Tellka sighed. "How long has it been?"

I looked up at the sun. It looked like it was close to setting. I shrugged. "Awhile.."

I heard Tellka grumble. "I'm begining to think that this stupid park doesn't even exist." She sighed. "Forget about practicing.."

I looked up. "You mean I don't have to fight?"

"No, I mean I'm going right back to the colluseum and signing you up for a fight."

I stopped dead in my tracks. "You're WHAT?" I blinked in amazment. "I have never fought in my life before.. and you're just going to go and stick me in a fight?"

Tellka turned around and put her hands on my shoulders, and leaned over to look at me. "Kate, mother lions often throw their children off cliffs and only train the ones that climb back up. Consider this your cliff."

"What? No rope?"

Tellka sighed. "It's not like I'm putting you in there by yourself. I'm going to sign us up as kind of a tag team.. if anything happens I'll be there to take over."

I sighed. I really didn't want to get into the fights, but, "Alright Tellka..." And we turned and headed back to the colluseum.

*********************************************

I was pacing around my room, thinking. I had not even been in my first fight and Tellka had signed us up for a match. I was only sixteen.. but things could be worse. I shuddered thinking of the alternitave. What was it with Tellka and fighting anyway? Did I really have to learn how to fight? Why is she forcing this on me? Why..... why..... I sighed. Why.....

I waited a moment but she never answered my question. I sat down on my bed and stared up at the ceiling. I heard Carrie call for me to eat, but I really didn't feel hungry. I looked around my room. The fight was tomorrow sometime. I wasn't sure when. I began thinking of all those other fights I had seen. Some of them were just plan fights between two people. Some had actually ended in death. I shuddered thinking of that.

"That won't happen to you, so don't worry." Tellka tried to reassure me. Easy for her to say, she didn't have to worry about dying. I curled up into a little ball on my bed and thought about the fight. This was the first time I would ever actually have to go up against someone and either take damage, or give damage. I just didn't think I could do that. It was hard for me, all I could think about was that that was another person out there. Call me a softly, but I had a lot of mercy and pity for others. Fighting just isn't in my blood.

"Yes it is."

I blinked. "What?"

"Fighting, it is an instinctive trait in all Worens. It just takes a bit to awaken it."

"Are you serious?"

"Yea, just wait until you get out into that fight. It will begin to feel like a natural thing."

"I don't believe you."

I felt Tellka laugh. "You say that, but just wait until you get onto the fighting field and you will know what I mean."

**************************************************

It wasn't long now 'till the fight... my first fight. I sighed again. I was sitting in the little room they had for me in the colluseum. It felt odd to be in it. I glanced around. On the far east wall there was a small trunk for me to put things in, a chair, a little thing on the wall people could hang stuff on. On the wall next to that, there was a large desk with a mirror on it. The wall across from that almost empty. A few more chests and what have you. It also had the door leading out to the arena. I sat down on the chair and glanced around. Tellka appeared beside me.

"In the fight," she started, "I won't be out in the arena, I'll be standing by the doorway watching. I requsted that they not introduce me, just mention that this may become a tag-team thing. I had to explain to him that you hadn't fought yet and I was there to take over incase anything happened. Anyway, I'll be watching so if you're in real trouble I'll be there. Now, it's okay if you start of the first bit of the match just dodging, because I have a feeling that that is exactly what your going to do. But remember, this is a fight, you have to put some effort into this. Here," she picked up a pair of boots that resembled Katt's in the fact that they were open toed. "Wear these."

I glanced up at Tellka questioningly.

"Claws are a cats best friend, and if you're not going to use a weapon then you need all of the natural advantages possible. Remember, Woren are one of the quickest clans, so chances are you will have speed as an advantage. Also, it can be confusing for the opponent when you move your tail like a fifth limb. It's distracting and often pulls there attention away long enough to land a kick or two. The fastest way to put or clear distance is to jump, but try to always face your opponent. Never run, it makes you vulnerable. Spend the first bit of the match watching them and try and get used to there fighting, and-"

"Tellka...." I blinked. "My head, you're hurting my head." I rubbed my head a little. She really wasn't, but at the speed she was telling me all of this, she had lost me at 'claws are a cats best friend.' I sighed. "How am I ever going to survive this.."

"You'll be okay."

Suddenly the door opened and a man came in and informed us that it was time for the match to begin. I strapped on the shoes Tellka gave me and we headed out the door. I stepped into the colluseum, with Tellka right behind me, and was greeted by bright lights and a loud crowd.

I'm going to go blind and deaf before this stupid thing ever starts.....

e-mail author, talonr@hotmail.com