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 Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 9:26 pm
Chazama needn't have worried about Maru telling their mother. He wanted to learn how to fight like that too, so that he could be big and strong when his mane grew in! Sure, he'd probably have to leave when that happened, and a tiny part of him was concerned by that, but if he was as big and strong as these red-pelts then he wouldn't have to worry about anything. And maybe, just maybe, if he asked nice Chazama would show him stuff about how to fight until he was big enough to visit the outpost more often. So if she learned things, maybe he would learn them!
Despite that, his eyes widened a bit as Hraga began to charge. He was pretty big...
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 11:22 pm
Wodi watched the little demonstration carefully, but also retained a rather careful air of boredom, looking...unimpressed. Oh, it was entertaining, but from her perspective, impractical. A lioness of her stature couldn't brace against such a large opponent and expect to achieve the same result. She stifled a sigh and shifted her weight from foot to foot, fidgeting. She had expected something exciting or at the very least interesting, but so far this was a bit of a let-down.
When Hraga asked for a volunteer, she would have stepped forward, but Chazama beat her to it. And though one of the Firekin lionesses offered herself as an opponent as well, there was no way she was going to go for her, not when she'd presented herself as a sort of smaller, beginner's challenge. Nope. Wodi didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea! If she took someone on, she wanted it to be one of the big ones.
Er. One of the big big ones. Or Surtak, but that was another matter entirely.
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 2:29 am
Chazama's attention flicked to Hraga as he explained what it was they were doing. Good! She didn't think she could have done what Heti did, she was rather small in comparison after all, and she'd imagine doing a manuever like that would only serve to hurt her more than it would an would be attacker. Especially if he were Firekin sized! "Nuh-uh, no big epic clash for me", she laughed in agreement, attempting to rid herself of the nervous jitters that came with facing a Firekin. Up here in front of her peers, and her little brother and an umholi no less, seemed a tad bit different than when she had come up here on her own seeking training. That she could handle, many sets of eyes liking drilling into the back of her skull... not so much.
With a settling breath the lioness got herself into position, keeping her attention focused on the large male that was about to come charging right at her. With Big Guy and Heti she had learned some basics of what she would need to know, and she hoped that it would be enough to pull of a success for this demonstration. Ears pricked forward, eyes centered on the Hraga, and her body moving just slightly into a position she was comfortable with. It was a subtle adjustment to how she held herself, slightly more at ease and rocking back to her heels, lowering her center of gravity enough for it to give her the push she would need. The tip of her tail flicked back and forth as she prepared herself. As a lioness of the Bonelands she was a hunter, and that shone through in her stance. She'd feel more at ease if she were stalking or prowling, moving of any sort, but this would have to do.
When she was ready she gave Hraga a brisk nod, pale eyes watching him and his movements. Before she knew it he was charging at her, every dark hulking inch of him heading straight for her! The splotchy lioness reacted how her body told her how she should react, and the small female lunged outside of Hraga's frontal assault, darting towards his flank where her shoulder caught and brushed a hind leg with as much force as she could muster, hoping to throw him off balance. Of course, in the heat of the moment the lioness did sprint several yards away, just in case, before halting to glance back.
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 8:15 am
The black and red lioness let out a surprised sound, looking at Hraga in shock. "Wait, when did I volunteer...?" She then let out a small huff, rising to her paws. Oh well, it'd be a great learning experience for her! But first she'd wait for Hraga's demonstration to be over. She glanced around at the lionesses gathered. "So, who'll want to take a turn at me? It'll be good for both of us, it'd be my first time training against a non-Firekin opponent!" She flexed her paws and toes, feeling the grass under them. She was ready to try!
Mhisani looked at Chazama, ears pricked as she watched. The way the male moved was... Rather intimidating. She couldn't blame the splotchy lioness for her reaction, dodging and running. It was a good tactic, one that she'd seen prey use before. She started to cheer her on, when she heard the black and red lioness speak up. Once again, Mhisani did her best to hide to avoid being a volunteer. Fighting was NOT her type of thing to do, and she wanted to avoid it as long as she could. Even if it was all mock fighting. She glanced around, hoping someone else would volunteer for this one.
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 8:37 am
Hraga grinned, coming to a stop with a short puff of dust. The bump hadn't knocked him to his feet, but he'd certainly felt it! That alone was more than he'd been anticipating. He also couldn't help but laugh at the distance she'd covered just to make sure there was no room for retaliation on his part. "Very good!" he said, shaking off the dust from his bicolored mane. "Falling back is a good tactic! Just be sure you don't end up tripping yourself up or trapping your back to any walls. Always be aware of your surroundings when you feint."
