If his father were going to be handing him the throne any day now, the boy knew he had to be prepared. A Prince had wiggle room with a King to protect him, but a King fought his own battles. Having only been in one spar before, Maverick knew he would need a few more battles under his belt to keep him from looking like a wimp - or worse, a target. And so, with the sun on his back and his eye on the battlefield, the Prince of Seracia shirked his responsibilities for that particular day and sauntered out of his Kingdom and into the land of the vagabonds. Not a smile creased his face, for he was bent on nothing more than serious business. His wife would surely miss him while he was gone - she was quick to note his absence - but she would surely know that he wouldn't tarry long from her side. Besides, though he loved her dearly, he could not linger with her all the time. Space was necessary, and a duty such as this was required of him. The boy needed to become a man, and this was the way to do it. As he neared the battlefield, the stale stench of blood and sweat poured into his nostrils. His muzzle wrinkled in response and protest of the fumes, but he continued until he was well within the bounds of the area. He tensed, muscles drawing up to his full height, tail relaxing to a comfortable level between his hocks. His defenses weren't yet set, but they could be brought up on a moment's notice if he were surprised. A low rumble echoed from slightly agape jaws, beckoning forth anyone who might be nearby. Speech,

Walk | Talk | Think

The little camp that the Valhallan pack had made just outside of their flooded dens continued to disappear behind the slim grey wolf as she put distance behind her, forging a path right outside of their territory and toward a region of the lands that she had yet to visit and honestly had no reason to visit at all. She was happy where she was and with what she had and had no wish to change any of it, but past events had made one thing very clear to her. Compared to many others of her pack, and even a few that she had met elsewhere, her skills as a fighter, as a defender of herself and nothing more, were in need of work. She had the scar upon her back leg as proof of it, a reminder that she could have lost more than just her peace of mind.

And she was currently on her way to try and remedy it.

It was only as she drew closer that it might have been wiser to seek out a sparring companion from the Valhallan ranks. They were a part of her family group and therefore trustworthy on those grounds alone. They wouldn't attempt to unnecessarily harm their Lead Hunter if they valued their food stores any. But she was too far to turn back now. To do so might risk losing her nerve and her whole mission would have been at stake then. No, Ashtoreth merely needed to keep pressing forward and hope that when she arrived she might find someone whose skills she could trust to be worthy competition but not so harsh that she might have any lasting, hindering damage.

When at last her dainty little paws hit the plain grounds of the Battlefield, she thought she had found one. She had not attended the wedding of Epiphron and her Seracian prince exactly, but she had spotted the wedding party from afar, and here amid the stale scents of battle she was sure was one of those wolves. His dappled red coat was like a beacon upon the drab territory, drawing her to him with a fairly friendly wag of her tail, indicating that her approach was not meant to instigate the fight already and that she was here only with good intentions. He easily outsized her, sporting a stronger physique in comparison to her own lithe frame. Naturally this caused a smidgen of worry to enter her thoughts, but this would not be a similar battle to her last. He was not going to declare her a spy and attempt to tear a limb from her body. She would be safe.

She couldn't quite bring a smile to her lips, the seriousness of her endeavor suddenly catching up with her, but she did dip her head in a respectable greeting. "Hello," Ashtoreth stated at length, slowing to a walk and then drawing to a halt feet from him, perhaps a little further than necessary merely out of comfort's sake. "You...you're from Seracia, aren't you?" The question was intoned with careful curiosity, already certain she was correct but requiring the confirmation before she could address him as she suspected she needed to, as the Prince of Seracia.

She appeared quicker than he'd expected, almost as soon as the growl he'd emitted had tapered off and been forgotten. His tail mirrored her own, dancing between his hocks momentarily. She seemed friendly enough, and her scent was all too familiar. His sparring partner - if she were up to it - was Valhallan. A smile flickered in the corners of his lips, lingering there for but a moment out of politeness alone. Hello, he offered her, with a serious note in his tone. As much as he enjoyed a good conversation, that wasn't what he was looking for on this particular day. She asked him if he was from Seracia. She must've noted his scent. With a nod of his head he answered her. I am, my name is Maverick. His title - as much as he loved to give it - was not necessary here. She was Valhallan, she would know who he was. Besides, it wasn't particularly wise to be giving out such official titles in the battlefield where any vagabond could be listening and lurking in the shadows. Are you here for a spar? She hardly looked as if she was a warrior, with her lithe frame he imagined her to be more of a hunter. However, he wasn't one to underestimate others, and so he tried to imagine what her strengths might be. Speed was probably one, given her small stature and lean muscle mass. He was a bit stockier, as well as generally larger. It seemed as if she might have the upper hand when it came to speed, though he assumed he would have a better understanding of war. Speech,

