[❅ Icy Dragon ✩]

Round 5

Aftershock (TrinitySilph) vs Rianne (Sunfrost)

It has now been two days since the last round of the tournament. The gladiators were offered an extended time of reprise, allowing them to rest, so that they could return to battling in a refreshed state.

In the time since the last battle, an onslaught of mixed ice and rain have coated the Colosseum and surrounding battlegrounds. A good amount of the snow has melted, leaving only patches to cover the ground. As the sun reaches noon, the next battle will begin at the edge of the forest near the Colosseum. Several inches of slick, half-frozen mud coats the ground and obscures fallen branches and tree roots that may easily be tripped over. Icicles hang from the trees and provides a pseudo rain as they drips to the ground. At the edge of the trees, a chilly breeze cuts through and shakes the slumbering flora.

---

Please remember that this post serves as the first post of the battle. It is taken as though both your characters are now present, and your following posts will begin the fighting (unlike regular battles where one equine enters and has to wait for the other to arrive). 

All battles are fought with the rules 3 attacks, 1 dodge, 3 days to reply. There will be no extensions given out, no exception. As these are meant to be shorter, quicker battles, the maximum word count is 800 words. 

*If the second poster finishes the thread with an attack, the first poster may post OOC to describe the results of said attack prior to judging (still needs to follow the three day rule).

Please ensure you utilize the battle for just like regular battles. 

TrinitySilph , you were drawn to post first. You have 3 days from this point to make your first post. Let the battles begin!

[TrinitySilph]

Four days. How long had it been since he rested for four whole days? Injuries sustained over three rounds of merciless battle still ached and nagged, but such rest had been a gift as though from the gods themselves. Aftershock was refreshed.

The painted stallion, though well-rested, had not spent his reprieve in mere luxury. No, he had instead focused on keeping himself limber, though he knew well this next battle could be his last. Muscles ravaged by deep bruising had been stretched well, then iced in snow banks to keep from swelling. Inflamed scrapes and gashes were tended with what few local herbs he could find, then treated to the same ice baths as the bruising. He had feasted on grass made lush and green by life beneath the snow, and he had drunk sweet ice water from the river Danika had nearly been consigned to. He had slept soundly through the night for the first time in months.

If all else came to ruin, he must remember at least to thank Rianne for this challenge. Had she not baited him into battle, he might not have worked himself so hard that he could sleep so well. Had his blood not been allowed to burn and boil, he might have wandered through life forever, a mere shell of himself. He had been broken, and battle had repaired him.
This was what he was born to do.

And then word came to him: Rianne was to be his next opponent.
For an instant, time froze. To be fighting him now, she had to have lost her last fight. The concept seemed utterly laughable - how could his queen of violence have lost? She who wore the skins of lesser animals and ran beneath an eagle’s wings?
His…
Funny, that he thought of her that way. He barely knew her. She practically scorned him. Fair enough, he supposed. He hadn’t proven himself worthy of following her yet.

He prowled through their battleground as the sun reached its zenith, silent as any hoofed beast could realistically be in a wretched slurry of mud and ice. The sun dappled the forest floor, light and dark mingling in a marbled mosaic, obscuring his coat amidst the patches. Sky blue eyes scanned the dimness for any trace of a bay coat, any echo of tinkling jewellery amidst the gentle patter of icicle rain.

Every so often, his hooves met hard things beneath the mud.
Could be anything: rocks, roots, fallen branches…

This forest was a nightmare of tripping hazards, and slippery beyond reason. There was only so much training could do for experience, and Shock had to admit his own life experiences were primarily restricted to drier landscapes. His homeland had been turned into a dust bowl by the presence of the great herd, and Iscariot’s domain was a desert. Still, it was not in his nature, nor his training, to give up, half-frozen mud soup to his ankles be damned. As with the rest of this tournament, he would simply have to be careful.

Finally, he saw her, moving through the trees like a shadow. Aftershock rolled his stiff shoulder and stretched his neck one last time against the dull pain of old injuries. He took a few deep breaths to make sure his bruised chest wasn’t restricting his breathing the way it had in his fight against Danika.

