T'Larc was finding it hard to meditate.
T'Priel was beyond the far perimeter, so he could no longer sense her Bond. The sense of aloneness was unnerving and made it hard to concentrate. He flexed his fatigued limbs and loped over to another spot, relaxing slightly when the small part of T'Priel in his mind faded back into existence.
He lazily half-closed his eyes and set about organizing his thoughts. It was this organization that had made him such a sharp thinker – a warrior who depended on logic. Not at all like T'Priel. He gritted his teeth in irritation; the Hunter never seemed to know whether she was coming or going. She simply slew first and asked questions later… if the female even bothered asking questions. They hadn't even been Bonded for long, but he could still read her like a data report. She was so incredibly like a child sometimes!
A rustle of leaves made his eyes suddenly snap open and he looked around. Seeing nothing, he went back to his thoughts. Despite their bickering though, they did make a very good team; what she lacked in brains, she made up for in speed and ferocity. He could always count on her to tear their way out of a bad situation… of course they'd fight over her endangering herself in the process, but it was the norm.
He felt their Bond fade again, and he blinked uncomfortably. She was doing this on purpose – she knew that he didn't like it when the Bond was broken. Hunters were always Bonded; to the parents from the minute of birth, then to their Brothers and Sisters whilst in training, and finally to their Bond-Partners when they entered Military service. Deep down, the feeling of being alone was every Hunter's nightmare. He'd seen his Brothers and Sisters in times when their Bond-Partners had fallen into death; the feeling alone was enough to drive them mad.
He stood, moving again to find a spot where she was within sense, but stopped when the light glinted off something in the trees.
Humans!
With a roar, he spun his Fuel Rod Cannon around and fired into the trees, making them exploded into flame and ash. There was a round of cries from the hills as bodies fell from the trees and other soldiers opened fire.
The Bond was broken again as T'Priel moved, and T'Larc felt the unfamiliar lance of fear strike through his stomachs.
:T'Priel! I've engaged the enemy!: He called. There was no answer, only the cold sense of aloneness closing in. He shuddered as several of the metal projectiles from the Humans broke through his armor and lodged themselves in his leathery flesh. Ignoring the stinging pain of the projectiles he fired his Fuel Rod Cannon again, sending the pale, delicate bodies of the enemy flying backwards against the rock wall where they fell and stayed.
:T'PRIEL!: