The day was dark and damp, covered with clouds that threatened to release a flood on the land. The atmosphere made the battlefield all the more formidable and intimidating to those willing to venture in, though many would choose to avoid the area. The stench of blood and sweat, and the remains of wolves and other creatures long forgotten served as a warning to those too timid to visit the place. For Killian, they only told him to press on, that he was in the right place. It had been a long time since the navigator had battled another wolf, and he felt out of practice. Confessing to Alessa recently his desire to have a pack of his own one day had created the urge within him to get back into the field. He would need to be strong for a pack to even want him, let alone to consider ever starting his own. It seemed to him that the best choice was to find someone to help him get to where he needed to be, and the place to do that would be the Alacritian battlefield. Sparing a brief glance at Smee, who padded carefully and silently beside him, he considered everything he was practicing for. It was not only for his revenge now, but for his friends in this new land. Alessa and Smee were both important to him, and he wanted to be strong for them. He settled back on his haunches and let out a loud howl, calling to anyone who was willing to join him. All that was left to do was to wait patiently for the event. thank you wolfie!

The ivory form paced across the battlefield, her blood boiling, ears flicking with irritation. The pads of her paws were stained dark, rusty red from the blood that soaked the ground here. She kept screaming at herself, how could this have happened? What was she thinking? She was always so careful, so calculating. One moment of weakness, one slip up... A growl rumbled in her chest and she sighed, coming to a halt in the middle of the battlefield. She needed a release, a distraction from her worries. She wanted to fight, to feel the bite of an attack, both giving and receiving. Anything at all that could bring her mind back to the present and make her not think about that night at the hot springs or the possible life growing in her. Her chance came in the form of a summoning howl that echoed from across the field. Her ears perked up and her violet eyes lit up from the challenge. A grin formed on her muzzle and without hesitation she took off, trotting in the direction of the call. Soon enough a dark figure came into view. She slowed as she approached him, padding closer and dipping her head in greeting. "Would you happen to be looking for a spar? If so, I'll gladly take your challenge," she told him as she came to a halt. Her ears flicked and her violet gaze did a quick sweep of his body, sizing him up as an opponent. "Name your rules. "Speech."

It was but a few moments before his summons were answered with the approach of an alabaster female. The moment he caught her gaze he could tell that something was off, and her scent only served to tell him what. Was she here to end that which plagued her now from within her womb, or was she here to simply blow off some steam? Either way, Killian had decided how he would handle this spar. He responded to her bow with one of his own, a tiny smirk resting on his maw. "You've come to the right place, I am indeed looking for a spar. May I ask your name though, before we begin?" Killian wasn't interested in anything coldhearted or vicious, merely a quick, friendly practice session. He shifted his weight a bit, careful not to show any weakness in his right fore paw before they began. If this female knew of his weak spot, the fight would be over before it began. His voice came again as the rain began to fall around them, only a light sprinkle for now. "Four rounds, keep away from the face and throat. I'm sure neither one of us wants to go home with an ugly mug." He shot her a toothy grin before settling into a defensive position in preparation. Since he had chosen the rules, he would give her the first move. Smee took this moment to settle himself on the sidelines to observe. "Please do the honors, miss." KILLIAN vs. ALENA for PRACTICE Round 1/4 Attacks: None Defenses: Body slightly lowered, head and tail level with torso to keep the spine straight, legs spread slightly for increased balance. Chin slightly tucked, ears flat against skull. Weight slightly focused toward the toes so that he can move quickly. Right fore paw positioned the same as the others, but weight focused mostly on the other three in order to keep from irritating it. Injuries: None, aside from preexisting nerve damage to to the right fore paw. thank you wolfie!

