Rhyme was still in slight disbelief as he waltzed over the borders of Abaven. He had started early that morning renewing the scent markers as alpha. When he had joined Abaven the Imperialis hadn't imagined Shaye would ask him to be co-alpha but here he was suddenly. Of course upset was the last word he might use to describe his feelings about the promotion. His father's words were repeated over in his head and the look of disappointment on his features had not left his mind's eye. The thought only made Rhyme more determined. He was going to whip these pups into shape, they may not have the greatness of Imperium running through their veins but surely they were just as capable as the old Imperium wolves. If they weren't Rhyme was about to get them there. He was still determined to make his father proud and if getting the wolves of Abaven into shape wasn't enough he didn't know what was.

He finished his rounds with nothing interesting happening and decided now was as good a time as any. With an eager smile playing on his lips he found himself a field by the rapids. The roar of the water calmed him as he took in his surroundings. A perfect place to practice their battle skills. He debated for a moment if he wished to separate everyone into pairs, but he had a better idea. He wanted a mock battle. He didn't know how much knowledge these wolves had. With the confusion of battle he'd be able to more clearly see strengths and weaknesses.

He had a plan in mind, now all that was left was to put it in practice. He'd take a steadying breath before throwing up his head and sending out a summoning call. Those capable of battle were to appear before him. He'd see where they were and go from there, baby steps to greatness.

Rhyme was taking to his new responsibilities with a flourish. He was quick to agree to the trio training she proposed, timing them each on a different day, with her leading hunting, Vail on Healing, and Rhyme calling the fighter training.

When his howl sung out, as expected, Shaye dropped the rabbit she had freshly caught, adding it to the small pile of their fresh kill, before falling into an easy lop towards the Rapids. She nodded approvingly at the flat field he had decided upon, glancing about it for hazards, more for her own sake than anyone else's she would mentally admit with a grin.

She had enough on her plate learning to fight, that she didn’t need to add tripping to her list of worries. She took a seat before him, offering him a nod and a smile as she waited for others to arrive. The warrior training in particular she thought was a skill the wolves of Abaven could benefit from.

It seemed that Shaye was making good on her promise to provide them with training, since it wasn't long after the healer training that a masculine voice called the pack again, this time for fight training. Arpeggio's ears pricked with interest. Fight training. Her mother would turn in her grave to know that her baby girl was going to be fighting - not because she disapproved of fighting, though she would certainly have been saddened at the necessity, but because Peggy was her youngest, her baby, and she'd undoubtedly be worried despite the feisty nature she had known Peggy possessed. But Peggy firmed her jaw and lifted her head high. She hadn't known enough about fighting to stop the Abraxas takeover of the pack, when she was a yearling. She'd promised young Corvus that things would get better, that she'd make sure of it. And she was going to be ready and prepared to keep that promise, come hell or high water. If that meant fighting for that better tomorrow then she damn well would. In a bounding run, she breezed past Corvus' den with a yip for her cousin if he was still there. "Cor! I'll race you there!" she barked, then broke into a sprint. She skidded in to where they were meeting, panting and glancing around to see if she'd beaten Corvus or if he'd been ready enough for her challenge for the much longer-legged boy to make up the distance. He might not even have been at his den when she'd made her flyby. She wasn't entirely surprised to see Shaye and the tall dark male there already when she power-slid across the level ground to a halt, though she was disappointed and a little worried that Caelestis hadn't beaten her there. She'd thought the fiery young woman would jump at the chance to be in fight training, and had been looking forward to seeing her there and maybe sparring with her. Well, maybe she was just faster than everyone else. The run had definitely warmed up her young body's muscles, and she was more than ready to get this started. "Shaye," she greeted with a carefully-casual tilt of her head to the alpha, though her eyes sparked and gleamed from the run. ""

"AAAAAH!" She shrieked as she flew across the border, sprinting like her life depended on it. An urge to go visit the cliffs had struck her that morning after she'd returned from one of many recent adventures, so when the heard the faint call it was a relatively lengthy run to get back. Thank goodness she hadn't actually made it to the cliffs or she'd be too tired to participate!

Racing alongside the rapids, she booked it to the spot where everyone was gathering, and managed to trip her way into the middle of the group. After a dramatic somersault, Cael swiftly righted herself and - once she'd assessed that all her limbs were in order and she was in fact fine - turned to see who all was actually there.

