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Description
Alix

Alix tapped her paw, sitting inside the apprentice den. She was bored, and jumpy, and wanting to do something to alleviate the itching, annoying ball of something behind her eyes. Her eyes scanned the camp, glancing at several cats as they lounged around or returned for patrols. She wondered idly where her friends were.

Faraji

Faraji was just pulling his armour on after a small nap. He slipped on his green scarf, tucking away his necklace between the folds. Exiting the gladiator den, he glanced around at the busy camp, ears pricked as the sounds of felines on the move reached them. He coukdn't spot Val yet, sadly, though he did see another familiar cat. With a smile, he started to walk towards the apprentice den.

Valeriana

Valeriana returned from a early hunting patrol, holding a couple mice in her mouth. She placed her prey in the pile where the others in her patrol had placed theirs. Eagerly, she looked around camp, spotting Faraji walking towards the apprentice den. Val raised an eyebrow, “Heya Faraji!” She called, padding up to him, dismissing herself from her hunting patrol.

Alix

Alix beamed as Faraji appeared from the gladiator den, and stood up, stamping her paws happily at the sight of Val. "Hi Faraji, hey Val!" she exclaimed, tail kinking into an upside down u-shape as her friends gathered around. "Watcha up to?"

Faraji

Faraji paused a moment to look at Val, grinning at her greeting. "Hello!" He replied, repeating the same to Alix. The caracal rolled his shoulders, glancing between the two. They must know each other already...Good. He shrugged in response "Nothing at the moment. Might do a bit of patrolling or sparring later...You guys?"

Valeriana

“Hi Alix!” Val grinned happily, seems like everybody knew each other already. “I just came back from a hunting patrol, but I’m always down to do patrolling or sparring,” Valeriana mewed looking between the two of them. Could be fun to do a three way mock battle, harder to dodge and builds up teamwork.

Alix

"Mm, I was just thinking I needed to get out and do something." Alix responded to both Val and Faraji, glancing between them. She swished her tail, imagining which of the two would be more fun. She had done hunting with both of them, but sparring... Alix let her thoughts drift off a little.

"If nobody's to exhausted, we could go do seomthing now?"

Faraji

Faraji grinned, paws fidgeting. He'd had a nap and was energized and ready to go. "I know a place we can go sparring, pretty big and close to camp." The gladiator smirked, though at the thought of his last spar, his throat began to throb. "Heh, You can both work on your defensive tactics."

Valeriana

“Heh, I can always show you my signature move again,” Valeriana winked, remembering her headbutt to Faraji’s neck the last time they sparred together. “We can head out now if everyone’s ready!” She turned back towards the entrance of the camp, waving at them with her tail.

Alix

Alix followed the banter, back and forth, head swinging between the pair. At Val's exclamation, Alix turned and followed suit, a small bounce in her pawsteps at the thought of spending more time with her favourite people. Her tail began to wag, slow and low to begin with, but almost certainly soon to accelerate.

Faraji

Faraji came in step with the two, slightly ahead to take them to the same clearing he took Val a short while ago. The snow was lessening every day, but there was still quite a chilling breeze in the air. "We can start with you two, then I'll join in when you are warmed up." He suggested, sideglancing at the two, letting his gaze rest slightly longer on Val, though quickly turning back to the trail.

Valeriana

“Oh okay, could we practice a three way battle later on? Could be good practice if a raid happens,” Valeriana asked Faraji, looking between him and Alix, making sure to take note that it’s be good practice for Alix and Val. Val looked at Alix, before moving to a section of the clearing, waiting for Alix to take her place as well.

Alix

"Okie dokie," replied the cat in response to the gladiator, still missing the tall drifts of snow that were there before. Once they arrived, Alix took her spot at the other side of the clearing, crouching a little but light on her feet. Although her hunting was a little above pitiful, her fighting style, although fairly odd, had kept her alive for enough Coliseum fights to know she could rely on it. She adjusted her single armplate with a paw, and shook out her chained ankle, listening to the familiar skidding and clanking noises behind her. Eyes locked with Val's emeralds, she was ready to begin when she heard or saw a signal from Faraji.

Faraji

Faraji waited til they were both in place, and spoke again. "Alright, Val, you are on the offensive. Alix, try to defend yourself from her attacks. Don't be too rough, but don't hold back too much either." The gladiator waited til he got a nod from both, nodding in reply. "Begin."

Valeriana

“Offensive huh....” Valeriana studied her new opponent, Faraji was larger, so Alix was smaller, so it would be a more even fight between them. Val crouched and started circling Alix, her eyes trained on her, looking for ways to get in and land a good blow.

Valeriana kicked off the ground, launching her forward at incredible speed, barreling towards Alix. Val opened her mouth to fake an attack, making it look like she was going to bite Alix, but she had also risen her right paw, ready to smack into Alix’s shoulder. Much like Faraji had done to Val the first time they sparred.

Alix

Alix nodded, following Val with her body, rotating slowly in time with her opponent. She noted Val's shift of weight as she was preparing to kick forward, and only blinked as she sprinted towards her. She couldn't run, Val would outrun her. So it was her other strategy. She couldn't get on Val, as it would end in her being crushed, so her only hope was to confuse.

Alix ducked at Val's prospective bite, then surged up, hard but not too hard. The paw caught her shoulder and sent her skidding right, but she caught her ground and stood light on her feet again, staring down Val.

Valeriana

Valeriana skidded to a stop, happy that she had landed her attack, her fake out had worked to her favor. She noticed Alix staring her down, seems like the mock battle was getting serious. Her lime eyes looked around the landscape, taking in the smaller distance between the two of them. Val wondered if temporarily blinded Alix with dirt would be within the rules of a mock battle, probably not, she thought.

Lets just try at tripping her, Valeriana concluded, not wanting to hurt her friend. She started running at Alix again, this time attempting to kick her paws out from under her.

Alix

Alix studied Val closely, her lip curling up without her notice. She was, however unintentionally, treating this like a real battle. Her mind started to cloud over and block out anything she didn't need, like the fact this was her friend or that it wasn't a real battle. Luckily, her claws stayed sheathed, but they were ready to go at a moment's notice.

