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Stone and Wolf (Part 6)

Lykes' paw flew to the war spear that he had just re-strapped to his back. Whatever was charging them was not Ara... at least, not anymore. It would be on them in just a few more seconds.

"Let's spread out. Whichever one of us it goes for will have to dodge while the other tries to flank it... Go!" He brought the spear into both paws in front of him and peeled off to the left. Crag bounded to the right. The dark horse whinnied. It was loud and unnaturally articulated, like a wolf was making a good horse impression with its own voice.

"Ignorance, or brutality!?" It screamed in a female voice. The stone head swung toward Lyke hideously fast. "Ignorance!" The horse charged Lyke on swift hooves. He readied his spear like he was hunting a boar, crouching low and showing his opponent the point. He stayed light on his foot-paws though, not digging in too much. He knew he couldn't take the charge head on. The stone beast veered to the right at the last moment as Lyke predicted. It wouldn't run directly into a spearhead. However, he still had to move fast. He bashed its head with the tip of the weapon as he lunged forward and to the left. As the beast turned with unnatural speed, he spun himself to face the thing again, backing away slowly. Crag circled the fray at a distance of a few yards, waiting to flank. The horse screamed and charged Lyke again. It's stone armor almost seeming to help its mobility, not hinder it. Before it could close the distance, Crag threw himself at her hind quarters with front paws outstretched. This pushed her off balance and she was forced to catch herself with her front hooves or risk falling over. Lyke saw, now that she stood still for a second, that her amulet was tucked into the front of her armor. It would have to be physically removed. Taking this opportunity, Lyke rushed forward, holding the point of the spear level with her head. She turned to regard his approach, but was forced to move once again by Crags' assault. He was now standing on his back legs, engaged in a bear hug on the horses' side, and gnawing at whatever exposed flesh he could find with his sabers. Lyke was almost there, but seeing the two attackers, the horse fled, cat and all to Lykes' left. He made a desperate swing with the spear, but it struck stone. Crag bounced up and down, dragging his back paws in the dirt. Then he let himself drop off and he rolled into a clumsy heap. The horse spared no time in turning and charging again. Lyke sprinted to catch up, but Crag had been dragged a considerable distance. He wasn't getting up as quick as he needed too. He would be trampled.

"Ignorance!" Lyke barked as sharp as he was able half-winded. The horses' head snapped to the sound with a speed that was almost disturbing. It ignored Crag and went for him instead. He braced himself on the spear, feeling the earth under its shaft. If only he could use the earth to his advantage... The only problem was she knew better than to run into the point of a metal spear. He relaxed his grip and held the spear broadside to her as if he expected to block her charge with his own strength alone. She increased her speed. He took this time to analyze the armor on her chest. There were two spots that served as hinges to her breastplate. The higher of the two rested near her throat. She drew close. Two... one! His entire body snapped downward, driving the butt of the spear into the earth and pointing the tip at the upper hinge. The spear was not in position for more than half a second before her charge brought it into her. No sooner did the spear make its connection than like released it and jumped forward between her legs. He tucked and rolled, hoping to get out of range in a timely manner. The roll brought him just through her back legs, and he had to scramble out of the way to avoid her retaliation as she spun in place. He reached back for the second spear, looking to see if the first had done. The hinge had been snapped. Her amulet now swung free about her neck. The spear itself had been snapped at the head. Seeing this, he unsheathed his straight sword instead. Crag had caught up to them by now, and continued to circle. He was breathing hard. As a matter of fact, so were they all. "Same procedure, Crag! Let's go!" Lyke rushed at the horse head on, while Crag went wide to strike at the back. She turned her body sideways to both of them. "Rotate! Cut her off!" Lyke realized she had no reason to stay and fight if she was the faster fighter. He put all his energy into his legs as his foot-paws worked the ground. She began to run off, but Crag caught her before she gained enough speed, throwing himself at her again. Lyke did not slow, but ran past her front, cutting the strap of her amulet with a wide swing. The green stone fell to the dust. She screamed in pain and thrashed around, jumping this way and that, flailing her hooves in the air. It was strange; the stone armor seemed heavier on her than it did before.

"No! No!" She cried, and shoved her head on the ground and scraping her mask on it. "The pain! Why?!" Lyke remembered that the eyes of the Warg, and the Wolf they had previously encountered had been gouged out. That must be the case here as well.

"Ara!" Lyke shouted, not wanting to get too close, but still trying to comfort her on the small chance that she could recover. He had experimented with the amulets, and he seemed to suffer no ill effects. Then again, he only wore it for a few seconds. "Ara? Do you know me? It's me, Lyke! You remember me don't you? You where Ilishas' h-" he was cut off when she whinnied a more natural cry. She charged him again, this time much weaker. The stone armor made it difficult to move. Lyke sidestepped her and jumped up onto her back. The stone spikes made it impossible to ride her conventionally, but they served as good paw-holds. Ara slowed to a stop. She just stood there, her sides heaving.

"Keell... Mee. Keell mee." She tried to say before convulsing. "Kill everything!" She drove her head into the ground again, trying to scrape her mask off. Lyke was thrown forward off her back into the ground. He rolled into the fall and picked himself back up.

"Ara... You want me to kill you?" He head snapped up again.

"I'll kill you!" She ran for him again. This time he readied a mighty blow with both paws. As he sidestepped her, he brought his blade down on the back of her mask with a crack. This stunned her and she stumbled forward. Then, she redoubled her efforts to scrape the mask off.

"If you hold still, I can get it off for you!" Lyke offered.

"Away!" she put both hooves on the cracked back of the mask and lifted her head out. Just as Lyke feared, two bloody holes replaced her once beautiful, large eyes.

