Spring was about to draw to a close and Valdís had new duties as Mantle to attend to. She stepped out onto the battlefield dressed for business with her companions by her side. She was used to training herself, she wasn't quite sure how to go about training others. To get herself in the right frame of mind for battle she decided to head to the battlefield as a warm up. In the mean time she was hoping inspiration would strike and she could discover a useful training technique. For the most part the young warrior decided the best thing to do was to call the warriors of Legion together to see what she was working with and where their skills were. From there they could focus on areas of improvement, fighting in different weathers and terrains and other areas of interest.

Tipping back her head she howled for an opponent.

Soon Winterfell was due to begin raiding. Kirsi had no doubt her participation would be assumed, not that she'd want to get out of it. It'd been a long while since she's properly sparred, since her younger days, back when she'd thought she'd had her entire life planned in advance. Things had changed but she was learning to adjust to her new normal. But she knew she needed to be prepared, even if that just meant stretching her muscles and remembering what exactly it meant to truly fight and unleash some tension she'd surely been holding back. Her negative feelings had been pushed deep down, but could they ever disappear entirely?

She doubted it. Her pace was slow and calculated as she headed into the Battlefield, having heard Valdis's call. She couldn't go wrong with a practice fight - she'd considered approaching Song for a few spars but she had a feeling he would go easy on her, and despite her small stature she knew she could hold her own just fine in a fight. After a brief time she found Valdis, dipping her head to the larger woman and sizing her up, showing no sign of fear or wariness, just careful calculation as she studied her. "The names Kirsi. The first move's yours," she suggested, ears flicking as she took in her surroundings, thought most of her attention was on Valdis.

Valdis stretched and checked her armor as she waited for an opponent to answer her call. She did not have to wait long before it was answered by an absolutely stunning woman. She felt her jaw go slack. She knew of the colorful wolves that existed in Boreas. Heck, Legion was full of them! Yet, there was something about the palette of the woman's coat that was very becoming. She hardened her jaw and shook the thoughts from her mind. She was seriously dating and didn't need to be looking at other women, especially not when she was toying with the idea of proposing to Ásvor.

"Thank you for joining me Kirsi. My name is Valdís."

Valdís quickly set her defenses, sized up her opponent and charged. She put on a burst of speed, aiming straight and true before slipping to her left, coiling her limbs and diving her head down as she sought to dig her fangs into the top of the woman's thigh, her right shoulder lancing forward seeking to use the spikes on her harness to dig into the woman's side and draw blood.

Valdís Leika Thyre vs Kirsi for spar
Round 1 of ?
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Large
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Spiked harness
Defensive Battle Accessory: Spiked helmet
Companion 1: Red Fox, Female - Battle
Companion 2: Raven, Female - Flying
Skills: Expert Fighter & Master Intellectual
Specialty: Tactician

If she noticed Valdis gawking, she made no sign of it, save for a sly grin that crept onto her features as she drew closer. The visible appreciation was returned twofold, her gaze roving over her armor with interest. Perhaps she could work with Song to make something even half as useful? She knew he was pretty crafty. It felt especially important, if they were to be raiding soon, and with any regularity. She didn't have long to think on that before formalities were cast aside and the two of them focused on their fight.

Valdis hunkered down before charging, aiming initially straight for her but then moving to her left, to Kirsi's right side. She set her down defenses, tail tucked and head lowered, though no amount of preparation could've readied her for Valdis changing her target to her leg. She flinched briefly at the feeling of fangs baring down into her thigh but she held her ground and tried not to let the larger woman overpower her. Instead of trying to pull away, she intended to take full advantage of her position - though before she could attack she felt the spikes on her shoulder armor digging into her side. Letting out a snarl as the stinging pain became more obvious, she tried to adjust herself to land a firm bite of her own on the other female's neck, unsure if she'd really gain any traction due to her position.

Kirsi vs Valdis for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Small
Build: Light
Skills: Beginner Intellectual & Beginner Fighter
Specialty: N/A

Valdís' attacks landed spot on, her fangs digging into the other woman's thigh as her spiked shoulder dug into the other's side. She immediately latched on and checked her defenses. Her ears were pinned, tail tucked and her hackles still raised as she rolled her shoulders forward to help protect her neck. She could not see what the other intended to do but she felt the other woman twist in her jaws as fangs latched onto the side of her neck, just in front of her shoulder. It stung but she wasn't done yet. Valdís attempted to use her larger size to her advantage as she attempted to use her old on the other woman's thigh to lift her off the ground. Perhaps if she distabilzed Kirsi she would let go.


Valdís Leika Thyre vs Kirsi for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Large
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Spiked harness
Defensive Battle Accessory: Spiked helmet
Companion 1: Red Fox, Female - Battle
Companion 2: Raven, Female - Flying
Skills: Expert Fighter & Master Intellectual
Specialty: Tactician

It'd been a long while since she'd engaged in a real fight, and already she felt her training as a child coming back to her. Valdis bearing down on her leg didn't make her panic, but instead she began working through a plan to come out ahead of her, if at all possible. Her opponent didn't loosen her hold, maintaining her advantageous position over her. She hoped her own attack might cause Valdis to loosen her hold, but she held strong and Kirsi found herself leaning harder into her bite, hardly enough to truly hurt, but still trying to maintain a grip on her neck - mostly her scruff.

After a moment Valdis shifted, and Kirsi found herself being pulled upright slightly by the larger woman. It wasn't a terribly surprising feat, given their size differences, and she wouldn't yet submit to Valdis's attempts to knock her off her paws. Instead she made an attempt to deepen her hold, hoping she could lunge forward and get a better grip on her neck, rather than just her scruff.

Kirsi vs Valdis for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Small
Build: Light
Skills: Beginner Intellectual & Beginner Fighter
Specialty: N/A

And the winner is...

VALDIS

KIRSI must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Valdis: 92.5 88.55 62 165 | Adjusted Total: 489.66 Kirsi: 77 65 64.9 19 | Adjusted Total: 225.90

Though Kirsi lunged forward, trying to use her smaller size to her advantage to grab hold of Valdis's neck, her attack didn't land quite as smoothly as she'd hoped. Teeth grazed flesh just barely, fur sliding between her jaws as she felt herself lifting off the ground. In a flash she lost her stability, stumbling over and rolling smoothly onto her back to avoid a more damaging fall. It was obvious that Valdis had overpowered her, and though she could continue to fight... it would be a losing battle from her position. She wasted no time in relinquishing her hold on Valdis, letting a faint grin touch her lips as she lapped at her jaws. "You win," Kirsi conceded the fight easily, finding no shame in admitting she'd lost. "Fair and square. Thanks for the fight." Each loss would only make her stronger, make her more ready for Winterfell's upcoming raids - for now she should rest closer to home before she decided her next move.