It had been a few weeks since Alaric's battle with Atreyu, which ended in his victory and the promise to help the young she wolf grow in her knowledge of fighting. The cuts on his legs and other wounds were healing nicely. He kept them clean and free from debris. That's all he knew how to do besides not over strain himself. He was no healer after all and had little to no medical knowledge. Maul's gash on his face was healing well too, scabbing over. Alaric wondered if he would leave a scar. It was too early in the being process to really tell. Alaric let out a summoning call for Atreyu. To let her know he was ready to train when she was. He sat down on his hind and waited patiently, his ears alert for any changes in his immediate surroundings.

Oh, fly over me, evil angel;
Why can't I breathe, evil angel?

Atreyu lay in her makeshift den at the base of an aspen tree far away from the creek that ran through this area. Steady rain had created a somewhat soggy place to sleep, but she was on a tour of her own through Auster. She had to learn her new home at any cost, even if it meant sleeping on damp earth during the rainy season. Sleeping peacefully, Bigs and herself are woken up by a howl not far away, one that was meant for Atreyu. Looking to her companion groggily, Atreyu blinks her holographic eyes and rises. She stretches and moves to the edge of her den, listening to the voice that summoned her, and recognizing the voice. Alaric was healed up and ready for their lessons.

Excitement bubbled up in her as she motioned for Bigs to follow her, the call had been close so it wouldn't take her long to find the older warrior male. Her paws muffled the sound of the wet grasses beneath them, though her dire size gave her position away with feet that squelched in the wetness of the ground. She didn't bother to hide her approach, choosing to come into view before him instead of behind. "You called? It is good to see you are healing well." Of course, her scratches had all but healed, not even leaving a real scar on her pretty face. The cuts on her leg would probably be the ones that scarred over, but at least she could still use the limb. "You look tough, Maul." She said this as a compliment, hoping she wouldn't offend the dog. Bigs looked between everyone but said nothing, waiting to see if he would need to intervene.

Word count: 287 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: ---

ART BY BRIENASKYSONG

It wasn't long before the familiar pink spotted pelt of Atreyu entered the horizon and soon closed the distance between the two wolves. Alaric dipped his head slightly in respect as he rumbled out a greeting. "I see you've healed well too." He rumbled, his gaze shifted to Maul as the cane corso was addressed. Maul simply stared at Atreyu and panted, his long tail wagging slightly at the compliment. Alaric's gaze refocused on Atreyu and one of his eyebrows raised in question. "Are you ready to begin your training?" He asked the younger wolf. He had mulled over their last fight in his mind, going over her attacks she had struck mentally and finding the flaws in her attacks. He was ready to teach her, as willing as she seemed. "Did you want to spar or should this be a lesson only?" He would let her chose which would teach her best.

Oh, fly over me, evil angel;
Why can't I breathe, evil angel?

It wasn't that long ago that Atreyu had received her first lesson from her father, and the thought of someone else having to teach her now brought a pang of grief to her heart. She tamped the feeling down, not wishing to fully delve into the deep losses just yet. She had recently received a good sign that they had made their way to the Summerlands without her being able to have their funerals. Kiska must have made an exception for them since they were brutally murdered. Atreyu returned herself to the present, focusing on Alaric in the here and now. Did she want to spar again? Perhaps it was best for Bigs if they only did a lesson this time. "Maybe just teach me this time, we can spar later in my lessons to see how I am progressing." She gave him a smile and looked at Bigs. "He needs to learn a few things too."

While the dog was good in a fight, he was awfully small. He would need to learn how to handle himself against enemies that could be up to ten times his size. What would she do if she lost Bigs to somebody's leopard companion? Maybe Maul and Cinder could help the little teacup while Alaric taught her. "Do you think they could teach him?" She asked, not wanting to assume they would. The mohawked chihuahua mix looked up at Atreyu, incredulous, 'I know how to fight...' He said the words confidently enough, but looking between the dogs and the wolves, he realized what she meant. 'Couldn't hurt to brush up on a few things, I suppose.' Glad he agreed, Atreyu gives a small laugh and a shake of her head. "I am ready to learn." She said, smiling to her new teacher.

Word count: 299 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: ---

ART BY BRIENASKYSONG

Alaric listened with some patience as Atreyu seemed to focus and answer him at last. Just a training lesson then, good, he had notes to give her from their last encounter. He nodded his head. "Very well." He told her briefly before shifting his gaze towards Bigs, letting out a small chuckle. "I'm sure they can teach him, although they cannot speak." He reassured the spotted she wolf. He turned his head towards Maul and Cinder and nodded. Alaric would then turn his head back to face Atreyu. "Let's begin with a review of our previous battle. I have a few notes I would like to express." He told her, waiting for her to response.

Once Atreyu had time to respond, Alaric would clear his throat and begin. "I noticed how you were holding back in your attacks in our battle." He began, pausing to let it sink in. His eyebrows furrowed slightly as his tone changed to a more serious one. "You cannot do that with when your life is at stake. It is dangerous to hold back when your opponent is clearly not." He told her sternly.