He waited until his target had drawn just close enough. Did she notice him? It didn’t matter.

He lunged.

Bursting from the shadows like a bat out of hell, Aftershock launched himself at Rianne, aiming bared teeth at the base of her neck. There was a wound there, just above her shoulders, and though it seemed to be healing, it also seemed, at a glance, to have been significant. If he could catch her there, digging his teeth into healing flesh, he would use the surprise of his lunge and the pain of the wound to knock her off balance and throw her into the mud.

In other circumstances, he might have considered the move rather improper to use on a mare to whose employ he was applying. In most circumstances, his potential employer would not have challenged him to gladiatorial combat.


Name: Aftershock
Breed: Irish Draught x Georgian Grande
Age: 6
Gender: Stallion
Height: 16.2hh
Alliance: Unallied
Health: 60% (From 50% at end of last round, +5% healed for every 2 days of rest)

Attacks:
1. Lunges out of the shadows and attempts to grab Rianne by the wound at the base of her neck to throw her to the ground.
2. –
3. –

Dodge:
1. –

Previous Injuries:
1. Bruised, stiff shoulders - has had time to mostly heal, particularly after 4 rest days.
2. Shallow gash on his flank - has begun to heal, pain is minimal
3. Badly bruised chest - still causing stiffness and can cause breathing issues with exertion, but limp is now minor
4. Torn flesh and bruising along left side of jaw. Painful, but won’t get in the way in most cases. Bruising has faded, tearing has scabbed but could re-open.
5. Large gash to the right side of his neck, near his throat. Will take a long time to heal and will scar. Makes it painful to move his head left. Has scabbed but is now stiff, making movement difficult. Could easily open back up again.
6. Badly bruised forelegs. With four days to rest, this has become much less painful, but still causes stiffness and will affect stamina.
7. Shallow gash to left shoulder. Healing, but could easily re-open and will cause stiffness over time.
8. Light bruising to rump. Healing well after 4 rest days.

New Injuries:
1. –

Sunfrost

[Sunfrost]

Defeat. The bitterness of it was unpleasant. Rianne, who usually strutted with pride from the battlefield after her matches, quickly and quietly slunk away the moment her defeat was announced. The nag had been handed Rianne’s victory. Vojorn would now rest and await whoever survived round five. That survivor would fight Vojorn for the title of Gladiator Tournament Champion in round six. Rianne was dead set on that title being awarded to her. Who else was worthy? Her fury at being deemed lesser turned into sheer determination to win and prove that none were above her. Rianne spent her injury-laden trek back to Ittudale reframing this tournament as a test. It was her proving ground. She would face Aftershock in round five. He would be fresh after four days of rest, while she would have only two. If she won here, then she would face Vojorn again. Vojorn would also have had four days of rest prior to that final battle. The logical conclusion, then, was that if Rianne won both of these matches, her dominance would be unquestionable.

Rianne spent her two days of rest sedately strolling Ittudale. The constant walking prevented additional achiness from accumulating in her sore muscles. The battling was taking its toll, but the bay mare kept going with the thought that everything would be over within the next four days. She could rest as much as she wanted after that. Rianne awoke on the day of round five with cold moisture coating her body. Ice-cold rain had fallen overnight. Disgruntled, Rianne picked herself up off the ground and began her trek to the battlefield. The mix of ice and mud was slippery-cold underhoof. She played with it a bit as she walked, dragging her hooves along it to see how it impacted her movement. The battlefield was a beautifully carved forest of icicles and trees. Rianne strode right into it, feeling oddly content despite the pain and aches she knew were to come.

She smelled Aftershock before she saw or heard him. Imagining he’d reveal himself soon enough, Rianne began walking towards the scent. Adrenaline pooled in her muscles, her bruising and tenderness falling away from her awareness as the beginning of the battle drew near. The tinkling of frozen vegetation was her only warning as Aftershock burst out of the forest. He was in front of her, teeth bared and aimed at her neck. Fierce joy filled Rianne as she threw herself backwards and away from Aftershock’s teeth. The slippery ground underhoof added speed by removing friction from her retreat. His first attack would miss her.

