It was a bright, sunny day on the plains, and Avantika was basking in the light. She was laying on her back on the ground, paws up, in a much more puppyish pose than she usually allowed herself to assume. The sun stung her eyes if she opened them. So she simply enjoyed the day, eyes closed. But she wasn't completely naive. Kaata was soaring around above her, making sure no one came upon her without her knowledge. The little hawk would never be able to fight off a wolf alone, but, in any case, this was the Hallows. No one who would harm the pack would be allowed to cross the border. She simply didn't want to be caught looking like an idiot. "Hey." Avantika startled a little, rolling onto her side. "You see anyone?" she asked. She could almost feel the eye-roll in her companion's voice. "No, dummy, I just called you for no reason--Of course I did!" The girl dropped her eyes. She only asked. Was it really that dumb? "Hey, kiddo... I didn't mean it, okay?" Kaata's voice was gentle then. Uncharacteristically soft and quiet. "Sorry..." Kaata swooped down and landed in front of her, her wings outstretched and eyes narrowed in concern. "Don't say sorry, kiddo." Her words were firm. "Not to me, not to no one. You say it too much, and it won't mean anything, okay?" Avantika got to her paws and smiled down at the hawk. A warm feeling spread across her body. "Thanks." "Avantika to Kaata telepathy" "Kaata to Avantika telepathy" "speech"

Just because they had moved to a new home didn't mean his routines had changed all that much. Artorias still began every day waking up at dawn with Resin and completing a patrol with her as the sun rose over the eastern horizon, then set to his training regiments. The plains and castle offered a new slew of challenges to put himself up to, and he had to adjust some of his usual exercises and tasks, since the plains were much more flat than the falls had been. But it did give him a great opportunity to just... run! Out in the bright midday fields, Artorias ran laps around the small rolling hills and open expanses of the plains, his breathings fast and hard, little lungs working to provide his burning muscles with much needed oxygen to keep him going. Corbin flew overhead, gliding to and fro and following the boy's paths on the ground with his own aerial dance, swooping down to give the blue-furred pup the occasional update on his progress. Amber eyes were steely and focused on the terrain in front of his paws, learning every inch of land he touched and mapping out his new home in his head. Though it was winter and there was a slight chill clinging to the air, the sunlight helped chase away much of the cold, keeping the southern lands much warmer than Boreas had been.

Artorias bounded over a hill, spying the thicket of trees up ahead that marked the forested divide between Auster and Boreas, and although he knew he would be permitted to explore the grove with one of his parents' companions, he turned abruptly away from the trees, following the northern border of the plains til he could just about hear the ocean in the distance. His gaze turned sideways, staring at the towering castle at the edge of the sea—their new home. A smile spread across the boy's mouth. While he had been sad to leave his first home, he was getting used to the majesty their new home came with. Plus it was right by the water too! He could go swimming whenever he wanted once he was old enough!

"Artorias, watch out!" Corbin called in warning as he dove down beside the pup. Artorias had been so long in his daydreaming that he hadn't been looking forward, and as such, hadn't noticed Avantika and Kaata on the other side of the hill he was sprinting over. Artorias yipped in surprise and kicked his paws into the dirt, skidding to try and stop himself from careening into the smaller pup.

"Whooooa, look out!" he tried to warn her as he skidded out and had to kick off the ground in a sideways jump to avoid crashing into her. Artorias came to a stop with a spin and a cloud of dust, blinking rapidly to try and reorient himself and make sure he hadn't actually hit his adopted sibling. "Sorry, I didn't see you!" Artorias rushed up to her, shaking the dirt and loose grass from his dark fur as he approached her, concern in his wide amber eyes. "Are you okay? I didn't hit you, did I?"

"Speech" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

In their conversation, Avantika and Kaata didn't notice the kid racing around the plains until he almost crashed into them. When he yelled a warning, the pup dropped back down to her belly, not noticing her own trembling, and Kaata sprung up into flight and flapped a wide circle around them before landing back down at the same point she'd been before. Avantika stared up at the boy and pushed herself up, feeling a little like a bouncing ball at this point. Kaata jumped up onto her shoulder. She blinked away the dust, smiling shyly. "No, I'm fine." Kaata's talons bit into her shoulder. The pup shifted. "Hmm?" What did the feathery brat want now? "Nothing, I--I just--He should have been more careful." She wasn't used to hesitation in Kaata. But it wasn't really Artorias's fault, was it? He was still so young, and there was no harm done. Avantika ignored her. "What are you doing?" she asked, feeling awkward but needing to say something. Maybe he'd be up for a practice spar. She needed the practice. "Avantika to Kaata telepathy" "Kaata to Avantika telepathy" "speech"

Upon her confirming she was fine and noting that she didn't seem to have a single scuff on her, Artorias breathed a sigh of relief. He would've felt so guilty if he'd hurt her. He looked between the little girl and her bird companion on her shoulder, offering her a small smile when she got back to her paws. Taking a moment to readjust his leather harness and sword on his back, Artorias glanced up to the sound of flapping wings just as Corbin came to land gracefully on his back, the large black bird peering at the littler wolf pup and the smaller hawk on her shoulder. Just as he was beginning to turn to get back to his training, Avantika asked him what he was up to, taking Artorias by surprise. In all the time they'd lived together, he couldn't recall an instance when he'd heard her speak more than a single sentence at a time. Apparently she was becoming more comfortable with their new home and her new family.

"Oh, I'm training. I'm going to be a knight someday, like Mom and Mama," he replied, a proud puff in his chest and a happy smile on his muzzle. "Mom's training me so I can help defend the Hallows and protect our family. But it's a lot of work." That was an understatement. Almost all of Artorias' days were committed to training and honing his skills. It didn't leave a lot of room for fun or socializing, but if it meant he'd be ready to protect his family if they needed him, it would all be worth it. While he wasn't one of boast, Artorias did seem to be further ahead in his training that many of his other siblings. "Um, it's Avantika, right?" He took a step closer to the bashful girl, casting a disarming smile her way. "I know we haven't gotten a chance to talk much. I'm Artorias." Of course, most wolves called him Art since it was simpler, and Bowen called him Torias, so he'd respond to just about any nickname.

With their official introductions out of the way, Artorias realized this would be a good time to keep his promise to his brother. "So Rudy talks about you... like, a lot. He says you're interested in fighting?" he asked. "He wanted me to talk to you about training too. I'm still learning too, but I can train with you if you'd like." Yes, he knew he wasn't a leading authority on fighting training—that would be their parents—but if his new adopted sister wanted to practice with him, he could always use the experience. Plus he had promised Rudy he'd help the girl out if she wanted it. His brother had seemed so sweet on the little girl, it was impossible for him to say no.

"Speech" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

Artorias responded by telling her that he was training to be a knight, like his parents. Hmm. Was that why? She'd made a goal to learn to understand people better, so she let herself wonder about what had sparked his ambition. Would he still want to be a knight if his parents weren't fighters? And that worked for everyone else too. Would anyone be the same with different parents? With little things changed about someone's childhood, how different of a person would they be? She'd have to think about that later. Pulling herself back to the present, Artorias introduced himself. Avantika nodded and gave a smile, but what really made her grin was when he told her that Rudy had been talking about her a lot. That kid was so sweet. "I think someone's got a cru-ush on youu," Kaata sang in her head. "Ugh, no." She barely even knew what a crush was, but she knew she didn't feel that way about Rudy. It was almost impossible to her that he could feel that way about her. He was like her little brother. The idea promptly left her mind, without any fuss or fanfare. Then another goal of hers found a step. Artorias offered to train with her. Rudy had apparently asked him to talk to her about it, prompting a little "aww" from Kaata. She ignored that. "Oh--I mean, if you want. I would like that, I mean." "Take a breath, kiddo. She obeyed, letting herself stare at the ground for a moment before looking back up at the boy. "Avantika to Kaata telepathy" "Kaata to Avantika telepathy" "speech"

It lifted the boy's spirits to see a genuine smile spread across Avantika's face. The little girl seemed so timid and frightened of everything, it was good to see her be happy. Plus she was one of his sisters now, and he had a responsibility to protect them and make sure they were safe and happy. Well, except for Daphne, she could pretty much handle herself. He didn't know what Tika had gone through to end up as a part of their family, but whatever it was, it must have been something truly terrible to leave her so anxious all the time. It did make Artorias a little sad to think about. No one should have to live that way... Maybe someday she'd feel comfortable enough with them and in her new home that she'd come out of her shell and get her nerves about her—or maybe she never would, and that was fine too. They'd all look out for one another. That's what family did.

Avantika seemed surprised but delighted at his suggestion of helping her train to be a better fighter, and Art beamed at her. Maybe that would held her feel more confident in herself and give them common ground to grow closer with! "Of course I'd like that! We can both learn and get better together, and then when we grow up, we can protect our pack if we need to," he replied. "I'm not doing anything right now if you'd like to get started right away. We can do some exercises Mom taught me or go over some lessons together, or we can have a spar if you're feeling confident enough."