Alena held no ill will toward this stranger. If she held any ill will toward anyone it would be toward the brute that did this to her, and even then she only felt mild aggravation. No, her own ignorance had done this to her. She didn't know what the future held for her now and that infuriated her more than the fact that she could be carrying pups. The uncertainty of it all drove her crazy. That was why she was here. She needed to take out this aggression on something and if she could get some fighting practice as well then she could kill two birds with one stone. "Alena Leone," she replied to his first question, dipping her head with a grin. "What is yours?" Alena's ears flicked as the rain began to drop down on her head and back, but she made no other reaction to it. Her attention was focused on the brute in front of her as he listed his terms, making her chuckle and return his grin. "Certainly not. Four rounds it is." As he eased into his defensive pose, she did the same. Her pale ears flattened back against her skull, her stance widening to maintain her balance, her chin lowering to tuck against her throat. "Gladly," she replied, a slight smirk touching her muzzle. She felt that familiar excitement and adrenaline start to creep over her that she always felt before she went into a fight. She almost felt sorry for him, knowing that all of her pent up aggression and energy was going into this spar. Shifting her weight to her toes, she pushed herself forward, crossing the short distance between them in two quick bounds. Her tail streamed out behind her, level with her spine, as she drove herself forward, meeting him head on. At the last second she slipped past him to his right side, her claws digging into the soil to add speed and stability to her steps. She dropped her head as she ran, taking a quick snap at the lower half of his right hind leg, waiting to feel the give of flesh under her teeth. It was her usual tactic in a spar. Enough of an injury to slow them down, but never enough to keep them from fighting. She lunged forward, hoping that she would be fast enough to land her first blow. ----------------------------------------------------- Round: 1/4 Attacks: Attempting a bite to his right hind leg Defenses: Ears pinned back, chin tucked down, wide stance for stability, claws dug in, tail level with spine Injuries: None EDIT: Forgot to add the round x_x "Speech."

"Plesure to meet you, Alena," the brute replied coolly with a smile. "Killian Jones, at your service." He rarely introduced himself with both of his names, but he felt that the occasion and Alena's introduction merited it. He wasn't sure why he kept it secret normally. Perhaps out of fear, that others may have connections with his pack and know of what had occurred? No, that was irrational. Maybe it just didn't matter. A smile crossed his features as she agreed to his terms and the rain began to fall. The sprinkling was light enough that he figured it wouldn't affect the battle, but there was no way to be certain so early on. He watched her carefully as she set herself in a similar position to his before charging at him. Luckily he was on his toes and ready to move already when she sprang around to his right side, but fear for further damage to his fore paw cause him to move slightly late. It was unlikely that she would get a solid grip on his foot, but there would certainly be some damage from her jaws. Killian leapt deftly to the left to avoid her attack, then turned quickly and charged at her, dropping his shoulder to hit her side and knock her off balance at least, careful to keep his aim toward her shoulders in order to avoid striking her near the womb. He didn't want to take that chance. KILLIAN vs. ALENA for PRACTICE Round 2/4 Attacks: Charging at Alena's right side with should dropped, aiming to hit near her shoulder to knock her off balance. Defenses: Jumped to the side to avoid her getting a grip on his leg and causing serious damage, ears remained pinned back, tail still straight, head still slightly tucked. Injuries: Cuts from Alena's teeth on right hind leg. thank you wolfie!

The satisfying feeling of flesh tugging against teeth met Alena as her jaws met their mark, however thanks to her opponent's quick actions she failed to do more than scratch the skin with her teeth. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted his dark form twisting to charge at her, aiming toward the upper half of her left side. It was not beyond her that he had turned his aim to go for her shoulder, despite the fact that the lower end of her body would have been closer to her reach. The only reasoning he would have to do that was because he had caught the scent of her pregnant state on her scent. Her ears flicked in irritation. Was this going to be her life now? Constantly having to be careful and having others be careful around her? She never was one to accept charity from others or even accept most forms of help and this was no exception. However, thanks to her getting lost in her thoughts, she was unable to dodge Killian's blow. At the last second, she leaned her weight toward him, hoping to counter balance a little of the momentum of his blow. She widened her stance again as well, her claws digging into the ground. When his blow landed she toppled over with a soft "oof". Thanks to the rain, the ground was quickly turning to mud, giving her preparations for his blow little purchase to cling to. She hit her right side, the momentum given to her by his charge rolling her completely over onto her left. She scrambled as quickly as she could manage to get back to her paws. There was a light coating of mud clinging to her usually snow white pelt now as she slid around to face him again, her right side aching slightly from taking the hardest hit of her fall. It took the trained assassin only moments to drop back into her defensive crouch, her feet spread apart in an attempt to give her a firmer stance on the softening ground. Her ears remained pinned back to her skull, her eyes mere slits, her chin tucked down protectively over her neck, her neck pulled back till it was practically scrunched back against her bristling shoulders. Though, instead of a snarl, a grin found its way onto her muzzle. The ivory fea lived for moments like this, these moments of pure excitement and adrenaline that could only happen when she was in a fight. She launched herself at Killian once again, shifting her weight to her toes as she pushed herself forward. Unfortunately, mother nature was not on her side in this fight. Not only was the steadily pouring rain starting to obscure her vision, her paws failed to find a sturdy place to push off from in the mud, taking away some of her speed as her paws slipped a little. Her paws finally caught on a patch of grass and she took the chance to leap forward, lifting her forepaws out in front of her, aiming them at his right shoulder. She hoped to bring her weight down onto the brute's shoulder to at least knock him off balance. Her muddy paws reached for his dark form, her amethyst eyes watching him carefully. With any luck she could knock him to the ground, maybe even land a scratch with her claws. ------------------------------------------------------------- Round: 2/4 Attacks: Attempting to land on his right shoulder with outstretched forepaws. Defenses: Widened stance, claws dug in, ears pinned back, her eyes slitted, chin tucked down protectively, her neck scrunched back into her shoulders Injuries: Sore right side, possibly bruised "Speech."

The rain was coming down harder and harder, turning the battlefield into a slick pit of mud. It was both an aid to Killian and a hindrance. As he charged at the girl, he wondered idly if she would notice his intentional avoidance of the area where life grew within her, but it was no matter. It would either please her, or agitate her, but the fight would continue regardless. For some reason, she seemed caught off guard, which allowed the brute to make solid contact with his target. His shoulder collided with hers, sounding a crack like thunder, and the white wolf's grip gave way as she fell to the ground. Killian took the chance while she was down to ready himself again, spreading his legs wide for balance, his weight pushed forward on his toes, and maintaining the positions of his head and tail. He eyed her with a smirk as she rose and readied herself in a similar position, before initiating her responding attack. Her grin and the way she composed herself were pleasing in a spar such as this. Alena's paws didn't find purchase on the slick ground for several moments, but neither did Killian's. His feet slipped from beneath him and he was only able to move enough to place his hip in line with her attack rather than his shoulder, aiming to protect his fore paw from further, permanent damages. Her feet barely collided with his body, but it was enough to knock him a few feet across the mud, cause a slight twist in his hind right ankle, and leave shallow cuts from her claws on his leg. He immediately set to righting himself and ran back in the direction of the girl, coming around her left side. He leaped toward her shoulder, aiming to grab at the scruff of her neck with his teeth and pull her to the ground. KILLIAN vs. ALENA for PRACTICE Round 3/4 Attacks: Charging at Alena's left side, leaping to latch onto the scruff of her neck to pull her to the ground. Defenses: Set into wide stance, weight focused on toes, tail straight, head slightly bent, ears pinned; redirected Alena's attack from his right shoulder to his right hip. Injuries: Cuts from Alena's teeth on right hind leg, shallow cuts on hip from her claws, twisted ankle from impact of her attack. thank you wolfie!

The ivory fea's claws met with flesh, though not exactly where she had planned. The brute twisted around so instead of hitting his shoulder her paws met with his hip, her claws catching on his skin and creating cuts along his hip. It wasn't as solid of a blow as she would have liked, earning her only shallow cuts, but it was enough to knock him away from her by several feet. That distance gave Alena enough time to settle back onto her paws. She folded her ears flat against her skull once more, lowering her head so that her neck was flat with her spine and leveled her tail with her spine as well. She widened her stance once again, trying to give herself some stability even though she was beginning to believe there was no stability to be had here on the muddy. Her eyes were narrowed, both to keep her opponent from going for the violet gems and also to try and fend off the rain that was threatening to obscure her vision. Her pelt was soaked, the thick white pelt clinging to her and dragging her down. She refused to back down or forfeit however. She was in this fight for the long haul. Alena watched as Killian righted himself and came after her yet again, aiming for her left side and reaching for her scruff. Thanks to her pulling her head back toward her body, she had left him plenty of scruff for her to grab onto, avoiding any real damage to her neck. An idea popped into her head at the last second and she smirked, readying herself to try it. She pretended to try and get away, her paws slipping on the mud has he was probably expecting. As soon as she felt his teeth latch firmly onto her scruff, his fangs piercing the skin slightly and drawing blood, Alena rag dolled. She let her body go completely limp and she flopped to the ground, hitting her right side with a solid thump and hopefully pulling him down into the mud with her. Her already sore right side didn't appreciate being hit against the ground yet again, her shoulder taking the worst of the damage this time, making the ache even worse. Luckily the ground had softened enough that it helped absorb some of the impact. Whether or not he hit the ground with her, she twisted her body to reach for his left foreleg with outstretched jaws, hoping that the drop had been enough of a surprise that she could get a solid bit in on the limb. As she launched her latest attack, she curled the rest of her body into a ball to protect her tender stomach, body twisting and moving easily on the slick ground. Her ears remained pinned back against her skull and her eyes remained slits to make them to make them less likely targets. -------------------------------------------------------------- Round: 3/4 Attacks: rag dolled to pull him down with her, aiming for a bite to his left foreleg Defenses: Widened stance, ears pinned back, her eyes slitted, neck level with spine and pulled back toward her shoulders, tail level with her spine for balance, body curled to protect stomach. Injuries: Sore right side and right shoulder, probably bruised. Bite mark on her scruff, blood drawn. EDIT: forgot one of her defenses, fixed a spelling error, aaaand forgot to fill in attacks x_x sorry!! "Speech."

Teeth met flesh as Killian was able to latch onto the scruff of Alena's neck. He had hoped to pull her down in his own manner, but at the last moment her body gave way beneath him and he tumbled over her, releasing her as he did. He landed on his side and rolled to his stomach just beside where her back had landed and immediately curled his right fore paw in to shield it from the impact. His focus on his right side left the other unguarded. Before he could react to defend himself, her teeth were clamping around his left foreleg. Her awkward position made a counter attack slightly easier for him. He pushed off of the mud with his hind legs and turned his body over hers, feeling her teeth tear the flesh on his leg as he twisted in her grasp. He was now half standing, their bodies positioned in opposite directions. He pushed forward again with his hind legs, mouth open wide, aiming to clamp down on her left hind leg and simultaneuosly drop back to the ground to protect his stomach. He hoped that getting a grasp on her leg would cause her to release his. KILLIAN vs. ALENA for PRACTICE Round 4/4 Attacks: Pushing off of the ground to get back over to the other side of Alena, attempting to grab onto her left hind leg. Defenses: Curled in right foreleg to protect it, ears still pinned, dropped to the ground immediately when attacking to protect stomach from attack. Injuries: Deep punctures/tears from Alena's teeth on left foreleg, cuts from her teeth on right hind leg, shallow cuts on hip from her claws, twisted ankle from impact of her attack. thank you wolfie!

The corners of Alena's mouth curled up in a grin as her teeth met their mark, her fangs sinking into the flesh of her opponent's left foreleg. She clamped down around the limb with a single-minded focus, refusing to release her grip even as Killian twisted around to face her hind legs. She grimaced, her eyes closing tightly as pain shot through her left hind leg. His own jaws clamped down on her limb, turning them into a pretzel of twisted limbs. She kept her ears pinned back and opened her eyes, but kept them slitted protectively. There was no need to let her guard down even if they seemed to be at a stand still. The ivory fea pulled her right hind leg tight up against her body to keep him from attempting a bite at it as well, along with keeping her body curled protectively over her vulnerable stomach, turning her into a ring of muddy, white fur. A soft growl rumbled in her throat as she remained stock still, making it clear that she wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon unless some kind of change was made. She ignored the pain in her leg and the blood that dripped freely from the wound onto the muddy ground. The rain continued to pound down on them, rinsing some of the mud from her pelt, but at the same time making more mud to cling to her. It was a vicious cycle, much like the standoff the pair was in now. -------------------------------------------------------------- Round: 4/4 Attacks: Keeping the hold on his left foreleg Defenses: Ears pinned back, eyes slitted, body curled to protect stomach, Right hind leg pulled up against her body Injuries: Sore right side and right shoulder, probably bruised. Bite mark on her scruff, deep bite to her hind left leg "Speech."

