[PRP] Mitternacht (Kazul, Odd & Hroarr)

[Princess_Feylin]

Odd

Odd looked around the den and wished he was elsewhere. His ma was out doing whatever it was she did when she went out and so his siblings were scattered here and there. Finding one of them wouldn't be difficult, but he wasn't really in the mood to stay in the woods today. Something just told him it wasn't where he ought to be. Fortunately, as part of the Stormborn he and his siblings were able to roam more freely than they had been before. The pride kept them safe, even when they went far from their den. As his half-sister Kazul put it, "No one wants to mess with the Stormborn."

Ah, and that solved his problem neatly. He could go find Kazul. She usually had lots of ideas when it came to ways to spend their time. He really enjoyed going around the pride with her and learning all about the different people and places, hearing stories from the Reavers and the Lawspeakers. Even a fairly routine trip up to the ice melts to get something to drink could become an adventure with Kazul. She just tended to look at things very differently than he did, and that made her an interesting companion.

And Kazul would be pleased to see him. The last time they'd played together she had grumbled that she was always coming down to him, and he never came up to her. Then she'd gone on to say that it made her wonder if he actually wanted to spend time with her at all, or simply couldn't be bothered to send her away when she'd already shown up. This should put her fears to rest on that count, he thought with a grin.

"Going to play with Kazul," he announced to any family who might be within hearing distance, just in case anyone thought to wonder later. It wasn't likely.

Kazul

Kazul narrowed her light gold eyes at her brother and her lips pulled back to bare many of her sharp teeth in a fierce snarl. A soft growl rose from her throat, but the softness of it sort of marred the overall effect, so she abandoned the attempt. Some lions simply weren't meant for growling and roaring, and it seemed Kazul was one of them. She always felt silly when she did it.

"I can take you," she threatened Hroarr. It wasn't important what they had been quarreling over before. In fact, they hadn't been quarreling over anything. She was simply putting on a display because that was what seemed to be expected of warriors who were about to engage in battle.

Not that her intimidation tactics were all that effective. People who knew Kazul well, as her brother certainly did, would know that she rarely followed through on threats of violence, and even when sparring she had a tendency to pull her punches, so to speak. That was part of what made her both an excellent sparring partner and a horrible one. She knew it was a problem, and had lately decided that the best way to fix it was to spar frequently, and with anyone who would give her the time.

So far the only takers had been her full-blooded siblings, and it might have been out of a sense of pity for their sister who wanted to be a warrior, but wouldn't commit violence without a great deal of provocation. Some might attribute the reluctance to fight without reason to the influence of her half-brother, who lived up to (or down to) his name. Odd.

 

[Talencia]

As serious as Hroarr was about sparring, he usually went into it with a huge, silly grin on his face. It wasn't that he took it lightly, and it wasn't that he was purposely mocking his opponents. He just absolutely loved learning to fight! To him it was a thrill, a treat, setting his blood to singing joyfully. He was immune to his sister's taunting, answering her playfully and with mock ferocity in their pre-battle banter. Oh, he knew very well that real fighting didn't involve this kind of goofiness, but hey, they were only sparring, and it seemed to help his sister get more aggressive, which was always to the good!

But he was done with words for now, he wanted to spar! "Then prepare yourself!" he roared at half-volume, giving her plenty of notice and he dug his hind claws in, lowered his shoulders, and launched himself at her, aiming to meet her shoulder-to-shoulder. When it came to sparring, he didn't hold back from his sibs, having learned that sentimentality would just get you killed as a grown-up. Best to start now, treating males and females both as equal threats.  

[Princess_Feylin]

Odd

Going up hill unaccompanied didn't make Odd uneasy, but he did notice the strangeness of it, which only served to underscore his half-sister's complaint that he never came to find her, and she was always the one going in search of him. Guilt twinged in his gut. Not that he went around spouting it, but Odd was actually a fairly sensitive young lion and he could tell that this was something important to Kazul that he simply hadn't thought about. He wanted to make it right and show her that the friendship and affection between them wasn't all one-sided.

