Scorpio had his face turned away from the sun. The air was dry but thankfully he had enough water to last him a good few hours. This problem with him dehydrating too quickly was just aggravating, and lately it was becoming quite a nuisance. Particularly when it happened at inconvenient times.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose, waiting for his opponent. He had decided the best course was to lie in wait near Yosemite Falls. The rushing sound of the falls relaxed his mind, and he inhaled the crisp breeze. From his point, he saw the mist rising and circling above the pools beneath. This place was gorgeous. Peaceful.
‘I could stay here forever if given the chance,’ he thought. Well, maybe not forever, but long enough. Granted he could not surf here, but he was certain he could swim, or let the waters of the falls wash over him. He looked out across the trails. If only he had been able to bring his horse too, then perhaps he could have done some horseback riding here.
Not that he could if he did have his horses here. A fleeting thought entered his mind and he wondered how his family was getting along without him. He thought of his dog, his horses, and his life before all this. Such thinking led to despair and for a moment he felt he might cry.
A shuffling noise caught his attention and he immediately sobered up. The despair was gone, replaced by a strict attentiveness that allowed him to focus on his current situation. He crouched down further behind the crag of a rock, straining to listen.
There it was again. Slowly, he crept around the crag, being careful to not slip and fall, heading toward the foliage covered, sloping ledge. He didn’t descend downward, but merely ducked behind another wall and crouched into position.
He would get his opponent before they got him, whoever it was.
The shuffling noise came again. He sucked in his breath, waiting for the right moment, then suddenly sprang over and up onto the ledge, arms reaching outward to capture his opponent.
A rabbit speedily leaped away.
Scorpio halted, blinked a few times, and then groaned. ‘Fooled by a rabbit. Son of a….’ The curse word never entered his mind, and instead a new thought took its place. Why would a rabbit be out here of all places? He didn’t know much about wild rabbits, but it seemed an unlikely place for one. They certainly couldn’t climb up large rocky crags could they?
He looked right and left, expecting nothing, but not trusting it either. It was too quiet. And the quietness worried him immensely. He continued on, making his way down the slope. Little by little, a step at a time, so he wouldn’t slip and fall to his death. The last thing he needed was to break his neck before he met his opponent.
He reached the bottom and instantly halted. Someone waited for him at the very bottom. The wind blew her waist long copper hair away from her face, and her green eyes sparkled at seeing him. “Oh no… Any opponent but you.”
Chilie puckered her lip out, as if hurt by this. “I’m sorry. Were you expecting someone else to challenge you?”
“Hoping more like it.” He would have taken T-boz or Ice, or even Shades. Chilie was just so sweet and lovable, that he didn’t think he could raise a hand against her.
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you.” Chilie drew out a strange Mediterranean dagger and smiled coyly. Then without warning, she charged swiftly at Scorpio, swiping toward him with the dagger.
“Whoa!” Scorpio shouted. He leaped backward. Chinook had never said anything about weapons, only to use their special attacks on each other. Didn’t Chilie have any at all? Then again, Chinook didn’t say they couldn’t use weapons either.
Chilie came at him again, nearly catching his skin. His shirt ripped. He gasped. “Chilie?!”
“Oh, gee… I’m sorry. Really I am. But… you should honestly defend yourself, you know.”
Scorpio glared and balled his hands into his fists. The nerve of her telling him what to do here! What was she, his mother? If only he had his rope, then he could grab that dagger off her without a problem. But he had nothing…nothing except… An image of the falls appeared in his mind. ‘Okay, okay… If Njörðr is giving me signs, he better help out here then!’ The thought left his mind immediately, and he turned and ran, kicking up dust as he sped off toward the water.
He dared a glance over his shoulder. Shikes, she was quick. Not as quick as that Flash, but if he didn’t speed up she’d catch him in no time. Then what? Would she cut him? She had already sliced his shirt.
‘This is serious training Chinook is putting us in. I don’t think I want any part of this.’
Unfortunately, he was and likely until the day he died. In this war he was going to face, death seemed imminent. He skidded downward, taking a sharp turn along a rocky downhill path, bracing the heels of his feet against the sloping terrain. The waterfall was just ahead. While he could produce a rainstorm, it took too much of an effort. There was also no guarantee it would stop Chilie.
“Running won’t save you!” Chilie called behind him. She leaped forward, somersaulting now; the metal of the dagger glinted in the sunlight.