Grinning, she scooted over to sit by Peggy. I didn't miss anything yet, did I?" she asked with a wag of her tail as she tried to steady her breathing a bit. Not even late. Damn, she was good.

At the last minute Vail decided she would appear at fight training. While she has no intention to actually spar with anyone she knew it might be a good opportunity for Rhyme to give her some advice. Notch flew ahead of her, guiding her to the clearing that held all of the other wolves ready to test their skills. Timidly she approached where Rhyme stood, and she could only imagine the look of surprise on his and Shaye's features as she walked closer to them. However unexpected her appearance was everything made sense in Vail's mind. She was as independent as possible, and she couldn't rely on others to protect her. She needed to at least know how to defend herself, and hopefully never have to use those skills. Better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them. 

Her smile faltered slightly as she greeted the two alphas. Shaye, her beloved sister turned leader. And Rhyme, her once slave cousin eager to prove himself. Surely he would be able to teach a mostly sightless wolf to hold her own in battle.

Corvus wasn't sure what the hell he was doing. Abaven seemed weird now - not that it hadn't always been a bit weird, at least from how he remembered it. It was full of wolves that were both family and yet strangers, who seemed intent on restoring Abaven to some kind of glory, like back when his parents had been kids. He wasn't fully trusting of them, if he was being honest, but with his mom sick and his dad preoccupied with her he wasn't about to bother either of them with his worries. Even Peggy had promised him that things would get better, and he was trying to believe her, even if deep down he really didn't. The sound of a rather unfamiliar call ringing out across the lands momentarily startled him, though he slowly roused to lift himself onto all fours and head toward the front of his den. The sound of approaching pawsteps made him pause, though he quickly came to reality when he heard Peggy's voice. At least she was a constant presence, and he found himself growing more fond of his cousin lately, leaning on her when he wasn't sure who else to go to. Despite dreading a training session, he found himself grinning slightly and moving to follow after her. She had a pretty good lead on him, and instead of replying he simply took off after her, racing toward the group that had gathered. Though he gained some distance on her, she still (unsurprisingly) beat him. Still, the brief sprint had left him feeling in a slightly better mood, more energetic than when he'd first heard the call, and he offered his cousin a friendly grin. "Morning," he offered her, panting slightly. He turned his attention to the two older, darker-coated wolves, dipping his muzzle in quiet respect. Though unsure how much this would benefit anyway - maybe he was just naturally cynical - he was willing to give it an honest shot, to better himself for his family.

As Rhyme's call came to an end his bicolored eyes returned to the horizon in time to see Shaye appear in the clearing. He smiled at her figure as she made her way to his side. She was the reason he had come so far so quickly and he wasn't about to disappoint her now. He nodded in return as the next arrival came skidding to a halt before them. He raised an eyebrow at the young Peggy, he believed her name was. She had been at healer training before this. He smiles at her as well as she greeted Shaye warmly. 

The next to drop in Rhyme wasn't sure he recognized at all, had she been at the first meeting? He smiles warmly at her eagerness as she picked herself up and dusted herself off. He shook his head in amusement as the last wolf he expected to see appeared. 

Little rose colored Vail, the lead healer of Abaven. "Are you here to make sure no one gets hurt?" He asked the dainty woman as she came to sit before him. 

He was distracted one more time by what he assumed would be the last arrival, a large young man who seemed more comfortable with the younger wolves. He seemed respectful and Rhyme couldn't help but take a liking to the boy on first impressions. He nodded back in greeting before having a look around to see if anyone else might show up. 

"Well if this is everyone we might as well get started. Welcome to warrior training everyone, my name is Rhyme and I'll be your instructor today." He found a confidence that was projected through his voice. "To start I thought we might be a little unconventional. We are going to stage a mock battle. Vail will stand back with me while Shaye and.. Peggy right? Will be on one side and the other two on the opposite team. I'd appreciate having both of your names," he encouraged as he backed away a bit. "I'd like to gauge your skills before we get into one on one bouts. So, when you're ready begin."

Ooc- I'm thinking two rounds for the mock battle- everyone okay with 3 day time limit on fight rounds?