Oh, fly over me, evil angel;
Why can't I breathe, evil angel?

As soon as the lesson began, Atreyu sat and listened, her attention rapt and unyielding on Alaric and his words. "The point of our battle was not to kill one another, which is why I held back. You didn't seem intent on killing me, so I didn't want to kill you." It was simple, but she understood his message. "I won't hold back when my life or the lives of my loved ones depend on it." She nodded, looking over to Bigs to see how his training was going. Then her attention returned to Alaric, those holographic silver-to-lavender eyes locked to his. Turning down the intensity of her gaze with a grin, Atreyu asked, "How many battles have you been in?" Judging by his scars, a fair few of them.

Word count: 130 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: ---

ART BY BRIENASKYSONG

"Fair enough." Alric rumbled at Atreyu's words. He didn't want to kill her in their last battle, but his attacks were vicious none the less. When she asked about his combat experience, he shrugged his shoulders slightly and twitched and ear. "I've had my fair share." He said, falling quiet shortly after. Flashes of his enslavement invade this mind. The callous snarls of Oberyn, the feeling of the scars along his back as he was whipped, the image of watching his family flee and leave him behind to rot at the hands of Oberyn. On the outside, Alaric looked simply lost in thought. On the inside, he was battling back the memories and the emotions that tried to arise with it. Mostly the rage. The boiling, all consuming rage towards the world and what had happened. It burned a hole in his soul. He did not know who he was without it. His gaze flickered to Atreyu, the spell seemed to be broken. He let out a sigh, although a quiet one. "Let's start on your defenses." He told her. "You need a solid defense foundation before you can move onto offensive moves." He explained. "Show me your best defensive stance." He instructed her.

Maul and Cinder were doing their best to train Bigs. Being unable to speak, Maul was using Cinder as a stand still dummy of sorts. Maul would chuff and use his paw to gesture towards Cinder. His paw would point at the sensitive underbelly, tail, even genitalia of Cinder. In his own ways he was telling Bigs to use his size to go for the most painful low hanging fruit of his opponents. Where Bigs's little maws would do the most damage to a much larger opponent versus a head on attack.

Oh, fly over me, evil angel;
Why can't I breathe, evil angel?

Atreyu stayed quiet when Alaric answered her question, then fell quiet himself. She recognized that stare, the look into the past and getting lost, and she instantly regretted asking him about his battles. "I shouldn't have asked that, I'm sorry." They moved on with the lesson, Alaric asking her then to show him her best defense stance. For a moment she didn't move, but then she snapped into action. Her head lowered to protect her throat, her stance widened itself for balance, tail flashing out parallel with the ground for stabilization and her claws flexed into the ground to better anchor her and ready herself should she have to move quickly. It was a flawless transition from standstill to defense, but she was sure he would pick it apart and help her better her stance.

Bigs was perhaps doing a little better than most would expect, as a dog himself he easily understood the barks and growls of Maul and Cinder, following their direction though he would refuse to go for the "low-hanging fruits" of any creature. There was no way he would be putting anyone's genitalia in his mouth or on his paws. He barked his refusal, snorting and shaking his maned head. He might be naked, but he had some dignity.

Word count: 213 words.
"Talk." || 'Think.' || 'Hear.'

Note: ---

ART BY BRIENASKYSONG

Alaric watched as Atreyu transitioned from standing still to a position of defense. He was quiet as he took it in, looking for any holes in the defense. A thing the young she wolf had forgotten or could improve upon. That's when he heard her companion, Bigs, barking than snorting towards his own companions. His gaze flickered over just in time to catch the scene and a small, amused, smirk graced his maws. His gaze flickered back to Atreyu. "Excuse my hounds." He told her, flicking his tail. "They do not fight with honor because there is no honor in survival. There is only survive or be killed." He explained to her, his sentence ending in a hum as he began to circle Atreyu. He was sizing her up, looking at her defenses. "So far so good..." He rumbled lowly. "Except one thing," He paused briefly. "Narrow your eyes slightly. Keep them ready in case any dirt or debris is thrown towards you in a distraction. Also, don't make your stance too wide. If you are too wide, you're off balance and at risk for over extended your limbs. You need it lined up perfectly to achieve the right mix of balance and defense. A general rule of thumb is to make your paws as wide as your shoulders, keeping them wide enough for better stability but not too wide." He told her, letting it all sink in. He stopped circling the young she wolf, now landing in front of her. "Are you ready to work on offense?" Finally, the true lesson. He would show her a move to use in a fight.