Walk | Talk | Think

Maverick. Yes, that did sound strikingly familiar. He did not openly confirm her thoughts on who her present company was, but his name was clue enough. For a second, the grey she-wolf wondered how the once-Valhallan Alpha was doing in her position as princess inside the differing world of Seracia, but asking was out of the question. This was neither the time nor the place, and likely she could easily learn this information from friends back home. Chrysanthe no doubt was keeping a close eye on her sister despite their distance, or at least keeping in touch if nothing else.

All business, the large red wolf asked if her intent there upon the battlefield was to spar, and not giving herself a chance to hesitate or second guess her decision Ashtoreth nodded. "I am," was all she answered, feeling the explanation for her actions was unnecessary and possibly unwanted. This was not a member of her pack or someone who really needed to take an interest in her welfare. Not to mention the fact that the story was not one that she was too keen on sharing with everyone she met. "I assume you are too?"

She nodded and affirmed his question. She indeed was here for a spar. How splendid. He had hoped that he would not run across a vagabond looking to shed his blood, and how wonderful it was to know that he could spar with an ally - a friend. This way he would know that no serious harm would befall him during this event, and that he could focus upon honing his skills and tactics in battle. A smile curled upon his lips as she questioned his intentions as well. I am, he would answer, mimicking her response. I will allow you the first move, all I ask is that no serious injury be inflicted - I assume we would both appreciate all of our parts remaining in working order. He smirked, a genuine smile upon his lips. As he finished speaking his body began to morph into battle mode, his head and tail flattening to the same plane as his spine - streamlining his physique. His ears swiveled back, tucking to his head for protection, whilst his eyes narrowed enough to keep them from being overly vulnerable to attack. At this time he would avoid curling his lip for fear of looking too menacing, though he did allow his jaws to slacken and fall open a few inches in preparation. He tucked his chin low, bringing it toward his chest in hopes of keeping his throat safe from harm. Though he had specifically stated no extreme injury, he knew that mistakes could be made. His shoulders rolled forward while his legs spread to evenly distribute his weight and girth. His tail flickered outward, waving slowly from side to side in order to keep his balance sure, and to keep him prepared to move on a moment's notice. The Prince was ready and eager. Round 0 of ? Speech,

ooc; as per site rules you get to choose the number of rounds and make the first move ^^

Walk | Talk | Think

The Valhallan hunter responded to Maverick's only stipulation with a subtle smirk and understanding nod, having hoped something of this manner would be discussed and taken care of beforehand. Honestly, the last thing she needed was to be out of commission once more while she healed, and all because she had thrown herself into a battle that she was ill prepared to win. Maverick far too easily outsized her, outweighed her, and more than likely would walk away the victor in their mock battle. But that was fine with her; as long as she came away with experience, had a better understanding of how to defend and protect herself from harm and attack, then it would have been time well spent.

It was only as the Seracian Prince allowed her the ground, setting himself up in a proper stance suited for what they were about to do, that she realized how poorly prepared she truly was. This sort of stance was very different than what she took during a hunt. And how exactly did she make a first strike on an opponent who would see her coming? Perhaps her confusion and indecision was visible about her face as she readied herself in kind, squaring her stance, lowering her head and ears, letting her tail make a few slow, sweeping motions behind as she debated how she ought to move. He seemed so much more comfortable at this than her, so practiced and knowledgeable. Maybe it would have been better had she sought someone within her own pack to assist her first before throwing her menial skills on someone looking for an actual challenge.

