Oleander had told her that she would be learning some self defence, as well as some other jobs like how to read and the like. Why he would bother wasting education on the likes of her, she didn’t understand. But one point had stuck in her mind. Would she really be allowed to learn how to defend herself? It seemed like something that would hinder their ability to discipline her, and wouldn’t be beneficial to them at all.

So why would they allow it?

She made her way to the training ring up in Col. She fully expected to get stopped at any moment, to be told to turn around, or shoved to the dirt. She made it all the way inside the cavern, and stopped to look at the wide space. There was a rack of weapons to one side, but she didn’t dare push her limits that fast instead, she looked with some disappointment at the empty space. There was no one here, no fights she could watch so see if she could pick something up.


"Speech"

Wilder very much preferred hunting over fighting. He wasn't particularly keen on fighting other wolves and when he did, he was known to fight a tad dirty. There was no rhyme or reason to his attack stlye, but his defense? That was always up to par, even a step above the rest. Being as feral as he had been, out alone for so long, it was necessary for him to learn to defend himself. From cougar, from bear, from deer, moose, anything that could feasibly attack him. Even other canines like wolves or coyotes or wild dogs. It wasn't something he'd shared with anyone, but maybe Oleander had some sort of idea that he needed training to help get his body back into shape.

So it came as a real surprise to him when it was Vesper he found at the ring, not Oleander. He pauses at the entrance, brow narrowing a moment in befuddlement. What was she doing here? Was she not a "slave" by their standards? There was no reason for slaves to be training for anything... right? Stepping out into the light to reveal himself, he trots over to Vesper with a raised brow of question and a half smirk on his lips. "What're ya doin' this far away from the infirmary?" Wilder questions, unable to find anything teasing to say to her.

WILDER

Vesper jumped at the sound of a voice. She hadn’t heard the hunters approach, as silent as his paws were on the stone. She turned to him, having connected the voice to a face before she actually saw him. Still, she couldn’t help the hint of guilt on her features. No matter that Oleander said that slaves must learn self defence, she still expected to get into trouble at any moment. He had slo never explicitly told her her training could start or who would be doing it.

Perhaps it wasn’t terribly kind of her that she was going to drag Wilder down with her. But seeing him there, she couldn’t help the idea that was crafting. “I was told all wolves of the Armada must learn self defence. So, where's my training?” she asked, lifting her head high. Would he drag her back to the healers den over his shoulder?

"Speech"

He isn't surprised when she lifts her head up high and speaks with a sassy confidence that could only be Vesper. When had he come to know her so well? Ah, shove that question to the back. Don't need to linger on it right this moment. There were indeed more pressing matters at paw. Like the fresh scar over her muzzle that appeared oddly wolf-like in shape which wasn't consist with how he had last seen her. Wilder couldn't help the slight narrowing of his eyes as he took a step closer to her.

It was an odd moment for Wilder. He wanted so badly to call out the scar, request to know who had dared hurt her, but he was trying to be smarter than that. Memories of infirmary flash in his mind, quickly reminded of how she had reacted to him looking at the polar bear scars across her back. Calling out this new scar wouldn't help her or frankly anyone else, he was sure of it. But... he was Wilder and Wilder was going to act as Wilder acted.

"By the looks of that new beauty mark, yer gonna need it," he teased, a brow raised in question to see if she'd admit to what happened. Not wanting to give her too much time to answer the unspoken words he placed upon her, he turns to put some space between them. Turning back to face her, he looks over her form as his own slides into a more defensive position. "If a lesson is what ya want, I'll give ya one. Can ya tell or show me what a defensive position looks like?" Wilder questions, patient as he needs to be.

WILDER

She flinched at the mention of the scar. Really, her skin should be tougher than that now. But Wilder seeing her marred was a new source of pain, one she hadn’t quite wrestled into submission yet. She raised a paw as if to touch the healing wound. “Do you really think it makes me look beautiful? I put it on just for you.” she said with a sort of young, overly innocent voice. She wasn’t going to touch on it. She would never mention Oleander’s loss of control, the conversations they had had before and after. She was a disciplined slave, what did it matter?

A defensive position… hmmm… “According to my masters, it looks something like this.” She flopped onto her back on the cold stone floor, turning over until her vulnerable stomach and neck were revealed. Much like the position she had given Oleander when he had smacked her.


"Speech"

His only response to her innocent child-like voice is a snort from his nostrils. A slight shake of his head to show that he wasn't going to fall for her tomfoolery. It was clearly just a way for her to stay hidden behind the true feelings she felt. Which by now, Wilder wasn't going to continue poking and prodding her until she broke. If she didn't want to get fixed and face the trauma of her past, he wasn't going to force her.

Instead he waits as she thinks, watching as she begins to speak. According to her masters? Yeah, like they'd taught her anything important before. When she drops down and flops over onto her back to reveal her belly, the most vulnerable part of herself, he can't help but sigh. After their encounter in the infirmary, he had had time to collect himself, release whatever silly pent up emotions he had been feeling back there. Today was a new day. A fresh Wilder full of patience... Yes, patience. This girl would be testing all that he had.

