Since truly accepting his desired path, Desolate had spent much more time working on training. Theory had offered to mentor him, and somehow the sad look in the alpha's eyes knowing that the orphaned litter had their lessons neglected made him feel even more like he was failing life. He couldn't bother her all the time however, and there was only so much sparring against trees that a pup could do before it got dreadfully boring.

He waited until it wasn't too terribly early in the morning, and then wormed into their den to whisper into the sleeping Void's ear. "Psst." He didn't want to wake up all his siblings, he'd chosen Void because he was the quietest and softest spoken and therefore much less likely to awake whatever anger seemed to be always brewing in the young bipolar pup. "Wanna go outside and play?" While he didn't necessarily want to 'play,' he thought it'd sound more fun to the other boy then asking to fight him. He'd tell him his true intentions once he got him out the door.

Void hadn’t truly decided on a path yet, he knew that he wanted to follow the stars. To learn them, their names, where they traveled and when. It was a quiet hobby, but then Void was a quiet boy, precisely the reason his brother nudged him awake. He didn’t startle easily but blinked open his eyes at the sound of lips to his ears. He would soon realize that he wanted to use his tremendous size for more than stargazing.

Desolate didn’t often come calling, but Void was the sibling he seemed to defer to. Maybe it was because he was so quiet, but Void wasn’t easily intimidated by his brother’s mood swings either. He didn’t answer vocally, but that wasn’t an oddity. He nodded but there were no emotions as he loosened himself carefully from Gloom’s embrace and padded outside with his shorter brother. Bright blue and lavender eyes settled on him curiously, wondering what kind of game he’d been invited to.

Void woke up as silently as the boy expected of his brother, and he let out a sigh of relief as no squeak of fear or surprise came. His tag wagged slowly behind him, and he nodded his head to motion the other outdoors, and when they'd gotten far enough away from the den to not wake any of the other slumbering pups he met Void's colorful stare. "OK I lied, I don't want to actually play." He shrugged his shoulders, miming an 'oops' and giving the boy a grin. "I want to practice, or something. I want to learn to fight and there aren't people to teach us how so we have to teach ourselves."

It hadn't even occurred to Desolate that Void might not be interested in a life of combat, the quiet boy had always seemed more of a star-gazing navigator to him. Though all pups enjoyed a good play-fight, so he told himself his brother would enjoy it. He eyed his brother carefully, gauging his interest. After a moment he spoke again, as if to try to encourage him further. "Sometimes at night it looks like the stars are fighting, too." While he hadn't spent much time looking up at the night sky, he knew Void did and tried to grasp onto something relatable to the other pup.

Deso led the way from the den, and the stoid Void felt his own tail wag gently at his hips as he followed outside. Eventually they made it far enough away that they wouldn’t disturb the rest of them and the shorter of the two brothers offered up the truth of his deception. Void’s gaze narrowed slightly as he tilted his head with curiosity. Deso grinned as he answered and the taller brother perked again as he was given the proposition of practising their battle skills. The white marked Destruction hadn’t given much thought to fighting yet, his interests lay primarily in the sky.

Void appreciated how Desolate tried to associate the sky with their skills here on earth. The young boy thoughts for a long moment, he wasn’t one to make decisions with haste. Desolate seemed so eager to do this together.. ”Alright.” He agreed softly. ”How do I start?” He did know how to speak but he didn’t go on very long.

Desolate waited patiently for his soft-spoken sibling to give his response, his own tail wagging harder when Void accepted his proposition. That was the first step, to find a partner to train with. The next step was a lesson of some sort, but Desolate had had so few lessons that he really didn't know how to teach. He looked thoughtful for a moment, then started offering up ideas with hesitance. "Well... I.." His brows furrowed, and he stared down at his feet. He didn't want to have to admit how little he knew. "Well, you like to look at things. Maybe we could practice fighting without looking. Y'know, like... hearing and feeling." Desolate stepped forward to demonstrate, whipping a paw past Void's face - but far enough that it'd not hit the boy - so he could feel the draft the swing created.

Was that silly? Desolate didn't know. He'd heard that there were some blind fighters who were as fierce as the ones with vision, so perhaps being able to stop relying on sight alone for a counter attack could help the pups. Although when he pictured the pair sparring with their eyes shut, he wrinkled his nose in distaste. If someone happened to wander by, it'd definitely be a sight to see. They might need to take turns with their eyes open so the pair didn't simply flail around the territory. "Or not, I don't know. Do you have any ideas?" Desolate's head tilted towards his brother. "Is there anything you'd want to learn to do?"

Void perked his dark ears curiously as he watched his brother suddenly start to hesitate and stumble. He didn’t actually know where they should start, and it didn’t sound like his brother had any better understanding than Void did. Honestly Desolate’s idea wasn’t a terrible one. Void knew he relied on sight more than he should sometimes, and focusing entirely on his other senses would do him good. Even if he didn’t learn much in the way of fighting.