It was interesting to see what the different pride members were doing at any time, and several times on his way up to the den Kazul shared with their father and her family Odd was almost diverted from his path to investigate something fascinating. Instead he filed it away in the back of his mind as an activity he and Kazul could look into together, or one he could explore on his own some time. At the moment, he reminded himself sternly, he was supposed to be finding his half-sister.

The idea of going all the way up to their father's den and asking after her whereabouts was not appealing, however. Her mother was the only other lioness Odd had ever seen who was as effectively spiritual as his own, and he preferred not to cross her, or even cross her path. Instead he asked a few of the lions he had learned to recognize during his excursions with Kazul and was told that they had no idea where she was, though it was suggested that she might be watching the Reavers train.

Odd had a vague idea of where Reavers trained, but since he wasn't much interested in fighting it wasn't a place he and Kazul often went together, and it certainly wasn't anywhere he went on his own. Still, it wasn't as though it was difficult to find, and the b*****d cub made his way there quickly, though it would take him a little bit to actually find the object of his search. There were a lot of Reavers!

Kazul

Kazul grinned as her brother launched himself toward her. It was an odd, fine line she walked between delighting in the physical exertion of training and drilling and dreading the actual application of those skills. She always worried, particularly if she was sparring against non-relatives, that she would hurt someone and they would be afraid to let her know because her da was the Warlord or something. Pure egoism on her part, given her size, strength, and skills, but just the same it was a concern of hers.

She had no problem taking hits, and actually tended to look at each blow landed on her as a lesson to be learned, namely how not to get hit in that way again, but that didn't mean she would just stand there and take it either. The green cub twisted, taking advantage of the notice he'd kindly given her, meaning simply to dodge her brother's attack. However, she managed to misjudge his speed, and even his angle of approach, which meant that she had basically managed to twist directly in front of him, rather than harmlessly to one side.

"Stormlords' balls," she hissed, more annoyed with herself for moving so foolishly than with her brother. It was not ladylike language, but Kazul was not always the most ladylike of lions. Particularly not when engaging in traditionally male activities. She was too young to fully grasp that she didn't have to embrace every aspect of a Reaver's lifestyle if she wanted to be a Reaver, and so didn't have to behave exactly like one of them (or like she thought they behaved like).

Kazul continued twisting, hoping her momentum would carry her a bit beyond her brother's claws while she lashed out with her own foreclaws, not so much aiming to land any blows as simply acting to discourage her brother from attempting to get in close enough to use his superior size and strength against her. She knew because her father had told her that female Reavers were at a natural disadvantage, and that they were more or less finished if they allowed themselves to be pinned by a larger lion. And so Kazul avoided that, sometimes even when it wasn't actually a concern.

 

[Talencia]

Hroarr realized that because of his sister's twist, his shoulders were not going to connect, though that didn't mean his charge was useless. He endured her swipes, trying to duck under them as he began to pass her so close. But rather than letting himself fly by, he opened his arms, reaching to catch her shoulder in an attempt to either pull her close or pivot himself towards her. It did a little of both, but he found he hadn't prepared himself for the change of direction. Instead of pivoting neatly into a strong, higher position, he kinda ended up just flinging himself to the ground, sprawled in a stretched out manner, with one forepaw still extended from letting go of Kazul.

Anticipating she might try to take advantage of his grounded position, he used what little was left of his momentum to roll onward, trying to keep moving so as not to make an easy target. He knew she wouldn't hesitate to pounce on him for such a mistake. So instead of taking the baby way out and calling for a restart, he rolled to his paws. Rather than dodge further, he again lunged at her, remembering to keep his hind end going the right direction this time.  