The fighter training seemed to gather a much more excited crowd then any other yet. With first Arpeggio bounding into view, offering her a quick greeting. Shaye nodded her head in return, a smile hinted at in the corner of her muzzle, as she gave the girl an approving smile. After all, it had been Arpeggio who had pushed for training.

Next was Caelestis, who appeared with a great deal more energy and vigor then she had when Shaye had first met her. She seemed happier too, grinning as she placed herself down beside the orange wolf. Next would be Vail, a face Shaye was slightly surprised to see in attendance. Of course, it was good to have the lead healer present when there was fighting going on. She let her nuzzle reach forward and brush against Vail’s in greeting, before settling herself down again.

Corvus would arrive, signalling the last of those to turn up for before Rhyme began the meeting. She gave the brown coated young wolf a quick nod in return to his morning greeting, and another smile. She was eager to see them participating.

Rhyme would lay out his plan quickly enough, and Shaye moved to the indicated area. She would have Peggy on her side, with Corvus and Cael on the other side. She stretched quickly, before letting her body fall into what was becoming a familiar stance.
She spread out her paws, digging her claws into the earth. She bent her knees slightly, strengthening her center of gravity. She lowered her head, tucking her chin in and raising her shoulders forward, bunching the skin around her neck. She narrowed her eyes to make them a smaller target, and pinned her ears to her skull.

There wasn't too much time to chatter and be excited, they got right down to business and the man who'd summoned them for training - who she recognized from the meeting Shaye had introduced herself at as the new Alpha - would welcome them and get things started. His name was Rhyme, she filed it away for later. Cael's ears shot forward at the mention of a mock battle; that sounded real exciting, oh man, she could hardly wait to get started! Casting glances to either side looking to meet Peggy and Covrus' eyes, she grinned.

As Shaye dropped into a fighting stance, Caelestis was quick to follow suit. Her legs moved to be equidistant, carefully places under her shoulders and hips, claws digging into the soil. Ears fell flat, eyes narrowed, lips peeled back and muzzle wrinkled into a snarl while she rolled her shoulders forward to push her scruff up over her neck and her hackles rose. Next her tail flagged out behind her, even with her spine and last but not least she tucked her chin neatly down to protect her throat. Every time she set her defenses she remembered playfully sparring as a kid with that flame-colored wolf and it brought a faint smile to her lips.

The big male separated them into two teams without any preamble, no lesson, just sink-or-swim melee fighting. Arpeggio hesitated, brow furrowing. She'd never learned to fight, what on earth was she supposed to do? But Caelestis grinned at her, excited, and Peggy couldn't help but grin back. The other girl's enthusiasm fanned the flames of her own again, and she bounced on her toes. "You guys are going down," she stage-whispered playfully to her cousin and Cael. She bounced towards the alpha, then spun around to face her friends, her opponents.

Sneaking a glance at the alpha, who presumably did actually know how to fight, and at Caelestis, who surely also did, she sought to copy their stances, with her ears pinned back and her eyes narrowed, her paws spread and her legs squared up. She raised her hackles, but her tail wagged wildly behind her, and her teeth were bared not in a snarl but a grin. She bounced once on her toes, then flung herself towards Caelestis. Rearing back on her haunches, she tried to slam her chest into the front of the other girl's chest, forelegs seeking to wrap around her neck. She hoped that the momentum and unexpectedness of her charge since no one else had yet attacked would knock Cael over, like when she'd wrestled with her brothers as a pup, but just in case she attempted to cling to her neck like a monkey. Her teeth flashed as she snapped towards Cael's face, but she hesitated, and pulled the blow hard, so that her teeth would hit with way less force than strictly necessary even for a practice fight, aiming to close over the right side of Cael's muzzle with her upper jaw over and her lower jaw under Cael's muzzle.

