Natha had required an unexpected shadow. What was meant to be a nice little vacation of wandering and stretching the legs had now turned into a bout of babysitting as one of Zee's children had taken to following her. She'd thought about just ditching the child but supposed that as an Armada Lieutenant she should at least humor the girl. Today they were getting their exercise. That's what Natha told herself anyway. In truth she wanted to work some energy out of the little stinker so the girl wouldn't drive her right up the nearest tree.

The wandered through the Weeping Woods up near the Hallows border before Natha settled down to rest and groom. She supposed she ought to give the girl some sort of healing lesson, maybe a spar. It would help to work out more of the pup's energy and she had to admit knocking around a wolf pup was a highly amusing idea for the lynyx.

Gossamer trotted after Natha. Ásta was off doing whatever it was that giant foxes did and she'd immediately gone looking for someone else to pester. She found Natha and promptly started soliciting the lynx to teach her something cool about fighting, something she could use to beat her siblings in practice spars. The lynx had responded by telling her that she needed to get stronger and work up her endurance so they'd gone for a walk. It was a fairly long walk but it wasn't terrible. She'd started the trip off chatting but by the end she was glad when they stopped for a break. She flopped down on her belly then looked up at the cat. "Ok, so is this where we're going to train?" She was ready… ok, that wasn't true. She'd be ready in like five minutes, she just needed to catch her breath.

Walk | "Talk" | think

They weren’t supposed to leave the pack line without someone to keep an eye on them in case of trouble.  Kotori considered this fact even as he imagined who he might urge to go with him, there was loads of exploring that he needed to do.  The packland was a large area for a pup to roam but there was something about a line that they shouldn’t cross on their own that made it all the more fascinating.

Oh ho! Kotori spotted Goss following after Natha.  What was that about?  Kotori didn’t know the details but that would certainly count as being with others!  They had a lead on Kotori but not so much as he couldn’t catch up!  Kotori charged through the grass till he caught up to where they had left and followed their trail.  He could see them up ahead but not by much, their forms still small from distance.  Kotori ran with all his might, at least until he had to walk.  When he caught up finally the young wolf pup was glad they hadn’t gone even farther.  He had visions of charging his sister but now he just proudly sat down doing his best to not show off how tired he was from the game of catch-up. “Hey! What are we doing?  Gossy, you said train right? Training what?” Then looking at Natha, “hi! I want to train also! It must be something special to come out here?”

Natha was about to reply to Gossamer when her keen ears picked up the sound of a small form approaching. She looked and no much later the girl's brother popped up and inquired into the training. Ack… now she had two pups to deal with, though perhaps this would be easier. Rather than knocking Gossamer butt over brain she could have the pups spar each other.

The cat got to her paws and stretched, arcing her back before licking at one of her paws. She paused. "Yes, I would like to go over your defenses and then I want to see you two spar." She looked to Kotori. "I am Natha, one of your father's Lieutenants." Natha settled down and looked both the pups over. She'd never really tried to teach, after all, her kind were loners. Though, she supposed she had taught a litter of kittens to hunt and spar. Surely this would be similar. "Why don't you two show me what you know. Set your defenses."

Gossamer grinned as her brother joined the duo. Yes, now she could fight someone her own age! Not that she didn't want to try fighting the cat some time but the lynx was so much bigger and had such long and sharp claws that she really wasn't sure if she could make any progress against he feline. She knew the cat's name was Natha but she was surprised to learn the cat was a lieutenant. Granted, she didn't know what a lieutenant was but she heard that the cat was a great warrior.

Natha asked what they knew about their defenses and Gossamer immediately showed what she knew. She knew you were supposed to flatten your ears to your head so she did that and she also let her fur stand on end to make her as big and fluffy as possible which really wasn't all that big.

Walk | "Talk" | think

Kotori was thrilled he was being let into the training session quickly.  He had been ready to defend his right to join if necessary but on hindsight would they have had any reason not to let him on it?  Either way, it was exciting he’d found a way to temporarily leave the pack land and was going to get training!  It was bound to be a perfect day.  "Hi Natha, and thanks!"

