[Training] no rhyme or reason

you'll find the cross only fits when your hands and feet are nailed to it

Ronin had said that letters would always find him, and so Sunjata’s sent one off to wherever it is Ronin might be – asking for a bit of nostalgia in his sparring partner, yet another reason to try and keep himself from drowning in his emotions. It’s gotten a little bit easier as time’s gone on, but he’s still in no way perfect, and the last time he’d seen his friend had been on that horrible day. At least this might show Ronin that he’s okay, that he’ll manage and make it, and it helps him get stronger in the end too.

So the letter is short and to the point. Meet me at the Wildwood if you want to spar. Looking to let off some steam. Our horned shifts perhaps? – S And hopefully the scrawl of his handwriting is recognizable by now as he trudges through the Greatwood’s trees, turned around once and twice, before he manages to make it into the Wildwood itself, his nyala shift taking him over the fallen logs from the snow and making him stick out like a sore thumb.

At least Ronin should be able to find him.

SUNJATA

RONIN

the huntsman

when the city goes silent

Now, horned shifts could mean the luxere or the dragon, and were it not for the nature of their last meeting Ronin might have decided on the latter just for a laugh. But he opts for the safer shift instead, more than happy to join his friend out in the Wildwood. It would be a lie to say he hasn't been worried for Sunjata, but neither man is the sort to enjoy having someone hover over them, so he'd waited for the Flood to be the one to reach out.

And reach out he does, so when Ronin does find the nyala in the snowy woods, it's with a pulse of cheerful greeting that he touches base through the Attuned bond. It's good to see you, Jata, he says, antlers softly aglow as he trots up to nudge against his friend with a luxere's broad shoulder. So you want a horny spar, huh?

the ringing in my ears gets violent

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

you'll find the cross only fits when your hands and feet are nailed to it

It is for the best that Ronin doesn’t show up as the dragon – his own scales still jagged and scarred and frankly a bit painful given everything that had happened to him he’s still trying to heal from. So the Nyala is the best, sharp horns and soft flesh as he slips through the snowy woods, waiting for a pair of glowing antlers that signify his friend and not just a random herd like he’d hunted before when he’d stumbled into the Greatwood last time.

The cheerful greeting honestly spooks him and he stills, ears flattening as his head rises to spy the luxere that approaches and his guard immediately comes down. The tension releases in his shoulders as he nudges Ronin back with the flat velveteen part of his muzzle. It’s good to see you too, Ronin. He murmurs, unable to reciprocate the cheerful feeling, but at least there’s gratitude within it and some amount of humor at the comment.

Yeah, felt like it’d fit for old times. His head tilts, the curve of his horn aiming to bump against Ronin’s antlers with another slip of amusement. Well, shall we?

SUNJATA

RONIN

the huntsman

when the city goes silent

It shouldn't be much of a surprise that Sunjata is not exactly feeling chipper, so Ronin is happy to carry the cheer for both of them. Indeed, as the nyala's horn clacks against one of his antlers, he sends a pulse of amusement down the Attuned bond and prances a few paces away. It would be my pleasure, he says. We shall!

And without further ado, the luxere leaps forward to try and lock horns with Sunjata, not that it's quite as easy given that the nyala doesn't have the same tines or interlocking structures as Ronin's antlers. Still, the Huntsman does his best, pawing at the ground and lowering his head to barrel forward, hoping to knock the other man off balance.

the ringing in my ears gets violent

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

you'll find the cross only fits when your hands and feet are nailed to it

Relief and gratitude spreads further down the bond as Ronin accepts – the clink of the horn a reverberation of Ronin’s own amusement. It feels like a breath of fresh air given everything, Sunjata shivering slightly in anticipation (and not just because the shift he’s in is made far more for savannahs than snowscaped forests).

And he goes hard, it seems, the sudden leap and aiming of those glowing lanterns reaching Sunjata’s own dark curved horns, managing to certainly catch him off guard. One of Ronin’s antlers locks with one of his horns, and with the barrel forward his hooves slip on the snow and the ice beneath. Shit. Sunjata rumbles through the bond with the chime of a laugh alongside it, shaking his head frantically and trying to push forward, hoping it distracts Ronin as much as himself as he tries to regain his balance and loosen the hold Ronin has on his antler.

SUNJATA

RONIN

the huntsman

when the city goes silent

With their horns locked together, it's a good thing it isn't Leafchange any more or Ronin might really be trying to do some damage. As it stands, though, there's a bubbling sense of playfulness that warbles through their Attuned bond, the Huntsman trying to hold his ground and keep his friend in place. We ought to do this again when it's Longheat, so it's more of an even playing field, he suggests. But then again, my antlers aren't really ready for a training session at that time of year.

They're more velvety and adorable, if he does say so himself. Either way, as Sunjata shakes his head he succeeds in getting himself free of the lock, and Ronin prances back in the snow to toss his head, before rounding back on Sunjata. Having a little trouble in the snow? he teases, before charging forward again in an attempt to knock him off balance.

the ringing in my ears gets violent

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

you'll find the cross only fits when your hands and feet are nailed to it

There’s an audible snort that leaves Sunjata as their horns lock and Ronin does his best to keep them interlocked. He loses his footing again, but not before his voice is uttered across the Attuned bond. Maybe we can do dragon versus dragon then. Maybe it’ll be long enough away for Sunjata to not still be injured in that shift. Perhaps mentally he would be able to handle it then, too.

