[DUEL] Mothwing [ Elcca / Seide ]

[Mimsey]

She still wasn't terribly certain this was the right path to take. She didn't owe these people anything, and neither did Yoan. But two days later she was still here, like she didn't have the will to go further. There were other lands north of here. Other tribes, other clans that would happily embrace her talents. Roaming armies that might one day crush the lands in the south. Great places that she'd always wanted to see. But the feeling remained, and she didn't like it. Like if she waited here long enough, one day he might come back.

And that hurt the most.

Elcca waited until dusk, seated patiently on a stone that allowed her a good wide view of the desert in front of her. She wasn't about to challenge one of these brutes in the burning sun. Her paws were still blistered from the walk here. She was not a warrior... at least, not the same kind. She might lose a battle, but she would have all the advantages she could orchestrate.

Someone would come, that she was certain.

Until then, she waited as the sand cooled. A moth was fluttering about in the dusky air. It softened her face, which by now was mostly falling into shadows.  

[Kaelyndra]

Seide had a day of breakfast with Veru followed by a strict practice at the training grounds. The long, arduous walk she'd taken later had ended in a small water source that might feed a few mouthfuls, but certainly not a whole pride. There had almost been a scene, with some of the pride wanting to drink their thirst down, and the others snarking about splitting it evenly. The water itself had smelled sour, and Seide had suggested they take enough to wet their mouths, and then leave it be. It would be useful as a waypoint, later, if they needed to travel even further in search of water.

Now, the rays of dusk tickling along her back, Seide was tired and looking for solitude. The sand did not part far under her large, wide feet, and she stole her way along the top of it where it had collected in the dip of a hard face of rock.

She had not expected to find another, with her head dipped low, eyes only looking up on occassion. The dark form of a rock did not look quite right, and it caused a shudder to work its way through her muscles as her mind registered it as a lion. This dark, in the fading light, they must have been an extremely red lion. Not one she recognized.

A rogue, then, or Firekin searching for personal peace whom she had yet to meet?

"This is awfully far away from the pridal center for a member of the Blood," she noted. It was an old phrase, no longer used, and which no longer held force among the Firekin. But her father had used it often, and every now and then it would slip from her mother's tongue. Old habits died hard, and Seide tended to use this phrase when she felt ill at ease. It had a comforting tone. It reminded her of safety, family, and An.  

[Mimsey]

Elcca watched the insect flutter away. The saying was lost on her. Not completely, but sometimes Elcca was difficult for the sake of being difficult. "I have never met a living creature without blood," she said simply. Although she certainly believed in such creatures. Somewhere out in the dark, to whatever place spirits and magic held sway. Certainly not in a land like this. "I'm waiting for a fight. I'll confess, mostly to drink better water."

She hopped off the stone. The sand was still hot even now, which seemed unnatural. It soaked up the heat as well as it did the water. "Other things too, but I was told I simply needed to be better then one of you to be apart of you. Not a legitimate reason." What had been the reason he'd said? Something about taking her away from all the things that troubled her. It didn't feel like this land had any less of its troubles. If anything, it felt like her troubles were waiting here arms open.

Elcca smiled. She meant it genuinely, like an apology for her abruptness, but it ended up looking very insincere. Her brow furrowed. "I'm not entirely likable, so you might as well strike first and be on with it."

 

[Kaelyndra]

. . . another one.

Seide was too tired to be angry, or even perterbed by this one. She seemed remarkably lost, in the way that a lion who most certainly should not be here was. Joining the Firekin to pass the time and have a sense of belonging was certainly not a reason of pride.

"One one condition," she said, moments after the opponent had voiced her ability to be liked. "After, you tell me what has brought you to this end, and this place." Seide did not like the eyes of the desperate. She saw it too often now.

She took her first strike, as she was bidded, though it was tired, and not meant to land. The lioness found it difficult, to place an actual, striking blow, to start a duel with someone who hardly seemed to know what she was getting into.  

[Mimsey]

Elcca seemed taken aback. Not because Seide's curiosity surprised her, but because she couldn't back out of the bargain. Not in any way she saw. Elcca needed the duel, and she had walked right into it by being so glib. She usually thought better. Her claws flexed into the sand beneath her. She supposed it was too much to ask to just join a pride and be ignored like everyone else? That was the way things worked, wasn't it?

Oddly, the thing rushing through her mind was not whether or not she wanted her secrets kept secret, but whether or not she could talk about it without her throat closing.

"Alright," she said, shaking her fur off and the feeling of being haunted with it. "But its not my reason."

Keeping it at that, the fiery lioness moved forward. Seide was already close from her opening, half hearted swing. The other female might have been going easy, but Elcca knew she had only a scant window to land some blows that had any weight behind them. Particularly against such a larger lioness.

She lurched herself downwards and then jammed her paw up in a stiff arch. She didn't particularly care where she hit, as long as it landed well.  

[Kaelyndra]

And it did land well.

Seide felt the pressure in her throat first, as it momentarily closed her windpipe. The lioness twisted to the side, and then rose onto her back feet.

She came down, aiming a harsh, strong blow with both her paws, to either side of the lioness' face. Usually, she talked, schooled the rogues a little, tried to get to know them.

But this one, she was different. She did not seem to want to talk, and both females seemed to be tired, and resigned to one fate or another. Frustrations could be channeled and eased with precise strikes. It could be a fight that left bruises, or perhaps blood.  

