Fire and Fur

[Rahne Sinclair]

(September 5th, open to Astrid/Rahne and whoever is watching them fight. so Hiccup XD)

She was terrified. Rahne had fought before, sure. She'd fought Mystique, the woman who'd slaughtered her mother. She'd fought the Hellions. She'd fought the brotherhood. But it was all through necessity. To defend herself or mutant kind. Not for just senseless sport. The female walked into the arena and felt immediately like she was a child again. Alright so she was a child, 19 years old but this just made her feel like she was 14 years old again. Her mind snapped back to her time in Nova Roma when she watched Sam and Roberto fighting off gladiators. She shook her head.

She was a big girl now. Now she had to fight.

Her eyes narrowed darkly as she approached the center of the ring. She was dressed in her X-Men best, not only for show but also for the fact it was easy for her to shirt in and out of wolf form. Her russet hair blew in the wind as her lips parted. The awkwardness of the fight hung on the air as she stared at the doorway where her opponent would walk out. 

[Astrid]

Well. Here she was.

Just as the first time she'd stepped foot in the dragon arena back on Berk, Astrid took a calming breath. She didn't often get nervous without very good reason - but this was her first entry into the arena for a real fight. Not training; real, serious combat, and even though she knew it wasn't to the death, the viking still felt an uncomfortable fluttery sensation in the pit of her stomach.

Was Hiccup somewhere up in the stands, watching her? Astrid hoped so. If she knew her boyfriend was looking on, it would give her an added spur to do her best.

"No turning back," she reminded herself softly, tightening her grip on her axe. She was here, and she was ready to fight. Without further ado, the blonde girl stepped out of the entryway and into the arena.

She'd left her horribly impractical uniform back in the locker room; in its place, Astrid wore the vest, leather skirt, wrist-wrappings and all the rest of it that made up her typical outfit. Her free hand swept a few strands of blonde away from her left eye as she approached the centre, where her opponent already stood waiting.

The redheaded girl from the locker room.

"You're Wolfsbane?" Though Astrid knew better than to be surprised, the name had suggested to her someone big and powerful. There had to be more to the girl than met the eye, and the young viking hefted her battleaxe with a touch of puzzled uncertainty, wondering what to expect.

[Hiccup]

Hiccup was there, all right. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he hadn't at least attended the fight Astrid was involved in. It didn't mean he was any less nervous about the whole thing, though. While it was great to know that they didn't have to wear their uniforms in the matches, it was still terrifying knowing that Astrid was amongst the first round of fighters. Still... He couldn't deny that she looked as good as ever. If it had been a match between her and someone he knew didn't stand a chance, he would have been more at ease. As it stood, though, Hiccup hadn't the slightest idea of what her opponent could do. All he could see was that there was a redhead in the arena with Astrid. Apparently, that was her opponent.

"Gods above, please don't let this go badly," Hiccup breathed. He was already on the edge of his seat and close to just biting his nails. It wasn't the most hygienic of nervous habits, but who cared? His stomach was in knots and he felt as though he'd be sick. Why couldn't they just get this over with? He didn't want to keep watching and waiting to find out what would happen to his girlfriend. Astrid could kick ass, he knew this for a fact, but that didn't stop Hiccup from worrying. Nothing would keep him from worrying about her... Not even the assurance that she could hold her own.

Not much longer now. Soon enough, he'd know just what Rahne could do and whether or not Astrid was in deep shit.

[Rahne Sinclair]

Rahe's eyes widened, the hair bristling on the back of her neck. She recognized that voice! The tough looking blonde from the changing room! Rahne's lips parted as she stared towards the girl, taking in the view of her.

"Ah...aye," she mumbled, "Yuir Astrid then." She bit her lip, head lifting and straightening her stance. This was it then. She was to be put to the test, to be put up for a show and tell. She swallowed. Her healing factor would only hold her so far. And that was a mighty big axe she carried. She winced, turning towards the crowd before narrowing her eyes. Now was as good a time as any.

Rahne shifted seamlessly.

Her arms and body were covered in russet hair, her narrowed eyes turning red along with her green. Her muzzle was as doglike as she could get it without fully shifting. Her claws flexed, jaws opening in a snarl. It was all for show and tell, Rahne was sure she was going to spend this battle in full wolf form. Though having arms might be helpful if Astrid was good with that axe.

