[CHAL] Are You Worthy? (Sy-lanew & Anwar)

[mouselet]

The Reaver was standing on the edge of the pride's boundaries, waiting. She would like to think that with the additional training she'd been receiving from Hroarr this wouldn't be a repeat of last time when she had been forced to concede to the challenger. Anwar wasn't opposed to new members winning their way into the pride, but she still felt that she could have done better.

Perhaps this time she'd redeem herself, at least in her own eyes. If not, then perhaps the God of Warriors had another lesson for her to learn. He was not unlike Hroarr in that respect, now that she thought about it.  

[Princess_Feylin]

After an intriguing week following a band of warrior lions around the rogue lands on their return home, Sy-Ianew had gotten sloppy, and then he'd gotten caught. The lion - the reaver - who had caught him had threatened to make a thrall of him, which Sy assumed was something like a slave, judging by the sad lion already being forcibly dragged along by the band and forced into a servile role. Not keen on being enslaved, Sy had fled, confident that he would not be pursued, as the band wanted too much to get home to spare the time.

He had not been able to stay away though, and so on a whim Sy had returned to the pride's borders, determined to learn more, but ready to flee if anyone attempted to make a thrall of him. That was about as much planning as he put into anything, and so he was confident that things would go smoothly. After all, he had a plan, and his plan even accounted for things going badly.

It took him a while to find any other lions though, so Sy was positively delighted to see a dark-coated lioness with intriguing facial markings prowling as though on patrol. He greeted her enthusiastically and immediately began asking her a spate of questions about her pride: What was it called? Had it always been here? What was the weather like? Was everyone a warrior? Did they really keep slaves? And so many others.

It was unlikely she would have been able to answer all of them, even if he had paused to allow her to do so.

OOC: It's been so long since I did a challenge RP omigosh.  

[mouselet]

The lion was striped, with a pale mane that she supposed suited his lighter coloring, but was not at all attractive as far as Anwar was concerned. And the questions! The Reaver ignored his idiotic questions in favor of study. From what she could tell, he was so busy spewing forth his river of curiosity that he wasn't paying any attention to what she might potentially reply.

She could answer him. She could tell him to shut up.

However, she was much more interested in seeing whether or not this stranger was worthy of the title Stormborn.

So Anwar reached out to cuff him. She wasn't spending any particular effort to conceal her movements, and if he wasn't blind, he could see the attack coming and dodge it.

If he was as stupid as he seemed, she might just score a blow.  

[Princess_Feylin]

Sy was not completely surprised when the lioness ignored his questions and made as if to hit him. He was more than used to that reaction to his miniature inquisitions, and it had caused him to develop very quick reactions. At least as far as jerking his head or body out of the way of an oncoming paw.

"Sorry. I was asking too many questions, wasn't I? I tend to do that," he said, apparently unbothered by the fact that a strange lioness had just tried to strike him, albeit she didn't seem to have tried very hard.

"But can you answer just the one question for me?" he pressed on. "How does one join this pride, if the idea of being captured and made into a slave - a thrall, I mean - doesn't appeal?"

In truth, Sy wasn't really looking to join the pride. Not in this exact moment, anyway, but given his terrible planning skills and tendency to just do things because they seemed interesting, he almost certainly wouldn't be able to resist trying to join the pride, just to see how hard it would be. And after that, of course, he'd be in the pride and there were just so many things he would want to investigate. Doubtless if his home pride had not been decimated, he would have found himself accidentally married to some girl he accidentally knocked up.  

[mouselet]

Well. This was different. Usually the lions she fought understood that they had to best her, or at least impress her, in order to gain membership in the pride. Apparently this guy...failed to understand that.

Anwar thought about continuing to ignore his babble, but given how little he seemed to understand, she probably should answer.

"To join the pride, you need to impress a Reaver - me - with your combat skill. So you might as well start fighting back, or leave," the lioness informed him. She gave it even odds that he'd turn back verus fight her.

She was content to wait for him to make the next move, regardless.  

[Princess_Feylin]

"Oh," he replied. There was an implied Is that all? in his tone.

It wasn't quite disappointment, although he was a little disappointed to learn that all he'd have to do was win a fight. He wasn't an amazing fighter, but he could hold his own. Living in the rogue lands and having an inquisitive nature sort of necessitated an ability to fight.

"Well, if that's what's required, I suppose we'd best get to it, hadn't we?" he suggested with a cheer which made it seem he might not be taking all this seriously.

"Should I be attacking first?" Sy asked.  

[mouselet]

Purple eyes narrowed at the stranger's tone. What on earth did he think the Myrsky Syntynyt was about if he wanted to join and failed to understand that only combat prowess could earn him a place in the pride other than "Thrall"? Anwar was tempted to let her temper get away from her and swat the idiot good, but that would be counterproductive. She surely didn't want to let anger rule her and give the advantage to the lion.

"It's a bit difficult for you to attack first when I already did to stop your inane questions. But yes, you should attack now. Or I'll conclude that you truly don't have iron in your blood," the Reaver informed him sharply. There were so many other things she could do with her time than waste it talking to this dolt.  

[Princess_Feylin]

"That was an attack?" Sy muttered. He really was accustomed to people trying to swat him, and putting more effort into it than the lioness had just done, so he was taken aback to learn she considered that an attack. This would be almost embarrassingly easy.

Iron in his blood. Whatever that meant. Probably some sort of nod to bravery. He'd make a note to ask after he'd proven himself. In the meantime...he was supposed to be attacking, so!

Sy had rarely seen a lioness as large as this one, and didn't particularly want to risk her ending up on top of him, so he struck high, closing the gap between them with a short jump which brought him near enough to swipe at the side of her neck and keep moving past her. Surely someone so large would also be slow.  

[mouselet]

Speed was almost as important as skill in Anwar's training, but there was, admittedly, some force and skill in the stranger's attack. Part of the blow landed, but only part, and it was not horribly debilitating. But there was, the Reaver reluctantly admitted to herself, some potential there. If only the pale lion would just shut up and learn!

"It may be that there is more to you than talk," the lioness admitted grudgingly. "Fine, follow me. Or don't," she tossed over her shoulder, already turning towards the pridelands. She didn't particularly care if he failed to come. She wasn't convinced the pride needed him.  

[Princess_Feylin]

The idea of not following the lioness, having been given permission to do so, was completely anathema to Sy, who probably would've tried to sneak in anyway, at this point, even if he'd lost. Probably that wouldn't have gone spectacularly well, especially not if he got caught by one of the many warlike lions patrolling. He would have said he had decent odds of avoiding them, up to a point, but it was better to be invited.

"Actually I'm mostly made up of questions," Sy volunteered as he trailed after the lioness. "But I think you're doing the right thing by asking me in."

He smiled, even though he knew she wasn't looking at him, and was probably doing her best not to listen to him either. That wasn't going to stop him from peppering her with questions for the remainder of their walk, however long that turned out to be, but first he felt it important to tell her, "I appreciate your time."

He'd been raised to be polite, after all.