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 Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 8:55 am
Dark paws padded on the sand. Familiar sand, welcome sand... Welcome heat... Jua'taka looked up at the dunes, the rocks, the sky, everything, and absorbed the desert back into her being. She'd wandered, she'd tried to refuse it, but she'd heeded the call of the desert sands. The black lioness furrowed her brow, gold eyes narrow. She shook her head, mostly to herself. She was doing this... She was returning to Kidondo's pride with her tails between her legs. Taking a deep breath, she raised her head and headed for the spot she would duel for her place back in the pride. She was doing this. And she WOULD win her place back, no matter how many times she failed in the process. She was Jua'taka, she was Firekin, and she was doing this.
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 9:36 am
Moto'Seide was waiting, and she was impatient. Students she incurred had to be on time, and any new pride members would do the same.
The lioness in question was headed this way, her dark coat giving off a bright shine in already hot, morning sun.
"You're aware that we're under a water crisis?" Seide asked upon her arrival. Short, to the point.
"That being accepted, I will not go easy on you." Not that she ever would. She gave another look at her surroundings and then gave a brief nod of her head.
"Since you requested a duel, you will take first strikes. When you're ready." It was time to see how good this 'returning Firekin' really was.
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Andranis generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
1!
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 9:52 am
The dark lioness' ears went back. "I'm well aware... Finar-si told me so." She wasn't going to deny old habits. Others that had merged from the Safi back into the Simo might have stopped, or even hidden it. She refused, but was determined to remain harmless about it.
The dark lioness then readied herself, charging at the other. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Seide's markings looked almost familiar. She'd have to ask later who her parents were. As she swiped her paw, Jua just missed the other, mentally cursing her dismal luck with her attack so far.
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Kaelyndra generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
3!
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 9:53 am
"Finar-si? Is that so?" The tone was not surprised. If anything, it appeared bored with the information. It didn't matter where she had gotten the information, as long as she had received it and it had been correct. They were here to battle, not talk about old, dead traditions.
The lioness, however, for her talk, seemed just as ready to fight. The lack of hesitation all but thrust Seide into a trained state of battle.
As the other lion struck out, she turned her shoulder and pushed forwards, lying a dull-blow strike to her sparring partner's side and ending up facing the other direction, ready for a rebuttal.
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Andranis generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
1!
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 9:58 am
It seemed that Jua'taka was more winded from her time in the Roguelands than she'd thought. Out there, the land was hard, not shifting in the least... One didn't have to work hard to walk a straight line on otherwise level ground. So to suddenly switch back to the sand meant she had to re-acclimate her paws to it, as well as her muscles. If she'd been far younger, she'd be able to do so quickly, but even she knew she probably had great-grandcubs now. As she braced herself against the blow, the black lioness turned to take a swipe, once again missing. She needed practice, badly, it seemed.
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Kaelyndra generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
3!
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 9:59 am
The sand was at least partially a valid excuse, and Seide used it to her advantage.
Another swipe missed, and this time Seide aimed at the lion's face to land what would be a dizzying blow.
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Andranis generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
2!
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:01 am
The dark lioness took a reeling step back, eyes squeezed shut. When she shook her head, she did her best to stay on her paws. Indeed, the blow had been dizzying. When she finally regained her senses, she found she couldn't quite move to attack. She had a sudden vision, of herself fighting another lion, another day, another time... And winning against them, but not this one. She set her jaw, not wanting to tell the younger lion that the dark female would lose this fight. Instead, she raised her head. "You fight very well, I assume your parents trained you, whoever they may be, and they did an exceptionally good job of it."
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Kaelyndra generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
3!
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:05 am
"I had a very good apprenticeship!" she answered back. And a very energetic bunch of siblings who were always willing to have one tussle or another.
Her father had been a decent teacher, but it was her learning under the Soldiers which had fine-tuned young muscle into precision.
A grab then, was made to the tail of the other lioness to push her off-balance. It was a risky maneuver, as it exposed her side to the opponent, and one she needed to work on.
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Andranis generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
3!
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:11 am
Indeed she did, but she also seemed to still have work to do. With a twist, Jua'taka took advantage of the opening, though she herself got hit. As her paw finally made contact, she smiled to herself. She still had fight left in her yet! The dark lioness then moved back and away, intent to make it hard for the red cat to land another blow.
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Kaelyndra generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
1!
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:16 am
It was certainly an effective counter-strike. Seide could feel it land, and inwardly took note of where it landed on her body. She would consider it later, when she mulled over how to improve her fight.
Though she lunged, her next heavy swing completely missed; the darker lioness seemed apt, at the very least, at the act of escaping. If she could be trained to take advantage of that, Seide thought she would make an effective soldier yet.
Instead of pursuing, the red lioness gathered her balance and waited for a chance to evade the next blow.
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Andranis generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
2!
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:20 am
Stepping aside, the dark lioness did her best to avoid the next attack, happy to succeed. But she had no more. Her last attack was all she had left, she could attack no more. Too much time away had passed, and now she was tired, worn. Faintly, the old scars from her encounter with her brother twinged, tugging on her skin almost painfully. She hung her head, ears back as she caught her breath, panting heavily. She really needed more practice!
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Kaelyndra generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
3!
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:21 am
The tiredness of her opponent was evident to Seide. She was no merciful sparring partner, and instead of drawing to a close, she took the opportunity to place one, final, well-aimed strike to end the match.
There would be no arguing with who the winner was, in her mind.
"I cannot permit you into these lands today, Jua'taka," she spoke.
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:37 am
The dark lioness, slowly picking herself up off the sand again, gave a nod of her head. "I can understand that..." When she'd risen to her paws, she shook the sand from her coat. "I've been outside the desert a little too long, I've grown to..." She couldn't find the right words... Wait, she knew a couple good ones. "Out of shape." She gave a bow of her head. "Thank you for this opportunity, Moto'seide." Her tail flicking, Jua'taka turned and padded off back to the border to wait for a new opportunity to reclaim her place.
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:47 am
Total: 3+3+3+1+3 = 13
Moto'Seide's eyes were alight, her breath heavy as the spar was officially drawn to close. The corner of her mouth was twitched up in what might have been considered a smile.
It slowly faded, and her brows moved together as she was addressed by the other lioness.
The lioness addressed defeat well, and this was complimentary. Moto'Seide did not make statement, however, to this fact.
"Dismissed." It was said quietly, out of habit, as the darker lioness turned. Seide watched her go, and then she herself turned inwards, and headed back across the desert.
-fin-
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