Corvus found that his mood was lifted from the brief but rewarding race, so much so that the thought of one of these family members (who were all but strangers to him) leading some kind of training wasn't as annoying as it might normally be. He did want to learn how to fight, he truly did, so he figured he'd make the most of it. At least he was practice sparring against familiar company, which pleased him. He nodded to both of the older wolves, focusing on Rhyme as he spoke up and gave them instructions. He wanted to start by jumping right into a fight to assess their skills in the fray of battle, which excited him. "Corvus," he introduced himself, watching as Shaye and Peggy got placed on one side while he and Caelestis got placed on another. He wasn't totally sold on actually fighting his cousin, but he'd give it a shot if he had to. At Peggy's playful threat, he found his tail beginning to wag behind him in eagerness. "We'll see about that," he shot back playfully, a slight smile tugging at his lips. He zeroed in on his cousin as she settled into her defenses, copying her as best as he could. Centering his weight seemed like a good start, his ears pinning back against his skull and his head lowering slightly. When Peggy went charging for him instead of Caelestis, he wasn't sure whether to be disappointed or not - he didn't want to risk hurting his cousin, but that left him to fight Shaye, who surely had more experience than him. She was a bit older though, nearly as old as his dad if he had to guess, and he didn't like the thought of accidentally hurting her either.. but she was likely experienced, and nearly met his height, so maybe it'd be a better matchup than he initially thought. He only hesitated for a moment before kicking off, charging toward Shaye and attempting to lift his forelimbs up to wrap around her neck and hopefully knock her off balance.

Rhyme stepped back and watched as his pupils took their places, they seemed excited as was he. All of them seemed to have a good grasp of their defenses, he doubted he would have to work much of that aspect. Arpeggio and Corvus were the first to make their attacks, he felt confident in Peggy’s attempts but observed that Corvus was not as creative. There was no attack with his teeth, and he knew for certain that they would be focusing on their attacks for the majority of beginner lessons. He leaned back on his haunches with Vail beside him. She had asked for a little one on one counseling, and while he observed the fight he’d offer a little of what he knew. "You’ll want to be sure to keep your defenses strong. With not being able to see well your opponents will easily take advantage of you. Keep your eyes narrowed, remember to center your weight and be careful of your balance. Raise your hackles to protect the back of your neck, and tuck your tail to help defend your belly or let it stand straight behind you to help keep your balance." He’d never trained a mostly blind wolf before, he hoped he was helping her. ""

Seeing Corvus set himself up, and hearing the sounds of the others already engaging in battle, she grinned. Her ears stayed pinned back, eyes narrowed. Paws were spread evenly, and knees bent. Her teeth bared, her shoulders raised. Remembering an attack Rhyme had unleashed on her, Shaye shifted her weight to her back paws, and launched herself forward. She wasn’t certain she did the move as much justice as Rhyme had She angled to her right as Corvus dove at her front on, and met his attack somewhere in the middle. He would raise his paws, and she would shove her left shoulder upwards like a battering ram as she aimed to slam her shoulder into the left shoulder of Corvus. Her weight moved partially to her left side to push her weight into the attack, well digging in with her claws on all four feet to keep her balance. His paws would wrap around her, through if her attack made it, he might find raising his left shoulder all the way up difficult with her weight pressed against it. With his front paws off the ground, she would aim to drive her weight further and further into him in the hopes of knocking him unbalanced. Her jaws would loosen, widening as she attempted to go for the soft base of her opponent's ear. If they found purchase, she would tug on the appendage, both to distract him and to draw blood. She would not tug hard enough to do any serious damage. "Talk" "You" Think

For a moment her stance broke as her tail swung rapidly side to side. "Hah, we can take you," Cael shot back to Peggy before casting a quick look to Corvus. She wasn't super sure how much if anything he knew about fighting, but she liked to think he'd at least hold his own. If not, she was always up for a challenge, maybe she'd just fight both opponents.

A blurr of motion caught her attention and she swung her head back in time to see Peggy careening closer. Digging her toes a little harder into the ground, Caelestis prepared for impact while gritting her teeth. Her tail stayed flagged out to aid her balance when Peggy made contact, slamming into her so they were toe to toe- or rather, chest to chest. With Peggy's legs wrapped around her neck, Cael found herself stuck in a close-up fight.

Attempting to mimic the tactic of surprising her opponent, Cael quickly shifted her weight to her mind legs, seeking to wrap her left arm around Arpeggio's right side just behind peggy's shoulder while simultaneously throwing herself hard to the right. The goal was to unbalance the other girl and send them both crashing to the ground, where Cael would have a chance of regaining the upper hand. In the midst of the scuffle the bite that was aimed at Cael's muzzle would land on her cheek, leaving some minor bruises but not breaking the skin.

