Álarr travelled northward to examine the location of the ice bridge. He had no idea if it would reform with the arrival of winter once again and he wanted to know for sure. If the bridge was still there they would need to prepare for the potential of those large and monstrous wolves roaming around again. If not perhaps that would be one less thing to worry about. Álarr was distracted on his way when he spied a large crowd gathering around two wolves, one of which was Sparrow. He raised an eyebrow as he realized that this was a claim dispute. Was Sparrow trying to start a pack or just causing trouble? Oh, why bother asking… he was almost certain it was both.

Wendigo bounded onto the scene and then took off running among those gathered in search of a familiar face. Any familiar face would do; he just wanted to say hi.  If he got to a rump or shoulder that looked vaguely familiar he zoomed in for a closer look. Time and time again he was disappointed but there were some there he recognized from the pirate party. To Sparrow he enthused, “oh hello again! Lovely day for a fight! Just lovely,” before floating off without waiting for a reply. To Pyralis, whose irritation wasn’t entirely lost on him though he didn’t understand the context, he said, “I hope you have that wagon stashed somewhere. Fire makes everything better!”

Before he could say more he finally saw his mother. Wendigo lit up and leaped over to her. That it took many bounding leaps to get to her escaped his notice. He flopped down at her side and then wrestled his way around until he was facing the show, laying as perky as a shepherd puppy. Then and only then did he notice the distance. Appalled, he gasped loudly. “But mummy we’re so far away we may as well be home!” He wanted to be up in the thick of it. Actually, he had half a mind to get closer and he probably wouldn’t be satisfied until the combatants were tripping over him.

Wendigo bounced to his feet and licked his lips as he eyed the wolves at the center of the huddle. No, this would not do. It would not do at all.


"Speech"

Her mom and that has been missing for the past week or so, and she had been in dire worry for where they were. Hungry and scared the pup didnt know what to do, where to go. And as she heard a call her desperation made her think those were her mother's or father's call. Rushing she went, without knowing they werent coming back, and instead of finding their shape, all she saw were strangers. With some of her packmates but mostly strangers. Ears pinned as she walked foward. "Mom?... Dad?... Are they here?" She asked openly to those around. Her heart pounded hard with tears coming down her cheeks. "Speak"

Now, what the hell was all this commotion about now? Kai avoided the place that had once housed Winterfell like the plague, because that's precisely what that pack had felt like to him. A goddamn plague. He'd spent months of his life there, wasting away until Acere had finally set him free. He'd made a vow to steer clear of the place again, and any of his family members too, but... it was precisely like Kai to change his mind about something at the last minute. He'd taken to wandering the north again, in search of something temporary to catch his interest, when a peculiar sort of call reached his ears. Someone was set to claim the pack formerly known as Winterfell and damn was he interested. He wasted little time in trekking across the miles of frozen ice and snow to join the surprisingly large gathering. Damn, now this was a party! He'd keep his distance, lest he come across that nasty slave-collector again. He was considerably more guarded now than he'd once been, not willing to fall prey to the same sort of fate again - no, he'd sooner die than be held captive. But he felt completely free now as he waltzed through the crowd, looking for anyone familiar. He spotted Aurielle and gave her a little grin as he passed. He doubted she was his hugest fan, but he knew his kids were living in Valhalla - or at least had been, he hadn't seen any of them in awhile now - and knew she'd be friendly enough with him. He spotted Theory too, and couldn't help but chuckle a bit, knowing precisely how she felt about these wolves. Instead of settling down anywhere in particular he paced around aimlessly, catching the eye of a few others he was vaguely familiar with - he'd met that Pyralis once, back when he'd just been a kid. He couldn't mistake those facial markings for anything. "Glad to see you're still alive and kicking," he admitted with a chuckle as she passed, blissfully oblivious to the tensions unfolding all around him. He wasn't even sure she'd remember him but it didn't matter much regardless.