[Princess_Feylin]

Odd

Being small had its advantages in a world where everyone else was enormous. It meant, for one thing, that Odd could run between legs and beneath bellies if he needed to get from one place to another in a hurry, and that was exactly what he did once he caught a glimpse of his half-sister's green coat. He made a beeline for her, ignoring the half-hearted curses that trailed in his wake as older lions had to avoid stepping on him or had their soft undersides brushed unexpectedly as he made his way to his sister. What he saw when he finally had Kazul in view horrified him: she and one of her brothers were fighting.

"Hrraaugh!"

Without pausing to think why they might be fighting, or to consider that many of the lions in this area were similarly engaged, Odd flung himself forward into the fray, leaping toward her brother as Hroarr lunged toward Kazul. It didn't particularly matter to him why they were fighting, only that they were siblings and siblings should not try to disembowel one another.

Because Hroarr seemed to be the aggressor when Odd arrived and because Odd happened to like Kazul best out of his half-siblings anyway, the fox-furred cub mentally declared himself on his sister's side and appointed himself her defender. The fact that his attempt at defense had also sent her sprawling was immaterial. He was helping.

Kazul

Kazul grinned fiercely, liking the way this fight was going. She wasn't going to win by any sort of impressive margin, and the forepaw Hroarr had on her was going to be really painful if his claws dug in any deeper, but this was a good fight and no honor would be lost here. And if he did dig his claws in any deeper, Kazul was going to bite her brother's ear off. It seemed only fair to her.

However, any plans she may have had for ear-biting or pouncing were completely thrown off by an unexpected roar followed by the blur of an orange coat and an unexpected thump as someone more or less jumped through her on his way to Hroarr. The markings gave the someone away as one of her half-brothers, and it didn't take much thought to figure out it was probably Odd. She huffed and took advantage of the distraction he provided to get to her feet.

Then, figuring there was no reason not to take further advantage of her unanticipated ally, she also decided to launch an attack on Hroarr, though she would have liked some time to actually plan her attack and coordinate with Odd. sometimes battles didn't go exactly the way you wanted, she remembered their father saying. This seemed to be one of those times.

 

[Talencia]

The unanticipated addition to the spar did indeed catch Hroarr by surprise. He let the surprise take the form of turning his attack to include the newcomer as well. For all he knew, his father had sent someone to test his mettle in battle. You certainly didn't face off with one opponent until their death, and then turn to the next one waiting in line! He roared at the added challenge and ducked flat to the ground, letting the erratic charge begin to carry... wait, was that Odd?... his opponent over the top of him. Just at the right time, he launched himself upward, driving the tops of his shoulders into what he hoped was Odd's chest. Later he would wince about roughing Odd, who seemed less battle-inclined than he or Kazul, but for now, he did not flinch from adding his half-brother to the fray.

This put him on his paws to meet Kazul's next attack. He met her with open jaws and claws. It became a straight-forward, face to face confrontation, which he should be able to win, since he was built heavier and larger than she, even at this age.He managed to clamp his jaws on her shoulder and hung on, determined not to let go, regardless of the punishment she rained down on him.  

[Princess_Feylin]

Odd

Odd had been so very proud of his leap, right up until his intended victim ducked beneath it and then drive his shoulders into his chest. And then he mostly felt sore. He couldn't believe Kazul did things like this. They hurt!

And then he realized that if he didn't get back onto his feet and come to Kazul's aid, she might get hurt, too. He wasn't permanently damaged, after all. Just a little winded. A Stormborn wouldn't allow that to stop him, Odd supposed, though it was difficult to imagine what thoughts would be going through a reaver's mind at a time like this. Odd wasn't really very warlike at all.

Nevertheless he scrambled to his feet and charged once more at Hroarr, trying to come upon him from what he imagined would be a blind spot so that he could get his teeth into the area behind his skull, where it joined his neck. That seemed like a good place to attack, especially since Hroarr's teeth were now closing on Kazul's shoulder.

Kazul

Kazul didn't really spare Odd much thought or attention as he was sent flying through the air. If he wasn't up for this sort of roughness, he should have stayed on the sidelines, and not gotten involved. A Stormborn warrior had to be able to take a bit of roughing up, and Kazul still thought she would be one of those one day.

