Qeya River there will come a ruler whose brow is laid in thorn

she traces the river's winding path south again, thirst heavy in the back of her throat but bank too steep to make a tactful approach to the water's edge. a chunk of ice - an iceberg in miniature - is carried past her, formidable to make accidentally falling in a real threat. besides the ice, the water is fridgid, and the woman has all too vivid memories of another frozen creek many months ago. Screech is dead now, and lacking anyone else who might pull her out, she won't risk a fall. 

instead, she pulls back from the edge and moves steadily south, hoping she'll find a place where the bank has crumbled away sufficiently to allow easy access to the stream, which bubbles along as if it doesn't know that it is a potantial death-trap to any unsuspecting travellers. 

the evening is cool and cloudless, and the first hints of stars began to flare in the skies above. the sun had set without much ceremony, taken its leave quietly. now and again some life would present itself against the stillness; a bull elk moved almost parallel to her, a few hundred meters away yet distinguishable against the dull light of the horizon. it appeared formidable, yet solitary, and for a long moment her gaze followed it until somewhere in the blurried horizon it disappeared. she was alone again, and the river ran on.

ooc; if you want to, you can set up the spar if you want to use dicerolls!

fade back to her early hours in the Teekons.

the woman is weary from her long travel, though some substance had been acquired previously. legs do not ache so much after a quick break. she will press onward. she has to in order to strive for greater things. even if she does not know what that is yet. following the river's flow, her presence was a pale ghost in this new world. she sought nothing outwardly, only to keep moving on. to distract herself, perhaps, from now fading thoughts.

ahead of her is the frame of a darker woman. if it was night, Heloise would have looked her over without a glance back. the evening hours were merciful in that sense. "greetings" she would breathe, voice a bit hoarse from lack of use on the road. the pale beast would not draw near, merely passing by if the other did not acknowledge her. steps were purposeful, veering away to allow the other being their personal space. she would not impose upon a stranger.

and yet, not for long. the simple solitude is broken by another, and cassiopeia is content to let the spirit drift by had she not caught glimpse of her features, her scars. she is pretty; the scars that mark her powder-white pelt only add to her appeal and the woman is compelled then to chuff soft greeting in return. her gaze tracks the woman then, curious, and stills. her features are stoic but her words may be interpreted as bold when she breaks the fragile silence then. "do you give as many scars as you recieve?" the spirit's answer will shape her interest, and she's far too bored with greetings and courtesy.

sorry for this iffy post! I don't usually use dice rolls but I'd be happy to set one up if you wanted :)

ooc; i don't mind having no dice rolls!

to the point, it would seem. Heloise would shift her body to look at the other properly. head-on. some would call that a threat, even a veiled one, though her eyes would squint briefly. "it depends" she would reply, some humor in her tone "if my opponent is a piss-poor fighter" there was no sport in beating against a foe that failed to give her some entertainment. let there be some merit if blows were to be exchanged. "or would you care to find out yourself?" she added quietly to the dark woman. why ask if she was not curious of her strength? that was how real warriors were forged.

the one shifted and regarded her then head-on, cassiopeia remaining still. her next words seemed somewhat less hoarse then her greeting, spiced with humour. she accepted this with a flick of her ears and something that could be called the ghost of a smile if you were to look closely enough. she traced the woman's scars once over with even gaze, finding none as ugly or large as the one across the underside of her throat, inflicted there by two sets of teeth in a ripping fashion that did not spill her lifeblood but left heavy marks there all the same. "I would." and she moved like a viper in an attempt to slip under the woman's guard and find hold in the thick fur of her ruff; a move that would win no fights but test the waters as efficiently as possible.

the sentence needed not to be spoken; Heloise knew a fighter when she saw one. bold and brazen was the approach by the other, attempting to slip by and grab her by the throat. at least her thick ruff would protect her. there was no way of knowing if this was a friendly bout or if the other merely wished to inflict harm. she would treat it as a test of her own skills and if it came down to fighting for her life... she would show no mercy. 

teeth pulled against her coat, though not very aggressively. this was merely a spar, it would seem. there was no outward malice. she felt herself twisting, jerking her head away and allowing her throat ruff to get the brunt of it. a few loose hairs were nothing to cry about. fur re-grew. potential damage to her throat? irreversible. if she happened to get away from the grip, Heloise would aim for the legs of the woman once distance had been given. her teeth were 'muted' in the sense it was not a deep bite she aimed for. 

she attempted to nip the other's front leg. constrict movement. make her back off from her bold approach.

her grip was attained and then lost by a great shake of the woman's ruff; downy fur caught fast in her teeth and drifted to the ground between them, largely unnoticed by the atromentous girl. her grip was foresaken and thus there was no more use to remaining in close proximity, the nip at her upper leg furthered that sentiment. she twisted away tightly, but didn't put too much distance between them as she whirled to the woman's side and shot out a forelimb in an attempt to trip the stranger's leading forelimb and undermine her balance. the move was accompanied by allowing her own weight to fall against the woman, a somewhat risky move should the manuever fail and she herself be left off-balance.

