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 Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 7:42 pm
The elder cougar smirked.
"I'm not much of a talker either. Lets just say you will learn a lot by example. But yes, I too am a daughter of these mountains."
They were at the tent, the larger female sat down. She still had the bandage on the long slash across her chest.
"My name is Moriean by the way."
She took off her leg gauntlets, letting them drop to the floor. They made a pretty dent in the softer ground, showing their true weight. Her arm gauntlets lay near by.
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Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 8:28 pm
Delila watched with curiosity as the adult cougar from earlier who had won her own battle led the victorious teen to the healing tent. She wondered momentarily what they could be talking about. It was rather atypical for an adult to defend and associate with a teen all of a sudden like that. The kitten shook her head, assuming she'd missed something. She couldn't miss important facts like that; she'd have to concentrate harder.
Finding a nearby boulder with an appropriate surface, she bounded over to perch upon it. Not only was it an excellent viewpoint, but the surface was perfect for sharpening her claws. The tips had been starting to dull from her daily exercises and being between battles, this was a good time to do a little maintenance. As she filed her claws to razor-sharp points, she reflected on the battles thus far. She'd picked up some good tips today, but would they be enough for when she took her own place in the tribe? They would have to be. She had to have faith in herself and in her own instincts; they were the only things one could depend on in the harsh life of a Quicktalon.
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Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:37 pm
Lyka stumbled in after her, amazed at the weight of the gauntlets. As heavy as Moriean's paw had felt on her shoulder, it hadn't been the full weight. The teen winced as she sat down. She wasn't bleeding much, her opponent used impact attacks rather than cutting attacks, but she was sure the loud crack she had heard when she bowed meant a broken rib at least. The rest of her felt all right, it was really just her ribcage and her jaw. She poked her side gingerly, hoping that she hadn't damaged any entrails.
"My name is Lyka. I am honored to meet you."
Her voice was still hoarse, but sounded less strange, though still weak and shrill compared to the brown cougar's motherly rumble.
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Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:47 am
One of the healers came over to examine Lyka. She gave the teen a potion to drink that would dull some of the pain and then went about making sure her ribs were in proper healing position.
Another healer came by to check on Moriean's injury. She tired to give her some of the potion but the elder refused. As before, no matter what the healer poked or prodded, the elder didn't even flinch.
"This was your first battle and you did well enough. Though your technique could use some work. You show obvious skill in killing prey, but against something with a mind for fighting you seem to lose your head."
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Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 3:35 pm
Lyka accepted the potion quietly and drank the bitter liquid without complaint. The pain in her ribs subsided to a dull throbbing, but the cracking sounds still worried her. The teen tried to relax. The healers knew what they were doing. Well, she hoped they did anyway. She winced when they prodded her jaw, but it was pronounced unfractured.
A healer took what looked like a curved wooden board out of somewhere and held it up to Lyka's side. She then picked up an odd looking knife and began to reshape it to fit, before binding it to the teen's broken ribs.
The board made it difficult to move, and she couldn't bend her spine nearly as much with it in place, but her ribs hurt considerably less and there weren't any more worrisome snapping sounds.
"How would you suggest I improve? I don't know very many strategies for battle and I would be glad to learn more."
Nearby, the cloudy teen turned an ear their way. She was being treated for the numerous cuts and slashes Lyka had put on her back, and was still bleeding profusely although all her bones were intact.
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Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 6:49 pm
"I would suggest keeping still. You are strong enough to take on an attack and you are quick enough to side step a great deal more than you think. When you stand your ground, you stand strong. Also, don't ever be afraid to take a hit. I took several, and I won in one strike. The closer they get, the easier it is to hit a vital area. So few remember that and just try to make their prey bleed to death before killing them. One kill strikes are much easier, even if they mean a few new scars. Remember, a scar means you survived. Rarely do losers come back with scars, they are usual dead."
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 1:53 am
Delila paused, eying her claws carefully before nodding slightly, satisfied. She tested a claw on her finger, smiling as a tiny pinpoint of blood welled on the tip. Perfect. Licking away the coppery fluid, she wondered idlly whether that was it for the teen battles or not. There hadn't been many teens in line for the fights after all. Rather disappointing actually. Delila had hoped to learn a little more today, but at least the lessons she'd learned had been important ones.
"Well, if it isn't Miss High and Mighty. Guess you think you're something special, don'tcha?"
The black kitten tensed, turning only her eyes towards the source of the voice. On her right, a mottled green and brown cougar stood, paws on hips and practically radiating hostility. Although bigger than Delila, this new cougar still seemed to be a kitten in all respects, and she certainly hadn't taken part in the teen battles. Her colors would be excellent for hunting in the forest, but seemed a little out of place in the mountains. Then again, Delila's colors weren't exactly well-suited for the terrain either. Her black fur was great for hiding in the shadows, but her bright red stripes would give her away if she wasn't careful.
Delila continued to silently size up the other cougar, refusing to acknowledge her presence with a response. The mottled female hissed, circling the other kitten angrily before stopping directly in front of her. Delila's eyes never lost sight of her, though she never moved from her delicate perch atop the boulder.
