In the midst of patrol, a call rang out and caught in my ears; it was a call for me, a challenge nonetheless, for the very position I held as Wingleader.
Slowing my steps until I had come to a halt, I turned my head to look in the direction that the call had come from. For a moment my mind cranked like clockwork, trying to place a name or even a face to the voice, but nothing came to me. With a brief glance to Suli, who exchanged a weary look to me from her perch in a young spruce, I picked up my pace again and headed swiftly towards the call of challenge.
As I went, I found it nearly impossible to staunch the unsettling feeling that was swelling within my chest. It wasn't that I was nervous or frightened to throw myself into the throngs of battle, to defend my title with all that I had and all that I was; no, I was fully prepared for that. What I wasn't prepared for was the possibility of walking out of this not as the victor, letting my children, Kaj, my herd, Bran, myself, and everything I had ever fought for down.
Sucking in a deep breath, I tried to rid myself of these ill feelings. I needed to keep a clear head if I truly wanted to emerge victorious today.
Ahead, a glint of golden pelt caught my eyes and immediately I began to absorb my opponent's figure. Unlike me, she was gifted with flight, but how useful would the feathered appendages be when we were surrounded by so many trees? She stood just shorter than me, and her overall build was much more slender than my own. If I didn't know better, I might have been surprised to see such a blue-eyed beauty pining for the title of a Wingleader, but I knew I couldn't truly judge her until the fighting had begun.
My feet never ceased movement as I drew closer to her, and when we stood approximately ten yards from one another(granted she had not since moved), I spoke. "May the most deserving walk the victor," I said, before I charged.
Aiming to put myself on her left side, I bucked upwards and thrusted myself to the left with the intent to knock my shoulder against hers. With my larger body mass, I hoped that I could at least phase her. At the same time that my head snapped back up from my initial buck, my teeth sought to find her tender flank. If no move was made to to stop me, I wheeled to the right once our hips had passed one another and kicked out at the last moment that was allowed, hoping to nick her at the very least, though only a fool would have been still for this long.
Above us, Suli looked on with a sharp, violet gaze, a low growl forming deep within her throat as she watched the battle begin. For now, she would be still, biding her time for the perfect opportunity to execute an attack of her own.
[WC - 527. 1/4 attacks, 0/0 companion/magic uses]
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Grit. [Challenge, Destrier]
HP: 66.5