But it was far too late for that as they squared off against one another. She needed to make the first move, and soon, or else Maverick was likely to call her bluff and leave. And so without quite understanding what she was doing, or if it might work, she did what came natural to her as a hunter: she charged. It was with no real aim at first, just a burst of speed and energy directed toward him as she made last second thoughts within her mind. There was no brawn behind her that she could use to overpower him or even to topple him over, and with the relatively short distance between them she had very little ground to truly work up her momentum. But that was okay. Her aim, for right now was a leg, the foreleg on his left side as he faced her. Her barreling charge came directly at him, but using her deft paws she added a small side step in as she came up before him, intending to slide past unless interceded. If allowed to continue, her lowered head would reach out, jaws opening and moving swiftly to attempt a snap at his foreleg, one that would be quick and over with no sooner than she made contact if she should do so.

Round 1/3:

Attacks: A charge toward Maverick, feigning toward his left side (your left) and a snap at his foreleg.

Defenses: None aside from keeping her head and ears tucked.

Injuries: n/a

OOC: Omg, Ash and I are so clueless with fighting/sparing. xD Definitely need this practice.

With his bodice now set in defensive posture,Maverick found his lanky frame - which had filled out considerably in his second year of life - to be perfectly streamlined. His head, spine, and tail were safely on the same plane so that any minuscule movement would affect his entire bodice at once. He could hear the drumming of her paws through tightly folded ears, and could gauge her movements via his thinly slitted eyes. He kept his chin tucked low toward his chest in order to bring his crown to the forefront of his stature. Jaws hung at a comfortable two inches apart, ready and willing to spread upon a moment's notice. Shoulders remained rolled forward as he braced himself, surprised that she would go for such a forward charge such as the one she was preparing. He obviously outweighed her and outsized her, and there was little chance of her knocking him off balance.. so what exactly was she playing at? His mind whirred, thinking of the possibilities, and leading him to one general idea. She would feign away at the last second, either to his left or right, and possibly try to launch an attack on whatever side she chose. It seemed the only logical conclusion - though anything was possible. Watching her mannerisms closely through narrowed optics, Maverick deduced that she would do just as he'd predicted. It was a move he was familiar with - from tussling with Valkis and Kamala. It seemed she had finally chosen a side, and as he braced himself in case of impact, he found himself leaning along with her as she sidestepped to his left. His bodice leaned left as hers leaned into him while launching her assault on his leg. Making use of his weight advantage, Maverick would attempt to throw his shoulder into the top of her head - which would be accessible due to her having to lower her head to bite at his leg. At the same time his neck would curl toward the left, intending to plant a quick and moderately painful bite to the area just between her shoulder blades. During this flurry of motion, his tail would flutter to the right in order to keep his balance secure. He winced as her jaws snared into his left front foreleg, leaving four half-inch puncture wounds where her canines met his flesh. A growl slipped from his trachea, echoing into the air as his fangs continued toward their mark between her shoulders and his weight moved in her direction. Round 1 of 3 Attacks - throwing his shoulder into the top of her head, while simultaneously reaching to bite the area between her shoulder blades Defenses - eyes narrowed, tail flagged, paws set upon the earth, balance sure, ears pinned, fangs splayed open, etc. Injuries - Four half-inch puncture wounds on his left foreleg. Speech,

Walk | Talk | Think

As her paws brought her alongside Maverick's body, he reacted, seeming to have anticipated her movements and prepared himself accordingly. It was a movement that brought about another touch of inexperienced nervousness with it, fear that her plans should be read so easily within her movements, but at this point there was nothing to be done about it. His weight shifted subtly in her direction, moving with her as Ashtoreth leaned in to snap at his left foreleg. His shoulder followed, thrown in the way of her reach and bumping against her head rather roughly, causing her to tuck her ears more firmly and have to turn her head to the right as she made her bite at his leg. Quick jaws made their contact, creating a set of small puncture wounds there that elicited a grumbling growl from the dappled red wolf's throat, the sound amplified by his opened jaws. Already she had released her snap on his leg, intending to stumble away further from him in avoidance of anything else he might have intended to follow.

