The snow storm that had caught her and Sirius in the Redbud Nook had certainly been a dangerous issue in the moment, but on the way back as they trekked though the snow that had piled up she realized just moving though the snow had added another level of difficulty to the trip. For someone like her who wasn't the tallest wolf around by any stretch of the imagination, making her way though the snow had been quite a task. By the time they got back to the Armada's territory she was completely worn out from wading through the wintery accumulation. For some wolves that might have deterred them from going back out so soon, but with her training and practice focused brain all she could think of was the possibility of getting caught in a storm or heavy snow and needing to be able to fight. What if they had another raid and the winter weather made it far enough down to cover their territory in snow as deep as what she had seen with Sirius? Or what if they wanted to launch an attack on a pack that lived in the north? She'd need to know how to fight in these kinds of conditions! Part of her felt a bit bad about dragging Resin out in this weather, but she was also extremely excited about finally getting to spar with Resin and show her everything she had learned. After managing a win during the raid Tamsyn was finally beginning to feel like she was making some progress and like all of her hard work was beginning to show. She wouldn't let herself get overly confident, not that she ever really felt confident with herself anyway. Fighting someone as seasoned as Resin was still going to be difficult. However, unlike when she first started her training, she saw it as a fun, exciting activity to share with a wolf she cared about rather than something to be worried and nervous over. She shuffled her way though the thin trees of the Nook, glancing around at their frail branches that were still weighed down by the snow that had accumulated on them. Luckily it seemed like the snow from that storm hadn't melted yet and she wondered if this would stick around for the remainder of winter or maybe even grow deeper as more storms came through. For now it was deep enough to come up almost to her elbows if she found a spot that was still untouched by wolves and animals moving through it. Tam found a fairly open area with a beautiful blanket of snow that was glittering in the sunlight. No clouds obscured the sky today so she felt like perhaps they would be safe from getting trapped by another storm today. The smaller, darker colored female turned to face Resin with a wide grin, her breath causing a small cloud around her muzzle while her tail went wagging gently behind her. "I guess this spot is as good as any, huh?" she asked with a chuckle as she set to figuring out the best way to get into her usual fighting stance with the snow in her way. She usually kept a more crouched, ready to spring sort of stance, but she wasn't able to get as close to the ground now and she certainly wouldn't be quite as nimble here as she liked to be. It was going to be an interesting experiment, that was for sure! She had seen a few glimpses of Resin fighting during the raid with Ashen, but she was excited to see the warrior in action for herself.

When Tamsyn invited her to go on a little journey with her, Resin was pleased. She was more than pleased. Not only would it be a change of scenery, but she would get to spend time with the woman that she was slowly becoming so fond of. It was nice to get out of Armada territory even if the snow made going incredibly slow. Tamsyn had informed her of the location in mind and had suggested a spar so that she might gain some experience fighting in deep snow. The ash and onyx woman thought it was a great idea. Any time that anyone wished to better themselves, she thought it was a great idea. Before the raid had begun, the giant woman had honestly been a bit nervous. She hadn't wanted Tamsyn to get injured. It wasn't that she didn't have faith in the woman, it was simply that she was new to the art of battle. Ashen had members that were much more powerful and it was only luck of the draw as to whom she would be pitted against. Resin was pleasantly surprised when Tamsyn came out victorious. She was incredibly proud of her and suddenly realized that she had never told the smaller woman so. In growling tones, she proceeded to do so. "I was very proud of you when you won your fight in the raid, Tamsyn. Very proud." Compliments where they were due. The farther north they walked, the deeper the snow became. Though her legs were longer, it was difficult even for her. Was Tamsyn really sure that she wanted to do this? From up above, the sun glinted downward and Resin had no choice but to squint against the glaring light. These were far from optimum fighting conditions, but if Tamsyn wanted to test herself, this would definitely be an experience. A chill wind blew here and there, sending sparkling dust up into the air, adding to the visual disturbance. With one eye already gone and the other fighting to see against the bright white snow, the conditions were not optimal for the scarred dame. She should have had Iolaire craft her a helmet to go along with the crocodile armor that she now wore almost constantly. The raid and then the attack by the pack of dogs made her anxious and slightly paranoid. She wanted to be ready at all times. The smaller fae stopped, having chosen the place for their battle. Resin released an amused snort, tendrils of steam snaking from her dusty blue nose like smoke. The same happened when she opened her mouth to speak. "As you wish." The giantess plowed a path through the snow so that she and Tamsyn were facing one another. She gave a wiggle, loosening the thick white powder around her. Then, with nothing more than a single nod, the large woman dove through the snow, closing the distance as quickly as the powder would allow. Lowering her head, ears tucked, she sprang forward, aiming to slam the top of her head into the dark woman's chest like a battering ram. "Speech" WC-518 Total- 1127

