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Shisa was standing in the training grounds, not terribly far from the Barracks and not terribly busy, in truth. She had done a quick walk around to see what was going on around the training grounds, pausing to watch a duel between a rogue and a soldier, making mental notes about what she saw and if there was anything worth following up with either competitor about. But in the end, it was mostly for her own interest. She was just thinking about how she hadn't spotted Chaka anywhere, staring off into space, when suddenly someone bumped into her. Indifferent, she looked over to the stranger, hesitating in stepping aside as she noticed the look he gave her when he realized who he'd bumped into. She couldn't tell what it meant but there was something about that expression.

She recognized him, though she had never met him personally. Between her job evaluating new members and observing active soldiers and guards for any interesting talent, she'd seen plenty of him in the background of her days around the pride recently. He seemed capable enough, and that was the entire basis of her vaguely positive impression of him so far. But that look..

"Watch where you walk, soldier," she said offhandedly, settling for ignoring him and looking back off to where she had been gazing before he bumped into her.

Her ear twitched and turned back before she turned her eyes back on him, now understanding the look she had been given when he bumped into her. He didn't need to apologize, she knew plenty of big-headed lions around here who would rather just ignore it.. it was obviously her own intention. Shisa was not one to throw her weight around but she knew his story was an obscure one that did not support the ego he just demonstrated.

"I'd be careful who you speak to in that tone," she said, her voice calm but her tone almost threatening, "You wouldn't want to offend the wrong lion."

Shisa did well not to raise a brow at the sudden aggressive action by the soldier, she wasn't surprised by the duel so much as the audacious way he challenged her. There was no intent except to 'teach' her a lesson for arguing with him when he was rude to her. She had half a mind to walk away but she doubted turning her back to him would be wise, if something as simple as his bumping into her could cause him to initiate a fight.

Now, too, she was curious about what skill he might have that would let his head grow so large.

Though already turning to assure he did not get out of her sight, she eventually stepped out to circle opposite him. It was the only sign she gave of accepting the challenge he proposed, she said nothing else.

Shisa watched Ruber very carefully and when he lunged forward, she met his confidence with her own, stopping exactly where she was and waiting for a hit she knew would not make it. Her biggest mistake, it turned out, would be waiting a little too long to react. The fact that his first real strike landed him a nose full of sand was too precious to move past too quickly. She reached down to give him a shove around but he was already moving again and she missed her chance to really get in a hit.

It caused a bit of stumbling but overall, she was in the same position she started in.

She jumped back a step to give herself more room but when he retreated back to his circling, she half expected him to skulk off in shame.. but his own clumsiness hardly seemed the most suitable note to end this fight on. He had come at her with claws, aiming to really teach her a lesson, she reminded herself. So when he circled, she waited.. until he came near enough for her to leap forward and reach up, aiming a claw-less swat to the face-- and landing an even more annoying tap on the nose.

This wasn't how you proved a point.. if you were on his side. So far, she was doing an admirable job of making him look foolish while not really doing anything. So she thought, anyway. Her lack of aggression might mean the message didn't really get through to him, though.

This wasn't an unusual tactic for the Brigadier. It was one of the first methods she'd really developed as she trained to be a soldier, though it helped that her dueling partner was so temperamental when they were young. But now even Chaka knew that winding someone up could be a useful tool in a fight, though it was risky.

It wasn't looking like the wrong way to have gone now, though. When Ruber made another attempt to lunge forward, Shisa didn't stand quite so still this time, with half a step back she was ready- and once he hit the sand she jumped up and put her two front paws onto his fluffy neck, pushing his upper body down into the sand with as much weight as she felt was necessary to get the job done. As he landed, she shifted her weight as she felt most appropriate to make it as challenging as possible to get his front legs back into the fight.

If he wanted to to get his nose out of the sand (and get her back), he would have to push her off.

Shisa exhaled quietly, relieved to realize she had gotten a better pose than she first expected. She had just the right balance to make it, apparently, impossible for him to get out from beneath her. And he was trying desperately. He probably didn't like losing, least of all to a female. But she had definitely gotten the best of him now.

"Like I said," she said, perhaps louder than was necessary and certainly attempting to draw attention of anybody who happened to have paused to observe or might bee passing by, "You wouldn't want to offend the wrong lion."

With that, she shifted her weight to stand down but not without a harsh swipe to his face- this time with her claws out. If he was lucky, it might leave a mark on his nose. While Shisa knew scars could be perceived positively in a pride like this, if it did scar, he'd know what it was really from and she doubted he'd treat it as an honor.

"Every member of the Firekin is a trained fighter, do not underestimate a single one," she hissed, now obviously intent on relieving her carefully contained aggression as her level voice changed, "You've made a very sorry impression on this Brigadier." With that, she felt she'd had enough of this lion, and she stepped over him (using his head as a partial step on her way over) and walked off. If he called after or followed her, she would ignore him.