But her fast paws were not quite fast enough. In her distraction making her bite, he had used his longer reach to stretch his neck and head over the top of hers to latch onto the skin between her shoulder blades, a move that was made all the more easy on him due to her lack of thought toward it. The momentum she had worked up when charging suddenly worked against her and caused her back end to swing out, her scruff pinned in the bite made by Maverick's jaws. She felt the prickle of his teeth, the sting as they made their mark upon her scruff and scraped into her skin to create a set of shallow cuts above and two puncture marks below. A noise that was part growl, part whine slipped through her opened jaws due to the pain of it, her eyes narrowing with a mixture of discomfort and determination.

Wishing to distract his hold, to make him release her if he had no intention of doing so right away, her head, still stuck awkwardly beneath his from the placement of his hold, turned to angle toward his left shoulder, jaws opened with the intent of placing another bite there if her smaller reach would allow it despite him being capable of holding her at bay with his current grip. She pushed upward off the ground with her forepaws not seconds after, abandoning her attempted bite regardless of whether she had been close to the mark or not in favor of trying to wrench her scruff from his grasp. Even as the pain of the wrenching movement shot upward along her scruff, possibly worsening her own injury, she reached out with those fore paws and tried to scrape and push off of Maverick's chest and leg with every intent of getting out of his grip, her tail out and swaying to maintain what balance she could.

Round 2/3:

Attacks: Another quick snap toward Maverick's left shoulder, the one closest to her. Shoving and scraping with her legs against his left front area (chest, leg).

Defenses: Head still tucked underneath Maverick's, ears flat, eyes narrowed.

Damage: Two small puncture wounds on the underside of Maverick's bite to her scruff, two slightly longer scraped cuts on the topside from her momentum pulling her away (slightly added scraping from trying to pull from his grasp).

OOC: Pretty sure this is technically a default because I failed to keep track of days correctly oops x__x; but continuing nonetheless.

Meh, we won't worry about defaults. This is kinda late too cause I was out of town. ^^

It was clear to the prince that the speed of this individual was a force to be reckoned with. She was using her speed as well as she knew how, but with a little more training he knew she would be even more of a threat. Luckily enough for him, he had a feeling that he was just a bit more experienced than she. Eyes remained narrowed as his jaws met their mark, delving into the flesh just between her shoulder blades only moments after his shoulder collided with the top of her head. The pain from the bite to his foreleg had long since ebbed away - worn away by adrenaline and determination. However, the warm trickle of blood that flowed from each of the wounds would not soon be forgotten. It occurred to him now that realistically she would want him to release his hold. Granted, he had intended for it only to be a quick bite, but with her sudden urge to get him to move - he was more determined than ever to keep what advantage he had. He felt her shift her head under him, and felt her jaws snare painfully into the front of his shoulder, just where his foreleg met his chest. Her canine teeth delved into his flesh quickly and with certainty, it was clear she wasn't playing around. However, it was only a glancing blow as she seemed to have changed objectives. Her fangs left behind only four inch long scratches, but didn't dig in deep enough to cause him incredible amounts of discomfort. His ears remained back as he held tight to the purchase of flesh he'd found between her shoulder blades, wondering if her movement might possibly help him cause more damage to her scruff. Her bodice twisted again - incredibly despite his current hold on her scruff. This time she launched an assault with her paws, hoping to push him off. Unfortunately due to her efforts of rising up on her front paws and pushing off of him, it became too difficult for him to retain his hold. Following these events and her efforts to shirk his grasp on her, Maverick released his hold, simultaneously thrusting his weight into her and hoping to knock her off balance due to her front paws already being off of the ground. In this same instant, his jaws angled downward and to the side, aiming for a target along the left side of her face. As he leaned toward her, he kept his tail tilted to the right to protect his balance, while simultaneously digging his claws into the dirt for added traction. His eyes remained narrowed tightly enough to protect them, but wide enough to see out of. Ears stayed tucked to his head for fear of losing one to her quick snapping jaws. Round 2/3 Attacks: Thrusting his weight into her while she's unbalanced, while simultaneously snapping toward the left side of her face. Defenses: Ears tucked, eyes narrowed, claws dug in, tail flagged to the right Injuries: Scratch marks on the front of his left shoulder, four half-inch puncture wounds (bleeding) on his left foreleg, mild bruising on his chest where her paws pushed against him. Speech,

