Beginnings, Ch 2, Pt 4

       As Aalila gave him leave, his hands gripped the zaalsestri hard enough to make the golden skin of his fingers pale for lack of blood.

The hlesskssaa were clawing hard at the protective wall he had woven; driven to frenzy by the smell of spilled blood and by his mother's cries. He did not need to see them that most of the pride was trying get through and offered thanks to Zaal that they did not have the cunning to have one climb up upon another and be able to reach the opening. Zaal's Eye was high enough in the sky that the sun could be seen in that opening.

          Kaelish Nelmos closed his eyes and lowered his head, letting the warmth of the light soak into his body.

        “Zaal, You whose Dancing and Weaving created us,” He said softly, barely a whisper, “Grant me the strength to do what I must. Grant me the wisdom to do only what I must and no more. Guide my hand so that, if I must, it will be swift.”

         Saying that, he gave his mother and Aalila each a kiss then stood. Weaving some hand and footholds, he gripped the zaalsestri with one hand and climbed up the inside of his enclosure with his other hand and feet and stood top the narrow wall. The hlesskssaa did not yet see him and he knew that could last only a few heartbeats at best. Glancing about quickly, he took note of how they were clustered, made his decision and leaped from the wall; landing behind three of them on the side opposite from where Scarflank raged.

A zaalsestra gripped in each hand, Kaelish Nelmos began his Dance.

Aalila tried to focus on Yenaali and make certain there were no other wounds that required her skills. Mostly, she tried to close out the noises outside and not worry for her lover.

“Please,” The other female said after a moment, “We must witness this.”

“Yenaali, it is too dangerous.”

“Please...”

Then Aalila nodded as she realized what she could do. She turned her weave sense towards the wall and altered its structure so that it became clear but still remained at least as hard as what Kaelish Nelmos had crafted. Though the curve distorted the view, they could see outside.

Kaelish Nelmos was nearly a blur as he Danced. Spinning, he would lash out and strike a flank with the side of a zaalsestra one one hlesskssaa even as he would use the blunted end of the other to hit where a leg joined the body of another. He would leap high over one only to land and fold himself flat against the ground as second rushed over him and collide with the first. Then he would be on his feet again to use the curved stave to thrust upward and batter the sensitive underside with nearly enough force to topple the beast from its feet. All the while, he growled the hissing, rattling sound of the hlesskssaa. Frightened, in pain, in singles or in pairs, the other hlesskssaa of the pride began to flee towards the Railing.

Yenaali chuckled softly, weakly.

“What is he doing?” Aalila asked. While she knew he could Dance, she had never seen him move with this much determination and precision. But she could not understand why he would divide his concentration to alter his voice so.

“He is tearing the pride apart,” Yenaali said as she struggled to sit up a bit in order to see better. Aalila quickly changed her position so that she could put the other female's head in her lap to let her see. “Those calls... they are the ones a pride leader will make to drive away one from the pride she deems unfit to remain.”

Kaelish Nelmos rolled to the side as a pair rushed him from the front and back, causing them to butt heads together and then landed a solid blow to the neck just behind the head of each of them. Hard enough to rattle them but not enough to break their spines. He then gave each a prod and roared out his cry again. Even as they fled, another rushed in then swerved at the last moment and lashed with his tail. Instead of trying to dodge the strike, Kaelish Nelmos let it fling him. As he flew, he planted the end of a zaalsestra into the ground and spun around it and planted both feet squarely in the attacker's snout. The hlesskssaa didn't need the growl as incentive; it fled with no further provocation.

“He's...” Aalila began then stopped; speechless.

“He is grass, my daughter to be,” Yenaali responded. “He bends before the wind so that he does not break. And, should the wind uproot him, he is even more dangerous to the trees about him.”

At last, only Scarflank remained. She had tried several times to claw or bite but Kaelish Nelmos dance had almost always placed one of her pride between them. On the few times there wasn't, he was far to nimble to be caught. Now, they stood facing one another. Kaelish Nelmos had the long end of each zaalsestra planted into the ground and the staves leaned inward, crossing just before his face.

He looked at her from behind his guard position. “Leave!” He called out even though he know she could not understand his words, but he hoped his posture, determination and tone would carry his message. “Your pride is fled, scattered like leaves. They will not return to you! LEAVE!”

At his shout, Scarflank roared, clawing at the ground in rage. Her tail lashed twice, three times, tearing out clumps of grass even as her claws dug at the ground. Roaring again, she moved towards him.

“leave.”

The word was soft this time, nearly a whisper. He did not move as she advanced on him. Instead, his eyes glowed like stars and the blunted ends at the top of each staff grew into sharpened points.

“leave,” Kaelish Nelmos said once more, still not moving.

Scarflank stopped and glared at him. She roared out once and once again. Then, at last, she turned and began to move slowly towards the Railing. Kaelish Nelmos stood motionless, zaalsestri sharpened into killing spikes, until the hlesskssaa, now without a pride, climbed over the stones of the Railing and continued to the west. It was only after Scarflank had disappeared over the horizon that he finally moved; slumping exhausted against his weapons.