"There." Lyke said, approaching her. "Are you alright, Ara?" Her head did not go too far from the mask. With her hooves still on it, she inserted one of the stone spikes into her eye and pushed down as far as it would go. "Ara!" Lyke ran to her, but the damage had been done. Aras' body rippled with the shock of the spike in her brain, and then she collapsed with the clatter and scrape of stone against stone. He took her head in his paws and lifted it out of the spike. "Ara... what was paining you so? There was more than just your eyes wasn't there? You were hurt on the inside so badly that there was no other choice..." He stood as Crag approached from behind. Crag and Ara had always had a predator and prey relationship, but now, it looked as if he was grieving for her too, his great head bowed, his stance relaxed, almost defeated. "Ilisha..." Lyke whispered to himself. He stood up suddenly and mounted Crag before the cat knew what was going on. "Up to the castle, Crag, with all speed! Yah!" He drove his foot-paws into Crags' sides hard. He rarely did that, knowing Crag would follow his orders without physical stimulation. Crag did as he was bid with a loud sigh and a faint growl deep in his throat. As they passed the broken spear still in the earth, Lyke picked it up and replaced it in its strap. He didn't know quite what he'd use a headless spear for, but something told him that he couldn't afford to waste it.

Very soon, they were galloping up the stone ramp to the gates, which stood open. Beyond was a courtyard surrounded by thick walls. This they entered and Lyke jumped from Crags' back. His paws felt odd on the brownish, grey stone. He had felt nothing but the yielding, dry earth for days now. The courtyard was large. It looked as if there had been a garden here at one point. Since then, all the plants had died. Only a few grey trunks of splintered trees gave any indication as to what might have grown there. The only other exits was a large double door made of iron leading into the main building, and a smaller, single door of the same material across the space up into a tower. His gaze was drawn up to tower to the walls above. He was stunned to find the same scene from his dream a day and a half prior. Ilisha had stood in the doorway at the top, and he had looked over those same walls. Lyke crossed the courtyard to the door, Crag followed.

"Wait for me here, Crag. I'll be back down in a minute." He pulled the door open by its cold metal handle. The inside was dark, but he could make out the bottom of a spiral staircase. Off to the right, there was a table, and a rack of old weapons. He approached these first. Having an ancient weapon would certainly help against any more of these stone beasts. Ancient weapons where made of the finest steel. Something even the southland Wolves had not perfected. Lykes' straight sword was a lesser steel, only folded a few times. These fine pieces where folded hundreds of times, and meticulously tempered and hammered. Most had runes carved into them, especially ones that were said to be enchanted. The pieces on this rack consisted of: Two large axes, a full blade as tall as he was, two rapiers, and three long swords. Only the last of these interested Lyke. He preferred weapons that had some heft to them, but could still be wielded quickly. He knew he could only take one, as he had to carry all his equipment with him. He chose one with many runes on it, hoping it was enchanted in some way. He wondered if Ilisha had found any other priceless artifacts. The blade didn't feel strange like some enchanted items are said to. He had never seen one himself. However, after a few cuts in the air, he decided it was weighted nicely and strapped it to his other side. If it was enchanted, he could sell it for a fortune back at home, or keep it as his prize weapon, if the magic turned out to be useful. He couldn't help but feel like a cub at a sweet shop as he mounted the cold stone steps of the tower. His excitement faded however when he was met with what must have been where Ilisha was standing in his dream. The door was closed, but she would have been standing right there in the frame. He pushed the door open and let in the golden light of the setting sun. At least it's sunset, not sunrise like in the dream. He looked out across the stone to see where he would have been standing in his noble clothing, gazing over the wall and across the plain. Lyke walked over to his spot and griped the edge with anxious claws. The view was excellent. The distant cliff sides and trees where darkening in the fading light. The long shadow of the castles' main tower stretched as far as the eye could see. He tore his eyes away from the view to cast a suspicious look over at the door he had left open, half expecting to see a frail, blindfolded, and furless Ilisha waiting for him. He heard Crag's growl from the courtyard below. Crossing over the other side of the wall, he called back.

"I'll be down. I found what I was looking for." He made his way swiftly back down the steps and out into the yard once more. Crag met him at the bottom. He looked worried for him, and rubbed his big head against Lyke's side. "It's alright. I just needed to check something out." Lyke left for the main door into the interior. Crag followed. They both stopped in front of the doors, almost intimidated by their age, and their recent use. Lyke took his violin from Crags' side and hung it in its place on the small of his back. "I want you to stay here for now. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Just don't let anything nasty follow me in. I'll leave the door ajar so you can get inside in case of an emergency." Lyke pulled the right door open with a great tug. The metal grated on the stone and his ears picked up the sound of it echoing in the halls beyond. After a quick glance inside, he looked back at Crag. "I hope to return with Ilisha soon... Or at least some proof of what her business was here... Listen. I don't want you getting hurt because of me. Guard the door for a while, but if I don't come out for four, five hours... don't bother coming in after me. Go back to Racalli. They will know what has become of me. Perhaps they will send aid... perhaps they won't. It wouldn't matter by then in any case but... I just don't want you to suffer for this. Deal?" Lyke crouched down and stuck his paw out for Crag to shake. Crag was reluctant, but returned the gesture. "Good boy. I don't know what I'm going to be dealing with in there, but if the elders are to be believed, stone beasts won't be the worst case scenario." He stood back up and turned to the entrance. "If it is the worst case scenario... You wouldn't be able to help me. It's better this way. I hope all this will be for nothing and we can get out of here. Just wish me will and strength. That's all I'll need." Crag bowed his head. "Thanks... farewell for now, my friend." With this, Lyke strode forward into the chamber beyond, both paws on his old sword. For what purpose, he hadn't the faintest clue.