Lucette would likely be unhappy with him for this but Bae-Syl refused to sit around idly any longer. He needed something to do and this was his compromise for her. Not just for her but for Hay as well. He had taken on a higher mantle. Not for himself but for the betterment of the pack. He would die for this pack and it was about time they all met with him.

He moved with a slight limp, Ruby perched upon his hips and Dagan at his heels. His eyes shone with determination. Gav was home and he had scented Bellamy near the dens, he had a refound determination to keep the families here safe. First on that list was basic self defense and combat training, for everyone. Including the pup Dagan held in his jaws by the scruff. He didn't doubt Ikuchi would of skipped this if he could it was why he had ordered Dagan to bring him. As cruel as it felt to make the boy do things he disliked Bae-Syl was determined to make certain everyone could fight.

He had seen absolute cruelty in his family, unspeakable horrors done by them. It was best to prepare the entire pack for such things in case their front line of defense fell, which would mean he would be gone and all their warriors dead. It was an unspeakable thing but he refused to let the pack die as he had seen happen to many. His aunt and uncle had been cruel and his cousins even crueler.

He limped into the meeting clearing and nodded to Dagan who dropped Ikuchi where he knew the crowd would gather. He moved slowly and hopped carefully onto a boulder in the clearing. Bellamy had once stood here. The thought had occurred to him and he placed his paws on the rock, studying it. One might of guessed Gavaroche and Bellamy had once been here, but there was no evidence now. His ears pressed as he contemplated this. What would they think about him stepping into a spot that had never been meant for him? He had been meant to be a mere soldier under Bellamy's command. Yet now he headed Haydee's armies. He gave a sigh to clear his mind and strengthen his resolve. He felt as Ruby took flight and knew she would be high in the sky as a beacon to any unsure of where to go. Dagan sat at the foot of the boulder and gave him a nod. The husky knew today he was stepping up, not only as a father but as a protector. The pack would now be told today that they had a bruiser and that he had taken the helm. He was going to expect the pack to trust him to teach them and to protect them until his dying breath.

He nodded to Dagan and lowered himself to his haunches as he threw back his head and loosed a cry. A call to the pack, all were to attend. He didn't care what rank they were, or relation. He expected them to come. He needed to know how they faired in their knowledge of combat. It would also be his best way to tell which children might be suited to becoming Combatants and would need more than just basics. As his call ended he settled his eyes on the clearing ahead of him. He would wait now and see who all answered. He didn't expect Haydee to heed his call but if she didn't then he would be tracking her down and ensuring she was just as well trained as the rest of the pack.

His face was starting to scar over and he did his best to not pressure his shoulder. He knew Lucy would chew him out but hopefully she would wait until after his assessment today.


"Speech!"

Art & Code © Rex/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

ooc: Mandatory for the pack, if you cannot post please post in pack chat and you will be excused <3 i will be posting again on 1/15. There will be no post order either.

The woman was home, and likely expected to be resting. The first night had been… interesting to say the least. It had been hard falling asleep as she kept looking at her side for a figure that wasn’t there. It hurt, she wouldn’t pretend that it didn’t. But as she shifted on the pillows her daughters had made for her… Bellamy reminded herself that it was okay. No matter what love was still here in Ethne. A love that Gavroche had helped to blossom. It was home, and she would honor and protect it in his memory. Protect her family, and see that in his new life, that her grandson would be even happier than her mate had been with her. He deserved it. All of her family deserve nothing less than love and happiness. She would fight for them. And so, at Bae-Syl’s call, Bellamy arched a brow. What had happened while she was away? Had the man been promoted? A smile came to her face. He had been blooming as he lived here in Ethne with them. Trying hard for Lucy, and for his family. She had seen the beginnings of that before she faltered. It her daughter saw fit to give him a leadership role then he had worked to deserve it. She rose from her bed, shaking out her coat before stretching each of her limbs. Then she set off, determined to be of the first to arrive. …and she was, save for one of Bae-Syl’s children. But seeing how she favored his leg, Bellamy shook her head with a knowing smirk. “Lucy isn’t going to be happy, you know.” A familiar brush of fur on either side of her flanks caught her attention and Bells looked down. Ears and Whiskers had joined her, the badger setting a paw on the old wolf’s paw. “Welcome home.” She told her. “And no more leaving us, got that?” Came the quip from ears as the devil flopped beside her. Of course not, Bellamy thought. If that hadn’t broken her completely… then nothing ever would. "Speech," 'Thought.'

