Tyrfing wasn't sure the place actually existed, but after hearing the rumour of the supposed training grounds and odd, out-of-place temple that stood strong on the mountain's peak, he could not keep himself from making the journey. The terrain was steep, treacherous, and more maze-like than any mountain path had any right to be. It took him hours to find his way past the traps and pitfalls and to even begin to approach the peak; by the time he got there, exhaustion was weighing so heavily on him that Tyrfing doubted he'd stay for any training at all. Slogging up the remainder of the path, through the mist, and onto the flat expansive peak, Tyrfing achieved the small victory of literally fucking climbing a mountain. It was an accomplishment, especially as he was born-and-raised in what were mostly flat farmlands. Already he needed a break. In his laziest pace he began to cross the flat mountaintop, heading out toward the temple that rose precariously up from the cliff. No sooner did he round the corner and drag himself through the doorway did he realise the space was already occupied. Tyrfing's exhaustion was forgotten the second the tiger's heated roar reached his ears. Stepping slowly, he backed from the structure doorway until he was firmly in the middle of the flattened peak. This was already a losing battle, he was atop a fucking mountain. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no options remaining but to stand and fight. "Speech" "Thinking" "You." table art by nightauctor

Aris had not been moping ever since the raid had gone so badly for her. After all, it wasn't like she had set out to prove herself to her father, finally, and then been beaten by a literal child with a stick or anything. And she definitely hadn't lost right out of the gate with the tournament at Briar's wedding, when she'd sworn to herself that she was going to finally make something of herself. Nope. It was ok, though, she had a plan. So, obviously she wasn't going to be able to distinguish herself as a fighter. Even if she miraculously started winning every fight she wasn't going to stand out from her siblings, all of whom had been good fighters for ages.

So healing, right? But she straight up could not stomach the teachers her dad had unearthed for her - Ashen with their princesses so stiff and formal and weird and had always creeped her the fuck out, and that Ashen healer was more of the same. And Halo? The woman with the obsession with gardening? The meek and perfect little healer? No thanks. She didn't know if her dad just didn't know her at all, or if that was just what he wanted her to be, and she was genuinely afraid to know which one it was because either way it would be hurtful and she didn't want to acknowledge that hurt at all. She desperately wanted her father to see her as worth something, as more than just a child that he'd birthed and never saw as anything other than that child, but she couldn't be that kind of wolf, that prissy, pretty pretty princess elegant useless bitch like the Ashen princesses, even to make her parents happy. It wasn't who she was.

Well, that was where the plan came in. No more hoping her pack would come through for her and help her. She wasn't going to get help in Armada, that was too clear. She'd find herself a healer, someone who was like her, and she'd learn, then she would go to her parents as a fully trained healer in her own style, and be recognized for who she was. Not a princess, not just another in the crowd of Fatalis offspring, but Aris.

That was why she was down here, so far from pack lands, when she'd spotted a stranger acting suspiciously. Weirdly really. Determinedly marching up a creepy, twisty mountain path. Who would want to do that? There wasn't anything up there. It wasn't even pack lands. Was there like... some secret sage of the mountain there, to answer questions and whatever? She amused herself a moment thinking about it, amusement that turned into speculation. The guy was going somewhere, not just wandering. There must be something up there, after all. Buoyed by curiosity, she slunk up the path after him, stealthily stalking him on his march up the mountain.

Curiosity was replaced by pure, spiteful stubbornness as the sole motivator for continuing to follow after what seemed like hours climbing the dumb mountain and avoiding obstacles and stuff, all while being sneaky so he wouldn't know he was followed. There had better be treasure or something at the top to be worth this, but she could not, ever, admit defeat and turn around. Finally, she reached the end of the path where it became a plateau, and flopped down for a breather and to let him get far enough ahead of her on the open plain that he wouldn't notice her following toward the temple looking thing. In fact, just let him go in it first, that would work.

She'd finally caught her breath and stretched her way back to her feet, ready to follow his vanishing form, when a feline roar echoed from the temple, and the stranger backpedaled from the doorway he'd disappeared into. Oh well, guess he was dead. What a tragedy, time to go back down the mountain.

Yeah right, like Aris ever backed down from a fight.

Without any thought at all - because when did Ari ever stop to think about danger before diving in - Ari charged across the field, skidding to a stop beside the much larger male wolf and issuing a threatening, challenging snarl of her own to the tiger, her own feline fangs bared and her claws unsheathed. If the tiger didn't back down at the threat, which quite frankly it should, then it would be facing her wrath. And obviously, that would not end well for the kitty.