Not to be boastful, but Artorias was the most capable fighter out of the seven pups so far, and he knew it. It wasn't so much bragging as it was he wanted to make sure Tika was comfortable sparring with him knowing he was a tad more advanced in practice. Spars were good practice for all skills levels, but he wouldn't want to make anyone feel like they were at a tremendous disadvantage right out the gate. Of course, whatever she wanted to do, he'd be happy to oblige, whether she wanted to practice some tactics and stances or go straight to a practical lesson.

"Speech" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

Artorias beamed at her. He was clearly very passionate about fighting. She felt something resonate within her when he talked about protecting the pack. It sounded similar to the promise she'd made in her mind to the Hallows, that she would repay their generosity to her now by making herself indispensable and protecting them with everything she had. They had taken her in when she was nothing and given her all that she now had. She would do the same to them if necessary. The boy gave her a few options to start. Exercises, lessons, or right into a spar? She quickly decided not to go right into sparring. She was still very much a beginner fighter, and she'd prefer more practice before jumping in with someone she'd never sparred with before. "Just pick one, kiddo," Kaata told her, sounding exasperated. "He won't care." Lessons or exercises, exercises or lessons? Shut up, she told her brain. "Maybe... Lessons first? And then exercises after we spar. If you want to, I mean." "See, that wasn't that hard." Avantika waited for his response, knowing he wouldn't care, as Kaata said, but still having to hope that he wouldn't. "Avantika to Kaata telepathy" "Kaata to Avantika telepathy" "speech"

He nodded his head in agreement with Tika's decision. He would have been surprised if she'd opted to go straight into practical lessons and spar with him, but he would have admired her boldness if she had. "That sounds like a good plan to me!" He shimmied his body til he loosened the leather strap for his sword and slipped it off his back, setting the scabbard off to the side. He wouldn't need his sword until they got to their spar. "Have you had any proper fighting lessons yet?" he asked, turning back to his adopted sister. If she knew the basics, they could get right into more advanced skills. If not, the fundamentals were always a good thing to go over. "Rudy mentioned he'd shown you some things. Wanna show me what you know?"

Taking on a mentor role was something new to Artorias. He had never fancied himself a teacher, but he supposed even teachers learned things when giving lessons. If anything, maybe the idea of mentor was better than teacher, since he was still actively learning himself. With a quick glance to the raven perched on his back, Artorias nodded and Corbin took to the air, settling himself on a rock out of the way so the two pups could train and spar. Avantika had all of his focus now, and Art was already planning what he should show her depending on how she answered.

"Speech" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

Artorias nodded and shrugged off his sword. Avantika wondered where he'd gotten it. A weapon seemed like it would be useful in a fight. Maybe she could ask the boy how to get one eventually. He asked her to show her what she knew so far. The main thing she could remember that Rudy had taught her was a battle stance, so she set herself into that. Her body rose, her head lowered, her hackles rose. She glared. She pulled everything inside of her into a hard, hot nugget of beastly dominance. It was always a bit odd, but she was starting to feel less and less like an impostor. Kaata, still on her shoulder, stiffened as well. "Good, kiddo." She didn't need her bird's approval, but she relished it anyway. She dropped her hackles and let herself relax after a few seconds. "Was that good?" "Avantika to Kaata telepathy" "Kaata to Avantika telepathy" "speech"

Much to Artorias' surprise and delight, Tika assumed a pretty good battle stance. He nodded his approval, walking around to her left, then to her right, inspecting her posture as he went. "That's pretty good!" he remarked, coming back to stand next to her. "Remember to try and keep your head aligned with your back. That way your neck and spine stay straight and you can get more force into your lunges and pounces." He positioned his paws firmly on the ground and took a balanced stance next to his sister, keeping his head and back in a near perfect straight line. His ears pinned back to his head and his tail curled under to cover his vulnerable belly. "See how I'm keeping my ears back and tail under me? That keeps them safe in case an enemy decides to go for them," he went on to explain to her. "As you move, you can move your tail for balance too. Your ears should always stay back though."

