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RESPITE FALLS NORTHERN GATE - MIDDAY
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Gareth strides around a little ways past the north gate to the town, out in the plains beyond the walls. At the moment, he's less exploring and more just wandering a bit in an effort to try and do something to keep himself occupied.
Victoria was lying on one of the rocks, but catching the sight of the the burly wolf, stalking this stranger became more important than catnapping. At this point, she has followed Gareth for a while - partly out of curiosity, partly just because it's fun to see when she's spotted. She's currently some distance behind and the the side from Gareth, prowling closer.
Gareth has noticed Victoria stalking him for a bit, by this point, but hasn't said anything so far. He's all too familiar with folks giving him undue attention, but he continues to act vaguely alert as he waits for the leopard to make their move.
Victoria stalks closer, then as she's mere sprint-and-pounce distance away, does just that towards the wolf as though he was any random prey. She's fast, but is she faster than the wolf?
Gareth waits for the telltale rustling that indicates someone rushing at him. He turns towards the sound, already boosting himself sideways (hopefully) out of his attacker's direct charge path, and readies one of his pistols to try and scare away whatever wild creature is gutsy enough to attack him.
Victoria pounces just barely past Gareth, growling. She spins around as soon as her momentum allows, noticing the weapon: "No fair using guns!" By this point her more-than-a-normal-leopard amounts of jewelry and clothing should be pretty obvious to the wolf.
Gareth is about to fire a warning shot into the air to scare away what he figured was a wild animal, but hesitates when he hears the leopard talking, as well as the subtle jingling (and not so subtle sparkling) of her jewelry. In his confusion, he furrows his brow and tilts his head. "Wait... a talkin' wild leopard...?" He casts a little glance at the canteen strapped to his side, then back at Victoria, "...Did someone put somethin' in me water...?"
Victoria tilts her head, then starts stalking closer as she speaks: "Well, 'wild' is pretty relative, but you were pretty admirably quick on the turn yourself~."
Gareth reaches up his free hand and lightly pinches the bridge of his snout as he holsters his pistol again. "Either I'm hallucinatin', or yer actually a talkin' leopard." He sighs, looking at Victoria again, "In me old profession, ye stay alert an' react fast, or ye die."
Victoria looks at Gareth as though appraising him from head to toe: "Same could be said about Mean Peak Plateau wilderness, not that I planned my extended stay there."
Gareth likewise scrutinizes Victoria, noting that the leopard seems to have some pretty non-wild mannerisms. "Can't say I know what Mean Peak is like, but I'll take yer word for it. Unplanned stays just mean yer capable of handlin' trouble."
Victoria tilts her head: "Well, kinda gotta be out here." She sits down: "So what's you doing out here, finding trouble?"
Gareth shrugs. "Mostly just wanderin', truth be told. Came here with me partner a couple o' weeks back, since she's got family here she wanted to visit. Been stuck here since because of some kind o'... transformation... thing." He blinks, "Somethin' like what you are. 'Course, yer not an okapi, but... feral and all that."
Victoria looks at Gareth curiously: "Yeah, that's me I reckon. Not having it as bad as Erika though, poor girl." She considers: "So you're here just without much to do?"
Gareth nods. "More or less. Not much in the way of bounties, and the local wildlife looks to be under control. I could always just head back to Bairnell's Folly and go off on me own for a bit, but somethin' tells me that me partner's goin' to need some support, here."
Victoria gives a slight shrug: "There's always hunting to be done, if nothing else is happening."
Gareth scratches at the fur on his neck. "I suppose. Not really my style, huntin' wild animals, though. Much prefer the money I get from huntin' people tryin' to hide from others."
Victoria gives her forepaw a lick before looking back at Gareth: "Perhaps, but not much of that here. Those that vanish are forever gone into the wilds, or, you know, wanna go out there and not come back." She lets out a grumble under her breath: "Stupid monkey doc..."
Gareth chuckles and flashes a bit of a grin. "The ones that don't want to come back are the ones that I get paid to bring back. Only if someone's payin' for me to do so, anyway, for whatever reason."
