[LoboDiabloLoneWolf]

The Rage

Bailey woke up early. Her muscles felt stiff but after stretching they loosened and she felt better. She also felt ravenously hungry, so she dressed quickly and left the hut, Stranger was already up and about, helping Daimen with the chores that needed tending, all of them trying to forget the awful significance of today. Bailey stretched slowly and yawned.

“Mornin’ all.” She greeted, she was answered by sullen replies, even from Haigar and Loki.

“Are you hungry Bailey?” Alika asked from the fireside. Bailey nodded,

“Quite a bit.” Alika nodded and served Bailey her breakfast. Bailey ate in silence, her mind focused on the up-coming fight, she felt the snakes of anticipation writhing in her stomach and her heart skipped erratically. But she outwardly remained calm and ate. She’d just finished when Daimen came to the little group of Haigar, Alika, Loki and Bailey, by the fire.

“It’s time.” He said gravely. Loki looked scared and glanced straight to Bailey, Bailey gave a barely perceptible nod and rose. The Steef family – along with the human – made their grim way along the valley, they came to a place where the ground dropped away, into a sunken meadow, close to a copse and burn. The large hunks of rock that sprouted from the ground along with the thicket, produced an arena shaped area. The grass was flattened and scuffed at the bottom, as if it hadn’t had time to grow properly before being trampled.

This was where Bailey would fight.

In the middle of the arena, the short, red-blonde Steef whom Haigar had pointed out as Karnan, was parading around, showing off. Loki stood beside Bailey and suddenly grabbed her hand.

“Please, don’t do it Bailey.” She whispered. Bailey shook her head and looked down into the arena from the small cliffs surrounding it. Karnan suddenly saw Loki and began strutting. Bailey growled.

“Will nobody fight me!?” he roared, not expecting an answer. Bailey looked around, was there really no one who would fight him but her? She saw Chiron, looking nervous, biting his lip and looking pained. Meanwhile, Karnan laughed smugly. “Then I will take my prize!” he bellowed. Bailey’s fists clenched. If there had ever been any thought of backing down, it was gone. Swept away by Bailey’s anger. She pulled off her hat and bandana and gave them to Haigar.

“Hold this.” She growled. And before any one could stop her she clambered down the rocks and jumped down into the arena. Karnan looked at the human and gave a shout of laughter.

“Is this it!?” he roared, “It this all you send me to fight for you daughter?” he sneered at Daimen. Stranger growled and had to be held back by Haigar.

“She knows what she’s doing.” The young Steef muttered. Stranger rounded on him,

“She doesn’t have a clue.” He growled, “She a reckless, impulsive child.” Haigar looked away, ashamed that he’d let Bailey go on this mad crusade.

Karnan was still laughing, but a quiet voice, smothered his mirth like a candle being snuffed out by a breeze.

“If you are so confident, when will you fight me?” Bailey asked calmly. Karnan turned fiery red eyes on the human.

“So, you truly are foolish human, or very brave.”

“I think foolish works.” Bailey replied.

“Fine then, you wish to challenge me?”

“Unless you’re scared and want to back down.” Bailey countered, still cool and calm. Karnan’s eyes blazed in fury.

“You dare to insult me human!? I’ll teach you a little respect by snapping your back like a twig!” Bailey bared her teeth in a snarl.

“Respect? You expect me to show respect when you chase after a lass young enough to be your daughter? You will get no respect from me.” She growled.

“I will make you beg for my mercy!” the Steef shouted,

“Do it then, instead of blowing all this hot air.” Bailey shrugged. The Steef roared, she’d damaged his honour, hurt his pride, pricked his ego and now he’d pound the human just to make her beg for his mercy. Karnan inwardly grinned in satisfaction, it would be so satisfying to hear the human beg. He’d heard stories about Bailey, and the thought of making her beg, forcing her to her knees, breaking her pride, was too good to pass up.

Karnan pawed the ground with one hoof and only one thing came to Bailey’s mind at that moment;

“Damn…Steef have weird toes…”

The Steef lowered his head and charged. Bailey stayed where she was and met him head-on. Grabbing hold of his horns she braced against the impact. It was enough to check the Steef’s charge but still the wind was knocked somewhat out of Bailey’s sails.

But she held. Muscles straining, but holding.

“Not so cocky now Steef.” She growled, but even so, she wasn’t able to mask the pant in her voice. The Steef raised his head fractionally and chuckled.

