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Post by Kai on Dec 29, 2013 17:45:38 GMT -5
On the shore two forms were entangled, one pale, one very dark. They were clearly fighting, though they seemed to be making an effort to do it quietly. There was no roaring or snarling as was typical of open battle. They dared allow only low growls or grunts of effort. They were far enough from the Pride's sleeping quarters that silence was not necessary, but the sound of roars could travel far and they could not afford to be discovered.
The dark one reached down, entrapping his opponents hind leg in his jaws and taking him off his feet in a swift movement.
"You left yourself open. Really, Hama, how amateur." he said smugly, reveling in his brother's frustration.
Hamali's anger was growing, and Nyota was feeding the flames in this sparring match, and with his infected paw still not fully healed the pale brother was off his game. Hama may be bigger, but Nyota knew that if he could get his brother angry he would often make foolish mistakes.
However, when he suddenly found himself flipped and pinned under Hama's paws he remembered how badly that could backfire. That strategy was only useful if you made sure to avoid getting caught yourself, because though the anger tended to give Hamali tunnel vision it also gave him power.
"Oh damn..."
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Post by Aceiro on Jan 7, 2014 2:36:19 GMT -5
Thried was restless; he knew that he needed to run, to train. It was something that had been drilled into him sense he was just a cub. He had already mentally gone through the places he was shown earlier and felt that he knew the general location of all of the landmarks. He sighed as he made his way to an area on the beach that appeared to be a good area to train. As he quietly padded towards the shore, as he did so he thought to himself, ‘Already breaking the rules, just like old times.’ He knew that if he were caught training on the beach he would most likely be kicked out of the pride that he recently joined. He had tried to take precautions however from being seen at all.
He was close enough now he knew that he could let up his guard but instinct and training forced him to do otherwise. He remained as silent as he could be as he approached the coast and at a distance he was glad that he didn't break his order. This flood of relief was quickly replaced by curiosity as he heard what seemed to be a small fight going on, however one that was meant to be quiet. As he approached closer and got lower to the ground, he got a better view of the scene and instantly recognized one, the pale fur giving away his identity as Hamali. The second was then soon identified to Thried as Nyota.
Thried watched as Hamali overpowered Nyota and heard his reaction, “Oh damn” and couldn't help but quietly chuckle a little bit. Thried sat up knowing that if it resulted in a fight between the two of them and him he easily either run or fight them, though he hoped that either response would prove to be unnecessary. He didn't make any other indication to the two lions sparing on the beach waiting to see if they would notice him and it would give him a chance to study their fighting styles. His position placing him easily within sight and sound but just off the sand.
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Post by Narifia on Jan 10, 2014 4:32:44 GMT -5
Mahiri was sitting just out of sight as she watched her two brothers' sparring match. She shook her head at the sight of Nyota falling prey to his own conceit--again. It was a scenario that had played out before her a hundred times before. In fact, it brought vivid pictures to her mind of a particularly pathetic battle she had just witnessed only hours before.
In a few short steps, Mahiri was standing over the felled Nyota. She did not bother to tell Hamali to let him up, figuring that remaining in the humiliating position might help the message to sink in. "Nyota," she said calmly, her voice starting out frighteningly emotionless, "Can you tell me what has caused you to fail not once, but twice in combat today? Because from where I'm standing, I can see two things. Conspicuously."
Normally Mahiri might have allowed him the chance to redeem himself by thinking things through and answering, but not tonight. She marched around him and rapped him on his forehead with her paw none too lightly and pressed on, her voice gradually betraying her contempt more and more with each word she spoke, "Hubris and absent-mindedness. You're so preoccupied with your own glory and grandeur that you fail to pay attention once you think you've got your opponent beat. You tell yourself that the fight is over and allow your mind to wander into the stars where you must think you, in all your greatness, live. Meanwhile back on Nyambi's green earth there's still a fight going on that you're no longer mentally available for, and when the pummeling of your body brings your mind back home you curse and wonder what went wrong, blaming everyone but yourself."