(OOC: she looks like the last image in my banner if that helps ^^)

[Astrid]

She'd known an easy victory against the girl would have been too good to be true.

Astrid actually stepped back a full pace as Rahne - or wolfsbane - shifted her form completely into a red-furred beast, and her axe came up in a defensive guard. Dragons were one thing; but the blonde had never seen a creature that could change its skin like this, from one creature to another, and she was wary of its abilities. Did it only have those two forms, or could it change to anything it wanted at will? Would it still think like a human, or like the dumb beast it looked like? What should she expect?

Since the girl didn't seem inclined to make an initial move beyond snarling at her, however, Astrid decided it was up to her to take the initiative.

Swinging her battleaxe high in a two-handed, Astrid charged for her opponent with a yell. The blade glinted in the light as she swung it, though she wasn't aiming for a killing blow; more than anything else, the viking wanted to test her opponent's reflexes to give herself an idea of how the rest of the fight would go.

[Hiccup]

Was he seeing things? Had Rahne just... Turned into something completely different? She looked like some kind of beast now! Hiccup's green eyes flicked from Rahne to Astrid and back again. How on earth was Astrid going to deal with this? ...Probably the same way she had dealt with dragons before learning they were confirmed to be friends and not foes. That was just what she was doing, Hiccup discovered, as she had run straight for Rahne with her axe raised and swung it down to try and strike the wolf-girl.

Hiccup couldn't pull himself away from watching the fight. He just had to know what happened to Astrid in this fight. He had to! That way he'd be able to be there for her in the aftermath and help her recover if he had the power to do so. For the moment, though, all Hiccup could do was remain as a helpless spectator. He had to resist the urge to just start cheering for Astrid. As much as he wanted to do so, it might have only acted as a distraction. He had to bite his lip to keep himself from shouting out to her for good luck or just cheering in general.

Astrid would make it out of this fight alive. She had to.

[Rahne Sinclair]

Rahne knew that Astrid was going to make the first move. Alright, that was a bold faced lie. She didn't know, she'd just hoped. The wolf-girl watched as Astrid gave split second dash at her, swinging the axe and letting out a shout. She gasped almost, teeth bared as she skidded back on her paw-feet before she tumbled out of the way. She slipped. Rahne wasn't quite used to fighting like this, fighting because she was commanded to. This was going to cause her to be a little worse than Astrid. Rahne knew that. But she DID have her wolf powers. Rahne was hoping and praying that would help her not die.

Digging her claws into the dirt of the arena, Rahne let out another snarl, baring her teeth at Astrid. The world oh so simple, Rahne felt defense of herself as her massive body dashed towards Astrid, trying to knock her to the ground. She was putting herself in full range of the axe but that was bypassing Rahney's senses at the moment.

[Astrid]

Astrid had too much momentum to just stop herself; when the beast-girl evaded her swing with plenty of room to spare, Astrid was forced to turn her swipe into a clumsy somersault dive instead. Cursing her sloppiness, the viking teen's guard was already raised as she returned to her feet, axe held across her body in a one-handed grip in preparation for Wolfsbane's next move. And not a moment too soon; the beast of a girl was suddenly all over her. Astrid was thrown to the ground as the creature slammed into her; but even as she slammed to the arena floor, Astrid's senses didn't take leave of her; and she had also kept hold of her axe.

Now, with precious little else to do in her defence, Astrid jammed its hilt up between herself and her attacker, trying to keep the wolf-girl off her while she was down. The blonde wasn't sure what Rahne was going to do next; but as long as she was - she assumed - keeping the animalistic girl at bay at the opposite end of the axe, Astrid kicked out with one booted foot. Her aim was to catch the wolf in the face and drive her back a few paces, buy herself enough time to get back to her feet and ready herself for whatever followed.

[Hiccup]

"Astrid!"

Maybe it was stupid of him to give in, but he couldn't help it. Seeing the wolf girl Rahne slam Astrid like she had managed to unhinge Hiccup's jaw and get him to finally voice that he was, in fact, present and watching the fight. Fortunately, it looked as though Astrid had the situation under control. She was able to get her axe in a position that might have kept Rahne off of her. Hiccup hoped this was the case. He really didn't want to watch Astrid get smeared across the ground in a bloody pulp. ...Not that he believed that would happen at all. No, Hiccup was still a firm believer in the idea that Astrid could kick just about anybody's ass if she wanted to. It was just an unpleasant idea to him nonetheless.

