The sky above Thistle Meadow was a vibrant cerulean dashed with porcelain clouds. The grass was thick, soaking up the light and warmth from the sky. There was a scarcity of trees in the area, meaning there was no solace from the sun's brilliantly warm rays. Birds flew overhead with frequency on this midday, their squawks and the sounds of flapping wings were incessant. Caleb and Henrietta traversed the fields with a look of determination written on their features. They knew the meadow well and spent long afternoons wandering it. Yet today, there were in no mood to simply wander. They had come to spar and as history showed, whenever someone desired a spar there was usually an entity (be it a horse or a different body) that desired a fight as well. 

          Beast and bonded halted, their eyes scanned the area diligently, was anyone nearby? 'Call to them, Beast.' Caleb nodded his head to Henrietta's telepathic message, agreeing with what she was offering. His lips parted, a deep bugle ricocheted it's way from his chest, up his jugular, through parted lips and into the Birdsong air. It was his call to all those around him, a request to spar. Who would face the darkly colored hybrid and his midnight hound?

          Caleb wasn't the tallest around, nor was he the strongest. The beast was not the only hybrid, either- he had met a few already. Henrietta wasn't the only hound bonded to a horse, nor was she the fiercest. They were not the best in one category- they were to be feared because they were both a combination of the things that make a good warrior. Caleb was not a one-trick pony, nor would he ever be known as such. His even blend of strength, speed, endurance, and agility would most likely allow him to be triumphant over one who was gifted with only one attribute and lacked the rest. This was his thought process, and though some may disagree, he was certain many would agree with him.

          As they waited their opponent, they communicated briefly. 'What attacks are you going to deploy?' the hound inquired. 'You will see in due time, I will tell you what I am doing before I do it,' he responded. They spoke often through their bond. Once she learnt to communicate properly, using the bond became an advantage. He can see through her eyes in a series of montages and photos, and she can see through his. They know each other's thought process like their own bodies. They were a team, brilliantly and expertly paired. It was as if they had been constructed for each other since the beginning, she was an extension of him and he was an extension of her. 'Are you ready, Henrietta?' She responds effortlessly, 'always, Caleb.' 

'thoughts'
"speech"