Victoria looks at Gareth curiously: "That's been pretty much Guard's job 'round here. Bounty hunters get all uppity about payment and whatever their own brand of justice is."
Gareth laughs. "Then ye've not met veteran hunters. We don't care about justice. We just care about gettin' paid." He pauses, then shrugs, "I suppose some folk try to act like they've got morals in selectin' only 'upstandin'' jobs or whatever."
Victoria looks aside, musing: "Wouldn't know about it. Birds don't get to decide. They're food."
Gareth gives Victoria another look. "Well, not surprisin', considering yer a cat and all. Yer pretty good at sneakin'."
Victoria gives a feline smirk: "Thanks. Leopard, not a cat tho."
Gareth dips his head. "Leopard, then. Ye'd have caught me off-guard if I wasn't already alert."
Victoria laughs a bit: "Oh so you were just lucky? I'll have to try again~."
Gareth shrugs. "Yer welcome to try again, lass. It'll be nice to have somethin' to keep me wits about for." He chuckles, "Town's a bit peaceful. Don't need me skills rustin'."
Victoria grins toothily: "It's a deal, then."
Gareth gives Victoria a similar, toothy grin. "Sounds like fun, then. I promise to not pull a pistol on ye again, since I'll be expectin' ye." He looks around, "At least... within the town's walls. Out here, can't be too careful."
Victoria winks, getting up: "Fair enough. Name's Victoria, by the way. Just so you know who to yell for when I get the jump on you."
Gareth raises a hand in greeting. "And I'm Gareth. At least now I'll know whose name to yell if I don't see you in time." He smirks, "Not that it'll be that easy for ye, anyway."
Victoria starts to turn, walking into the grass: "We'll see, big boyo~. I have a lot of time in my paws right now..."
Gareth chuckles as he starts to walk on his meandering path again. "Sounds like somethin' we both got in common, right now. Try not to go insane from boredom, though, Victoria."
Victoria gives a soft chuckle from wherever exactly she's vanished: "You too, Gareth. You too~."
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TRAINING GROUNDS - AFTERNOON
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Louma gives a quick salute to the two guards leaving after observing their training, turning back to the empty grounds and slithering towards the rack of training weapons. She picks up a brand new training spear, a rough wooden shape carved and nailed to it in place of the head. She gives it a test swing and shakes her head slightly. "Still wrong."
Gareth steps into the training grounds, nodding at the two departing guards as he sweeps past them. From what Fiora was telling him not too long after the two first arrived, the guards make for a decent challenge, even if their fighting styles are more rigid than the pair's usual quarry. He looks around a bit as he comes to a stop, seeming a bit amused. "Yep... this is a trainin' ground, alright..."
Louma looks up at the voice, turning to see a familiar wolf. "Ah, good afternoon Gareth." She sets the wooden spear back into the rack. "How does the day find you?"
Gareth tosses Louma a casual salute as he shifts his attention to her. "Afternoon, Louma. Had an interestin' encounter out beyond the gate earlier, but nothin' too out o' the ordinary. You?"
Louma shrugs, approaching Gareth to talk. "Nothing exciting, returning to the old routine and already bored of it. Did you find yourself on the toothed end of a sand gator?"
Gareth shakes his head and laughs. "Nah, much as I like sandy beaches, the desert's got a bit too much o' that stuff for my likin'. I ran into a talkin' leopard. She was tryin' to get the jump on me, but I was just a wee bit too alert."
Louma pauses, then sighs as she shakes her head. "Victoria. I'll have a talk with her on stalking random citizens. Hold on, she didn't actually attack you, did she?"
Gareth grins. "I don't rightly know what she was intendin', since I sidestepped her before she could make contact." He shrugs, "I didn't see any harm in it, since she seems to treat it like a game."
Louma nods, smiling. "As long as you're not... You sidestepped a pouncing leopard? Was she coming from in front of you, or did I underestimate your agility?" She glances over Gareth, considering his size and outfit. She had assumed he could move well, but not that well.
Gareth chuckles, seeming perhaps just a little smug at Louma's surprise. "From behind. Though, in her defense, I knew she was stalkin' me for a while, even if I did think she was a wild creature at first."
Louma hums, clearly impressed. "Well mister bounty hunter, you've already made my day far more interesting. She had made a habit of stalking other guards while on her patrols, startling them in the name of awareness. I still don't like the idea that she's pouncing at armed citizens, but at least she's clearly still herself."
Gareth pats at the pistols on his belt. "Heh, funny you should say that. Because I thought she was just a wild creature, I pulled a pistol on her, hopin' to make the bang scare her off. She seemed a bit annoyed at how the pistol 'wasn't fair', as she said."
Louma chuckles, shaking her head. "I appreciate that you didn't shoot at her. She may be agile, but even Victoria wouldn't outrun a bullet. I've never heard her say something wasn't fair, though. She's usually up for any challenge."
Gareth shrugs. "No sense in killin' a wild animal if I wasn't goin' to make use of the meat and fur. Figured I'd leave it to the local hunters." He smirks a bit, "She's got some sense, at least. You'd be surprised at how many idiots think they can beat a bullet to the punch."
Louma grins, crossing her arms. "I'm sure you have droves of stories to tell about your adventures on the sea and with Erika's cousin. The more I hear from you, the less rough you seem, though."
Gareth gives Louma a bit of a look, though there's a hint of amusement in his voice. "Really, now? What makes ye say that?"
Louma shrugs. "When I picture pirates, I don't exactly see folks with a calm demeanor, nor the presence of mind to stay their hand from an approaching threat. Then again, I've never actually met a pirate, and only know them through tales. Bounty hunters, as rare as they are here, are so wildly varied that I don't think there's any stereotype other than potentially dangerous."
Gareth gets a bit of a feral grin. "Oh, trust me, just because I seem all kind and calm doesn't mean this wolf can't bite. I just have more sense than the usual rabble on a pirate crew. Ye see it pretty often in the higher ranks on ships."
Louma chuckles, giving him a bit of a look. "Is that so? I suppose some of those tales must have some truth behind them, then. What were you, an officer?"
Gareth chuckles, still grinning. "Quartermaster of the last ship I served on."
Louma hums, nodding. "Impressive, I must say. So from that position, to a bounty hunter, an exciting path. But now you've been in Respite for... Hm, three weeks? How bored you must be."
Gareth hums, nodding as his grin fades. "Mmh, it's why I'm here at the trainin' grounds, now. Fiora told me I could get a decent challenge from the guards. Might as well keep me skills sharp while Fiora takes care of business."
Louma grins. "Oh? So a sparring partner is what you came here for? I seem to remember an offer of sorts in our last talk, actually." She unfolds her arms, gesturing towards the sparring circles.
Gareth smirks a bit. "Funny, I remember somethin' similar, too. If yer still offerin', I'll take ye up on it, Ms. Guard Captain." He looks over at the ring, then tilts his head, "Trainin' weapons, or hand-to-hand?"
Louma considers for a moment. "I haven't sparred with a weapon since well before our little adventure to the mountains. If that's alright with you, I could use the practice."
Gareth nods as he turns his attention to the weapon rack of training gear nearby. "Fine by me. I'm sure I can find somethin' I've used before."
Louma nods, turning to the rack. She eyes the spear again, letting out a disappointed grunt as she picks out a shortsword, slipping a blunted tuck into the belt of her uniform. "I imagine these practice weapons aren't as exciting as things you've seen in your adventures." She tests the heft of the sword, turning towards the nearest arena.
Gareth steps over to the rack and takes a few seconds to eye the types of blades available. He reaches out and grabs hold of a straight sword, testing the balance and weight. "Hmm... Not quite the same as me cutlass, but it'll do well enough." He steps back and gives the sword a little flourish, then nods, seemingly satisfied.
Louma chuckles, looking over her shoulder. "I don't know if you want to shed the extra weight of your own weapons or not." She proceeds to loosen the collar of her uniform, stretching as she enters the wooden circle.
Gareth glances down at his gear, then shrugs and takes a few moments to remove his equipment belt. He sets it aside, then bounces rather lightly upon his feet a bit as he makes his way into the ring as well. "Shouldn't matter too much."