A call for training. Alexander had already met with Bae-Syl, still building an opinion of his sister’s mate. He cared for Lucy, cared for his pack, and for Alex that was enough for now. He seemed nice enough, though Alex was sure there was more to the man. More to everyone, as he had learned in his young life. His companions Song and Keeneye would travel with him as he traveled to where the meeting was to take place. There, standing where his mother once stood when she addressed the pack, was Bae-Syl. …and his mother was home. His green eyes flicked to her, and Alexander would pass by her, giving an affection nudge in greeting. “Hey mom.” Like Bae he was sure she should also be resting, but he knew her nature well enough. Bellamy was stubborn, a stubbornness she passed along to some of her children. She would be fine. Alex took a seat a couple wolf lengths away from her, his badger and hawk settling into the grass before him. "Speech," 'Thought.'

table coding by bunni ♥

Training! Eager to do more of it after his lesson and fighting off predators with Dusk, Gavroche happily bounded out of the den after his father and Ikuchi. Only… the winged boy had got distracted along the way. Now trailing at his side was a kitten, a sweet little girl that he had named Dawn. She was tiny, smaller than himself, with stubby limbs and folded ears. But her colors were the opposite of his friend Dusk, being white with silver stripes in her fur and bright blue eyes… so Dawn felt fitting. Plus it was a way to honor his dear friend! He couldn’t wait until he was old enough to go visit and ask her to come back with him. He wanted her to meet everyone! The feathers on his wings puffed up with excitement, the yearling arrived with Dawn and sat near her brother with a big grin. “Look Iki! This is Dawn~ Isn’t she cute?” His green eyes were shining with delight, the kitten at his side looking up at the chubby pup with curious eyes. “Hello…” She mewed. "Speech," 'Thought.'

table coding by bunni ♥

Our lives are made in these small hours A… training call? Lucette furrowed her brow and grumbled as she stepped back into the den to drop off the herbs she had gathered. Bae-Syl knew better. He was pushing too hard, too fast. She didn’t want him to make it worse by irritating his shoulder before he recovered. After dropping off the plants she called to Ink. “Make sure Vitani makes it to the meeting… that I need to go remind Bae that he shouldn’t be having yet.” Lucette looked over at Baecette. His breathing was normal… but she still worried for him. More than anything she wanted him to recover, to be back to his old self. Hopefully he would soon… Turning away from the den, the pixie marched across the territory to where some of her family and Bae were already gathered. Her brow furrowed, and a disapproving frown on her lips, she walked right up to Bae from behind and gave him a sharp nip to his foreleg. It wasn’t hard enough to break skin, but it was hard enough to get her point across. She sat beside him then, giving him the look that told the man he was in trouble. If he was going to insist on leaving the den and doing what he wasn’t supposed to, she wasn’t above drugging him to make sure he didn’t leave until his shoulder was healed. "Speech," 'Thought.' These little wonders these twists and turns of fate

_{Art by Asena}

It was good to be on the mend. The pain was easing and where once were open wounds now there were only scabs. Itchy, itchy scabs that she longed to scratch but had to be careful of lest she cause them to bleed once more. She twisted her head around but sighed, for the injury from the tiger was on her neck and she couldn't very well like it either. Curses! Instead she took a quick roll in the dirt, stopping when she heard Bae-Syl calling for fight training. Ahhhh yes, she'd heard he'd been promoted to Bruiser. Getting to her feet she shook the dust from her coat and trotted down the mountain to the meeting site.

To her surprise she saw Bellamy and she grinned. "Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in. Good to have you back!" Being poor at following medical advice herself it didn't even dawn on Dag that either Bellamy or Bae-Syl were to be resting. She plopped down amongst the group, making sure to save space in case any of Bellamy's children wanted to sit next to her.