Rianne’s brown eyes swept Aftershock’s form as she retreated, cataloguing his injuries. He had a truly ugly wound along the left side of his jaw, a large gash on the right side of his neck, and what seemed like a gash on his left shoulder. These visible wounds were targets. Going after existing injuries had worked well in her other matches. Aftershock was built like a tank, showing draft heritage, and he was also taller than she was. Compared to him, she was as slim as a blade of grass. She imagined her agility and speed might have the edge in this match, though she would have to be wary of Aftershock’s brute strength. She would not win if it came down to strength, especially given that she was on less rest.

Speed it is, then. Rianne put on a sudden burst of speed, closing the distance quickly enough to hopefully catch Aftershock off guard. Her head snaked out, teeth seeking purchase in the gash she had seen on his left shoulder. She intended to take hold of the wound and tear to the left. This would not only reopen and deepen the wound, but move her torso away from Aftershock’s head and feet. Rianne’s past opponents had covered for their more serious wounds well. As a result, Rianne bet they paid less attention to their other, less severe ones. If Aftershock stayed true to that pattern, then she would hopefully catch him off guard with this attack.



TrinitySilph ^__^

Name: Rianne
Breed: Akhal Teke
Age: 9
Gender: Mare
Height: 15hh
Alliance: Dark
Health: 45% (from 40% at the end of round 4)

New Injuries:
-

Old Injuries:
- Long, medium-deep bite wound on neck that has scabbed over. Does not hinder movement, breathing, or functionality.
- Light bruising along right side of body, seven days old. Battling during round four slowed the pace of healing, but it has progressed to be almost unnoticeable by the beginning of round five.
- Shallow-to-moderate depth bite mark on left side of rump that has scabbed over. Does not hinder movement, breathing, or functionality
- Moderate to light bruising along left side of body, six days old. Felt more sharply than the bruising along right side of body, but on its way to healing
- Medium-deep bite wound in flesh at base of neck, above shoulders towards withers. Scabbed over. Slightly tender
- Moderate bruising in chest, less tender than it was during round four but remains somewhat painful for Rianne to move her front legs
- Moderate depth bite mark near existing shallow-to-moderate depth bite mark on left side of rump; scabbed over
- Light, almost unnoticeable tenderness on bottom of back left hoof
- Shallow vertical cut on right shoulder; scabbed over, slightly tender, does not affect movement

Word Count: 681
1/3 Attacks Used
- Aiming to lock into and deepen Aftershock’s shallow gash on his left shoulder

1/1 Dodge Used
- Dodged Aftershock’s first attack by skittering backwards, capitalizing on the icy mud underfoot to speed her retreat

[TrinitySilph]

False rain splattered his patchy pelt, soothing the soft sting of old injuries and cooling inflammation as it began. He had rested well, but he was not yet healed or whole. His chest ached softly, a reminder of what pain could come, and his forelegs felt heavier than they should.

His teeth missed their target, snapping shut with a bone-rattling clack in the air where Rianne’s neck had been moments before. He snorted with frustration and silently cursed his luck as she sped backwards on the icy mud. The little mare was small and fast, and such slippery terrain did nothing but aid her. He could only hope she would trip on debris hidden in the muck, but she was skillful and he knew better than to rely on it.

He gathered himself for another attack as Rianne slid to a stop just out of reach. Without the element of surprise, he knew he would have to strike hard - she wouldn’t let him strike often.

She rushed in without warning, teeth snapping faster than he could ready himself, and she made purchase on his wounded shoulder. He bellowed in pain and rage as she tore the gash deeper. Were his reflexes any slower, she could likely have crippled him, but he managed to leap to the right so that she only broke skin instead. Still, the wound bled freely and his left shoulder immediately began to stiffen again - this would be yet another battle where it became another foe to fight against rather than a worthy ally.

”Well struck, my lady,” he snarled, stalking forward like a great jungle cat. He began to circle her, looking for her wounds as she had clearly sought out his. The worst seemed to be the one on her neck, but she was guarding for that and she would likely expect him to strike at it again. The two on her rump seemed a good choice… but the resulting wound would hardly hinder her and he would be in range to be kicked. Fine, then. He would give her a new wound to remember.
”But you won’t dodge me again.”

