ooc;; I am fast forwarding a little bit - loooooove liquid time. Iko, we can have a pre-spar thread in Olympus if you want, but I figured it would be easier to just do it this way.

It had been a couple of weeks since her paw had been damaged in the stone covered place. While the toes were still sensitive, Natalya was able to move normally on her foot now. It was the right time to announce that she would be mentoring Hani herself, and to have her rematch with her acquaintance in Valhalla. She summoned the girl at the borders of Olympus and simply told her to follow before setting off for a neutral land. She was careful to skirt the edges of the rocky land on her way to the riverbed, having no interest in further injury from the place.



At the place where the Valhallan border met the edges of the neutral desert, Natalya raised her head to summon Arwel, hoping that he would be free to meet. While she waited for his arrival, she turned to her mentee with a small smile. "Hani, I will be mentoring you myself. While your main focus will be in healing, you must first learn to defend yourself. All Olympians must be warriors to some degree, non-family members being no exception. You will start today by observing, but next time you will be sparring on your own, either with a younger member of Olympus or an ally of ours."



She paused to give the girl a moment to consider her words before dropping her tone to something more casual and friendly. "I trust that you are becoming comfortable in your new home?"


"Speech"
'thoughts'

Hani Haust Hani followed the woman that had let her into the pack. It had taken long enough, but Hani finally had her name memorized, "Natalya." She rolled the name in her head, putting it to the musky scent of the shadow woman before her. She had been summoned and asked to follow her superior, and she did as she was told without complaint. She wasn't completely at ease around other pack members yet, but it was becoming easier, and she thought that if she tried hard enough, she could come to trust them eventually. Probably. As the two passed into neutral land, Natalya called out to another member of the pack. The woman then turned and spoke directly to Hani. Her words made sense, and Hani's mind agreed completely until the mention of being non-family, "Okay, I get it, I'm not related to the GODS. Don't rub it in, I still don't believe in them, anyway." Hani never voiced these opinions out of respect, which she was finding to be rather strong in holding her thoughts and questions at bay. Natalya mentioned sparring later and Hani nodded at the words with a small hum, not connecting the meaning to her mind. Her head still rung with the word "non-family" and a part of that made her fur bristle, though she was careful not to show it. "I trust that you are becoming comfortable in your new home?" the woman said warmly. Hani's ears drooped a bit, though she held a smile, laughing slightly, "I'm still working on it,"she stated honestly, though not unhappily, "It's getting easier, though. It's all just so new to me, but I'm learning!" Do Speech Thoughts You

The call of one of their Olympus allies, particularly one he knew personally, was a pleasant surprise. Arwel would rise from where he had been resting, having risen early that morning to do some hunting and check the borders of one of the territories. After having done that he had decided to rest a while... And was actually about to get moving again to see if his help was needed somewhere in the pack before he got the call. An answering call, letting the melanistic woman know he was on his way was given before Arwel took off. He would move at a pace that was not too fast, but not exactly a leisurely one either. He didn?t want to keep Natalya waiting for long. The woman was an interesting fae indeed... He enjoyed the small bit of time he had shared in her company thus far and wondered what it could be she wanted to see him for today. Not that he was complaining... But he had to admit he was rather curious. So the brute would come along, arriving upon scene before too long with a smile upon his maw. He was a little surprised, however, to see that there was another wolf with Natalya this time. ?Natalya, it is good to see you again.? He?d look to the other she wolf now, dipping his head in greeting. ?And to you, miss, greetings. I am Arwel.? The girl bore a similar scent that Natalya had... So she was an Olympian as well. He would look to Natalya again, that gentle smile never leaving his maw. ?What brings you out here, Natalya?? His voice held warmth. He was just happy to see a friendly face. "Normal. Speech. Thought. You."

As she stood speaking with Hani, a return howl reached her ears and caused her smile to widen slightly. Arwel was on his way, then. After only seeing him briefly at the wedding in Valhalla she was truly looking forward to this meeting. She turned her attention quickly back to her mentee, nodding slight after listening to her words. "You'll get used to everything. It took me a while too. Of course, if you have any questions or concerns just let someone know, okay?"