Cinaed had just been on his way back home after another one of his excursions from the pack lands and more and more he was becoming less and less surprised when he returned to find the scents at the border becoming more stale and the activity around the pack quieter than ever. Today though he was in for a bit of a surprise. He was just past the battlefield when he heard howls go out from the direction of his father's pack, but they weren't voices he recognized. As he got closer he saw more and more wolves filing into the territory and he raised a curious brow. Someone was finally coming to stake a claim on the dying pack then? He was honestly surprised it had taken this long. He trotted over to where the others had gathered, looking around for any familiar faces. They all seemed to be split into two camps, either sitting behind a brown-hued woman or a purple-hued woman with some clusters of wolves sitting on the fringes. He spotted the blue-hued wolves of Onyx's family, or a few of them at least, and he moved toward them since it didn't seem like any of his family was here - not that he was all that surprised. However, before he could greet them or anything of the sort, he heard a voice calling for a mom and dad, asking if they were here, and he looked up to see his cousin lost and confused. His brow furrowed and he looked around to see if he could find his Uncle Casso anywhere and didn't see him. He frowned and went over to Aine, gently nudging her to bring her over to where Kirsi, Bronze, and Hauyne were sitting. "Come on, Aine, we can look for them later," he promised, sitting down next to the few Incindium wolves that had come and making sure his little cousin didn't accidentally go wandering into the fight.

Cináed Praetor

Yeah. He let the pack go. He didn't see any point in leading a dead pack. Even after his meeting, he hadn't seen anyone else try to step up, so to hell with it right? He didn't owe anyone an explanation. They whined and bitched about his absence, but they were all practically absent themselves. Especially his remaining brother. Though he supposed he was right in being paranoid. Casso had probably been playing him all this time, making him belive he could trust his family only to turn his back and not help him like he had promised once or twice. Casso had been the only one Ig could truly trust but since his return and after the last meeting, his scent had been getting stale. And his brothers kids? Doing their own thing, he supposed. The only one he occasionally saw here and there was Finan. He didn't know where Aine was, but maybe she was with Yurei or something.

His own kids were old enough to do whatever, and considering they all seemed standoffish, he didn't feel the need to beg them to forgive him. He wasn't that type. They were capable of fending for themselves at this age, and besides, even after his return Cina and the other didn't seem to really care. Maybe they wished him dead or some shit but oh well. It wasn't his responsibility to be the only one tryimg to interact with them. Same for the rest of those who were part of the pack.

Maybe they'd do better with whoever won the challenge. He strode in with an unconcerned look on his face after hearing Sparrow's howl for claim, but the purple woman he didn't care for since he didn't know who she was. A nameless attempting to stake her claim. This was going to be amusing, and he was sure everyone else would think so. If Sparrow won her challenge, he'd likely end up joining her. Why not. If she didn't, well, he'd go his own way and that was that. "I've got your back Sparrow!" he called out. Win or lose, he'd explain what happened later.

Sunder had heard some mighty interesting things about these pirates while at their party and it had piqued his interest. He liked the sound of them. How freely they roamed, how hard they partied. They just sounded like the most cheerful bunch he’d heard of in Boreas and that was why when he heard the leader was trying to claim a pack in the north he bundled up with every article of clothing, pelts and hides he could get his paws on and set off for the challenge. He arrived looking like a dirty marshmallow sprinkled with snow thanks to a little storm on the way. The many layers contributed to a general look of puffiness he found a little distressing, but alas there was nothing to be done about that. The only part of his body not covered was his face. His ears were pinned down by a snugly fitted hood. With his long nose, big eyes and bare skin he looked more alien than usual without his ears to balance him out. To make matters worse, the leather straps on the insides of his thighs rubbed together occasionally and made a squeaking sound akin to a mouse getting stepped on. But, all of his many shortcomings or not, he was here and ready to throw his lot in with the pirates. If nothing else maybe his determination would speak for him and help win the wolves over as it really had been a miserable trip north and he didn’t want to have made it for nothing. ""