She ran to the side of Val as she ran towards the mountain cat, attempting to time it so she could slip under Val and come out the other side, maybe tripping her on the way through. Dust skidded as she whirled around again to face her opponent.

Valeriana

“Huh?” Valeriana’s eyes grew wide as Alix ran to her, attempting to slide under her. Wait, wasn’t I on the offense? What’s going on? Val thought, as she face planted into the ground, her feet getting caught up on Alix. Alix was bigger in size so sliding under Val certainly would cause her to trip over her.

“Hey!” Valeriana quickly brought her head out of the damp snowy dirt, her face covered in small scratches from her face plant. “That hurt!” She pouted, using her paws to wipe off the dirt from her face. “Good moves, I’m surprised you stayed standing after practically becoming a brick in the road underneath me,” Valeriana smiled, although still mildly annoyed she got hurt.

Alix

Alix blew a tuft of hair out of her sight. "Oops, sorry!" She shook her head violently, casting out the battle from her blood and from behind her eyes. She decreased in size almost instantly, fur unfluffing and laying flat on her side. "I, don't really know what got into me..." the words were soft, and confused. She didn't know why she wanted to hurt Val, or see her, not, alive. Shaking her head again slightly, she forced a smile onto her face. Alix's laughter tinkled through the air. "Ha, yeah, guess I'm just, one tough kitty!"

"Okay, I'll try and actually defend this time, if you want to go again?"

Valeriana

Valeriana looked at Faraji for a brief second, then back at Alix. “Mm sure, I’ll try again,” She responded, shifting her weight back into a ready stance. For a brief second, she hoped her face looked okay, it’d be embarrassing for Faraji to look at her right now. She shook off the thought and started darting towards Alix. As fast as her small legs could take her.

Valeriana jumped into the air, going above Alix, but not overshooting her. Valeriana felt her paws land on Alix’s rump, but the question is, would Alix be quick enough to react to her strange attack?

Alix

Alix nodded, trying to keep her head light and not fall into battle. She watched as Val sprang up, and felt the pressure sink down on her back. She felt her legs collapsing under the weight, but she carried the momentum onwards and lifted up her front legs, then springing almost vertically in an attempt to dismount Val. If it worked, Val would hopefully have slid off her, and onto the ground. If it failed, she'd be stuck with a friend on her rump and be forced to try something new.

Faraji

Faraji watched with a serious look on his face, his eyes trained on Alix as her expression darkened. The air grew tense for a few seconds before Val snapped at her for a second. He was tempted to step in, yet it seemed they worked it out. He met Val's eyes, and that brief moment he scanned over her for any visible injuries. No, but maybe a bit of wounded pride.

"Remember Alix, this is a mock fight, not a real battle." He warned before they started again. The look she'd gotten in her eyes was a look he'd seen in far too many Coliseum fighters. They were usually the most dangerous - those who lost control of themselves even for brief moments.

Valeriana

Valeriana’s front paws slipped off of Alix’s lower back, landing on the ground behind the mountain cat. However, Val’s back paws were still a threat. She kicked Alix’s in the butt, looking awfully reminiscent of a horse kicking out their back legs.

Valeriana pushed hard against Alix’s rear, trying to either send her forward or cause her to lose her balance. Either worked in this situation.

Alix

Alix dug her claws into the mucky, torn up ground beneath her, grunting with the effort but eventually faceplanted herself. With that, she moved her but down and slithered it away from Val, turning around and ready to meet Val once more. She nodded at Faraji's warning, she wasn't going to... something, like last time. She made an effort to bounce up a little, keep her toes and head light and friendly.

Valeriana

“We’re even now!” Valeriana giggled, hopping back from her friend, noting on the fact that they both face planted. She found the fight interesting, but worried about Alix, wondering if she’d be able to keep her head clear in a battle, mock or real.

Valeriana circled Alix slowly, debating if they should take a break or continue their mock fight.

Faraji

Faraji watched Alix very carefully the next few moments, worried not only that she'd accidentally hurt Val, but also herself. Content after the observation, he let the rest of the battle play out. The gladiator chuckled a bit, they were doing good, but that wasn't enough..... Maybe a battle against a "real" hunter would help....Not that they'd know that.

"Alright, how about something different." He started, watching them both to get their attention. "I'm going to play the Hunter, you two are going to try to take me down before i catch you. Work as a team, because if I catch one of you, you've failed already. Deal?"

Alix

"Deal! We can take you." Alix said, ducking into a crouch and moving over to Val. "If we can just keep him occupied, and not focused on either one of us, we'll be safe." She whispered, eyeing Faraji. He was tough, and well-battled, but they were only a little bit bigger than each other, and a cat as small as Faraji couldn't catch both of them, or even one of them if they kept moving and distracting.

Valeriana

“Haha we could just mess with him, but we do have to be offensive since we have to take his down,” Valeriana responded to Alix, looking Faraji up and down. When Faraji caught her last time, she used her head to knock him away. Could be fun to bother him with Alix.

Faraji

If Faraji was honest with himself, he could say he was going easy on Val last time. He hadn't had,an actual fight since the night of his escape, and that feline was twice his size... "Ready when you are." He smirked slightly, his eyes dancing as if he knew something they didn't. This experienced cat wouldn't go down without a fight. The caracal readied himself, studying his opponents carefully. They were both smaller, younger, and less experienced... He just had to be extra cautious.

Alix

Alix hummed thoughtfully, nodding to Val's response. Her brain was whirring, although not coming up with much. She breathed slowly, in.... and out. All she had to do, was keep in control and keep Val and herself safe. She trusted her instincts would keep her safe enough in battle, she just had to make sure they weren't the ones that whispered and screamed kill whenever someone jumped at her. "Ready, Val?" she turned to her companion.

Valeriana

"Sure thing," Valeriana nodded, "You go right I go left?" She asked, nodding her head to what direction they would go in. A 1 v 1 battle was different than 1 v 2, so maybe Val and Alix might have a chance of taking down Faraji if they had good team work.

Val studied Faraji, he certainly had more experience than either of them, taking note of the many scars littering his body.

Faraji

Faraji waited patiently as they discussed, noting the minutes passing by. Most Hunters wouldn't hesitate to attack in this time, but he kept in mind it was a spar. His adrenaline was pumping, and in those moments he took the time to make sure his shoulder plates weren't loose, which they weren't. Glancing back at the pair, he smirked again, his fur raised on the back of his neck.

