Poem stared up at the massive maple tree, its branches slowly getting covered in tiny green leaves. They swayed in the gently breeze and brought the young pup glimpses of the raven’s nest far above her head. Imperia peeked down at her curiously, her body positioned on the edge of the well built nest. Behind her the growing chicks wrestled to get themselves to the edge of the nest first. One by one they mimicked their dark feathered mother, each one unique. With the joining of Imperia and Solitude came the sight of bicolored offspring.

They weren’t quite fledging yet, but their curiosity was as intense as Poems. She caught the eye of one in particular. One half was white like its father and the other as black as night like its mother. It’s red eye caught Poem’s blue and lavander gaze and the girl squealed in delight as it flapped its growing wings just for her. This motion also happened to knock a couple of its siblings back into the nest. Poem giggled with delight.

Theta was making a lap around the territories to pass the time when she came across another pup. It took her a second to recognize them but it was them, that one pup that was spying on her family when they arrived at the pack. She didn’t know much about them but she knew that whatever they had been trying to do wasn’t good. She and this girl needed to have a talk about boundaries, because she had crossed one that was not meant to be crossed.

Marching right up to the girl in a firm voice she would say “Hey! Just what do you think you were doing back there? Spying on me and my family?”

The young Destruction was having fun watching the young birds up in the nest. The ones that had been pushed back into the nest had climbed back onto the edge. Their mother watched in silence behind them, but let out call to Poem. The pup hadn’t learned Imperia’s warnings yet, and looked up in confusion until the sound of paws approaching made her realize the meaning. She expected to look up and see Noir, and her body showed it. Hackles suddenly raised and she pulled back her lips to show her teeth and she scowled. She returned back to neutral instantly when she realized it was one of the visitor pups.

Spying? When had she been spying on her? Did she mean when she had first saw them? Poem furrowed her brows in frustration at that. ”I wasn’t spying, I was trying to be polite. Poem wondered if this girl even knew the meaning of the word. ”It’s rude to storm up to someone’s den without an invitation.” She managed to get a dig in to the other pup, who had done just that. Who was reminding her more of Noir than she liked.

Theta grinned as the other girl went into a defensive state, maybe she had found a pup with more backbone than the other wolves around here. Theta returned the gesture and went into a fighting stance, but it was soon dropped when she saw that the other pup hadn't kept theirs. Was anything interesting going to happen here?

They began to explain themselves and their spying. They were trying to be polite? Investigating the new wolves as soon as they got there hardly seemed polite, it seemed nosy. The comment on storming up to someones' den didn't even faze Theta. She didn't know it was her den, she just saw the pup and went after her objective. "You guys aren't any fun, nobody wants to fight around here. You're all too nice." Theta huffed in annoyance. All she had done since arriving here was talk and be bored, at least her brother had seen some action.

The pup seemed to dismiss what Poem had to say about being polite and not spying. Apparently what she said had been good enough. The girl went a different direction with her words after that and Poem listened, perking at the words about fighting. Poem sat back on her haunches, ignoring the insult.

”You like to fight?” Her tail wagged behind her, suddenly forgetting how rude the other pup had been. ”Do you wanna spar? Have you fought anyone before? My sister and I fought a honey badger!” She wasn’t about to tell the pup that she hadn’t even begun to have won said fight with a badger, but that was okay. She had slowly lifted her rump off the ground, getting more excited with each question. Would this pup want to practice fighting with her?

Surprised at the sudden onslaught of questions Theta took a minute to analyze everything that had just happened. They had gone from defending themselves to talking as if she had known Theta for a lot longer than she had.

As Theta analyzed various thoughts crossed her mind. Fighting an animal is very different from fighting another wolf, this girl didn't seem like fighting was a thing she actively enjoyed, and if they sparred and she ran away crying at least Theta could say she asked for it.

Theta decided that a spar would be a good idea it would give her a chance for some excitement and to fight someone who wasn't her siblings. Plus given the fact that the girl hadn't mentioned fighting her siblings and thus her lack of expirience Theta was pretty sure that she could win.

"Fighting is as easy as breathing when you have four brothers to keep up with." Theta would state answering two of the girls' questions in the process. In answer to the question of whether or not a spar would be a good idea Theta fell into a fighting stance, all four legs equidistant and evenly balanced. Ears flattened, eyes narrowed, teeth bared, and body lowered towards the ground to provide better balance. If there was any excitement to be had while she was here, it would be now.

Theta vs Poem for Spar
Round: 0/?
Size: large (puppy)
Build: light
Fight skill level: beginner

Poem was glad to be rid of their differences so easily, she was always up for learning. If she lost or won this little tussle at least she would be gaining experience from it. The young Destruction might even pull it off with a new scar! Though it was unlikely it would last long. Puppies healed faster and better than their adult counterparts. At least that had been what Vail said when she’d gone to her after getting knocked in the head after the badger.

Theta was just as eager as Poem, the slightly smaller girl took up her defenses naturally. The Abaven pup mirrored her opponent. Her ears fell to her skull to keep them tucked out of the way of sharp puppy teeth. She pulled her lips back to reveal her pearly white canines, making them easier to use and also loosening the skin on her muzzle so a bit there might not cause as much damage. Poem’s knees were bent to improve her balance along with flagging her tail out behind her. Her hackles raised, and given the opportunity to start the spar she would.

Assuming the two pups were still roughly a meter apart Poem would coil her haunches and attempt to spring towards her opponent head on. Not having a lot of room to build up momentum Poem would try to grapple her opponent instead of bowling them over. The girl raised her forelimbs like she was going to take a mighty leap but really she aimed to wrap her front paws around her opponents neck. Wanting the result in their chests together and her arms around Theta’s neck for control.