"Now that we've had a few demonstrations, and one eager volunteer, how about we try that a bit amongst everyone? Myself, Heti, Elda and Aurinko are happy to help, but you may also want to work with each other too. Have a few goes at practicing charges and feints, and then we'll talk about some basic combat moves when you are stuck close quarters."
"For any cubs, I am sure our other two diligent assistants are done bullying one another and will be happy to help," Hraga intoned, glancing behind him at the two boys. "And for anyone else, I am more than happy to take another volunteer!"
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:50 am
As Hraga spoke about their surroundings, Surtak took the time to look at them. The outpost itself was relatively open as it connected to wide savannahland. There were still rocks to trip on, creeks to fall into, and trees in the way. It was not the rocky nor full of brambles as is homeland had been.
The brown lion's attention focused on one of the red-pelts. Dipping his head at the Boneland's females as he passed, Surtak made his way to her.
"Aurinko is your name? The black one said." Surtak waited patiently for her response before adding, "I will practice with you."
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:44 pm
Inwardly, Aurinko gulped. She was expecting one of the lionesses to volunteer to face her, not the attending adult male. She had gone after her gazelle, though, and she was going to face it as it tried to not get eaten. She squared her shoulders, lifting her head. "Okay, then! It'll be a worthy practice!" She'd be facing males out in the real battle fields, possibly even LARGE males. She gave a bow of her head to Surtak, then stepped a distance away before turning to him. She didn't bother to ask if he was ready - The enemy didn't ask, after all, they just attack - before she charged at the brown male, ears folding back so they didn't fill with wind.
Mhisani looked around, suddenly starting to feel left out. Everybody was starting to pair off... She finally came to the conclusion she'd have to join and conceded mental defeat at herself. But who would she face? Blue eyes passed over everyone before landing on Elda. She shuffled over, suddenly feeling shy about asking. "Would you like to practice with me...? Um... Elda, was it?" From what she'd observed, the great red lioness was of few words, so she wasn't expecting some huge speech. A simple yes or no would have sufficed for the little tan lioness, who felt rather tiny next to the Firekin. But then... Were all invaders this big?
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 4:26 pm
He watched the lesson with interest. The tips Hraga was giving them were quite useful for anyone. Moto'spaki didn't imagine the Ithambo lions would ever become a warrior pride, but they would certainly have something to gain from this, and become better able to defend themselves. He briefly wondered if it was a good idea to teach an other pride how to fight well, in case the firekin ever needed to battle them...
But that wasn't thinking optimistically. He couldn't look at the lot gathered here, getting along so well, and think they would come to blows anytime soon. Well, non-playful blows. "I am also happy to help." He offered.
Not quite one to be left out, especially not while she was trying to be more out and about. "I also!" She said loudly, though perhaps her accent might be a little weird. Oh well. That couldn't be helped now. Besides, to learn how to fight you didn't really need to talk!
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:59 am
Baie’s eyes narrowed dangerously when the patched lioness volunteered to fight. It wasn’t that her attitude bothered her – learning how to fight was the purpose of this meeting, after all – but there was something very wrong about watching a lioness she’d seen growing up, someone she’d baby-sited, going up against a giant warrior male. It made her feel nervous and overprotective.
“Careful.” She warned under her breath. An injured Umzingeli wasn’t of much use to the pride. Sure they could watch the cubs and bear some of their own but they wouldn’t be able to participate in the most important of the Abazingeli’s shared tasks: hunting. Thanfully, Chazama did well and Baie felt a hint of pride. “I’ll watch for a bit longer, I think.”
----------------------
Thuli was rather sad that another had volunteered before her but her bright blue eyes were having trouble leaving their little practice and she only made her decision after Chazama’s flight, when Hraga spoke again. She wanted to challenge the black and red female but Surtak was already making his way to her and it seemed the red one who was called Elda already had someone with her as well. Fearing all the red pelts would soon be paired up with the Abazingeli, the adolescent moved closer to the stripped male whose name she’s also heard before.
“Heti, right? I’m Thuli.” She wasn’t even fully grown and he was ridiculously big. She grinned, just a little, feeling a delicious mix of fear and excitement as she stopped in front of the towering lion. “I challenge you!”
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 1:22 pm
Buna was in no mood to fight, and she regretted joining the party. The sour look on her face didn't get any brighter when Chazama went up against the large male. That one... It didn't feel right to her, but perhaps it was good that the young adult finally took an initiative to do something. Hunting would have been better, of course. Buna sidled closer to her aunt, hoping no one would call her out for fights just yet.
"Baie," she whispered, "Do you think we could deal with one of the big ones like we do with a large angry preybeast?"
