Who is Magpie?

Jessamine darted to catch up with Fiona down the hall, not only eager to watch the wolven fight but excited to see the gym. Fiona could practically feel her bouncing off the halls they walked down.

“He said no fighting.” She reminded lowly.

Jessamine looked over at her suddenly. “I know. I don’t think anyone would fight me anyway.”

“Why do you say that?” Fiona slowed her pace so they could walk side by side more comfortably.

It was Jessamine’s turn to be confused. “Wouldn’t they be too worried about upsetting Ezekiel? At the very least I assumed I would be unliked and untrusted enough to be a voided.”

Fiona laughed a loud, soft laugh. “Word travels fast in a wolf pack, they understand it wasn’t your will. And as for upsetting Ezekiel…. Most would risk him being mad at them for a short time, for the honour to fight an alpha, beta, or even Luna.”

“Oh….” Jessamine trailed off at the thought of anyone thinking sparring with her as an honour. It was…. New.

When they arrived the wolven who were ready to train lined either side of the cleared wooden floor about the size of a half court for basket ball. Fiona had them pair off and work on basic stances and maneuvers, which Jessamine found only mildly entertaining. Needing something more to do than just watch them like she was a judge, she found a treadmill in the corner that faced the sparring floor.

She found her endurance had increased, even as she neared the half hour mark she was turning up the speed. She had watched Connor and Jose take turns between offensive and defensive long enough to know who preferred what, and Melody flip Delano enough to know he was soft on her, before they divided into two groups.

The first group sat at the edged of the space for their turn in sparring, while the second group moved to the gym equipment. This was what she really wanted to see, but it only took her a moment to realize Fiona hadn’t meant they were sparring as wolven. She should have known right away from the wood slatted floor. It was assembled so it would be easy to replace sections or pieces, but still much too fragile for the strong claws and weight behind their wolven forms.

By this point she was still running, but decided she had been gawking long enough that she figured she should work out on another piece of equipment.

“Did you already get enough luna?” Someone called across the gym and Jessamine turned to see Kai, who she had seen at the lunch, nearly halfway across the gym.

She knew she would have to nearly yell to be heard without looking ridiculous, and popped her hip out as she turned to face him as a way to build the nerve. “Excuse you?”

“That’s what you were doing right? Studying us?” He took a few steps towards her from the middle as she did from the outside.

Fiona was rubbing her eyes on the other end, having missed Kai sneak passed and knowing it would come back to bite her in the ass. She had been able to glare everyone into submission so far and keep them away from Jessamine, but Kai was determined.

“I have a strong admiration for the fighting style of other cultures, and I have never seen the wolven techniques. I have much to learn from watching the skilled fighters here, even the ones the butcher the form such as yourself, Kai.” Jessamine returned as she walked closer, but at his surprised expression she continued. “I remember everyone’s name.”

Everyone else was still trying to control their laughter when Kai continued. “I’d believe it.” He admitted. “Every drop of information you can get on us while you’re here…”

Jessamine was fuming just anticipating his words. “Don’t you fucking say it…”

“… To take back to the Fae.” Kai gleamed, standing in the middle of the sparring floor now as the pair who had been fighting stopped.

“I’d die before I let them take me back,” Jessamine hissed, now approaching the edge of the floor, maintaining eye contact even as she weaved around machines and weights.

“I don’t understand why they sent you. Even someone like me who, as you said, butchers the form, could take you out. You would have never beaten our alpha.”

A bunch of the those present began sounding off in respect for their alpha, even if it wasn’t for everything else he had said.

Jessamine stopped, hands crossed under her chest. “You may be the first one, ever, that I wouldn’t have to pull my punches for, but you’d fail all the same. You got one thing right though, but there are multiple way the Alpha can beat me. “

Kai blushed vibrantly at her blatancy, causing others to laugh or howl in approval. No one had known what expect from the stories they had heard, but it hadn’t been this. Jessamine’s hands moved to her hips and she gestured to the effect of ‘get on with it’.

“I bet that I can win against you, hand to hand, no wolven, no weapons. And if you win, I’ll cut this shit about you and the Fae. You can have my respect.” Kai gave a short outlandish bow, causing Fiona to sigh loud enough to be heard.

“Honestly I was hoping someone would ask.” Jessamine mocked a short squeal. “I feel just like a girl being asked to dance at prom.”

“Fiona will you officiate?” Kai asked.

“Not much choice.” She muttered. “Whatever, it’s you two who will hear of it.”

