"Wrong again, Tenderfoot."

Mooch laughed and lowered his body.

"Nice try Scamp," he said with a snap and a growl. Scamp had to learn how to properly fight. he was trying a move that wasn't his own and Mooch could tell. The pup needed to learn from fighting for real, not from watching someone fight. Mooch, for instance, was a good wrestler. Scamp, Mooch could see would only benefit from learning a few slick moves of his own.

Dec 7, 2010 16:51:02 GMT -5 Angel said:

Angel smiled at 'Tani's response, but the smile seemed distracted. In her mind, she hovered uncertainly on the verge of suggesting that, in fact, 'Tani herself might be the best choice. If Angel knew Scamp as well as she thought she did, he'd be much more likely to go for Vitani than any of the dalmatians she'd seen around camp. She couldn't come out and say that to 'Tani's face, though - she had no idea what 'Tani's response would be. Disgust, most likely, at the cross-species aspect.
Still, as she turned to go, she locked eyes with 'Tani for a moment, and suggested "Maybe you don't just want to look among the dogs." With that, she turned and headed back to Patch, hardly daring to wonder if her friend had picked up her meaning or not.

Vitani stared after Angel, she wasn't sure if she had heard Angel right. Was she suggesting what Vitani thought she was suggesting? She couldn't be. One thing that Vitani knew was that if, by some minor miracle Scamp did fall for her, it wouldn't work. She was a lioness and he was a dog. That wasn't going to change.

They were too different and Scamp deserved someone who was going to stay with him. She wasn't that girl.

She pushed herself to her paws, her thoughts whirring in her head. She wanted to find Mooch and Scamp. She needed a distraction from her feelings.

"So are you going to teach me something, or just let me keep failing at trying to fight you?" Scamp retorted iritably. He was evidently doing something wrong, he could read as much from Mooch's expression, but what exactly it was escaped him.

Mooch laughed, grinning from ear to ear.

"That's the spirit dude," Mooch said proudly, "You gotta get mean. Maybe get in touch with your inner dog, your inner hound." Mooch raised his head and howled slightly. He turned his evil yellow eyes on Scamp, growling loudly. "That pooch is stealin' yer woman. What are you going to do about it?"

Mooch tapped his collarless neck. "Go for the gold man. Just go for the throat."

Get mean? Could he manage that? Sure he could, if it would mean getting Angel back. He tensed, preparing to spring again...
"You're better than that, Tenderfoot. And that's what I like about you."
The memory had risen unbidden, and Angel's words cut through him like a knife. "Angel, I..." he stammered, frozen to the spot. What if, by becoming someone with the strngth to win Angel back, he became someone she couldn't love anymore?

Mooch titled his head to the side. He looked just like her felt; confused. Didn't the pup want to fight? Why had he stopped? Mooch's fur bristled as he heard the pup speak her name again. The girl was ruining his life here!

"Yo! Scamp!" He howled, barking at his friend, "Do what I said! Attack me! What about Angel?" He tried not to sound cruel but this girl was really cramping his style.

Vitani padded around the her camp, she had tried the Mess Hall, Scamp's tent and Mooch's tent but hadn't found her two friends. Where could they be? Maybe they were out exploring? Or perhaps they were training? She decided she would try the training ground before looking out on the savannah.

It only took her a few moments before she spotted them at the training ground. Then she heard Mooch's words drift on the wind

"Do what I said! Attack me! What about Angel?"

Vitani's eyes widened, what on earth was going on? She padded over to the rock formation nearby, the one she had watched from when she had first returned to the Pridelands. She hoped that what she thought was happening wasn't the case.

What about Angel? Scamp was torn. On the one hand, he wanted - needed - Angel back so badly he'd do anything to get her back. On the other hand, he wouldn't be able to bear it if, by doing that, he became someone she couldn't love back. If he got that far, would he even still care about her? He didn't want to become like Buster (not anymore, anyway).
He just didn't know what he should do.
Then an image of Angel nuzzling Patch sprang back to his mind. In love with him... a mental voice whispered And not with you... and Scamp snapped.
With an anguished yell, Scamp hurled himself at Mooch, forgetting everything the sheepdog had just taught him, bitting and clawing in an anguised frenzy of fur.

"WHOA! WHOA! DUDE! SCAMP!" He cried outloud falling back.

Mooch was taken by surprise and was knocked over by Scamp's frenzied attack. He rolled over on his back in surprise, exposing his stomach which his brain snapped to when he realized he was in a submissive position. That was NOT going to happen. Not while he was still the trainer and not the trainee.

He assessed the situation, realizing the pup was just blindly swiping at him.

"Quit it!" He barked, pushing back Scamp's head with his large paw, "Cool out. You can't just go into a fight biting and clawing like a damn cat. You gotta have a plan. Now, WHAT DID I SAY? Go for the throat! Go for the stomach! The soft areas! Let him know who's boss!"

Breathing hard, Scamp slowly returned to himself. What.... what had posessed him to lose it like that? He knew, of course - but he also knew that he couldn't afford to let that happen again. He gritted his teeth. He'd learn what Mooch had to show him - he could debate internally whether he actually used it or not later. To appologize to Mooch now, however, would be a sign of weakness, so instead, he lunged forward once more, darting beneath Mooch's legs, jaws snapping for the other dog's thin neck.

Vitani had sprung to her paws when Scamp had charged at Mooch with a furious yell. She watched with wide eyes as he flung himself on Mooch, easily knocking the sheepdog to the ground, biting and clawing as if Mooch was an enemy.

She sprang down from her perch and made to break it up but Mooch seemed to have it under control. What on earth was going on?

Mooch noticed 'Tani which was a mistake. Scamp's bite went home and Mooch yelled out in a howl of pain. Scamp had listened to him, which was good but now with the little dog hanging from his thin neck, he didn't know what else to do.

"Yo! Wanna give me a hand here, pretty girl?"

Vitani raced towards her friends. She didn't understand why Mooch was egging Scamp on or why Scamp was so furious. All she did know was that if she didn't stop Scamp, there was every chance he could seriously injure Mooch.

Vitani raced at Scamp and leapt at him. She knocked Scamp off Mooch, pinning him to the ground.

"Scamp you have to calm down!" Vitani said sharply.

The tension slowly eased out of Scamp's body as Vitani stood over him, holding him down.
"He told me to do that." he retorted, sounding sulky.

Vitani stayed where she was for a few seconds before backing off Scamp. Her eyes then went to Mooch. Why was he making Scamp fight him? It didn't make sense. She knew both of them well, and she knew that Scamp wouldn't just lose it like that unless Mooch had seriously offended him.

"What on earth are you up to Mooch?" Vitani asked suspiously.