Kemosabe (open)

She was drunk off it. The sun blazed down her nose and sent a wave of sweat over her nearly silver colored body. Catherine had left the bayou with the plans of only meeting the newly growing legend named Angelus. It was only to be a spell before she returned to her not so homey home. But the day grew into two and the sun beat down with even more intensity across her pale body. She was literally drunk off of it now, stumbling down into the shadows of the canyon was her only relief.

Lift. Lifting hooves. Up up up. Encouragement was usually what spilled from the blood colored birds mouth. He loved his lady, he'd loved her for so so long now he didn't know what love wasn't. Pip was hot too, but not too hot. He shifted between flying above, and gliding below Cate, trying ever so hard to keep her upright and moving. She snapped at him so often he steered clear of her maw, but today was different, today she was just in-explainably bubbly. Today she was drunk. Up up. He repeated with urgency as she stumbled again. "I am up you bastard bird!" Her face quickly moved from cross to happy as she began to laugh. "It's so hot out, Pip. So hot. And I'm thirsty" Her voice was still harsh in her laughter, still threatening in her vulnerability. Only an idiot would mess with Cate, even when she was like this. "I'm fine." She reassured her companion.

With each step Catherine felt like she was sinking deeper and deeper into whatever it was that was happening to her. She was a bit fuzzy around the edges, yes, fuzzy. The light bodied mare laughed some more at the thought. Cate was everything but fuzzy. Even on the best of days, such as today, Cate was far from a cuddly being. As she stumbled once more Pip whooshed beneath her, this time flying inches under her chin, waking her up a little. The mare's forelock, damp with sweat, flew into the air as she threw her head. She missed the bird completely but caught a fleck of color in the sky. Buzzards were a big part of desert life, nearly as big a part as the sand was. "I'm not dead yet, Buzz!" She called out to the circling bird. Pip also saw the bird. His reaction was not quite so comical.

The little red tike shot straight up to the black bird, who was obviously larger in size and voice. Being a song bird, Pip didn't make much noise in his pursuit. The bird didn't make a lot of sound at all, preferring to keep his songs to his mare. The mare kept her gaze upward, blinking in the sun as she watched her companion approach, and then attach the black crow looking bird head on. "Pip!" She called out, a tint of concern in her alto voice. "Pip, don't be stupid." If Cate cared for anyone, she cared for the bird. She wasn't about to lose him because of this mild nuisance. "Leave it alone. Get your feathered ass back down here now." By now all three were making quite the ruckus, all of the noises echoing down the canyon walls.

At first Catherine's gaze was glued to her little read friend and his opponent. She was concerned, but the fuzz that affected her mind took away any empathy she once had. The damn bird could fend for itself and she was far more interested in the intense white blob that was moving towards her. Catherine squinted in the sun, trying to revive her eyes. It was like a mirage. His image was blurred and stunningly sharp all at the same time. His words however smacked her in the face before she had a chance to react to his image. Catherine bulked up, straitening her body almost too much. She knew her guard was incapable of being up in this moment, and her vulnerability caused an overreaction that was almost comical. 

Pip shot down from the sky, escaping the crows talons and retreating to his lady. The red bird flew directly beneath her through both sets of legs and proceeded to make himself known to the stallion that accompanied the crow. Away! Away away! He shouted as loud and menacingly as possible for a song bird before circling back and landing atop Catherine's erect body. They were definitely caught here. A mistake had definitely been made.

Catherine blinked at the stallion, Pip digging his little black talons into her forelock and fluttering about in anger. "I suppose?" Her words were slurred and dry. Nearly as dry as her throat, which by now was parched to the point of cracking. With her response Pip quickly quieted himself, scowling at the crow atop the stallions head. The poor little song bird had too much fight in him for his own good. Some days he mirrored his mare in this aspect.

"Is there anything around her to drink?" She blurted out, unable to take much more of the heat. She felt her knees getting weaker by the minute. It was not a good situation to be in all in all.