Maul and Cinder would tilt their heads slightly as they watched Bigs refuse the knowledge given to him. Cinder would shrug his shoulders indifferently while Maul snorted back and shook his head. Maul let the topic go it seemed. Now Maul straightened his posture and motioned Bigs to watch. Suddenly, the black cane corso had tackled the grey, lighter, Cinder to the ground. Cinder wiggled and struggled underneath the male but ultimately settled, accepting his position. Maul used a paw to point to Cinder than Bigs. He was trying to tell the little dog that Cinder was Bigs in the scenario. They were playing out a situation as if the little dog had been pinned. Maul waited until the little canine understood what he was trying to say. He looked at Cinder and barked, nodding his head. He placed his paws on Cinder's chest dominantly. Cinder would be calm and patience, making sure Bigs was watching before he would show Bigs a way to escape such a pin.

She kept her stance as he circled her and spoke, narrowing her eyes as instructed. She wondered briefly what kind of wolf would throw dirt at another, but she knew the answer. She had seen that kind of foul play before, in the wolves who had tricked her father and mother. It was good that Alaric had thought of the possibility, Atreyu always assumed everyone would follow the code of honor in fighting. He was right though, there was no honor in survival. Atreyu herself had fallen pretty far in trying to survive after the genocide, but she did retain some sense of the word. 'Are you ready to work on offense?' Alaric asked her, and without saying a word she nodded her head with a smirk.

Bigs watched the pair of dogs without blinking, which could get unnerving because of his beady little chihuahua eyes. Still, he paid attention to the motions of Cinder and Maul without flinching, noting the way Cinder was pinned and devising his own ways out of such a hold. Being small if the opponent's feet were anywhere near his mouth they would receive a nasty bite to the toe, but if he was unlucky and they happened to be his size, Bigs might have an issue. He paid attention without interrupting this time, his ears erect and pointed right at Maul while his eyes took in everything.

"Talk." || Think || 'Hear.'

code by bird, art by alo

Alaric listened and watched for any signs of readiness from Atreyu as he thought of a good offensive move to teach her. His mind racked over his own experiences, what he was use to in battle. Moments of thought later, he had settled on an idea. "I'm going to show you a move." He told her finally, his eyes scanning to see if she was ready. "I will do this gently, just let your body move naturally with it or otherwise you may hurt yourself." He told her firmly. He waited until she showed signs of agreement before exhaling. He counted to three mentally before charging forwards. He ducked under Atreyu and used his maws to grip at the soft underside of her belly. He had a firm but bloodless grip. He would push forwards with this grip harshly while twisting her maws slightly, using the combined momentum mixed with the tenderness of the area to get Atreyu to fall either to her side or onto her back.

Maul noticed Bigs was watching and pointed to Cinder. Cinder was using his front paws to now push on the limb that was holding him down while simultaneously moving his body to the side. The combined movement was making it hard for Maul to keep a steady grip, eventually Cinder had been able to squirm his way out of the grip. Cinder rolled out from underneath Maul and then looked to Bigs and tilted his head. As if to say: 'Need to see it again?'.

Alaric told her he would show her a move to use against an opponent, and Atreyu nodded in agreement. Yes, she was always open to learning new things and this was one of the most important. She would need to defend a pack one day, if she were to be a good queen, she would have to get strong in all the ways possible. There was no room for mistakes or carelessness. When Alaric suddenly sprang forward, Atreyu had to fight her instincts to react, waiting to be shown just what to do. Going for her underbelly, Alaric pushed at the same time, knocking her off balance. She recovered to her cat-like paws quickly by rolling over in the direction he pushed her, trying not to let him have her belly. That was a good move, and she would store it in her bag of tricks for later when it mattered.

Bigs watched closely as Maul and Cinder demonstrated how to get out of the pin that they were in. Cinder asked silently if Bigs wanted to see it again, to which Bigs replied with a silent nod of his own. 'How would I go about getting out of a pin? I am only so big.' The chihuahua mix said, wondering genuinely about how he could get out from under the paw of someone's predatory companion. Perhaps, he could bite a toe, or sink his teeth into an ankle.

"Talk." || Think || 'Hear.'

code by bird, art by alo

Alaric's attack had been successful, Atreyu had been knocked off her balance. However, the spotted wolf quickly regain her balance and got to her feet. Alaric would not attack again and stepped back. He nodded towards her. "A good counter." He rumbled, a smile appearing on his maws. "We can stop here, allow Maul and Cinder to wrap things up with their lesson." He told her, giving her plenty time to respond. "We can continue in our next session." He told her. He felt like they covered a lot of grounds in this lesson. "Next lesson will be strictly offensive." He told her.

Maul would shift his gaze to Cinder and then fall silent. The cane corso seemed to be in deep thought. He motioned Cinder back into his back and placed his paws once more on the chest of the other dog. Cinder began to kick with his back legs and wiggle intensely, wiggling his body side to side as he kicked with his back legs. Cinder also leaned forwards and tried to bite at the forearm of the leg. The commotion was enough to break free. Once Cinder was freed, Maul stepped back and glanced at the little dog. 'Got it?' He seemed to ask as he tilted his head.