Her head abruptly turned toward the border, to face who she assumed was Arwel approaching. "I'm glad you were able to come, Arwel. It has been some time." She smiled, and gestured to the girl beside her with a paw. "This is Hani Haust, a new Squire of Olympus. I am mentoring her to be a future healer." She paused to allow them introductions before continuing to her purpose.



"Arwel, I was wondering if you might be interested in a rematch today? I would love for Hani to see her first spar, and last time didn't quite reach a finishing point."

"Speech"
'thoughts'

Hani Haust A howl rang through the air, sending small shivers down Hani's spine. A real spar, huh? Hani had no idea what that entailed. Natalya told the girl that she could talk to her, or ask her things, or whatever. Hani appreciated the offer, but easily shrugged it off as an empty, though polite, offer. One of the offers that wasn't really meant to be acted upon. Well, maybe it was sincere, but the girl doubted it, and even if it was, she didn't feel like she would act upon it anyway. It was still nice to say, though. Before Hani got a chance to answer, another wolf- probably the one that howled- entered the clearing. When Natalya paused for the girl to give her introduction, she quickly bowed her head, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Arwel!" she muttered a little too fast for a leisurely introduction. Her head whipped up and she glanced from Natalya to Arwel several times for approval. It was her first time meeting a wolf from another pack while she was in a pack. So this was an ally pack's wolf, right? The whole thought of allies and enemies in pack form made her head spin, "Like, the alpha can just say that the whole pack is friends with another pack? Isn't that kind of odd? Isn't that selfish somehow? Not all wolves get along and if two in allied packs are enemies then what?" Hani didn't have too long to ponder allies and enemies- and secretly she was glad- because Natalya asked for another spar from the wolf. Her tone hinted at something that made Hani a bit nervous. Though the two seemed in good standing, the girl wondered what or how their spar could have not reached a finishing point. With a statement like that in the open, Hani wondered if the male really had a choice in accepting or declining. She also wondered what would happen if he did decline. Again, Hani's head was spinning and she wished that the spar would hurry and begin. Do Speech Thoughts You

The man would give a nod, his smile not leaving his face. ?It has indeed.? His gaze would travel back to Hani for a moment. A new squire for Olympus... By the fact that she was training the girl he assumed that this was a rank that wolves who did not yet bear a specific skill were placed into. He would give another nod, cerulean hues still respectfully on the femme. ?I wish you the best of luck with your training, Hani. The path of a healer is a noble one indeed.? While his own path was as a hunter for the pack, or Sigma, he knew that his role was important as well. Fighting and healing were necessary skills that truly benefited a pack... But hunters provided the food to give them the energy to perform their task much of the time. "Likewise Hani." His gaze would flick back to Natalya as she spoke, asking if they might spar again. It was a proposition he didn?t mind at all, and the male would give a nod. ?I would be happy to, Natalya. You are welcome to the first move.? That said the male would prepare for battle. The brute would spread his paws to widen his stance, planting them on the ground as he distributed his weight evenly. Tail would tuck, curling towards his belly as he lowered his head to align it with his spine. To give a bit more protection to his throat the male would tip his chin downward, ears laying flat against his skull and eyes narrowing into slits. He would scrunch his neck, rolling shoulders forward and bending his knees to keep them loose. Arwel?s hackles would raise, jaw unhinging to be prepared for use. Stomach would tuck in and tense, a final preparation for whatever his ally may throw at him. "Normal. Speech. Thought. You."

Rounds:: 0 || 1 || 2

Attacks:: None, Round Zero. No Moves Made.

Defenses:: Widened stance, planted paws {both to help with even weight distribution}, tucked tail, head lowered and aligned with spine, chin tipped downward, ears pinned, eyes narrowed, neck scrunched, shoulders rolled forward, knees bent, hackles raised, jaw unhinged, and stomach tensed / tucked.

Injuries:: None, Round Zero. No Moves Made.

Notes:: We can have three rounds if you want. xD I just figured a shorter spar might be better.