In a sudden rush, Aftershock lunged at her once more, this time from the left side. She had put distance between them, and he had to push protesting muscles hard to move as quickly as he wanted. He found a protruding root beneath the mud and used it for leverage.

If he couldn’t force her to the ground, perhaps he could at least hinder her movements. He reached for her neck, for the soft flesh where her throat ended and her shoulder began. Given the chance, he would give her a scarring wound that made it hard to move left and, perhaps, put them on even footing.
As soon as his attack had begun, it ended. He whirled away to put distance between them, just as she had, and began to prowl again, watching for her next move and plotting his own.

Name: Aftershock
Breed: Irish Draught x Georgian Grande
Age: 6
Gender: Stallion
Height: 16.2hh
Alliance: Unallied
Health: 55%

Attacks:
1. Lunges out of the shadows and attempts to grab Rianne by the wound at the base of her neck to throw her to the ground.
2. Attempts to bite Rianne’s neck on the left side, where neck and shoulder meet
3. –

Dodge:
1. –

Previous Injuries:
1. Bruised, stiff shoulders - has had time to mostly heal, particularly after 4 rest days.
2. Shallow gash on his flank - has begun to heal, pain is minimal
3. Badly bruised chest - still causing stiffness and can cause breathing issues with exertion, but limp is now minor
4. Torn flesh and bruising along left side of jaw. Painful, but won’t get in the way in most cases. Bruising has faded, tearing has scabbed but could re-open.
5. Large gash to the right side of his neck, near his throat. Will take a long time to heal and will scar. Makes it painful to move his head left. Has scabbed but is now stiff, making movement difficult. Could easily open back up again.
6. Badly bruised forelegs. With four days to rest, this has become much less painful, but still causes stiffness and will affect stamina.
7. Shallow gash to left shoulder. Healing, but could easily re-open and will cause stiffness over time.
8. Light bruising to rump. Healing well after 4 rest days.

New Injuries:
1. – Gash on his left shoulder has been deepened. It will scar, and is quickly stiffening and bleeding freely.

Sunfrost

[Sunfrost]

Blood pooled in Rianne’s mouth as her teeth closed over the wound. Aftershock’s cry, tinged with pain and filled with rage, was further confirmation of her victory. First blood was hers! The attack was not a complete success, though. Just as she attempted to rip sideways, Aftershock leaped to the right and away from her teeth. Her attack had broken skin, but she was unable to deepen the wound as much as she would have preferred. Regardless, a hit was a hit. Rianne continued her leftward trajectory, spinning around as soon as she had gained some distance so that she faced Aftershock head on. Facing him from the front permitted her a great view of his freely bleeding shoulder. She smirked, baring her bloody teeth at him as he stalked towards her. Well struck, my lady. His fierce words broadened her smirk. You tried your best, dear knight she cooed, her eyes tracking his every move intently. Her arrogance was part of the psychological battle Rianne waged alongside any physical one. Let her opponents think she was unconcerned and untouchable. They would lose confidence as a result. This could induce stupid mistakes and missteps that would not have occurred otherwise.

Aftershock began to circle her, likely looking for weaknesses as he planned what to do next. Just as in her match with Vojorn, Rianne had zero intention of making herself dizzy by trying to track Aftershock with her eyes. She let her ears do the work whenever he was out of her direct line of sight. Her ears twitched as Aftershock spoke again, confidently stating that she would not dodge him a second time. Her ears told her he was standing at her left side. She barely had time to snort in contempt and tense in anticipation of an attack from that side as he rushed her. Aftershock moved so quickly that Rianne was unable to escape the brunt of his attack. She felt teeth latch on to the left side of her neck, where her throat ended and her shoulder began. The force of his motion sent her careening to the right, her bruised chest and sides protesting as his teeth dug in and her hooves slipped over the icy ground below.