Dorian was sitting out among his father's garden when he heard a howl calling the whole pack together. The stoat perched on his head perked up and turned toward the sound well before he did. He knew he should go see what was going on–and he would–but there was definitely a reluctance. Staying out in the garden or keeping to himself foraging for herbs had become a source of comfort and–if he was being honest–a way for him to avoid pretty much everything. It felt like there was always some kind of tragedy, some sort of catastrophe, and he had still hardly processed the loss of his father. Still, he couldn't imagine leaving or not being here for his family so he'd come when he was called and at least make sure that they had a more than ample supply of herbs and medicines at the ready.

After a moment he got himself to his paws and made his way toward the heart of the pack's territory, soon finding the slowly gathering group of wolves around Bae-syl. He hardly knew his sister's mate–or really anyone outside of his own siblings, for that matter–but he didn't mind attending the meeting or training regardless. The only thing that really brightened his mood was seeing his mother here. That at least got a smile to his lips and he went to greet her before he did anything else, gently bumping her shoulder with the top of his head. Maybe, if he got the chance, he could catch up with her after this was all over. For now he just stepped to the side on the fringes of the crowd and settled onto his haunches, Copper curling around the base of his neck almost like a scarf and peeking over the top of his shoulder.

"Dorian"

After Jericho’s father had been injured defending their mother from a feline that had tried to hurt her, the growing boy has gotten serious about patrolling. Ethne has had an influx of predators trespassing and he wishes to protect not only his family, but everyone that resides here. His mother has been pretty strict with Bae-Syl, forcing him to stay close to the den and focus on recovering so, when he hears his father’s rather important summons, the boy winces. The black and white youth knows exactly what this will mean for the man afterward but he dares not keep his dad waiting.

With a small smile on his lips, Jericho swiftly moves to join the group. Arriving at the clearing, he finds that many wolves have already gathered and he spies the familiar tiny form of his winged sibling. Quickly making his way to where Gav and Iki sit, Jericho reaches out to give them both an affectionate nuzzle before sitting with them. Gav had been gone for so long and, now that he is back, Jericho doesn’t want to be without him ever again. Together, they all wait to see what they have been called for.


"Jericho Agatsuma-Kedieo"

Bae-Syl had approached Haydée with the idea of holding a mandatory fighting training assessment for the entire pack and she had given the newly minted Bruiser her blessing. However, the young woman had foolish thought he meant he would hold it once he was better so, when she hears his call summoning them all together, the Leader is less than thrilled with his decision but she does not hesitate to heed the man’s beckoning call.

Carefully making her way to the clearing where Bae-Syl has called from, Haydée decides to linger in the tree line for some time and watch the others that arrive. The appearance of her mother has the Leader excited but also worried because the older woman should be resting but it seems to be a common theme for the wolves today. The appearance of Lucette forces the young woman to lift a paw and stifle a laugh as she literally bites the Bruiser for doing something that they both know he shouldn’t be doing.

From her hiding place, she watches as they slowly gather and, after a bit, she breaks from the tree line to approach Bae-Syl. Moving in close the larger male, she softly whispers, “I sent Bay out to gather herbs for the pack and Corbin is laid up in his den with a broken leg. So, they won’t be here.” Once Haydée is done passing along the news, she gives the man a warm smile and dip of her head before retreating into the group of gathered wolves and readies herself to heed his instructions just like everyone else.


"Haydée Kedieo"

Art & Code by Rex 2023
"Speech!"
Iki was less than happy to be dragged around by the scruff by a dog who was just as big as him. SO he had kept his face turned away the entire time. Dad had also took his antler chew bone away, And boy would mom be upset when she learned dad was being so mean. But the boy stayed quiet instead of whining. Unusually so.

He laid there when the dog released him though because even when he tried to slink off his dad fixed him with a glare that told him he would be in so much trouble and he might not get the chew bone back. So he laid his head down and waited after his dad called. He stayed quiet until Gav appeared. His own tail beginning to wag as his siblings started to show up. Gav wanted him to see something and he turned his head and immediately he loved what he saw.