"Must be why ya almost got swallowed whole by that bear," Wilder replies back flatly, unimpressed with her antics. "Ya asked for a lesson an' I'm willin' to help. If ya ain' gonna take it, I'll just be on my way," he adds on, his expression matching that of his voice as he continues to stand where he is, a few feet away.

WILDER

“Probably. She agreed. She wasn’t dumb enough to think she’d stand a lick of a chance against a polar bear. Or any kind of predator, really. Wolf included. She rolled back over slowly, feeling a little tender from putting her injured back to the floor and climbed to her paws. Her mobility was getting better every day, so long as she didn’t twist or pull or move too fast, she was okay.

“I’ll take it, what do I have to do?” what would his teaching cost her? Was what she was really asking. Everything came with a price. Of course, if it was an apology for annoying him the other day that might just be a price too high. Heh, not really.


"Speech"

He watches as she comes to stand, noticing that indeed her mobility was getting better. But also noticed the slight twinge of her expression from putting the tender areas of her wounds to the hard ground. One would think that would have taught her a lesson, but Wilder was sure it wouldn't. He still wasn't quite sure if she was just really stubborn or actually stupid.

When she asks him what she would have to do, his brow furrows slightly. "Ya gotta learn the lesson dummy," he retorts back, clearly confused by what she meant. It wasn't a trade of any sort. He would help if she needed to learn and that was that.

Clearing his throat, he settles back into a defensive stance to show her proper posture. "So uh, basically, the first basic stance of defense is keeping your paws slightly wider an' your tail level with yer spine for balance," he lifts his tail, shifting slightly so she can get a good look. "Then ya wanna make sure your ears are folded back, chin is tucked, and shoulders are bunched up to protect everythin' else. Got that?" Wilder questions as he waits for her to follow after his movements.

WILDER

She narrowed her eyes at him, wondering if the cost would come later. Ah well, there really wasn’t anything she could do about it anyway. That was the thing about being at the bottom, you never had a choice in the first place.

She watched and listened as he spoke about defences, and how to hold the body. She slid her paws until they were a little apart and pulled her tail up behind her. Feeling a little foolish as she did so. That first half sounded more like a mounting position than a fighting one…

But she did what she was told, slicking back her ears, and tucking her chin. She looked up at him, waiting to see if she was doing it right.


"Speech"

Wilder watches her slowly adjust her posture to align more with how he was currently standing. When she looks to him for confirmation, he nods his approval. "Yeah, good, now ya wanna make sure you're leant back a lil' on yer hin' paws," he leans back himself, showing that little of his weight is on his front paws by doing a little hop.

"An' with yer knees bent too to keep yerself a lil' lower to the groun', like this," next he bends his legs, lowering himself an inch of so. "If ya feel sturdier, like cemented more to the groun', yer doin' it right. In this position, ya'll make sure that it'll be harder to get snatched an' if ya gotta run, you can turn on yer heels right quick," Wilder does a quick spin on his hind paws to show Vesper what he meant by that. "Is this makin' sense?" He asks as he twirls back around to face her.

WILDER

She leaned back, trying to get a feel for the position. She felt awkward and estranged, standing as she was, bunching her body like this. She could feel her back as she leaned too, but it was just a twinge. Easy to push through. She bent her knees, which only increased the feeling of weirdness. She bit back a soft snort of amusement as Wilder turned in a quick spin.

“I guess so, you're putting extra skin on your weak spots, and preparing your body to fight or flight.” Slaves definitely weren’t allowed to hide away vulnerable parts of their body at their old home. Did Oleander really mean for her to learn all this? Her face itched under its new wound as she pondered that thought. She didn’t really want to get Wilder into trouble. But she didn’t want to fess up, either.


"Speech"

As she speaks, he gives her another confirming nod at both her words and her posture. Sure, it looks a bit funky and awkward right now, but the more she practiced, the more she would get better at it.

"So ya do got some brains in there," he teases, laughter in his voice. "This is an optimal position, but ya'll never be able to fully execute it in most circumstances," Wilder adds on as he takes a step forward, shifting his weight slightly. "Dependin' on where ya move, your weight and balance will shift. Dependin' on where yer enemy moves, yer focus will shift as well. If yer fightin' something bigger than ya, ya'll wanna keep your weight back an' ready to run. But if yer fightin' somethin' smaller than yerself, ya'll sometimes wanna keep yer weight forward so ya can be lighter on yer paws," as he speaks, he dances from left to right, all four paws moving in sync with each other.

WILDER

She decided not to grace that with a comment. She was using his help right now after all, and… possibly getting him into trouble doing it. She continued to watch his body as he made small shifts. She knew it would take a while before she herself felt comfortable like this. SHe didn’t want to forget the posture in her thoughts, since she knew her body would be shit at remembering until it was comfortable. She’d need quiet moments here and there to practise. Maybe one day she wouldn’t be such an easy target.