Resin Scarpaw vs Tamsyn for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1 year.
Size: Extra large
Build: Heavy
Offensive Battle Accessory: Clawed leather bracers
Defensive Battle Accessory: Crocodile armor
Companion 1: Side-striped jackal, Female - Battle
Companion 2: Side-striped jackal, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Serrated fangs - Offensive
Disability: Partial blindness - Moderate
Skills: Expert Fighter & Advanced Hunter
Specialty: N/A

Tamsyn looked to Resin with a surprised glance when the seasoned warrior told her how proud she was of her win only to look away again with a shy grin. "Thank you, that means a lot. I'm proud of your win too... Though I'm not surprised," she replied with a chuckle, glancing back up at the woman she cared for with a happy, bashful look. She wasn't sure how much of her win had just been luck, but she supposed it didn't really matter at the end of the day. A win was a win, right? She remembered how thrown off she had been by the fact that her opponent had been so different from everyone else she had trained with. At least in the circle of wolves she had befriended so far they were all quite a bit larger and taller than she was so to have the random chance of the raid give her an opponent that was actually the opposite seemed like a funny twist of fate. She prepared herself when Resin began to make her first move of their spar, already trying to spot where she might have a bit of an opening. It wasn't going to be an easy fight for either of them, but she felt no real pressure or worry about winning. For her she was just excited to spend some time with Resin and get some more experience for her training. Getting to fight with as many different opponents as possible and in as many different environments as possible seemed incredibly important. When Resin leapt toward her, Tam knew her usual go to of jumping out of the way would be too difficult in this sort of terrain. There wasn't much choice than to try and take advantage of Resin's head being so within reach. The warrior's head connected with her chest and knocked the wind out of her a bit, making her stagger back a step. However, she did her best to hold her ground and let the snow accumulated around her legs help hold her steady. She quickly lunged with outstretched jaws and attempted to grab ahold of the upper portion of Resin's scruff. Meanwhile, while her front paws reached up in hopes of hooking around the back of Resin's neck to make it harder for the larger woman to pull away. She knew her weight wasn't much compared to Resin's but she still hoped that by doing this she could lean her weight into Resin's neck and maybe be able to push her down into the snow. WC: 429 Total: 1556 Tamsyn vs Resin for Spar Round 1/2 Age: Over 1 year Size: Medium Build: Light Skills: Advanced Fighter & Advanced Navigator Specialty: N/A

Her attack connected, though not with as much force as she could muster. She didn't want to break Tamsyn's rib cage. The snow held her back some as well, providing yet another buffer between the two women. She did strike hard enough that some of the air rushed from her opponents lungs. That would do for now. Tamsyn sought to bite into her thickly furred neck and the bite did indeed land. As the smaller woman wrapped her forelegs around the scarred woman's neck, Resin grinned. Being raised up to bite the back of the larger fae's neck left Tamsyn's underside vulnerable. She wouldn't take advantage of this, however. Resin only used teeth in actual battle. Pressing hard into the snow with powerful legs, she held herself steady and did not go to the ground. She would aim to hook one of Tamsyn's rear legs with a clawed forepaw. If successful, she would throw her weight to the side, dropping them both into the snow with Tamsyn beneath her. "Speech" WC- 169 Total- 1725