Walk | Talk | Think

She shouldn't have tried to push away from him. It had been sound in theory, as she supposed that pressing her weight against him with her forepaws would make it more difficult for him to keep his hold onto her scruff and ultimately keep her from doing too much damage to him since he could, in a sense, keep her at arm's length. It was only as she did it, drawing herself upward and trying to push away, that she felt the tear of teeth into her skin. His hold had merely been a prickle to begin with, four clean indents into the skin that would draw blood and sting with his grip, but her movement had only worsened it and considerably. The teeth that had only been meant to hold tight now ripped into the skin, digging cuts - deep in the case of the upper canines - into the flesh upon her scruff. Even though the entirety of it had been her own doing, she still growled around another whine, though it was too late to do anything about it. Still, it was an unpleasant feeling and caused the muscles there upon her shoulders to remain tensed as if it might somehow help.

Ears still pinned, she felt the larger red male react above her as she tried to push against him, eventually her efforts being rewarded with success. For only a split second she was able to celebrate, at least mentally, before he was moving again, this time toward her. She realized her folly too late, paws still up and poised to push off of Maverick while her tail still flagged outward in a vain attempt at keeping balance. But he had already seen an opening and was acting on it. His weight pressed into hers forcefully, shoulder colliding with her chest as her legs were forced to fold and press against herself while her adversary knocked her off balance. It was a less than graceful fall, backwards, though she tried to angle her body as best she could to deter from falling straight backward and instead to land upon her side as if to catch herself, though she couldn't possibly be fast enough to get her paws there to fully do so in time.

Thanks to her angle before him, her left side still more or less presented to him even as she had reared to claw at him with her forepaws, Ashtoreth landed upon the right side of her back - the torn bite wound upon her shoulder blades strongly protesting the fall enough to made her reaction time somewhat sluggish - and rigidly rolled onto her right side even as the Seracian Prince loomed over her. He was not finished, she knew. In her current position, she made far too easy a target, and he could very well intend to take advantage of that. Unfortunately for her, her position also made it difficult to strike back. She would need to be creative, or merely attempt to defend herself as well as she could.

She chose defense instead. As if it would make a difference, she bared her teeth, lips drawn back as a warning growl snapped from her slightly parted jaws, and vainly she tucked her chin, attempting to shield her throat from attack. True, they had made an agreement to leave no lasting damage on each other but instinct had kicked in and the movement came naturally and reflexively to her. Maverick's face was already there alongside her own, his own movements seemingly hindered very little by the damage she had done to him. As her ears tucked tightly yet again, a paw raised, her left fore, to press against his chest and attempt to keep her sparring partner away, but it was far too late. His teeth met their mark there along the side of her face, a turn of her head angling his bite perhaps a little more off center than he had intended, and a sharp sting, practically nothing in comparison to the aching one set between her shoulder blades, sparked up there as his bite connected.

Unwilling to raise her head and possibly injure the side of her face in the same manner that she had injured her scruff - and still protectively wishing to keep her chin tucked - Ashtoreth attempted to roll enough to raise her right paw along with her left and reach upward along the male's larger frame in two consecutive swipes, attempting with the left to get close to his shoulder while the other aimed merely to scrape along the broad front of his chest.

Round 3/3:

Attacks:Two swipes of her forepaws, one after the other. The left toward the joint part of his shoulder; the right just across the center of his chest.

Defenses: Ears and chin tucked, otherwise exposed because of her position on her side/back.

Injuries: Two small bleeding puncture wounds on the underside of Maverick's bite to her scruff, two larger puncture wounds on the upper side of Maverick's bite; all lengthened into shallow but bleeding tears in her skin with bruising likely to develop (due to trying to pull out of his grasp and falling on wounds). Soreness, likely concentrated toward chest and shoulders, from shove to knock her off balance. Another bite to her cheek, possibly bloody if not bleeding.

