It was time for fight training. With a purposeful gait, Avalon made her way to the plains. She woke up with a changed attitude, the drive to want to be productive and not laze about. Having the responsibilities of an alpha had fallen away, but she was missing that to be honest. It was her depression and feelings of inferiority that had led her to want to step down, but now she was kind of missing all that responsibility. At least it had given her something to do. Now she was reduced to training the next generation, not something that she minded in the slightest. She could prepare them for the future, to be warriors, diplomats, hunters...whatever they wished. With Tanaraq perched on one of the trees that dotted the landscape, Avalon would throw her head back to summon the apprentices (and any adults who wished to join in). They would be doing hands on training, since she figured it would be a better way to learn as opposed to just talking about it. Okami might be reluctant, but she knew her daughter could be a great warrior if she really applied herself. She was confident that they could all do it if they really wanted to. So she stood and waited for them all to arrive. OOC// ALL Fledgelings are required to attend (Optional for non-apprentices). Failure to do so will result in punishment! Deadline to post first round is March 12th. "Talk" "You" Think

What was this? His mother was calling a training? Finally! With a quick step, he rushed as fast as he could to wherever his mother was waiting for them. He had been waiting for training to start, and since they'd been assigned mentors, they hadn't trained yet. But now at least, things were getting started. He wanted to do what he could to help protect and serve his pack, and how could he do that if he didn't know anything? Granted, he learned some things here and there on his own and a bit from his late father, but not enough to really be of any use unless someone got a cold or...something like that. He didn't have the knowledge to heal any major wounds, either. So those were just some of the things he wanted to learn, and he knew there were probably tons of things he didn't know about quite yet! As his mother came into view, he would come to find that he was the first one to arrive! Wagging his tail, he approached Avalon with a happy bark as he rubbed against her side, licking her along the way. "Heya Mom! Glad to see you're out and about!" He chuckled as he moved to sit in front and waited for the other apprentices to show up.

She hadn't really been training since mentors were assigned. And she briefly wondered if any of her other siblings, or rather, apprentices, had started training already. Mom had been in a weird funk for a while, and she knew it was because of her father on top of all the stress and drama that had happened before she passed the pack to her older brother. She had thought about going to her mothers room in the castle to see how she was doing, but halfway there, she suddenly heard her mothers howl in the plains. Stopping in her tracks, she listened in mild surprise. She was calling them together for training? She was a little excited, and also scared. Her mother mostly taught fighting, and Okami was kind of wary about fighting. Not that she wouldn't do it, but she wasn't sure exactly how. But this might not even be a fight training, right? Maybe it was a history lesson, or something else? She supposed there was one way to find out. The large girl made her way to the plains with a steady, ground eating lope. Long limbs carried her bulk easily and with little effort. Soon, she could smell not only Avalon and Tanaraq, but her brother Arke was there too! Her tail wagged upon seeing them both, and evidently both were also in good spirits, which put Okami in better spirits then usual too. "Hi mom. Arke." She approached the two, giving each one an affectionate nuzzle before sitting near Arke's right shoulder, tail wagging. She wondered if Afrit would show up? Or...no...Charm had already left...that thought saddened her, and she hoped her sister was doing okay. "Talk" "You" Think

The male was chewing on the bone of his most recent kill when he heard his former Alphess' call. Head lifted, ears perked as his blue eyes glittered. She was calling for a training? About time. He hadn't even started with his own mentor yet and was growing intensely bored, so without hesitation he rose and lumbered in the direction of Avalon's call. He had gotten a taste of his first fight with some loser that had proven to be no challenge for him, and the weirdo woman he hadn't seen since then either. He hoped this was a fight training, he could do to let out some aggression or at least do something. He had debated going to the battlefield to relieve his boredom, and he wasn't sure why he hadn't gone yet. The boneyard in Auster was silent. All the action seemed to be in Boreas, but he figured that was probably where the majority of the population was. Maybe some day Auster would get more action, but for now maybe this training would suffice. He arrived to see the Alphess' brats there, but that was it. Narrowed eyes looked at the two that were there, but he said nothing as he sat down and waited for further instruction. Maybe after this he'd take off and go find some sort of entertainment... "Talk"

