CAUGHT THE AIR IN YOUR WOVEN MOUTH

Rivia wanted to challenge herself by reaching great heights in search for her next meal. Always challenging herself, always pushing to improve. Heights were never her thing. Staying close to the ground and close to the sea was much more her speed. Though, she overheard some rumors about the paths up to the peaks and it seemed worth the effort and the nerves. The air up here was much different; almost more fresh, more.. full somehow. She could truly breathe here. Her coat whipped in the winds, pinning her ears close to her head as she climbed higher and higher.

She could very well turn around and head back down now at the slightest bit of discomfort, but she pressed on. Her hike was not in vain as she was searching for something. Once she found the scent of her target, she scanned the rocks until she saw it's form nearly completely melded into the peak walls. The narrow pathways offered her winding routes upwards, sinking low to the ground in wait for the right moment. The ibex was climbing down from rock to rock, a kid in tow. She perked up at the sight, pleased to see an easy catch ahead of her. It was easy to assume this would be a breeze, but she did have to consider this was much different terrain than she was used to.

The time had come and Rivia hurtled forward, scattering loose rocks and slate slabs in her wake as she trickily navigated the jagged terrain after her prey. Her eyes were narrowed to combat the stinging winds which admittedly limited her vision to tunnel on just the ibex she was chasing.

@Sabine

Hunger brought her to great heights. Hunger made Sabine do a lot of things lately. She was much better at fishing than she was hunting prey on land, but she was still trying to navigate this land and had yet to really find her bearings. She couldn't get a good grasp on the lay of the land, so she thought a new vantage point would be of use and while she was at it, snag herself a meal. It would be a win/win. Sabine was quite surefooted, so she wasn't really worried about the rocky terrain that shifted beneath her paws. The wind though, now that was another story. Some gusts felt like it would blow her clean off the cliff.

The higher she went, the more barren it became. No little field mice or hares scrambling about. No, with big climbs came big prey. There, in the distance, Sabine spotted her next meal. An ibex, unsuspecting of her and upwind. Perfect. Sabine had a great advantage too. Rock jutted before her, right through her path, hiding her from the hooved creature, but the massive wall didn't fully block her way. Instead, it gave her the perfect trail to stalk, then pounce. Beyond the ibex, she wasn't too sure, but she assumed the animal wouldn't hurl itself off to its death if it were a total drop off, so Sabine was confident in her ability to navigate the terrain.

Creeping forward, she edged closer, moving smoothly along the edge of the cliff and the rock she used to stealth. When she was in the ideal spot, she lowered her stance, belly nearly touching the earth, and then the ibex spooked, but it wasn't her that scared it. Rather, the ibex ran right for her. Literally, right at her. Sabine's eyes grew wide and she scrambled backward in the direction she came, to a more open section of the cliff, before the goat sprang over her completely. She followed its form with her gaze as it sailed above her, shifting her eyes to look straight ahead just in time to meet the oncoming cat.

This wasn't good.

- Use the terrain to your advantage

@Rivia

CAUGHT THE AIR IN YOUR WOVEN MOUTH

The ibex leapt over rocks and wound its way through the rough terrain, Rivia close at their heels. Leaning her head down she aimed to bite for a back leg, but was kicked in the jaw as the beast jumped over something ahead. Her eyes widened as she was faced with not a rock as she was assuming, but another cat. As luck would have it, of course, not in her favor, it a cat she was hoping she wouldn't have to face again.

There was no time to move and instead she braced herself for impact. Snarls erupted from her as they collided, aiming to use that momentum to wrap her forelegs around her neck, twist her body to the left and pull her to the ground. Emotions welled within her, mostly born of frustration and confusion. At this point, what was all of this for? The overflow of the slaughter of her home bleeding into this strange lion. She was the unfortunate target of all of her unchecked, bottled up rage.

@Sabine

WHAM!

The breath escaped her lungs as the two lions collided. Claws extended, Sabine tried to grab onto anything she could, but the two bounced off of each other, sending the lynx-like cat rolling backward a few feet. Throughout her momentum, Sabine skillfully twisted her figure, rolling to her paws and skidding across the loose terrain with a slight stumble. "What the FUCK!" she roared in frustration, taking just a split second to fully grasp what had just happened before locking her attention on her opponent. Sabine's short tail rose into the air and the fur along her spin elevated. Her again. Sabine wasn't so weak this time. She had been fed, she had been cared for. Hell, she had rested an in truth, she was feeling quite good.

"I'm not as broken as I was last time," she hissed, lurching forward. Her claws sank into the ground, giving her the traction she needed. As she closed the distance between them, Sabine's ears pinned against her head and her muzzle wrinkled to reveal her off-white teeth. Using her size, she came at the cat low, ducking down at chest level in an attempt to come up and grab her directly by the throat.