"Come on, Astrid!" Hiccup finally exclaimed. "Kick her ass! Show her what you've got! I know you can do it!"

He'd finally willed himself to his feet and was leaning forward a bit as though he thought this would somehow give him a better vantage point. It was about the same regardless of where he stood, but Hiccup hardly cared. Now he was really into it. He wasn't about to remain seated now that the action had really gotten started.

[Rahne Sinclair]

Rahne was terribly not used to fighting, especially someone she didn't care to fight. This sent her simple werewolf thoughts into overdrive; attack someone she knew was going to try and hurt her or step back and risk injury due to human morality. She shook her head above the girl. Just a split second later the heel of a boot caught her in the jaw and sent her rolling to her side, her jaw cracking loudly. Not broken but it would still sting her in human form. Rahne was adjusting her body position when she heard someone cry out. Kick her ass. Show her what you've got. I know you can do it.

Rahne's crimson orbs snapped open as she realized how truly alone she was.

She hissed, baring her fangs. Digging her claws into the dirt, she took a running start on all fours, reaching out with her left hand to scratch the girl's stomach.

[Astrid]

Her kick had the desired effect; as Rahne tumbled off her, Astrid dropped her axe just long enough to scramble back to her feet, and as soon as she was upright, the viking tee snatched the weapon up again. She took a step towards the wolf girl, intending to finish this quickly while she was down - not kill, but the flat of the axe would be more than sufficient to batter Rahne into unconsciousness - when a familiar voice rang out, spurring her on. Though she didn't turn to look for Hiccup in the stands, which would have been akin to throwing the fight altogether, Astrid had to smile at her boyfriend's encouragement. It was good to know he was there.

She brought the axe up as she continued her stride forward, momentarily exposing herself as she prepared to bring the flat side of the weapon down on her opponent's skull; a momentary exposure that the other girl, not as stunned as she had looked, was quick to take advantage of. There was a flash of red fur, hurtling towards her. A sharp burst of pain in her stomach. And then they were past each other.

Astrid grunted and staggered. While her right hand never relinquished its hold on her axe, her left clutched at her abdomen, which was smarting painfully. When she withdrew it, the hand came away wet.

First blood.

Her blue eyes hardened further as Astrid gritted her teeth against the wound and whirled to face Rahne again, axe brandished defensively. She'd done something stupid and had paid the price; now it was time to step up her game and stop making sloppy mistakes. And she didn't intend on leaving herself open enough to let the animalistic girl draw any more blood.

With all her strength, Astrid hurled her axe straight at Rahne. Before it had even crossed half the distance between them, the blonde was hard on its heels. She was sure her opponent would dodge the flying weapon with ease; but that was little more than a diversion anyway. What she doubted Rahne would be expecting was such an immediate follow-up attack; as soon as she reached the other girl, Astrid lashed out with another kick - her sturdy viking boots packed a lot more punch than even her fists - which she didn't expect the wolfish female would even see coming.

[Hiccup]

Hiccup inhaled sharply at the sight of Astrid's abdomen bleeding. Rahne had actually succeeded in hurting her! He hadn't thought anyone would be able to do that much. He'd witnessed it first hand, though, and now he was getting to see the aftermath of it. Astrid had thrown her axe, which Hiccup thought to be a rather odd choice of move, but it looked like Astrid knew what she was doing. That much remained certain when he watched her next move. In spite of how shocked he'd been by seeing her bleed, he still managed to cheer when she went for her kick.

Emerald eyes still danced with concern all the while. What if she didn't make it out of this fight all right? He knew it was an occupational hazard, being a warrior and all, but this was too much. This was supposed to be some kind of school! Did they really operate under the same train of thought Gobber had had when he'd been teaching them how to fight dragons? He sure as hell hoped that really wasn't the case, at least at first, but it really was becoming clear that there was no getting around this fighting thing. He'd surely be put in the arena at some point, too, and he could only hope to the gods above that Astrid's helping him would be enough when the time came. It was either that or he got beaten to a bloody little smear on the floor. That wouldn't have been pleasant for anybody. Especially not Astrid.