It was absolutely required Kotori not let a sister show him up in the area of fighting.  The brown pup stood up again, lowering his head so that it was even with his body, showing off all his teeth with a soft threatening growl, or at least as threatening as a pup could make itself sound.  It was a second later he remembered to pull his ears flat looking at how Goss was doing it.  Looking intimidating was important so he did his best to glare hard at Natha as well.

How did a cat get a high rank in a wolf pack?  What made her so special?  Was she a super amazing fighter or was it something else?  Could she really teach wolves how to fight well?  The young pup was super curious but at the same time since this still meant time outside of the packland and fight training, he wasn’t too concerned with this now.  Kotori might think about it more at some point, later.

Natha watched as Gossamer's fur stood on end and she pinned her ears. Ok, well… that was a start. Her brother followed up by also aligning his head with his neck and putting on a fierce display. "Ok, that's a start. There are some other important defenses to keep in mind as well." Natha proceeded to demonstrate. She joined the pups in pinning her large ears to her head and allowing her fluffy coat to stand on end. She lowered her neck to align with her spine and then rolled her shoulders forward while scrunching her neck back. "It's important to guard your neck and throat. That is where an opponent can do a lot of damage. By rolling your shoulders forward and pulling your neck back you minimize the area an opponent can grab. You also cause your skin and fur to bunch there so its harder to get at muscle and blood."

She hoped this made sense. She hadn't trained pups before and wasn't sure on how best to simplify the information. "Aligning your tail with your spine can help during attack but your tail can also be used to defend your belly if you tuck it. Go ahead and give these a try. Granted you need a longer tail for this to work well." Natha chuckled as she wagged her stubby little bobbed tail.

Gossamer glanced at her brother out of the corner of her eyes and quickly moved to copy what he was doing that she wasn't. She listened carefully as Natha explained other important defenses and as the lynx moved to demonstrate, Gossamer was quick to copy. Her brow furrowed as she focused on rolling her shoulders smoothly forward and then scrunching her neck back. "Like this?" As she asked her ears unpinned for a moment but then she quickly pinned them back down. When it came time to try tucking her she giggled a little at Natha's short tail. Honestly, she hadn't even noticed that the cat's tail was so short. Gossamer quickly tucked her tail between her hind legs, allowing it to lie flat underneath her belly. "Like this? And how come your tail is so short? Did it get bitten off in battle?" She was sure Natha had some cool fight stories.

Walk | "Talk" | think

Kotori watched Natha as she demonstrated how to set their defense.  The pup rolled his shoulders forward, shifting his neck as he tried to imitate the cat.  Scrunching up his neck felt weird for a battle position with his muscles all tense.  Kotori cast a sideways glance to see how Gossy was making out and imagined they were both in the same spot on figuring it out.

Hmm.  Natha mentioned that the tail could be useful in two different ways during a fight.  He had assumed to keep the tail out but what about tucking it down low?  It was hard to think on it seriously though when Natha was showing of her bobbed tail which had him grinning.   “Was there a raid and a wolf in another pack bit it off?”   His imagination quickly turning the way Gossy had directed it.   “Is it a great story?”  Meanwhile, his tail had set to a wagging position with curiosity of imagined stories.

Natha watched both pups as they set their defenses. She nodded to Gossamer who asked if she was tucking her tail correctly. "Yes, there you go. Tucking your tail is more useful if you're defending an attack or if you're in close combat with another wolf."

She looked to Kotori and chuckled. "I have some raid stories but none regarding my tail. I was born like this, most of my kind are. Where I come from it gets very, very cold in the winter. Long tails are more prone to frost bite and freezing off if you don't have a really special coat like a snow-leopard." She didn't know why her kind hadn't evolved long and fluffy tails like their cousins but that was fine with her. One less thing to worry about snagging on brush and trees when hunting rabbits.

"Ok, now I want to get a feel for how you two attack. I want to watch you spar each other. Gossamer, you'll go first."