Afrit had spent the majority of her time wandering around the northern parts of Auster. Mostly she'd frequented to Bifrost, but ever since she'd run into Heather she hadn't come across anyone else. She'd done her best to stick as close to Talis as possible to ensure she didn't miss anything important. She'd been eagerly awaiting the day she'd start her training with her mother which was an exciting prospect. She hadn't seen much of Avalon since they'd moved here, hadn't seen much of anyone really, but it was mostly because she'd been trying to learn every nook and cranny o this new continent. She was certainly excited to start training so needless to say, when Avalon howled, she racing towards her mother as fast as her legs could carry her. When she arrived her eyes first fell on her two siblings and then lastly one of Liar's kids. He was still here? She looked around once more but didn't see Charm anywhere which she thought was odd. In fact she couldn't recall seeing her around at all lately. Where was she? Shrugging it off for the moment she padded up to her mother and planted a kiss on her cheek with a wide grin. "Hey mom!" Her tail waved back and forth happily. "I can't wait to get started!" Walk, "Talk" Think

They had gotten here not too long ago, but already Valor was out and about while their father rested. It was obvious the trip hadn't been easy on him and he knew Creed would most likely want to rest and then catch up with the rest of the family. In the mean time he figured that, to kill some time, exploring these new and foreign lands wasn't a bad idea. He could see the appeal to the place - they had a wide open field that he imagined blossomed wonderfully in the summer time, and they even had an interesting tower of rocks that was hollowed out in the inside. He'd already discovered that they made great dens and had a lot of interesting and strange objects inside. His exploration was interrupted at the sound of a howl. Dark ears flicked forward curiously as he vaguely recognized the voice to belong to the woman he'd met at the borders. His Dad's cousin? Well now that he thought about it they were all cousins, somehow, but trying to think of how they were related made his brain hurt so he didn't focus on the thought for long. Instead he wrestled with the idea of attending this meeting. He wasn't a Talis member, but it wasn't like he had anything better to do. They wouldn't be returning home for a couple days and everything had been horribly silent at home. He could show up to a training, right? He supposed if he wasn't wanted then he could just leave to go explore again and if he could stay he'd learn something new so it was a win win situation either way. So he padded towards the meeting place and wasn't surprised to see two of the other kids he'd seen at the borders. He didn't spy Fable there yet. Would he even show up at all? Then there was a strange male there, older than him, another female that looked like she could be related to them, and then Avalon. He glanced around somewhat awkwardly, not sure where to sit, before taking a seat by himself not too far away from Avalon's other children. Walk, "Talk" Think

He was there, actually, just hidden. He had heard the call while he sat at their make shift den, creeping over to it and hunkering his large form in a bush. Fable wasn't sure if he was able to make himself known, it was called for the pack and he wasn't part of the pack. Their father said that they were just going to rest a bit before going home, it wasn't his place to sit in on a training. Licking at his inky lips he watched as others showed up, a flush warming his cheeks when he realized that he was spying on them. It wasn't any better than sitting there, so he turned to head back to the den. Just as he rose up, Valor walked over and sat down beside Avalon's kids. He blinked his blue and yellow eyes he paused, looking between his brother and the others. Well... if Valor was there then he could be too, right? If it was hunting they should help for being allowed to stay here, and if it was fighting then he could always spar with his brother. Plus it would be nice to get some practice in with other wolves! With a light in his eyes he stepped out of his hiding place, looking a bit sheepish as he revealed himself. The large male slowly padded over to Valor, sitting at his side and playfully bumping his shoulder against his own. He had only had one fight training with their father, he was tired all the time and Fable hadn't wanted to bother him. This would help him get more practice. His features dropped into a more stoic look as he focused on Avalon, but even that couldn't hide his determination that glowed in his bi-coloured eyes. "SPEAK"

Steel flinched when he heard the call for training. Though he'd been placed in the rank of hunter alongside his wife, he had interest in learning to fight. He was a father now, after all, and wanted to be able to protect his family if necessary. Still, it didn't stop a feeling of apprehension from creeping in. His wife had been scarce for some time now, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of loneliness creep in. Perhaps she was unhappy here? Or was she unhappy with him? He frowned at the thought as he pulled himself to all fours, and headed towards Avalon's call. No matter the cause of her lack of attention, he would do anything for her -- he only wanted her to be happy. His demeanor was stony and unreadable as he reached the gathering, noting he was one of the last to arrive. Offering a faint nod, he settled a bit away from the group. All of the wolves here other than Avalon were significantly younger than him, and he hoped he wouldn't make a fool of himself with his lack of knowledge. With a soft exhale, he flopped to his hindquarters and focused his attention on Avalon, wondering what this training would have to offer him.