This time, Hiccup chose not to voice his cheering. He gripped the railing of the stands and leant forward just a bit. Whether or not it helped Astrid was impossible to tell, but he silently was praying for her success. There had to be some way she could pull out a victory against Rahne. She had to do it! This was Astrid they were talking about! She was unbeatable!

...Right?

The knots in his stomach from breakfast seemed to return in that moment, and Hiccup's grip slackened just a bit. The idea that she could be beaten still was unsettling. Hopefully, though, it was there for no reason. Maybe Astrid would win. He could keep praying that that was the case. Otherwise... Well, Hiccup just wasn't sure of what would happen.

[Rahne Sinclair]

Rahne wouldn't have seen much coming. She was staring, rather stupidly she'd admit, at her claws. Blood. She'd drawn blood. Her stomach dropped violently. She felt sick. Like she wanted to vomit the contents of her stomach all over the ground. She almost collapsed. BLOOD. Crimson liquid dripping from Astrid's stomach. And she was the one who'd caused it.

Her feet shifted back as she pinned her ears back. Angry at herself for letting the beast get ahold of her. Angry because of the memory of what she did to Josh. She let out a snarl. Too late to prepare however as instinct kicked in. Astrid was on her again.

Or rather the axe was on her. In her simplistic wolfish mind, Rahne took to dodging the axe. She was quite confused. Her opponent had dropped her weapon? The only thing she had against Rahne's claws and teeth?

Now the plan was revealed but Rahne wasn't on gaurd to dodge the attack. Astrid's heel smacked hard against her jaw, almost knocking it right out of place. A blow to the head sent the half-wolf half-Scot to the ground, slamming into the dirt of the arena. Her teeth gritted. Was her jaw broken? She hoped not. She struggled to get herself to her feet before transforming once again. All human aspects of her fading as she took on that fluffy russet full wolf form. She was still struggling to raise, to find the feeling in her jaw.

(I do not know how jaw injuries work clearly XD Makin' stuff up)

[Astrid]

Astrid didn't even allow herself a momentary gloat as her boot connected solidly with the wolf girl's jaw and sent her crashing to the ground; after Rahne's quick recovery last time, the viking girl wasn't take any chances. Instead, the blonde let the kick she had delivered lead into a carefully executed tumble that landed her directly beside her fallen axe; bare moments later, the weapon was back in her hands, and Astrid was on the defensive once again.

Apparently, she could have taken her time; the blow she had delivered seemed to have stunned the red-furred creature, who seemed to be struggling to rise. Carefully, Astrid took a step forward, then another; all the while keeping her weapon in its defensive posture. This could be nothing more than a trick to lure her in, and the young viking had no intention of being caught off-guard.

She drew to a cautious stop as Rahne's body seemed to shift again, becoming more animalistic still, and it quicky dawned on Astrid that this might be her last chance to bring the fight to a quick close. Once the other girl was fully wolf, there was no telling what she might be able to do - and Astrid really didn't fancy finding out. While the animal still seemed to be struggling to find its feet, the blonde dived forward, into a roll that carried her right to Rahne's side, and swung the flat of her axe straight down at the russet beast's head. One blow; one blow should be all it took to batter her opponent into unconsciousness, and then she would have won the fight.

Whether Rahne would let the fight end that easily, however, was another matter entirely.

[Hiccup]

If he wasn't seeing the fight with his own eyes, Hiccup wouldn't have believed it. One minute Rahne had been in one form, and the next she was a full wolf. Just how many forms did Rahne have? He wondered about it briefly before realizing that the fight was still going on. Emerald eyes shifted from Rahne and back to Astrid. She'd successfully gotten her axe back, thank the gods, and was heading straight back toward Rahne. It looked as though the wolf girl was struggling to find her feet, though, so Astrid shouldn't have had a much more difficult time of things. Unless Rahne miraculously pulled a recovery from her stunned state, Hiccup was confident that Astrid could win.

Guess you really were worrying about nothing, he told himself. This thought didn't stop him from continuing to watch with full interest, though. As long as the fight went on, he would keep watching. He had to know how Astrid was by the end of it. Nothing was going to get him to leave until that time.

...All that really remained was finding out the conclusion of the fight. Astrid had made a move to try and knock Rahne out with her axe, but whether or not it would connect had yet to be seen. All he could do was watch. That helpless feeling lingered within him, but it was much less nagging than it had been before.