His green eyes lit up and became large like saucers as he looked at the kitten his brother introduced him to. "I LOVE HER!!!!" His little screech possibly startling others and he heard his father's dog clear his throat to get the boy to settle down but now it was too late. The cat was seconds from being cuddled if she didn't move. He, from his laying position went to pull her to his chest so he could snuggle and love her the best way possible.

Then Jer showed up and Iki was happy to see both his brothers, but if he had the cat he didn't want to let her go yet. She was so cuteeeee!!!! As Jer Nuzzles Iki he gives a happy giggle and leans into it closing one eye. Fight training wasn't his thing everyone who knew him knew that so he was more into the moral support of his siblings for this. And then came Tani. She wasn't a fighter either, but still she was here. Shocking dad even let her come with him being as protective of them all as he was. She came and sat down to Gav's other side, but not before bumping into something. He looked at his brothers, concerned for their sister. Was she ever going to navigate without jack or ink? Would she be okay if they disappeared one day? "You okay Tani?" He kept his question to her hushed, aware she was usually embaressed by her lack of being able to navigate properly. Though it seemed like Baecette and mom tried to keep her mind off it. And dad refused half the time to let her go anywhere she didn't know well.

Tani had been doing what she did best, Gathering herbs and being her mom's big helper. Her current mission had been to get Baecette some fresh water from the pools of the falls, and she had done so with practiced ease. She had done this enough to know to stick her paws in to about the middle of her legs so she couldn't miss when she scooped. And the best least slippery spot was about a five minute or so walk from their den. It was the walk back that was longer, carrying a hollowed turtle shell with strings that had been fashioned so she could carry it. She had to be careful not to splash it all.

When she had gotten back, it was shocking, no one was there except Ink and Baecette. She placed the bowl in reach of Baecette before she placed her nose to his forehead, no fever. Still a mystery what ailed him. And even their best attempts to get him to perk up and play had all been futile. He didn't even wanna play one of her favorite games, keep away from Iki. Their short sibling never found it as fun as they did but that was siblings for you. With ink telling her everyone was answering a call from her dad she turned her head to ink and scoffed. Their old man was gonna die. She snickered as she told ink and jack that she wanted a play by play when mom dragged him home today.

Then after a final check on Baecette and telling him to call if he needed anything she took off. Her pace fast as she tried to catch up. She didn't wanna be late an get in trouble. Dad was already a grouch, best not make it worse. As she made it there she didn't even realize there were so many trees and bodies here, and it wasn't even a second in and she let out a big oof as she smacked into a tree. Her antlers clattered against the bark and she could almost cry. Jack was at her side in seconds on his back legs checking her nose and making certain the girl was alright. She moved though after a second and Jack nudged her to sit next to her brother Gav. Her eyes were watery as she blinked back the tears of embarrassment and frustration. She hated walking into the trees and objects she couldn't see. It wasn't but a second and Iki was asking her the question she had hoped none of them would. She wished no one knew that she couldn't see, that she could navigate her world without help. That no one saw her as weak. Her ears pressed and she turned her face away from her brothers as she answered before anymore of them could ask."Its fine, I'm okay." Her voice cracked slightly as she tried to hide the frustration and anger at her own self. Even dad treated her different. Like she was made of glass, and needed to be protected. Not even Nova had this many restrictions.  

