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Ensis was less than impressed by his would-be challenger's impatience. Actually, he was not particularly inspired by the dark lion before him at all. The other male was older - significantly older - probably old enough to be Ensis' grandfather. His fur seemed to fade into the shadows, even in the middle of the daytime. And not in a sneaky way either, but more of a "you belong in the background" way.

Not to mention that roar. It was almost like a child's petulance at the lack of attention he was receiving.

"Enough already," the white lion informed the stranger. "If it's a fight you want, I'll duel you." Might as well get this over with.

As underwhelmed as he was by the older lion's appearance, Ensis chose to stand his ground as his opponent rammed one shoulder into the other. It was the simplest, and quickest, way to get an accurate appreciation for the other male's strength.

To his surprise, the white lion was forced to dig in his claws in order to stand his ground, and even then the force of the charge slid him back against his will. So...there was fire yet in this lion's heart. That was promising. The next question was how age had affected other parts - namely his sight and his cunning.

In what was quickly becoming his favorite way to judge, Ensis reached out to swipe his opponent's face with outstretched claws. Well, he reached out. However, the mint-maned lion's attack wasn't meant to hit, not even to make contact. Simply to see what reaction his feint would provoke.

There was actually a slight curl to Ensis' lips as he watched the older lion circle and consider his next move. All that age (and, theoretically, that experience) wasn't enough for this lion to see through his feint. Not a single challenger thus far had managed that little feat, and the white lion often wondered if that meant that they were more honorable, or stupider.

Still, enough p***y-footing around. This was a fight, after all, and Ensis meant to win it. The white lion attacked suddenly, not striking out at his opponent's smirking face but rather at his back legs. Take away the mobility, after all, and you significantly reduced the threat.

Once again, Ensis let the blow land. A good move that, taking advantage of his already injured shoulder. The dark lion had no way of knowing for certain how damaged it was or wasn't, but it was a weak point in the younger male's defense. Not a bad thought for an old fogey.

However, that brought the dark foreleg in easy reach of Ensis' mouth. And who was he to allow such an opportunity go to waste? The white lion bit down on the proffered limb that had so obligingly come within range.

Ensis released his bite at the not-so-subtle hint and took a couple steps back. His face remained as composed as ever, but his pink eyes were dancing with amusement. It never failed. Bite a lion, and they instantly wnet on the offensive. Even so, this was turning out to be a much better fight than he'd anticipated. It seemed that his opponent had managed to come by those scars on his back honestly.

The white lion waited, biding his time until his opponent made his next attack. Then and only then would the younger male strike.

Ah, there. That was the fire Ensis had been looking for! He met the dark lion paw to paw, pushing back as hard as he could. It made for a fascinating tableau, both of them standing only on their back legs, pushing against each other not only as part of the fight, but also in order to maintain their balance and not fall over.

The perfect way to fight. Or so Ensis thought.

He smiled at his opponent. "It seems there is a fire burning in your spirit after all," he offered, not yet willing to release his hold.

Hmmm...interesting. Had the older lion given up? Or had he been willing to concede that while he may have won the fight, the final move had belonged to Ensis? It was an interesting question, but one that he could ponder later. For the time being, he did have some responsibilities to discharge.

"Yes," he told the dark lion. He'd dropped to his own four paws once the other lion had released his grasp, and was pleased to note that while he was breathing heavily, it was not the panting shown by his senior.

"This way," the younger lion added, turning and heading into the pride, not looking to see if he was followed or not. Not that he had any real doubts. No one as determined as this elder was would simply turn his back now that he'd achieved his goal.

It was a good day to be Stormborn.