She touched a paw to her face before she could stop herself, lightly pressing against the new injury there. Surely Oleander didn’t really mean for her to defend herself. Not when as she was, she was so easy to hit when she annoyed him. She took a short, quick breath. “I don’t really have permission to be here.” Hey! Maybe she could use the new flight position to run if Wilder took offence to that. She rolled her weight back, like he had just described.


"Speech"

Well she had wandered off again. That was his fault, he didn't give her a job to do while he got distracted with something else. Tracking her through the col was easier than last time. He wound his way through to found her trail heading up to training ring. Wilder was nearby too. As silent as a cat Oleander peered into the training cavern and saw The mossy hunter training the songbird of smoke. He leaned on the wall to see how it would go. He had hoped to try training her himself but his duties had kept him busy.
He noted Wilders stance and wonfered why he wasn't a fighter and part of the warriors. He had his own form but it was solid. And the way he was teaching her... She was listening, and applying it really well. Wilder was a great teacher and he seems to have a good rapport with her. Good. She needed a connection that hasn't-

He watched her press into the wound on her maw and tell Wilder that she wasn't allowed to be here. The movement made his throat close.

Oleander leaned out of the shadow of the doorway and stepped into the room, clearing his throat.
"No no, keep going. You're doing well." He nodded to Wilder and strolled across the room to the rack of weapons. Intent to busy himself with cleaning them and letting them have their practice without him looming over them or having them feel judged.

"Speech!"

Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

He’s watching Vesper, taking notice of how well she’s receiving his teaching. Inside, it delights him that she’s willing to listen. That he’s doing some sort of good. When had he become such a wolf? Ugh. Maybe he did have a good heart after all.

About to move on to the next lesson, he is surprised when she pauses. Her paw lifts to her scar, face welling with emotion, voice soft and uncertain. She wasn’t supposed to be here? His brow scrunches for a moment, taking a step closer to her, but is quickly interrupted.

The clearing of a throat, a paw stepping out into the arena. Wilder spins on his paws, fur instinctually bristling until he notices that it’s just Oleander. His body smooths, relaxing his muscles and fur as the boy speaks. Oleander urges them to continue, but instead of leaving, he moves over to a rack of weapons to begin cleaning them. With his brow still furrowed, Wilder nods silently to the healer before turning back to Vesper.

Words don’t come yet. Frustration seeps through his veins as he stares at Vesper. He knows she won’t listen now. Not with Oleander watching over them. It hadn’t taken long for him to understand that their… relationship was at odds. How could he blame her? Had what he just taught her been tossed down the drain over some stupid ideal that another wolf should be kept as a toy against their own will?

Wilder battles with that fight or flight within him. That feral piece that still rears its ugly head. He’s still new to pack life too, but in a much different way. Alone, out there, only his logic needed to be sound. Now that he had to understand and accept the logic of others, he struggled. Flexing and relaxing his toes against the packed dirt, it takes a long pause before he settles, jaw unclamping and breath exhaling through his nostrils.

“Ready for the next lesson?” Wilder questions, not wanting to push her.

As if summoned by her words, Oleander appeared. Revealed to be lurking in the shadows as he stepped forward and spoke. She immediately started looking for hidden meaning in his words. Once revealed, he didn't return to the shadows. Instead, he moved to the weapons rack and started mucking around with them. He clearly intended to keep an eye on her. To keep her from running off again?


She glanced back at Wilder, not understanding what emotions flicked across his face. She wasn't expecting him to stick his neck out for her sake. Was he expecting to get in trouble from the higher ranked wolf?


Whatever his thoughts, his words indicated his intent to continue. “If you wish.” She said, meek as a lamb. Bottling her personality up again until she had a better reason on the situation.

Wilder's brow furrows in frustration and confusion. He had expected her to lash out, to be snarky, sassy, sarcastic. All of the above really. This was a righteous change from the last time Oleander had been in their presence. His eyes glance at the wound across her muzzle and after a second, it clicks. Ah, so the healer had decided to try his paw at violence. Surprise shifts over his expression before he lets out a sigh, his head nodding gently. He was quite unsure how useful the next part of the lesson would be if she was going to clam up and hide.

"So the first lesson was a defensive stance," Wilder begins, stepping closer to Vesper, eyes only on her as he attempted to block out Oleander's presence from his mind. "Show it to me once more," he states, not quite demanding, but more so in an instructive tone. Once she's complied, he continues to step forward until he's inches from her. Curling his chin down to look at her up close, meeting her gaze, he doesn't understand the swirl of emotions in his belly. Did he really feel for the slave? Seeing her fresh scar wasn't helping.

After a pregnant pause, Wilder clears his throat. "What do ya think ya shoul' do if yer assailant is up close like this? How do ya use yer stance to keep ya safe?" He questions, breath slow and steady, muscles tensed, ready to fake an attack if it would help her figure out the puzzle.

WILDER