“You are foolish, puny human.” His legs tensed, and he began to push. Bailey strove to keep her place but she found herself being driven back, sliding on the mud, leaving two grooves as she tried desperately to stem the slide. All her efforts were pitiful and Karnan laughed softly, “I will make you beg for mercy human.” He grinned maliciously, “And when I take that lovely young thing into my bed, I’ll be sure to tell her how you begged.”

Bailey felt it then. A white-hot heat began in her stomach and spread through her limbs. Her muscles stopped shaking and her breath stopped panting. She felt no fear, no desperation. All she felt, was hate, and a deep, unstoppable rage. She dug in her heels and stopped moving. No matter what Karnan did, no matter how he twisted and pushed, he could not make the human budge.

He looked up, Bailey’s gaze had previously been fixed on the ground and his front legs, but now she slowly lifted her eyes. Karnan blanched and his face went white under the fur.

Bailey’s eyes were green. A blazing, iridescent, neon green. Steef eyes. She tilted her head and grinned, baring her teeth in a Steef grin.

“I don’t think so.” She murmured. And then she shoved him, Karnan tried to stop himself, bracing his legs, but he couldn’t. With his legs almost spread-eagled he slid back. He tried to rally, tried to push the human back, but he couldn’t, it was as if the human was made of steel cords. She pushed him back.

His hooves scrabbled for purchase. Nothing helped him, nothing slowed down the steady rate he was being forced back. He cringed as he saw Bailey’s glowing eyes, there was no pity, no mercy in those eyes, just cold, calculating intelligence, and savage enjoyment of his terror. But what chilled him maybe the most, was the silence. Bailey never spoke, just stared at him. And grinned.

Suddenly his back hoof slipped and touched air. Karnan then cried out a plea,

“Please! Mercy!” Only then did Bailey cease pushing him, Karnan felt himself released and he dropped to his knees, feeling more fear then he ever had. There was something unnatural about the human, something uncanny and not to be trifled with. Not to be defied. Karnan begged pitifully. “Have mercy!” He wailed. Bailey grabbed one horn and wrenched it up too her face, so that they were nose to nose.

“Mercy?” she asked in a deadly whisper? “Mercy? Would you have shown me mercy?” Karnan whimpered and trembled and then he cried out so that everyone could hear;

“I beg you, please. Let me go. I relinquish my claim on the Steef Loki.” He shivered, face pale, eyes wide as he stared at Bailey, waiting to see how she would judge him.

“Good.” Bailey said at last. She made as if to turn away but then swung back. “No one,” she said, “No one, threatens my family.” And she threw a punch right into Karnan’s face. He yelped and fell back, tumbling down, a small mudslide and plashing into a very muddy puddle. Bailey stood over the rim and smiled. A deadly, cold smile that made Karnan very scared. But then she turned away and walked across the arena meadow.

She stopped in the middle and looked up at all the surrounding Steef,

“Does anyone else want to fight me fer Loki!?” she yelled. There was a deadly silence and then, a voice.

“I will.” Bailey turned sharply, recognising that voice and not believing it.

“Chiron!?” she gasped. Chiron smiled shyly and scuffed one forehoof in the dirt in embarrassment. He looked up past Bailey and locked eyes with Loki.

Loki, blushed.

Bailey raised one eyebrow as she watched the exchange and then broke into a disbelieving half-grin as Chiron looked back at the human with a shy smile on his face.

“I love ‘er.” He said thickly. “And I want to look after ‘er…if she’ll have me.”

“Well I’ll be jiggered…” Bailey muttered, she mentally kicked herself, and she’d never seen it. “When?” she asked,

“When Haigar was teaching you and Loki watched.” Chiron replied, growing red himself. Bailey snickered, now she thought about it, she did remember that whenever Loki had gotten upset when Haigar and she had been fighting, it had been Chiron who’d dried her ears and cuddled her. It wasn’t that fantastic that he’d fall for her really. Bailey looked at Loki.

“Well?” she asked, “Whadda ya say?” Loki beamed,

“Yes! Yes!” she yelled, jumping up and down like a small Steefling, giddy with excitement. Bailey’s half grin grew wider, she glanced back at Chiron who was looking at her uncertainly. Bailey shrugged and put up her hands.

“I give up. She’s all yours.” The human looked at him, suddenly serious, “You look after her, or else…” she faded off threateningly as just then Loki, who’d climbed down the ridge, pounced on Chiron and hugged him tight. Chiron embraced Loki and looked at Bailey.

“I promise.” He said. Bailey nodded and bowed slightly.