More wolves wearing a half-dozen different pack scents began to arrive and Artisan was impressed to see how much support his King had in his corner. A monochromatic beauty [Theory] moved in between himself and his brother and he grinned at her, waggling the bottle of booze in the snow with a paw. "You picked the right place to sit! I'd rather share with you then my little brother anyways. You have any idea who these wolves all are?" It had occurred to him that the amount he'd brought could absolutely not prove a good time for every one of Sparrow's supporters, so they'd have to be choosey if there weren't a few kegs hidden in the decrepit ship.   Pyralis came in hot, complain-y and loud and Artisan gave her a scoff. "OK but, it's a ship. Like a pirate ship." He answered, as if that was enough of a reason all on it's own to abandon band life. "Sit down Scary, cheerlead with us, and you can have first sip of the celebratory rum when our King kicks this purple lady's ass." The rest of the wolves Artisan knew very little about and merely remained in his spot watching them file in. A few he recognized from the pity party but otherwise the majority of Sparrow's supporters were strangers to him. "Talk" "Listen" Think

Curiosity lulled Áskell to the north on the trail of Recluse and a few of her children. He was training to be a warrior and figured acting like a bodyguard of some sort might be useful practice. Besides, from what his magpie had told him after scouting ahead there was a large ground gathered over a pair of wolves fighting to lay claim to a northern territory. When Áskell arrived he wasn't disappointed. There was a sizable crowd from assorted packs and bands as well as loners. He took a seat near Recluse, ready to follow her lead and also lend his skills if any additional fights would head their way.

Takeshi had been wandering around with his brother, Kuroki, making their laps near the North when the call had rang out. If it had been up to the glowing boy, he probably would have minded his own business and went on his way. But, in true Oki fashion, he had deemed it necessary to go and watch the spectacle that was sure to unfold. Okay, maybe he was lying if he said that he wasn’t at all interested in a pack challenge. The only thing he’d ever seen come close had been the fight between his mother and aunt, and even then he’d been ushered away before he could truly watch the events transpire. Plus, he was sure his parents would love to know about what was happening. He knew their relationship with the northern pack was volatile at best and news that they had seemed to drift away and their lands were being taken was certainly something to report. So, the duo had make their appearance.

It had surprised him to see so many wolves attending. They were clearly split up, one side defending the so called Pirate King, the other defending a large purple woman. He didn’t recognize many who attended, except for one. The fiery by whom he’d sparred against before. Immediately, he felt a blush take to his cheeks and the bioluminescence that pulse against his scales gave a hearty flicker. He avoided eye contact, following his brother who made his way to the Habari leader. He’d never met her formally, but he’d sniffed around enough to know who they were. He quietly observed the happenings, making note of things to relay to his parents.

"Takeshi Ani Oritsu Abraxas"

Sparrow looked around at the growing gathering of wolves and her smile grew. Many of them voiced their support of her while others remained silent. A few of the pirates voiced questions, and she scoffed. Maybe another leader would be angry at their questioning, but it was valid. "Nooo, we will NOT live in the cold as fuck snow, and Noooo we will not be a boring old pack. I was just thinking that having a place of our own to hold parties and markets might be beneficial. Let us grow our numbers, not make it a place we gotta stay- that would be annoying as a pirate. Have a little faith in your king, wontcha?" She tossed her supporters a smile and a wink. Alarr even made an appearance. Was she wanting a pack? Yes. Was she starting shit? Inevitably, even if she didn't mean to. Win or lose, unless things got rude, she wouldn't hold it against the woman. Speaking of... Sparrow turned her attention to her opponent, "Sorry, there's almost as many people here as usual with my parties. The offer is nice, but I want the power too. Gotta take down all of the koi packs one day or something- you already heard my spill. What kind of pack do you want, though?" She kept her stance defensive, but not outwardly aggressive. She was amazing conversation, but also a point. "You sure that's worth all this?"