Abruptly Mahiri stopped and looked straight at Hamali, her gaze fierce. "It's one thing to lose to a well-trained warrior rogue. It's quite another to lose to your injured younger brother." Although she was still speaking to Nyota, her eyes bored into Hamali's for a moment longer, reminding him in no uncertain terms that his little stunt of trying to hide an injury from her was clearly not forgotten. Despite the raised pitch of her voice--which was an anomaly in and of itself--she still managed to maintain her calm, composed demeanor. However, it was rapidly becoming clear that Mahiri was beginning to lose her patience with the two of them. She growled, "On that note, do you understand the implications of hiding something like that from me? And from your brother, your training partner!? Do you even realize the level of damage that could have been done to that leg of yours due to your carelessne--"
A subtle rustle some distance away caught Mahiri's attention and she immediately snapped her mouth shut and whipped her head around, her ears perked to the sound in alarm. Her heart lurched up into her throat as she caught sight of the dark lion sitting at the edge of the beach, watching them with all the casualness of a passing spectator. 'No...!' In the space of a mere moment, all of their efforts, all of their training--their very mission--was in jeopardy, all witness to one now-volatile lion.
Thried.
Legend:
"Speech" | 'Thoughts'
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Post by Kai on Jan 20, 2014 2:12:51 GMT -5
Nyota squirmed slightly, hoping not to remain in this thoroughly undignified position while his sister spoke. To his chagrin, his brother kept his weight pressed down. Unfavorable body positioning and having a slight size disadvantage left the prince pinned while Mahiri berated him. His expression was something between scolded and pissed off that they would subject him to this.
Hama was pleased, until Mahiri directed her comments towards him instead.
"On that note, do you understand the implications of hiding something like that from me?"
"B-but-" he stammered.
"And from your brother, your training partner!?"
"I wasn't hiding it, I was ignoring it!" he tried to interject, but he could barely get a word in. It was hard when Mahiri was on a tangent like this. His hackles raised slightly, he was already riled up from the fight and he just wanted to explain himself. He was losing his cool to frustration and anger, as was typical for him.
Suddenly both brothers froze as Mahiri stopped speaking and looked. They may have been into the discussion and the fight but they were still always on the alert. They had been doing this in secret too long not to be. When they saw that it was Thried, Hamali felt his panic fade slightly, but he was still wary. What would Thried do?
Nyota took the opportunity to crawl out from under Hama's paws. He was mentally kicking himself. Thried had thrashed him only hours before, and now he came here to see him dominated by his younger brother. On top of that, he had no idea if the rogue would expose them. The Prince's expression made it very apparent he was not pleased with this situation, not one bit of it.
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Post by Aceiro on Feb 5, 2014 0:52:27 GMT -5
Thried looked on as Mahiri came into his view and began to criticize her siblings. Not only on the sparring match but on mistakes outside of this single combat as well. His maw took on a grin as he heard her description of how Nyota appeared to fight. That grin lasted for a mere second as he continued to listen and take in what was going on, his pose remaining steady, letting only his chest rise and fall with every breath. He assumed that by the way the criticism was being given out, this kind of interaction was more or less common but probably with less criticism.
"On that note, do you understand the implications of hiding something like that from me? And from your brother, your training partner!?”
Thried heard attempted interjections that fell short from overtaking Mahiri’s criticism come from Hamali.
"Do you even realize the level of damage that could have been done to that leg of yours due to your carelessne--"
As the criticism was cut short and Thried had been spotted by Mahiri, the ex-rogue didn’t move. It wasn’t until Nyota and Hamali had noticed that Thried stood up and moved a few steps into the sand coming to a stop within a short distance the trio. He knew they were assessing the situation that he had now put them in. A quick glance towards Nyota’s frustrated expression after getting up from his position on the ground, told Thried that the prince was in the least bit satisfied with the current situation. Thried examined the trio closer with an emotionless face as he himself was taking in everything that he had just seen. As his gaze moved between the three one could tell that though his body posture was calm and natural, he was prepared for any explosive use of energy, whether that is a strike or a leap away. As he finished his assessment his gaze ended back on Nyota. Mentally he was grinning but he had enough training that his face and posture showed no outward sign of emotion.
As he spoke his voice was calm but firm, “Well,” a slight pause, “I come to an area that is meant to be forbidden to train, only to find a trio of siblings already here training.”
