Sun Mote Copse tophet

for @Ragna when you have a chance!

she had sent asherah to seek the truth of molech outside the borders of the malkaria, and now she sought the shieldmaiden. she had not seen the snowy wolfess in several days; not at length, and wished to speak with the fierce kurgarru, to seek ragna's company and wisdom. along the edge of the copse did the woman wander, her fur aureate beneath the light of the half-moon that shown between slender tree-boles.

The air was redolent with the promise of children. Three of their number were pregnant, the thought of which spurred Ragna to double down upon their borders. She feared that the delicate state of the women would render them weak, which only meant that she had to be stronger. That night she did not prowl the borders, though. Instead she lay curled in her den, a small hollow in a thick forsythia bush, and listened to the settling of the snow. She roused herself when she heard footsteps, and slithered out of her den in time to catch sight of Eshamun. Ekar-aji, she said, voice carrying in the night. Eshamun looked beautiful as she ever did, her copper fur rendered unearthly by the soft light of the moon.

at the sound of ragna's voice, eshamun lay her viridian eyes upon the shield maiden for a quiet moment, drinking like moonwater the sight of the other's pale fur gilded in silver light. ragna's form was to behold the intermingling of curved hips into strong shoulders, a feminine waist held by muscular limbs. the joining of both male and female was in the pearlescent body . 

she was drawn to ragna, of course, but held this aside, for she did not know if the allure sprang from her own heart, or from the communal love of the malkaria for the kurgarru. and so she locked it aside for now, and smiled gently at ragna, beckoning that the shieldmaid walk with her now.

With the invitation she rose, a silent, ghostly presence in the moonlight. Her eagerness threatened to show in a tangling of limbs, but she reigned it in, for though she did not feel divine as the kurgarru were, it would not hurt to try for grace. In quiet deference she drew to the red woman's side and marveled at how natural it felt to stand beside her. The same pride that attached itself to thoughts of her lineage welled up within her again, and with it a fluttering warmth for which she had no name.

Because Eshamun had not yet spoken, Ragna remained silent. She always felt more at home in companionable silence, but would never begrudge her ekar-aji conversation.

ragna came to her side, and eshamun extended her muzzle to brush the other's cheek. her touch lingered, and she felt the breath of desire within her, but the ekar-aji did not dare keep herself close, too close, for surely she would fall prey to the wretch of her ignorance when it came to the wants of the shieldmaiden. she wanted only to do right in the eyes of molech, but her viridian gaze met silently the eyes of the other for a moment before she turned them forward.

"the role of guardian, it falls now to you, for children shall be brought forth again. but you shall not be alone." eshamun paused for several heartbeats, moving in silence, before she began again. "i am not a woman of ferocity, but i wish to be. will you ... will you tell me of the snows that are to come? this will be my first true winter. and then, ragna, will you teach me to fight?"

her breath caught in her throat; the canaanite halted and watched the shieldmaiden quietly, wondering if ragna would deign to share such intricacies and magick with her.

The silence threatened intimacy beyond what Ragna was prepared for, a sudden and harsh reminder of the last time she'd spoken with Asherah. Yet she did not shy away, she was far more in control this time. When their eyes met, her expression betrayed neither trepidation nor embarrassment. This was different. Eshamun was different.

Were Ragna one for overt expression of emotion, she'd have exploded into tail wagging joy. As it was she smiled shyly and ducked her head. She drank in every word Eshamun spoke, then nodded grimly. I will, she promised. Though she did not know how to teach, she would try. The responsibility of it all was a weight upon her shoulders, but one she was proud to bear. There is nothing to fear from the winter, said she. So long as we keep you- by which she meant all of the red wolves. Giana seemed to be of more northern stock, but most of the Malkaria were less adjusted to extreme cold- warm. Small game will be scarce, but we are better suited to the snow than large prey. I have been tracking our herds. We will not starve.

