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Aww yeah!
He felt his fist connect with a thrill that went up his arm.
Misses were just as fun as hits when you were swept up in the action.
"Oof!" her kick hit his back and he stumbled, twisting back into a fighting stance.
"Laughin' huh?" he called out. What the hell did she mean, insulting himself?
Why the hell was she laughing.
Made him want to punch her even more.
And now he had absolutely nothing holding him back. She had hit him after all.
"Now see?" his back ached, "That was a good hit."

His brother?
Veshki?
Would be mad?
Yeah, Sure he would be now that he thought about it.

"So what!" he snarled, lunging forward again with a whoop
Who cared if Veshki was angry? So what if Veshki was upset? So what?!

He didn't!

Veshki thought he heard something over the noise of the storm. A shout? A voice?
He wasn't sure.
And where was Ruelash?
Well, he might as well do a scouting service and check outside... He picked up his bow and began to stalk towards the door.

Veshki was always a little worried when Ruelash was out of his sight and unsupervised. Not always for the obvious what-is-he-up-to-now reasons, either. Ruelash would get himself in trouble, bad trouble. The boy had no sense of danger. The boy was reckless.
Veshki was worried that one day he would find his brother dead and know that not only had he failed to protect him but the rest of the village would be glad of the news.
That didn't sit well.
So, his brother missing and strange noises outside? Veshki crept out the door, bow drawn.

"Poi'less? Poi'less?! Wha's so pointless about it?" he tried to land a punch but she was too fast.
"Come on! Stop dodgin' and fight like a real man!" he paused, "Dodn't matter if ya're a woman, so don't gimme that." He had his own special policies when it came to females, sure, but pulling that card? Pff. Women were as good as the men and sometimes he had to remind them, which was stupid.
Just as annoying too.
Ugh. She was dodging everywhere. He could admire that but couldn't she at least get a freaking hit in?
He rushed forward for a tackle and, missing, skidded in the snow.
"Wha' th' hell?!" Why was she talking about Veshki? This was a fight. This was also getting annoying.
"Yaaa?" Veshki took care of him, and taught him. They took care of each other. What the hell was she getting at?

Voices. Definitely voices now, over the roar of the blizzard. Thieves? no, children. He lurked in the shadow of the roof. Flashes of blue through th driving snow.
He heard Ruelash's voice and it suddenly became clear.
Oh come on.
He stalked closer with all of the training of a scout.

Swing. Miss. Swing. Miss. Swing...
Ruelash kept on the offensive. Maybe she'd man the hell up and hit him again! Yeah!
"Yeah!" He was running out of steam. This was boring. What was the point of a fight if the other person didn't fight back?
Coward! He couldn't believe he had even had the slightest respect for her!
Ugh. "Yeah! I don't care!" he ran forward, aiming for a stomach punch.
"I just wanna fight!"

A dark shape in the blizzard-tinged night, Veshki ran forward as soon as he saw something that he could definitely say was Ruelash. He could see the situation when he got there- it was an intentionally one-sided fight.
He saw Ruelash diving in for a finishing sort of blow and, with a speed and strength that surprised even him, he grabbed ruelash's coat.

Ruelash was suddenly pulled back and fell to the ground, glaring around until his eyes met Veshki.
"Wha' th' Hell?!" he snarled.
Not fair!

"Ruelash... Just shut up." He went over to Zuri, kneeling down.
"Are you all right?" he gave her a smile that froze when he saw the bleeding cut. "Oh dear. Go inside. I'll fix you up. It's the least I can do..."
He gave her a pat on the shoulder. She wasn't his blood, but he was proud of her none the less. She wasn't in trouble. Not in his book.
But... he turned to Ruelash.
He was pissed now.

Ruelash only glared at him.

~~~~~

"How did it end?" asked Biroki, completely intent on the story

"I don't know.." Biroki said, smiling at Zuri and drawing back as she finished the story, "It sounds exciting! You were so b-brave in standing up to that b-bully!"
Biroki felt oddly proud.
"you didn't have to hit him to beat him in a fight..." Biroki sucked at fights, really, so the thought of winning without fighting was tantalizing.

~~~~

Dancing?!
Oh he wouldn't forget this! She was GOING DOWN.
"I'll-"

"I said that was enough, Ruelash..."
Veshki really had had enough of his brother's attitude for one night, "One more peep, one more indication that you're going to continue this fight, and I'm tethering you to my arm so I can keep track of you. At all times. Like a DOG. Do you want that?!"

"..."
Ruelash shut up and glowered at them both. No, he didn't want that.

"Well, I'm glad he didn't hurt you. Why don't you go inside and get some rest? I'll handle him from here, okay?"
He patted her on the head and gave her a smile.

~~~~

Ruelash poked at the soup- almost ready-
Yeah, that had been the end of that.
It was annoying to leave a fight unfinished. He liked things open an' shut. That wasn't even a tie. Ties were open and shut.
Didn't really bother him anymore, so much. It was in the past now.
But it had been a thorn in his side for the rest of the trip.
Ah well...
He prodded his soup again.
Nearly there.
Not there yet.