With as little warning as she had had, Rianne could do little more than shift her weight to the right and attempt to go with the motion. She also bent her legs slightly to bring her center of gravity lower. By doing so, Rianne hoped to stop her sideways motion quickly enough to avoid crashing into the trees or tripping over the fallen branches and tree roots around them. Aftershock was quick to draw back, no doubt feeling satisfied with himself and hoping to avoid immediate retaliation. Rianne’s sideways motion came to a sliding stop as her center of gravity lowered, her plan successful. She felt blood dripping from her shoulder and fresh pain spring to life on that area of her body. Rianne picked up her front left hoof, testing to see how that felt and barely managing to conceal a wince. The muscle was tender, and easily the greatest source of pain in her body at the moment.

Mentally adjusting for the handicap, Rianne prowled towards Aftershock. She angled her body so that her right side was more exposed, guarding her left side as best she could. The majority of her injuries were on that side, and she would have to be careful to avoid further harm. Rianne accelerated suddenly, neck outstretched as though attempting to bite into Aftershock’s shoulder or neck. That was a feint, though. As she drew closer to him, Rianne pooled her weight into her hind legs and reared. The weight transfer mercifully relieved the stinging pain of her newest injury. She struck out with her right front hoof, attempting to hit Aftershock in the head, neck, or shoulder – whatever part of his body she could reach. Rianne hoped that camouflaging her attack would leave her opponent unprepared for the real one and that she had managed to get close enough to further decrease Aftershock’s chances of dodging this strike.


TrinitySilph - a knight and his lady XD

Name: Rianne
Breed: Akhal Teke
Age: 9
Gender: Mare
Height: 15hh
Alliance: Dark
Health: 40%

New Injuries:
- Medium-deep bite wound on left side of neck, where her throat ends and shoulder begins. It is bleeding freely and feels tender. Moderate effect on movement.

Old Injuries:
- Long, medium-deep bite wound on neck that has scabbed over. Does not hinder movement, breathing, or functionality.
- Light bruising along right side of body, seven days old. Battling during round four slowed the pace of healing, but it has progressed to be almost unnoticeable by the beginning of round five.
- Shallow-to-moderate depth bite mark on left side of rump that has scabbed over. Does not hinder movement, breathing, or functionality
- Moderate to light bruising along left side of body, six days old. Felt more sharply than the bruising along right side of body, but on its way to healing
- Medium-deep bite wound in flesh at base of neck, above shoulders towards withers. Scabbed over. Slightly tender
- Moderate bruising in chest, less tender than it was during round four but remains somewhat painful for Rianne to move her front legs
- Moderate depth bite mark near existing shallow-to-moderate depth bite mark on left side of rump; scabbed over
- Light, almost unnoticeable tenderness on bottom of back left hoof
- Shallow vertical cut on right shoulder; scabbed over, slightly tender, does not affect movement

Word Count: 689
2/3 Attacks Used
- Aimed to lock into and deepen Aftershock’s shallow gash on his left shoulder
- After feinting an attack towards Aftershock’s shoulder and neck, Rianne reared and struck out with her right front leg towards his head, neck, or shoulder

1/1 Dodge Used
- Dodged Aftershock’s first attack by skittering backwards, capitalizing on the icy mud underfoot to speed her retreat

[TrinitySilph]

It brought him a deep sense of satisfaction to see the little mare stumbling through the mud. So confident, and so easily unbalanced, given the right push. He could not help but wonder if that was a running theme in her life as well as this battle.

She guarded her injuries as she approached again, and the painted stallion snorted a little laugh, seeing a crab in her sideways movements.
”A little stiff, are we?” he teased, grinning wolfishly. How long had it been since he had felt this alive? ”You could always surrender, you know.”
A good fight, a worthy opponent, admiration and determination mingling in his blood - it was intoxicating.

Rianne’s weight began to pool in her hindquarters and he watched her motions carefully. She was going to lunge, he thought, but where? Little motions betrayed intention, but a skilled warrior could hide them easily enough and Rianne was nothing if not a skilled warrior. He shifted a hoof back to prepare to dodge and it caught on a hidden root just behind him.
Hm… helpful, perhaps.
It wasn’t enough to give him much purchase, but maybe he could use it as leverage in his escape.