Alix

"Gotcha!" Alix chirruped, crouching down a little and twisting her single arm brace so it was facing inwards. Here, she wasn't in danger of being scratched, so she could use it offensively. Her tail fluffed, she looked over at Val, waiting for the command to start from either of them. Her paws were lightly on the ground, ready to spring into any position. Her stomach started swirling, and she breathed, keeping calm yet almost vibrating with unspent energy. She might not be the fastest, but her stamina was a force to reckon with.

Valeriana

Valeriana angled her body downward so she could get a better angle if the two decided to run. Her arm braces brush her fur upwards, along with her layered leather armor pieces on her back.

She started quietly walking to the left, circling Faraji. Her pupils were small and her eyes blazed a bright green, watching any small movement Faraji would make, keeping also a close eye on Alix's movements. She wanted to make movements that wouldn't hurt anything Alix was planning on doing.

Alix

Alix followed suit, moving right, bouncing and hopping at odd angles and distances. Her pupils slitted, and she fluffed up more, spine hairs standing at attention as her ears rotated, alert and ready. She moved around Faraji's back, and nodded over to Val, hopefully indicating she would try and swipe out his legs from under him.

She waited a few seconds, and sprung up and forward, crouching low to the ground and swiping out a paw in an attempt to knock Faraji's back legs out from under him.

Faraji

Faraji didn't waste time keeping them both in sight. Night battles had trained his ears to pawsteps, and counting the seconds, he spun around to face Alix, countering her arm with his paw, slamming into it roughly. All the while he kept an ear out for Val, ready to dodge another attack from either one in the matter of seconds.

Valeriana

Valeriana followed after Alix's attack, taking note from her last fight with Faraji that he slightly favored his right more. She initially tried to swipe at his forearm, but then started aiming higher, closer to his shoulder. With her right paw raised to attack, she protected her chest with her left paw. If he blocked her right paw, she'd either try to attack with her left paw, or swing around to attack with her rear paws. Hopefully to use the same attack she had used on Alix before, except in a different bodily location.

Alix

Alix huffed as her paw was slammed away, and moved back a little, whirling and aiming to kick up her hind legs and push him in the haunch: not a full kick, but not too gently, either. She swung back around after she had given the push, whether it had succeeded or not, figuring it was better to fight face-on as opposed to head-to-rump.

Faraji

Faraji crouched slightly lower as they both attacked again, taking Alix's kick with a silent grunt. He felt Val's paw hit his shoulder plate as he had stooped down, he felt his back claws unsheath to dig into the earth for traction. His blood was pumping with adrenaline, he could almost hear the crowds chanting and shouting as if he were in the arena. A loud growl rumbled in his throat, he whirled to face Val, knowing that if Alix jumped on his back he could roll over and either crush her or she would let go. In mere seconds he had closed the small gap between him and Val, one paw aiming for her head, the other for her right paw on the ground. Either paw hitting would work for him, as as soon as she either fell or jumped back, he'd have to deal with Alix.

Valeriana

Things were moving increasingly fast when they mounted their attack on Faraji. Things needed to remain in sight and Valeriana was keeping a close eyes on all of the red caracal’s movements. As she went to attack, her paw only hit his shoulder plate. No good, She thought through gritted teeth, noticing his own movements with his paws. One went high and the other went low. “Alix! Get back!” Valeriana hissed, trying to jump back before Faraji’s attacks landed.

Alix

Alix obeyed and jumped back, skidding up some dirt and planting her paws on the ground. "Want me over there?" She yowled over Faraji's head, figuring if they were side by side they'd be harder to take down. She felt her blood pounding in her ears, and struggled to stay calm.

Faraji

Faraji grinned, tail twitching curiously to see what they'd do. His attack on Val had missed, which was OK as they seemed to need tp regroup. His blood was still pumping, his ears rang with what he assumed as a memory of the crowds chanting. It grew louder, though he could hear them too. Strange...

"Don't tell me you're stopping now... Hunters won't take it easy and let you regroup midbattle." He meowed. Even if they were technically opponents, he was training them.

Valeriana

“You’re the hunter, why are you letting us stop?” Valeriana countered, wondering if riling him up would help their fight. “I’m going to grab the back of his shoulder pad, I’ll need you to attack the open area behind it,” She whispered to Alix as she reached her side, careful to not let Faraji overhear her words. The considerably smaller rusty spotted cat glared Faraji down, her lime eyes glowing in the mid day sun. There were no room for mistakes. Valeriana sprung into action, aiming to grab Faraji’s shoulder pads, but came at him at an angle where his front paws wouldn’t be able to hit her.

Alix

She shivered at the close contact between the pair. "Yeah Faraji, don't stop on us now!" She said, smirk filling her features with a cocky, mocking energy. She blinked at Val's suggestion, being as subtle as possible. Alix followed suit, and ran forward, hesitating a little and then attempting to rear onto her back legs and push down on Faraji's shoulder, pushing in and down in an attempt to push him to the ground.

Faraji

Faraji didn't usually respond to jeering comments. When Basilius had made all those comments about his parents, they didn't bother him, when his opponents in the ring demeaned him, he didn't care. The only cat he ever cared when they said words like that was Coden. Not here, he didn't care as much about the words, though, something about the way Valeriana and Alix said them made guilt rise up in his stomach.

Their attacks came fast, but regardless of his thinking, he was ready to dodge. As Val made a reach for his shoulder plates, he shoved his body into her paws and chest, just moving the pads out of reach while also using them as a battering ram. Alix shoving her paws into his shoulderfurthered his momentum, hopefully causing his other shoulder to hit Valeriana harder. If Alix fell, and Val fell underneath him, it'd be easy to catch them.

Valeriana

Val’s paws landed flat against Faraji’s chest, which made her grin. Although he had started using his shoulder as a bettering ram, Val’s paws lifted up and took ahold of Faraji’s scarf. He could knock her over, and she’s still have good aim at his neck and chest, which he seemed to have forgotten that they were exposed and not protected by his armor. Valeriana thudded to the ground, her back on the damp dirt, her armor digging into the ground beneath her.

