As Gaucho’s antlers tore into Note’s neck, the bay was unable to determine the extent of the damage that they had caused. Even though Gaucho had not rubbed them against any trees, or rocks to sharpen their edges, he still assumed that their points were not so blunt as to have no effect. As they collided, all that Gaucho was able to feel was slightly less resistance than he imagined he should, indicating that perhaps his antlers had broken the skin. The brute was satisfied by this assumption, that Note had been well and truly paid-back for his lightning blow as the scent of his hot blood wafted towards Gaucho on the sweet-floral air of the Fields. As his hoof struck the smaller stallion’s shoulder, his steely gaze watched Note twist in midair to avoid the bite and the spirit bear simultaneously. Grinning internally at the stallion’s advantageous use of his more slender build and size, he could both see and feel his spirit-bears’ dismay as Note launched away from its challenging snarls.

Given Note’s coiled position, Gaucho felt sure that the stallion meant to lunge into his right shoulder. But just as the bay was about to throw himself to the right, to counter the smaller-stallion’s force, it hit him; his 30 seconds were up. With a scream of pain, flaring veins of what felt like fire raced down from his wither into his shoulder and upper back, burning everything they touched. It was as if Note had struck him with lightning all over again, yet this time there was no soothing numbness to follow. Staggering to the right, their differences in size saved Gaucho from a crippling blow to the knee, as Note’s hoof sailed under his belly. And yet given the force with which Note kicked, and the closer proximity due to Gaucho’s stumble towards him, the dusty stallion’s body slammed into Gaucho’s shoulder with possibly more force than it would have, had is kicked landed. Even though his wound was high on his wither, the impact on his right shoulder still caused pain to arch down from the burn, and Gaucho’s body moved to the left. Normally, given their differences in size, at this close range Note would only have been able to manage to cause him to stumble, yet aided by the pain in his wither, Gaucho’s mind was distracted, and as Note shoved him, the bay’s body willingly moved.

As his hips swung to the left, he felt teeth on his flank. The pain almost didn’t register - his mind couldn’t comprehend such a small amount of pain in comparison with the wound on his wither. Yet because Note had moved him out of the way, the dusty stallion’s teeth didn’t take as much of a purchase as they possibly could have, and while he would surely have a bruise, the skin was unbroken.

With an angry snort, Gaucho’s hips continued to swing away, and the bay backed up a few paces. Now perpendicular to Note, his steely gaze cast over the stallion. He noted the blood trickling from Note’s neck, surely from where Gaucho’s antlers has struck him. Raising his antlered brow, he felt a tightness in his neck, as if his muscles were trying to prevent him from moving his burned flesh anymore than he needed to. In reality, the wound from the lightning was only about 2 inches wide - and given the enormous heat from the current, had cauterized the wound almost immediately. While the chances of infection were less, Gaucho would surely need to seek medical attention - he risked having the wound heal abnormally, if the outside healed faster than the inside.

Rotating his right shoulder, from where Note had struck it, he felt the tightness of the muscle, and decided that he would walk back to the Throat, to try and stretch out his battered muscles. Inhaling deeply, he looked around the Heavenly Fields, marveling in his own simple way at how odd it was that Note’s blood might stain a flower or two, in this beautiful place. As a breeze wafted by, a reminder of the magic from Azzuen’s funeral, the bay hoped he had done the General proud, and that he was looking down from the Great Fields in the Sky, happy to see two of his soldiers remaining true to his vision. Closing his steely gaze, Gaucho sent a silent prayer into the Sky, as he felt the last stirrings of the wind-magic flow from his body; Be in Peace, Brother.


[WC: 787
Closing Defense: Stumbles to the right given the pain he now feels in his wither - Note's kick misses by his slams into Gaucho's right shoulder, pushing him to the left - given the movement, while Note's teeth do meet Gaucho's flank, it does not break the skin. ]