Another pause, his gaze slowly transitioning between the three, “You have put me in a strange position; then again I may have done that myself just by coming to this pride. And judging by the look Nyota has taken, I have put you in an equally awkward or just plain unwanted position.” He left off the title of prince as a subtle hint that Thried treated this place as if it were not within the pride’s bounds. “Although I could be mistaking that for the fact that Nyota failed to learn from the loss he held earlier.” He added this side-note more of a thought to himself but vocalized it in the same level and collected tone that he had maintained.
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Post by Kai on Feb 10, 2014 21:13:10 GMT -5
The more Thried spoke, the more Nyota's fury grew. The only lower-ranking pride members who Nyota allowed to address him without his proper title were his siblings, and then only in training where it was needed.
"Just because you lucked out earlier today does not mean you don't have to show me my due respect, rogue!" He growled, bristling. He looked to Mahiri, waiting to see what she would have them do. Internally, he was practically begging for the opportunity to attack Thried, but he knew better than to make that move without her say. She was in charge here. He had already crossed a line by mouthing off. He was normally better at keeping his composure as he had been taught, but he was at the end of his rope today.
Hamali said nothing, he was also awaiting orders. Unlike his brother, he was hopeful that they wouldn't have to attack Thried. He wanted to believe that Thried wouldn't give them away.
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Post by Narifia on May 21, 2014 15:06:53 GMT -5
Mahiri gazed hard at Thried, indeed assessing the situation quickly but carefully. Nothing about Thried seemed threatening--he looked alert and prepared for a possible fight, but he did not seem to be here to start a fight. Nevertheless, there was no way to know for sure what was in his head. His very presence and knowledge of their presence in this place was a threat in and of itself.
“Well," he said pausingly, as if contemplating his own next move, "I come to an area that is meant to be forbidden to train, only to find a trio of siblings already here training. You have put me in a strange position; then again I may have done that myself just by coming to this pride. And judging by the look Nyota has taken, I have put you in an equally awkward or just plain unwanted position. Although I could be mistaking that for the fact that Nyota failed to learn from the loss he held earlier.”
"Just because you lucked out earlier today does not mean you don't have to show me my due respect, rogue!"
Nyota was not thrilled about Thried's blasé attitude. Despite the fact that Mahiri knew Nyota's losses today had not been due to his opponent's "luck," the fact was that he was still her brother and her prince. Not only did Mahiri feel a stabbing loyalty towards him, but it was further important to show to Thried that she was in control of this situation--despite being caught breaking pride law, she wouldn't give Thried the chance to feel as if he had any power over them in this situation.
Her voice firm and authoritative, she took an emphatic step forward and said, "These are still Busaran grounds. The fact that they are forbidden does not negate my brother's rank. While on these grounds Nyota and Hamali are as equals, and I am in charge--but nevertheless Nyota is still your prince and you will show him his proper dues. You are as a newborn cub here. You would do well to remember your place, Thried."
Mahiri paused and stood rigid and commanding, looking over Thried with a frighteningly cold, contemplative expression.
"You have indeed put us in an awkward place. Training on these grounds is forbidden, especially for Hamali and the young Prince. But we have a mission--one that is justly ours and ours alone, and we will have nothing jeopardize it. Your knowledge of this is a dangerous one. For the sake of our mission we should kill you where you stand."
Mahiri weighed what she knew of Thried against the danger of letting him get away with his knowledge of their training, and then she made her next move accordingly; "But as luck would have it, you have one thing in your favor. You could be useful to us." She paused. "Hamali. Nyota. Was it not but a few days ago that we discussed needing someone to practice on?"
Mahiri knew how it sounded, that they would be using Thried as a live meat-bag to sharpen their skills on. She said it that way intentionally, though she knew that Thried was and could be worth much more than that. In this way it would appeal to Nyota, who seemed ready to kill him, and it would keep Thried aware of the position he was in. He sure had something on them, but Mahiri wanted it clear who was in control here--and if Thried tried to use his knowledge to blackmail them towards his will, whatever it may be, it would certainly not be tolerated and would be immediately squashed.
This was her ultimatum, and her best option to maintaining the integrity of their mission.
