[DUEL] Mothwing [ Elcca / Seide ]

[Kaelyndra]

"Cease!" Moto'Seide's voice was strong, even, despite the fact that it was pushed out between heaving breaths. The red lioness had slowed, and the mark of her paws in the sand took her well away from striking range.

The sun was nearly past them now. Things had grown long, and the Firekin's eyes were full of grey tones.

She nodded once, to Elcca. "Five strikes." Her purple eyes were searching for any additional movement that said she may have to defend herself.

"As the rules state, you are permitted inside pridal borders. If anyone questions you, tell them you bested Moto'Seide." There was another, brief halt. "But you still owe me a story, and your name."  

[Mimsey]

Elcca stopped in half surprise, as though she'd violated some sort of strange rule. Out of bounds. It was only halfway into the other female's introduction that she realized she was being declared welcome among the pride. It left her with a very strange sensation of getting what she wanted and being entirely confused at the same time. It seemed odd. And somewhat hollow. This was where you'd be excited.

The red lioness took a few long moments to catch her breath and nurse her stiff shoulder. Truthfully, she was trying to think of a way out of this. "My name is Elcca," she said, ringing off the customary greeting she'd been taught. "Trek vuird ba qarae omsecrekocsec ek I ikad srek srecd."

She assumed the lands were behind the lioness. So she walked on past. Mostly so she didn't have to look at her while she spoke. If she looked in front of her, it didn't feel much like talking to anyone at all. "I'm no storyteller," she clarified, as though the word were an insult. "I met a lion who was good to me. He was my friend. He was traveling to a place he'd heard about in stories. He thought I was too caught up in things I didn't have the power to control. He thought we could belong here."

"I didn't. I wanted to do what I wanted to do, but I wanted him too." She'd always been headstrong. Never the sacrifice. "So I told him. We'd do one more thing. Or one other thing. There was always something else to look at. It didn't matter because he'd follow me anyways."

"Now he can't," she said stiffly. "And I have nothing. Just this place he talked about that I promised we'd go. I didn't want to be a liar on top of everything else."

She pulled further ahead. She seemed quick to brush the ordeal under the rug. As it was, her recount of the events had been skirting intangibleness. "Not that I'm some waif. The pride gets the better deal of things, I assure you. Speak several languages, know more than my fair share of rumors and lore. I dream of things that have a high likelihood of happening, and I've been known to sing a capella. I'm sure you'll find use for me."  

[Kaelyndra]

"Hm." It was the only bit of words that Seide offered as the pair of them made their way back towards the pride. The sand skittered away from their feet. The going was slow, as the stars began to twinkle in their presence one at a time.

The hurt, the utter ache in the words 'he can't' made Seide raise her eyes to the other's form. The other lioness surged. Seide bit her tongue.

"Use will be found for you." It was the only words that Seide made, in simple agreement of Elcca's story. There would be no stories given in return.

"Food is brought at dawn, and, if we are lucky, at dusk. Drinks are limited to two a day." With that, Seide broke into a jog, parting from the other lioness and making her way across the sands in the darkness. She knew her way, and Elcca was now close enough to be able to hear the distant conversation of a pride preparing for rest.