this was different than her upcoming spars. a woman's mind worked quicker, had more reflex than a man's. men were dreadfully slow, putting all their stock in muscle and large bodies. trying to outclass the other in pure weight. a woman would use what she had, anything she had, against another. cunning was the word. Heloise's body screamed in good cheer as the other backed off, relishing the fact the other woman was using her wits. 

a forelimb stuck out, but Heloise was quick. she would rear backward onto her hind legs, reclining briefly as the dark stranger leaned forward. whether the woman was off balance or not, she didn't wait to find out. surging forward, using her back legs to spring, she would try to wrap both her front legs around the woman's neck. bringing her close enough to snap at her own ruff and ultimately try to bring her down to the ground. though her aim was merely to drag her, the teeth hold was not important.

ah, here she required a moment of fleeting thought. weight on her neck would only drive her down, and it would take too much energy, precious in the thick of things, to pull away completely, and she was already in a compromised position. and so she slid to the ground, quick and bold now in her intent. as she fell she writhed neatly so that it was her back which thudded against the earth. as soon as the impact registered, she kicked out with her hind limbs. speed was vital; too slow, and the woman would be too close for her kick to gain enogh momentum and do much of anything.

the plan would work, even if the other woman used it to her advantage. this was a learning experience. Heloise would grunt, feeling paws against her lower stomach with a righteous kick. at least it had not been her ribcage nor got the wind knocked out from her. she tried to bend forward. whether the pain against her stomach would be enough to make her back away, or she would force the other to bend her legs. either way, her muzzle snaked forward to try and hold the woman. attempting to pin her until this stalemate was through.

the woman didn't shift, but cassiopeia wasn't worried that the spar would end here, not yet. on her back, she had legs and fangs and claws the repel any other attacks the woman might attempt, and her legs pulled close after that first kick, protecting her stomach, to a degree, and waiting for any chance in which she might have enough room to attempt another kick. her muzzle snaked down but was met only by the woman's own muzzle, agape and more than willing to meet fang with fang should the wraith attempt any grip on her neck of muzzle. at the same time, despite the potential ineffectiveness of it, she attempted another kick with her rear legs, seeking enough wiggle room to writhe away.

ooc; shall we wrap up? =D

to say that Heloise was enjoying herself was an understatement. she was immersed in the task at hand, content to have a good fight for once. a spar was not about win or lose. it was about applying the skills one had learned so far. learning anything else through practice. "hm" the pale beast would grunt as the woman kicked out, forcing her to back away. the stranger would wiggle away and she would simply wait for her to get up. panting slightly, she'd raise her head to look at her.

"I admit, that was entertaining" she'd chuckle, pale gaze dancing with mirth. Heloise would remain where she was, done with the spar as is. both were equally matched in her eyes. if they fought more, they'd only tire themselves out. "a well fought bout." though if the other saw it as a waste of time, she would not argue. she knew when to compliment her opponent's skills. if she was human, she would have reached down to offer a hand to the other.

they seperated once more, this time with an air of finality. she rose and gave a stiff shake of her pelt, small cloud of debris released and set adrift. she looks up in time to catch the mirth in the woman's gaze, and her own stoicness softens. she's pleased at the dull tiredness in her limbs, the way breath seems elusive, though thinks perhaps she might be out of shape. in any case, a woman is more challange than a man, and she's glad for the oppurtunity. "it was," she agrees, and her muzzle curves a fraction. gaze shifts from her to scan the empty plain; all life has scattered or made itself scarce within a wide radius of their bought. "you fight well." 

ooc; woot good spar! ;D

"as do you" Heloise replied graciously, for it was true. she was never one to get a big head over these things anyway. as of her usual practice, she would search the woman's coat for signs of cuts or bleeding. yet it seemed they both were spared damage. she would not get so lucky next time she was challenged, to be sure. "thank you for the practice" the woman obviously did not need her to hold her hand and would get up by herself. good. "I am Heloise." she opted not to gift the other her surname. they had exchanged blows, so she saw her as a comrade.

the woman offered her thanks, and her muzzle dipped in thanks and return. she ought to have more, surely, and perhaps she'll seek this woman out again in the future. or perhaps, as so often does it seem to happen, their paths will cross once and nevermore. still.  "cassiopeia." she offers in turn, and she shifts her weight across her forepaws. the restlessness that pulls her ever west, coupled with a desire for action rather than conversation, have her dip he muzzle again, this time in farewell. "perhaps we'll meet again." she'd like that. she wheels and resumes her journey, her desire for action met and sated.

"Cassiopeia"[/b] Heloise repeated, another dip of her head in thought this time. a constellation's name. it suited the other, for her coat was as black as night itself. though it was clear after their spar, the other wanted to depart. the pale woman would watch as Cassiopeia made leave, having no reason to call her back. "farewell" she would call after her, however, before turning and disappearing herself. whether they would meet again was uncertain.