"Speech!"
Art & Code by Rex 2023

When I fall apart, Promise in the dark The man sat where he was and waited. He watched Iki and gave a soft chuckle hearing Dagan fix the boy with a clearing of his throat as Iki tried to get out of doing this whole thing. He was more than aware the boy wanted to just go home and chew on his bone and eat and sleep. He sighed, what was it going to take to get the boy to have a drive to do anything? He wasn't even sure he could find a position in the pack with Hay's help for his son. But he wouldn't let Hay throw Iki out either. Though he doubted their leader had it in her to do that to Iki, seeing as it would likely be a death sentence for the boy. He turned his attention as the first to make it filed in and he gave her a hum as she teased at him. He knew she wasn't wrong but he also had an idea for diffusing Lucy later on, and it involved him and a good walk on a beach, away from their kids while their companions babysat their troublesome kids. If he could convince her. Then came Lucy's brother. Alexander if Bae recalled the name. He sat next to Bells and he gave them both a smile. Then came trouble itself. He fixed his two children with a look as Iki squeed over... a kitten? When had they gotten a kitten in Ethne?  Dagan cleared his throat once again getting Iki's attention and Bae sighed. His kids were gonna give him grey hairs eventually. He was aware of Haydee hanging back and he nodded to her, though his nod turned to a surprised jump as Lucy nipped his leg. He gave her a grin as he gave her a look that said he had every idea of getting his ass out of hot water. He did do something to placate her for now. He didn't give a damn if everyone saw him giving into his wife, it should be the way it was for every man. He lowered his upper body to lay in his spot and fixed his leg so it was comfortably tuck and wouldn't get touched by any that didn't need to touch it. He gave her a look and lifted his brow as if asking wordlessly if that was better. Talking wasn't going to strain his shoulder and they both knew it. Plus he could also coach from the clearing in front of their den after this if need be. He turned his attention back to the gathering crowd aware of another having joined while he had done his best to placate Lucy. Dagrun, their now sole combatant. Good. He liked that the woman made it even though looking at her he could see her healing scabs as well. He chuckled to himself, it seemed all their fighters were hard workers who just didn't stop for a damn thing. It was a good look for the combatants honestly. He eyed Dorian as he arrived and noticed how he sat on the fringes. Worrying but not uncommon, he figured anyway. Then came Jericho, he watched his scrappy son. The boy went and quietly settled with Iki and Gav who seemed to be gawking over the kitten still. He nodded. Least his kids were showing up. Though he was sure they all figured they better not upset him anymore than he already was. Then came Haydee, though he knew she had lurked a moment before coming in. He listened diligently though as she spoke. Ears perked and full attention gave to her as she tells him of Bay being out and Corbin having a broken leg. "Alright I'll seek Bay out later or have him come to find me. And I will make certain to go speak to Corbin later in his den, i would rather not leave anyone out if we can avoid it. There will be no physical activity today or when i speak to them so rest assured he is not going to be pushed with his leg as it is." he let his voice travel loud enough both Hay and Luce heard so both women might calm down. He wasn't straining his shoulder by just laying here and seeing what the pack knew. The final arrival had his head snapping away from the leader and his wife as she entered. He saw her getting checked by Jack and he nodded his nose towards her for Luce. He hoped she wasn't so hurt, and that the entire meeting did him and Luce a favor and ignored her walking into a tree. Tani already looked frustrated enough. Then he heard his son do exactly as he hoped everyone else didn't do. He sighed verbally as he watched Tani turn from her brothers and let her frustration and embarrassment roll from her mouth. He really wished Iki would learn not to do those sorts of things. He shook his head though and turned his attention to the rest of the clearing. He waited a few minutes before he began, allowing everyone to get a few words in to their loved ones and pack mates and get settled and also wait for everyone who was missing to show. two of his own children, the polar bear, and he was sure a few others were missing. When it was apparent they weren't coming he decided to begin. "Thank you all for coming. I guess I should start us out by letting you all know that I have taken on the mantle of our Bruiser, and I welcome you all to come to me at any time if you feel you are in need of fighting training, advice or anything you feel you require my aid for. And for those of you who do not know who I am, I am Bae-Syl." He gave a pause for them to all absorb the information he gave them. His eyes passed over the faces here to ensure that he didn't upset any of them by having taken on a higher position that he had never fought for and had originally had no place taking up. He did settle on Bellamy's face for a second to gauge how she felt about it. He had too much respect for the woman to not want to make sure it didn't upset her. "Now i would like to start us with helping to gauge how much we all know about defending ourselves. I don't wish for any of us to ever have to use this knowledge but it is important we all know how to defend ourselves and each other. What are our best defenses to keep while in a fight?" It was his plan to listen and hear what defenses everyone here knew. He even wanted to hear Hay and Luce pipe up. Even though he was sure he had drilled this shit into Lucy's head from the time they met and became friends. Walk, "talk", Think You'll be my nightlight

_{Art by Asena}

ooc: im gonna try to get everyone at least 3 posts here so breaking things up from one post. I will post again on the 30th <3

One by one the members of Ethne trickled in. When everyone was accounted for the meeting began and it seemed it would be a discussion and technique day rather than something overly physical. That was fine with her. They were all in rough shape from the constant trials Ethne had been put through lately.

