Pestilence was doing her best to spend as much time as possible away from Ashen's new homeland while still staying below the radar and not incurring the wrath of her elders who might think she'd run off again. She knew she wanted to find a training partner who had new techniques and methods, but she also was well aware of what response her family would have if she snuck of to the battlefield by herself. She'd hardly make it there before someone would show up to drag her home, and so instead she asked her Uncle Hari to take her under disguise of training. He was always a very reasonable adult, and Pestilence was glad to have a close bond with someone who didn't mind if she tried to shed her Abraxas name every chance she got.

When they'd arrived he'd given her a brief rundown on how the whole thing worked, and Pestilence knew now was when she was supposed to howl and summon an opponent. A part of her was very very worried, what if a huge titanic alpha showed up to pummel her into the dirt for fun? There was no guarantee that the mysterious stranger who arrived would be keen on sparring with a kid, but Pestilence was determined to get her training in to one day earn the Warlord rank she coveted. Plus, she knew somewhere in the back of her mind that Uncle Hari was watching and surely he'd not let anyone seriously hurt her.

After a few moments of cautious deliberation, Pesto tipped her head back and howled out a soft song of summons. It was squeaky and unsure, displaying her lack of confidence for all who might be listening. She didn't let it go on long, and after cutting it off began to stamp her feet nervously in the blood-stained dirt.

Natha lingered around the battlefield. If there was one thing she knew for certain it was that she needed to get better at fighting against wolves. So far she had been disappointed in her performance and the only way to get better was with practice. Thankfully, the wounds from her previous skirmishes had healed though if she wanted to keep fighting at the rate she desired she'd need to find a companion with skills in healing.

A call rang out from a female voice that sounded rather young. Perhaps someone closer to her own fight level? Natha was pleased that she was finally starting to get a feel for the howls and their meaning. When she arrived she saw two wolves. One was a young black and white female who had more than likely called her and the other a black and white male who stood a ways back. The escort? She eyed the duo for a moment then stepped forward.

"I would fight you wolf if you are willing."

It didn't take long for an opponent to show their face, and Pestilence immediately glanced back at her uncle as the cat approached. Was that even allowed? The lynx was speaking then, and Pestilence cleared her throat to try to respond in a dignified manner. "Uh, okay!" The pup straightened, observing the distance between herself and her opponent. She knew that it wasn't always clear who should start the bout, and a part of her wanted to be polite and allow the cat to go first. The other part of her wanted to become a fierce warrior, and she knew from experience that wolves like Sirius were confident enough that they hardly gave warning before they struck. Pestilence wanted to find a balance between the two, to be the one to initiate and not always just the one reacting. "I'm Pestilence Klein, and I will start." She announced to the cat, feeling confident that it was the right approach.

She gave the other a moment to settle into her defenses as she was taught, and then darted forward. The distance between them was much further when considering the small lengths of a pup's stride and by the time she'd reached the lynx Pestilence was nearly winded. She struck forward with her jaws to try and latch them around the cat's fleshy left upper-leg, her ears pinning tight to her skull to protect them from any assault from above. With her feet she aimed to stomp hard upon the cat's toes on the same leg she aimed to bite to hopefully slow down the innate speed she assumed this cat like others possessed.

Pestilence Klein - Abraxas vs Natha for Spar
Round 1/?
Age: Under 1 year
Size: Extra large
Build: Light
Skills: Advanced Fighter & Intermediate Healer
Specialty: N/A

Natha watched with amusement as the girl looked to the black and white male who nodded his approval. With that the girl agreed to the spar and introduced herself as Pestilence Klein. Pestilence? What sort of mother would name her kid so? There was truly no end to the oddities of wolves. Natha was tempted not to give her name. She was a cat after all but she found the child endearing for a canine and replied with her own. "I am Natha. I look forward to our battle."

Natha swiftly set her defenses, her keen golden eyes watching the wolf. Then the battle began. The wolf dove for her and Natha's back arced in preparation, those jaws lanced down for her leg and Natha leapt forward and up, displacing the bite but failing to dodge the teeth that dug into her upper left side. Her front legs had left the ground as she sought to wrap her upper arms around the base of the girls neck, claws seeking to dig in deep and in doing so moving her paws unwittingly away from the girls paw stomp. At the same time her front legs lifted her fangs darted forward, seeking purchase on the lower part of the girl's neck. Natha kept her ears pinned to her head as she moved.

Natha Críoch vs Pestilence for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Other species
Build: Medium
Skills: Beginner Navigator & Beginner Fighter
Specialty: N/A

Pestilence's teeth fell upon her side and for a moment she felt victorious - even though the bite had landed further from where she aimed. However her stamp fell upon only the dirt ground, and the expectation of her blow landing higher sent her off-balance as her paws hit the earth. With her falter he lost grip on her bite, her head and neck lowering and the cat's arms moving slightly too high. They swiped just above Pestilence's head rather then securely around her neck, and the pup didn't realize the grapple she'd accidentally dodged.

Moving quickly the cat's fangs came towards her and Pestilence hardly had time to shift away. She wanted those teeth nowhere near her vulnerable throat and neck, and instead shifted sideways to take the bite instead nearer to the shoulder. At the same time, she aimed to awkwardly shove her shoulderblade upwards to meet the bite. Who knows? Maybe she could at least knock out a few teeth.

Pestilence Klein - Abraxas vs Natha for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: Under 1 year
Size: Extra large
Build: Light
Skills: Advanced Fighter & Intermediate Healer
Specialty: N/A

The pup stumbled or ducked, Natha wasn't sure which but she was quick to re-evaluate and use her powerful back legs to spring up and forward as she sought to land on top of the girl's back. Natha sought for the claws of her front legs to dig into the girls flesh on either side of her hips while her back claws would dig into the girl's shoulders. The aerial move also served to help shift her out of the way of the girls attacks. If she could just get a good hold on the girl where she was hard to reach and manage to stay on top maybe she could swiftly end this spar.

Natha Críoch vs Pestilence for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Other species
Build: Medium
Skills: Beginner Navigator & Beginner Fighter
Specialty: N/A

And the winner is...

Pestilence

Natha must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Pestilence: 156 (84 27 19 21 - Adjusted to 84 31.05 19.95 21) Natha: 193.92 (4 71 1 3 - Adjusted to 4.2 71 1 32)

- nyx