“Abort Alix, don’t fall!” Valeriana called to the mountain cat, her eyes fixing on Faraji’s. Her paws outstretched and hanging on to his scarf. She was ready to fight, and if Alix got away she could mount an attempt to save Val if things went wrong.

Alix

Alix, immediately after hearing Val and feeling Faraji come out from under her paws, stepped back, crouching as low to the ground as she could. She crept around to the heads of the pair, and watched, waited. Val could handle her own, but so could Faraji. She still wasn't entirely sure how they were meant to win, but she did have an idea of how to pin "the hunter" down.

Faraji

Faraji was doing alright until paws hooked around his scarf. In the corner of his eye he could see the blue gem necklace peeking out, close to Val's paws. Too close. Faraji's mind clouded a moment, a loud snarl rippling from his throat. His eyes narrowed to slits, and it took every inch of his strength not to tear into Val.

Instead, he planted one paw on her chest, the other poised to strike at Alix should she try to attack. With fangs bared dangerously, he whispered,

"I'd let go of that if I were you."

Valeriana

Valeriana’s eyes widened, releasing her claws from the scarf, and moving her paw from the scarf and on to his neck. “I’d move your paw from my chest,” She growled lowly at Faraji, her claws sheathed but she pressed her paw into his neck, pushing him up a bit more.

The battle seemed done with Faraji’s remark. Valeriana was certainly done fighting. He spooked her with his statement, along with his angry demeanor when she hooked on to his scarf. She felt bad about it, but if he didn’t want the scarf damaged, why would he wear it into battle? “Get off,” Valeriana growled, her voice low and obviously upset.

Faraji

Faraji saw the fear and anger seep into her eyes at his remark, immediately feeling guilty. He stepped off of her at her request, looking away a few moments to gain control again. A few deep breaths and he was somewhat ok, but....

Heh... You wanted hurt her, didn't you?... One of these days, you won't be able to stop yourself.

Shaking his head, he shook the voice away, not able to bring himself to look at Valeriana. "I'm sorry... I-I shouldn't have done that." He spoke hoarsely, guilt stringing his voice. "Good job, both of you..."

Alix

Alix jumped back, thoroughly spooked at Faraji's growl, and continued backing up as the pair faced off. Her ears flattened to her head as Val and Faraji's tones grew emotional and upset, tail low and curling around the chain on her hind leg.

"Uh, thanks, F-Faraji." Alix said quietly, looking at her own paws. "You're a t-tough fighter, heh." Her voice was nearly a whisper.

Valeriana

Valeriana rolled away from the caracal, now free from his paw on her chest. The hair on her neck was puffed up along with her tail, and her ears were flat on her head. No amount of ignoring what just happened would be happening with Valeriana. She was having none of his quiet compliments, especially when they were just to cover up his previous actions.

“What was that about?” She stared up at Faraji, still mad at his actions and tone of voice. “Explain please,” Valeriana sat down in front of Faraji, establishing that she’d sit there until he explained fully, or enough that she felt fine with his response.

Faraji

"Val...." Faraji started, though words failed to come. He sighed heavily, knowing that if he wanted to gain Valeriana's favor again he'd have to tell her.

Why do you care so much about what she thinks? You've never cared before...

"Valeriana, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you, you were only doing what you were supposed to, its just that..." He pawed the scarf a moment, before pulling out the blue gem he hid in the folds. "These are my reminders of the only good things in my life, and maybe I shouldn't have worn them, maybe I should've told you. I shouldn't have gotten angry." He admitted, slipping the necklace back in its place, looking to both felines. "I ruined today's training, which isn't fair to either of you." Faraji said pointedly to both, setting his gaze on Alix first, resting a moment before looking back to Val.

Alix

Alix nodded solemnly. "It's okay," she said softly. "You're allowed to be protective of good things. Just... let us know next time!" She said, injecting a little enthusiasm into her voice, although notably forced.

Valeriana

With a loud sigh, Valeriana tore her eyes away from Faraji. "You didn't ruin anything, just do as Alix said and tell us next time," Her previous body language was tense, now she's more relaxed. "Make sure you don't wear that into battle Faraji, I would hate to see it get ruined by someone else," Valeriana smiled softly, looking back up at him, then back at Alix. He really did need to keep his keepsakes in a safe place, and a safe place wouldn't be on the battle field.

"Anyone up for some exploring?" Valeriana asked, trying to break up the tension that had built up because of Faraji's actions..

Faraji

Faraji didn't respond, merely turning away from the pair. He was still feeling somewhat angry and guilty, but also felt fear. If he had attacked her, he would've been in a lot of trouble. And what's to say next time he won't? Sighing, he shrugged. "Where would you two like to go?" He asked, trying to forget the moment that had happened.

Alix

"Yeah!" Alix got to her feet, stamping them to get some feeling back. "Well, I don't know, we gotta explore and find a cool place!" Alix suggested, also shrugging. Already, in her mind, the incident was history, and it was time to be happy again.

Valeriana

Valeriana still had Faraji's face and growl in her thoughts, and she wondered exactly why he was so protective of the jewel and scarf. What had happened to the cats that gave that to him? Were they still alive? She shook her head, "Yeah! Let's just explore randomly and find something cool!"

She smiled warmly at the both of them, getting back up to her feet, excited to move from the clearing and explore the mountain landscape before them.

Faraji

Faraji was relieved to have dropped the subject, at least for now. He was becoming to open as of late, it had already caused him to nearly slip twice. He didn't want to know their reaction to him being a Hunter, that was the last thing he wanted.

With one last check on his necklace, he trotted towards the edge of the clearing once more, he looked back, gesturing to them with a flick of his head "C'mon, lets go!"

Alix

Alix followed eagerly, spring entirely and genuinely back in her step. "Wait up!" she called, even whilst leaping her steps were smaller.

Valeriana having some offensive training with Faraji and Alix! <3
Sorry I could get Alix in! She was on the other side of Faraji in the scene!

Word Count: 5,006

16 EP for the picture (added 10 because it's a training assignment)
5 EP for roleplay
10 EP for word count
31 EP if I counted it correctly.