At the same time Poem would open her jaws wide, aiming to bite down on the loose skin behind Theta’s left ear. With these two moves combined the girl would aim to push her opponent to Theta’s right and to the ground.

Poem v Theta for Spar
Round: 1/2
Size: x-large (puppy)
Build: medium
Fight skill level: beginner(at the start of the spar)

Theta waited as the other girl set her defenses into place; she wasn’t sure whether or not she knew what to do or if she was just copying Theta’s movements. The other pup leapt at her and landed their front legs around her neck. This was a move Tyto had tried on her before, she had figured out how to get out of that before. Given that this girl was the about same height as Tyto, being a couple inches taller than Theta, she figured that the same tactics would work on her.

Theta ducked her head down so that the flat of her head was against the girls’ upper chest neck region. This action moving her ears the other pups’ teeth closed on an area just behind Theta’s ears and closer to the back of her head. This didn’t bother Theta that much given that their teeth still weren’t as sharp as an adults’. With her head against the girls’ chest Theta started to run at the pup, the idea being to use the force to overpower the other pup so that she slid on the ground and lost her balance.

Theta vs Poem for Spar
Round: 1/2
Size: large (puppy)
Build: light
Fight skill level: beginner

Her tail remained flagging out behind her as she compromised her balance with rearing up on her hind legs. Her gaze still narrowed as she focused eagerly on her opponent, ears to her skull and lips pulled back. Poem felt her heart racing like crazy in her chest as the swing of battle took her. She felt her jaws and arms connect to their targets perfectly, but while she had been expecting a bite in return there was none.

She felt Theta start to push up underneath her, and Poem reacted instinctively. She didn’t run backwards with the girl, instead Poem tried to jump with her rear legs and pivot around Theta’s neck. Aiming to keep her arms wrapped, but loose enough to swivel as her body shifted to her right. In the end Poem attempted to essentially ride Theta, with her arms around the girl’s neck and her hips aligned with Theta’s rear end. The Destruction would aim to grasp either of Theta’s thighs with her knees for a better grip. Poem tried to keep her jaws wrapped around the skin behind Theta’s ear, hoping that with the added pressure of her movements might bring enough pain for Theta to stumble to the ground underneath her.

Poem v Theta for Spar
Round: 2/2
Size: x-large (puppy)
Build: medium
Fight skill level: beginner

Theta was surprised when the resistance against her head suddenly went to almost nothing. Looking up from the ground she found that the pup was no longer in front of her. What had been a near run had slowed down to a stop. It hadn’t occurred to her that she was still bearing some of the weight of the other pup until she had stopped, this felt different than normal standing. She felt as if she was being dragged a little towards her left.

By this point she had begun to completely ignore the teeth biting near her ear, it felt like a continuous dull pain. Sometimes it hurt a little more, but Theta didn’t feel as if it deserved much attention.

Having noticed the difference in weight distribution Theta began turning to her left as if to walk in a circle. Trying to see the other pup as well as disrupt their ability to hold on. Using her jaws and neck to stretch forward to try and get any form of bite on the other pup.

Admittedly Thetas’ fighting skills still needed some work, but that’s what spars were for right. Either way she had been having more fun with this than she had the entire rest of her stay.

Theta vs Poem for Spar
Round: 2/2
Size: large (puppy)
Build: light
Fight skill level: beginner

And the winner is...

Theta

Poem must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Poem: 200.15 Theta: 298.65

- Judged by Lunarcat7

Poem attempted to hang on to her opponent’s back as long as possible, but she didn’t have the knee strength to cling on as Theta started to circle around. Poem bit down harder, but ultimately her grip caused her to topple onto the ground. She she lost her grip Poem would roll away, a fit of giggles as she cartwheeled off her opponent’s shoulders. That had been a fun time. Much more fun than her bout with Noir.

As she came to a halt there was a sudden pressure on her haunches. With the sound of wings and angry baby raven noises. Poem’s blue and lavender eyes stared surprised at the young raven that stood upon her and challenged Theta. She felt herself beam as the bird attempted to protect her. She couldn’t help but laugh with glee.

”We’re just playin’!” She tried to soothe the bird as he flapped his wings and cracked his beak menacingly.

Theta laughed as the other pup fell, it was clear she had won this. A bird came in and went to protect the losing pup. This made Theta laugh even more so, even the pups' bird thought she was weak.
The thought occurred to her that this could be one of Noirs' siblings. She had done him a favor by winning this. Theta wondered what Noir would think about this, she would have to find out the next time she saw him.

Theta noticed that the other pup said they were just having fun, Theta certainly thought the fight itself was fun, but it wasn't all fun and games. Theta had beaten the other pup, there was no question there. There was no chance now that the other pup would register as having any major importance in Thetas' mind.

Theta decided that the best course of action was to confirm what the other pup was saying, even she didn't agree with it. "yeah, it was a spar. We were improving our fighting skills"

The young Destruction girl could hear the similar peals of laughter coming from the other pup. She seemed to have enjoyed their bout as much as Poem had. The young raven on the other hand.. was having none of it. He continued to protest even as Poem explained the lack of real danger. She reached out to lick his downy feathers as the other pup reiterated they were just sparring.

The piebald bird slowly calmed, and folded his wings back as he stared at Theta intently. Poem didn’t know what his problem was, but he’d gone quiet so she decided to ignore it. She shook her neck of the debris gathered from her tumble before climbing to her paws. Poem smiled at her opponent.

”Good fight! Maybe we can go again before you have to leave.” Poem was rather chipper for having lost, but she had also just defeated her nemesis Noir and was riding off that high for the rest of the spring. All fights, won or lost, provided experience. She knew she was still learning, and that she wouldn’t be able to win every fight.