Louma watches him bouncing, grinning. "Hum... I haven't sparred with anyone but the Guard in a long time. This should be interesting, at least." She swings the sword with her left hand, getting used to it's heft. "I might be a little more excited about this than I should be."
Gareth grins as he gets accustomed to the reduced weight, then moves to a spot opposite Louma in the ring. He continues to mess with the wooden sword a bit, twirling it about as he tries to get a bead on the precise balancing. "I know what ye mean, Louma. Last time I got to fight a guard captain was years ago."
Louma tilts her head slightly, chuckling. "You'll have to tell me about how that happened sometime." She bends, picking a red cloth tied to a small weight off the ground. "Though I have a feeling it wasn't as cordial as a sparring match?"
Gareth shakes his head as he finishes getting a feel for the sword's balance. "'Hardly. Shipboard melee between me old crew and probably half of the local garrison of a small port in Orela." He snorts, "Wonder if they're still sore about that cut across the leg I gave 'em..."
Louma grins, shaking her head. "A troublemaker no matter where you are, hmm? Don't worry, I wont fight for the honor of that captain, even a fellow Orelan. Ready?"
Gareth hums and nods as he adopts an oddly casual ready pose, though the positioning of his feet tell a different story. "Ready."
Louma tenses her tail behind her, her wings pulling protectively against her back as she. She tosses the cloth into the air, shifting the sword to her right hand as it descends, eyes locked on Gareth. It hits the sand with a dull thud, and the snake tail pushes off in that moment, with a cross-swing aimed for his mid-section.
Gareth waits for Louma, though his feet shift to better brace himself as he flips his blade around into a reverse grip, bringing it up to block the cross strike. He grins as he pushes against Louma's sword, leaving them locked against each other for a few seconds before he leverages his stance and shoves her back.
Louma moves back, her grip faltering for a moment, her attention shifting to the sword for a moment as she backs off to prepare for another strike, though her tail being behind her makes the movement slower than she'd like. "Definitely a little different than most of our guards."
Gareth flips his blade back around to a normal grip as he backs off, rather than pressing his advantage. He can't help but smile at Louma's assessment. "Oh? What makes ye say that?"
Louma grins. "Creative sword grips, and also not chasing a recoiling target." Her tail bunches up during the retreat, allowing her to spring forward, this time angling to swat the flat of her blade at his left thigh.
Gareth tries to spring back as Louma surges forward, but he still ends up catching the tip of the blade across his thigh. He winces as he lands, bringing his blade up to brace against any follow-ups. "Damn. Fiora wasn't just pullin' me leg about the guards."
Louma grins, turning on the spot to face him again. "Hope she doesn't pull that one for a bit. I've been here for over eight years, but I've not forgotten one of the few things I'm glad to have kept from Orela." She backs off again before getting too overconfident, still slowed by the tail bunching behind her.
Gareth hums as he lowers his guard again and fixes Louma with a steady gaze. "Hmm... Well, I guess I won't keep me skills sharp by babyin' a sparrin' match." He braces, then launches himself at Louma in a dead run.
Louma sees the agility that had stumped Victoria, settling and bringing her sword forward to block, though she can't tell where he intends to strike.
Gareth keeps his sword low and to the side as he approaches Louma, seemingly intending for a slash from her hip to her opposite shoulder. Moments before he strikes, however, he flips his blade around again as he swings, purposely 'missing' the slash and pulling a delayed stab instead.
Louma barely spots the stab coming, moving her body sideways and trying to deflect the move with her sword. She still takes the hit to her side, feeling like she'd received a good punch. She recoils, taking advantage of the close proximity with a wild, reactionary swing of her weapon.
Gareth pulls his blade back while dipping his upper half backwards to try and dodge the blade. As his center of mass shifts, he rapidly slides his feet back to keep his balance. Despite Louma's wild swing, he doesn't attempt to press the advantage as he backs off, knowing those sorts of attacks are extremely unpredictable.
Louma puts too much into the swing, wincing at the pain in her side as she tries to recover, strafing around Gareth to make distance a little quicker. "Must admit that was good." She rubs the spot, considering her next move.