Jade was late, too. The girl hadn't meant to be late, not really -- but she'd taken to exploring the ruins of the castle for the day, enthralled by its high-reaching walls. There were floors higher up, connected to the earth by crumbling staircases. She was certain she could reach some of those areas with a few careful jumps, but she was worried she might fall and injure herself. Nobody was nearby, either.. she wondered if Sterling or Cobalt might be interested in trying the adventure with her someday. Her aimless thoughts were broken by Avalon's call, instructing everyone to gather for fight training. She wasn't too interested in fighting, not really... but she wasn't disinterested either. After delaying for a bit longer, deciding today wouldn't be the day she would make the journey higher in the castle. With a slight sigh, the girl headed toward the groups. Upon reaching them, she noticed her father there and gravitated toward him with little thought, pressing her nose to her shoulder with a grin. Walk, "Talk" Think

Her children arrived first, all greeting her and she smiled, tail wagging as she greeted them. "Hello dears, it's nice to see you all. I hope you're as excited about this as I am!" She laughed a bit before the others came filing in. They all came. All except for Cobalt and Sterling. Sterling she understood, she had caught an illness along with her mother, Esarosa. But where had Cobalt gone off to? She hadn't seen nor scented the boy around the pack for sometime, and she was worried about that. Before she could think more on it, Steel arrived followed by his daughter, Jade. She smiled at them, nodding her head to the male in greeting. She didn't miss Valor and Fable, Creed's two sons had decided to join them during their visit to Talis, and she waved her tail in greeting. "Welcome Valor, Fable. Glad you could join us! You're welcome to come closer if you want, we're going to be doing fight training today!" She was glad they had come, it was refreshing to see some new faces and even more so to know that Creed had a family. Or at least, children. They were both getting up there in age, Creed a year older than her but it was nice to see he was doing the best he could with such fine young men. When she noted that no more would be arriving, she stood and shook out her pelt. Tanaraq watching from the tree above with keen interest. "Thank you for coming! Today, we're going to be practicing and honing our battle skills. Now whether or not you're interested in learning how to fight, it is a crucial skill you need to know so you can better protect yourself. We've gone over basics before, and I think that today we will be doing rather than listening and simply talking about it. I'm going to pair you off, and each pair is going to spar. But before I do, let me go over the basics as a refresher. First off, you want to be able to protect yourself as best as you can. It's not always best to remain on the offensive. Sometimes defensive actions can make or break a fight just as much as attacking. Remember, keep your ears pinned and eyes narrowed so that your opponent has a difficult time trying to grab at your ears, or messing with your sight. Rolling your shoulders forward and bunching your scruff can also help in protecting your neck; one of he most vulnerable parts on our bodies. Tucking your chin also helps protect your vital points. Our other vulnerable part is our stomach, and for the men, well...I'm sure you know. Tucking your tail will help you remain intact." She chuckled a little at that part, though she hoped they knew that already. "Having your weight centered and evenly distributed is also crucial to keeping your balance so you don't get knocked over, or knocked back. However, keep in mind that it is not always possible to remain evenly grounded. Depending on your or your opponents position during a fight, you will have to figure out ways how to keep your balance, such as when you are on your hind paws, or if you have three paws on the ground, you have to work around things like that so as not to compromise your balance. If your opponent manages to unbalance you, or knock you on your back, then that alone can sometimes have devastating results...and we don't want that. One thing that works well, is to always try and keep your legs shoulder and hip width apart. As well as toes spread and claws in the dirt. That will aid you greatly in keeping balance and traction, thus making it more difficult for someone to knock you down." She fell silent for a moment, amber gaze moving over the gathered as she tried to determine who would be paired up. There seemed to be an uneven number of them, but she would make it work. "Since there are an uneven number of participants, this is what we're going to do. I will pair us up, and whoever is left out can choose to either participate in a melee spar, where there will be three participants, or they can spar someone one on one after that spar has finished. So, let's get to it then, shall we?" She looked at them, thoughtful as names and faces came through her mind. "Steel, you and I will be sparring together. Next, is Jade and Valor. Okami and Fable. Afrit and Arke. That leaves Greed without a partner, so you can either participate in a melee or a solo spar. Is anyone interested in trying out a melee spar?" If nobody was, then she'd have to pair him with someone after they finished their spars. OOC//SO sorry for taking so long in replying! If anyone is interested in a melee spar, respond here. Otherwise, you can start separate threads for your spars or you can just do them in this thread. Please have them finished by April 9th! That's TWO weeks, I know you guys can do this <3 Minimum 2 rounds, but you can have more if you want as long as they're finished by the deadline please <3 let's try to have a completed fight training~ "Talk" "You" Think