Naturally, Tyrian came for the show. And to support his niece of course, of course, but the show. He was a sucker for free entertainment and the speed with which fight related news traveled across Boreas was legendary. Had this been one of those boring claims where someone stood up, shouted 'mine!' and got their wish without resistance no one would have noticed. But add a struggle for control and suddenly everyone knows the names of those involved and the winner gets to ride a nice little wave of attention for awhile. Knowing she was getting mobbed and that her focus was elsewhere, Tyrian simply moved to the side where it appeared the bulk of Sparrow's supporters were at. He'd speak with her afterwards. Tyrian kept his eyes and ears peeled for brewing drama. Every challenge needed some in his opinion, but so far this one was appearing rather tame. It was a shame he only knew Sparrow as he would have liked to fling mud at her opponent had it been an option, but alas, the other woman was unknown to him. He'd have to get his kicks elsewhere. Perhaps he could start a betting pool and make things interesting that way. ""

Saracyn had been so excited for today. His mother and father had spent so much time out scouting some pack, talking amongst themselves about a hostile takeover and building their home. Seeing his parents so excited made him excited! He was young—far too young to understand the concepts of packs and power—but whatever it was, it meant something to his mother, and that must mean it was important! So when the day started and Manea and Alastor herded their little family north to the remains of a pack had once been, Sara thought maybe he was finally going to get to see something exciting! But nope! As per usual, his parents deposited him and his sister far back on the sidelines with Irilyth, left behind while they went off to do whatever it was they were going to do.

The crimson pup pouted and grumped while he sat in the snow drawing unhappy faces with his paws. He heard his mother's howl ring out claiming dominion over something, and then a few minutes later a stranger's call came as well. Rising his head, Saracyn watched as wolf after wolf he didn't recognize began to head down towards the massive metal structure, congregating in a cluster. His little body quivered with anticipation and annoyance. He wanted to be involved in this too! He was tired of being left behind while the adults did everything on their own! So, while Irilyth was distracted with Avacyn, Saracyn made a break for it, sprinting as fast as his little puppy legs could carry him down to the ship.

Using his smaller size to his advantage, Sara dipped and weaved between the legs of the strangers, pushing his way toward the center of the crowd. He spied his mother seated next to an unfamiliar tawny woman as big as she was. She was wearing something weird on her head, and Sara couldn't help but think it made the woman look dopey and dumb. Why was she squaring up against his mother? Narrowing icy eyes, Saracyn made to push through to his mother—only to have the giant black paw of his sire snatch him up by the midsection. "Dad! Lemme go!" Sara squirmed with all four legs flailing fruitlessly in the air, struggling until Alastor told him that his mother was about to fight the weirdly dressed wolf for a pack.

A fight? Saracyn's interest was piqued. Turning excited blue eyes back to Manea, the pup's tail wagged a mile a minute, ready to watch his mother spill some blood and beat the other wolf to a pulp. "You're the best, Mom! Kick her butt!" he shouted as loud as he could over the ruckus of the other wolves in the peanut gallery.

"Saracyn Mendacium"

Warning: Saracyn is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
Saracyn's designated wolf to protect as a Bodyguard is Avacyn. She may enter his threads not marked as Private.
____________________

Sera had never been a great fan of the cold. With winters chilled hands well-settled on the land, she would have rather traversed South, and found some measure of heat. But she owed Alastor a debt of gratitude, and had sworn herself to him and his mate. She was in this now, for better or worse. Alastor was the wolf that had come for her, when she had nothing and no one. She could stand a little cold, and bare to be in a crowd, for just a little while. For his sake, and his mates.

All the same, arriving with Ara escorting her into the scene she balked at the sudden influx of noise and scents and people. Ara, mindless of her fear, bounded on ahead to lock a pups head in the crock of her elbow and gave the boy a noogie. Whatever she said was lost in the overall clamour of the crowd.

Finding her courage, Sera crept forward, and settled herself wearily down beside Alastor. Not touching him, but drawing comfort from the larger wolf anyway. Showing her support in the silent gesture, her tail flicking wearily behind her.

