks he back up quickly to get as close to Birch as possible and kicked again, hoping to hit the area where his shoulder and chest meet or on his shoulder. (I didn't say anything about hitting Birch's roots if he did hit his leg because I don't really know where Birch's roots under his skin are.) 2/3 | Edited to add table.]