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ragna seemed to glow more brightly when eshamun made her request, and this pleased the ekar-aji with a wordlessness she could not articulate. and she too drew comfort from the shieldmaiden's words. and she was relieved to hear that the pale woman had made strides to ensure the success of the malkaria. "that is all good to hear, ragna," eshamun murmured gently, her eyes lifting to the skies briefly, as if to ensure there was no snow. 
"already my fur has begun to grow thicker," the canaanite murmured with amusement. "i am prepared, even if i am not!" here she paused and cast a glance toward the kurgarru. "and the fighting -- i am afraid i have never before sparred with another."[/tr][/td][/table]

She smiled softly, shyly at both the praise and the mirth in Eshamun's voice. Ragna had feared that the Ekar-aji's sacrifice might break her heart and her spirit, but it did not seem to be so. We are strong, all of us. We will do well, she said.

The Shieldmaiden was proud of the work she had done in tracking the large game in their hunting grounds. It had taken a great deal of effort to learn their patterns and habits, but now Ragna felt comfortable in her understanding of them. Just as she was proud of her hunting efforts, she took great pride in her skills as a guardian and defender, and she was pleased that had been recognized. I am afraid I have never taught before, she replied, still smiling. We will learn together.

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eshamun's teeth flashed in a bright smile, and her feet became light as she danced to ragna's side and ran her teeth through the snowy fur along the shieldmaiden's shoulder. "shall we?" eshamun did not wish to lie to herself — she was interested to feel the strength of the kurgarru's strength, and to feel the lash of power within herself. having never pitted herself against another, eshamun knew that it would be an intriguing experience, and waited with an amused expression for ragna to respond.[/tr][/td][/table]

Even the barest brush of Eshamun's teeth started that familiar adrenaline fire, and if there was any conflict in how she felt, Ragna certainly didn't notice. Always honor your foe. Never underestimate them, she instructed, then darted forward to attempt a light nip to Eshamun's shoulder. Though she did not know exactly what to do, Ragna thought she should first discover the ekar-aji's strengths. Was she fast? How quickly would she react? Perhaps her strength was her intellect, or stamina. Ragna found she was excited to find out.

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eshamun gave a quick nod at ragna's low voice, her eyes widening as the kurgarru leapt toward her. though she knew the click of the other's teeth would not harm her, she feared it all the same. only by luck did the ekar-aji yank back far enough to avoid the true nip, though ragna's jaws closed on the edges of her fur, plucking them from the skin. eshamun winced, but did not allow herself to pause for longer than a moment before she darted at ragna, aiming her gentle bite toward the side of the other's neck. she did not believe her strike would land, but she needed to attempt it all the same. [/tr][/td][/table]

Her teeth closed on fur and air, and she made a small sound of approval at the back of her throat. Ragna spat the fur out, though a few pieces remained on her tongue, an annoyance but not a distraction. When Eshamun returned the strike, Ragna stood to let it land, curious to see what Eshamun would do with the success. Even with teeth to her neck, Ragna was not likely to let a fight end, and she knew few that would. She would counter when she saw what Eshamun tried next.

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her teeth closed upon the side of the other's neck, and eshamun surged forth to wrap her forelegs around ragna's shoulders and drag her off balance. in a true fight, the ekar-aji would lock her jaws upon the pale throat, but kept merely a light hold for the purposes of this spar. if successful, she would seek to readjust her jaws upon the shieldmaiden's throat and drag her teeth more firmly through the white fur.[/tr][/td][/table]

Teeth closed on her neck, sharp against her skin, and unbidden Ragna twisted in the ekar-aji's grasp. Though she had meant to let Eshamun catch her, instinct disliked the rough grip so close to her throat. As Eshamun threw her weight into Ragna, the Shieldmaiden braced herself, squaring her stance so that she only stumbled. She found her balance again with a sharp gasp, then gave a great, full-body shake to try to free herself from Eshamun's grasp. You are too light for this, she grit.

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ragna bucked in her grip, gritting out word — eshamun would have grinned had she been able. instead, she clung to the shieldmaiden until the lash of the other's muscles threw her off into the snow. the woman attempted to regain her footing as swiftly as possible, expecting that ragna would set upon her if she did not. yet her eyes danced with good humour and the clear beginnings of a playful challenge.[/tr][/td][/table]

Though it took longer than she wished, Ragna succeeded in throwing the red woman, who recovered quickly, but perhaps not quickly enough. The moment she was free Ragna rounded on the ekar-aji, bearing down upon her in an attempt to pin Eshamun beneath her. Do not think too much. Your body knows what to do. Your mind slows it down, she instructed in the moment after her attack.