Knowing that he learned best from practice, Artorias began to circle around the grass at a slow pace. Without warning, he shifted and leaped to the side as if he were dodging an incoming attack, his tail unfurling from beneath him as he landed to counteract his momentum and balance himself out. Art made a bit of a show of bouncing from side to side, using a combination of his agility and training to show off just a little bit. Every step and move was practiced, and although not flawless or refined it showed the tremendous amount of dedication and effort he had put into his training. "Your turn! Try moving about like you were fighting someone. Watch your footing—the last thing you need in a real fight is to trip or stumble." He stepped back to allow her some space to work, watching as he practiced with her. "Don't worry about trying to be perfect with your movements right now. It's more important to get a feel for things first."

"Speech" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

Artorias had looked her over as she focused on her battle stance. She kept herself steady, even though she almost wanted to shiver with nervousness. It was like her emotions were kept in little boxes. Right now she was holding down the lids of the ones with fear or anything that might distract her in them. She was getting good at it. He told her to lower her head a bit more to keep it aligned with her back, and also gave her a reason for his advice. She liked that. While she didn't like to disobey others in general, she figured most people liked to know why something was important to do. Next, he took up his own stance beside her. She watched as he spoke about the decision to pin his ears and tuck his tail. She made sure to do the same. It wouldn't be great if an opponent got a bite on either body part. Then the boy started leaping and bouncing around. Avantika blinked. What was he doing? He looked agile, anyway. Maybe that was all he was trying to show her. Just some more exercises to practice. He answered her question quickly, telling her to move around as if she was fighting someone and watch her feet. She hesitated for a second. "Go, kiddo. Nothing to fear." Kaata jumped down and her beady eyes stared up at the wolf. Avantika nodded to her and took a few steps, mimicking Artorias's slow circle. She wasn't as practiced as him by far, but she didn't stumble. Suddenly she gathered herself up and sprang forward like she was attacking her imaginary opponent. Her paws hit the ground not quite perfectly and a shot of pain leaped up one leg. She covered her grunt with a low growl. She shifted her weight from paw to paw. Had she done enough? "Avantika to Kaata telepathy" "Kaata to Avantika telepathy" "speech"

He noticed the incredulous look in her expression when he began his bobbing and weaving motions. "In battle, a lot of work is in your feet," he explained to her. "Depending on how you and your opponent move can make the difference between whether you get hit or dodge an attack, or if your attacks are successful." Fortunately, Tika seemed to be quick on the uptake, and as she began trying to mimic his motions, Artorias watched with an approving smile and a nod. "Yeah, just like that!" She was doing well! No sooner had he thought that, he saw her land on her paw funny and give a growl, ears pinning back with a wince; that didn't look like it felt good. "Since we're just training we can take it easy. If you're in a real fight, don't hold back. Give your all to beat your enemy. Footing is very important, but strategy and knowing how you plan to fight your opponent is just as important."

Beaming with a wide smile, Artorias came closer to Avantika and offered her a little nudge with his forehead to the side of hers in a nuzzling gesture. "You're doing great, Tika! A little daily practice and you'll be as good as Mom and Mama in no time!" The boy laughed softly, then took a few strides back to give her some space. "Is your paw okay? Feel like practicing some moving and dodging with a spar? Now that you know a little bit about how to sidestep and shift your weight around, see if you can use it to avoid my attacks. If you're ready, of course!" Artorias was more than happy to work at Avantika's pace. He was just happy to have someone to practice with; he was often left alone to his own training.

"Speech" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

Artorias noticed her footwork blunder and told her to take it easy for now since they were only practicing, but that in a real fight, she shouldn't hold back. According to him, footwork was important, but so were strategy and planning. That resonated with her—that made sense. She liked plans. It was reassuring to know that fighting and planning could work together. Sparring was fun, but adrenaline had two sides, and she wasn't sure how she'd fare in a serious fight since that would have a much higher level of that adrenaline. Careful forethought always made her more sure of herself. The boy nudged her and complimented her on her skills, making her beam. Of course, she'd practice if it would make her better! She nodded when he asked her if her foot was okay. It didn't hurt much, just rolled a little. She would be fine to start a spar and get working on practicing what Art had just told her right away. She set herself in her defensive stance and grinned one last time. Kaata flew a good dozen feet away to watch, informing her as she did so that she wouldn't interfere in the spar unless Corbin did so first. This spar was Avantika's practice, not hers. That done with, she nearly bounced forward to attempt a nip on the top of his left foreleg, moving back quickly unless stopped, whether her attack succeeded or not. Avantika Carpathius vs Artorias Carpathius for spar Round 1/x Age: Over 1 year Size: Large Build: Medium Companion 1: Sharp-shinned hawk, Female - Flying Skills: Advanced Fighter & Advanced Intellectual Specialty: N/A "Avantika to Kaata telepathy" "Kaata to Avantika telepathy" "speech"

Although Avantika didn't say anything with her words, her body language and expressions said all that she needed to. The happiness in her face as she practiced her footing and when he praised her work made the boy's heart fill with joy. She nodded resolute when he'd asked if she'd like to spar, and Art couldn't say no to the determined gleam in her eyes. She had the same spirit that he had and he could respect that.

