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He had made it, though there was no sign of his cousin or her bonded bird yet. Umo imagined she was deeper into the pride, if she had passed this so called 'challenge'. Njia was a capable lioness, far more than Umo was, so he supposed that she must have. It would have been easy to convince her to return to her mother if she had failed her challenge. Was it the right thing to do now, he wasn't sure. Njia had made her own decision, who was he to tell her what to do with her life?

The dark lion sighed, and reminded himself that he wasn't just here for Njia. He was here for himself, a new pride to call his home after having lost his previous one. Here he could start a new life, get things back into motion. Maybe his travelling days would be over, and instead of worrying where his next meal was or where he should go, he could worry over simpler things.

If his information was correct, and he supposed it was, he had to fight his way in. Umo had to prove his worth to the pride and show he wasn't just a pretty face. Truthfully, he was no skilled warrior. He could learn, yes, but it was too late to learn any tricks now that he was already here. This would be a test more so of his wits and his willpower. If he wasn't confident in himself now, there was no way he was going to win. So, he feigned it. Bravado wouldn't do much for him, but it may give him the mental boost he needed to persevere.

The lion roared his challenge, the sound echoing throughout the border. Then, he waited to see who would be the one to accept it.

A lioness approached him, and though that should have given him some comfort with the natural differences in their strengths... Umochozi was unskilled. It was far likely that this lioness was stronger than him, and far more adept in battle. If this was just a test to prove his worth, he'd have to prove himself worthy. That, at least, Umochozi could do. Rose colored eyes looked her over, trying to evaluate her skill at first glance. It was difficult to determine, or perhaps Umochozi was just poor at reading others.

He had never fought a female before. Usually he took more romantic approaches towards them. Umo didn't dare underestimate her, however. If she came to answer his challenge, she was probably good. "Yes," he answered, inclining his head at her. "Thank you. I am Umochozi." The lion could feel his nerves bundling up, his muscles tensing underneath black fur. It was clear he had never been in this sort of situation, but he was going to try and come out on top anyways.

Hunching his shoulders, he slowly stalked towards her. His chances were better off acting first, and putting this lion in a defensive state. He sure as the gods knew that he couldn't read her well enough to defend against her completely if he was pushed back.

So, he started the attack, charging straight at her, hoping momentum and power would carry him through the assault.

He didn't expect her to charge straight for him. Surely they weren't on even ground with one another where she could expect to beat him a bout of strength. His doubts weighed him down, his own mind playing games with him. Instead of focusing on the fight he had just rushed headstrong into, he was more concerned with the lioness he was fighting again. He did not want to hurt her, but at the same time he could not afford to hold back against her.

Doubt played him for a fool, and by the time their bodies collided he had lost much of his original intent. Perhaps this wasn't for him. But then, where would he go now if he failed here? He had to succeed. His home pride had disbanded, his family now scattered to the winds. If he didn't make a home for himself here, it was likely he would not make a home for himself anywhere. Not with his current attitude.

Sebor was against, pushing against him fiercely. The lack of claws was a mercy. If Umochozi was shaken up by the idea of potentially hurting her, adding fangs and teeth into the mix would have hindered his drive entirely. Her roar echoed throughout the surroundings, shaking him with its intensity.

Umo outstretched an arm to try and wrap around her shoulder, to grab her and throw her against the ground. He had to force herself back somehow, because with the way they were tangled now, she was pushing him back. He could feel his back legs giving in, scraping against the hard ground underneath him.

Before he could press his advantage of her rolling onto the ground, she was up with a recovery that was astounding for him. She moved deftly, and there was certainly something impressive about how easily she was able to maneuver herself out of a dangerous position. It certainly took the wind out of his sails, and cautiously the lion backed up. He needed to evaluate her better, predict her more effectively. But these were all skills that had to be honed, that he needed to focus on and train.

Umochozi had done none of that in his time as a rogue. He was used to hunting for survival, but even Njia and her mother were better at that than he. His aunt, even crippled, was still better than him at it.

The lioness circled him, and anxiously he turned to face her, trying to always keep her in his sight. He felt like a cornered beast, even though there were multiple paths out of the situation. Umo tried to react in time to dodge her as she charged at him. But the snarl shook him, and he saw her paw move before his legs could respond to it. He tried to step back out of her way, but she caught him, tripping him up so that he landed gracelessly onto his chest, back legs still holding him up.

Stuck at a disadvantage, he did the only thing he could think of, and lifted himself rapidly, aiming a headbutt at her chest to get her to back off from him.

It was the first bit of success he felt he had genuinely tasted in this test fight. The feeling wasn't pleasant, his head hitting the bottom of her jaw, but he was sure she felt worse for it. He had earned the precious time he needed to get back onto his feet and ready himself for the next attack. Even so, it was barely any time at all to recover. Sebor was relentless with her attacks, barely giving him room to breathe, let alone think.

That likely was better for him. If he didn't have time to think, he didn't have time to doubt himself or his intentions. Keeping him in the heat of battle was the best way to keep him focused.

She was charging again, and Umo had only just righted himself. There was no time to dodge. The best he could do was brace himself for the next assault. Outlasting her was a way to victory. If he didn't have strength, he had stamina. The dark lion still expected a full frontal assault, but the fact that he was expecting to be hit contributed to the way he was able to take her blow. He could barely follow her movements, but his body did react to the way she rammed against his side. Claws dug into the ground, his knees and elbows bent to brace himself against the blow.

His body gave a little, but he refused to fall this time. Umo held his ground with a growl, tail whipping restlessly from side to side. He twisted deftly away from her, backing up quickly to put distance between them again. He hunched low to the ground, yellow tinged teeth bared as he prepared for her next attack.

It was over. The decision had been made quicker than he had expected, and he almost immediately interpreted it as a refusal to accept him. His posture changed from a lion ready to fight, to the polite male that had first greeted Sebor. He shook himself free of the tension and anxiety that had built up in him.

He had been accepted, and for a moment he did not believe it. Yes, he had held his ground against her, but he doubted he had made any decent dents into her own defense. In his opinion, she was the clear victor of their little bout. The dark lion smiled breathlessly and approached the female. "Thank you for your time," he replied before following her into the pride that was now going to become his new home.