"Nothing to say, eh? Of course not. You're no warrior. You're just a weak, defenseless kit and you'll never be anything else." The greenish-brown cougar snarled in disgust, looking Delila up and down before continuing. "I don't know what you did to catch Chieftess Theta's attention, but I assure you...anything you can do, I can do a hundred times better." She hissed again, flexing her claws for emphasis.
Delila looked on calmly before finally speaking quietly, but with a haughty glare. "How is it that you can insult me as a kitten when you are no more than a kitten yourself?" Perhaps this wasn't the smartest move for a cougar who had just resolved not to draw any more attention to herself, but the other cougar had started this and Delila would not back down. She was no coward, and she wouldn't have it believed that she was. Not if she was ever going to earn the respect she so desired.
The other kitten glared, growling angrily as though she realized she had no answer for this. Or perhaps she was just angry and wild. Who knows? What is sure is that within moments, she was sailing through the air towards Delila, yowling with claws outstretched.
Delila's eyes narrowed as she braced herself for impact, meeting the wild eyes of the green-brown female with her own cold glare. Her mind raced through various strategies, scrambling for the best tactics to use in facing this foe. She had no idea what the other kitten's fighting style was, if she even had one, so she would have to rely on her instincts to help her survive this fight. Sure, kitten fights were rarely fatal, at least more rare than teen and adult battles, but Delila believed that the best strategy was to treat every fight as if it were a battle for life or death. That way, when the important battles arose, you were more likely to survive.
The green-brown female's front paws made a solid connection with Delila's shoulders, pushing her backwards off the top of the rock. Rather than fighting against the fall, Delila went with it, drawing her knees up to her chest as she rolled backwards towards the ground. As soon as her back hit the ground, she kicked out viciously with her footpaws, catching the other cougar in the stomach and using her own inertia against her. Intent on doing as much damage as she could with minimal effort, Delila sunk her claws into both her opponent's stomach and her chest as she continued the roll, then threw the other cougar off backwards with a final kick and a feral growl. Never would she forget the look of surprise on the larger kitten's face as she went flying through the air, confused as to how this smaller cougar could have gotten the best of her.
There was a loud, sickening-sort of thud as the kitten's momentum was abruptly cut short by a large rock jutting out of the earth. Delila panted slightly for a moment, crouched on all-fours after completing the roll maneuver. She had only seen that move work once before, but fortunately, it had worked for her this time. She didn't bother to go check on the other cougar. Unconscious or dead, she found she didn't really care. As long as she wasn't going to attack Delila again, that was all she was concerned with. Besides, there were already a couple teens and an adult headed in this direction to investigate what all the commotion had been about. If she needed help, let them handle it. Delila was done with the whole ordeal.
As the adrenaline rush waned, Delila was surprised to note that her paws felt wet. In fact, they were dripping. She raised one hand, noting the red liquid dripping from her claws. Blood? Was it the other cougar's? She had sunk her claws in, but it shouldn't have left this much blood on her hands in that brief time. She followed the wet trails up through her fur to her upper arms, just now starting to sting. Deep, jagged gashes on her shoulders and upper arms told the story. Apparently, the other cougar hadn't been willing to let go of Delila, even as she was forcefully thrown backwards. She sank her claws into Delila's arms desperately, causing decent damage as she was ripped away by force.
Delila frowned, eying the wounds. They weren't pretty, but they could certainly have been worse. She would survive, and long ago would have simply treated them herself, but now? She had made quite a few enemies in the tribe today and she needed to be ready to defend herself at all times if necessary. She needed to be in top-form and if it took a trip to the healer's tent for that, then she would swallow her pride and go. Standing slowly, she turned her back on the other cougar and walked straight to the healer's tent, disappearing inside.
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 4:17 am
Moriean's ears perked up, hearing a scuffle. But that wasn't the sound of anther teen battle.
"Guess the little black one got a few enemies. Stupid kittens. Upset just because Theta spoke to her."
She looked over in time to see said black kitten enter with a wound on her shoulder. The elder smirked.
"Seems she won too. Good. Makes her stronger."
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:14 am
((Going to post for the first time. Please don't kill me. *gets bricked))
Naeemah, or Nae which she referred to be called by, watched the kitten scuffle with little interest. Once it was over, Nae shook her head in disgust at the green and brown cougar who had been beaten and possibly killed. Cougars who let their jealosy and emotions show so easily weren't going to go anywhere in life. That was Nae's thought on things. Only the weak showed emotions in battle, and unless she was proven otherwise, she would always think that. She saw the black and red cougar go back to the others with her shoulder bleeding heavily. Nae knew that that other kitten would need to be treated in at least a day. Nae just sat on the rock near the group without moving. She often went to this rock to think, go over her own strategies, or kick anyone off of it during an event or events such as these.