Their spar began with both avian companions taking to the sky to circle overhead. Corbin kept a close eye on Artorias, peering around for Kaata as well in case she decided to get involved. Artorias picked up his sword and squared up against his adopted sister for their spar, allowing her to make the first move as this spar was mostly for her practice. He would mentor her every step of the way and he wouldn't go easy on her, but this was her moment. Tika moved fast, going for his front leg, which Artorias was able to deftly move out of the way with a backpedal. He swung the sword for her legs, but Tika had already retreated back too far. He nodded in approval and said, "Good! Keep moving, it makes you a harder target. Watch for your opponent's moves and time yours."

It was time to put lessons into practice. Artorias closed the distance between them with a forward lunge, bounding around to Avantika's right side and bringing his sword down in a horizontal swing aimed for her legs. He would try to sweep her legs out from underneath her and topple her over, but he was also testing her to see how she would try to avoid such a wide attack and the close quarters he had put her in.

Artorias Sirius Carpathius vs Avantika Carpathius for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: Under 1 year
Size: Extra large
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Wooden sword
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced leather cuirass
Companion 1: Common raven, Male - Flying
Skills: Master Fighter & Advanced Navigator
Specialty: Weaponsmaster


"Artorias" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Artorias dodged her attack, but she also managed to do the same to his counter. Neither of them had hit yet. Avantika would be trying her best to correct that in her favor. She hoped that her adoptive brother would do the same. While she didn't want to lose too badly, she wouldn't learn if he was too easy on her. She was pretty sure about that. It seemed that he wouldn't wait for her this time, lunging forward towards her right side. She caught a glimpse of Artorias's sword beginning its swing and made an instinctual decision. She leaped into the air, landing back slightly out of the range of the sword, and immediately made her counter-attack, lunging directly forward a little to the left of Artorias as fast as possible and attempting to get a hold on the left lower side of his neck from downward, using her muzzle to push his to face the sky. Hopefully, she would push his head up enough that his jaws wouldn't be able to bite back. Avantika Carpathius vs Artorias Carpathius for spar Round 2/2 Age: Over 1 year Size: Large Build: Medium Companion 1: Sharp-shinned hawk, Female - Flying Skills: Advanced Fighter & Advanced Intellectual Specialty: N/A "Avantika to Kaata telepathy" "Kaata to Avantika telepathy" "speech"

Avantika did not disappoint his expectations when she leaped back away from the swing of his sword. Artorias was proud of her; she was a quick study! Tika moved in towards him quickly, coming at him with her jaws aimed for his neck. She was bold to be going right for him head-on, especially when he was armed and she was not. Bold, but foolish. He would show her why. Instead of trying to dodge her attack outright, Artorias instead bladed his body to turn his left shoulder towards his attacking sister, angling his head just as she bit at his neck so that his sword blade was sticking downward when she latched onto him. He hissed at the stings of pain her teeth left, but it had been worth the sacrifice to gain a favorable position.

With Tika gripping to the lower side of his neck, Artorias was able to stick the blade of his sword between her legs. From there, he gave a sudden jerk of his head, the blade of the sword between her legs sweeping from beneath her in an outward movement to aim to topple her over. Whether he was successful or not, in the same arcing swing, Artorias brought the sword back down towards her, aimed for a blow to her side. It was not enough to cause much harm, but definitely enough to knock the wind out of the smaller girl and maybe make her think twice about her next brazen attack.

Artorias Sirius Carpathius vs Avantika Carpathius for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: Under 1 year
Size: Extra large
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Wooden sword
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced leather cuirass
Companion 1: Common raven, Male - Flying
Skills: Master Fighter & Advanced Navigator
Specialty: Weaponsmaster

"Artorias" | Thoughts

And the winner is...

Avantika

Artorias must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Avantika Rolls: 65, 65, 52, 60 Adjusted rolls: 68.25, 68.25, 52, 75 Total: 303.03 Artorias Rolls: 9, 35, 95, 54 Adjusted rolls: 12.15, 40.25, 109.25, 59.4 Total: 276.31