Her lips drew back in a snarl that showed a great many sharp teeth as she tried to bat away his claws. Unfortunately, that action distracted her from the teeth behind his paws, and the way he snaked his head in to bite her shoulder. The bite made her yelp with pain, but she quickly clamped her mouth shut and turned the sound into a hiss.

With an effort and no small amount of discomfort Kazul twisted and tried to free herself, just as Odd came up on Hroarr from behind to make his next move. She had no idea what her half-brother had planned, but she hoped it would be effective. Her current predicament wasn't exactly stellar.

 

[Talencia]

((Odd = 2, Kazul = 6))

If he could just hang on a little longer, perhaps he could win this fight. His sister was a serious opponent, and it would give him an ego boost if he managed to best her, especially considering it was two against one! However, he was far from invulnerable to whatever options she came up with in the situation. Though his clamp on her shoulder was a strong one, it did rob him of one of his assets as well as keep him in a reasonably fixed position.

This also made him an easy target for Odd. He rolled his eyes towards his weaker half-brother. Though Odd was no fighter, even a cub could land a lucky shot, and Odd was no cub. All three of them were growing in size and strength, if not always in skill. Hauling a deep breath through his nostrils, he held on tight and braced for impact from both of them.  

[Princess_Feylin]

Odd

Still mostly going by what he thought felt right, Odd wasn't doing so wonderfully as a warrior. He had absolutely no sense for what was or wasn't right in a fight, and so mostly what he was doing amounted to flailing with claws and teeth. He lacked practical experience, and even much in the way of voyeuristic experience. It didn't stand him very well, fighting with little more than good intentions and enthusiasm.

Probably it was a good thing his teeth didn't find their mark though. In a practiced fighter or hunter, a bite like that could have severed Hroarr's spinal chord, and then there would have been all sorts of hell to pay. Aesir didn't mind his bastards doing as the pleased in the pride, but he would certainly take issue if one of them was to kill one of his trueborn cubs, even if it was accidentally done.

Odd was not thinking that way, though. He was more disappointed by his failure and then distracted by the discomfort of landing his failed attack. Something had gone ping and Odd was positive that wasn't a sound his body was supposed to have made. He felt sick about it, but he did not try to attack again, leaving the fight to his sister to finish.

Kazul

Kazul continued to squirm, but as she continued to do so she could feel her skin tearing, and beneath that more important flesh. She didn't know a great deal about anatomy, but it seemed likely to her that if she continued to struggle and Hroarr didn't let go, there weren't many ways this would turn out well for her.

Losing a chunk of shoulder was not an appealing thought. A warrior ought to at least begin their career with all their parts, and Kazul's had not yet started. She didn't want to be maimed before it did. But she bet their da would be really mad when he found out Hroarr hadn't known the difference between sparring and true battle. If someone told him, anyway. Kazul didn't intend to unless Hroarr did something to make her angry.

"Ou...Enough, Hroarr," she said. "Are you trying to cripple me?"

 

[Talencia]

Odd fell back, and at his sister's words, he instantly let go, tasting blood with surprise. He stared at her shoulder, awash with a conflicting mix of pride and horror. "I... I'm sorry, Kazul," he stammered, clearly dismayed to discover he'd actually injured her. "I don't know what happened... I... got carried away, i guess." His pupils were quite wide. Though he'd been taught to fight all the harder when outmanned, he hadn't realized the kind of damage he could and would do when he got serious about it. Shame finally overcame his triumph, and he bowed his head guiltily.

He wasn't a bad or terribly aggressive boy, and seeing his sister bleeding from his own bite marks cut him deeply. He had to make it right, somehow. "I could clean it for you," he offered contritely. "I can reach it... better... than... you." He trailed to a faltering stop, realizing that his ability to reach the spot was part of the problem to begin with. Ears folded, he gave her a begging look. "I didn't mean to, Kazul, really."  

