Just before their first birthdays, Bramble had told Artorias that she wanted to train to be a Knight, to learn to fight and protect herself and the Hallows. A proud father had assured her that he would train her, and now the time had come. Bramble had been receiving some basic lessons from Mercury, but his daughter had specifically asked to train with him, and he would honor her request. In fact, it would be his pleasure to teach his child! Artorias watched the morning sun finish rising over the eastern forest as he finished his morning meditation and completed his daily routine, readying himself for another day. A deep breath in, released as a slow sigh, and then the Aegis rose from his place atop the high walls of Hearthstone. It had rained the night before, making the air cool yet a touch sticky with humidity, but that wouldn't deter Art from his lessons, nor would he allow it to dissuade Bramble either. A warrior could not always pick their battlefield, after all.

Making his way down the stone steps to the courtyard below and then out the open gates, Artorias headed to the outdoor training arenas, the ground soft but not muddy thankfully. He didn't exactly relish the idea of Briar scolding him for getting their pups mucky in the pursuit of training again, but sometimes he wished his mate understood that combat wasn't always a clean sport. After tromping around the arena a few times to make sure there wasn't any risk of slippage, the dire wolf lifted his muzzle and gave a soft call for his tawny daughter, trying not to wake the rest of the pack in the process. Then he waited for her, eager to see what she had learned so far and what he could show her today.

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

The tawny princess was an early riser like her father. Especially after her first birthday and recent proclamations to her father about her future aspirations. There would be no time to waste if she wanted to be truly valiant one day. Even if she did not become a Knight, she would still need to be ready as ever! Plus, when she didn't drink an evening cup of chamomile with Meadow, it was difficult for her to sleep. Often she would slip into Kea's room or Meadow's when she was feeling particularly restless and unable to sleep. Curling up next to someone somehow always seemed to settle the persistent energy that rattled around inside of her.

Such was the issue many hours before dawn had begun. Instead of finding her way into Meadow's room or even her parent's quarters, she chose to go on a patrol. Down the steep carved steps to the nearby beach, enjoying the salty air as the stars guided her way. Shimmering Shore was one of her favorite places to be and though she knew it was clear from the view of her bedroom, she couldn't help but want to feel the sand between her toes. As she was making her way back up the stone steps toward the castle and about to turn to head out to the plains to see if any predators were lingering, she heard a familiar call.

Instantly, there was excitement and eagerness on her face. The energy that always seemed to consume her heightened and nearly made her paws tingle as she raced through the dew-covered grasses toward the outdoor training arenas. As of late, they had become her close friends as she added more training sessions with Mercury and her siblings. But a lesson with her father?! That was something she looked forward to more than anything! Her tail lifted high and made wide sweeping motions as she smiled brightly at the sight of him.

"Daddy! You're up early!" She greeted cheerfully as she rushed over to press her cheek to his. Now that she was closing in on two years, she was almost comparable in height to him. As she stepped back, her smile lessened into a more curious look with one brow raised. "What do you have planned?" Bramble asked quizzically as she tried to hide her excitement with gentle transitions of weight between her paws.

B R A M B L E

It didn’t take longer than a few moments after his call went out that Artorias heard rapidly approaching footsteps crunching down the damp morning grass. Turning his head, he greeted his youngest daughter of his first litter with a warm paternal smile, accepting her nuzzle with one of his own in return. He laughed at her comment about him being awake with a lopsided smile. "Yes, much to your mother’s chagrin, I have always been an early riser," he remarked with a cheeky chuckle. Artorias took a moment to admire his daughter, taking in just how much she had grown already. Bramble was easily almost eye level with him and it was apparent his little girl wouldn’t be little much longer! She had a lanky, athletic frame that reminded Art of a young Briar and it seemed that their daughter would be taking after her mother.

Bramble asked what they would be doing today and her sire would not make her wait for an answer. "We’re beginning your Knight training in earnest today," he explained to her with a proud grin on his muzzle. "Mercury has been reporting your progress with him and I’d like to see what you’ve been working on." Rolling his head to stretch his neck and stretching out his back with a limber bow, Art prepared for a little physical training with Bramble. "I’ll let you decide what you’d prefer to do today, Brammie. Would you like a lesson on using agility for offense and defense, or would you like a spar to show off to your old man?" He left the option open to Bramble. However she felt she would learn best, he would cater to her needs.

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

A light chuckle leaves her as he mentions her mother's chagrin. "At least you don't force her to get up with you," Bramble teases back as she widens the space between them. There was no use feigning ignorance. If he had called her to the training arenas, there would definitely be some sort of practice going on. Wanting to be ready for anything her father threw at her, Bramble listened with attentive ears as she continued to shift her weight back and forth. Already warmed up from her morning patrols, she considered which of her father's options she wanted. While a spar sounded fun, having a lesson would be interesting as well. She'd learned a lot from Mercury already, but agility wasn't always his strong suit.