Valeriana and art (c) XxSoaringHeartxX
Faraji (c) TwisterLeaV2
Alix (c) myawfod

Description
Alix

Alix tapped her paw, sitting inside the apprentice den. She was bored, and jumpy, and wanting to do something to alleviate the itching, annoying ball of something behind her eyes. Her eyes scanned the camp, glancing at several cats as they lounged around or returned for patrols. She wondered idly where her friends were.

Faraji

Faraji was just pulling his armour on after a small nap. He slipped on his green scarf, tucking away his necklace between the folds. Exiting the gladiator den, he glanced around at the busy camp, ears pricked as the sounds of felines on the move reached them. He coukdn't spot Val yet, sadly, though he did see another familiar cat. With a smile, he started to walk towards the apprentice den.

Valeriana

Valeriana returned from a early hunting patrol, holding a couple mice in her mouth. She placed her prey in the pile where the others in her patrol had placed theirs. Eagerly, she looked around camp, spotting Faraji walking towards the apprentice den. Val raised an eyebrow, “Heya Faraji!” She called, padding up to him, dismissing herself from her hunting patrol.

Alix

Alix beamed as Faraji appeared from the gladiator den, and stood up, stamping her paws happily at the sight of Val. "Hi Faraji, hey Val!" she exclaimed, tail kinking into an upside down u-shape as her friends gathered around. "Watcha up to?"

Faraji

Faraji paused a moment to look at Val, grinning at her greeting. "Hello!" He replied, repeating the same to Alix. The caracal rolled his shoulders, glancing between the two. They must know each other already...Good. He shrugged in response "Nothing at the moment. Might do a bit of patrolling or sparring later...You guys?"

Valeriana

“Hi Alix!” Val grinned happily, seems like everybody knew each other already. “I just came back from a hunting patrol, but I’m always down to do patrolling or sparring,” Valeriana mewed looking between the two of them. Could be fun to do a three way mock battle, harder to dodge and builds up teamwork.

Alix

"Mm, I was just thinking I needed to get out and do something." Alix responded to both Val and Faraji, glancing between them. She swished her tail, imagining which of the two would be more fun. She had done hunting with both of them, but sparring... Alix let her thoughts drift off a little.

"If nobody's to exhausted, we could go do seomthing now?"

Faraji

Faraji grinned, paws fidgeting. He'd had a nap and was energized and ready to go. "I know a place we can go sparring, pretty big and close to camp." The gladiator smirked, though at the thought of his last spar, his throat began to throb. "Heh, You can both work on your defensive tactics."

Valeriana

“Heh, I can always show you my signature move again,” Valeriana winked, remembering her headbutt to Faraji’s neck the last time they sparred together. “We can head out now if everyone’s ready!” She turned back towards the entrance of the camp, waving at them with her tail.

Alix

Alix followed the banter, back and forth, head swinging between the pair. At Val's exclamation, Alix turned and followed suit, a small bounce in her pawsteps at the thought of spending more time with her favourite people. Her tail began to wag, slow and low to begin with, but almost certainly soon to accelerate.

Faraji

Faraji came in step with the two, slightly ahead to take them to the same clearing he took Val a short while ago. The snow was lessening every day, but there was still quite a chilling breeze in the air. "We can start with you two, then I'll join in when you are warmed up." He suggested, sideglancing at the two, letting his gaze rest slightly longer on Val, though quickly turning back to the trail.

Valeriana

“Oh okay, could we practice a three way battle later on? Could be good practice if a raid happens,” Valeriana asked Faraji, looking between him and Alix, making sure to take note that it’s be good practice for Alix and Val. Val looked at Alix, before moving to a section of the clearing, waiting for Alix to take her place as well.

Alix

"Okie dokie," replied the cat in response to the gladiator, still missing the tall drifts of snow that were there before. Once they arrived, Alix took her spot at the other side of the clearing, crouching a little but light on her feet. Although her hunting was a little above pitiful, her fighting style, although fairly odd, had kept her alive for enough Coliseum fights to know she could rely on it. She adjusted her single armplate with a paw, and shook out her chained ankle, listening to the familiar skidding and clanking noises behind her. Eyes locked with Val's emeralds, she was ready to begin when she heard or saw a signal from Faraji.

Faraji

Faraji waited til they were both in place, and spoke again. "Alright, Val, you are on the offensive. Alix, try to defend yourself from her attacks. Don't be too rough, but don't hold back too much either." The gladiator waited til he got a nod from both, nodding in reply. "Begin."

Valeriana

“Offensive huh....” Valeriana studied her new opponent, Faraji was larger, so Alix was smaller, so it would be a more even fight between them. Val crouched and started circling Alix, her eyes trained on her, looking for ways to get in and land a good blow.

Valeriana kicked off the ground, launching her forward at incredible speed, barreling towards Alix. Val opened her mouth to fake an attack, making it look like she was going to bite Alix, but she had also risen her right paw, ready to smack into Alix’s shoulder. Much like Faraji had done to Val the first time they sparred.

Alix

Alix nodded, following Val with her body, rotating slowly in time with her opponent. She noted Val's shift of weight as she was preparing to kick forward, and only blinked as she sprinted towards her. She couldn't run, Val would outrun her. So it was her other strategy. She couldn't get on Val, as it would end in her being crushed, so her only hope was to confuse.

Alix ducked at Val's prospective bite, then surged up, hard but not too hard. The paw caught her shoulder and sent her skidding right, but she caught her ground and stood light on her feet again, staring down Val.

Valeriana

Valeriana skidded to a stop, happy that she had landed her attack, her fake out had worked to her favor. She noticed Alix staring her down, seems like the mock battle was getting serious. Her lime eyes looked around the landscape, taking in the smaller distance between the two of them. Val wondered if temporarily blinded Alix with dirt would be within the rules of a mock battle, probably not, she thought.

Lets just try at tripping her, Valeriana concluded, not wanting to hurt her friend. She started running at Alix again, this time attempting to kick her paws out from under her.

Alix

Alix studied Val closely, her lip curling up without her notice. She was, however unintentionally, treating this like a real battle. Her mind started to cloud over and block out anything she didn't need, like the fact this was her friend or that it wasn't a real battle. Luckily, her claws stayed sheathed, but they were ready to go at a moment's notice.

She ran to the side of Val as she ran towards the mountain cat, attempting to time it so she could slip under Val and come out the other side, maybe tripping her on the way through. Dust skidded as she whirled around again to face her opponent.

Valeriana

“Huh?” Valeriana’s eyes grew wide as Alix ran to her, attempting to slide under her. Wait, wasn’t I on the offense? What’s going on? Val thought, as she face planted into the ground, her feet getting caught up on Alix. Alix was bigger in size so sliding under Val certainly would cause her to trip over her.

“Hey!” Valeriana quickly brought her head out of the damp snowy dirt, her face covered in small scratches from her face plant. “That hurt!” She pouted, using her paws to wipe off the dirt from her face. “Good moves, I’m surprised you stayed standing after practically becoming a brick in the road underneath me,” Valeriana smiled, although still mildly annoyed she got hurt.

Alix

Alix blew a tuft of hair out of her sight. "Oops, sorry!" She shook her head violently, casting out the battle from her blood and from behind her eyes. She decreased in size almost instantly, fur unfluffing and laying flat on her side. "I, don't really know what got into me..." the words were soft, and confused. She didn't know why she wanted to hurt Val, or see her, not, alive. Shaking her head again slightly, she forced a smile onto her face. Alix's laughter tinkled through the air. "Ha, yeah, guess I'm just, one tough kitty!"

"Okay, I'll try and actually defend this time, if you want to go again?"

Valeriana

Valeriana looked at Faraji for a brief second, then back at Alix. “Mm sure, I’ll try again,” She responded, shifting her weight back into a ready stance. For a brief second, she hoped her face looked okay, it’d be embarrassing for Faraji to look at her right now. She shook off the thought and started darting towards Alix. As fast as her small legs could take her.

Valeriana jumped into the air, going above Alix, but not overshooting her. Valeriana felt her paws land on Alix’s rump, but the question is, would Alix be quick enough to react to her strange attack?

Alix

Alix nodded, trying to keep her head light and not fall into battle. She watched as Val sprang up, and felt the pressure sink down on her back. She felt her legs collapsing under the weight, but she carried the momentum onwards and lifted up her front legs, then springing almost vertically in an attempt to dismount Val. If it worked, Val would hopefully have slid off her, and onto the ground. If it failed, she'd be stuck with a friend on her rump and be forced to try something new.

Faraji

Faraji watched with a serious look on his face, his eyes trained on Alix as her expression darkened. The air grew tense for a few seconds before Val snapped at her for a second. He was tempted to step in, yet it seemed they worked it out. He met Val's eyes, and that brief moment he scanned over her for any visible injuries. No, but maybe a bit of wounded pride.

"Remember Alix, this is a mock fight, not a real battle." He warned before they started again. The look she'd gotten in her eyes was a look he'd seen in far too many Coliseum fighters. They were usually the most dangerous - those who lost control of themselves even for brief moments.

Valeriana

Valeriana’s front paws slipped off of Alix’s lower back, landing on the ground behind the mountain cat. However, Val’s back paws were still a threat. She kicked Alix’s in the butt, looking awfully reminiscent of a horse kicking out their back legs.

Valeriana pushed hard against Alix’s rear, trying to either send her forward or cause her to lose her balance. Either worked in this situation.

Alix

Alix dug her claws into the mucky, torn up ground beneath her, grunting with the effort but eventually faceplanted herself. With that, she moved her but down and slithered it away from Val, turning around and ready to meet Val once more. She nodded at Faraji's warning, she wasn't going to... something, like last time. She made an effort to bounce up a little, keep her toes and head light and friendly.

Valeriana

“We’re even now!” Valeriana giggled, hopping back from her friend, noting on the fact that they both face planted. She found the fight interesting, but worried about Alix, wondering if she’d be able to keep her head clear in a battle, mock or real.

Valeriana circled Alix slowly, debating if they should take a break or continue their mock fight.

Faraji

Faraji watched Alix very carefully the next few moments, worried not only that she'd accidentally hurt Val, but also herself. Content after the observation, he let the rest of the battle play out. The gladiator chuckled a bit, they were doing good, but that wasn't enough..... Maybe a battle against a "real" hunter would help....Not that they'd know that.

"Alright, how about something different." He started, watching them both to get their attention. "I'm going to play the Hunter, you two are going to try to take me down before i catch you. Work as a team, because if I catch one of you, you've failed already. Deal?"

Alix

"Deal! We can take you." Alix said, ducking into a crouch and moving over to Val. "If we can just keep him occupied, and not focused on either one of us, we'll be safe." She whispered, eyeing Faraji. He was tough, and well-battled, but they were only a little bit bigger than each other, and a cat as small as Faraji couldn't catch both of them, or even one of them if they kept moving and distracting.

Valeriana

“Haha we could just mess with him, but we do have to be offensive since we have to take his down,” Valeriana responded to Alix, looking Faraji up and down. When Faraji caught her last time, she used her head to knock him away. Could be fun to bother him with Alix.

Faraji

If Faraji was honest with himself, he could say he was going easy on Val last time. He hadn't had,an actual fight since the night of his escape, and that feline was twice his size... "Ready when you are." He smirked slightly, his eyes dancing as if he knew something they didn't. This experienced cat wouldn't go down without a fight. The caracal readied himself, studying his opponents carefully. They were both smaller, younger, and less experienced... He just had to be extra cautious.

Alix

Alix hummed thoughtfully, nodding to Val's response. Her brain was whirring, although not coming up with much. She breathed slowly, in.... and out. All she had to do, was keep in control and keep Val and herself safe. She trusted her instincts would keep her safe enough in battle, she just had to make sure they weren't the ones that whispered and screamed kill whenever someone jumped at her. "Ready, Val?" she turned to her companion.

Valeriana

"Sure thing," Valeriana nodded, "You go right I go left?" She asked, nodding her head to what direction they would go in. A 1 v 1 battle was different than 1 v 2, so maybe Val and Alix might have a chance of taking down Faraji if they had good team work.

Val studied Faraji, he certainly had more experience than either of them, taking note of the many scars littering his body.

Faraji

Faraji waited patiently as they discussed, noting the minutes passing by. Most Hunters wouldn't hesitate to attack in this time, but he kept in mind it was a spar. His adrenaline was pumping, and in those moments he took the time to make sure his shoulder plates weren't loose, which they weren't. Glancing back at the pair, he smirked again, his fur raised on the back of his neck.