Suddenly, Rianne’s teeth were shooting out towards Aftershock’s neck - returning the favour, perhaps. If she struck, he would earn a wound mirroring the one he just gave her, and it didn’t take much critical thinking to realize he did not want to share her fate. He began to dodge, pushing against the root to lunge out of the way, but made a quick discovery instead: the root was far too small to be a proper starting block. His hoof slipped off the icy bark immediately, fumbling his getaway and causing him to lose balance.
Damn!

In the instant it took him to stumble, Rianne’s tactic changed, and her feinting teeth were quickly replaced with slashing hooves. Though he would not earn a matching shoulder bite, she struck the left side of his neck hard and the edge of her hooves sliced through his skin. Pain lanced and bloomed in a focused patch, making him snort in frustration and anger.
Idiot! What are you, a cadet? He should have known the root was too small to support him. He should have known Rianne would try something clever to get back at him. Still, the fight was not over yet.

Low as he was, crouched like a newborn foal in the mud, he realized her mistake: she was above him, still recoiling from her strike. She hadn’t danced away so quickly as she had in her previous attacks. Adrenaline pulsed through aching muscles, dimming the pain of wounds new and old. He struck.

Leaping up from his lowered position, Aftershock bared his teeth one last time, this time aiming for her throat or jaw. It didn’t matter what he caught, so long as it was part of the tender region she had so carelessly exposed to him. He wouldn’t bite so hard as to mortally harm her, of course, but if he had his way she would walk away with a scar to remember him by. If his aim was true and she didn’t catch her balance again, he would topple her.

Name: Aftershock
Breed: Irish Draught x Georgian Grande
Age: 6
Gender: Stallion
Height: 16.2hh
Alliance: Unallied
Health: 50%

Attacks:
1. Lunges out of the shadows and attempts to grab Rianne by the wound at the base of her neck to throw her to the ground.
2. Attempts to bite Rianne’s neck on the left side, where neck and shoulder meet
3. Attempts to bite Rianne’s throat or jaw as he lunges up from beneath her. Hopes to topple her into the mud.

Dodge:
1. –

Previous Injuries:
1. Bruised, stiff shoulders - has had time to mostly heal, particularly after 4 rest days.
2. Shallow gash on his flank - has begun to heal, pain is minimal
3. Badly bruised chest - still causing stiffness and can cause breathing issues with exertion, but limp is now minor
4. Torn flesh and bruising along left side of jaw. Painful, but won’t get in the way in most cases. Bruising has faded, tearing has scabbed but could re-open.
5. Large gash to the right side of his neck, near his throat. Will take a long time to heal and will scar. Makes it painful to move his head left. Has scabbed but is now stiff, making movement difficult. Could easily open back up again.
6. Badly bruised forelegs. With four days to rest, this has become much less painful, but still causes stiffness and will affect stamina.
7. Shallow gash to left shoulder. Healing, but could easily re-open and will cause stiffness over time.
8. Light bruising to rump. Healing well after 4 rest days.

New Injuries:
1. Gash on his left shoulder has been deepened. It will scar, and is quickly stiffening and bleeding freely.
2. Bruising and lacerations to the left side of his neck, about halfway down. Not currently an issue due to adrenaline, but will stiffen and cause trouble until the bruising fades.

Sunfrost

[Sunfrost]

A little stiff, are we? You could always surrender, you know. His words grated against her ears and left a sour, irritable tang in her mouth. Rianne made no reply as she focused on her attack. To break focus now and speak could pre-empt her motion, and she wanted it to be a surprise. Rianne feinted, brown eyes picking up Aftershock’s attempted dodge and successful stumble. It seemed something underhoof had caused him to lose his balance and fumble this dodge attempt. I wonder, is stiffness or clumsiness preferable? She would have to ask him later, if he had any sense left in his brain after this attack. Rianne reared, satisfaction blazing through her as her right front hoof impacted the left side of Aftershock’s neck. She saw blood glaze her hoof as it sliced into his skin and snorted her enjoyment, honestly unable to help herself. It was satisfying to hit Aftershock again. This newcomer to Ittudale had proven to be a source of entertainment. If he survived fighting her, she would almost look forward to having him around.