[Mimsey]

And this was why she wasn't an accomplished warrior.

Seide's blow stung the bones in her face like a fire, and all of a sudden she was a cub screaming at her brother for pulling her tail. She didn't yell, but several obscenities were flashing through her mind as she landed face first in the sand. Possibly in several languages. It brought tears to her eyes, but luckily they were drowned out in the sand.

She knew enough to keep moving. She barely let the sand absorb her face before she was rolling to the side, avoiding any return blows that might have been aimed at her. The sand was rough and abrasive, but it slipped easily and made for less then optimal footing. She had to twist to get back up, but she didn't want her back exposed.

Elcca moved, jerking one of her legs upward to try and kick Seide off of her. But the other lioness wasn't playing around, and her claws struck only air. It brought out a rather hoarse snarl from her lips.  

[Kaelyndra]

The rogue lioness knew how to run away quickly, that much was certain.

Seide saw more sand than she did lion. There was a mess, as it was flung in the air, and the red lioness was squinting through particle-coated eyelashes. A flash of shadow alerted her to moving feet, and the Seide reeled backwards.

Swallowing the excitement that built up in her chest, she lunged forwards again, teeth aimed at a vulnerable neck, and large paws at full-shoulders. Keeping her opponent in the sand would make this an easy win, and in any real battle, it would be where Seide ended another's life.  

[Mimsey]

Why had she fallen over? Bitterness surged through her. Maybe a little pent up rage. It was a change from feeling nothing, but not one she appreciated. Elcca ran cold, despite what her fur might imply. She didn't get emotional. But the sensation of being pinned, and her shoulders driven further into the hot sand made her seethe.

She knew what it meant. She hadn't only just made a mistake, she'd made a bad one. It probably would have been better if it had been to the death- at least that would have been over quickly! But this lioness wasn't going to kill her, which meant she either had to submit or flail around like an idiot until she could free herself. She had too much strength left in her to concede, so flailing it was.

At first, she tried to get a grip on the ground beneath her. But the position she was in made it awkward, and even when her claws struck sand there was nothing to grab onto. She couldn't move her shoulders- the other lioness had herself planted firmly down on her. That left her lower body, and she was already jerking around like some sort of wounded animal.

Growling, she pushed herself further into the sand. It wasn't intentional, but it was starting to at least give her some leverage.  

[Kaelyndra]

Not even a growl emerged from Seide's throat at the writhing, angry lioness beneath her. A heavy weight was pressed into the others shoulder, and she shifted, driving the force home.

It worked, for a good span of time. But there was harder rock beneath the soft sand, and Seide could feel the tension in muscles changing, gathering purchase. There was a loud snap as her tail whipped behind her, and one of the flailing hind feet kicked into her own leg.

It pushed her off balance at a crucial moment, and she found herself stumbling over. In surprise, and anger, she took a swipe for the other lioness as she was forced to roll over the other's body. It found no flesh, merely tickling fur. The soft ground gave way under the impact of her body, and left Seide scrambling back to her feet.

She was coated in sand now, legs spread wide on the slippery sand as she tried to regain her feet and balance herself in time for any retaliation.  

[Mimsey]

Spurned by the success of her movements, Elcca drove a quick blow down hard at the falling lioness. She wasn't sure if that was altogether fair, but it felt good. It made that white heat in the back of her head abate and be replaced with the cool.

But only just. She knew she had the brief upper hand, and she wasn't about to get thrown right back on the ground for being careless. Not after nearly being made a fool of. She was prepared to lose, but not by looking like some sort of invalid.

Her jaws snapped at the air and she briefly disengaged from the other lioness. It gave Seide a chance to recover, but it also gave Elcca a moment to fix her footing and be certain she wasn't about to get thrown over once more.

This time, the red lioness waited for the other to come at her, claws ready.  

[Kaelyndra]

The lioness took the moment to take herself down, feel the sand secure itself beneath her once more. Her breaths were coming in heavy now, and her gaze fell over the placement her opponent had chosen.

The first step she took was slow. She took a breath in. The other lioness made no move towards her. Another step, as she began to circle. Striking first put her at a disadvantage. She would have to decide if quickness or patience served her better.

But Seide was impatient with the day, and her desire for solitude had been soiled.

The circling suddenly ended, and she took a few solid steps forwards, swinging her hips around at the last second in order to deliver a solid kick to the other lioness' side. The idea, of course, would be to move out of the way before there was a rebutting strike. And, in the chance of failure, at least it was only her hind that was getting scarred.  

[Mimsey]

Elcca watched as the firekin prepared her attack. She had the sense that blows would be unavoidable, and in the back of her mind her thoughts were racing on how to best counter them. The lioness would probably go in for her face and try to back her off. Elcca could jump to the side, maybe and try her best to grab her-

But Seide did not go for her face. She went straight passed her and to her side. This was also where some actual training might have come in handy. A better fighter wouldn't have let her breeze past. But it was too late to consider that. There was a sharp sensation of claws hitting her side, and her frame jostled.

React quick. She moved without much thought, slamming her paws down on the female's backside as she ran past, looking to stagger her. She was already turning in the motion, using the other lioness's momentum to pull her around. A bit too fast in any case, because she didn't quite keep pace.

Bristling, she took another few steps forward. This time she would have to...