@Rivia

CAUGHT THE AIR IN YOUR WOVEN MOUTH

She grunted heavily when they hit each other, her form launching backward a few feet as she stumbled and worked to regain her footing. Dust and stone scattered, squinting her eyes to avoid any debris irritating them as the wind already had. She bristled at the site of the other woman, pinning her ears and lashing her tail. I'm not as broken as I was last time. Rivia sneered and slowly stalked to the side, hard staring the small lion. Why was she still skulking around these lands anyway? Didn't she have a home to get back to that wasn't completely annihilated?

"I'll fix that for you!" she barked venomously, pushing after the woman. Her small, quick frame ducked underneath her and she felt the pressure of her jaws clamp around her throat. She spat a choke from the impact of the attack and aimed to throw her larger body weight backwards. She would hope to put her back to the ground and take the girl with her. If luck would find her, she would manuever her back legs to tuck close to her belly and push up into the sensitive skin of her lower abdomen to get her off.

@Sabine

Her teeth made contact with flesh and she tasted a faint hint of iron on her tongue. The small victory was short lived as her paws left the ground, pulled forward atop the larger cat. Such a thing could be used to her advantage, but just like their previous brawl, having your belly exposed to a cat's clawed feet had its downsides. The woman gouged into Sabine's gut, staining her white belly fur with warm, fresh blood. The impact caused Sabine to release her grip and sent her into the air. She landed on her paws with a thud, arching her back in pain. "Damn you!" Sabine spat, releasing a demonic growl of pure frustration and rage.

Dashing to her right, Sabine took a few quick, long leaps toward the stone wall she had previously been using to stalk her prey and jumped straight at it. Her front paws smacked the rock, making contact and pushing off before her back feet hit the cool surface. The momentum was already carrying her through the air toward the sea witch she had already spent far too much time dealing with. When her back paws collided with the rock, every muscle in her legs pushed off the stone, rebounding off the wall and sending her soaring toward the other woman in an aerial attack.

Whether the dark lion was able to get to her paws or not was not Sabine's concern. She was hurling across the distance between them, claws at the ready, as if she were pouncing on prey. Sabine was aiming to grab her, in any way she could, and drag her to the ground like she had done to so many deer and rabbits in years prior. Mouth ajar, her jaws were ready to grip fur and flesh. She was ready for another taste of this cat's blood.

- Use the terrain to your advantage

@Rivia

CAUGHT THE AIR IN YOUR WOVEN MOUTH

PP permission given from Fear!

There were seconds between the time that her adversary was pushed off of her to the time she whipped herself back onto her feet. Turning around to land violet eyes on the sea wraith she was already airborne, coming straight for her. Flashy tricks don't always boast the best results, girl. Rivia watched her closely, waiting for the right moment before she jumped towards her to go underneath the flying cat.

Ducking under her she spun around and watched the lynx hit the ground. That was when Rivia hurtled toward her again with no time to spare. Closing the distance between the two lions, she leapt over top of the other and aimed to wrap her jaws around the back of her neck closer to her shoulders.

@Sabine

First there was nothing but air, then there was nothing but ground. Sabine did try to adjust her trajectory midair when the lioness moved, but there was nothing she could do except accept the impact. Wincing, her legs hit the terrain first, but from the angle and her position, they just crumpled under her leaving the real collision to her chest and chin. It seems cats don't always land on their feet. A shockwave of pain coiled through her nerves like a flash of lightning. Sabine let out a sharp screech, rolling with a groan onto her back, but her opponent was already there, teeth coming at her like a heat seeking missile.

"Shit!" Sabine squawked, quickly rolling to one side and away from the dark cat's grasp. The maneuver brought her to her stomach and from there, she was on her paws again, chest heaving in and out. Sabine didn't hesitate, she couldn't. Powering forward, forelimbs wide as if welcoming a hug, the lynx-like lady took yet another risky chance and attempted to wrap the other woman in her arms, claws extended and ready to grab. Her jaws opened wide, aiming for the side of her neck. She wanted to take her straight to the ground. No, she needed to take her straight to the ground. This was it. She didn't have much in her after this. It was now or never.

@Rivia

CAUGHT THE AIR IN YOUR WOVEN MOUTH

She slithered away from her in the nick of time, causing Rivia to recalculate her moves and adjust herself. The other cat shifted to come at her with arms extended. Thrusting herself off the ground, she matched the woman’s movement and aimed to grab her, too. With the two girls raised up on hind legs, two swords clashing like thunder, Rivia would aim to sink her claws into her shoulders. Using any strength she had left that she could summon, she would twist herself and let go of the witch. Her hopes to send her off and away from her into the rocks.

@Sabine

The two went at each other with open arms, like long lost friends, but the other cat was taller and her arms were just a bit longer, and they wrapped around Sabine like a striking snake. Claws dug into her skin and with brute strength, Sabine was thrown to the side like a yesterday's meal that smelled sour and needed to go. There was nothing she could do to stop herself, her weight carrying her back to the rock wall she had used to her advantage twice before, but this time it would be her undoing. The side of her head cracked against the stone and it was lights out. Her body slumped to the ground seemingly lifeless; a crumpled ball of thick fur. Blood oozed from a gash on her eyebrow, as well as from her nose, and she did not move.

The fight was over. Sabine had lost. Again.

fade to black. exit sabine