Haven't I given enough?
Always the fool with the slowest heart

She had heard her mother's words loud and clear. Hrefna made her way through the hollows to a particular chamber that had been used for battle before, her eyes narrowed into slits of silver and crimson as she prepared herself for what was to come. Anyone who wanted a rank was to prove themselves via battle. She had seen it several times demonstrated by multiple of her relatives, and so it was with certainty that Hrefna let out a call to announce she was claiming the rank of royal for herself.
She stood in the middle of the chamber with her limbs spread for balance, taking up the stance she had witnessed a few times before to give her the best chance of success. She extended her claws feebly against the smooth cavern floors, feeling suddenly less in command of them. She resided here all her life, sure, but Hrefna knew in her bones that the blood spilled for Obsidian was not her own. Not until that day, with their first birthday approaching and their family divided by political unrest.

hrefna vs. ---
zero of three
for OH Royal/Dominance

unsurprisingly, voluspa wasted very little time moving in the direction of the summons, shoulders pushed forward towards her nape as she descended down the cool, familiar corridors of the hollows. royalty was in their blood -- they had been bred for it, and they had earned it through birthright and prowess over time. it was annoying (and marginally endearing) that one of her littermates had thought it fitting to grapple at it as if they were above the others. or, maybe voluspa was just annoyed that @Hrefna had thought of it first, before her. yeah, that sounded like the most likely explanation.

regardless, voluspa moved to meet her call, nose scrunched in an expression of contemplation as she emerged from the shadows of the caves with her eyes set purposefully on her sister. there was no one else there -- just the two of them. which meant, naturally, that the eldest sister had first dibs on contesting her claim. "well then, show me what you've got." she replied, unafraid to rise up to the challenge and defend the rank which she thought to be rightfully hers. she knew that, in the grand scheme of it all, neither of them deserve it more than the other -- but, the two of them had always had a deep-rooted sense of competitiveness between them, and this was no different.

hfrena vs. voluspa
for dominance (royalty)
round zero out of three

table code by ferus

The call within the dark caverns was from a familiar voice and naturally Rasmus couldn't resist temptation as he moved through the darkness towards @Hrefna. Both he and @Myrkvi had proven countless times how willing they were to dive headfirst into a fight, but today Rasmus was just a little behind when it came to challenging his sister. @Voluspa was the first to respond and so the ivory son moved to take a seat meanwhile his lilac gaze flickered from both Hrefna and Voluspa. "Make it interesting." He called out with a smirk on his features, meanwhile he reclined backwards ever so slightly so he could further observe comfortably.

*Rasmus is observing

table by ferus

This was the first time Úlla saw her nieces fight. She decided to settle on the opposite side of @Rasmus and observe @Voluspa and @Hrefna make their move. How @Magnus and @Nadia taught their children was something the northern woman wouldn't meddle in. When she was teaching her son and daughter, she made sure they knew how to use their fangs and claws. But she never allowed them to fight each other without her watching. Perhaps it was her protective instinct, but she was concerned that the two would go too far and accidentally maim the other. With only her present as an adult, Úlla was keen to ensure the two young royals didn't go too far off the edge. Though, she was certain she didn't need to worry too much.

image © argent 2021

Haven't I given enough?
Always the fool with the slowest heart

Similarly, it annoyed Hrefna that her sister challenged her. "Well then, show me what you've got." She flared her nostrils sharply at the command, almost patronizing in its phrasing despite their supposed equal standing in life. She narrowed her eyes further as Voluspa took up her defensive stance, leaving Hrefna to make the first move--as if she needed it, or something.

"Kind of you to show," she muttered lowly. Rasmus announced his own presence by goading his sisters on for a show, making her lips curl with annoyance. She meant this seriously--meant to prove that her right in the hollows was as its Royal. None of her littermates had done it, and the way they showed up with a gleam of entertainment in their gaze caused the fur to prickle along the scruff of her neck in an irritated ridge.

Hrefna pressed forward. She attempted to approach her sister head-on, jutting out her right shoulder slightly and attempting to knock into the center of Voluspa's chest. She had seen the move several times before as the opener to a battle, but perhaps she had underestimated the strained feeling of holding her shoulder out like that. Hrefna snapped forward with her jaws parted, attempting to close them around the flesh of the left side of Voluspa's face in a nasty bite.

hrefna vs. voluspa
one of three
for OH Royal/Dominance
Hits:

Rolling 3d20: 13 + 4 + 3

Dodges:

Rolling 1d20: 6

if they wanted a show, they were going to get one -- even as the shapes of @Rasmus and @Úlla entered her peripheral, the young sigrun kept her gaze set purposefully upon her sister, never once faltering in the devotion of her focus. she could feel the irritation spilling forth from @Hrefna, could see it lingering within the back of her eyes -- but is this not exactly what she had wanted? to prove herself, again her kin? voluspa would not dwell on the thought for much longer, however, as soon enough, they would find themselves in the throws of battle.

