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And just like that, the voices receded once more, their ebb and flow almost like the tides of the ocean, sometimes stormy, and other times still and peaceful. The stormy times came more often then the peaceful ones now, but she still took what she could get. Calling her unwell? That actually stung more then getting struck by Lan's bow. Her hand fell from her temple, her golden eyes opened and narrowed. She liked Lan, she did, but if she was going to be so insulting then Shaheen might find herself reassessing that feeling.

"I am perfectly fine, thank you." She managed to keep the snarl out of her voice before she moved swiftly forward, slashing with a backhand move at the noblewoman with her dagger to show her just how fine she was currently feeling.

HP: 13
Damage: 4

It seemed that Lan was going to drop the subject of Shaheen's health and well being, which was good because if she had pressed the matter there would have been some hell to pay. As it was, however, the other woman managed to earn some brownie points with her bit of flattery, which earned her a smile...or it could have been a smirk. With Shaheen, it was always hard to tell the difference.

"You seem to have many skills yourself." She replied, as the arrow barely grazed her dagger wielding arm, which made the war woman toss the dagger to her other hand before she darted forward for another diagonal slash across the womans front.

"Do you not find it difficult to maneuver in such clothing?" She asked with a frown, genuinely curious as she had always found conquest's choice of garb so completely unnecessary. She would more then happily continue to slash away at it until Lan was left with something as skimpy as the chieftain herself wore, just to see if somebody from conquest could do so without exploding or melting or whatever might happen to them should they actually expose some amount of skin.

HP:12
Damage: 4

Shaheen nodded thoughtfully, though it still seemed rather pointless to her. Why learn to do something that could be avoided if one just worse sensible garb on a daily basis? In her mind, conquest was far too focused on looking pretty and should instead have put other priorities first. But she supposed if they were content to practice maneuvering in that which seemed wholly unnecessary, all the power to them. Besides, Lan was a noblewoman, so she could somewhat understand her dress. Zhi on the other hand....She could continue to judge Zhi, and not just on his choice of clothing.

The next arrow hit her more solidly then the one before, and she staggered back a couple of steps. So far the battle seemed like a fairly even match up, and she had to give the other woman credit for that. Switching from weapon to limbs once more the war chieftain aimed a kick towards Lan's stomach.

HP: 9
Damage: 4

Shaheen shrugged, her shoulders rolling in a relaxed manner as she backed away again, attempting to avoid those robes that were flung about as Lan regained her balance. "We are taught to utilize anything and everything. Not just our weapons and our bodies, but things found in nature, in the world. As young children we were trained to fight against mobile targets that could attack us in return. We were sent into the jungles without weapons, forced to learn how to improvise." She smiled at the memories, a flash of teeth that was more savage then friendly.

And as though to emphasize her point, the chieftain produced a rock from...wait, where did she even get that? In any case, she flipped it at the other woman, though it was small and wouldn't do much to harm her, it would probably sting a little when it connected, as she aimed it for the back of Lan's bow wielding hand.

HP: 9
Damage: 1

Shaheen scoffed a laugh, even as another blow glanced off of her, weakening her further still. She shook her head a little, her blonde mass of tangled curls bouncing along her bare back and around her face. "Though our childhoods may have been quite dissimilar, I would say that we are not that different from each other, you and I. You were born to your place and...some would have said that I was as well." Her parents had both been highly respectable citizens of war. Her mother, a Chieftain, her father an Executioner. There had been little doubt that their daughter would be risen to great heights herself, even if she'd had to work for it through sweat and bloodshed, fighting for what she always knew she would obtain.

Because it had been so fun the first time, she produced another small pebble and flicked it at the other woman again. It might have even appeared she was no longer taking the battle as seriously as she had been before.

HP:6
Damage: 1

Shaheen shrugged, because what did she know of anything like that? What she knew was the feel of a weapon almost constantly in her hand. Not necessarily her own dagger, but of the sword, the bow, the spear. Anything and everything that could have been utilized in battle. Rocks, ropes, tree branches, even sand. It all had it's uses. The arrow that whistled off of Lan's bow and struck her in the side of her stomach, weakening her shield further, nearly shattering it. She stumbled back, her lips twitching up into a grin.

Shaheen knew war. She knew how to sow the seeds of discourse and anarchy. She knew the sound of the wind in her ears as she dove down from high up above, the sound of wings buffeting the air. She knew the thrill of the hunt in a humid jungle, the feel of the ocean spray against her face when she flew too low along the line where the beach met the tide. She knew satisfaction of being in control of everything, of having things in her life be perfect.

And she knew the anguish of having that all taken away, stolen. The pain of falling from far too high. The torment that was the price she paid for surviving. The disease, the affliction, the grey taint that streaked her skin and her hair and spread poison in her mind, burying it's tendrils deep in her thoughts.

"And you will be able to tell them that you defeated a chieftain of war." She smiled. though there was bitterness in uplifting of lips. She was already letting her posture change, her stance relax as she straightened, giving the noblewoman a nod, accepting defeat, knowing that she had little left to continue on with.

HP: 2
Damage: nawp

Of course, once somebody of war admitted defeat, that generally meant that the battle was over. Though it was over sooner in Shaheen's mind. What had started out as exciting had gradually dulled. Maybe the taint of insanity was taking away what little pleasures she had left. Of course, this was conquest that she was dealing with. It was not enough for them to just accept their victory. No.

They had to crush their opponent into the ground, grind them into dust beneath their heel. She should have expected as much, but she didn't. She just stared at Lan, her eyes a little wider then usual, before narrowing, glaring at the noblewoman who was leveling an arrow straight at her.

She had no words to match the sudden fiery rage behind her eyes. Lan's words were drowned out by the whispers in her head, doubt and betrayal burning through her head, consuming everything else. She had accepted defeat, while she still had enough left to be able to walk away, with a shred of her dignity in tact. Lan was about to tear that away from her with the thrum of a bowstring.

The arrow loosed. Pain blossomed, sharp and unbearable. Blood began to flow from an open wound, and Shaheen gasped just before she crumpled to the ground, her Fear shield shattered, her mind fading to darkness.

HP: -5