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 10:18 am
There was too much going on. Kimae sent a disgusted look to Vixa, muttering under her breath. Others were working on the teens, now.. she just had to make sure that the adults were still breathing. "Bah, you're hardened warriors.. Heal yourself." She wanted to growl, she wanted to kick the horrible people that were fighting against themselves. Vaguely, she noted that she sounded.. horribly bitter. Loud noises she blocked out, trying her hardest to concentrate on relocating a pretty young adult's shoulder. Grey-blue eyes darted towards the opening of the tent as a kitten wandered in, quite obviously wounded.
"Oh, of all things.. Stupid little girl, I swear.." Of course, her tone really wasn't harsh. "What is going on out there..?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 4:54 pm
Miharu looked around. There was blood everywhere. She shivered. She didn't like to use violence unless it was to survive. This!... This was totally unneeded and she knew that every time she turned to look away that the other quicktalons would respect her less and less. But she couldn't help it. She knew this isn't what life was about. She wanted to do other things besides fight. But she was vorn in the Quicktalon so she had no choice.
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:28 pm
Keep still, yes. Lyka was going to have to work on that. So far, she still fought mostly by instinct. Or rather, she hunted rather than fighting, but if she was going to practice those moves, she needed something with at least a semblance of intelligence as well as speed and agility. Easy prey was scarce in the Molrague Mountains. Most of what she and others hunted fought back. There were always weasls, but they were too small and of the wrong build. Wolverines? Too easily angered. A ram maybe? But they always escaped upwards, not that she couldn't chase them. Bear? Strong, but slow and stupid. Finally, she settled on a wolf. Yes, not the best opponent, and they didn't have claws, but if she could get one alone it would be almost as good as going against another teen.
After she had healed from the Festival, Lyka made up her mind to take another trip into the mountains, this time in search of wolves.
"I suppose if I had taken the first punch, I could have had her right at the beginning."
Now, going over the fight in her mind, the openings were blaringly obvious to her, but it was already after the fact.
The teen turned an ear towards the sound of another fight. Judging by the volume it was only a kitten's skirmish. They were usually loud, violent, and bloody, but rarely fatal. She watched the little black cougar wander in, confident for a kitten, she noted, and chuckled darkly.
"It seems you were right, Moriean. Only the winners bear scars."
Lyka glared at Kimae when the healer's back was turned. What did she think was going on out there. It was hardly unusual for healers to be stressed during the Festival, but the white cougar sounded unusually distraught. Her use of the word "you" bothered her in some way that the teen couldn't really place, but it wasn't within her right to say anything to an adult.
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:35 pm
"Just ignore the white one. Vixa brought her home one night, she's not even our clan. Once you've healed up I'll give you a bit of training, something that will help you in the mountains. Maybe later we can harness that power you showed in the battle."
Moriean stood up, picking her gauntlets up as well.
"I must go, but I will see you again Lyka. Fare Night to you."
The strong huntress left the tent to return to watch the rest of the fights.
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 7:30 pm
"Fare Night to you as well."
Lyka nodded her thanks and tried to smile as she waved, but although the corners of her eyes crinkled warmly, it seemed that the muscles of her face had forgotten how to change expressions beyound baring her teeth. First her voice, now this. She really needed to spend more time around other cougars.
She glanced back at the white healer, scrutinizing her appearance. Moriean was right. She seemed different somehow. Not wanting to be caught in a confrontation, Lyka directed her attention to the little black kitten who had caught Theta's eye. She was bleeding, but seemed to be fine except for the slashes on her arms and shoulders. The teen couldn't see anything special about her posture, but if Theta had noticed than surely there was some other ability. Perhaps she possessed great spiritual power?
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 12:36 am
Delila's eyes scanned the inside of the tent automatically, then she tried to force herself to relax. No one should try to attack her in the healer's tent. Key word being "should." Realizing this, she kept her instincts on full alert as she waited to be treated. There were a few semi-familiar faces around the room, but of course, no one she'd consider a friend.
Her ear twitched slightly at the white adult's comment and her usually controlled temper flared momentarily. "Well, I didn't start it, but I sure as hell finished it!" She glared at the healer, eyes flashing with fury at the insult. How dare this healer call her stupid? It wasn't as if she was looking to get hurt! That would be asinine! But she couldn't be expected not to defend herself. That was just as foolish a thought.
She clenched her fists and crossed her arms, only making the blood flow more freely as she fought to control her temper. This was no time to be snapping at the healers. Especially at an adult. She bit her tongue, reminding herself to watch what she said from here on out. If she was ever going to attain a position of respect in this tribe, she needed to start early.
Delila was about to take a seat to wait when she had to leap back out of the way of the leaving adult. She made sure she was far out of the way as she watched the cougar with the gauntlets pass by and leave the tent. Sighing, she secretly hoped one day to be able to fight like she'd seen the adult fight earlier. Deceptively fast AND strong.
She plopped down on a stool as a young healer began attending her wounds. She stared straight ahead as the older cougar began washing the blood from her wounds. She took the time to analyze her recent battle, finding her faults and deciding how to correct them next time. With the exception of a slight twitch as the healer applied a potion that stung her raw flesh, Delila may as well have been a statue.
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