kangaroo court

@Lucero - Light snow — Current Temperature: 0° F/-18° C, Late Morning

The fallen (quite literally) Queen of the Glen, as the months passed, had recovered considerably. Though at times her muscles still ached at the whisk of a breeze or there was the slightest of pain along the bridge of her muzzle, she was well. Borlla had been traversing the borders, interrogating those who called upon the Leaders, and had hunted with her pack. She had not given in to what had tried so hard to consume her. Borlla would not be razed by weakness. Even the persistent cold that had gripped her seemed to lift, giving her more energy than she'd had in months. And so, suitably recovered, Borlla Tainn desired to rise up once more. The question was whether or not her friend, Lucero, would allow her to do this without a fight.

Borlla would not beg. She would earn her place if need be. The pale woman who had so reluctantly taken her place had earned the position and so Borlla called out to her with the assumption that victory would not be handed to her. She would have to take it. Coming from the creek, the golden-eyed woman settled herself near the edge of the den site, finding the relatively open area to be quite suitable for a scuffle if one should arise. A light snow fell from above and the air was cutting, even without the assistance of the wind. It only seemed to get a bit deeper as each day passed, since there was no heat to melt the snow that had already settled. With this constant reminder of the harsh winter, she truly had no desire to fight her friend, cause the woman injury.

But as she howled into the sky, summoning her Leader to challenge her, Borlla let no assumption settle in her mind. She was ready to expect anything. <b style="color:#32527a">

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@Borlla ♥

Shuffling through the snow was no easy task. As long as her legs were, it was just so deep, and in some places it was even too deep. Here and there as she spent the morning rounding the borders, Lucero would sink unexpectedly down to her chest or trip over an unexpected rock or hidden branch beneath the snow's surface. Her ears would flatten against her grey-stroked crown and she would suck in a huff of chilled air before pushing it from her nostrils in a cloudy jet of steam. Not even Magnolia Glen, the haven that it was, could escape the winter's cutting winds and unending snow. With a familiar knoll just in the distance and most of her patrol completed and behind her, she pressed on.

Borlla's call rang clear through the territory and the girl's head perked up in attention. A call for her? Her golden eyes scanned the rolling waves of white and the trees in the distance. It had been months since her friend's accident, and at one point she wasn't sure if Borlla would ever recover. But time had passed, and Borlla had never given up. Diligently taking to well-known short cuts as she made her way toward the main den site, Lucero considered that her time in the woman's shoes was filtering to an end. Though a challenge was at the forefront of her thoughts, she was unaware of the reason for her summoning, and so she kept a clear mind and an open heart as she approached the scene, and Borlla, who was waiting.

"Borlla?" she questioned neutrally, the warm flicker of regard for the creamy woman ever-present in her gaze.

(This post was last modified: Dec 31, 2013, 06:31 PM by Lucero.)

Look Out!

There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

@Lucero

The woman waited in the snow, exhaling a puff of chilly, translucent air. She watched the cloud disperse, thin tendrils twisting about until it was carried away in a freezing breeze. She stood up to nearly her knees in the snow, the pale fur of her legs blending almost perfectly with the flawless blanket, only broken by paw prints. By now, there was a layer of ice beneath the snow. The feel of grass, even dry, dirt, even stiff and cold, was gone, replaced by cutting ice. Thankfully one could not slip on it, offered enough traction from the snow, but her paws ached at times. Sitting now, there was little discomfort, or if there was, Borlla did not fidget in pain. She reclined onto her haunches, holding herself proudly, as proudly as she could being one who was about to challenge her friend, perhaps her best friend.

Lucero arrived quickly, unaware of why Borlla had called her here. The woman sighed again, head bowed, before she met the woman's eye, clearly challenging her position from the expression on her face. She did not greet her Leader kindly. Once this was done, their relationship could be as it was, but as it stood right now, Lucero had something Borlla dearly wanted, and there was no room for kindness right now. "I have called you here to challenge you for your position, Lucero." Borlla answered the question that had been evident in the woman's voice. She rose to her paws then, lowering her head and shifting herself in such a way to balance her stance. Her ears flattened against her skull and her tail curled over her back, hackles lifting to protect her. She did not want to fight, she truly didn't, but she would not disrespect her friend by assuming that she would simply hand Borlla back what she had been foolish enough to lose.