hrefna pushed forward with resilience, and as the space between them shrunk, voluspa would attempt to swing her hips slightly to the left, whilst trying to remember all the things she had learned from months on the sidelines. albeit the change in positioning, hrefna's shoulder would still make contact with her chest, instantly igniting a hot, throbbing bruise beneath her swatch of ebony fur. it prompted a growl from voluspa, who would instinctively reach down with parted jaws and attempt to clasp them around the top of hrefna's extended right shoulder. at the same time, she could feel the sharp slice of hrefna's fangs across the left side of her neck, leaving moderate gashes in their wake and allowing the first droplets of blood to be spilled between them, proving that this was far from youthful, innocent banter. so be it. fueled by the adrenaline thrumming within her ears and the stinging of her new wounds, voluspa would redistribute her weight onto her hind legs, before looking to raise her right forelimb from the earth, jutting it forward with unsheathed claws as she sought to collide it with the top-left section of hrefna's chest. win or lose, today would prove that they were, in fact, sigrun.

hfrena vs. voluspa
for dominance (royalty)
round one out of three
hits:

Rolling 3d20: 10 + 17 + 14

dodges:

Rolling 1d20: 14

table code by ferus

faevyre. +5 Attend a spar or challenge to assess the wounds [1/2]

A near-yearling brawl isn't what she'd expected to see today, but Faevyre is intrigued by the call of one of the Hollows' younger members looking for a fight to prove her rank. With a soft sigh, she grabs some of her herbs from her den and makes her way over, both to see if they need healing afterward and to supervise if there weren't others present to do so.

She spots Ulla, and is grateful that there's at least one adult here to ensure they don't get carried away. The lions are still young, almost young enough where she wishes they didn't have to think about fighting, but Faevyre knows that not all cubs and yearlings can share the sheltered life that the Bezra children had for so long. Before seeing the raid on the Rainforest, she would have perhaps been disdainful of the fight going on being anything more than friendly practice with claws sheathed. Now, though, she realizes that maybe it's better if they start learning how to fight and defend themselves young.

It's a somber thought. It makes her yearn for home, for their shared caves in the cold lands.

She steps up beside the small familiar figure of Rasmus, watchfully mirroring Ulla on the child's other side. She lowers her bundle to the ground at her paws, offering a polite nod to them both, but otherwise remaining silent, watching the two tumble. They're definitely using their claws and teeth-- a fact that she observes with a soft, empathetic wince for their small forms -- so she opens the bundle to sort out some of what she'll need to dress the small wounds.

The call of a challenge has earned the attention of the dark Queen as she makes her way through the caverns. It is as she rounds the corner that she spies @Hrefna and @Voluspa in the throes of battle, meanwhile @Rasmus, @Úlla, and @Faevyre are nearby observing. Nadia moves in silently, her gaze ever watchful upon her two daughters as she takes a seat to observe them in their fight. Fighting wasn't frowned upon when it came to their family, in fact it had always been encouraged. This was a way for them to express themselves and also for them to hone their talents in self-defense. Rasmus and @Myrkvi had gotten into plenty of scraps thus far and so it was only natural that both of her daughters would follow suit. For now she would remain quiet and observant to see who would be the victor.

+5 - Observe a challenge and learn the results (1/2)

It was unfortunate he was late because Myrkvi would've gladly tossed himself into the ring against his sister. He arrived at the beginning of the fight a moment or two behind his mother. Voluspa going for a nasty bite as Hrenfa utilized her claws. He would round towards @Rasmus to take a seat beside him on his free side. "Any bets?" He'd ask in a hushed tone towards his pale brother, wondering if he had any thoughts on the matter. Watching his sisters brawl did bring to mind a battle royale between the four to see who was top feline in the matters of brawn.

table by ferus, art by munk, unsplash stock

Haven't I given enough?
Always the fool with the slowest heart

The impact of her shoulder against her sister's chest caused sore bruises to swell under Hrefna's own skin, a snarl of adrenaline pushed out through her teeth at the sensation. She had only a moment to feel this before Voluspa bent down and bit into the muscled flesh of her right shoulder at the very moment which Hrefna bit into the left side of her opponent's neck. She attempted to disengage her bite as she felt hot, firey scratches of claws ripping at the left side of her chest, a quick series of movements that left Hrefna frenzied and violent.

Hrefna lifted her own right forearm with her blackened claws unsheathed and attempted to rake her claws at the flesh behind her sister's left armpit, leaning forward then to try and take another bite at Voluspa's left cheek. Her own movements were scrappy and unpracticed at best, but she did not imagine for a moment that she would not prevail.

hrefna vs. @Voluspa
two of three
for OH Royal/Dominance
Hits:

Rolling 3d20: 19 + 3 + 17

Dodges:

Rolling 1d20: 10