“What are the rules?” Jessamine asked, moving into the center of the floor where a home circle was painted.

“Rules? It’s fighting, watchja mean?” Kai snapped, trying to get ready when she spoke again.

“Who calls it done? I usually fight until mercy or black out, but once the terms were until death, but the end on that one is pretty obvious...” The plainness with which she said the words had others gasping in shock until she giggled. “I’m kidding.” As others began laughing she whispered, “Mostly,” just loud enough for Fiona and Kai to hear as she smirked.

“We go to mercy, or if the official decides further moves would result in too great of injury to either party.” Fiona spoke. “As Kai said, no wolven forms, that includes claws. We don’t aim to make someone bleed, blunt force and holds only.”

Jessamine nodded. She had begun re-braiding her hair and now slid the elastic back around the bottom. She realized she hadn’t given Ezekiel back a hair pin after his match, and slid four around to form the braid into a bun. When she was through she took a step onto the starting line and smirked at him.

Fiona counted down from three and on zero the two clapped hands. Kai grasped onto Jessamine’s hand and she knew she wouldn’t beat him in brute strength, letting him pull her down. As he was pulling her she pushed off sideway with her feet, causing them both to slide along the ground on their sides. She recovered first, standing up while placing her foot inside his armpit and reefing her hand free.

She backed away from him, staying light on her feet, and as he came toward her she aimed to punch under his ribs. At the same time he shifted his feet and she got her own punch to the ribs. She was able to use the movement of her pained flinch to punch him in the jaw before again gaining space.

As he straightened out this time she moved in first, kicking back one of the outstretched hands before kicking him in the same rib as earlier. He winced, but was able to grab her foot and pull her down, this time pulling her sideways to slide across the floor on her ass. She sat for a moment and Fiona feared he had snapped her ankle before she started laughing.

“What the fuck is so funny?” Kai asked, standing in front of her ready to keep fighting.

“I just got my wolf.” She reminded him and laughed again at his confusion. “You don’t understand. - I’ve been pulling my punches for years with the drugs.”

While she spoke she had seamlessly moved into a crouch and leapt to grab his arm, holding onto it like their clasped hands would break her fall and then reaching her legs to step over his shoulder. His face landed into the ground and she landed on his back, but he rolled up quickly to grab her arm as she stumbled backward. As he reached up he accidentally grabbed her breast and a low growl came from toward the door.

Both people faulted, but Jessamine faulted in her steps, falling backward and Kai faulted in his grasp meaning he caught her hand as he stood and she fell. She landed and turned to throw a punch but he had her arm wrapped behind her. She could feel his sense of victory, but she didn’t let him dwell on it, yanking and pulling against his grasp she was able to dislocate her shoulder to spin and flip herself over him.

First her dislocated right shoulder rubbed against his right shoulder, she landed over on him, slamming her heals first into his stomach as she brought them together around him. She then wiggled her legs up to hold on around his upper chest under his arms and wrapping her good arm tightly against his throat. He gasped, lowering to his knees as he tried to push off her legs or pull away her arm, but she had already winded him and he wasn’t coping without the breath.

He lowered on to the mat further, slouching to pry with one hand and brace himself with the other. Finally after he began to sway he tapped the mat, Fiona called it, and Jessamine released him.

While Jessamine was climbing off Kai’s back, her dislocated arm just hanging there, the crowd was still deciding on their reaction, and Ezekiel made his way toward her.

Fiona checked on Kai quickly, who was coughing but waved her off that he was fine. “Well there you have it, Jessamine has the match.”

Jessamine smiled lightly at the cheers and howls that came for her. She was being praised for winning. Any victory before had felt like a reprimanding for someone else. They had been beaten by the human, like she was just a training tool that would be punished for making their levels too hard.

A low loud growl that shook the room sounded from the edge of the sparring floor and everyone’s heads turned and bowed towards their alpha. “Everyone, get out.” Some people began to move, but most stared in confusion at the command. “Now.” He hissed the words as he and Jessamine stared at each other.

Some hesitated though they weren’t sure why when it was their Alpha’s command, hanging around long enough to see Jessamine work her arm back in place. Fiona hesitated before nudging Kai to hurry up and get off the floor but his eyes were fixed on the pair. He bowed low against the floor by way of apology but Ezekiel didn’t even look at him. He ended up sinking away with Fiona pushing him along.

“Lock-It.” Ezekiel boomed after them and Jessamine heard a key turn in the lock.