Gwen's steps carried her with easy confidence across the verdant grasses of the battlefield, head high and tail swaying gently behind her. Beside her, young Justice stomped along much more grimly and determinedly. Gwen turned her head away from the youth to hide her amusement - she doubted her companion on this journey would appreciate the humor directed at her, but Gwenevere couldn't help but find amusement in the girl's seriousness. They were simply there to watch each other spar, not do murder. But she supposed that outside of training, the girl's only real fight experience was in the Talis raid, and she'd had to immerse herself in a level of violence even Gwen had not been used to. It was only natural that she'd view a fight as a much more serious affair than Gwen. Gwen was just there as a witness for her fight, though, not as a mentor. She wasn't going to try to curb Justice's enthusiasm, morbid though it may seem to her. She finally stopped, glancing over at her fellow Celestial wolf. "Are you ready?" she asked her lightly. At the girl's nod, she threw her muzzle up to call a challenger to her. As agreed before, she would take the first spar, then when the winner had been decided, Justice would call for her own challenger to spar with.

When Gwenevere had asked if anyone wanted to accompany her as far as the battlefield, Justice had been quick to volunteer. Her father's killer still being out there unscathed weighed heavily on her mind. She'd done well in the raid, but she wasn't where she wanted to be yet. Creed had been a good fighter too, even though he'd been growing old, but his experience hadn't saved him. Justice didn't have his level of experience. She needed more. She didn't intend to fall to the bitch's jaws like her father had.

So if Gwen found amusement in her seriousness, it was only because she didn't know what plans and thoughts swirled through Justice's mind as they trotted together over the battlefield. The older warrior's sudden stop took Justice by surprise, but she was quick to stop as well, and she nodded her readiness before stepping off to the side and seating herself to stay out of the way.

OOC: Justice isn't participating in this spar, she's just observing, so I probably won't post her again until after the spar. Feel free to skip her.

Tan flew above her, drawing lazy circles in the sky as her shadow crossed the wolf's path over and over and over again. Avalon had been neglecting her training, and now it was time to get back into the game. Despite her age, her body remained well toned, though that fact remained hidden beneath her thick fur that nearly all Ancora's bore. Except for Gryphon...her poor son had inherited his fathers shorter fur, and since most of them were back north again while Auster picked up the heat, she wondered if he would go there as well. Distracted from her thoughts when a howl called for a challenger, Avalon picked up the pace as Tan led the way, keeping an eye out for her. When Avalon arrived, she was surprised to see Justice and another woman. Both Celestians, and she hesitated, pausing nearly twenty feet from the pair. She was out here alone, and there were two wolves from a pack who probably saw her and her own as enemies for her sons raid. Granted, she didn't participate, but she was quite sure that Celestial didn't care who was there and who wasn't. She felt a little uneasy, though her posture was defensive just in case she did need to fight off them both. She watched Justice for a long moment, wishing she could talk to the young woman. Tell her how sorry she was. That she wanted to be there for her. But she doubted the girl wanted any of that, who knew? And when her gaze found the other womans, a chord of familiarity hit. She seemed...familiar. Perhaps she didn't know the woman, but her scent...something about it felt vaguely familiar...

The woman who answered her call was older than Gwen was, fluffier, and eyed them warily. When the woman's gaze seemed to linger on Justice for longer than necessary, Gwen moved calmly to stand between them, neatly cutting the younger fighter off before she could say anything. Knowing the girl, it was likely something biting and rude, and Gwen didn't want her potential opponent to leave in affront. She did, after all, need the practice.

"Good morning," she said smoothly to the stranger. "Are you here for a spar or were you needing something else?" She kept her eyes locked on the stranger, but tilted her head quizzically to one side. Gwen held no recognition of the other woman, herself, having never met her in the past. The woman hadn't been at the raid and no longer bore the scent of a pack, so as far as Gwen knew she had no prior relationship to her. Which made, of course, her intense interest in the both of them all the more unsettling, and though Gwen remained relaxed and calm physically, internally she was on high alert.

The woman that finally appeared at Gwen's call didn't say anything, just stared at first Gwen, and then - with an intensity that made Justice increasingly uncomfortable, at Justice herself. Justice shifted uneasily, dark hackles beginning to rise, and she opened her jaws to say something snarky to the stranger, but Gwen unexpectedly stepped between them, speaking before Justice could spit out something suitably sarcastic. Justice huffed and rolled her eyes behind the older warrior's back, sending a hard stare over her shoulder towards the stranger. "Yeah no kidding. Something wrong with your head? Are you here to fight or are you just planning on staring all damn day? We're on a schedule here, and 'babysitting senile old woman' wasn't on it."

Woops. She didn't realize she had been staring a little longer than necessary. She had been so wrapped up in memories that she had forgotten to speak when she approached. So when Gwen spoke, Avalon dipped her head in apology. "Ah, yes sorry. Good morning to you as well, I have indeed come to spar. If you don't mind," She watched as the older woman placed herself in front of Justice, but when Justice spoke, Avalon's eyes narrowed. "Now I know Creed didn't raise you to speak in that manner." She didn't blame her, however. A lot had happened with her young cousin's mother, and even moreso when Creed had been killed. It wasn't easy, she knew. But still, she didn't think she deserved to be spoken to that way. Returning her attention to the older woman, Avalon squared her stance as Tan landed neatly between her shoulders. "My name is Avalon Ancora, and I would like to spar with you if you'll have me. I'm sure that I, a 'senile old woman' am quite up for the task." Fiery amber gaze moved between the two, though she was certain that she would be fighting one of them at this point. She couldn't shake the ghost of recognition that kept haunting her, however, when she looked at Gwen. Perhaps she didn't know this woman, but she was certain she knew her blood-relatives. The thought wouldn't go away, so she made a note to ask afterwards. "Talk" "You" Think

"That's enough," she said firmly, ostentatiously to Justice who had bristled at the stranger's words but also to the stranger, who had named herself as Avalon Ancora. Gwen evaluated her with new eyes, considering if there might be a relationship between the woman and the Dragon Ancora who had raided Celestial some time before. If there was, perhaps it would be best to end this meeting short rather than risk an incident. Justice was, understandably, rather prickly on the subject of the Talis Ancoras, and she didn't want this friendly spar degenerating into something more... maimy. "This may not be the best time for a spar after all," she said politely, carefully shouldering the younger Celestial wolf away towards the border. "My apologies for wasting your time. Perhaps another day we'll meet on the battlefield." With that, she sought to lead Justice away.

-exit Gwen and Justice-