-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One thing Ray had wanted to learn for some time now, was the ability to fight. She never had a chance to get around to her, and her friendly giant of a father hadn't given her many pointers. She had been too young to train before her kidnapping, at least thats what her father had told her. She brushed away the familiar, bitter feelings aimed at her father and strolled out onto the bleak grounds of the battlefield. There was some danger in stepping out into this open place and calling forth for a mentor, but it was a risk she was going to take. She had always been bold, and her adventures had only mildly curbed it. She was never going to be taken against her will again, she was never going to be used to gain the obedience of someone she loved. She was never going to be taken from Tar's side, and to keep these promises to him and herself, she was going to learn a valuable skill. She prowled the unfamiliar territory of the battlegrounds, felt her paws brush against the rough earth, and the crackle of dry grass beneath her feet. The summer had not been kind, and she still felt the oppressive brush of heat, even in the embrace of Autumn. She was stalling, and she knew it, so she settled her paws, standing still, and raised her head to the warm air, and howled. She was searching for a friendly match, someone knowledgeable, and willing to work with a young wolf. "Speech"

It had been quite some time since the aging man had been able to stretch his legs and wander towards the battlefield. He should be focusing on his own pack and preparing the tournament, but there was just something that called him here today. It was probably because he was very rusty in fighting now, it had been while since he had had an opponent. He didn't want to host a fighting festival if he wasn't in shape himself. With a sigh he shook out his legs, taking off at a trot towards the brittle field. Finding someone to practice on would be no problem, and then he could go home and teach Merlin a thing or two. When he neared, a howl caught his attention. Golden eyes roved across the plain when he spotted the lady who called, a flash of familiarity crossing his eyes. Was that not Glacier's daughter? He hadn't heard anything from the Elementas since their pack fell, and with a small smile he trod over. Dipping his brown marked head towards her, Bass looked at her with a pleasant smile on his lips. "You're an Elementas, aren't you? I believe I met your father and your... uncle I think?" he asked, wracking his head for the electric man's name. Ah, Voltage! Taking a seat in front of her, his head tilted to the side slightly as he appraised the young woman. She was younger than his second litter, although he didn't think that it was by too much at least. His paternal emotions took over, she didn't smell much like any other wolf except one male. Was her family gone? Frowning, he didn't comment on it and instead moved on. "Are you looking for a spar today?" "SPEAK!"

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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- She didn't have to wait long before a white male responded to her call. She watched him trott over, and smile at her, and her ears perked up. This wolf looked perfect for what she wanted to ask of her spar partner, he looked experienced and friendly. She felt an odd twinge of familiarity, but she couldn't place where it was from. The man stopped before, and the first three words out of his mouth toppled her thought train like an avalanche. Her mouth popped upon, and she stared at him in astonishment. It took her a moment to realign her scrambled thoughts, and when she did, she to fight the urge to bowl him over and hug him. He was a familiar face, he knew her family! She jumped on the spot, trying to contain herself, and when she spoke, it was in an excited rush, tripping over herself to get the words out as quickly as her lips could move. “You knew my family? You knew my family! What can you remember about the Elementas, what do you know about them? When did you see one of us last? Do you know where they are, my family?” she huffed for breath, having taken no pauses in her words, and it was only after her terribly gushing that she got control of herself. The pinning, pleading look was still in her eyes, but she seated herself back on her rump and managed to keep still, other then the occasional agitated twitch of her tail. “Yes, and no, I'm searching for a spar, and a few lessons, if you have the patience and the time for it?” she asked him softly. "Speech"

Her sudden burst of energy startled him, his body rocking backwards slightly as he lifted a front limb in alarm. Her words were hard to follow as they came rushing out of her maw, asking about her family. His face grew somber as he relaxed, taking a seat in front of the bundle of excitement. "I’m sorry dear… I haven’t seen them in a long time. We only talked about boring pack stuff, and not much else. I wish I could help you..." he broke off, because he couldn’t. It had been seasons since he had even heard them in the south, the pack lands had grown stale without a single trace of the wolves who had claimed it at their home. The look on her face was enough to break his heart, the father in him instantly wanted to scoop her up and take her home with him. His ears flicked back, a quiet huff leaving his maw. He knew what it was like to miss your family, he knew it well. She went on though, saying that she was searching for lessons over a spar, if he was able to. Eagerly the aging gentleman nodded, he would be able to at least do this favor for her. "A lesson it is, then. Do you know the basics of fighting, how to stand and how to set your defenses?" From how long her family had been gone in his mind, they may not have even be able to go over the very beginning of fighting. And he had patience, he was Merlin’s father after all. "SPEAK!"

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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The wolf settled down before her, and she shifted in her own seated position, impatient for his answer. His words cooled her excitement, and her ears sagged against her skull. For just a moment, for a wonderful, brilliant, moment, she thought she had found the breakthrough she had been looking for. Of course it was asking too much, she should have realised it was too good to be true. Her family was simply... gone. No one had seen a trace of them. “That's okay at least you knew them” she smiled tentatively, and her ears perked up a little. Even if he couldn't lead her to her family, he was still a familiar face, a small piece of her lost past. “I... no, I've learned a little about protecting myself on the go, but I've never learned any proper forms” she admitted, wonderfing if he would daunted at the idea of starting from scratch with her. She wanted this man to teach her more now then she had before. She wanted to keep him in her life, this reminder, this wolf who had known her father. It made him feel like a sweet grandfatherly figure, and she didn't want to let that go now that she had found him. "Speech"

There was no doubt that Bass was a father figure for many, it was hard to not be seen that way with his sweet nature and his drive to protect. He had always been a bit of a soft wolf, and this girl had just stolen his heart away. Her sad look made him want to hand her the world, but he couldn't do that. Letting out a soft whine, he leaned forward and attempted to brush his nose over her cheek, a form of comfort. "I promise that I will keep an eye out for them, okay sweetie? I will call you if I find anyone at all," his golden eyes grew more fierce, a promise that he intended on keeping. He couldn't afford to outwardly go out on a full out hunt, but his nose and eyes would be peeled for any member of the Elementas family. He knew their scent well enough, and he would do that for this girl. He still hadn't learned her name, but that was okay. She was so focused on everything at once that it probably just left her mind, and he wouldn't press matters. When she said that she had hardly learned a thing, he nodded his head and smiled sweetly at her. "That's good! We all have to start somewhere," his voice was kind, sweet and understanding. He almost felt like he had to be delicate with the young wolf, like she might shatter if he touched her too hard. To lose family was like losing a piece of yourself, something he knew oh so well. His thoughts drifted to his own siblings, each of them leaving one by one. It was just him and his kids now, not even his mate had distanced herself from him. But the man blew out a sharp breath, this wasn't the time or place to be thinking on that right now. Focusing on the blue marked child, he slowly nodded his head again. "Alright, show me what you know for defenses and we will go from there," he instructed, although his tone remained light. He could become a bit of a drill Sargent when it came to things like this, but he tried his best to stay gentle. "SPEAK!"

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