Squaring up against the oversized cat was a terrifying experience, but Tyrfing had never been described as anything less than bold. It took a few steady breaths to wash away the initial bout of sudden shock that had come with being face to face with the beast, but when no option remained but to fight, Fin began to fall into a determined sort of forced-acceptance. And then a small purple wild thing was flying across the plateau and sliding to a stop expertly at Fin's side, bringing his heart rate to rise suddenly once more. He could not refrain from the instinctual leap back he took from her swift and sudden arrival, nor the "what the fuck!" peeling from his lips; and unfortunately quick, panicked movements were exactly the wrong thing to do when standing down a rival predator. The tiger sprang and Fin narrowly dodged the leap (finding success mostly because his cat-like claws were already scrabbling frantically against the rock to recover from his hard flinch) ducking just enough that the claw and tooth combo sailed harmlessly overhead. Veering backwards and tossing a confusingly impressed glance the runt's way, he found himself lost for words. Where the fuck did she come from? She was purple like him, fanged like him, clawed like him. Did the mountain's thin air bring upon him delusion and hallucination, or did the Gods send some tiny fury fighter angel to rescue his stupid ass? "What the fuck." He repeated, this time the expletive hissed almost in awe and well below his breath. He did not have much time to dwell on her coincidental appearance (and coincidental appearance!) before the tiger demanded his attention once more. Bearing his own crystalline fangs he advanced on the beast, holding it's attention as best as he could and watching and waiting for an opening - or hoping at least that the stranger could find one if he could not. "Speech" "Thinking" "You." table art by nightauctor

The stranger jumped at her appearance, which in retrospect she should have expected when she ninja'd her way into a fight, and at his sharp movement the tiger sprang for him. Aris scrambled to the side to avoid getting caught in the leap herself, then spun and swiped unsheathed claws at the tiger's face, drawing red-welling lacerations across the tiger's cheek before it drew back. She immediately had to throw herself backwards when the big cat retaliated. One claw caught the sensitive tip of her nose, gauging it and drawing an outraged shout from her. "Damn it, fucking ouch!" That was going to smart for a while. Oh well, a reminder to move fucking faster as she continued to backpedal and circle away from the advancing tiger.

He had to put aside the confusion at the woman's appearance, else risk making a fatal mistake before the tiger once more. He'd finish this fight and then (if the wolf was still there and not some weird spectre sharing his coloring and mutations) Tyrfing would allow himself to wonder. The stranger was small but feisty, unflinching in the face of the feline and delivering a blow that drew the first blood of the fight. The viking gave a small, incredulous laugh at her ire at taking a claw to the nose. "That's probably what he said, too." After all, the claws rending flesh from the beasts' cheek had got to have hurt at least as much as the stab to the nose. With the cat's attention upon the stranger, Tyrfing advanced once more. He had a height advantage over it though lacked in weight, but perhaps he could grab it and hold it at least long enough for her to secure the kill at its throat. With it's back to Fin he took the opportunity, lunging past it's lashing tail and over it's left shoulder, throwing his right forelimb over it in a backwards sort of hug and aiming crystalline sabers into the flesh at where it's scruff would be. The attack was mostly theoretical (He'd never tried to scruff a tiger before) but so long as he could remain half-atop it and gain control of it's head, he assumed it would provide some sort of opening. What he didn't expect was the amount of power behind its large frame, and as it attempted to spin itself back toward him all Fin could do was hold on while his rear paws dragged easily across the ground. This was much harder then trying to ride one of Fireside's bulls. "Speech" "Thinking" "You." table art by nightauctor

"Ha!" Aris snorted out an involuntary laugh and threw a grin in the stranger's direction before paying attention became quickly mandatory again as the tiger pressed the attack. Aris whirled away from him just in time for the stranger to leap half onto the tiger's back to get a grip on its scruff. Aris whooped in amused excitement, though "woohoo" quickly turned to "whoops" when he was dragged around by the tiger trying to get to him. Yikes - it was only a matter of time before he fell behind and the tiger could get claws on his legs to drag him into killing range. Aris hadn't put this much work into a fight to save someone just to have them die anyway. With a snarl of effort, she leaped for the tiger's shoulder opposite the stranger. One set of claws digging into the tiger's neck on Tyrfing's side, one set clinging further down on her own side, rear claws digging wicked gauges into the tiger's leg as she clung to it, she bared oversized fangs and lunged for the throat. Trachea collapsed beneath the healer's well-aimed bite, arteries closed beneath the pressure of her jaws, the tiger slowly collapsed beneath their combined weight. Still Aris waited, holding the bite awkwardly now that they were on the ground. It took longer than one thought for the lack of bloodflow to actually kill - Aris took the time to wait for the deed to be done. As she pulled away from the still body, she flashed the stranger a smug grin. "See you around," she purred, eyes narrowed as she ran her gaze lazily over his body, before she turned to saunter back into the mist. Over her shoulder, a smirk and an added, "I expect you to bring that pelt for me next time though - I earned that." She didn't expect to actually see the wolf again, nor did she expect to actually receive anything for her efforts, but she took the opportunity to add one parting tease before disappearing mysteriously.