The horizon this morning was engulfed by light from the rising sun. Its rays played against the calmer moving waves. To look upon such a sight one might need to shield their eyes from the glittering spectrum of light that danced off the silky moving waves and even the gleam of the freshly wet sands were just freshly golden. Scattered boulders and rocks that had met contact with water recently had a slick shine to them as well, though this was duller than the gleam of the waters and sands. All hailed in comparison to that golden orb just peaking over the horizon. The scene set for the morning was richer than any one man might have in gold.
Beflecken had been sure to show up early. He stood at the wake of where water and sand met. The slow moving waves were allowed to lap at his paws. Flecks normal calm demeanor was the same as always. His features almost looked bored. How ever long he'd been waiting there in slick of the shore was unknown. Really, however long he'd waited was irrelevant to what was about to go down.
Ushma had showed up roughly on time but not early like Fleck. The fact that she'd even showed up spoke wildly more than any words she'd be able to muster and much more poetically too. She stood on top of one of the boulders and glared down at a silhouetted Fleck. The beauty of the scene had been wasted on her eyes. The only thing she seemed to care about was exacting her revenge and reclaiming her honor. Wordlessly the female carefully slunk off the boulders and headed to where that snake of a lion had dared stand. What a cliche he'd stand in such a spot.
Ushma decided to speak first.
"If it isn't mister sense of importance." She snided.
This comment was met with a small confident smile from Fleck. Ushma was strange to him but also not. She represented a good deal of how pride members were he supposed. Loud and full of their own selfish delusions. He supposed that he was as well but in a more quiet calm sort of way.
"I suppose it is," He didn't deny it which of course annoyed Ushma all that more. The female wanted to tare that pretty head right off his shoulders. Fleck kind of knew that sort of comment would get to a lioness like Ushma so it had been why he chose to play the game that way.
Ushma's features were darker now and her claws were flicking in and out ready to right the wrong this sniveling child had so rudely bestowed upon her.
"Yeah yeah yea we know already you're a smart a** you flower blooded twerp." There was no time waited or no 'are you ready' given. Ushma went with her claws for the males face. Fleck was no stranger to how a viking worked having grown up among them his entire life and managed to evade the attack by lifting his own paw to take the blow instead. It hurt, she wasn't holding back, but Fleck expected as much. After all this was a pissed off she-viking he was dealing with. Female plus viking attitude was an unholy mix from hell. Fleck pushed his weight back from his paw back on to the lioness causing her to slip on the slick of a freshly wet sand. There the lion took advantage of Ushma's moment of weakness and wrapped his paws around her neck and bit on to her neck, hard. The lioness cried out in pain and head butted the lion off of her which in turn caused Fleck to slip on his back. No time was wasted by a rage induced Ushma to get on top, claws out and teeth bared, and just go to town on Fleck. One mighty rabbit kick was enough to get the raging lioness off of him.
"Why do you want to fight me so much any ways?" Fleck had gotten on all fours by then as had Ushma. The two lions were circling each other waiting for the other to make an advance. Ushma had a rather dark and hungry expression on her face. She was first to lung and reconnect the two in fierce battle. Her mighty jaws caught the defensive motion of Flecks paw and clamped down hard which was enough to cause the calm dark lion to cry out in pain. This was no friendly duel, this was personal apparently. Fleck met her cheek with a mad swipe of his own to get her off.
"Seriously what is this about?" He growled getting a bit more serious.
Still no answer from the grim looking Ushma but he swore he saw tears welling behind her eyes. Why was she? Was she? Couldn't be.
In moments that thought was lost entirely as Ushma was lunging full force with her claws madly cycling at every inch of Flecks flank. Fleck donkey kicked the female off of him. This was getting out of hand. Fleck launched him self fiercely at the lioness and clawed at her back as hard as he could which caused Ushma to call out in pain. He then pressed all of his weight on top of her and pressed hard so that she'd stop moving. He might have been on the smaller side for viking males but he was still a male and Ushma was a female.
"Now seriously what is this about any ways? This is stupid." He growled. This had gone on long enough. This was no tussle among vikings this was too personal and he couldn't help but think that Ushma would rather to see him die from this fight or come away crippled. She wanted blood and she was getting it. Fleck was bleeding as was she pretty good.
"WHY ARE YOU " She started. The corners of her eyes welled up pretty bad with tears that she could no longer hold. They fell on her cheek . "Why are you. Why am I attracted to you." She admitted hating her self all the while. "You're not an acceptable male. You're so ..... How are you even a freeborn?"
Oh so that was what this was about. Attraction. Fleck couldn't say he blamed the girl for being attracted to him but he would not go as far to say that he was a lesser male in the ranks of freeborn.
"Well obviously you judged me for actually getting to know me. That is on you. I might be scrawny by what ever standards you're holding me to but that does not mean I can't fight," He snapped at the end a bit with his ton quite annoyed entirely by this female and her judgement. None of which he hadn't heard be fore. "I have to fight hard and work hard. That is how I am freeborn. Lions like you constantly judge me and I constantly have to prove them wrong. If thats what your'e wandering. And if you're attracted to me obviously you saw that and just won't admit that I am just as viking as anyone else." He rolled off of her getting on his paws. He held the paw he'd been using for blocking up a little funny. Blood was running from where the female had maimed him a bit.
Ushma hadn't taken on as much damage as Fleck had. The male hadn't been out for blood but out for a normal sort of fight. She was still bleeding but not like Fleck. There in the sunlight she finally saw him how he truly was. The lioness was quite ashamed she couldn't see it before. He was right, he was a brave courageous lion and a viking if she ever saw one.
"You're right. I'm ashamed." She looked away. Fleck lowered his forehead to hers and rubbed his to hers.
"Don't be. Lets start over okay." He offered. Ushma looked up at him in awe. Who was this lion? He wasn't the idiot she thought he was at all. She felt a sense of , what was that word, respect?
"I'd like that," She smiled. "I'd like that a lot."
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