"I think a lesson in agility sounds good!" She stands a little taller with her tail wagging gently behind her. "Then maybe I can show off afterward," she winks as her smile turns into a cheeky grin.

B R A M B L E

Bramble's quip about not making Briar get up when he did brought an amused and slightly horrified grimace from the Aegis. His Queen was scary enough when she was mad at him, he didn't dare tempt the fates by trying to rouse her before dawn. When presented with her options, Bramble chose a lesson on agility and footwork. Grinning a beaming smile to his child, Artorias nodded his head and assumed his battle-ready stance across from her. "All right, agility it is! We'll start with basic footwork, then move into some techniques for dodging and maneuvering when in combat." Art stretched to limber up his muscles, have a tousle of his thick coat, then dropped down to level his body out, paws spread shoulder-length apart and legs bent and muscles tensed, ready to move like a viper coiled and ready to strike. He waited for Bramble to get herself ready and in position too before he began the lesson.

"No doubt Mercury has already taught you all about stable fighting stances and how vital they are to maintain during battle. No matter how strong you are, having poor balance or clumsy footing can be the key difference between achieving victory and suffering defeat." Artorias demonstrated how he could shift his body weight side to side, shimmying as it looked like he might leap either direction to his side at a moment's notice. "Knowing where to place and position your paws as well as how to move your legs and body is as important to combat as knowing how and where to strike your foe. Your movements are the only thing between you and getting hit, after all. Now, try to do as I do..." Artorias demonstrated how he swiftly sidestepped, his paws nimbly crossing back and forth over one another as he strafed back and forth in front of Bramble without turning his body or breaking his attention from her. Then he kicked it up a notch, hopping back and forth in a flurry of movement meant to break his opponent's concentration on him. "Go slow until you get a feel for the movements. Trust your paws, let them lead your body. Think about where you're going and where your opponent thinks you're going, then move smooth and gracefully."

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

The princess's ears perk as her father excitedly exclaims that they'll have a lesson on agility. It was definitely something that she needed to work on! A bright and eager smile crosses her face as she follows her father's warming-up movements. Stretching out each leg, giving her fur a good shake, and then carefully moving each appendage to mirror that of her father. Paws widened slightly, claws flexed into the dirt ever so slightly, muscles tensed, legs bent, and her eyes never leaving her father's face. The puppy-like excitement slowly fades into a mature determination that shows how dedicated she is to learning from him. Her ears turn forward as he begins his lesson. Bramble nods in the appropriate places but stays battle-ready. It would not be unlike Art to go for a surprise maneuver to see if he could catch her off guard. Her eyes follow as he smoothly shifts from side to side as if he were made of water. Which way would he go? The illusion was quite impressive. She is still half-amazed when he tells her to try and do what he does. Watching him move from side to side, his paws a flurry of steps until he was basically hopping back and forth. Looking down at her paws when he mentions trusting them, her brows furrow slightly. Taking a step to the side and then back to the other side, she begins to sidestep back and forth. She then looks up at her father as she gets used to the simple motion. Her paws only trip a few times as she quickens the pace, but quickly grow comfortable enough that she is doing a sort of step-hop back and forth. Not quite as fast Art, but getting there. "Like this?" Bramble asks, her tail wagging a few times as she continues to hop from side to side. Bramble Carpathius

As Bramble begins to mimic the maneuver he had demonstrated to her, Artorias watched his daughter's form, keen eyes analyzing the movements of her paws as she began the simple sideways strafing he had shown her. Bramble was a large wolf, much like himself, but she also had her mother's lithe form and grace. She stumbled a couple of times, but Artorias never once interrupted her, allowing Bramble to correct herself on the fly as she went, nodding his approval. "Good, keep going just like that," he instructed Bramble when she sought his feedback. A proud smile touches the corners of his lips when he catches the happy waggle of his daughter's tail behind her. "The more you practice, the more natural the movements will feel to you. Trust your paws, don't think about anything other than a smooth and even landing."

After a few more repetitions of the action, Artorias nodded his approval at the progress Bramble was making. "You're doing well, sweetheart! Now let's amplify things a bit." With a bit of a cheeky grin on his face, Art turned and stepped outside of the training ring to fetch the surprise he had in store. He returned a moment later with a quarterstaff in his jaws, little more than a solid oak pole used for sparring purposes. "Keep up those maneuvers and dodge my strikes. Use sidesteps and jumps to keep yourself from getting whacked," he instructed Bramble, giving a whap of the stick against the dirt and kicking up a bit of dust. The staff was far from lethal, but it might leave a bit of a sting if it made contact too hard. Artorias was not aiming to injure his daughter, just give her something to try and dodge. After giving Bramble a few moments to process his instructions, Artorias thrust the staff forward, aiming to jab the blunted staff into Bramble's chest if she didn't manage to dodge fast enough.

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