The rain was still pouring down, periodically. Now was no exception; the wet slicked her coat through, having long since finished tracking dark streaks down through her thorns and graduated on to drenching her entirely. She ignored this; it was cold, but so long as she kept on eating, and stayed heavy enough, it didn't bother her all that much. Her father was likely somewhere close by, her sister perhaps as well, but for now she was off alone and it was mealtime.

Slowly, shuffling her bulky calflike body through the undergrowth, she set about nibbling at the brush between the ferns with her rhino-like lips. Water ran into her nostrils; she sneezed, and then snorted. Her pale form pushed through some tangles of leaves and she sank a little in the mossy muck, before pulling herself (with a little struggle, for a moment) onto higher ground.

Fruits. Vegetables. Thorns, weeds, flowers. Leaves, branches, roots and stems. She ate it all, devouring a browsing path through the jungle without a care in the world. Her ears flicked the water away, but she was oblivious to all else.

Good food, she thought to herself firmly, for the seventh time in an hour. Being so young, her language was still not where it needed to be; rare was the Gembound who was hatched with full command over their words, and she was no exception. It didn't help that her father wasn't the most eloquent of creatures. So, "good food" was about as complex a thought that she could manage, for the time being.

But what else was there? What else could be needed? She was content: full, if wet; the rain she could do without. But her family was close by, safe--probably--and she had plenty to eat and drink and, once she needed it, there was shelter to be had.

Finding some berries dotted over a bush she paused, and began to eat the branches--leaves, twigs, fruits, and all. Yup; life, at least here, was good.

@Zoya

Zoya walked with pride as she wandered through Eridanus. She liked to eat all sorts of plant life, but grazing grass was the most common thing she could do. As the calf-cub walked, she spotted another young gembound eating in Eridanus. Though Eridanus was home to the Kingdom of Eridanus, her mother told her that all of the caves were home to all gembounds. That wouldn't stop her from setting herself above this hybrid. Though she only ate greens, she had that tiger like ferocity she inherited from her mother. Zoya held her head high, her quite large bull horns that pointed forward held high. She walked right in front of the white creature, and stopped right in front her. Her long tail swayed with dominance behind her, her posture bold. "Well, what do we have here?" Her head tilted to the side, her horns held proudly. "You do know that a kingdom lives here? Though the caves may be for us all, I wonder why a pretty white bone such as yourself is doing here. I am Zoya Clawvale of the Clawvale bloodline, but mother calls me The Golden Bull." Zoya picked up her scent, and snorted as if in disgust. She knew nothing of this creature, but that didn't stop her from asserting herself.

@Ivory

The voice that rang out behind her was arrogant, to say the least, and its bitchy pride immediately left a sour taste in Ivory's mouth. She turned, slowly blinking ghostlight-green eyes.

The thing looked younger than her--but for some reason, it could speak clearly and eloquently. She found that weird, but found it more frustrating that she could not--and knew she could not--respond in kind.

"Didn't ask you," she answered, bluntly, tossing her head with her horns vaguely in this 'Clawvale' direction. Why did she have two names? Nobody needed two names. That was ridiculous. "Don't care."

Ivory's eyes briefly travelled over the stranger. It was small--or rather, young; it looked like it might grow to be about half her own size, or perhaps a little more. Even that would be quite large, though--much larger than her father, or her sibling. It was pretty, too. Streaks of gold, as her supposed title claimed, and tawny, with deep charcoal markings.

Ivory, however--so she immediately decided, with an irritated grudge--was still prettier.

She deliberately turned away, going back to her browsing and ignoring the rude stranger. If she wants to talk, she told herself, then she can learn not to be a jerk, first.

@Zoya

Zoya found it to be an insult when the white female gave her those blunt words. No matter, Zoya had a way of showing this white beast what for. Then, Zoya suddenly realized that she kinda liked this white creature. Plus, she admired the horns on this creature's head. Though, she declared her horns were better. "You got a brave kick to ya, I'll give you that. Alright, since you think you're so tough, how about a little spar?" She lowered her head and stomped the ground with her hooves. She attempted to tackle the white female, but ended up accidentally shoving the the food she was eating instead. Well, what a failure, but The Golden Bull wanted to size this female up.

@Ivory

Whoever this stranger was, she sure had a knack for rubbing people the wrong way.

Or Ivory, at least.