But again, a lot could happen in half a year’s time, especially here in Caido.

Sunjata gets free, at least, and Ronin rounds back on him quickly enough that he hardly has time to not lose his balance. One hoof goes swinging out wide, a spray of snow in its wake as he shifts his weight, aiming to latch onto Ronin with his neck to try and keep him from both losing his balance while simultaneously planning to bring Ronin down with him if he does. Unfortunately for me, this shift is used to the deserts rather than snow. He manages with a warm pulse of amusement.

SUNJATA

RONIN

the huntsman

when the city goes silent

I could get on board with that, though we will have to make sure we go somewhere that no one could accidentally become collateral damage, Ronin says, and though his voice remains fairly cheerful, even he can't shake off the memories of his first outing as a dragon so easily. He had nearly killed Remi, after all. Another thing he can't shake off, surprise surprise, is Sunjata, the luxere letting out a huff of effort as they're twined about one another again.

And he does go down with his friend, in fact, Ronin's hooves finding hard packed ice beneath snow that appeared fluffy and innocent, and he slips and slides and it's a serious Bambi situation before he knows it. Fuck! he barks out, though the mental frustration is at least accompanied by a laugh. I'm supposed to be equipped for this and I'm still not doing great, so you have my respect.

the ringing in my ears gets violent

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

you'll find the cross only fits when your hands and feet are nailed to it

I’m sure we can manage that. He murmurs. Perhaps an aerial battle, over an ocean of sorts – something to make sure nobody is around and if they are and haven’t gotten out of the way until that point? Well, truthfully, it’d be their fault now wouldn’t it? Either way, Sunjata pushes back and they’re twined and Sunjata’s steps are lost and he brings down Ronin with him on the slippery ice – barking a laugh and a small amount of pain as his leg bends in a weird way.

He manages to untangle himself in an attempt to right himself up again – only this fails (at least it’s not a 1) and he scrambles trying to stand, legs slipping out from under him again until he’s flat on his stomach with a loud huff, peering up at Ronin with bright steel yet still annoyed, another laugh leaving him mentally, physically a snort. Gods, what the fuck!

SUNJATA

RONIN

the huntsman

when the city goes silent

Haha! I win! Ronin announces at the end of this game of can I stand on the ice. He doesn't know if it really counts as winning if he's standing stock still with his legs all tensed out around him like he's made of wood. But he's still (mostly) standing compared to Sunjata who is on the ground, and that's probably good enough, right? Not for Ronin it ain't.

As if to prove it, he lunges forward again in an attempt to tangle his antlers up with Sunjata's horns, but of course the Huntsman is horribly off balance as it is, and the result is much less elegant. AKA: he falls on his friend instead of doing anything remotely fight-like. Ooof! Sorry! he manages through a laugh, all four hooves waggling as he tries to stand up over Sunjata on the ice.

And fails.

the ringing in my ears gets violent

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

you'll find the cross only fits when your hands and feet are nailed to it

Yeah, yeah— Sunjata huffs, struggling with the ice, feeling the cold of the snow start to seep into the fur of his belly, which only spurs him to try and rise all that much more. His hooves scramble across the surface of the icy ground they’re on, and the second he manages to lift half of himself up, Ronin is surging toward him again and all Sunjata can muster is a wait! barked into a laugh and a bit of an oof when the Huntsman’s balance throws off any hope Sunjata had of standing up again.

Because of course, Ronin falls on him and Sunjata goes down again, this time on his side, enough so that he can get his feet out from underneath him, and even if he isn’t standing anymore, he certainly tries to kick out at Ronin with those sharp little hooves of his – trying to push him away while simultaneously trying to figure out how the fuck to get up now. You remember that time I broke my hand when we sparred in Torchline? He asks with an air of amusement, surprised that so far they hadn’t broken anything yet in these forms.

SUNJATA

RONIN

the huntsman

when the city goes silent

Sorry-- aaaah! Ronin's apology is cut off by a surge of surprise through their Attuned bond, as well as a literal bleat of it from the luxere as freezing, sharp little hooves kick out at his flank. They connect in the tangle, because of course they do, and Ronin is lucky that his luxere fur is a lot thicker in preparation for the Deepfrost weather, because at least Sunjata doesn't cause him too much harm.

He springs away and slides again on the snow and ice, just about keeping his balance and huffing into the chilly air. I think that's enough, don't you? I do remember you breaking your hand, and I'm not keen to repeat it. He chuckles. Besides, I don't know about you, but I'm freezing. Do you want to head back to mine to warm up? So saying, he moves to nudge Sunjata onto his feet as best he can.

the ringing in my ears gets violent

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

you'll find the cross only fits when your hands and feet are nailed to it

The surge of surprise is something Sunjata quietly relishes in, amusement clearly written through his body language despite the way he kicks out at Ronin. It does the job though and the luxere manages to get off of him and get enough away from him that he can work to stand – which truly is a work of art, given how much he slips and slides and does need Ronin’s help to get up.

But they manage it, Sunjata’s breath clouding in his face from his dished face when he turns to finally look at Ronin a bit more fully – chest rising and falling with each breath. Yeah I think I’m good. He agrees with an air of nostalgia, shaking out his pelt to flick little bits of snow and cold water everywhere – leaving the small mohawk along his spine sticking straight up. Gods that sounds nice. And so saying, Sunjata bolts as best he can on the snow and ice, making it a makeshift race between the two of them to get to the house to warm up.

- FIN <33

SUNJATA