She assumed her aunt would know the move she was talking about. Two or more lionesses would take turns taunting and attacking, making their prey run themselves ragged, and protecting them all from getting injured by sharp horns and hoofs. An invading lion would probably be smarter, but she had met her fair share of tricky beasts too...
--
Eld looked eagerly at the assembled strangers to see if anyone would want to spar with him. He didn't mind being knocked around a little bit, but the lionesses seemed to want to pick adult partners, and the few cubs in the groups hadn’t made their move yet. He made an attempt to stare out the ones that hadn't picked anyone yet.
"I could take on someone bigger too," the juvenile announced loudly, "Anything goes."
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 1:46 pm
Elda heard her name and turned her head solemnly, giving a stiff nod in acceptance. Her fur was still mottled with dust and she shook herself again as she moved towards her new opponent. This one was not as big and stocky as Heti. Should she be more careful, perhaps?
"Try to strike me down." Was all she said, bracing herself into a position that Heti had adopted during the demonstration. Her tail flicked wildly back and forth, her eyes watching the tan female intently. She wasn't sure whether to expect much or not from these foreigners. Some had seemed eager, others not so much, but at least this one had volunteered, though she spoke timidly.
There was no room for timidness on the battle field.
--
Heti dipped his head politely to Thuli as she approached. He was enjoying socialising with the people of this pride. They were friendly and far more relaxed than some of the ones he knew back home. "Nice to meet you, Thuli. It would be my honour." He gave her an encouraging smile and took a few steps back, feeling the compact ground beneath his paws. When he was settled, he lifted his head and asked: "Will you take the part of attacker or evader?"
He blinked. "If I could offer some advice, you might be best off evading. With your youth and light weight, no doubt you will be speedy on those paws of yours. Agility will be your strength and you can use it against your slower enemies."
Lions like him.
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 5:48 am
In response to the child's boasting, a rather large lioness appeared from the crowd. Unlike many of the others, Kapera remembered fighting. She had fought for a large part of her life, living in roguelands. And it showed. She wasn't the most attractive thing, but at that moment her eyes seemed to be filled with a kind of motherly interest. She liked cubs, even little wild ones who were bold enough to ask for adult sparring partners.
Kapera wasn't much for talking. In fact, despite those awkward muscles she was rather shy when it came down to it. "I need a partner," she said simply, trying to convey non-aggression with her eyes.
Her body crouched low, as if to level the playing field a bit.
----
Pulling on his brother's ears, Bakar suddenly became aware of Eld actually managing to grab an adult partner. Wait, what?! Bakar was waaay tougher than Eld! Mom said so! [Although he wasn't actually sure why Armada seemed to hold something of a grudge towards Eld's family...] But that was besides the point! If Eld was taking on a bunch of bonelands adults, surely so could they!
"I am way tougher!" Bakar suddenly announced to the crowd. "I can take on someone older too!"
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 9:23 am
Starting to get into position to practice, the tan-peach lioness was suddenly surprised by the cub's words. He was tougher? She looked at him, amusement shining in her blue eyes. "Then I'll practice with you next!" After, she thought, Elda thoroughly mock-kicked her butt. Mhisani then braced herself, before charging. She didn't wait for the red lioness to come at her, instead taking initiative. It was like prey, she told herself... Except she couldn't go using claws.
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 10:36 am
Eld grinned from ear to ear when he was approached by one of the adult bonelanders. This would be fun! He wasn't cocky enough to believe he could win against any adult, but he did believe that every time he ended up face first in the sand was a learning opportunity. What didn't kill you made you stronger, right? And besides, it wasn't fair if he was left out of the fun for a lack of age appropriate sparring partners.
"I can help you with that," he said, "You want to attack or defend?"
Eld's ear twitched as the younger cub spoke up, and he debated ignoring him for a moment. But when Bakar seemed to have secured an adult partner for later too he was too curious not to look. And after he had looked he kind of had to respond, right?
"I'm bigger than you," he stated in response to Bakar's loud statement, "But sure... you might be tougher..."
He kind of hoped that the cub would take a nosedive and start bawling, but what were the odds for that?
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 12:44 pm
Surtak watched the Firekin female create distance between them. His ears swiveled, his breath slowed, and his muscles began to coil.
It was only training, he bluntly reminded himself. His eyes narrowed as she turned and his entire body grew rigid as she began to run.
He waited there, his small muscled form like a wall as she charged. At the last moment, he seemed to decide the full frontal assault was not on his list of things to do, and so he ducked low, aiming his left shoulder into her front legs as he rolled. Being small had its advantages. Claws sheathed, he batted at the air above him as he twisted, in case she decided for some retaliation. Just as quickly, he was back on his feet.
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