As the three of them conversed, Natalya moved forward to close most of the distance between herself and Arwel and judge his positioning on the sandy field. Upon his agreement to spar, she backed straight away from him, setting her defenses as she moved. She bent her knees and lowered her body slightly, narrowed her eyelids to protect her useless eyes, and lowered her ears toward her head. She would not flatten them completely, as she needed to keep them open for any sounds of movement from her opponent or their inexperienced observer. Her head lowered and her tail raised, both even with her spine, and her chin tucked in to protect her throat. She stopped finally when a few yards sat between them and finished preparing herself, splaying her toes across the ground, widening her stance, and pushing her weight forward just slightly so that she would be able to move quickly without compromising her balance. Her shoulders rolled forward and her hackles raised in a final effort to protect her body, then she waited. Natalya would let a long moment pass before she made her move, a silence weighing heavily on the still air between them. Finally, she tightened the muscles of her abdomen before launching herself forward. As she ran toward Arwel, she shifted her position slightly to her left, so that she approached aiming to match up her right shoulder with his left side/right shoulder (-left from her perspective-this is his right shoulder, please see ooc notes). She would dip the front of her body just barely toward the ground at the last moment, then force it upward as she attempted to use her momentum to take the male off balance. The claws of her hind legs would dig into the ground for support as she did this. Simultaneously, her jaws would part and she would attempt to latch onto the scruff at the spot where Arwel's neck met his right shoulder. She would try to pull upward to tear the skin slightly before releasing him and tucking her chin back in to protect her throat again as she attempted to drop back onto all fours and tried to reset her wide stance before Arwel struck back. The rest of her defenses would be maintained throughout her attack. Round 1 of 2 (I agree with you!) | Spar Attacks: Charged toward him, with her right shoulder aimed at his right; dropped body slightly lower at last moment to try to thrust upward during push; and simultaneously attempted to latch onto scruff on the left side of his neck and tear the skin. Defenses: Eyelids narrow, ears flat, tail raised, head lowered, chin tucked, knees bent, widened stance, weight focused slightly toward toes, toes splayed, ears almost flat, shoulders rolled forward, claws dug into ground, hackles raised, and tightened abs. Injuries: None yet.

OOC NOTES: EDITED FOR CLARIFICATION.

Keno and Raii agreed to both fix some derpy mental errors in posts, in the interest of having a fun spar and not being like "Oh we dumb" at the end, and since our errors were the result of our stressy lives and waning brainpower.

My corrections/clarifications are in bold. Essentially when typing, I was saying left because of Nat's perspective, but should have been saying right because that's what it actually was.

See HERE our join.me discussion and excellent blob art to diagram positioning after full Round 1.

Edited again to close a bold tag, because half my post was accidentally bold xD

Natalya had closed the distance between the two of them, moving so that there would be less of a time to react. But spars, as well as other types of fights, were fought in close proximity... This was nothing that the male was not familiar with. He would focus, knees bent and ready, head lowered and tail tucked. Chin would tip forward, protecting the lower neck while he scrunched up the top part of his neck, keeping his shoulders rolled forward. Any move he would make would be a counter attack. Basic defense, certainly necessary, were also there. Ears were lowered flat to his skull, cerulean orbs narrowed into slits to protect them from damage. Claws dug into the earth, stance widened with planted feet as he distributed his weight. Then, as a last measure, fur would raise, particularly on his hackles, to give one last defenses while he prepared for the Olympian woman?s attack. The silence between them, just before the battle began, was perhaps one of the most eerie things Arwel had grown used to dealing with as a wolf. The calm before the storm... Before bodies would meet in heat of battle. Natalya would launch forward, and Arwel would watch her, trying to read her moves. Her movements would shift slightly to the right, and as she neared both wolves would launch attacks. Arwel would push forward off the ground, his back legs digging their claws into the earth, aiming to slide along her right side. His own leap, was more to propel him forward, however, and keep him close to the ground so that he could recover his stance quickly and attack. Head would turn to the right, jaws parting. While Natalaya aimed higher he aimed lower, seeking to score his teeth across her side. He would feel, however, her own teeth grab onto his scruff, tearing the skin some from the momentum of her lunge. The scent of blood, as well as the sharp tinge of pain from the small wounds caused by teeth would hit him. If his fangs found any flesh on her side they would have simply sought to tear and slice, not a hold. As Arwel?s back paws hit the ground he?d give a slight push again, making a slight hop with his back end towards the left, to give just a bit more distance between his back end and the woman?s front. Natalya?s hold was released now, the woman focusing on regaining her stance as she hit the ground once again. For now his aim was simpy to strike again, hopefully, before Natalya fully recovering. Right front paw would flash forward, aiming to strike up Natalya?s right back paw as jaws sought to score further damage in a bite on her right flank. If he misjudged the bite, however, he hoped to at least slash into her skin once more with teeth to do just a bit more damage. All the while he would keep his defenses set, particularly mindful of his ears and eyes. "Normal. Speech. Thought. You."