Legend:
"Speech" | 'Thoughts'
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Post by Aceiro on Jun 8, 2014 15:39:24 GMT -5
Thried’s gaze shifted to Nyota as the prince made his outburst about respect. Just as he was moments away from responding Thried’s gaze shifted once more towards Mahiri, as she relayed a less explosive response. Though the rouge remained silent, assuming that Mahiri had more to say, he began to prepare a response both to the one in charge and the prince.
"You have indeed put us in an awkward place. Training on these grounds is forbidden, especially for Hamali and the young Prince. But we have a mission--one that is justly ours and ours alone, and we will have nothing jeopardize it. Your knowledge of this is a dangerous one. For the sake of our mission we should kill you where you stand."
The train of thought that was running through Thried’s mind was slightly derailed at the bluntness that came from Mahiri. Mentally Thried sighed, feeling as though this encounter ending in a fight was going to be inevitable. However from the little he knew of Mahiri, he felt as though there would have been no conversation and the battle would have started immediately as he was discovered if that was the case.
"But as luck would have it, you have one thing in your favor. You could be useful to us."
A slight pause, a brief moment, giving Thried a chance to think of possible outcomes.
"Hamali. Nyota. Was it not but a few days ago that we discussed needing someone to practice on?"
Thried weighed the two options in his head. The first was a pitched battle between him and the three siblings. His gaze flipped quickly over the two brothers before returning to Mahiri. From what he knew of Nyota’s fighting, and what he didn’t know of Mahiri’s or Hamali’s, he figured he could fight and die, or run and start over in a different pride. The later of those was assuming he would find another pirde. The second option, being practiced on, gave Thried’s maw a very feint grin. It led not to death but to training, something that is body had been craving for some time. The choice was obvious, yet Thried felt it still left much to be decided as to his fate. Thried decided to interject his thought and lay them out for the three to see before a decision was made.
“I’ll begin with my apologies to the prince,” Thried’s gaze shifted to Nyota and his head dipped slightly in acknowledgement of the title as he spoke, ”It was not my intention to disrespect you. It was simply an old tradition that I apparently have held on to that was designed to show a different kind of respect.”
Thried had remembered something of the tradition and was prepared to explain it if necessary. Thried once again focused on Mahiri.
“Now as for your offer, Mahiri, if you and your trainees need someone to practice on then I would be glad to fill the spot. However, this is also a decision that the prince and Hamali need to make. If they do not want me here then we will have to come to a sort of agreement that hopefully does not involve death.” Thried slightly chuckled at his own comment, knowing that any attempt of getting something out of this situation would only end in a fight to the death on his part. He continued, “However if I am to fill the spot of a practice target then know that I will need some insight as to your mission. So keep that in mind.”
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Post by Kai on Jul 3, 2014 0:04:07 GMT -5
"Hamali. Nyota. Was it not but a few days ago that we discussed needing someone to practice on?"
The brother's heads snapped quickly to Mahiri's direction when she said their names. Hamali looked serious for a moment as he considered this, then he nodded silently. This seemed like a good solution to him. He wouldn't mind training with Thried at all.
A malicious grin split the darker brother's maw and his fiery eyes glowed. He reveled in the idea of using Thried as a punching bag. His demeanor became more dignified and composed as Thried apologized, and explained his position.
“However if I am to fill the spot of a practice target then know that I will need some insight as to your mission. So keep that in mind.”
Nyota looked less-than-thrilled about this, but he knew it was true.
"Hm, you do have a point." The Prince admitted grudgingly. They all sat there in silence for a moment. Nyota then turned to look at Hamali.
Hama glanced back at Mahiri, who nodded. Often the siblings deferred to Hamali to explain the story if they had a choice. It affected him perhaps most of all. The three of them had a myriad of reasons why this mission was important, but for Hamali it was something that tended to consume his whole life. Day in and day out he couldn't escape it.
"After the Ghost Lion brought death on the Pride, three young cubs were chosen by Elder Bashiri to bring justice to him. Mahiri, Tunza and Byron. She said that there were clear signs that they were meant to hunt him down, and so they have been trained from an early age for the purpose. But the Pride would have nothing to do with training us." He nodded his head toward his brother.
"They refuse to train their Prince because he's too valuable. He's the heir. They already lost two before him. One to the Ghost Lion's teeth, the other driven to madness after witnessing her death." He sighed "And they refuse to train me because they hate me. In some manner, they're afraid of me, I think. They think I'll turn out just like him." His claws dug into the earth and he clenched his teeth angrily.