Bae-syl started off the meeting explaining that he'd taken the rank of Bruiser and wanted to go over their defenses. He asked what the best defenses were and Dagrún stood up. She could easily list and demonstrate her defenses but she wanted others to get the chance to think on this and ponder it. Instead she just opted to voice her top two. "The two defenses I'd recommend the most are protecting your neck, especially if you are the one defending. Scrunch your neck back, push the fur and flesh over your vitals. In the same motion roll your shoulders forward." She demonstrated, her neck scrunching back, shoulders rolling forward to both add protection as well as minimize her throat as a target.

There weren't many things that excited his brother, but seeing Iki squeal with delight at seeing Dawn brought a warm smile to Gavroche’s lips. The small kitten was scooped into his brother’s arms and the tiny furball snuggled close to the chunky boy as rumbles caused her body to vibrate. The winged boy settled into a sitting position as his tail wagged back and forth behind him. “It looks like Dawn likes you too~ I’m glad.” There was light in the boy’s gaze as he looked around at the others gathered, for the moment ignoring his father’s companion as excitement caused him to get back up the moment Jericho came by.

“Hey Jeri!” He greeted warmly, happy to be in the presence of his siblings again. He knew Baecette was still down and recovering for some reason, but Gav knew his brother would get better. Their mom was a great healer AND Tani was catching on so fast. Sure her methods could be a little… wonky to say the least, but she was learning a lot despite her disability. In fact Gavroche felt like that was her strength. It left her nose stronger than anyone elses, right? So she could pick out the best herbs, and smell when they went bad! Speaking of Vitani…

Her sister came along, bumping into a tree. Iki was quick to ask if she was okay, and Gav noticed how flustered their sister got. A soft hmm left his lips and he piped up again, confident in his next words. “Of course you’re okay! You’re sturdy.” He would leave Iki’s side to brush up against his bigger sister affectionately. “Gonna take more than a mean tree to keep you down! And you’ll have all of Ethne memorized better than the rest of us before long. I know it!” He wanted his sister to know she could do anything she put her mind to.

But then the meeting was actually underway and Gavroche turned his attention to his dad. Some of the stuff was more… grown up information. Stuff that Gav didn’t really grasp the importance of yet as far as ranks and stuff went. He was his dad, and that was all he needed to be!

As the floor opened up about defenses Gavroche jumped back to his paws, tail wagging back and forth. He knew about this thanks to Dusk! “My friend Dusk says your balance is a really important defense! Especially if you’re small, because if you get knocked over it gives your opponent an opening to do some serious damage. You have to be aware of how you stand before engaging and during battle too so you don’t compromise it!” That was a good one, right?

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Bae-Syl replies to her news about Bay and Corbin and Haydée bobs her head in acknowledgement while she tries to stifle a smile at the Bruiser’s attempt to placate both her and her sister. Excusing herself, she moves out into the crowd, picking a spot next to Dorian so that she can watch everyone while also offering her brother support. Bumping his shoulder lovingly, the much shorter young woman beams a smile up at him before turning her attention back to the leader of this lesson.

It starts with an introduction and Haydée scans the gathered wolves, trying to gauge interest and the general attentiveness of everyone here. Bae-Syl then moves into defenses and poses the questions of what are the best ones to keep while in a fight. Remaining silent, the Leader gives Dagrún and then Gavroche II her full attention as they respond. Each is given a bright, encouraging smile as they talk and Hay feels extremely proud of them both. As Gav finishes, a natural pause appears but begins to stretch as no one immediately speaks up.

Turning her attention to Bae-Syl, the young Leader confidently says, “Narrowing your eyes and pinning your ears back are both very important. Narrowing your eyes to slits helps minimize damage to them and the same goes for your ears. You opponent will have a more difficult time grabbing hold of them if you pin them back. Like this.”  With that, Haydée closes her eyelids until they are low enough for her to still see while helping to keep them protected. At the same time, her ears swivel back and pin down, her lips instinctively lifting as her body remembers the begins of her fighting defenses.