Rounds:: 0 || 1 || 2
Attack::

-While Natalya aims to tear at his scruff in her leap Arwel is moving alongside her side at a more parallel angle, aiming to tear her flesh with his fangs as he passes.

-As Natalya is recovering her stance Arwel is attempting to step upon her back paw, either to cause bruising or maybe break a toe or two, and bite her flank. If he misjudges due to her hackles being raised in the last post {which it is more likely he wouldn?t gain a hold due to this defense} he will simply aim to cut her flank with his teeth, as he aimed to do to her side.

Defenses:: Knees bent, head lowered and aligned with spine, tail tucked, chin lowered, neck scrunched, shoulders rolled forward, ears flattened, eyes narrowed, stance widened, feet planted {even weight distribution} with claws gripping the earth, hackles / fur raised

Injuries::
-Punctures / slight tearing to his scruff about the left shoulder.

Notes:: Edit permission granted by Raii, agreed upon because the positioning and all for both of our posts were messed up.

In their passing, the she-wolf felt the pull of Arwel?s teeth along the side of her right shoulder and her skin warmed under the trickle of blood that ran from the thin cuts. She was given but a moment to reset her defenses, ensuring that her stance remained wide with bent knees, splayed toes, and her claws digging into the ground for support as her weight was focused forward slightly for quicker movement. Her eyelids remained narrowed, her ears remained lowered most of the way toward her head, her head remained lowered, and her chin remained tucked from the last attack. She ensured that her tail was still in its proper position, her shoulders were still rolled forward, and her hackles were still raised in a threatening manner as the counter attack came. The shift in Arwel?s position was not missed by Natalya?s ears and she took note that his backside was probably out of her reach now. She stepped back as she registered the noise, which ended up being a movement simultaneous with his attempt to step on her foot. He was able to get in a hard hit there but, due to her backwards movement, was unable to find purchase. She felt pain that she was sure would be followed with the blossoming of a bruise, but she paid it no mind for her attention was quickly draw to the feeling of teeth against her skin once more. Arwel?s bite found purchase in her side, and as she twisted the upper half of her body to reach him she felt the skin around where his teeth were sunken in tear. Natalya tightened the muscles of her abdomen as she twisted the front of her body toward Arwel and dropped her torso slightly lower to attempt a bite at the ?armpit? of his right foreleg. In the same moment, she would try to sweep her front right paw from behind his same in an effort to knock his right leg from beneath him and throw off his balance. All the while, she would continue to push forward in an attempt both to escape his grasp and in the hopes of knocking him to the ground if she was able to disrupt his balance. Round 2 of 2 | Spar Attacks: Attempts to bite right "armpit" and sweep right foreleg, maintaining forward push so that she can try to knock him over if leg sweep disrupts his balance. Defenses: Eyelids narrow, tail raised, head lowered, chin tucked, knees bent, widened stance, weight focused slightly toward toes, toes splayed, ears almost flat, shoulders rolled forward, claws dug into ground, hackles raised, tightened abs, and steps backwards. Injuries: Slight tearing on right shoulder, puncture wounds and moderate tearing on right side, mild bruising on right hind-foot.