"But it's not their right!" Nyota spat, cutting in despite himself.
Hamali shook his head.
"Although Tunza and Byron's older siblings were involved with The Ghost Lion's escape, they clearly have no rightful claim to his life. Hunting down the ghost lion should be our right, and ours alone. So Mahiri passes on her training to us in secret."
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Post by Narifia on Jul 12, 2014 23:47:28 GMT -5
"And it's imperative that it remains a secret," Mahiri interjected pointedly, giving Thried a hard stare. "If we are found out we are all in danger. Hamali would be exiled, if not killed. I would be stripped of my status as an assassin, and would likely face Zengea's wrath—it's unpredictable how she might react to her combat secrets being stolen. The only one who might escape a harsher punishment would be Nyota, but even he would suffer in some way for it. We three siblings may even be separated for life.”
She paused, her eyes flaming. “But perhaps even worse than any of this is the fact that the mission would die. Our mother would have no vengeance, and the monster would be free to ruin more lives, because Tunza and Byron alone surely couldn't handle it. So you see, we are willing to do anything to protect this secret. Including killing you. I should hope that I have made that perfectly clear. And it would not be an easy death. We haven't trained all this time to be merciful."
Legend:
"Speech" | 'Thoughts'
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Post by Aceiro on Aug 24, 2014 1:06:54 GMT -5
Thried listened intently to the tale of the siblings’ goal, nodding in acknowledgement of why the three before him were not chosen for the mission and the reasons they were not trained. When Mahiri interjected, Thried’s eyes met the hard stare but there was no change in his demeanor or any other indication of him breaking his stone steady neutral expression. One of the things that Thried gathered from the threat Mahiri gave him was the drive that the trio had to be the ones that carried out the task. Regardless he understood that the threat was not one that was issued lightly and was not something that was to be put aside lightly. Thried knew that should he even be suspected of trying to unveil the plan to other in Busare, that they would make good on their threat.
After a few moments of silence following the threat Thried responded. “I can see the burning passion that is driving you to your goal, and I have no doubt that should I betray your secret, you would make good on your threat. The training that you must be passing down, Mahiri, to kill this ghost, I have no doubt will cause me pain. Though should I betray the trust you are showing me I would have then deserved it twofold in my life. So a secret it shall remain.”
A pause, Thried’s gaze slowly moved to Nyota and Hamali. “The elders of your pride may have had their reasons for choosing whom they did. However with what I have been told before this and what you both have just told me I can see the validity of your claim to the right.”
Thried inhaled and exhaled deeply, “And before we continue, Mahiri I asked you this before but now we are in a different situation than previously, Is there anything any of you would like to know of me before we continue, and if not then how do you want to continue the training now that you have someone to practice on?”
Thried assumed time was of the essence during these and also assumed that the prince would like to have a rematch for the battle that occurred earlier that day.
((Sorry if it seems off. Lots of things going on and though I've read over it a few times it may still be well… off))
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Post by Narifia on Sept 27, 2014 23:41:04 GMT -5
“I can see the burning passion that is driving you to your goal, and I have no doubt that should I betray your secret, you would make good on your threat. The training that you must be passing down, Mahiri, to kill this ghost, I have no doubt will cause me pain. Though should I betray the trust you are showing me I would have then deserved it twofold in my life. So a secret it shall remain.”
Mahiri continued to give him a hard stare. She saw the conviction and honesty in his eyes, and she was not merely satisfied, but somehow deeply moved by the words of this rogue warrior she barely knew. ‘This is what we’ve been praying for. Nyambi surely smiles on us. Or, could it be Jua, watching us from beyond the ocean? Regardless, tonight is the night—the eve of our final phase of training begins,’ she thought, then turned abruptly and said to her two brothers, “Prepare yourselves. You’re as ready as you can be for this—you now understand the value of one another, and though you’re still clumsy together, your hearts are now in the right place. Tonight, we three begin our battle as one. I will direct you but only a little—fall in sync with me and with one another. Use your individual skills that you’ve honed since we first began—but now, use them as though you’re each one arm of the same being.”
