Ouroboros Spine the first death is in the heart

The cold stung harsh and it made her ache for the taiga once more.

But now she moved, instead of wallowing like a pitiful child. She could be girl no more. She hadn't been for some time and yet how easily she had lapsed into it! Shameful, a disgrace.

Today she moved with a harder purpose about her small frame, sending out an invitation for a warrior to come to her.

Training.

She had been lax with training the boy, Kivaluk, as he was assigned other tasks and Tulukiri thought she was swiftly overshadowed by those adults. That meant she spent more time prowling and hunting - but now a challenge rang out, and she was both well fed and eager for a change.

The individual who made the summons was the red woman of Natigvik - the one Kigipigak was so devoted to. That meant she had to have some prowess, otherwise why would her tutor have chosen her? Tulukiri was curious.

She approached with a deferential sulk to her posture at first; testing the air, studying the woman. Curious to her desires and respectful (so far as she could manage).

It was good to see Tulukiri.

A girl who had stayed despite it all. The same could not be said for all of the faces that had come from Natigvik. She had half a mind to speak her wishes of Issumatar to the girl, then decided against it just as swiftly. She was here for the call, the training challenge.

I have gone too soft. There is disgust and anger in her voice for herself.

Disappointed. Anguished. Electrified once more.

Spar me.

Too soft? Tulukiri quirked her head with a tilt, as if she was hearing a sound for the first time. Was that weakness in the once-issumatar?

You don't train with your husband? She asked, or moreso thought aloud, before catching herself.

Are you declining?

She squared her small frame, wondering if it would do much of anything against the heartier girl. Only one way to find out.

Tulukiri huffed and her shoulders tensed. The hawkish look she spared to Sakhmet was answer enough - no, she wouldn't decline a fight. It had been a poor attempt to frazzle the woman and get under her skin, and it had backfired. Sakhmet was made of tougher stuff than Tulukiri gave her credit.

The young woman began to pace as if she were guarding a precious resource. In a way that was true - she protected her own pride with everything she had; more important than any relationship she'd cultivated or pack she'd pledged allegiance to, this sense of self, and this concept that her strength lay in her warrior skills.

She purposefully moved as if she were circling prey, waited to see if Sakhmet would make a move. Maybe there was a reason Kigipigak had chosen her after all.

forgive me pls. smaller posts work best for my brain in fight scenes :')

Tulukiri was large, built for this kind of rough and tumble ways.

Sakhmet had only her speed in her favor. If there was fear of embarrassment in her, she hid it deep down. It wouldn't be...so bad, right?

She aimed to move first. Opening jaws and lunging to quickly snip at hind heels. Like a hunter on their prey. A familiar dance.

That's totally fine! :D

Sakhmet moved with speed, much to Tulukiri's surprise. She knew the woman was a slender sort, but also a mother, and perhaps expected that motherhood to weigh her down. That was not the case however - as Sakhmet reached for on of the girl's hocks, there was very nearly a connection and Tulukiri scrambled to avoid it.

Her heart raced. She scurried and was forced to move defensively, going full-boar in to protecting her ankles, so she could not retaliate. Sakhmet already had her a touch overwhelmed. The girl then began to laugh, the sound crowing from her with a gasp.

She did not understand the laugh that followed Tulukiri's defense.

Truthfully it unarmed her in full for that moment. Enough that she stood, firmly rooted to the spot.

A wide, pale gaze settled upon the gold-dusted girl.

It felt more like a game than a spar! A silly chase! But those teeth had come close and Tulukiri had been startled in to her laughter.

She saw the way Sakhmet sank back to watch, and used that moment to round upon her with a stab of her own muzzle close, and a teasing grasp at the air.