[Princess_Feylin]

Odd

In the back of his throat Odd felt a tickle of a growl, but he suppressed it when Hroarr released Kazul and it became apparent that he'd had no idea of the effect his attack had. He was ameliorated somewhat by the horror he read on his half-brother's face, though the pride did little to please him.

He walked gingerly to Kazul's side, planting himself very firmly beside her to give the impression of a united front, and then murmured, "I know more of healing than he does. I can take care of you."

There was no good reason for Odd to wish to take that task upon himself, particularly since he wasn't in top form himself, but it bothered him that Hroarr had offered. He was...jealous? Kazul obviously held more respect for fighters than others in the pride, and Hroarr was a fighter and Odd definitely was not.

"Come on," he said softly.

Kazul

Unaware that she was being offered a choice between her two brothers that could hurt the feelings of either one, Kazul unconsciously decided on a third path that probably wouldn't sit too well with either of her brothers.

"Don't worry about it," she told them both. "We were fighting. It happens."

And it hurt like anything, but if Kazul couldn't win the fight, she could at least out-tough them by bearing her discomfort more stoically. And as far as allowing either of them to help clean or tend it...that simply was not going to happen. Hroarr may feel guilty, and Odd may have some idea what he was doing, but Kazul preferred to go to a real healer, thank you. Like a real reaver would.

"If it's still a problem tomorrow I'll go to one of the pride's healers."

 

[Talencia]

Hroarr's ears pinned further in dismay at his sister's stoic approach to the issue. He felt he'd forced her into being so staunch and enduring under the pain. Father likely would be proud of her... but would he be proud of him? On one hand, he'd not given up under a situation very like battle, with an added opponent unexpectedly leaping on him as well. On the other hand, he wasn't sure they were supposed to be wounding each other at this point in their training. He considered going to Father himself to tell him what had happened. After all, he was likely to hear about it anyway. Better from Hroarr's own lips.

But between his concern for his sister, his chagrin at losing control, and his worry about his father's reaction, Odd's continuing combatative "them against him" attitude, the normally friendly juve gritted his teeth in sudden rage. His half-brother provided an outlet for his confusing and alarming feelings, a welcome and available scapegoat. He turned on Odd after watching Kazul limp off. "This is all your fault!" he growled, hauling off a blow to Odd's cheek that was carefully soft-pawed. Despite holding back his claws, he did not hold back on force, sending his half-brother sprawling with the unexpected blow. "If you had just let us spar, this never would have happened!" Distraught at himself for his loss of control twice in one setting, he spun and bolted off, confused and angry. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen!  

[Princess_Feylin]

Odd

Odd frowned at Kazul's decision, which he didn't think would please anybody. At least it didn't please him. He had taken her side without even thinking about it, other than thinking that he was defending her. He hadn't realized at the time that they were just sparring. Spirits! He barely understood the concept of sparring anyway, not the way the Stormborn did it. It had looked like Kazul was in a real fight.

He did not expect further attacks to come after the fight had ended and Kazul had left, and so Hroarr's blow caught his cheek full on. He didn't cry out, but it hurt and confused him. If they had been sparring, why was Hroarr angry? He'd won. He looked up at the warlord's trueborn son with a bewildered expression as Hroarr growled at him, failing to see how his involvement had in any way led to this outcome.

Before he could make any reply, or even convince his jaw to move to allow him to do so, Hroarr had darted away, leaving Odd to climb to his feet alone and return home with a bad feeling about everything hanging over him.

Kazul

Had Kazul known how Hroarr was going to react, she might have hung around, and she definitely would have thumped him a good one on the head. No one picked on her brother! Not even other brothers. Odd was her best friend, and she wouldn't have him bullied or beaten. She wasn't even sure, sometimes, that she wanted him to learn to fight, because then he'd be more like everyone else and less special.

But she had already departed, and so she had no idea of what passed between her brother and her half-brother.