Resin Scarpaw vs Tamsyn for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1 year.
Size: Extra large
Build: Heavy
Offensive Battle Accessory: Clawed leather bracers
Defensive Battle Accessory: Crocodile armor
Companion 1: Side-striped jackal, Female - Battle
Companion 2: Side-striped jackal, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Serrated fangs - Offensive
Disability: Partial blindness - Moderate
Skills: Expert Fighter & Advanced Hunter
Specialty: N/A

Tamsyn gripped on to Resin's scruff successfully and held onto the larger fighter with her forelegs, feeling a bit like a remora on a shark as she clung to Resin's neck. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to topple the warrior - though she wasn't surprised. It had been a long shot thinking that her weight would have much effect at all on her, but this was all for practice and it was something she had never gotten to try so she was still happy with the results! She didn't bite Resin's scruff any harder than she needed to in order to keep a good grip, not wanting to hurt her even though she knew a bite to her scruff wouldn't be that big of a deal. Resin's paw hooking her back leg caught her a bit off guard and easily pulled her off of her feet. In an attempt to keep from falling over entirely, Tamsyn tightened the grip she had with her forelegs hooked around Resin's neck and unintentionally biting her scruff a bit harder as she tensed. If Resin hadn't tipped her own weight Tam might have been able to hold on like this and get her bearings again, but since Resin tipped them both into the snow Tam went tumbling into the powdery accumulation. When the sudden rush of cold hit her side she released the warrior's scruff with a yelp, the startled noise dissolving into a fit of giggles as she was swallowed up by the snow. She quickly let go of Resin's neck and scrambled out from under her, making one last ditch effort to turn the spar in her favor. Now powdered with snow and looking more like a white wolf than a black one, Tam pushed herself out of the snow and tried to throw herself across Resin's side to try and pin her down into the snow. The smaller woman tried to reach her forelegs to hook around Resin's neck or chest, potentially ending up with her smaller form laying across Resin's in any attempt to make her much lighter weight work for her. Had it been a real fight she may have reached up to try and bite Resin's neck or throat, but at this point she was having a hard time doing anything but grinning and giggling. Tamsyn vs Resin for Spar Round 2/2 Age: Over 1 year Size: Medium Build: Light Skills: Advanced Fighter & Advanced Navigator Specialty: N/A

And the winner is...

TAMSYN

RESIN must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Tamsyn: 316.94 Rolls: 68 78 46 71 Adjusted: 71.4 78 55.2 71 Resin: 183.38 Rolls: 31 33 61 26 Adjusted: 48.05 39.6 61 26

- nyx

As the pair went down in the snow, a bunch of the white powder lodged itself in Resin's snout. She coughed and sneezed, losing concentration entirely. Head buried in the deep snow, she sneezed over and over until she, too, was in a fit of laughing tears. Sticking her muzzle above the snow and cracking her single eye, the ashen woman laughed softly. "I yield. I yield. Tamsyn wins the day!" Struggling to get to her paws, the big fae gave her coat a shake, but little snowballs were stuck in the longer fur of her tail, belly and legs. Wrinkling her nose in distaste, she shot a baleful look to the smaller woman. She would enjoy heading back to the south so that she could thaw out. "Speech"

Tamsyn grinned widely as Resin gave in and declared her the victor. It was a surprising win to be sure, but she knew it was just cause the snow happened to turn in her favor and allowed her to get the upper hand for a moment. She hopped off the larger woman so she could stand, quickly realizing their tussle in the snow had left her covered in the cold, white fluff as if she was a powdered doughnut. She shook off as much as she could, but with as high as the snow was it was impossible to not be caked in it at least up to her stomach. There was no avoiding it until they got back to the slightly warmer lands where the snow hadn't accumulated quite so high. Her warm, fur-lined den sounded amazing right about now. She grinned and tipped her muzzle up to pull a particularly large clump of snow out of fur on Resin's chest with a bashful chuckle. "Thanks for fighting with me, that was fun," she said before turning back toward their pack's lands. As much as she wanted to keep spending time with Resin, there was certainly warmer places they could spend that time. She trudged though the snow back toward home along side Resin, still feeling a bit proud of her win despite knowing it wasn't much more than a quick, fun spar. It still made her see how much progress she had made since she first arrived at the Armada and she was still excited to keep improving.