I'M GONNA BE THE MAIN EVENT like no king was before {table switch cause yes.} What could have possessed her to feel the need to push into him was still a mystery, but he was glad for it because in his mind it gave him an incredible advantage. She had used strength where she should have relied on speed, and he had the upper paw when it came to strength in this matchup. Still, they were both new and there was plenty of room for error, this fight was far from having a clear victor. As his weight shifted toward her in a swift and deliberate motion, he retained his narrowed eyes and pinned ears stature - for fear that moving toward her would bring these vital parts too close to her for comfort. If she were to snap back at him, his eyes or ears could very well be in range and become targets. His tail continued to flutter at his right, seeing as he was moving forward and to his left. Balance was key, or he could very well end up in a heap on the earth with her. As she fell he felt the triumph in the thud that resounded. His heart was beating fast in his chest, reminding him of the adrenaline that surged through his veins - blocking out the pain from his wounds. Jaws fell shut on their mark - the side of Ashtoreth's face. He wondered if he was taking this too far, but his adrenaline-soaked mind wouldn't let him linger on that thought for very long. He removed his bite almost as soon as it landed, he had only intended for it to be a glancing blow - to let her know what a predicament she was in now that he'd knocked her off of her paws. He almost wanted her to fear, wanted her to worry about her current situation. Some sick part of his mind wanted her to ask him to stop, to beg him to end what was supposed to be a friendly spar. He wasn't used to this side of himself, but he surely wasn't complaining about it. She did all that she could, tossing both front paws upward to scrape at him - one at his shoulder and the other at his chest. The one at his chest did more damage thanks to their angling, but given the thickness of his fur and skin it only managed to pull away a few tufts of hair and leave a mild bruise in it's wake. The other paw at his shoulder caught in a crease, allowing two of her nails to find purchase and tear a two inch laceration. Blood bubbled to the now opened surface of his skin, dripping down to stain the earth below. He let out a growl, fangs falling agape to amplify the sound and prepare for anything else she might have planned. His head twisted to the side and down, tucking protectively over his throat while simultaneously reaching to close his jaws shut on her left paw - hopefully before she reeled it back toward her being. As he did this, he picked up his left front leg and would attempt to raise it up and over her bodice, in order to keep her pinned where she was. Allowing her to get back up would only prolong what he hoped would be his victory. Round 3 of 3 Attacks - Jaws aiming to grab hold of her left front paw, left front leg seeking to move over her to keep her pinned. Defenses - Ears tucked, eyes narrowed, jaws open, tail flagged. Injuries - Scratch marks on the front of his left shoulder, four half-inch puncture wounds (bleeding) on his left foreleg, mild, now moderate bruising on his chest where her paws pushed against him, two two-inch long lacerations where his shoulder meets his chest, mild hair loss on chest. {Table coded by Lu}

