Lyris

[Lagertha]

this will never end, ‘cause i want more, more, give me more

It should be an easy battle, one where Lagertha has nothing to prove and their strikes are only to test the waters. However, if she were to take it lightly, she would not be worthy of her title. She takes her soldier’s training seriously, which means that she will not go easier on Lyris. She will not be overly hard on her either, but treat the mock as if it were any other challenge.

Naturally, she couldn’t let Lyris win either. That simply wouldn’t do.

Lagertha takes after her dam far more than her sire, in almost every way. The Andalusian-type hybrid stands opposite of Lyris, and at 16 hh, is only slightly taller. She is bulkier, and undoubtedly has more muscle, due to simple genetics and a constant training. While it gave her an advantage, there was something to be said for speed and traits. Anyone can work on speed, training like an athlete. Traits, however, can give anyone an advantage. Hers are more defensive than offensive, but with proper usage, they can inflict damage. She was eager to find out what Lyris’s tricks were.

The grullo mare leaps forward, but it does not take Lagertha by surprise. She had allowed a decent amount of space between them, enough to make a counter attack. She wonders how quick Lyris’s reflexes are, and lets the mare get a few strides closer before she, too, moves forward. It would be foolish to remain still and give her opponent a still target. Lesson number one: have a backup plan when situations change, and two: never make it easy for your opponent.

Lagertha isn’t 100% sure what her sister’s first attack will be, so she chooses to keep a straight path and ups her trot to a canter, quickly eating up what distance remains between the two of them. Right before they hit each other, Lagertha covers her right side in a sheet of smooth, red sandstone. It moves with her body, giving her the appearance of living rock. This should make the impact a little rougher for Lyris, almost as if she were falling down on a hard surface, leaving a bruise or minor abrasion. It all depends on how hard they collide. The general tries to angle herself so that they only graze each other, but it can be tricky sometimes. When they do hit, it jars Lagertha, causing her to grunt with the impact, but she doesn’t let it slow her down. It’s like a horse shoulder check. Makes you pause and grimace, but keep on chugging down the sidewalk.

As Lyris passes her, Lagertha makes the armor disappear, and reaches over to bite her sister’s spotted rump. As Lyris wheels away and presents her back end to the General, it would be an easy target. Far easier than Lagertha trying to pause, pivot, and then lash out with her hind legs, all while Lyris moves in the opposite direction. Though a horse’s teeth are dull, they can still pinch and bruise and provide an unexpected bit of pain. If it lands, it won’t cause Lyris to bleed. Maybe just… give her a little proverbial kick in the butt?

Nothing, however, could have prepared her for some good ol’ fashioned weather manipulation. Lyris turns to her left, and so Lagertha turns to her right, to meet her opponent head on in a sort of pincer movement. She can feel the wind rush past her - which is odd, because it wasn’t a particularly blustery day. As the gray mare turns in a tight circle, she takes her eyes off her opponent and looks up, noticing that the tops of the trees are bending and the branches are all being pulled inward… towards the two of them. Her eyes narrow. What does Lyris have up her sleeve? She continues moving towards the other mare but pulls her pace back a bit, trying to figure out what is going to happen.

Then a heavy, hard gust of wind hits her and practically stops her in her tracks. Luckily, it came from the front and not the side, so Lagertha has much more stability. She digs her feet into the ground coats her skin in heavy iron, making it rather difficult for anything to make her move. She doesn’t know how long the attack will last, so she braces herself to endure something that would give Lyris the time to sneak up on her from a different direction. But the bombardment is short, thank goodness, and when Lagertha can open her eyes to more than a thin slit, she immediately tries to locate Lyris.

She knows she has a second attack, but chooses not to use use it. She wants to see more of what the other mare can do. A small, thin smile stretches across her lips while she waits and prepares for the next attack. Oh, this is fun.

lagertha

carnage x grim reaper; amazonian general

I hope it doesn't seem like a cop out - wanted to go with the 'teaching and observing' part more than the 'real battle' part