He closed his blue and lavender eyes as Deso swiped his paw out experimentally. Void remained still and as intended he wasn’t touched. Maybe it was a little more insightful than his brother meant it to be. The change in air pressure was discernible, maybe they could even use that to fight better. ”Fighting is pretty primal. Having to make decisions in a split second.” Void observed, saying more than he had all day. ”Maybe we should just follow our instincts. We both know how to use our teeth.” He offered helpfully, he felt a little more sure than his brother.

Desolate's lips parted, his tongue moving to swipe over his teeth thoughtfully at his brother's recommendation. Did he even have instincts? Desolate wasn't sure, and he frowned. Though the discussion had brought Void's voice forward, and that was enough to encourage him to keep trying. "OK, well my instincts tell me that it'd be a bad idea to fight you, because you're so much bigger then me." Bi-colored gaze fell upon the other boy, and Desolate struggled to not think too hard about what he'd do in a fight. After all, letting his instincts drive him meant that he shouldn't be carefully considering his options.

He leaned forward then to each side as if he was moving to strike, letting himself feel to try to determine what instinctively he'd go for. "I think I'd want to bite your face." Desolate announced after a moment. His ears fell back at the words, disliking how it sounded. Why would his instincts want him to do that? Void was his brother, his instincts should tell him to bite somewhere harmless so his family member would be uninjured. "I wouldn't though, 'cause I love you and all." She shrugged sadly, eyeing the other boy. "Do you think we're doing this right?"

Voi didn’t often show emotion, he was a neutral slate in every aspect. No smiles, no frowns, and even less growling. As his brother spoke however the young pup did manage to crack a grin and chuckle softly. He was huge compared to his siblings. Unbeknownst to him his great uncle as similarly blessed. ”Your instincts are probably right.” Void was oddly amused and he decided he liked it.

Sharp blue and lavender eyes watched his brother as Deso cautiously tried the left and the right, trying to get a feel for what his instincts were telling him. Void remained still, but his dark ears perked as his brother voiced what he believed to be happening. ”That seems like a good course of action if we’re fighting.” He nodded approvingly. ”I love you too, but…” His expression took on a thinking type of expression. ”If I’m already bigger than you, wouldn’t you want to do everything to give yourself an advantage?” Other than practice he didn’t know what the two of them could be fighting over. Whatever he had Void happily shared with his siblings. Physical objects were not that important to him.

”I think I’m learning.” He finally decided. He didn’t know if he was learning the correct things but being forced to think definitely left him feeling like they were doing something right. Void feeling anything at all was a step in the right direction.

Desolate's lip tugged at Void cracked an unsual grin, his tail whipping through the air behind him in excitement. If anything, even if he turned out to be the worst person to do a fighting lesson with at least he'd succeeded in making his brother smile. He stuck out his tongue playfully at the other boy as he confirmed that he'd probably not want to take on a wolf who had such a height advantage. "The bigger they are the harder they fall, right? I heard that somewhere." He was teasing of course, trying to convince himself that he'd have a chance against the direwolf child.

Void was right, Desolate would need an advantage if he were to fight a larger wolf - even if they were family - and he screwed up his face in concentration. Back and forth within his mind he considered whether it was worth it to win a fight against someone he loved at all, and he wasn't sure if the answer was yes. He didn't see himself as a warrior, a soldier. He wanted to protect those he loved like his timid, vanished mother... not fight simply to draw blood.

"This is difficult." He admitted, peering back over at the other boy. "It's your turn. What do your instincts tell you?" This was to learn after all, and Void couldn't learn just based of how Desolate's instincts directed him. "If I'm coming to bite your face, what are you going to do?" Desolate squared his shoulders and stared firmly up at Void, his lips pulling back in an attempted snarl that fell a little flat as if to give the star-gazing boy some imagery to go off of.

Void couldn’t deny his enjoyment he could take in the good natured banter going on between the two of them. Even if they were far from perfect students or teachers they were both trying and they were both having fun of it. ”I’ll make sure I fall on you.” The boy joked as his brother stuck his tongue out. Void tried to copy him, and though he enjoyed feeling silly it was still forced and he shook himself as Desolate considered him seriously.

”Uncle Rhyme says we gotta work hard.” He said in a moment of remembered wisdom. ”This is working hard, right?” He added as an afterthought as Desolate told him that it was his turn to take a listen to his instincts. ”Hmm.” Void paused thoughtfully before offering his solution. ”I’m already taller than you, I think I’d try to rear up. I’d get my face out of your reach and I could wrap you up in a hug.”

Of course that kind of strategy wouldn’t work particularly well with a real enemy or someone his own size. They’d still reach his face.