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Dulcea rolled 5 4-sided dice:
4, 3, 3, 3, 2
Total: 15 (5-20)
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 Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 6:33 pm
 It had taken a long while for Mkhai to pull himself from the hypnotic waves and longer still for him to leave the beach behind. She would still be there when he returned, she had told him so, but still he worried. Once away he had felt his mind clearing, and he had remembered a rumor he had heard along the way. In his search for Samia he had heard very little of the girl but quite a few times he had heard about a series of similarly bright streaked males headed this direction. They were unlikely to be his sons, but he felt he ought to check anyway. And now that he was here, well, he wasn't sure quite what he was looking for. His dear Aquaria's home didn't allow males, though admittedly he wasn't even sure it was existed, so that left him homeless once more. From what he knew about the pride he was approaching a fight would be required to stay, not too different from the one he had left. The quality of fighter, well those answers had seemed mixed depending on who he asked. Still, it never hurt to try, especially if staying would let him remain close to her. He might even be able to hear her singing from the cliffs. And so he pressed on, eager to see what challenge would meet him.
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Princess_Feylin rolled 5 4-sided dice:
2, 2, 1, 2, 2
Total: 9 (5-20)
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 6:46 pm
Ru was pleased that the first viking he led as a captain had been an undeniable success. The Warlord had commended him for his good work as a captain and - most importantly - Kazul had greeted him with an unrestrained enthusiasm that he had not seen her exhibit in some time around him. He had particularly enjoyed that reunion when it took place after the feast of welcome.
But that didn't mean that he didn't have duties within the pride that he had to continue to carry out. And that included taking patrols and working sentry duty. He didn't mind either task, and so he had been content to settle back into that routine for the time being, patrolling from late afternoon until evening and then seeking Kazul out between midnight and sunrise.
"Are you here to challenge for entry to the Stormborn?" he asked the dark-furred lion who seemed somewhat ambivalent in his movement.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 6:52 pm
"I suppose I am," Mkhai answered with a deep belly laugh, "I expected more of an ambush than a greeting thought." He doubted the other would take his jokes too well if he were a guard though, so he stuffed himself down as best he could and tried to put on a serious face. "I've heard rumor I'll find my sons here, I intend to look for myself," he added, hoping to make up a bit of decorum.
With a well practiced muscle memory he shifted down low, spreading his bulk out over all four paws. He wasn't in as good a shape as he'd been in his prime but there was something to be said for experience. It wouldn't be the first or the last scrape he'd get into he ventured.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 7:07 pm
Ru grinned easily, perhaps a little overconfident facing a lion who was at least old enough to be his father. He should have known better. Voldemaras was, after all, old enough to be his father's father, but that didn't make the older reaver any less of a warrior. He still beat Ru about half the time when they sparred.
"Sorry to disappoint. I suppose could call someone, if you really want to be ambushed, but there's no way you'll win out against a pair of Stormborn."
He yawned. It wasn't because he meant to be rude or imply that Mkhai wasn't holding his attention very well. It was mostly that he was tired from trying to do everything and go completely without sleep. He'd been able to do it quite well when he was an adolescent, but that was different. He had less to worry about then, and less to do.
"Shall we begin?"
Yawning had popped his ears at an inopportune time and he had not heard Mkhai mention his sons. Had he heard that, he would have asked the names of his sons and then gone to find one of them to see if they would claim him as a relation. Alas, not so much.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 7:13 pm
"True enough," he agreed, quirking an eyebrow when the other yawned. It seemed this wasn't an uncommon occurrence, he wondered how truly skilled these warriors were if a challenger didn't even get their blood pumping. It shook him a little, but steeled his resolve to take the match seriously.
Snapping back to reality he took the question as the signal to attack, lunging forward at the younger male with just the right amount of force to feel like a boulder without completely losing his footing. It would be reckless to fight like this the whole bout, he knew he'd tire quickly, but it wouldn't hurt to snap out a little respect for one's elders. Even the out of shape love drunk ones. His claws were thick but worn down from the journey and he loathed to use his teeth on a worthy lion, he was all blunt force.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 7:22 pm
Ru bore the brunt of his opponent's first attack, stumbling backward against the powerful force brought to bear against him. He was a large lion, for one not born to the Stormborn, and he was strong, but he could still be taken by surprise and when struck by someone sufficiently large and powerful it was no difficult task to knock him off his feet.
Even as he stumbled though, Ru's grin did not alter. Fighting was something he enjoyed, and he was pretty good at it most of the time. Being good at it did tend to make a fellow overconfident though. Particularly when he had just returned from a successful viking excursion and was now getting some on a regular basis.
He recovered more slowly than he should have done, but he did regain his footing and in less than a moment's time he lashed out with his foreclaws in an attempt to drive Mkhai back and win himself some space, both temporal and physical, in which to think and move.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 7:29 pm
Mkhai took the hit across the face, blinding him for a moment while he tried to sort out his bearings. It was harder fighting on unfamiliar soil than he'd thought it would be but he wasn't too discouraged. Like Ru a smile remained across his face, a testament to his history with fighting. Even if he lost it was still a good bout and as far as he knew there was no rule preventing him from trying again later. Maybe if he cycled through enough challengers he'd get his answer anyway. "You're spry," he commented, "Well trained." He was breathing a little harder after his initial attack. Gathering up his strength he ran at Ru again, keeping his shoulders low with one pointed forward, his head tucked against the other.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 7:41 pm
Ru wasn't ordinarily one to speak while fighting. He could exchange banter, of course, and when he was participating in fights that weren't of absolute importance, like sparring matches within the pride or wrestling bouts for fun with friends, but almost without exception he fought challenges silently.