~The Warriors: Crimson Chaos
He rubbed the bridge of his nose, waiting for his opponent. He had decided the best course was to lie in wait near Yosemite Falls. The rushing sound of the falls relaxed his mind, and he inhaled the crisp breeze. From his point, he saw the mist rising and circling above the pools beneath. This place was gorgeous. Peaceful.
‘I could stay here forever if given the chance,’ he thought. Well, maybe not forever, but long enough. Granted he could not surf here, but he was certain he could swim, or let the waters of the falls wash over him. He looked out across the trails. If only he had been able to bring his horse too, then perhaps he could have done some horseback riding here.
Not that he could if he did have his horses here. A fleeting thought entered his mind and he wondered how his family was getting along without him. He thought of his dog, his horses, and his life before all this. Such thinking led to despair and for a moment he felt he might cry.
A shuffling noise caught his attention and he immediately sobered up. The despair was gone, replaced by a strict attentiveness that allowed him to focus on his current situation. He crouched down further behind the crag of a rock, straining to listen.
There it was again. Slowly, he crept around the crag, being careful to not slip and fall, heading toward the foliage covered, sloping ledge. He didn’t descend downward, but merely ducked behind another wall and crouched into position.
He would get his opponent before they got him, whoever it was.
The shuffling noise came again. He sucked in his breath, waiting for the right moment, then suddenly sprang over and up onto the ledge, arms reaching outward to capture his opponent.
A rabbit speedily leaped away.
Scorpio halted, blinked a few times, and then groaned. ‘Fooled by a rabbit. Son of a….’ The curse word never entered his mind, and instead a new thought took its place. Why would a rabbit be out here of all places? He didn’t know much about wild rabbits, but it seemed an unlikely place for one. They certainly couldn’t climb up large rocky crags could they?
He looked right and left, expecting nothing, but not trusting it either. It was too quiet. And the quietness worried him immensely. He continued on, making his way down the slope. Little by little, a step at a time, so he wouldn’t slip and fall to his death. The last thing he needed was to break his neck before he met his opponent.
He reached the bottom and instantly halted. Someone waited for him at the very bottom. The wind blew her waist long copper hair away from her face, and her green eyes sparkled at seeing him. “Oh no… Any opponent but you.”
Chilie puckered her lip out, as if hurt by this. “I’m sorry. Were you expecting someone else to challenge you?”
“Hoping more like it.” He would have taken T-boz or Ice, or even Shades. Chilie was just so sweet and lovable, that he didn’t think he could raise a hand against her.
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you.” Chilie drew out a strange Mediterranean dagger and smiled coyly. Then without warning, she charged swiftly at Scorpio, swiping toward him with the dagger.
“Whoa!” Scorpio shouted. He leaped backward. Chinook had never said anything about weapons, only to use their special attacks on each other. Didn’t Chilie have any at all? Then again, Chinook didn’t say they couldn’t use weapons either.
Chilie came at him again, nearly catching his skin. His shirt ripped. He gasped. “Chilie?!”
“Oh, gee… I’m sorry. Really I am. But… you should honestly defend yourself, you know.”
Scorpio glared and balled his hands into his fists. The nerve of her telling him what to do here! What was she, his mother? If only he had his rope, then he could grab that dagger off her without a problem. But he had nothing…nothing except… An image of the falls appeared in his mind. ‘Okay, okay… If Njörðr is giving me signs, he better help out here then!’ The thought left his mind immediately, and he turned and ran, kicking up dust as he sped off toward the water.
He dared a glance over his shoulder. Shikes, she was quick. Not as quick as that Flash, but if he didn’t speed up she’d catch him in no time. Then what? Would she cut him? She had already sliced his shirt.
‘This is serious training Chinook is putting us in. I don’t think I want any part of this.’
Unfortunately, he was and likely until the day he died. In this war he was going to face, death seemed imminent. He skidded downward, taking a sharp turn along a rocky downhill path, bracing the heels of his feet against the sloping terrain. The waterfall was just ahead. While he could produce a rainstorm, it took too much of an effort. There was also no guarantee it would stop Chilie.
“Running won’t save you!” Chilie called behind him. She leaped forward, somersaulting now; the metal of the dagger glinted in the sunlight.
~The Warriors: Crimson Chaos