Her enjoyment was short-lived. Aftershock demonstrated his worth and lunged, likely taking advantage of being beneath her. This was a rare moment, given how he was otherwise taller than she was. His teeth reached out, aiming for her throat or jaw – two very tender and well-exposed regions. Balanced on her hind legs and only just beginning to come back down to the ground after her attack, Rianne knew she was going to be unable to dodge this. Part of her admired his tactics even as she snarled in frustration, feeling his teeth firmly lodge in an area by the right side of her jaw. It wasn’t in the tender, death-dealing part of her throat. Rianne could at least be grateful about that, even as she felt tender pain explode in her jaw. Her hooves had returned to the earth by now, thankfully finding firm purchase on the ground below. It was little comfort given how it now felt painful to do so little as gnash her teeth together in frustration. Rianne acknowledged that if her hooves had come down any later, she likely would have slipped and fallen into the mud. There had been a lot of power in Aftershock’s lunge, and the draft horse could easily overpower her. She was very lucky to have finished her rear when she did.

Irritated, tired, and with Aftershock’s teeth lodged in her jaw, Rianne acted purely on instinct. She had no interest in engaging in another round of circle-and-lunge. Prolonging the battle would not aid her, especially after seven days of almost constant battling. The bay mare shifted her weight and spun on her front hooves, hopefully ripping her jaw out of Aftershock’s teeth in the process, and prepared to buck with her back legs. Her opponent’s attack necessitated proximity to her, and there was nothing like a good buck for getting horses away. Rianne acknowledged that she would be unable to precisely aim this attack given her face would be away from the target. Turning her back on her opponent would also give him a moment to dodge or even attack again. On top of it all, pain flickered to life in her front right hoof as she stepped on an obscured branch at precisely the wrong angle.

None of it was allowed to be anything more than minor irritations, to be recognized and dealt with after this match. Rianne spun and bucked, hooves aiming for Aftershock’s head, jaw, neck, chest, or any other part of his body that was in range. The two bite marks on her rump were exposed to her opponent, ripe for reopening if he dodged this and attacked again, but she would rather expose those wounds than her tender and bleeding front side. Anger, frustration, irritation, and a dose of grudging admiration each flavored her final attack, lending speed to her motion and strength to her muscles despite her exhaustion.



TrinitySilph - thank you for the match!

Name: Rianne
Breed: Akhal Teke
Age: 9
Gender: Mare
Height: 15hh
Alliance: Dark
Health: 33%

New Injuries:
- Medium-deep bite wound on left side of neck, where her throat ends and shoulder begins. It is bleeding freely and feels tender. Moderate effect on movement.
- Medium-deep bite wound on the right side of her jaw. It is bleeding freely and makes speaking and chewing somewhat painful for Rianne, though does not hinder movement. The wound may scar.
- Pain and tenderness on bottom of front right hoof from stepping on an obscured branch at precisely the wrong angle while executing her third attack. Makes moving that hoof and putting weight on it somewhat painful.

Old Injuries:
- Long, medium-deep bite wound on neck that has scabbed over. Does not hinder movement, breathing, or functionality.
- Light bruising along right side of body, seven days old. Battling during round four slowed the pace of healing, but it has progressed to be almost unnoticeable by the beginning of round five.
- Shallow-to-moderate depth bite mark on left side of rump that has scabbed over. Does not hinder movement, breathing, or functionality
- Moderate to light bruising along left side of body, six days old. Felt more sharply than the bruising along right side of body, but on its way to healing
- Medium-deep bite wound in flesh at base of neck, above shoulders towards withers. Scabbed over. Slightly tender
- Moderate bruising in chest, less tender than it was during round four but remains somewhat painful for Rianne to move her front legs
- Moderate depth bite mark near existing shallow-to-moderate depth bite mark on left side of rump; scabbed over
- Light, almost unnoticeable tenderness on bottom of back left hoof
- Shallow vertical cut on right shoulder; scabbed over, slightly tender, does not affect movement

Word Count: 664
3/3 Attacks Used
- Aimed to lock into and deepen Aftershock’s shallow gash on his left shoulder
- After feinting an attack towards Aftershock’s shoulder and neck, Rianne reared and struck out with her right front leg towards his head, neck, or shoulder
- A second or two after Rianne completed her second attack and came down to the ground, she spun on her front hooves and bucked out with her back legs, intending to hit Aftershock in whatever part of his body she can reach

1/1 Dodge Used
- Dodged Aftershock’s first attack by skittering backwards, capitalizing on the icy mud underfoot to speed her retreat

[TrinitySilph]

One last post for results: Shock dodges Rianne’s last attack. Details below.