Killian vs Alena Round 1 Killian: CLARITY: 10 / 10 Your post was clear. POWERPLAYING: 10 / 10 No powerplaying found. DEFENSES: 2 / 10 You list specific defenses in your ooc comments but not in your post. To get credit for defenses you need to include them in your post, not just summarize with "settled into defensive position." ATTACK: 0 / 10 First Round. You should have started counting rounds after Alena's attack. If you're giving her the first move the rounds need to be counting starting with her. INJURIES: 10 / 10 None. First Round. Round One Killian Total: 32 / 50 Alena: CLARITY: 10 / 10 Your post was clear. POWERPLAYING: 10 / 10 No powerplaying found. DEFENSES: 7 / 10 Full points for pinned ears, tucked chin, balanced stance/tail, anchored claws. ATTACK: 4 / 10 Full points for an efficient attack INJURIES: 10/ 10 None. First Round. Round One Alena Total: 41 / 50 Round 2 Killian: CLARITY: 10 / 10 Your post was clear. POWERPLAYING: 8 / 10 You weren't explicit about the damage inflicted by Alena's attack. DEFENSES: 3 / 10 Full points for your counter. Again you list no defenses in your actual post. ATTACK: 4 / 10 Full points for an efficient attack. INJURIES: 8 / 10 Bite wound on hind leg. Round Two Killian Total: 33 / 50 Alena: CLARITY: 10 / 10 Your post was clear. POWERPLAYING: 10 / 10 No powerplaying found. DEFENSES: 8 / 10 Full points for balanced stance, anchored claws, pinned ears, slit eyes, tucked chin, scrunched neck. ATTACK: 4 / 10 Full points for an efficient attack INJURIES: 9/ 10 Bruised Side. Round Two Alena Total: 41 / 50 Round 3 Killian: CLARITY: 10 / 10 Your post was clear. POWERPLAYING: 10 / 10 No Powerplaying. DEFENSES: 6 / 10 Full points for your counter, balanced stance/tail/head and anchored toes. ATTACK: 8 / 10 Full points for an two part attack. INJURIES: 7 / 10 Scratch on hip. Twisted Ankle. Round Three Killian Total: 37 / 50 Alena: CLARITY: 9 / 10 Some typos. POWERPLAYING: 6 / 10 Points taken off for edit. DEFENSES: 8 / 10 Full points for balanced stance/tail, pinned ears, slit eyes, scrunched neck, body curled. ATTACK: 8 / 10 Full points for a two part attack. INJURIES: 6/ 10 Additional brusing. Bite on scruff. Round Three Alena Total: 37 / 50 Round 4 Killian: CLARITY: 10 / 10 Your post was clear. POWERPLAYING: 10 / 10 No Powerplaying. DEFENSES: 6 / 10 Full points for protected forelimb/stomach and counter. Again some defenses listed in ooc were not listed in post. ATTACK: 8 / 10 Full points for an two part attack. INJURIES: 8 / 10 Bite on forelimb. Round Four Killian Total: 42 / 50 Alena: CLARITY: 10 / 10 Your post was clear. POWERPLAYING: 10 / 10 No Powerplaying. DEFENSES: 5 / 10 Full points for pinned ears, slit eyes, curled body and tucked hindleg. ATTACK: 2 / 10 Full points for continuous attack. INJURIES: 8/ 10 Bite on hind leg. Round Three Alena Total: 35 / 50 Totals: Killian: 144 /200 Alena: 154 /200 And the winner is... Alena! Killian must give up by either submitting, fleeing, or passing out. Damage: Killian- Spar. No permanent maims obtained. Alena- Spar. No permanent maims obtained. Notes: You both did pretty well. For both of you I would reccomend working on more complex attacks and straying from the counter, re-collect and attack pattern. For Raii I think you should work on adding your defenses into your actual points. You would have earned more points if your defenses had actually been in your post. For Alena you're doing pretty well. Just plan more complex attacks and avoid editing posts after they've been made. Just so both of you are aware. If you're giving an opponent the first move the round couting should begin with the person making the first attack.

ooc;; CONGRATS SHELBY! After a few short moments, it became evident that the girl wasn't planning on releasing him anytime soon. He eyed his right fore paw, considering what it might mean for his physical strength if he attempted to endure much longer. Was it worth the risk of permanently injuring another leg? Probably not. He could feel the soreness from his wounds and bruises, felt the throbbing in his twisted ankle. No, he couldn't continue. With a deep breath, Killian released his hold on Alena's leg and called out his forfeiture. "I submit!" He announced it quickly and loudly, so that she would be able to hear him over the rain and react soon. Once she released her hold on him, he backed slightly away and a smile rested on his maw. "You did a great job, thank you for allowing me to indulge for a while." Smee came swiftly to his side as he began to turn away. Killian gave Alena one final parting phrase. "Best of luck with the children. Perhaps we can do this again some time?" A nod was given as the brute finally turned to leave, ready to prepare himself for another go. He couldn't be a weakling if he was to take back his home. -exit Killian- thank you wolfie!

All of the sudden the painful pressure on her leg loosened and his surrender reached her ears, earning her the feeling of a sweet victory. She quickly released his leg and rolled onto her paws, taking a few steps back from her opponent. A wide grin stretched across her muzzle, dipping her head in a slight bow. "You fought well, it was a pleasure," she replied. It had truly been a good fight, one she would remember for quite a while and one she enjoyed very much. She nodded in agreement to his offer of a future fight and and a silent thank you for the well wishing of her children. With a relaxed violet gaze , she watched him and his partner walk away. Her stress was relieved somewhat, letting her think more clearly about her situation. With a newly cleared mind she turned north to return to her pack with only a slight limp and some stained fur to show for her troubles. The clouds above parted after several minutes, the rain slowing and the late afternoon sun streaming down on her. She hoped this was a good omen for her, though she had never been one to believe in superstitious things like that. "Speech."