She turned to Thried, “Thried will be our Ghost Lion. Thried, I have only one thing to ask of you; come at us as though you’re going to kill us. Use every trick and scheme you know of, whether it be honorable or not. Hold nothing back. We’re not here to play cub games. This is war. I trust you understand?”
Legend:
"Speech" | 'Thoughts'
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Post by Kai on May 4, 2016 0:00:02 GMT -5
"Wait."
Hamali looked over to his brother who had called for them to pause. He was confused. The excitement in the Prince's eyes was obvious. He, more than any of them, wanted to fight Thried.
"While I hesitate to delay this training, I had a thought. We told you our secret. I think it's only fair you tell us some of your past in return." Nyota smiled deviously, hoping he was making a request that Thried was hesitant to answer and eager for any information that might give him an edge.
"Where did you come from? Why are you a rogue?" He seemed to be hoping to expose some sort of dark secret.
Hamali rolled his eyes slightly at his brother, thinking he was being rather petty. He was also curious, admittedly. The brothers watched Thried expectantly.
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Post by Aceiro on May 5, 2016 0:50:46 GMT -5
“Thried will be our Ghost Lion. Thried, I have only one thing to ask of you; come at us as though you’re going to kill us. Use every trick and scheme you know of, whether it be honorable or not. Hold nothing back. We’re not here to play cub games. This is war. I trust you understand?”
Thried nodded to Mahiri as he responded, "I understand." It was short and to the point but said with a conviction that only comes from having experience in similar situations. As he brought his head up from the nod one could visibly see the ex-warrior relax and focus in a way that veteran warriors do before a battle. Thried was treating this as though he were about to jump into his final battle, as he did for all but a few encounters.
"Wait."
Thried's attention snapped to the prince as he called out for a break in the training session before it even began.
"While I hesitate to delay this training, I had a thought. We told you our secret. I think it's only fair you tell us some of your past in return." A devious smile followed by:
"Where did you come from? Why are you a rogue?"
Thried's maw grew a slight grin when he heard this, "To keep the current delay short, I will pass on sharing a story, but defeat me in a quick manner and you'll get the tale you seek. Until then I will follow the rule of war, talking is a waste of time." As he finished this statement he tensed his entire body and jumped backward an entire body length before growling a war cry from his past, "DAKKRO IRK'R VIHIM!" If one were to look into the rogue's eyes they would be intense and focused, flickering between the three siblings awaiting their move. His tail twitching as he planned his strategy for coming out of this as the victor, 'There is no one to impress, no one to judge. The only goal is victory,' he thought to himself as he also begins looking at the surroundings around the trio to see what he could use.
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Post by Narifia on May 9, 2016 21:46:01 GMT -5
Mahiri's ear twitched backwards as Nyota called out "Wait." As Nyota explained his desire to know more about Thried, Mahiri detected the smugness in his voice and frowned slightly, partly because of Nyota's attitude and partly because at this point she just wanted to get started already. Still, it was a fair request--and it wouldn't hurt to get to know a little bit more about this strange warrior that they were to do practice with. She kept her eyes trained on Thried, a brow raised slightly as she waited for his response without saying a word.
"To keep the current delay short, I will pass on sharing a story, but defeat me in a quick manner and you'll get the tale you seek. Until then I will follow the rule of war, talking is a waste of time."
A half-grin graced Mahiri's maw. So they felt alike--talking was indeed a waste of time. Her adrenaline began pumping at the challenge that Thried was also offering: defeat him and he'd tell them all they wanted to know. Her grin faded in an instant as the dark brown lion jumped back and issued his war cry, her body going rigid in anticipation, and she analyzed him quickly but carefully. He appeared to be waiting for them to make a move.
'Remember, brothers: be as one arm of the same being,' she willed the silent reminder to Nyota and Hamali, praying that they would heed her for once. She twitched her tail up slightly and to the left, signaling for an attack plan that she had taught them on a previous night; Mahiri would pierce straight through to Thried, whilst Nyota would circle around to one of his sides, and Hamali the other. This was the Pincher technique--and this was the first real chance they'd had to practice it. She hoped that her brothers would be able to put theory into practice.
Mahiri shot out towards the rogue, keenly aware of both Thried's and her brothers' movements, and hoping that they would move in sync with her without any hesitation.
Legend:
"Speech" | 'Thoughts'
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