(This post was last modified: Dec 31, 2013, 09:25 PM by Borlla.)

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And so it was.

The challenge was plain to see in the yellow depths of Borlla's eyes even before the words that were to follow. Inclining her head, Lucero looked upon her friend in a moment of consideration. Borlla appeared ready, healthy, and had successfully hunted with the pack. Her scent had been present on the borders. Hell, she'd even come out to play when the snow had fallen. Her heart skipped a beat. Leadership had befallen the once-awkward young girl at a time when she'd least expected it, had least wanted it. At only two years of age, she had done her best to put her skills and knowledge to good use, but the truth was that it had been hard, and lonesome, and there was nothing she'd wanted more than to see her companion recover and take back all that was hers. But...

Breathing in a silent breath, exhaling it slowly in a steady stream of steam as Borlla rose to her feet, Lucero's lithe form mirrored the queen's posture─head low, chin tucked, tail flagged behind her. This dance was one with which she wasn't so familiar, but the inherent instinct to defend herself and her position burned bright enough that inexperience wouldn't be as much a hindrance as her love for the lady was. She wasn't about to hand it over without rightfully giving Borlla a run for her money first. A low growl thrummed in her throat, her wild eyes alight with a young, feral gleam. "If you want it, come and get it."

A light snow descended from above, setting a beautiful scene for the two women. Perhaps if more important matters weren't at hand, they might've taken a moment to frolic, forget the matters of starvation and despair. But Borlla hardly noticed the snow, holding her position perfectly. In the snow, she could only imagine how difficult it might make the fight. And a fight there would be. It seemed as though Lucero would not let her rank go so easily, and while Borlla would not make this fight easy, she could not help but smile at the prospect of fighting her friend. The girl always seemed so sweet and kind. Borlla was curious to see what kind of an opponent she would make.

Baring her teeth at her near-double, a feral smile setting her honeyed eyes ablaze. She ran at her opponent, intending to meet Lucero head-on. She would not drag this out with feigning and tricks. Jaws wide, she hoped her teeth would find the woman's shoulder, that minutiae crick between one's neck and shoulder. Either mark would please the woman. Ears back and tail now tucked for protection, her hackles were raised, a guard between the air and her flesh. Though the snow proved to slow her attack, certainly it would do the same for her opponent. It had been some time since she'd had a true fight, but inexperience would not be her downfall. Her youth had been riddled with spars and bouts of dominance with her litter mates. Lonely months upon the mountain had proved fruitful, especially when she had to protect what was hers. And away from the lore, Borlla had had to earn her spot, however unwanted it proved to be, among a stranger pack, even when she'd thrown the fight. The woman would not lose.

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The girl's long legs propelled her forward like a bullet from a gun as she jetted to meet Borlla head on. A predatory snarl erupted from within when she was finally within reach of her challenger's powerful jaws, which aimed to tear at the flank of her neck, and missed...only to land a well-placed blow upon her shoulder. A sharp and hot flash of pain jolted through her body, stunning her for a split second. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a fight-inflicted wound. As a matter of fact, before her emergence in the forest of Relic Lore, she didn't remember anything at all; whatever previous encounters with scuffles or sparring she'd had were lost in the past. Nearly as fast as the heat of pain had washed over her, however, a new wave of ferocity soon followed.

She didn't falter. She didn't back down or away. She didn't favor the wound that now trickled tiny drops of red blood upon her snow-white coat. The bristled ridge of fur along her spine erected that much further as she bounced back, chin tucked and tail flagged high, coming in low as she aimed and attempted to snap and clench part of Borlla's chest or shoulder within her jaws. The heat from her breath plumed from her mouth and nostrils with each snarl, like a cloud against the cold winter air as the snow fell silently down upon them.