Ashtoreth vs Maverick Round 1 Ashtoreth: CLARITY: 7 / 10 Which way did she step with her side step? How is she trying to bite? Merely snag it and apply pressure, or grab it and rip it from beneath him? POWERPLAYING: 8 / 10"If allowed to continue..." If statements are frowned upon, for the simple fact it allowed to many factors and can seem as though one is having the outcomes already planned for them with no availability to react. DEFENSES: 5 / 10 Squaring off (assuming this is for balance) Head and ears lowered. Tail as a rudder. ATTACK: 5 / 10 Legs are awesome attacks, great to go for, and very effective. Disabling the opponents ability to walk pretty much throws them out of the running. Still, more could have been done here. INJURIES: 10 / 10 None. First Round. Round One Ashtoreth Total: 35 / 50 Maverick: CLARITY: 10 / 10 Your post was clear. POWERPLAYING: 7 / 10 Don't assume anything about the other's positioning. "Which would be accessible due to her having to lower her head to bite at his leg," While yes, this is obvious, it's inclined to change at a moments notice and the other person may now feel inclined to leave their characters placement as is. DEFENSES: 9 / 10 Well Done. Remember to also keep the legs bent, given the attack made by Ashtoreth, it could help him in keeping a less tightened hold. ATTACK: 7 / 10 Maverick has to move opposite of her for his attacks to be accessible. So, though your attacks are good, your positioning is incorrect. INJURIES: 10/ 10 Deep bites to leg, no damage deduction via first round. Round One Maverick Total: 43 / 50 Round 2 Ashtoreth: CLARITY: 5 / 10 There was no true defining of what the slam to Ashtoreth's head did. You didn't really clarify what damage was dealt. Also, on Maverick's bite, how shallow were the cuts? An inch? Half an inch? POWERPLAYING: 10 / 10No PP DEFENSES: 4 / 10 Eyes and ears narrowed/pinned. Balance mentioned (though two legs off is dangerous, the mentioning negates it) mention of the tail, and head tucked. ATTACK: 6 / 10 Attempting bite to shoulder. Attempting to shove. No count for trying to "scrape" a wolves nails can't really get thrugh the fur of another. INJURIES: 7 / 10 Shallow bites, and slam to the head (unknown damage deducting one point) Round Two Ashtoreth Total: 32 / 50 Maverick: CLARITY: 10 / 10 Your post was clear. POWERPLAYING: 10 / 10 No Powerplaying. DEFENSES: 7 / 10 Ears were tucked, claws grasping for traction, and tail acting as a rudder. Mention of balace, and jaws angled downward (considering tucked) ATTACK: 6 / 10 Knocking off balance. Bite to the face can be effective, but where is it being placed? Cheek, jaw, side of muzzle, or eyes? Maybe the ear. Specify in the future, please. INJURIES: 8/ 10 4 gashes (inch long each approx.) Round Two Maverick Total: 41 / 50 Round 3 Ashtoreth: CLARITY: 10 / 10 Your post was clear. POWERPLAYING: 10 / 10 No Powerplaying. DEFENSES: 2 / 10 Ears and chin tucked. ATTACK: 1 / 10 The nails of a canine truly have no effect. INJURIES: 7 / 10 Soreness/bruising chest/shoulders, punctures to the cheek. Round Two Ashtoreth Total: 30 / 50 Maverick: CLARITY: 8 / 10 Jaws took purchase where on her face? POWERPLAYING: 6 / 10 Jaws should be attempting to shut on her paw, and also be attempting to get there. DEFENSES: 6 / 10 Ears tucked, eyes narrowed. Jaws are open and tail is acting as a rudder. ATTACK: 7 / 10 Nice and simple attacks, full credit not given due to powerplay of the catching of the paw. INJURIES: 6/ 10 Deep gashes, and mild gashes obtained. Round Three Maverick Total: 33 / 50 Totals: Ashtoreth: 97/150 Maverick: 117 /150 And the winner is... Maverick! Astoreth must give up by either submitting, fleeing, or passing out. Damage: Maverick-Soreness for approx. 5 OOC days. Ashtoreth- Bruising and soreness for approx. 1 OOC week. Notes: --Judged by Lutara-- you both did very well, especially you, Mouser. It being the first spar I've seen you in, I'm very impressed. Remember to quickly clarify /everything/ in a fight and be careful on little things. "if this then that..." statements are very dangerous in spars and are often considered powerplaying. Also, I would study some other fights and remember your defences. Andy, you did really well too, I'm gonna just clean you up a bit- be specific on where your attacks are going, I think that was where you lost the most points? Well, also make sure you specify your attacks more. I was often left wondering exactly where something was supposed to be landing.

Walk | Talk | Think

This was certainly not going well at all, and the position she currently found herself in was no help whatsoever. She was pinned beneath him, rather effectively, left at the mercy of Maverick to do as he wished until their fight was over. For a while longer she tried to struggle, to push against him, growl her warnings, wriggle upon the ground to get out from under his grasp, but it was no use. Unless she ended this now, she was likely to hurt herself further than had already been done, and she could not return to Valhalla a bloody mess merely because pride got in the way of a good-natured spar. At least with this fight she had a choice on when it would end.

Clenching her eyes shut, she made one final growl that was nearly a whine before she made the call. "Okay, okay! You win!" she shouted, going still underneath him though a paw still raised and pressed against his chest to encourage him to move. "I'm done," she added, at last opening up her gold and purple eyes to stare up into the face of the victor. She had known from the beginning that he was going to win. Just by appearances alone, he seemed more adept at fighting than she was, and he more than proved it. Still, she was grateful to take the experience with her, hoping to keep it on hand should the need to defend herself ever arise again.

OOC: Woo, it's done! ^^ Thanks again, Lu. And congrats, Andy. c: