Thorn was back at the beach he had been allowed to explore before!  Dad had come with him and they had walked a way down the beach to prepare for the greatest race Thorn had ever attempted.  The competitive spirit in Thorn demanded he would win though admittedly a logical part of his mind said he was crazy.  One moment in Thorn's mind he’d refuse to give up, another his mind tried to compromise with just not losing by much.

The castle was their destination, it was an easy landmark that there was no way to miss.  Trying to be helpful Thorn decided to draw a line in the sand to mark their starting spot.  Drawing a line in the sand was also kind of fun.  “First one to touch the castle wall wins!  If I win you have to take me to whatever is on the other side of the beach tomorrow.”  

Would dad agree to the terms?  It was worth the effort!  Dad did admittedly have a lot to do and Thorn realized he wasn’t the only child in their family who should get his attention.  However, that didn’t stop Thorn from wanting to steal some time that was just dad him.  He also wanted dad to take him somewhere new.  Thorn also just really wanted to win this race!  Adding the prize on to the end would only make Thorn want the victory all the more.

"Thorn Carpathius"

The cool sea breeze rippled through the fur of the father and son while Artorias followed Thorn down to the shining gold sands of the Shimmering Shore. Thorn had challenged him to a race, and ever impressed by his child's indomitable spirit, he gladly accepted the contest. He knew that in an all-out test of speed and endurance there was no way an adult wolf could lose to a young puppy, but he was willing to entertain his eldest son's bold dare. Besides, a little bit of fun and exercise sounded like a great way to spend time with his progeny. Following Thorn down to where the pup had determined their starting line would be, he watched with amused eyes while Thorn drew a line in the sand for them to position themselves at, then stated the goal and stakes for their race. Artorias raised a brow and laughed, highly entertained by Thorn's bravado.

"Oh is that so?" he jested back with a playful grin turned towards his son. "Very well, I accept your challenge! But if I win, then you have to run a lap around the castle announcing that I am the fastest wolf that ever lived to everyone you pass." Art snickered and stepped up to the starting line, positioning his paws just behind it and tensing his body at the ready. He gave Thorn another playful look, waiting for the pup to take his place and announce the start of the race. Would Thorn choose to back down now or would he rise to meet his sire's challenge?

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"

Thorn’s mouth opened into a grin as dad agreed to his terms, listening curiously when Art added on terms of his own.  Thorn seemed to take a second to consider before his grin grew larger.  “Well if you beat me of course you are,” Thorn agreed amiably, “Until I get bigger.” Thorn bobbed his head to confirm this line of thought.  Thorn imagined how great it would be to beat his father at a race, at the same moment a voice whispered in his head there was no way he could beat dad.  He still had to try!  Besides, racing was fun and winning was an added perk when it happened.  If dad won this time then Thorn would just have to keep up better in the next race.  He’d tell dad about future races after this one.

They both had their prize in mind so Thorn stared focusing on the goal. “On Three!” After a breath, he spoke with the tension of self-control as he spoke, “one,” pause, “two,” pause, “three!!!!” The held tension was released on the last word and the boy bolted as fast as the boy could manage.

Thorn vs Artorias for Race
Round 1/2
Age: or under 6 months
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Skills: Advanced Fighter & Expert Navigator

"Thorn Carpathius"

Thorn agreed to his terms and conditions after a moment of thought and Artorias returned his son’s easy smile. He already knew he wouldn’t go all out on his young pup; he would moderate his speed and give Thorn a fighting chance just to keep his son’s spirits up and encourage his bravery to face even the most daunting of challenges. Thorn took his place at his side and Artorias lowered his body to straighten out his form, muscles tensed in a playful show of getting ready to bound forward into a sprint. He stayed tense, waiting for his son’s countdown to begin.

Thorn counted up to three, then sprang forward into the most adorable puppy sprint Art had ever seen. Following his boy’s lead, Artorias also kicked off the golden sands into a steady lope, his long legs easily making short work of the distance. Making sure to manage his speed, the sire kept even pace with his pup, running alongside Thorn across the length of the warm golden sands of the beach. The cool coastal breeze cut through his thick fur, the sea salt brisk in his nose while he ran, fiery eyes glancing down with pride at his son at his side, watching Thorn more than he was the finish line.

Artorias vs Thorn for Race
Round 1/2
Age: 1+ years
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Navigator
Specialty: Knight or Fleet-footed

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"

Thorn would obviously never have a true chance against his father. Size and muscle just couldn’t compare due to the hindrance of age and growth. Still, the boy clearly was used to running along the sand. His back legs tucked up tightly under him with each shove of his body to propel it forward. With each stride forward he seemed to try and find a way to get that little extra speed, evening his head out with his shoulder and his tail trying both even with his body or down lower to see if either helped him gain ground to get any amount ahead. His lips were pulled back with every bit of his body struggling to go faster than his puppy legs could take him.

Thorn could feel the pressure of his body straining and asking him to slow down but the castle wall was getting closer and he wasn’t about to give up his pace as they got close to the finish line. Maybe dad was holding back to keep the race more even but Thorn was trying his darndest to make his father have to run just a little bit harder to keep pace.

Thorn vs Artorias for Race
Round 2/2
Age: or under 6 months
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Skills: Advanced Fighter & Expert Navigator

"Thorn Carpathius"

To his son's credit, Thorn was giving his all in this race. Artorias was so proud of the effort put forward by his boy, the sire having to kick up a bit of the pace to keep matching his progeny. The castle wall was getting closer and closer, and as the two wolves thundered their way up off the sands of the beach and onto the grassy plains that surrounded their castle home, the race was fast drawing to a close. Artorias panted as he ran, but a giant smile painted his face. Regardless of what happened, he was having a ton of fun with his son, regardless of who came out on top. But in the final leg of the race, Artorias allowed himself to use a little more speed, more than keeping pace with Thorn, but would it be enough to pull ahead of his pup before they reached the finish line?

Artorias vs Thorn for Race
Round 2/2
Age: 1+ years
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Navigator
Specialty: Knight or Fleet-footed

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"

And the winner is...

ARTORIAS

THORN was left in the dust. Totals: THORN Speed Roll: 5 Stamina Roll: 6 Balance Roll: 50 Total: 61 Speed[5] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 5.00 Stamina[6] + 10% Bonus[0.60]: 6.60 Balance[50] + 5% Bonus[2.50]: 52.50 Total[64.10] + -10% Bonus[-6.41]: 57.69 ARTORIAS Speed Roll: 66 Stamina Roll: 73 Balance Roll: 43 Total: 182 Speed[66] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 66.00 Stamina[73] + 10% Bonus[7.30]: 80.30 Balance[43] + 5% Bonus[2.15]: 45.15 Total[191.45] + 25% Bonus[47.86]: 239.31