[JRP] Rise Up (Ana, Damu)

[Talencia]

Ana had walked away from her first challenge with a few scars and a lot to consider. It certainly hadn't changed her mind about joining the pride, but it made her better consider what she needed in order to accomplish her goal. What she had needed was some sparring. There were a few others there on the border with her who also were seeking to join and who also had thus far failed. Some didn't seem to have much hope of ever making the cut. Others clearly felt this was quite a lark. It was the serious contenders that she sought out to practice with, and they her.

So when she next presented herself, she felt more ready than last time. In her deepest heart, she rather hoped to meet that dark, red-maned lion again, but her hopes were dashed when an arrogant looking yellow male strolled up. He had a smirk on his face, a leer in his eye, and a heavy pelt across his back. He slipped the pelt off and faced her cockily. "So, a female, eh?" She bristled at his attitude, but kept her emotions in check, though his next words made the task even more difficult. "In that case, I'll let you start us off. Just so you can't say I had an unfair advantage." He smirked more, and she narrowed her eyes. Time to wipe that look off his face!  

[Talencia]

This male wasn't as big as the first had been, and she had learned a few tricks since that first encounter. She would not hold back, for it was all or nothing to her. If she didn't give her all, how could she be sure she'd earned, or properly fought for, the right? No, this was serious, and she wouldn't let his cocky attitude distract her from her goal. Yes, she wanted to shut him up, but she wanted to do it right.

So She rushed him, fangs bared. However, before she had quite reached him, she tucked her chin and rammed the top of her head into the thickly furred section of his throat up near his chin, rising a little to reach it as he rose to meet her rush. Though it was heavily guarded by his mane, the blunt impact of her skull against his throat had a noticeable effect. She heard his breath catch and almost choke, and she felt a brief surge of glee.

Unfortunately, having risen up as he had, he now had both forepaws free to do as he liked as they both descended to the ground. Her own teeth and claws were back too far from his body to do her any good as he reached around her in an almost-hug, sinking both pawfuls of claws into her shoulder-blades and pulling towards himself. Her hiss of pain was muffled by his mane and his gurgle of protest for his throat's sake, and they broke apart to glare at each other balefully.

Damu put a paw to his throat and moved his tongue uncomfortably. That was something new, and certainly not something he'd expected from some outlander female. He'd have to be more on his guard if he expected to defeat her soundly and send her packing.  

[Talencia]

She was mightily pleased to see him grimace uncomfortably, finding it easier to ignore her shoulder scratches than she'd have previously thought. It seemed practice had done her endurance and pain tolerance good. Not willing to give up the advantage, she again darted forward, this time lowering her head intentionally to indicate her tactic.

As she had expected, he was loathe to let her smash his throat a second time, and while he did rise up once more on his hind legs and reach for her with his forepaws, he also flinched his head and neck to one side, trying to avoid a second ramming. Eyes alight with triumph, Ana pivoted her head, jaws wide, and raked her teeth along the underside of his chin and cheek, while slashing at his farflung foreleg to keep it harmlessly wide.

Caught in his own reaction, Damu had no choice but to take the double hit, though he did try to flex his further forepaw to catch her as he tipped the opposite way, the direction he'd flinched. Inwardly he was cursing her wily female ways as his claws caught nothing but air, and his other forepaw finally hit the ground and propelled him away from her.

He spun to hiss angrily at her, taking this fight quite seriously. This little upstart had no call to get the jump on him! If he could, he'd beat some submission into her. At the very least, he'd teach her to respect her betters! Her own smirk with his blood dotting her whiskers only infuriated him more. She would go down!!  

[Talencia]

This male was nothing at all like the first. His eyes held fury and something akin to hate in them. He wasn't here to induct her into the pride. He was here to defeat and punish her. A different sort of chill than last time ran down her spine, which she strove to ignore. This male required her full attention, or he might do worse than defeat her... he might very well cripple her, given the chance.

The next few minutes were filled with snarls, growls, strikes, and blood. They traded blows in quick succession, each scoring on the other, but neither decisively. Ana gained a slash above her eyes and made her sight an issue. Damu was striving to ignore torn webbing between several toes on a forepaw. Both bore scrapes and scratches along their sides. None were serious or critical blows, but they were beginning to add up.

The real question was who would falter first? Ana hardened her determination, resolving to not give in to the tiredness that was creeping into her limbs. None of her sparring bouts had gone this long before, and she knew that soon she was likely to make a serious mistake. She needed to end this sooner rather than later, but how?

Damu, however, was spitting mad. This was not how this was supposed to go! She was small, she was lightweight, she wasn't supposed to be a real opponent! If she had been born in the pride, he might have admired her tenacity, but she wasn't. Nevermind that he himself was an outlander, she really shouldn't have had the ability to withstand him this long! Fury clouded his sight almost as much as blood obscured hers. Time would tell who would cave first.  

[Talencia]

Ana was blinking away the blood that trickled into her eyes when a potentially pivotal moment happened. Her vision cleared just in time to see his forepaw coming at her face. Her experience sparring came into play again, as she had learned how to better deal with a facial slash since her first fight. Breathing hard, she shifted her weight to her opposite foreleg, leaning away from the strike but tucking her chin in a little further, while raising her near foreleg in preparation for her counterstrike.

His claws ripped across her cheek and muzzle, leaving lines of fire that made her eyes smart. She thought she might have lost a few whiskers as well, but if she could just endure enough.... her strike connected only weakly, though, leaving shallow scrapes rather than deep gouges. Still, it could have been worse, if his claws had caught in her jaw.

He sensed that he was gaining the upper hand, and began grinning wickedly, ignoring the minor marks she'd left on his foreleg. Yes, he had her... he was certain! If only he'd managed to catch her sensitive nose in his blow... but ah well, this was good enough! Eager, he surged forward to try and overcome her with his weightier bulk.  

[Talencia]

As the yellow male surged towards her, Ana decided it was time to use her small frame to her advantage. She threw herself downwards and to the side, hitting the dirt as he loomed high over her. Reaching with claws and teeth as he passed across her prone body, she left deep furrows in his softer belly skin, and managed to catch the thin skin where his flank met his hind leg in her jaws.

She felt it rip dramatically beneath her teeth, felt the rush of blood into her mouth as her fangs pulled free from his momentum. Moments later, though, she grunted heavily as part of his body came crashing down on her, knocking the breath from her briefly. Between his momentum and landing on her unevenly, he immediately rolled off of her and up onto his paws.

She scrambled to her paws as well and braced for a counter attack. However, Damu was crouched still where he'd come upright, shoulders hunched and head low. How his eyes burned furiously at her! His sides heaved, and blood dripped heavily beneath him. She took in his state and would have held her breath if she too wasn't gasping for air.

"You have won the challenge," he grated out between clenched teeth, clearly resenting the need to concede to her. "Welcome, freeborn." She had learned that this was the rank all newcomers had, as well as many of those born into the pride. They were not the warriors, but at least had opportunity to become reavers.

She bowed her head to him in respect, not allowing his resentment to get under her skin. "I am honored to have won against so formidable an opponent." With that, she turned away from him and limped towards the thus-far forbidden inner territory of the pride, holding her dark head high, eyes bright. She'd done it. She had begun her new life, and done so with pride. Now it was time to earn a name for herself as a reaver!