Rain was on the horizon. It was almost noon and the air was hot and muggy, clouds gathered above and cast a gloomy haze about the air. Gossamer was on patrol, strolling along the path at First Light Point when Ásta came sprinting up behind her.

"Gossamer, there's a pack of dogs crossing into the woods!" Gossamer's hackles immediately stood on end and she instructed her companion to lead her to the trespassers. She leapt deftly down the cliff edge, working her way safely to the ground and then into the woods. It didn't take long to find the dogs, a rag tag bunch sniffing through their territory. She swiftly called out for any nearby Armada wolves to give her a paw. She didn't like being outnumbered in battle if she could help it.

Her call alerted the dogs to her presence and a large white boxer fixated right on her and the attacked. Gossamer readied herself and charged straight for the dog head-on her fangs diving down for the dogs face.

The air feeling hot and humid like this was a rarity for the north. This season had a way of reminding Bronze exactly why he lived here; the southern territories were hardly tolerable for him for most of the seasons, especially during the summer. He was already starting to pant long before he even heard Gossamer's call, jogging at a light pace around the edge of the woods. Hearing the call for someone to help fend off intruders, Bronze quickly leapt to action, picking up his pace until he saw Gossamer squaring off against a pack of wild dogs. He hadn't gotten a chance to really prove himself to someone else in the Armada, not in this way, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to do so. Gossamer seemed like she was picking a fight with one already so he fixated on another larger one in the pack, a shaggy-furred female that looked like she could pack quite the punch. He veered in and then kicked off hard, charging her without hesitation, jaws unhinging and snapping at her face.

Thankfully her call was swiftly answered and a warrior she wasn't super familiar with arrived. She saw him out of the corner of her eye as he charged another of the larger dogs. She didn't have much time to really ascertain more than that before she collided with the boxer. The dog had tilted its head up to try and intercept her fangs but it miscalculated for with a slight tilt she bit down into the dogs muzzle, her saber fangs shooting through the top jaw, right down the middle and through the tongue. A shrieking whine ripped from the dogs throat, its bottom jaw flailing about as it tried to catch her own. Before the boxer could do much more Ásta arrived and the massive fox dove right for the dog's hind end, seizing it's right thigh, her lower fangs slicing through the dog's testicles as she clamped down on the thigh. The dog yowled and flailed and nearby some of the other dogs turned and fled.

Despite his introverted nature, Bronze had been making an effort to get to know the various wolves who inhabited the Armada. They were plentiful though, so he wasn't familiar with most of his packmates yet. He'd been slow to adjust to life here, stubborn and somewhat stuck in his ways, though this incident alone was proof he was trying to integrate here. It seemed Gossamer was holding her own against the dog she was sparring with. As he too dove into action he saw her companion out of the corner of his eye, moving to help defend their home as well. The sharp shrieks of the one dog seemed to deter some of the others. The one he'd initiated a fight with didn't seem quite so willing to tuck her tail and run though, standing strong as Bronze pummeled his massive weight into her, dodging and snapping at her face once again. This time he managed to grab hold of her cheek, and he felt flesh beginning to tear as she tried to shake free from his grasp, beginning to grow more panicked once she realized she couldn't break free so easily.

Furious at the packs brazen intrusion, Gossamer felt like sending a message, a vicious message. She risked retaliation and she ripped her head and fangs away from the dog. He tucked his tail and turned to get at Ásta, eager to be free and Gossamer might have let him run except something in her brain propelled her forward. She could hear Pyralis cackling in her head and as Gossamer unhinged her jaws, slamming her body into the boxer, her fangs found purchase on the brute's neck. Her saber fangs sliced deep through the muscle, cutting through the jugular. In moments the boxer was dead. Gossamer released the dog and stepped back panting. Suddenly she became aware of her surroundings. The other dog had fled and she glanced over at Bronze, to see how he was doing and hope he wasn't to put off by her aggressiveness.

If anything, Bronze was impressed by her determination to protect her pack. It spoke volumes about the Armada if its members were so dedicated to protecting their home, and that didn't go unnoticed, even as Bronze continued to fend off his own opponent. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the black and whit coated woman zoom forward after the dog that tried to escape her clutches. A low growl fell from his lips as he dug into the shaggy female's face as she tried to escape, tasting blood in his mouth now. Unlike Gossamer he didn't quite have the opportunity to kill. The female slipped out of his jaws at a moment when he slackened slightly to catch his breath, and hightailed it out of there, no doubt seeing her fallen comrade. For a moment he considered chasing her down but he decided against it, taking a moment to steady his breathing and lap the blood off his lips. "Nice job," he applauded her calmly. It was hard to say if he would've reacted so strongly but he understood that they were protecting their home. If anything, Bronze understood the importance of that. "Bronze, by the way," he offered a short introduction once he managed to catch his breath.

Gossamer was pleased to see that Bronze had successfully defeated his opponent and with considerable skill to boot. She wasn't sure of his rank within the Armada but she'd be pleased to have such a fighter among their warrior ranks. She took a moment to catch her breath, nodding to the man. "You as well. A pleasure, Bronze. I'm Gossamer. I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting, what is your rank if I may ask? You have excellent merit in the arts of battle." The Armada had need of all manner of ranks but she always had a special place in her thoughts for the warriors and of course the healers though it had been many moons since she'd focused on growing her healing abilities.

"A pleasure indeed," he agreed, a beat later once he'd caught his breath a bit more completely. "I'm still an apprentice. It's been awhile since I've been part of a pack so I'm still settling in," Bronze explained. He knew his fighting skills were at the very least above that of an apprentice but he hadn't sought out a higher rank yet, the process of settling into the Armada a slow one for him. "But thank you. Fighting is definitely where I intend to focus my efforts." He'd serve the Armada wherever he was needed best, but he was pretty sure protecting the pack against threats was where he'd be most useful.