At a couple minutes, Hay relaxes her features and smiles, turning her attention to the next wolf in the group who speaks.


"Haydée Kedieo"

Others began to arrive at the training, and a warm greeting from Dagrún caused the woman to chuckle. She’d give a nod to the combatant, a bit of a crooked smile appearing on her maw. “For better or worse, eh? Guess we’ll find out what sort of mischief I can get into.” She was feeling more like herself, and older or not the woman wasn’t keen on letting age slow her down. Not yet. She’d give a small nod to Alex, and as Dorian bumped his shoulder the femme shot him a smile. “Hey you.” He looked more worn down than she would have liked, but like herself Bellamy knew her children had been grieving. She had lost her mate… but they had lost their father. Bells would remain quiet as move wolves arrived, though she would chuckle softly at her grandchildren as they interacted amongst themselves. Each of them were so very different… just like her own litter had been. Though she couldn’t help but notice one of them was not present. Something she would have to ask about at a later time, perhaps. She let her gaze shift back to Bae-Syl as the lesson began. A lesson in being mindful of defenses? Interesting. A way to hold a lesson and not give her daughter too much reason to bite him later. Dag, Gav, and Hay each gave their answers and Bellamy hummed thoughtfully. “To add onto the defense Gavroche mentioned, you want to be sure to use your toes and claws to help with your balance. Splaying your digits and digging your claws into the soil can help keep you grounded. However… weather and terrain can provide challenges when doing this. You must be mindful of how each would impact your grip, and therefore your balance and attacks during a fight.” "Speech," 'Thought.'

There were more faces than he remembered. Alexander watched the Ethne wolves trickle in for the meeting and watched them all quietly. Even some of his nieces and nephews showed… although he was sure they had some missing wolves as well. His gaze flicked over to Lucy and Bae-Syl. They were an interesting couple, seeming to compliment each other personality wise. He chuckled, letting the training get underway and allowing each of the wolves before him speak. When at last it was his turn, Alexander answered thoughtfully. “Your tail can be useful to aid in balance and assist in your turns. But keeping it out behind you can make it a target if your opponent gets past your front, so tucking it to protect it is a good idea too.”

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Art & Code © Rex/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Bae-syl was very lucky they were in front of other members of Ethne. She grumbled under her breath as she lay against him. Her gaze slid over to her kids and she realized some of them were missing… besides Baecette that was. Seeing some of the older members of her family was reassuring. Her mom, Alex, Dorian, Hay… she sighed softly. A lesson reminding them of defenses was good and all but… her ears flicked back, tuning the others out as they answered Bae-Syl’s question. Her thoughts drifted towards what they might need to train for… and her stomach clenched. She might have been a healer… but that didn't mean she wanted to see injuries.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Art & Code by Rex 2023
"Speech!"
He listened and some of it just sounded boring, He wasn't a fighter and everyone knew that. Why their dad insisted on him trying he had no idea. Everyone started throwing out defenses, all of them he was aware of. But he wasn't going to be verbal and tell anyone anything. Tails, ears, eyes, throat. The defenses dad had drilled in from when they were little. He wasn't a smart kid, they all knew that. So instead of speaking he offered a look up at their dad and shrugged before going back to cuddling Dawn. He really liked the cat. She was so cute. Maybe they all should get cats. They could all cuddle Iki then! He grinned at Gav as he had the thought. He was kind of hungry though. Maybe they could sneak way and get some snacks.

As the training got underway, it was revealed that the topic of the day was going to be defenses. Well, at least it wouldn’t be too violent of a lesson, he supposed. Many of them it seemed like were in some state of recovery or strain so it was a good choice. He sat quietly for a while, listening as many of the others spoke up with some good defenses to keep while in a fight. It ended up being many of the ones he would have answered with so he struggled a bit to think of something he could say himself. “While you’re paying attention to your balance and the terrain, it’s a good idea to pay attention to your surroundings as well so another opponent doesn’t sneak up on you while you’re engaged with someone else,” he mentioned eventually. “Of course having someone with you or even a companion can help a lot with alerting you to other dangers, but listening and glancing around when you can is helpful.”

"Dorian"