"Speech"

Irilyth had done her best to obey her Mistress' request when she and her husband set off to stake their claim for the pack that had disbanded. Watching their small children had never given her any issue before, and as usual, Avacyn was a little darling while Saracyn looked downright miserable to be excluded. She watched with the pups as more and more wolves arrived to watch the spectacle that was sure to follow. While she wished she could support her masters more directly, she was happy to keep their children safe while they did their work. Although that was about to prove more difficult than she realized. She'd been watching Avacyn play in the snow, and when she looked back, Saracyn was gone.

Irilyth gasped and nearly had a panic attack as she looked around for the boy, following his tiny tracks in the snow to see the crimson dot of a pup rushing towards the commotion by the ship. "Saracyn!" she yelled for him, but the boy didn't stop. "Dammit! Come on, Avacyn, darling." Gently scooping up the little violet pup by her scruff, Irilyth placed Ava safely on her back before she took off after the renegade boy. She reached the throng of wolves, but wasn't able to squeeze between them as easily as Saracyn was. "Saracyn!" she shouted for the boy, catching the attention of Alastor, whom she saw notice something on the ground, and then the giant dire wolf was scooping up his flailing son. Irilyth breathed a sigh of relief and made her way toward the side of Manea supporters, giving Alastor an apologetic look. "Forgive me, sir. He slipped away."

Now down and amongst the crowd, Irilyth was amazed by the sheer number of wolves here to watch. Manea was squaring up against a woman of equal size to her, both appearing formidable, though her challenger seemed far more lackadaisical than Manea did. She knew how badly her Mistress wanted the pack for her family, how she had dreamed and prepared for this for so long. No one deserved this more than Manea did. Quietly taking her place with the Mendacium family, she let Avacyn down to sit beside her father, then Iri looked over the crowd again. Raspberry eyes fell upon a familiar slate brute the size of Alastor and an involuntary gasp escaped her. A thrill of terror ran down her spine when she recognized the wolf that she had met down in Auster, the one she'd barely escaped from with her life. Shuffling closer to Alastor for protection, she kept her guarded gaze on the brute, praying he didn't see her or recognize her as the one who'd slipped his clutches.

"Irilyth"

”Come on, come on, comeoncomeon” Ara said, excited and eager as a pup to be in the thick of things. The wolf she escorted towards the ship and show was slower then Ara would have liked to be. But she had said she’d walk Sera to the spot, and she kept her word. The moment they arrived however, she grinned and bounded ahead.

Seeing Saracyn pulled back from trouble, she snickered and made a beeline for the young pup. Grabbing him in a rough but careful grip, she yanked him backwards, and dragged her paw across the back of his head. “You going to kick butts too when you're bigger, sprout?” She teased him fondly, before releasing her grip and making her way to her cousin's side. “Manea! I didn’t even know this many wolves lived in Boreas, what did you do?’ she teased the other woman, glancing across at the wolves on either side and spread around.

"Speech"

Of course she didn't like that they were being left out of the fun and action, but she was much more dutiful to her parent's wishes than her twin. She was anxiously waiting their return or the summons to say that they could join them when her brother suddenly took off like a bolt of red lightning, making a beeline for where the fight was no doubt preparing to take place. She glared after her brother for breaking the rules, but she wasn't left behind for long. Irilyth quickly scooped her up and placed her upon her back so that she could chase down the run away pup, Avacyn carefully hooking her claws into Irilyth's fur so she wouldn't fall off and peeking over the top of her head to see where they were going. There was a huge group of wolves all gathered around her mother and some other big woman - way more wolves than she had ever seen!

As soon as they made it over to where the rest of their family had gathered and Irilyth put her down, she bounded over to sit between her father's legs while Saracyn was being held back, yelling for their mother to kick this woman's butt. She puffed out her chest with a determined expression, standing tall between Alastor's front paws. "Yeah! Beat her up, mom!" she called to add on to her brother's taunts. It looked like there was a lot of wolves over on the other side of the crowd, a lot of them loud and making comments of their own, but they could be loud too! She was excited to see her mother fight, and leaned into her father's leg as she settled into her front row seat.

