It was strange to be back in the Armada, and strangers still to be back in their home without their mothers presence. The reminder of her was everywhere, despite their dad's attempts to clean it up. Some of her siblings even wanted the reminder. Kite was determined to pretend it didn’t affect her. Especially when all she could do was relay her conversation with her mum around and around her head. The last thing she had said to her was to complain. To whine about her siblings, and make it all about her. And then her mother was dead. And now she was left with all these residual feelings.

It was late evening when she stormed into the woods. Lioness at her paws as they made their way through the woods. It was slow going, all those tree trunks, and the blinding evening light as it shifted through the leaves. She stopped beneath a circle of four large trunks. Piles of leaves crunching beneath her paws. She took a soft breath, centering herself. She wanted to fight, and normally that meant pissing off Azure. Sadly, she hadn’t been able to find him today. A shame, because she didn’t have to hold back with Azure. She could say the meanest things that came to her mind, and try her best to bite one of his toes off.


"Kyanite Fatalis"

They had returned. They had returned in the worst way... without Zee. Hazel didn't feel like it was her loss to mourn, but still, it weighed heavily on her heart. Though her bond had been to Sirius, the loss of the queen was... something else. Something that led her shoulders to sag and the thoughts on her mind to hang heavily. Hazel knew that she needed to hang tough, and maybe do what she could to take any additional strain off of Seer in the coming days. Part of that had to do with the latest litter of pups... they were just babies. Did Seer have the energy for this? Right, she should help. She should help with them.

Maybe one of them would be out here in the woods. Hazel would take one on patrol with her or whatever else sounded good. She didn't know how to be an older sister. She didn't know how to be a role model. That would be a lot of pressure, a lot of responsibility, she didn't want that. No, she could be an average influence and maybe help with their training. Something like that. Beneath her paws, there was the distinct crunching of leaves. Well, at least it was still autumn. This was fine. Somewhere just ahead she could hear someone else out here, someone with short enough steps to be a pup.

Jogging lightly, Hazel squinted as the figure came into focus. Kyanite, sure. "Hey," it's as close as she can get to a conversational tone. Hazel slowed as she closed the gap. "Kite, do you want to come on patrol with me or something?" The yearling was doing her best out here.

"Speech"

Kite tilted her head at the sound of pawsteps across autumn leaves. As the sound got steadily closer she adopted a clumsy fighting stance. Throwing her feet haphazardly to the ground a little spread out. That was supposed to help with balance, right? As she bunched her neck and angled her head in what she assumed was the right direction, a voice spoke out. She knew that voice. That was Halo’s ward, wasn’t it?

“Hey Hazel” She said. If her voice was a little grumpy, there wasn’t much she could do about it. Lately, more often than not, her mood was a sour one. The world was just a little but too unfair. “Do you want to.. Spar, instead?” She suggested as Hazel offered to take her on patrol. She waited for the other wolf to deny her. There weren’t many wolves willing to spar with a pup who spent most of their life blind. The sun was fading, but not fast enough. If she sparred now, she would be doing so with her blindfold on. But that was something she needed to do more of, right? Even Azure had said it. That if she didn’t fight with her handicap then she was useless anyway. Or something like that. He was always saying mean things to her.

WC: 222
Total: 733


"Kyanite Fatalis"

Kite sounded grumpy, but that was okay. Hazel couldn't hold that against her, honestly. Grumpy was more than warranted in her current state, with everything that had gone on. As for Hazel being Halo's ward... that seemed like the easy way to explain things. Things were complicated, things were different, and a lot had changed within a year. Hell, so many things could change in a year, and Hazel was only a yearling herself. Something about all of the everythings... yeah. She wouldn't dwell on that. She was Halo's ward, and she had Sirius too. Shit, she should go talk to him. Another thing on her growing to-do list. That was okay.

A spar, Hazel considered for a moment. She'd already completed her work, it would have been an extra patrol for the pup's sake. "We can spar, sure. There's uh, there's a bit of a clearing just up here, less roots and shit. Come on," it would be better to start on ground that would actually cooperate for their spar. Beneath her paws there was the crunching of leaves, and Hazel hoped that there was enough noise to help Kite to track her. Maybe Halo would have some ideas on how to help her spar better when she couldn't see, at least while she was so young. Maybe Hazel would ask.

Hazel exaggerated her steps as she made her way through the crunchy leaves, hoping to create enough noise to give Kite the ability to track her. "You take first move," Hazel called. Her cadence relaxed, but engaged with the child. She could do this role model thing, maybe.

"Speech"

Hazel vs Kyanite for spar
Round 0/?
Age: over 1
Size: Large
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Porcupine quill cape
Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather Breastplate
Companion 1: Red Panda, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Crystal fangs - Offensive
Skills: Expert Intellectual & Expert Fighter

Kite squinted behind her mask - not that anyone but her would know she was doing so. Surprised when Hazel agreed, and suggested they head somewhere with less roots and obstacles. “I can work around the ground just fine” she muttered under her breath. Even Lioness ignored it for the lie it was.

They reached the spot Hazel mentioned, and Kite centred herself. She concentrated for a moment on the world around her. On the sound of leaves crunching beneath her opponents paws. On Lioness, stirring beside her. The wind that brushed through the tall trees. She tried to get an idea of what their arena ‘looked’ like. When she was ready, she lunged. Leaping towards Hazel with a fierce puppy growl. Aiming to swat a paw across an area just above where she heard the paws crunching across the leaves. If she was able to, she would extend her cat-like claws. Hoping to scratch Hazel around knee-level.

WC: 159
Total: 1162

Kyanite vs Hazel for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: Under one
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Dagger
Defensive Battle Accessory: Front bracers
Companion 1: Norwegian forest cat, Female - Battle
Companion 2: Peregrine falcon, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Feline claws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Thicker fur - Defensive
Disability: Daytime blindness - Moderate
Skills: Expert Fighter & Advanced Hunter

"Kyanite Fatalis"

There was some muttering, some grumbling from Kyanite. That made sense, that was fair enough. Still, she didn't believe the pup, and Hazel wouldn't hear the end of it from both Halo and Seer if she got hurt-- that much she was sure of. Hazel set her defenses, steadying herself over her paws, watching the pup as she closed the gap between them. She shifted her weight over her paws just a bit, letting the leaves crunch and crinkle beneath them. She wanted to produce enough noise that the girl would still be able to find her in the noise of the woods around them. Hazel was trying to make things seem and feel as fair as possible.

The growl was a bit more fierce than even Hazel expected. She lunged and was able to make contact, claws slashing at her knees. "You can hit harder than that, really follow through when you're trying to get me," Hazel spoke as she moved into Kite, taking a long step forward. Her aim was for the child's shoulder, looking to put her off balance as she lunged. Through the crunching leaves they sparred. From there, she moved with intent to put her mouth on the pup's scruff. Hazel was mindful of her teeth, wary of doing damage to the young princess. Still, hopefully it would be enough pressure to get her point across. Something like that.

"Speech"

Hazel vs Kyanite for spar
Round 1/2
Age: over 1 year
Size: Large
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Porcupine quill cape
Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather Breastplate
Companion 1: Red Panda, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Crystal fangs - Offensive
Skills: Expert Intellectual & Expert Fighter

She felt a jolt of joy as her initial attack landed. Feeling the pull of flesh beneath her claws. Only for her opponent to claim her attack had been weak. She growled again, Hazel wanted to see strength? Kite would show her strength! She heard the sound of leaves and tried to use it to follow Hazel’s movements. But she wasn’t used to the crinkly sound, and wasn’t as fast as she would have liked. Instead, she stood there, head shifting this way and that as she tried to figure out what was happening around her.

The next thing she knew, she felt Hazel’s paw on her shoulder, and then teeth in her scruff. She went limp in the hope of it putting Hazel off, before trying to leap forward again. Even if Hazel held her scruff, she would have the room to attempt to wrap her forepaws about the other wolf's neck.


Total: 1551

Kyanite vs Hazel for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: Under one
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Dagger
Defensive Battle Accessory: Front bracers
Companion 1: Norwegian forest cat, Female - Battle
Companion 2: Peregrine falcon, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Feline claws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Thicker fur - Defensive
Disability: Daytime blindness - Moderate
Skills: Expert Fighter & Advanced Hunter

"Kyanite Fatalis"

Kite growled, and Hazel couldn't help but grin. There was something alight within the pup, some sort of fire. If she could stoke that, then she sure as hell would. Stoke it, bring it to light, draw it out even more.
Fucken brilliant. She could stoke that fire as best she could. Everyone needed something, someone to push them. Would Hazel be that? Could she be? Was this role model thing for her after all? Maybe there was a bit of renewed purpose in the way that she moved with the pup. It was close enough for her, at least.

But she went limp? Why did she go limp? Had Hazel hurt the princess? Shit, Halo would be mad. The yearling released the child, letting her free just in time to be leapt upon again. While playing dead may not work in a real fight, it certainly worked out in the pup's favor inside the spar. As Kite maneuvered to wrap her paws around the yearling, Hazel pushed back into her. That would work out a whole lot better for the pup when she was bigger. If the Warlord's other children were any indication, this pup was going to be a lot bigger than Hazel... but not yet. With the pup on two feet instead of four, the yearling gathered her strength over her hind legs and pushed forward. It was her hope to push Kite off, but not sprawling.

Her teeth snapped in the air between them, hoping that Kite would pick up that sound cue as well. Hazel wanted to provide as much as she could to review with the pup later, if that's what she wanted. Right. Role model. Something like that. Hazel was trying to believe that she could live up to a title like that. No more self doubt.

"Speech"

Hazel vs Kite for spar
Round 2/2
Age: over 1 year
Size: Large
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Porcupine quill cape
Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather Breastplate
Companion 1: Red Panda, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Crystal fangs - Offensive
Skills: Expert Intellectual & Expert Fighter