Ru was able to move out of the way of Mkhai's next charge, but he couldn't do anything to turn his dodge into a counterattack. His opponent may think him spry, but he could feel his body responding sluggishly to the commands sent by his brain. It irritated him.
His grin morphed into a smirk as one of his gold-tipped paws darted out to tag Mkhai's tail. It was a whimsical, and actually pretty stupid move on his part, since it served no purpose in the fight whatsoever, but it was a sign that his body was not really obeying his brain. It was doing what it wanted to do.
Vol would have been so disappointed. He was not living up to his training. Recognizing this and deciding something must be done about it, he attempted to turn his rash paw-bat into an awkward hop onto Mkhai's back.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 7:56 pm
Mkhai almost laughed when the other jumped on top of him. It was a good attack, no doubting that, but maybe not the best choice when one's opponent likely weighed more. In some ways he was reminded of wrestling with his sons when they were younger, and a sudden rush of vigor flowed through him. Funneling all his strength down into his knees he lifted up into the air, aiming to dump himself belly up on top of his attacker. It was a messy move, as likely to hurt himself as it was Ru. Even with the extra energy he was puffing when he landed.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 8:00 pm
"Hff!" Ru exclaimed as an enormous weight came down on top of him, knocking all the wind out of his lungs it seemed.
It was difficult to draw breath from beneath the older lion's bulk, but Ru did not allow that to panic him. Instead he conserved what breath he could draw and did his best to shove upward and dislodge Mkhai. He didn't expect to meet with much success in doing this, but it was not like him to give up without a fight, even when his position seemed a hopeless one. He had never been good at dealing with being smooshed.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 8:09 pm
With a loud huff Mkhai rolled over onto his side, doing his best to keep the younger lion pinned. He could feel the struggling but even as he felt flecks of blood cropping up on his coat he couldn't help but laugh. "Swift footing and skill doesn't do a whole lot of good if a rock falls on you eh?" he said with a big belly laugh, "Now if I get up will you go back to trying to claw my eyes out?" There was no hint of cruelty or mocking in his voice, merely the honest humor of an old father who'd lost much of his proud nature.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 8:13 pm
Being laughed on top of was distinctly uncomfortable. It sort of bounced Ru's bony parts into the ground.
"I can tell when I'm beaten," Ru said. It took effort to speak evenly without panting or gasping for air, but less than it would have done even a few seconds ago. Overall, a definite improvement, and he could work from here if he had to. Unlike Mkhai, he was still a proud youth, but he did retain a sense of fair play, even if it was not often necessary.
"Your eyes are safe from me. At least for the time being. Shall I bring you back to the stronghold?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 8:21 pm
"To the stronghold," he agreed, lifting himself off the ground with an exasperated grunt. Only when the fight was over did he notice how much his joints ached. He wouldn't be doing that too much more, that much was clear. "How many reside here exactly? I'm looking for a few of my sons, wonder if I might happen into them or if I'll have to do some hunting." He was mostly talking to himself, but he thought Ru might have any bit of information to help him. After all someone who knew who came in might also know who was already there, right?
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 8:28 pm
"Mm...Lots," Ru replied after a moment's thought while he got back on his feet. It was probably less painful for him than it was for Mkhai. "I can't really give you an exact number. It's nothing personal, but I've only recently returned from a viking, and while I was away we may have acquired new members."
He also didn't know if Mkhai wanted a count that included thralls and youths, or just reavers and captains, or what. There were any number of ways a lion could interpret a question like Mkhai's. One of the more obvious ones being that he was some sort of spy, but the Stormborn weren't really the sort of lions to hide their strength from the curious, so sending in a spy seemed sort of foolish.
"You'd have to talk to a lawspeaker. Which is where we're going anyway, so that your name can be added to the pride's history, basically. He'll probably have no difficulty telling you if your sons are here, and maybe even where they're bedding down, though I wouldn't gamble on that last bit."
Ru began to move up the path. Patrols were supposed to be done in pairs, but they almost never were. It was something he had the authority to at least mention, as a captain, but he was still getting used to the idea that he was an authority figure. Times like this, though, it would've been convenient to have a partner to finish walking the route while he dealt with Mkhai.
"Come on," he said, hopping onto a large rock. "This is the quickest way, but the footing's a bit tricky."
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 8:32 pm
Mkhai was not particularly nimble so he took the leap slower than Ru, but made it with minimal stumbling. "Growing instead of shrinking then," he said with a nod, "A comfort to one who doesn't want to spend the rest of his life fending off vultures." The lawspeaker would know, that much he accepted, presuming his sons had all kept the names he and Tulia had given them. Well if they hadn't he supposed he could describe them, but then he might just look like a raving fool. He'd just have to wait and see.
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