Using the proximity to her advantage, Cael sought to pull her face away and get a hold on Arpeggio's throat, aiming to get her lower jaw on the right side and upper on the left of peggy's throat right beneath the back of the snowy-pelted woman's jaw.

Corvus was wildly unfamiliar with fighting in general, and he wasn't totally sure if he was even doing anything right. It was hard to ignore Caelestis and Peggy next to them as they charged into one another, and though he was supposed to be cheering for Caelestis he couldn't help but quietly root for his cousin just the same. His attention was mostly focused in on Shaye though, and as he dove for her and tried to wrap his arms around her neck she shifted to meet him halfway. He felt the impact of Shaye's shoulder against his own, forcing him down and preventing him from fully getting his limbs around her shoulders. The pressure was enough to knock him off-balance, as he shifted his legs to attempt to keep himself upright on the ground. He was surprised when he felt the sting of her teeth at the base of his ear. Having not been expecting it, he hadn't been able to pull away, and he winched as he felt Shaye's teeth in his flesh. For some reason he hadn't been sure if their fight would get very physical - she was family, after all, and older than him - but he felt a rewarding rush of adrenaline that urged him on. He attempted to shift within her slight grasp, ducking a bit lower and aiming to part his jaws and clamp them down on the highest part of her right forelimb, hoping maybe he could somehow force her to lose her own grip on him.

As he spoke to Vail the slate alpha watched the inexperienced future warriors stumble over themselves in what might have been their first attempts at battle. Instead of feeling overwhelmed like he might have Rhyme had hope. If they continued with the passion that he could so evidently see in these wolves he would have a fighting forcer worth displaying. They did had a lot of work to go though. He would need very much to apprentice them out, and hopefully they might attract some more experienced fighters into Abaven. He’d need a second to help him designate drills and patrols.. But he was getting ahead of himself. He glanced back at Vail as she lingered at his side. "You’ll want to stay in close contact with any wolves that do attack you. You might not be able to dodge damage very well but it’ll be better than guessing where your opponent is. Don’t let them get any momentum on you, and don’t be afraid to try and hit those sensitive areas." She was a healer, surely she knew where to bite to do the most damage. Not that she would exactly know where those places might be, but she could try for them. ""

Her charge brought her slamming against Caelestis eye to eye, and she froze up at the sudden close proximity with her heart all pitter-patter. Wow, she'd never seen Cael's eyes up close, and the sea green beside the pink, the lines of deeper color that always starburst through irises at close proximity, the touch of her dark fur against Peggy's own pale pelt...

And then reality came crashing back when suddenly she found herself flipped over and actually crashing down into the dirt when Caelestis tipped them both over. She let out an undignified squeak, and she definitely did not come out on top but rather got herself pinned beneath the larger girl. Surely blushing crimson in embarrassment beneath her fur, she squirmed wildly, trying to flip over onto her back to bring all four paws up in an attempt to push Cael up and away from her. She barely had time to duck her head before Cael could get her throat, so that the older girl's jaws clutched her scruff instead. Her own jaws she aimed in an attempted grab at Cael's lower right leg, twisting her head to the side and being careful to keep her vulnerable ears pinned back and her scruff bunched up with her hackles raised to confuse any grip Cael could get there, so that she might only end up with a mouthful of fur and skin if she tried for another bite.

Cael, oblivious to all things as per usual, didn't notice the strange look from Peggy, still totally focused on winning the fight any way she could. Fighting she did much less often than exploring, but it was just as much if not more of a rush. Her attempt to knock over Peggy worked and they hit the ground with a thud, Cael somehow coming out on top. A flicker of a smile pulled at her lips before she'd sought to bite Peggy.

As Peggy scrambled to turn and push Cael away, Caelestis simply let her weight sink down hoping to maintain her place a bit longer. With a bit of fur from peggy's scruff still clinging to her tongue - ugh - She sought to counter the bite by letting it land and using the chance to reach down and close her own jaws over Peggy's upper jaw, Cael's upper jaw aiming for the left side and her lower for the right.

In a bid to do something more productive and creative, Cael moved her weight over her front legs while Peggy pushed with her own paws with little effect. Lifting her hind feet off the ground, Cael sought to drop both back paws and a good bit her her weight down on Arpeggio's gut.