"Avacyn Mendacium"

Sirius hadn’t kept track of Acere, the man and his family had been quiet in the North. His opinion of the man had never improved since the fight for slaves that the Warlord had won. Incendium itself had played little part in the world, and had slipped from the Warlord thoughts for a long time now. It all came careening back to him as he caught wind of the challenge for the pack lands. Unanswered by the leader itself, but another it seemed desired the lands. The Warlord entered the area, and his eyes glanced over the Pirate bitch. The wolf who had tried to take Hana away from them. Who had unleashed her wolves on the lands beside his. Whos wolf had burnt his land, maimed his daughter, and knocked out his Heir. Who had tried to kidnap his other heir. His eyes fell on Theory, a wolf he considered an Ally. A wolf who sat rather clearly in the camp of Sparrow. His eyes flicked to the Abaven leader, and his mouth sat grimly. He said nothing, but made note of this potential alliance. Did Theory know that the wolf she was making her bed with liked to burn pack lands and maim daughters? Making his way to the other challengers. The dire brute, and the purple lady. He did not recognise these wolves, but there was a faint familiarity to their scent. Had they been around Ashen at some point? “I am Sirius Fatalis, Warlord of the Ashen Armada” he murmured quietly to the large brute. Starting up a dialogue with the stranger. What was that saying? The enemy of my enemy…. "Speech"

OOC Note to Spectators: Please don't post between mine and Iko's posts from here on out until the challenge is over! Just for clarity's sake and ease of reading/judging xD

The empty tundra around them quickly began to fill with wolves, most of them clearly here to support the woman that stood between her and what she came to claim. It made her wonder just who this strangely dressed woman was, but now was not the time for conversation and formalities. If anything she was a bit disappointed that this woman—she heard someone in the crowd call her Sparrow—didn't start the fight herself. She stood and watched as Sparrow addressed the wolves at her back that seemed to question her choice to try to lay claim to this pack and she smirked slightly. It sounded like discontentment all around from where she was standing. By the time the woman turned her attention back to her and stated that she was interested in more than just the ship itself Manea had already resigned to fighting her way out of this. She hadn't planned on spilling blood today, but she most certainly relished the opportunity to do just that.

However, this caricature of a pirate seemed hell-bent on talking the day away, questioning her on what her pack would be. The mention of "taking down all of the koi packs" caught her attention, and while she didn't know exactly what Sparrow was referring to with that statement, she couldn't help but think of the Ashen wolves she had made friends with—thinking of the Shogun's orange-splattered markings. Well, if this woman intended to bring some sort of destruction upon her friends, then that was all the more reason to paint the snow red, wasn't it? Another smirk crossed her lips and she decided to humor her with a reply. "Simply a place where my family and friends can live our lives however we please. Not all that much different from yourself, I'd say. Although I do also desire a place where I can keep my children safe."

As if on cue, her ears perked as her son's voice called out behind her and she glanced back to see the black and red fireball of a pup struggling against Alastor's grip, attempting to throw himself into the fray. A grin tugged at her lips at his insistence that Manea "kick her butt", to which her daughter also chimed in to encourage her to do the same. That was when she noticed all the other wolves that had gathered behind her while she was focused on the pirate and her loud compatriots. Irilyth of course had come with the pups—no doubt having to chase Saracyn down as he rushed the group—and she wasn't all that surprised to see Naráca there beside Alastor and Imperia. She was surprised to find Seraphina there, the pretty girl already proving the loyalty she had pledged in that moment. Perhaps the most surprising was Oxx, the man she had hunted zebras with once upon a time. She gave him a curious glance with a smirk, making a note to speak to him when this was all said and done. She barely glanced the man that matched her husband's stature that had begun to whisper something to her husband before she turned her aqua gaze back toward her opponent. She wasn't sure who he was, but she was eager to find out once she finally finished with this.