Natalya?s blood was in his mouth. His former slash across her right shoulder as he passed had earned him a bit of blood, though the wound he suffered from her attack had been a bit worse. The female moved as his first real attack was launched, his right forepaw came down up her back right paw. He did not feel, nor hear the snapping of bones -- her backward movement had saved them from that. He would gain purchase in her side, teeth gripping. Natalya was on the move, and he made sure to maintain the defenses he had up -- Ears flattened, eyes narrowed, neck scrunched, shoulders rolled forward, tail tucked and hackles raised. He would check his position then, knees slight bent still as stance was reset, distributing his weight once more. Toes were splayed, claws gripping the earth. She was coming at him now, his teeth sinking in and tearing the flesh on her side for moderate damage as she twisted the upper half of her body to make a counter attack. He would release, their close proximity not giving him much time to make a counterattack. Head would align with his spine again, chin tipped toward his chest to protect his throat. She went in low, teeth sinking into the soft flesh of his right ?armpit? as he attempted to shift his body again, trying to sidestep in the same movement. He would stumble, her right forepaw catching the ankle of his own {right forepaw}, offsetting his balance. He would catch himself, back paws planted onto the ground for a moment to support him before he was able to center himself again and redistribute his weight. The pain of his neck bothered him as he made his next move, trying to push through it as jaws would flash downward, seeking to grab a good hold on Natalya?s scruff before shaking his head back and forth vigorously. Then he would sweep with his left forepaw behind her right forepaw, aiming to sweep her leg out from under her as she sought to do to him. Using the tactics of your opponents against them --- nothing wrong with that. ~~~~ Rounds:: 0 || 1 || 2 Attacks:: -Arwel is seeking to grab hold of Natalya?s scruff and then shake his head back and forth vigorously. -If the first attack is successful he is going to sweet his left forepaw behind Natalya?s right forepaw in an attempt to turn her own attack tactic against her and sweep the leg out from under her. Defenses:: Ears pinned, eyes narrowed, neck scrunched, shoulders rolled forward, tail tucked, hackles raised, knees bent, distributed weight, toes splayed, claws gripping the earth, head aligned with spine, chin tipped down. Injuries:: -Puncture wounds and moderate tearing of the flesh under his right armpit. -Punctures / slight tearing to his scruff above the left shoulder. "Normal. Speech. Thought. You."

Natalya v Arwel for training Round 1 Natalya: 9 for clarity- Mostly clear 6 for powerplaying. -2 ?moved forward to close most of the distance.? You cant assume that she close some of the distance, you must put an attempt in or its powerplay. -2 ?she backed straight away from him.? You need an attempt, you cant assume that she was successful with making the distance. 10 for defenses. +1 for each seen 6 for attack. +2 for shove +3 for attempted bite +1 for trying to worsen with pulling upwards 10 for injuries.First round Round one Natalya Total: 41/50 Arwel: 5 for clarity- -2 ?aiming to slide along her side.? This isn?t very specific and there isn?t much to go of for the opponent to work with. -3 ? teeth across her side.? Where abouts? Theres lots of places on the side to choose from, nearer her leg or rump? How would he move his head to get a better angle? 8 for powerplaying. -2 ? just a bit more distance between his back end and the woman?s front.? You need an attempt! 10 for defenses. +1 for each seen 6 for attack. +3 for trying to bite to side -1 for lack of clarity. +2 for for trying to damage her paw. +2 teeth to flank 10 for injuries.First round Round one Arwel Total: 39/50 Round 2 Natalya: 6 for clarity- -2 which part of her side did Arwel get?. -2 for minor errors that where confusing in how her movements where made. 8 for powerplaying. -2 ?twisted the upper half of her body to reach him.? 10 for defenses. +1 for each seen 7 for attack. +3 for bite to armpit +2 for leg sweep +2 for shove 4 for injuries. -2 for bruising on foot. ? 2 for moderate tearing to side -2 for slight tear to right shoulder. Round two Natalya Total: 35/50 Arwel: 6 for clarity- -2 ?tearing the flesh on her side for moderate damage she twisted her upper half.? How moderate? How successful was that to him? Did he position his head which made it more successful? -2 ? good hold on natalya?s scruff.? Where abouts on the scruff? 10 for powerplaying. none seen 10 for defenses. +1 for each seen 6 for attack. +3 for trying to bite down and hold scruff. +1 for shaking to worsen +2 for sweep to leg to try to unbalance her 6 for injuries. -2 for tearing under the armpit. -2 for tearing to scruff Round two Arwel Total: 38/50 Totals: Natalya: 76/100 Arwel:77/100 And the winner is... Arwel! Natalya must give up by either submitting, fleeing, or passing out. Damage: Natalya Arwel- Moderate wounds will take 2 ooc weeks to heal. Notes: Tips for both writing, and some suggestions. (no points are deducted here) Notes For Raii Good fight! Though keep in mind Natalya is blind and she wont always be so accurate on position. I deducted no points for this. For Arwel This was a really good fight on your part! Make sure to use more attacks in your posts to gain you more points! - By [Luisiana]

The rest of their fight was a blur of movement - her attacks were somewhat successful and her pride swelled at that, but she also quickly lost the upper hand. Her position was compromising and she recognized it quickly. She quickly released her grasp on Arwel's skin and pulled her head back quickly to announce her forfeiture. "I submit," she spoke loudly, hoping to catch his attention before he completed any further attempts at attack.