Gareth flips his blade back around to a proper grip and darts in to attack once more, this time angling for Louma's side. "Helped me through many a scrape in the past!"
Louma is more prepared for the next attack, turning to keep him in front of her and settling into a defensive stance, though the throbbing of her side causes her to wince a bit.
Gareth zips right past Louma as she turns, though he abruptly stops a few steps past her guard. As he stops, he pivots on a foot and spins, aiming a rough, horizontal slash at her abdomen, letting momentum add a bit more weight to his strike.
Louma hesitates for a moment, but manages to drop her sword in front of his, though with no time to brace against the strike. He block only dulls the thud against her scales, causing her to grimace as the pain in that side spreads to two spots. With an annoyed grunt, her eyes lock on to his face, the hand not occupied by her sword balling into a fist angled towards her opponent's own side.
Gareth spots the punch coming just a moment too late, and is only just starting to move as Louma's fist connects. He staggers sideways as the punch forces the wind out of him, but the force behind the punch allows him to break away from the clash. He winces a bit as he spares his free hand to rub at the spot, though he keeps his blade ready. "Not a bad punch ye've got there, Louma."
Louma grins, backing off as well and rubbing her own side. "I mentioned not doing much armed sparring, that just meant a lot of hand to hand instead." She continues to face him, bunching her tail only at the base of her body, leaving the majority of her length looking relaxed as she sets her upper body stance again.
Gareth chuckles a bit as he drops his free hand and curls his fingers into a fist as well. "Then, in that case, don't mind if I get me hands dirty, too. Me left hand felt a bit left out, what with me pistols bein' over by the rack and all."
Louma chuckles in turn, nodding. "I wouldn't tell you not to use your fist. Everything is a weapon with enough creativity, after all." She ducks low, pushing off with her tail, angling for Gareth's left side with an upward-angled slash.
Gareth chuckles and takes a couple of steps back as Louma surges forward. He dips his left side back and boosts himself off to the right to try and give himself a little space, but the move comes a touch too slow as the tip of Louma's blade grazes him. He makes a little sound of dissatisfaction at the mark. "Mh... This match is makin' me glad I didn't have to face you in Orela. I'd have been in bed for a couple o' weeks recoverin' from all these nicks."
Louma turns after passing him, settling onto her tail again as she grins somewhat darkly. "I'm not very well trained in swordfighting, I'm sure you can tell. If we had met in Orela, I'd be using a beautiful hooked spear instead."
Gareth smirks and raises an eyebrow. "A hooked spear, hm? I think I remember seein' those a couple o' times in the past. Nasty-lookin' pieces o' work, if I recall. I wouldn't want to be on the receivin' end o' one." He braces again, then surges forward once more.
Louma sighs, setting her guard in preparation for another hard to track attack. She makes a mental note to get more practice in with sparring partners that fight similarly, the throbbing pain in her side telling her she'll need it.
Gareth draws up short, about an arm's length away from Louma, before he pushes himself off to her left. As soon as he lands, he wheels around and aims a vicious slash towards her lower body, where her legs would be if she didn't have a long snake tail.
Louma attempts to counter before his attack, opting to drop her guard into a slash that crosses Gareth's torso. Well, it would have, before he side stepped. The movement from her own attack at least shifted her tail slightly, likely saving her at least a sliver as she winces from the strike, letting out a shout of pain.
Gareth lets momentum carry him a little ways across the arena, giving both of them some breathing room again. He adjusts the blade in his hand, watching Louma warily as she recovers from the strike. "Ye holdin' up alright there, Louma?"
Louma grimaces as she turns, though chuckling. "Bruises were promised, so no complaints here!" She doesn't waste more breath on words, wanting a bit of redemption for that mistake as she rapidly slithers toward him rather than launching herself. She raises the sword for a rather blatant high strike, the other hand wrapping around the hilt of the tuck at her side.
Gareth settles into a more braced position as Louma slithers towards him, the slower movement catching him slightly off-guard after their previous exchanges. As the sword descends, he raises his own to guard against the strike while also shifting to the side in an effort to avoid it if her swing proves overpowering.