Quickly she settled into a defensive stance with her ears folded back against her skull, her paws placed evenly under her with her weight distributed between them, her head even with her spine and tail tucked away so it wouldn't be a target. "You heard the boy," she said with a wicked grin, giving a small shrug before she rolled her shoulders forward so her scruff would be bunched protectively around her neck. Her lips pulled back into a snarl to reveal gleaming fangs hidden beneath. Her tiger-like claws gripped the frozen ground with her toes spread while her legs bent slightly with her muscles coiled and ready to spring. Her scaled armor covered her torso and shoulders while hardened leather bracers covered her forelegs from elbow to ankle, a blade hidden away on the inside of each one. "I guess I have to kick your butt! Can't let my son down. I’m sure you understand."

There was a gap of empty space between them of about half a dozen feet or so. Nothing that a few strides of her long, lithe limbs couldn’t handle. She raced forward, using the advantage she had in her lighter build and agility to her advantage, and aimed her path toward Sparrow’s right side. Manea ducked to her left with a quick hop that put about a foot or two of distance between them as she went to go past Sparrow’s shoulder just on the off chance that the pirate hat wearing wolf might want to try to snap at her. She jumped in toward Sparrow’s right side with her head dipped low and attempted to ram her head into Sparrow’s ribs, both to aim for the more vulnerable bones there as well as to stab the ridges of sharp, spiked horns into her flesh. She readjusted her stance as soon as she was at a place where she could, making sure to keep her paws firmly placed beneath her since she imagined a heavily-built woman like Sparrow would likely try to throw her weight into her at some point and she wanted to be prepared.

MANEA vs SPARROW for CLAIM OF INCENDIUM
Round: 1/4
Height: 44"
Build: Light

Manea | Temno | Ciemny

Sparrow didn't take much too seriously and she valued her member's individuality. For them to voice their concerns openly was an honor more than some authoritarian could understand. She did her best to reassure them, but also had faith they'd follow her regardless. As if summoned, the other woman's supporters came in. That's cute. Even a pup came to cheer her on. She said they wanted a place to be themselves and safe. Like a little perfect family, which honestly sounded like a pretty boring pack idea, if you asked Sparrow. She tried not to yawn. Even Sirius popped up, starting to chat up the competition. Sweet of him to show, really, and not expect one of the Fireside members or Pirates to outright attack him. Maybe she should have challenged for his pack like she had initially thought... Turning her attention back to her opponent who seemed all rearing to go. Fineee. Everything was more fun with a little banter and crowd participation, but  she guessed the woman was more here to rush through this part of her story and on to where she does the cute family pack thing. Better be careful, having too much family in one pack didn't turn out all that well for Abaven either- sorry Theory. The woman said she'd have to kick her butt for her son, and Sparrow returned her wicked smile as she shed her attire so it wouldn't get in the way, "By all means, then." Sparrow pulled on her defenses like an old, comfortable jumper: toes splayed and nails dug into the ground for traction, tail level with her spine and flagged out for balance. Her chin was tucked, scruff rolled around her neck for padding. Her ears were flat, eyes squinted, and face scrunched to deflect attacks. Her weight distributed evenly to each of her legs and her knees bent to remain springy for the best agility for her build. Sparrow kicked off, aiming head on at first. The other woman ducked to her (Manea's) left and Sparrow moved to mirror her. Manea's head and horns rammed into the front of Sparrow's right shoulder, about halfway up where the bone met the chest (clavicular intersection). Manea's horns sliced into the flesh at the clavicular intersection, causing mild, linear cuts that would surely bruise later. Sparrow winced at the pain, but it wasn't intolerable. Sparrow flung open her jaws and tilted her head to her left as she aimed to bite and grip the nape of Manea's neck at the base of her skull, just above where the scruff would extend in hopes that she could tear the delicate skin away from the woman's scalp. Sparrow simultaneously redistributed her weight to her back legs and front left leg so that she could raise her right paw. She slammed her right leg down, aiming to pin and crush the lighter woman's right front foot's middle two toes while slicing them with her now extended cat claws.   From Manea's left, Friar dashed forwards in an attempt to grab Manea's left leg around her metatarsus and bite the woman's left ankle hock (tarsus) in hopes of pulling her attention away from Sparrow.

SPARROW vs MANEA for CLAIM OF INCENDIUM
Round: 1/3
Height: 44"
Build: Heavy