It wasn't up to some deformed orange moron to decide if she was brave, or whatever. As the stranger took a charge at her brush, she felt a brief spate of childish rage overcome her, and aimed a powerful headbutt for Zoya's flank, stubby nose-horns first and all her muscle behind it. Her intention was to send the smaller child sprawling into the underbrush.

"Didn't ASK you," she growled again as she did so. "So SHUT UP, or I'll... hurt you!" her head lowered again, snorts exhaling sharply from her nostrils, her tail lashing catlike behind her.

@Zoya

Zoya was thrown into the underbrush, but that would not faze her. It took her a moment to get up again, cause it was a hard shove, but The Golden Bull stood up again. "Oh yeah?! We'll see how much spunk you have after this." So the calf attempted to shove the white creature in her side with her horns. Zoya wasn't scared of Ivory, and she was gonna prove it. "You shut up, or I'll hurt you!" Zoya had a big ego about her. Her mother told her over and over again about respect. Now, respect has just vanished into the air for Zoya. She had something to prove.

@Ivory

Round: 1/?
Attempt: Shoving her side with her horns
Defense: None
Injuries: None

Note: I got a roll of 16 (success), which Dark approved of and will verify - has verified: wrong char was posted, but as it's the same (Fledgling) magic level, we'll just use that roll! - Dark

Ivory was turning, shuffling to face the smaller orange thing, when it finally made its way to its feet and swung its head for her hide. She staggered heavily, nearly knocked off her feet--and despite her thick hide, the strike had hurt. The horns--already sharp, unlike her own child's horns--had punctured her side, and blood now streaked her white pelt. The ribs were bruised, not broken, and the horns hadn't pierced through to organs--Zoya was just too small for that. But the puncture wounds were there, the scent of blood now strong in the air.

The pain enraged her further.

Who the hell was this jerk?! She'd turned up, outta nowhere, talking down to her and now had the gall to pretend to teach HER a lesson!?

"LEAVE ME ALONE," she bellowed, as loudly as she could, before lumbering back into another charge. She lowered her head, aiming to hook her blunt snout-horn up beneath the stranger's chest or belly (whichever wound up facing her, at the time), to fling her up and over.

The thing couldn't have been half her size; surely this would be easy? And then she could get back to eating, without rude--whatever-this-wases--interrupting her.

Round: 1/?
Attempt: Fling
Defense: baby tank
Injuries: Gon' bruise

@Zoya

Zoya felt proud and felt like she was winning this fight. Though Zoya started to smell blood, and realized maybe she was taking this little roundabout too seriously. Though the fight had already started, and she had a feeling that after how much that she had provoked the white creature, she wouldn't settle down. Zoya's mother had minded her about her temper plenty of times, and she would be disappointed if she was here now. "You know, you're a pretty good fighter. I never met someone with a vibe like yours." Zoya then looked over at Ivory. "Sorry, about that. So, what's your name?" Zoya expected the white hybrid to yell at her, get mad, or run off. But Zoya quite liked her fighting spirit. It seemed Ivory matched her fire. Zoya wanted to be a warrior, not a savage. Though honestly Zoya was just a kid, and didn't know any better.

@Ivory

(m for language)

To turn up, insult, provoke, and then attack without reason--and then bloody up her side, and now she was trying to talk to Ivory?

Ivory heard none of it. She'd missed her last strike, hitting the bushes ineffectually, but this only frustrated her further, spiking her fury higher. She was already wheeling, charging forward, aiming her head in a strike for the other Gembound's mouth mid-sentence. She didn't bother talking, herself; she saw rage-filled red, the roar of her own pulse in her ears, righteous anger driving her.

Maybe she could break this thing's face. Snap its jaw. Crush its teeth. Shut it up. Maybe she'd teach it a lesson about being an asshole to strangers.

She struck only foliage again, and let out a brief bellow of rage, turning and shaking free of the vines and clearly preparing for yet another charge. Blood slicked the leaves behind her, but it didn't seem to have affected her, as yet.

@Zoya

It seems that Ivory was pissed, and very so. Zoya started this, so she was going to finish. Hey, at least if she won this fight, it would prove she was a strong fighter. Zoya's tail lashed in dominance, and her head lowered. She saw Ivory charge towards her, and Zoya moved out of the way quickly enough so the white creature only struck foliage. Zoya attempted to ram her side again as she did before, but failed, striking foliage instead. She bellowed in frustration, and her tail lashed even more. Zoya was gonna make sure she would win this, for sure. Losing this battle would damage her pride.

@Ivory


Round: 2/?
Attempt: Shoving her side with her horns again
Defense: None
Injuries: None