The queen had never seen Lucero like this before. She wasn't sure whether to be terrified or quite impressed at the aggression that seemed to be curling off of her. These feelings and thoughts were purely subconscious, however, mere waves in the pallid woman's own angry sounds and displays. Her intended attack had not succeeded, however, teeth found flesh all the same. Yellowed fangs sank into muscle and bone and she was tempted not to let go. The taste of copper filled her mouth almost instantly, almost shocking her, but instinctually, she began to shake her head worrying the wound that she had caused. Her shoulder pulled forward as she tore at the flesh, protecting her neck from whatever Lucero would certainly come back at her with.

She thought of Lucero as the badger, in this moment. The predator, endangering her family...But, the woman was family. Nothing was being endangered, yet Borlla was selfish. The benefit was all hers. The power and the ability. The right to stand by her mate again before the snow melted. The pain that she might have to endure, watching him traipse away with another woman when the spring came, because duty demanded it. No. Neither of them could do that to her, they wouldn't. She was ripped from the thoughts that had consumed her, finding that her grip on Lucero's shoulder had loosened and her defenses felled long enough for her opponent to find a rather delitescent spot between her shoulder and chest. Snarling through the pain, Borlla threw her weight forward, hoping to cause some amount of injury to the pale woman's muzzle by slamming her chest into it. Her chin was tucked now that her grip upon the shoulder was lost, hoping to keep Lucero from finding any way to her neck. The woman stayed light on her paws, balanced, her tail now flagged out behind her to assist in this endeavor. The sudden shift of weight that she'd attempted would not cause her to falter. <b style="color:#32527a">

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The pain from her wound waned slightly as adrenaline coursed through her veins─enough to propel her onward in this but not enough to wash away the thought that this was her friend that she was attempting to tear into. Under no other circumstances would this be happening, but if Borlla was ready to rise again, Luce would have to show her that the girl who had risen herself to take the injured queen's place was as fitted for the position as was required. Her first step in making a point was successful, and her counter-attack had landed squarely on Borlla's chest. The taste of blood, warm and thick, was actually rather repulsive. She'd never really been a fighter, and wolf's blood was not among her list of delicacies.

Before she really had a chance to put much more thought into it, she caught a blunt blow to the face─rather, a chest-smash to her nose. Backing up only a hair of a step, she snorted hard in reaction and partly to force the strands of creamy hair from her...runny nose? Was that blood? First her shoulder, now a nose bleed? A furious snarl rumbled through the icebound clearing as she stiffened up, ducking low in a posture both defensive and offensive. She was primed to make a move, but instead she found herself watching Borlla as she shifted her weight around. And she was magnificent. Every bit the beautiful, regal woman who had stolen away Luce's heart that day in the marsh, and every bit the companion that she had come to know and love. They could have gone round and round, but with her nose painting the ground between them a special shade of scarlet and her shoulder hot with pain, and the snow deep and cold as hell, she'd had enough.

Her lips curled in a silent snarl, her ears flattening against her skull as her tail fell slowly to tuck between her legs in a show of submission. She didn't want to hurt Borlla anymore, and she surely didn't want to sustain anymore injuries.

All hail the queen.

Borlla took a sharp breath inward after throwing her weight forward. The pain from Lucero's bite finally reached the surface of her mind. Retreating back a few steps, she panted, eyes trained weakly on her opponent, her friend, hoping and praying that this wouldn't drag out for too much longer. A breeze blew past, and she shivered. Always aware of the season at hand, she wondered if she would have to back down to avoid damning the both of them, but she...She didn't want to. Torn between causing further harm to her friend and reclaiming what was her's, the two were warring within her as she balanced herself in the snow, blood dripping from her shoulder. She waited, eying Lucero, giving the woman the opportunity to step down before she moved in again.

Her ears pinned back, watching the blood drip from the woman's nose, hearing the snarl that bubbled from her throat. Her tail slowly lifted over her back as Lucero slowly submitted. Borlla slowly wambled forward, holding herself high, and carefully took the pale woman's muzzle in her jaws, applying mild pressure to officially assert herself. Still silent, she withdrew only slightly, and leaned forward to carefully lick at the woman's nose. Her sides heaved with exhaustion, but she needed to be sure that her packmate, her friend, was alright, both physically and emotionally. Her own shoulder twinged, but she shifted her weight to alleviate the pain. Hackles slowly settling, her own tensions dissipating, she was glad that the fight was over, that she had risen once again. <b style="color:#32527a">

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