Once her announcement was acknowledged, she would retreat to Hani's side and smile at the male. "Victory is yours today, my friend. Hani," she would say as her attention moved to her mentee, "Do you have any questions for either of us?"

"Speech"
'thoughts'

Arwel was in the middle of seeking his attack when the melanistic woman would fall back, releasing her hold and submitting from the fight. It had surely been close, and luckily not too much damage had been done to either of them. Arwel?s jaws would lift upward, closing much more gently on open air rather than his ally?s scruff. He allowed his body to relax, a more natural position falling over his body as his cerulean hues traveled, following Natalya as she moved back to Hani?s side. Arwel wore a warm smile. It was nice to actually have a good spar and not have to risk his life while doing it. Good practice for them both. ?A very good fight, Natalya.? The black and cream male, touched with rust, would dip his head respectfully to the other. He had picked up on her blindness, though she moved so well that you could hardly tell the fact... Especially today in battle. Ears would perk, turning in the direction of the younger wolfess with a gentle smile. If she had any questions at all he would be more than happy to answer them as well. It made Arwel very happy to be able to share his wisdom with the younger wolves of Alacritia, though, once more Guinevere had become scarce. He worried for the maiden... And had a mind to search her out sometime soon. "Normal. Speech. Thought. You."

Hani watched the fight in amazement. Both wolves were so quick and so focused. How could they go at each other like that and not get so absorbed that they harm each other? Hani felt sure she would either go too easy or lose herself completely, though the young wolf had yet to feel true rage or conflict. This control the other two possessed seemed to go above her head. Soon enough Natalya submitted, which shocked Hani deeply. The girl held Natalya on something of a pedestal, being the only wolf that willingly talked to Hani in the pack. Seeing her submit willingly seemed like an insult to one's pride, especially to one such as Natalya who was a "descendant of the gods" How could she just give up?
Natalya returned to Hani's side and her ears flicked back slightly, and Hani was both happy she was unharmed, and upset that she gave in. When Natalya asked if Hani had any questions, the girl shook her head, but answered, "So many, but many without answers, I think, until I try a fight for myself." Hani nodded, avoiding eye contact with the male, "The fight was surprising, I'm glad I saw it."





speech

Natalya nodded to Hani briefly. "You will certainly learn the most from actual experience, but my hope was to give you an idea of what to look for." She smiled warmly. "The most important thing to remember is to differentiate your fights. In training spars like this one, you want to aim to attack the strongest areas as lightly as possible, to test your capabilities while avoiding causing severe injury to friends." At this point she directed a smile and nod at Arwel.



"In most other fights, you will battle as though your life depends on it, but no matter what the situation, always be sure that you go into each attack prepared for several possible reactions from your opponent. You must always be thinking. Arwel, do you have any tips you would like to add? I will be working on getting you, Hani, into a spar as soon as I am able."


"Speech"
'thoughts'

Arwel would give a small nod as the young woman spoke. Many questions, though not yet able to understand the answers until she fought for herself. He noticed that Hani avoided eye contact with him, though he didn?t mind too much. The girl was posibbly she, that or she looked up to Natalaya and having her submit was a bit of a slap in the face. The male would relax, waiting for Natalya to speak before she asked him, wanting to know if there was anything he wanted to add. ?You have touched base on the most important thing to remember. As long as that is kept in mind I?m sure Hani will be able to figure out what is good to do in an actual fight through experience. As long as she practices she will come to understand.? Arwel would give a small nod. ?Also, it is good to remember that, in a spar, is not cowardly to submit, or even a bad thing. It is for practice, to better yourself, so really, in a spar between friends there really is loser. You both gain experience and keep your skills sharp, and that, in the end, is what matters.? The male would shift his attention to Natalya. ?I do believe I?ll have to make a journey to see you sometime as well... Perhaps get updates on how Hani is improving.? He would smile gently glancing back to the girl, though unsure if she?d actually look his way. "Normal. Speech. Thought. You."