She took a step back and then suddenly wavered, stumbling down onto one knee, hands clasping her head. The Rage was fading and the demon that took Bailey over when the Rage took hold was letting go and leaving. Bailey was returning and the confusion of the blank memory of until a few minutes ago and disorientation made her dizzy. She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them, blinking and shaking her head slightly to be rid of the strange sensation.

It was then, while she was most vulnerable, that she heard a faint cry of warning, and then a roaring bellow, the ground began shaking. Bailey opened her eyes and shot to her feet, spinning around. Chiron pushed Loki behind him protectively.

Humiliated by his wounded pride, Karnan was charging, head lowered. Bailey was frozen in place, she couldn’t move, her eyes just went very wide. Just as she was resigning herself to be trampled into the dirt, she heard another roar and an almighty thud. Bailey gulped. Karnan came closer, and closer.

“This is it, this is the end.” Came a voice in Bailey’s mind, but then a great, furry mass was between her and Karnan, a pale, furry mass, complete with huge horns. Bailey’s limbs unlocked and she scrambled away just as Karnan rammed, straight into…

Stranger.

There was a crash as the two set of Steef horns connected, Stranger shoved Karnan away and then he reared, lashing out with his forefeet. Karnan backed away and Stranger heaved great breaths from his nose, his hooves stamping and head scything the air. Bailey just sat, stunned, staring wide-eyed as once again, she saw Stranger become a fierce, merciless, almost cruel monster. Great and terrible and just plain terrifying.

Stranger glared at the smaller Steef. His breathing calmed and he pointed a finger at Karnan’s face.

“Yer even think of touchin’ her again-” he suddenly grabbed Karnan’s throat and hoisted him up to his eye-level, “An’ I’ll do ter you what I did ter Sekto when he hurt my baby.” Karnan’s eyes bulged, as several of the Steef watching uttered gasps.

“Y-Y-You,” he stuttered, “You killed S-S-Sekto.” Stranger put on a mocking curious look and cocked his head like a raptor.

“Oh? Yer didn’t know?” Stranger’s features and voice hardened and he snarled, loud enough for everyone to hear. “I threw ‘im off his own dam, because he dared ter hurt my Bailey.” Karnan choked and Stranger dropped him disgustedly and turned his back. He went up to Bailey, she was sitting in the dirt and she stared up at his, eyes as wide as saucers. “You okay kid?” Stranger asked quietly.

Bailey squeaked in reply.

Stranger chuckled and leaned down as if to pick her up, but checked himself and offered a hand. Bailey took it and was hauled to her feet. Stranger lifted the human up and set her on his shoulders. Bailey clung to his horns as suddenly a wave of noise swept over them. The Steef were whooping and stamping the earth, bellowing in recognition of Bailey’s victory.

She was one of them now.

And then, before she could comprehend what was happening, she’d been dragged down from Stranger’s shoulders and Haigar was squeezing her tight in a bone-crushing hug.

“You did it.” he whispered, almost not believing it, “You did it!” Bailey laughed as Haigar gave her back her hat and bandana and she put them on again,

“You ever thought I wouldn’t!?” she yelled over the noise. And then Daimen and Alika were there as well and Loki and Chiron, and Chiron’s father, Ixion, leader of the tribe and her family was crushing her senseless. Finally she was rescued by Stranger. She put her arms around his furry neck and leaned her forehead on his jaw, “There yer go, savin’ my hide again.” She muttered so only he could hear. Stranger chuckled and hugged his whelp.

“S’what Dads are for.” he murmured. Bailey nuzzled Stranger’s jaw with her cheek and smiled.

“I love you Dad.” She murmured. Stranger grinned and cuddled Bailey while the Steef around them celebrated and congratulated Loki and Chiron.

“I love yer too squirt.” He answered. Bailey suddenly picked her head up and looked at him,

“I thought you’d told ‘em…yer know, about Sekto…” Stranger chuckled.

“I select few mebbe, but not many.”

“Ah…”

After a moment Stranger put Bailey down and the human wiggled her way through the crush of Steef until she was next to Loki and Chiron, she grinned at Chiron. “You sneaky Steef you.” She grinned. Chiron blushed and Loki smiled, her arms around Chiron’s stomach. Bailey’s grin grew wider, “Well if you two ain’t the darnedest, cutest pair I ever did see.”

“Thank you Bailey.” Chiron said softly after a moment. He kissed Loki’s cheek and Loki smiled giddily. Bailey tugged her hat brim.

“No problem.” She suddenly blinked, closing her eyes and shaking her head. A shrill buzzing whine filled her ears, it got louder, and louder… and then, blackness.

Bailey collapsed.