Alix

"Gotcha!" Alix chirruped, crouching down a little and twisting her single arm brace so it was facing inwards. Here, she wasn't in danger of being scratched, so she could use it offensively. Her tail fluffed, she looked over at Val, waiting for the command to start from either of them. Her paws were lightly on the ground, ready to spring into any position. Her stomach started swirling, and she breathed, keeping calm yet almost vibrating with unspent energy. She might not be the fastest, but her stamina was a force to reckon with.

Valeriana

Valeriana angled her body downward so she could get a better angle if the two decided to run. Her arm braces brush her fur upwards, along with her layered leather armor pieces on her back.

She started quietly walking to the left, circling Faraji. Her pupils were small and her eyes blazed a bright green, watching any small movement Faraji would make, keeping also a close eye on Alix's movements. She wanted to make movements that wouldn't hurt anything Alix was planning on doing.

Alix

Alix followed suit, moving right, bouncing and hopping at odd angles and distances. Her pupils slitted, and she fluffed up more, spine hairs standing at attention as her ears rotated, alert and ready. She moved around Faraji's back, and nodded over to Val, hopefully indicating she would try and swipe out his legs from under him.

She waited a few seconds, and sprung up and forward, crouching low to the ground and swiping out a paw in an attempt to knock Faraji's back legs out from under him.

Faraji

Faraji didn't waste time keeping them both in sight. Night battles had trained his ears to pawsteps, and counting the seconds, he spun around to face Alix, countering her arm with his paw, slamming into it roughly. All the while he kept an ear out for Val, ready to dodge another attack from either one in the matter of seconds.

Valeriana

Valeriana followed after Alix's attack, taking note from her last fight with Faraji that he slightly favored his right more. She initially tried to swipe at his forearm, but then started aiming higher, closer to his shoulder. With her right paw raised to attack, she protected her chest with her left paw. If he blocked her right paw, she'd either try to attack with her left paw, or swing around to attack with her rear paws. Hopefully to use the same attack she had used on Alix before, except in a different bodily location.

Alix

Alix huffed as her paw was slammed away, and moved back a little, whirling and aiming to kick up her hind legs and push him in the haunch: not a full kick, but not too gently, either. She swung back around after she had given the push, whether it had succeeded or not, figuring it was better to fight face-on as opposed to head-to-rump.

Faraji

Faraji crouched slightly lower as they both attacked again, taking Alix's kick with a silent grunt. He felt Val's paw hit his shoulder plate as he had stooped down, he felt his back claws unsheath to dig into the earth for traction. His blood was pumping with adrenaline, he could almost hear the crowds chanting and shouting as if he were in the arena. A loud growl rumbled in his throat, he whirled to face Val, knowing that if Alix jumped on his back he could roll over and either crush her or she would let go. In mere seconds he had closed the small gap between him and Val, one paw aiming for her head, the other for her right paw on the ground. Either paw hitting would work for him, as as soon as she either fell or jumped back, he'd have to deal with Alix.

Valeriana

Things were moving increasingly fast when they mounted their attack on Faraji. Things needed to remain in sight and Valeriana was keeping a close eyes on all of the red caracal’s movements. As she went to attack, her paw only hit his shoulder plate. No good, She thought through gritted teeth, noticing his own movements with his paws. One went high and the other went low. “Alix! Get back!” Valeriana hissed, trying to jump back before Faraji’s attacks landed.

Alix

Alix obeyed and jumped back, skidding up some dirt and planting her paws on the ground. "Want me over there?" She yowled over Faraji's head, figuring if they were side by side they'd be harder to take down. She felt her blood pounding in her ears, and struggled to stay calm.

Faraji

Faraji grinned, tail twitching curiously to see what they'd do. His attack on Val had missed, which was OK as they seemed to need tp regroup. His blood was still pumping, his ears rang with what he assumed as a memory of the crowds chanting. It grew louder, though he could hear them too. Strange...

"Don't tell me you're stopping now... Hunters won't take it easy and let you regroup midbattle." He meowed. Even if they were technically opponents, he was training them.

Valeriana

“You’re the hunter, why are you letting us stop?” Valeriana countered, wondering if riling him up would help their fight. “I’m going to grab the back of his shoulder pad, I’ll need you to attack the open area behind it,” She whispered to Alix as she reached her side, careful to not let Faraji overhear her words. The considerably smaller rusty spotted cat glared Faraji down, her lime eyes glowing in the mid day sun. There were no room for mistakes. Valeriana sprung into action, aiming to grab Faraji’s shoulder pads, but came at him at an angle where his front paws wouldn’t be able to hit her.

Alix

She shivered at the close contact between the pair. "Yeah Faraji, don't stop on us now!" She said, smirk filling her features with a cocky, mocking energy. She blinked at Val's suggestion, being as subtle as possible. Alix followed suit, and ran forward, hesitating a little and then attempting to rear onto her back legs and push down on Faraji's shoulder, pushing in and down in an attempt to push him to the ground.

Faraji

Faraji didn't usually respond to jeering comments. When Basilius had made all those comments about his parents, they didn't bother him, when his opponents in the ring demeaned him, he didn't care. The only cat he ever cared when they said words like that was Coden. Not here, he didn't care as much about the words, though, something about the way Valeriana and Alix said them made guilt rise up in his stomach.

Their attacks came fast, but regardless of his thinking, he was ready to dodge. As Val made a reach for his shoulder plates, he shoved his body into her paws and chest, just moving the pads out of reach while also using them as a battering ram. Alix shoving her paws into his shoulderfurthered his momentum, hopefully causing his other shoulder to hit Valeriana harder. If Alix fell, and Val fell underneath him, it'd be easy to catch them.

Valeriana

Val’s paws landed flat against Faraji’s chest, which made her grin. Although he had started using his shoulder as a bettering ram, Val’s paws lifted up and took ahold of Faraji’s scarf. He could knock her over, and she’s still have good aim at his neck and chest, which he seemed to have forgotten that they were exposed and not protected by his armor. Valeriana thudded to the ground, her back on the damp dirt, her armor digging into the ground beneath her.