Gossamer had been hoping for a good and gory story but apparently Natha's tail was just like that. Well, that was boring though he grisly details about long tails freezing off gave her pause. Was that something that could happen to them? Natha soon instructed them in the next part of their lesson, they were going to spar. She grinned and faced off against Kotori. Her fur stood on end and she pinned her ears to her head, opting to align her tail with her spine since she was going to go first. She also scrunched her neck back and rolled her shoulders forward. It occurred to her that it was going to be difficult to run and reach out for an attack like this but maybe Natha meant to say you had to do that when you were defending.

Gossy eyed her brother for a moment then kicked off in an attack. She came at the boy head on but slightly to her left as she tried to bite the right side of his neck, just behind the jaw line. She hoped to quickly coil herself in and roll her shoulders forward again when she struck.

Gossamer Fatalis vs Kotori for Spar
Round 1/?
Age: Under 6 Monhs
Size: Large
Build: Medium
Companion 1: Fox, Female - Battle (Boosted)
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Beginner Healer
Specialty: N/A

Walk | "Talk" | think

It was great they were getting lessons from a cat!  Later he’d have to tell his sister good job on getting this set up.  Too bad the story he had hoped for was nothing but she was born with a short tail.  Later he’d have to ask Natha about the raid stories she did have!  However, he wouldn’t pause training for stories.

The pup’s gaze turned towards Gossy, and as he checked himself again to where his ears and tail should be she was attacking.  Kotori expected the head-on charge but then she was going for his shoulder instead!  Kotori attempted to step back with that leg but she had already connected.  At least this meant she was attached to a spot near his mouth?  Kotori raised his right paw to try and scratch at the muzzle that had bit his shoulder, of course, it was a trick with her muzzle limiting its movement.  Kotori would twist his head in to try and get a good bite on his sister's neck.  

Kotori Fatalis vs Gossamer for spar
Round 1/2
Age: under 6 months
Size: Extra large
Build: Medium
Companion 1: Slender mongoose, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Horns - Offensive
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Intermediate Healer
Specialty: N/A

Gossamer raced forward and collided with her brother. Unfortunately her attack for his neck missed and instead she ended up biting into his shoulder. She didn't have time to analyze what went wrong so she just bit down as hard as she could to try and get a good hold and go from there. She rolled her shoulders forward and scrunched her neck back, trying to get as close to her brother as she could. It was then she felt teeth dig into her neck. She had to admit the neck scrunching helped a bit as it pushed more skin and fur over the muscles and blood vessels however that didn't mean the bite didn't hurt. She flinched and growled and tried to figure out what to do now. Gossamer settled her weight in her hind legs and attempted to wrap her front legs around his elbow before pushing off with her hind legs to try and push her chest into Kotori's front leg to knock him off balance.

Gossamer Fatalis vs Kotori for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: Under 6 Months
Size: Large
Build: Medium
Companion 1: Fox, Female - Battle (Boosted)
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Beginner Healer
Specialty: N/A

Walk | "Talk" | think

Kotori hadn’t expected the attack and certainly had never dealt with it before so the tactic worked pretty well.  Kotori teetered and took two steps back, weight shifting to the right before he branced.  Kotori’s focus was on wasting no time and his ears came up without the focus on them.  Hey, it was hard to remember everything in the heat of battle!

The brown pup charged back into Goss with no real plan other than believing standing still and giving her a chance to follow up on her attack would be bad.  With a wild growl he went for the most up front solution and just tried to leap at his sister hoping to slam into her chest and maybe knock her over.

Kotori Fatalis vs Gossamer for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: under 6 months
Size: Extra large
Build: Medium
Companion 1: Slender mongoose, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Horns - Offensive
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Intermediate Healer
Specialty: N/A

And the winner is...

Gossamer

KOTORI must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Gossamer: Rolls: 73 15 19 9 Adjusted: 91.25    15.75    19    9 Total: 108.00 Kotori: Rolls: 6 34 5 57 Adjusted: 7.5    39.1    5    57 Total: 86.88