Name: Aftershock
Breed: Irish Draught x Georgian Grande
Age: 6
Gender: Stallion
Height: 16.2hh
Alliance: Unallied
Health: 50%

Attacks:
1. Lunges out of the shadows and attempts to grab Rianne by the wound at the base of her neck to throw her to the ground.
2. Attempts to bite Rianne’s neck on the left side, where neck and shoulder meet
3. Attempts to bite Rianne’s throat or jaw as he lunges up from beneath her, throwing her into the mud.

Dodge:
1. Dodges Rianne’s last attack. It’s very close and her hooves graze him due to proximity, but there is no damage.

Previous Injuries:
1. Bruised, stiff shoulders - has had time to mostly heal, particularly after 4 rest days.
2. Shallow gash on his flank - has begun to heal, pain is minimal
3. Badly bruised chest - still causing stiffness and can cause breathing issues with exertion, but limp is now minor
4. Torn flesh and bruising along left side of jaw. Painful, but won’t get in the way in most cases. Bruising has faded, tearing has scabbed but could re-open.
5. Large gash to the right side of his neck, near his throat. Will take a long time to heal and will scar. Makes it painful to move his head left. Has scabbed but is now stiff, making movement difficult. Could easily open back up again.
6. Badly bruised forelegs. With four days to rest, this has become much less painful, but still causes stiffness and will affect stamina.
7. Shallow gash to left shoulder. Healing, but could easily re-open and will cause stiffness over time.
8. Light bruising to rump. Healing well after 4 rest days.

New Injuries:
1. Gash on his left shoulder has been deepened. It will scar, and is quickly stiffening and bleeding freely.
2. Bruising and lacerations to the left side of his neck, about halfway down. Not currently an issue due to adrenaline, but will stiffen and cause trouble until the bruising fades.

[❅ Icy Dragon ✩]

I will tally.
Waiting on judge collection: No
Judge 1 Collection: Done
Judge 2 Collection: Done
Tally-ing Scores: Now

[❅ Icy Dragon ✩]

Roleplayer & Character: TrinitySilph with Aftershock
Cohesiveness: 10
Comments:
Easy to read and follow except one sentence.
Realism: 10
Comments:
- Attacks were realistic, no issues.
- Realistic movements
Movement: 10
Comments:
- Attacks/moves were well planned! Loved reading it.
- I like how he addressed the terrain and had moments where it acted both as an advantage, and a disadvantage.
Completion of the Form: 10
Comments:
- Completed each time.

TOTAL: 40

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Roleplayer & Character: Sunfrost with Rianne
Cohesiveness: 10
Comments:
- Easy to read and follow, except a couple minor mistakes.
- No major complaints.
Realism: 10
Comments:
- Attacks were realistic, no issues.
- Realistic movements, and I felt that her attacks were evenly matched with Shock’s.
Movement: 9.5
Comments:
- Took a lot of thought into their previous wounds and battles, but attacks felt..too bare initially compared to opponents.
- Same with Aftershock, I appreciate commenting on the environment and writing about how it both helped and hindered her in the battle.
Completion of the Form: 10
Comments:
- Completed each time.

TOTAL: 39.5

The winner of this round is TrinitySilph with Aftershock!
Please prepare yourself for the next round of battling, as we draw towards the end of the Gladiator Tournament.

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Our Third Place champion of the Gladiator Tournament is Sunfrost with Rianne!
They have fought their way to the top three and will receive the following prizes in addition to the participation points:
- 1 month Herd Steal Immunity or Immunity from Character Steals
- 150,000 WE points
- 10 GP
- Miracle store item