“Abort Alix, don’t fall!” Valeriana called to the mountain cat, her eyes fixing on Faraji’s. Her paws outstretched and hanging on to his scarf. She was ready to fight, and if Alix got away she could mount an attempt to save Val if things went wrong.

Alix

Alix, immediately after hearing Val and feeling Faraji come out from under her paws, stepped back, crouching as low to the ground as she could. She crept around to the heads of the pair, and watched, waited. Val could handle her own, but so could Faraji. She still wasn't entirely sure how they were meant to win, but she did have an idea of how to pin "the hunter" down.

Faraji

Faraji was doing alright until paws hooked around his scarf. In the corner of his eye he could see the blue gem necklace peeking out, close to Val's paws. Too close. Faraji's mind clouded a moment, a loud snarl rippling from his throat. His eyes narrowed to slits, and it took every inch of his strength not to tear into Val.

Instead, he planted one paw on her chest, the other poised to strike at Alix should she try to attack. With fangs bared dangerously, he whispered,

"I'd let go of that if I were you."

Valeriana

Valeriana’s eyes widened, releasing her claws from the scarf, and moving her paw from the scarf and on to his neck. “I’d move your paw from my chest,” She growled lowly at Faraji, her claws sheathed but she pressed her paw into his neck, pushing him up a bit more.

The battle seemed done with Faraji’s remark. Valeriana was certainly done fighting. He spooked her with his statement, along with his angry demeanor when she hooked on to his scarf. She felt bad about it, but if he didn’t want the scarf damaged, why would he wear it into battle? “Get off,” Valeriana growled, her voice low and obviously upset.

Faraji

Faraji saw the fear and anger seep into her eyes at his remark, immediately feeling guilty. He stepped off of her at her request, looking away a few moments to gain control again. A few deep breaths and he was somewhat ok, but....

Heh... You wanted hurt her, didn't you?... One of these days, you won't be able to stop yourself.

Shaking his head, he shook the voice away, not able to bring himself to look at Valeriana. "I'm sorry... I-I shouldn't have done that." He spoke hoarsely, guilt stringing his voice. "Good job, both of you..."

Alix

Alix jumped back, thoroughly spooked at Faraji's growl, and continued backing up as the pair faced off. Her ears flattened to her head as Val and Faraji's tones grew emotional and upset, tail low and curling around the chain on her hind leg.

"Uh, thanks, F-Faraji." Alix said quietly, looking at her own paws. "You're a t-tough fighter, heh." Her voice was nearly a whisper.

Valeriana

Valeriana rolled away from the caracal, now free from his paw on her chest. The hair on her neck was puffed up along with her tail, and her ears were flat on her head. No amount of ignoring what just happened would be happening with Valeriana. She was having none of his quiet compliments, especially when they were just to cover up his previous actions.

“What was that about?” She stared up at Faraji, still mad at his actions and tone of voice. “Explain please,” Valeriana sat down in front of Faraji, establishing that she’d sit there until he explained fully, or enough that she felt fine with his response.

Faraji

"Val...." Faraji started, though words failed to come. He sighed heavily, knowing that if he wanted to gain Valeriana's favor again he'd have to tell her.

Why do you care so much about what she thinks? You've never cared before...

"Valeriana, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you, you were only doing what you were supposed to, its just that..." He pawed the scarf a moment, before pulling out the blue gem he hid in the folds. "These are my reminders of the only good things in my life, and maybe I shouldn't have worn them, maybe I should've told you. I shouldn't have gotten angry." He admitted, slipping the necklace back in its place, looking to both felines. "I ruined today's training, which isn't fair to either of you." Faraji said pointedly to both, setting his gaze on Alix first, resting a moment before looking back to Val.

Alix

Alix nodded solemnly. "It's okay," she said softly. "You're allowed to be protective of good things. Just... let us know next time!" She said, injecting a little enthusiasm into her voice, although notably forced.

Valeriana

With a loud sigh, Valeriana tore her eyes away from Faraji. "You didn't ruin anything, just do as Alix said and tell us next time," Her previous body language was tense, now she's more relaxed. "Make sure you don't wear that into battle Faraji, I would hate to see it get ruined by someone else," Valeriana smiled softly, looking back up at him, then back at Alix. He really did need to keep his keepsakes in a safe place, and a safe place wouldn't be on the battle field.

"Anyone up for some exploring?" Valeriana asked, trying to break up the tension that had built up because of Faraji's actions..

Faraji

Faraji didn't respond, merely turning away from the pair. He was still feeling somewhat angry and guilty, but also felt fear. If he had attacked her, he would've been in a lot of trouble. And what's to say next time he won't? Sighing, he shrugged. "Where would you two like to go?" He asked, trying to forget the moment that had happened.

Alix

"Yeah!" Alix got to her feet, stamping them to get some feeling back. "Well, I don't know, we gotta explore and find a cool place!" Alix suggested, also shrugging. Already, in her mind, the incident was history, and it was time to be happy again.

Valeriana

Valeriana still had Faraji's face and growl in her thoughts, and she wondered exactly why he was so protective of the jewel and scarf. What had happened to the cats that gave that to him? Were they still alive? She shook her head, "Yeah! Let's just explore randomly and find something cool!"

She smiled warmly at the both of them, getting back up to her feet, excited to move from the clearing and explore the mountain landscape before them.

Faraji

Faraji was relieved to have dropped the subject, at least for now. He was becoming to open as of late, it had already caused him to nearly slip twice. He didn't want to know their reaction to him being a Hunter, that was the last thing he wanted.

With one last check on his necklace, he trotted towards the edge of the clearing once more, he looked back, gesturing to them with a flick of his head "C'mon, lets go!"

Alix

Alix followed eagerly, spring entirely and genuinely back in her step. "Wait up!" she called, even whilst leaping her steps were smaller.

Valeriana having some offensive training with Faraji and Alix! <3
Sorry I could get Alix in! She was on the other side of Faraji in the scene!

Word Count: 5,006

16 EP for the picture (added 10 because it's a training assignment)
5 EP for roleplay
10 EP for word count
31 EP if I counted it correctly.

Valeriana and art (c) XxSoaringHeartxX
Faraji (c) TwisterLeaV2
Alix (c) myawfod