Louma brings the sword down with decent speed, though the moment it connects with his own, her torso twists to draw the tuck from her side in a reverse grip, dragging the small blade across his torso as she draws the sword back.
Gareth reels back from the sudden touch of the second blade. A snarl crosses his face as he reflexively reaches a hand up to pat at his chest, but he's already moving forward again. Aiming low, his hand slides from his chest to the haft of his blade, holding it in a two-handed grip as he drives the blade right at Louma's abdomen. "Rrragh!"
Louma falters at the growl, realizing quickly that her sword is useless to defend at this range. She tries to deflect the two handed blow with her tuck, but the one-handed small blade doesn't do much of anything as the blunted sword hits hard directly into her softer belly, pushing a pained grunt from the guard as she bends at the strike.
Gareth leaves the blade planted against Louma for a few moments, before slowly pulling it back again. He takes a couple of steps back with a slow, purposeful gait. Satisfied, though still breathing rather hard from that last exchange, he gives his sword a bit of a swing through the air at his side out of habit.
Louma lets out a slow breath, turning to glare towards Gareth as he steps back. "Wh-where do you think you're going?" She straightens up, apparently trying to take a wild swing with her sword before he can get far enough away, though she follows through on the errant swing too hard, turning in a full circle. A cloud of dust, meanwhile, travels across the ground towards Gareth's legs, a black tail shrouded in the airborne sand.
Gareth raises his arm to block the sand as it envelops him, however it also leaves his side completely unprotected as Louma's thick tail slams into him. Not ready for the strike, he gets the wind knocked out of him and gets sent tumbling across the sparring circle.
Louma huffs, watching the wolf tumble as she tries to catch her breath from the stab. She chuckles to herself, slipping the tuck back into her belt to rub her injuries. "Excellent ferocity... Your skill is -hoo- certainly beyond question."
Gareth coughs as he tries to catch his breath while also pushing himself back up onto his feet. He grimaces as he rests a hand against his side. "Gods above... yer somethin' else in a fight, Louma. I don't remember anyone bein' able to give as good as they got, like that..."
Louma relaxes her stance, grunting a bit. "That last one might have been a bit much, my apologies."
Gareth shakes his head as he slowly stretches his side out. "Eh... not much worse than what I did to ye right before. I guess we're about even."
Louma chuckles, which hurts. "I'm fine with that, if you don't mind. Going to be sore for a few days after this, but thank you for an interesting match." She gives a slight bow to the wolf.
Gareth dips into a little bow as well, but it's a little lopsided from the throbbing pain in his side. "We're both goin' to be feelin' it, for sure... Thanks fer the sparrin' session, Louma. Feels good knowin' I can still stand with the best of 'em after these past few weeks."
Louma blushes under her feathers at the implied compliment, adjusting her uniform as she heads for the weapon rack. "I wouldn't know about who is the best here."
Gareth makes his way to the rack and stows the blade, then gets his equipment belt back on, though he ties it just a touch looser than normal. "Either way, I wouldn't want to get on yer bad side."
Louma smiles, still uncomfortably rubbing her injuries. "Nor I you, Gareth. All I can say is I'm glad I'm off duty, because these bruises are screaming for a hot soak at the bath house."
Gareth hums, though it sounds more like a groan. "Mmh... a hot bath sounds... kind o' nice, despite bein' near a desert."
Louma nods, giving the wolf a bit of a look. "Trust me, even out here, it feels really good~"
Gareth nods, still rubbing at the various bruises no doubt springing up beneath his fur. "I'll take yer word for it. If ye don't mind company, the bathhouse sounds like the right place to be, right now."
Louma grins, nodding. "Have to fly by home to change out of this uniform, then I'll see you there." She backs away from the weapon rack a bit, beginning to spread her wings.
Gareth nods as he starts to make his way back out of the training grounds. "I'll see ye there, then, Louma. Think I'm goin' to... take me time getting there..."
Louma smiles, taking off in a cloud of dust and downy feathers, glad that the match had left her torso relatively unhurt so flying wasn't uncomfortable. She watches from up high as Gareth makes his way from the training grounds, before angling off towards her own home, satisfied with their meet-up.