she was starting to show, but she was not going to simply sit in her den and wait for her children to be born. until she was unable to patrol or hunt or even fight for risk of harming their unborn bodies, Heloise would keep herself active. she was not one to simply lay about with no intention. her children would be born in winter, to Winterfell. it was late autumn, perhaps only a few days from the colder season. as a knight of her pack, she must keep herself sharp and physically strong. there was so much left to learn; her work was never done. walking to the battlefield, she avoided speaking to her mate for now. Heloise was still a bit disappointed in Acere for volunteering to raid anyone slavers wanted. for just one wolf. she did not care about the relationship this wolf had with Tyranis; it had been too much sacrificed for the pack. especially near winter when supplies were more precious. the alabaster woman refused to take part in paying off slavers, so she opted to exercise her mind and keep it off the situation. lifting her head, she howled for a challenger of any skill. she would even take a beginner; having been there once before, she knew the experience was key to improvement. [ooc;] spar & intellect points for meeting new wolf if possible

Judging by how poorly he had managed to avoid the hits from the agile snow leopard, he knew he needed more practice. His sister had done good work on his injuries and they took much less time to heal. Scarring was now evident on his blue skin, but luckily the thick of his fur hid most of it.

He had already been out here to the battlefield a time or two, it wasn't so far from the East. He was beginning to really hate being injured and having to rest so often, but he knew that the only way to prevent himself from being as beat up during a fight as what he was when the snow leopard came... was to put himself back in the face of violence.

He hadn't known Heloise was pregnant and if it wasn't for his sister's keen eye and observation.. he wouldn't have questioned the woman's stockier frame. Wolves came in all shapes and sizes and Dominus was still immature in some aspects. He'd never been around pregnant wolves before, but now that he saw her on the battlefield he couldn't help but wonder how harmful the commotion of a brawl would be on her if against the wrong man?

She seemed to be looking for a fight, and rather than let her encounter the same crazy wolf that he had not too long ago- he decided it was better for him to step up. This was nerve-wracking, considering how he had already seen her in action and knew that even though she was pregnant- she was far more experienced than he was. Something just wouldn't let himself walk away because of that, though. He almost felt as though he was protecting her... even if she might not think she was in need of protecting. Hell, she might not have been in need of it- but Dom wanted to do this.

"Got them out here fighting before they are even born, eh? That's one way to teach 'em. You can tell them they were womb warriors." He smirked as he amused himself, blue of his gums slightly visible. He lowered his head after he gained her attention, immediately locking his frame into his defensive position. Spine and shoulders aligned, chin tucked, fangs slightly parted, eyes narrowed, and ears and tail curved to his body. He was solid.

The behemoth's chest heaved for just a moment, taking in one deep breath as he watched his opponent closely. He tried to think of his target before he actually exhaled, because once he exhaled... he was off. Talons ripped through the earth as he barreled toward her, digits spread out to grip the soil beneath him and keep his momentum going. He inhaled as he ran, though exhaled just before their collision as his center of gravity shifted to his haunches, the weight on his forepaws lifting to either side of her chest in an attempt to lift the smaller female and get her off balance. Simultaneously, his teeth saught their chosen target- her bottom jaw. His lower fangs aimed to hook behind the bulk of her jawbone at the hinge while his upper fangs would try to come down on her cheek. Like most men in his bloodline, he quite liked control- and control over her bite would hopefully bring him far fewer injuries in the end.

Dominus Praetor vs Sten Isneven for Spar

Round 1/2
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Heavy
Fight Skill Level: Advanced

to her surprise, Dominus would appear to answer her challenge. the young man had fought well against the snow leopard, keeping it distracted long enough for her to assist in the kill. but this was different. he was accepting a spar from her, and she would have to treat him not as an acquaintance but as a false foe. he remarked on her pregnancy, and as he neared her, she would size him up and drop instinctively into defense. he was much larger than her, yet she had stood her ground against a dire wolf before. "the world is oft a cruel place" Heloise replied grimly "it is best to teach the young - especially my young - how to handle it." she would suffer no fools in her litter, and also no weaklings. her children would be taught defense and offense; they were Winterfell's future. if she failed them, she not only failed herself but the people she held dear. Dominus would charge at her thought, causing her to brace herself for the eventual impact. as he neared, hoping to gain an upper hand, she would tuck her chin and shoved her head against his chest. hoping to wind him with the force behind it. his jaws snapped just above her head, him being much larger than her all it took to miss his assault was to duck down. his legs would flail potentially, but still, be able to crash down on her. she quickly shifted away from his front to try and circle the boy. she aimed low until it was clear she was not going to gain control that way. but for now, that was her advantage. Dominus Praetor vs Heloise cel Mare for Spar Round 1/2 Age: Over 1 year Size: Medium Build: Light Fight Skill Level: Expert

Saliva went flying off his teeth as they snapped around absolutely nothing, having been able to taste the fur of her cheek just briefly on his lips while she ducked down. Her headbutt to his chest surprised him, and as it's impact was supported by her entire solid build, exhausted him for just a moment.

He loudly coughed, though his blue eyes never left her and as she started to try and circle him, the titan turned to keep himself face to face with her as much as possible. She was looking for a weak point? Dominus grinned as he realized this. He didn't have any.

Suddenly, the beast barrelled forward with his spine aligned and knees bent. Did she want to stay low? Okay. He tucked in his chin and kept himself low as well. Due to their size difference, he would still have to look down at her but if she did not run from him, he would come down on her. He kept is forelimbs squared on either side of him, but ready to put themselves directly in front of her and block her from getting past him. At least, that was the plan.

His teeth sought to come down on her scruff. He wanted to pin her, but first, he would need control of her movement so he didn't end up hurting that pregnant belly of hers. He knew she would likely do her best to go for his neck if he let it open, so he did his absolute best to keep his head low and chin tucked and his vitals protected so that even if she did land a bite, it would not be fatal.

Dominus Praetor vs Heloise cel Mare for Spar

Round 1/2
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Heavy
Fight Skill Level: Advanced

she was not looking for a weak point. having faced large wolves and predators before, she knew that every second counted. wasting time looking for a point of weakness on a sparring partner was fruitless. this was a practice bout, and she would treat it like that. the thought of aiming anywhere fatal was beyond Heloise's capabilities. she felt terrible ending the lives of predators who even attacked her. she knew the neck was the most vulnerable spot on a wolf - any wolf - and Dominus tucked his chin to prevent her using that against him. so it fell to another spot to hinder him; his legs. her sparring partner would drop more at her own low attempts, trying to face her as she skittered around him. he attempted to prevent her from moving around him though, and to that, she retaliated. she aimed a bite at the tendon on his right front leg, trying to at least draw some blood. or hinder his movements. he bore down on her, his teeth touching her scruff. Heloise twisted in his grasp, mindful of her pregnancy though, and tried to force him to remove his teeth. she could not thrash wildly here, but she did attempt to grab at his own neck as she awkwardly shot her snout forward. Dominus Praetor vs Heloise cel Mare for Spar Round 2/2 Age: Over 1 year Size: Medium Build: Light Fight Skill Level: Expert

And the winner is...

DOMINUS

HELOISE must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Dominus: 258.87 Heloise: 141.48