It was early morning yet, with the first tones of sunrise peeking over the horizon. The Sea’s Plains was his favourite place in the world at this time of day. With the way the sea lit up as through it was on fire, blazing between the underwater trees that dotted this side of his beach.

Sand moved beneath heavy paws, and his breath warmed the air before him. He had given his newest arrivals a few days to settle in. He had given Mortis the task of assessing Sig, the younger of the two. The Warlord himself would test Sedna, and find where she would belong in the ranks of the Armada. Tipping his head back, the Warlord let loose his howl. Singing to the winds, and calling to the silver-touched woman.

"Speech"

It had been easy to keep herself out of trouble between her short jaunts to the battlefield, and assessing the garden that had been left to grow wild in the absence of someone to tend it. When the call came, Sedna was stretching at the entrance to her den with a yawn, vertebrae popping as toes lifted and curled back, tail equally arched over her spine as she greeted the sun. She knew it wasn’t a call she could allow to linger unanswered, so she rose to her full hight, rear legs seemingly tethered to the den as she moved forward, extending each to its full length behind her, snapping the invisible bonds with a shake. She would move a little faster to make up for her morning ritual.

The Archer-Lyall’s steps slowed as she came into sight of the leader, her head dipping respectfully even at a distance. She moved in close to press the underside of his chin with her snout in submissive greeting, allowing her shoulder to bump his, reaffirming the scent of the pack in her fur before she rounded to step back and see what the plan was for the morning. The sand between her toes was a familiar friend, and if scent was anything to go by, this was a place of battle. She was glad she had allowed herself to limber up, it would seem she was going to need it.

"speech".

so you wanna be immortal with a loaded gun

He was not left waiting long, and as his newest warrior appeared, he would nod his head in greeting. Dipping his head down, just slightly, so the shorter wolf could reach his chin. He hid a smile, well accustomed to being a mountain among hills. He waited until she moved back, and he could meet her eyes with his. “You’ve told me you’ve been trained as a warrior. Well, I want to see what you can do.” it was as good an explanation as any, and he nodded his head towards one of the rings.

Stepping easily into it, he waited for her to settle in across from him. Sirius was a heavyset wolf, who’s charge was like a freight train. For this reason, he would encourage new warriors to begin the fight, to start them moving before he could pin them down. “First move is yours.” he explained, settling his toes into the sand, and digging his claws through the loose ground. An easy smile of anticipation touching his lips.

"Speech"

Sirius Fatalis vs Sedna for spar
Round 0/2?
Age: over one
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Front leg bracers with knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Back leg bracers
Companion 1: Black Vulture, Male - Battle - oversized/Boosted
Companion 2: Snow Leopard, Female - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Spectacled bear, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Cat claws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Fangs - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Bloodletter

It went against survival instincts to face a fight that was so clearly stacked against her, and if the leader hadn’t already earned some measure of trust with the Archer-Lyall, then she might have turned tail and run, but this was merely a test, and you couldn’t always pick and choose your fights. None of her trepidation would show on her face though, she’d long since learned to stamp that down. Instead she sauntered to the ring, keeping her movements loose so her muscles wouldn’t lock. It wouldn’t do to zig, when she wanted to zag. Given this was just a test, and she did love a good scuffle, she couldn’t keep the ghost of a grin out of her eyes.

At a glance it would seem her only real option would be to try and get under his feet to try and trip him up, but she was sure that he was used to those sort of tactics so instead she decided to tackle her problem head on. He may have had to dip his head for her to reach his chin, but if she dipped down, and then up, their chests might collide affording her a bite to the leaders shoulder or base of his neck where the fur and skin were thickest. Whatever she got a hold on she would grip like her life depended on it.

Sedna wasn’t after blood, just to prove a point. She never did like to pussyfoot around anyway.

"speech".

so you wanna be immortal with a loaded gun

Sedna Archer-Lyall vs Sirius Fatalis for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: over 1 year
Size: Large
Build: Heavy
Skills: Beginner Fighter & Beginner Healer
Specialty: N/A

Sedna closed the distance between them, and the Warlord held steady. He expected her to go for a brush down his side, and after his rump. That's what the small wolves in his life tended to do. When she went for a head-on, it caught him by surprise.

She launched herself up, colliding her chest with his. Before he knew it, he was suddenly looking at the maw of the silver wolf. Her teeth found his shoulder, and he threw his weight into his back legs. Attempting to pull himself off the ground, raising his front paws up in a feet up in a moment of pure strength. It was his hope that he would pull her with him, and he could wrap his paws about her shoulders, and on his down-ward momentum, slam her into the ground. But… not too hard, for he had no desire to hurt her.

"Speech"

Sirius Fatalis vs Sedna for spar
Round 1/?
Age: over one
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Front leg bracers with knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Back leg bracers
Companion 1: Black Vulture, Male - Battle - oversized/Boosted
Companion 2: Snow Leopard, Female - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Spectacled bear, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Cat claws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Fangs - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Bloodletter

It seemed her head on attack had taken the leader by surprise, and perhaps her initial assessment was correct. Sedna smiled around the fur in her mouth but it was quickly wiped away when the larger wolf rose up. Her front paws lifted from the ground involuntarily and she could see the leaders large paws rising in her peripheries, quickly relinquishing her hold on his shoulder to steady her own feet against the sand, she splayed them wide to brace against the inevitable weight that would try to push her into the ground. She growled her defiance, teeth aiming for the thinner skin at the pit of an arm, hoping an unanticipated pinch would be enough to keep her face out of the dirt. She wouldn’t allow herself to go down so easily.

"speech".

so you wanna be immortal with a loaded gun

Sedna Archer-Lyall vs Sirius Fatalis for SPAR
Round 2/2
Age: over 1 year
Size: Large
Build: Heavy
Skills: Beginner Fighter & Beginner Healer
Specialty: N/A

She released him and resettled her weight on firm ground. She pinched at the tender space beneath his armpit as his paws came down beside - but not on - her. He gave up his attack the moment she had released her grip on him. Instead, settling his weight to three limbs, he aimed to hook one paw behind her front right leg. His intent was to yank it, at the same time as shoving his shoulder into her. He wanted to knock her off balance, and win the fight without drawing blood. This fight was to test her quick thinking, forfeit, and variety of attacks. He had no intention to bleed her with his fangs or claws.



"Speech"

Sirius Fatalis vs Sedna for spar
Round 2/2
Age: over one
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Front leg bracers with knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Back leg bracers
Companion 1: Black Vulture, Male - Battle - oversized/Boosted
Companion 2: Snow Leopard, Female - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Spectacled bear, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Cat claws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Fangs - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Bloodletter

And the winner is...

SIRIUS

SEDNA must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Adjusted rolls: 93 70.4 91 46 SEDNA'S total is.. 300.4 Adjusted rolls: 148.35 3.3 33 35 SIRIUS' total is.. 307.51

Sedna’s kin had always been deliberate in their attacks, committed, and most were larger than she - so when the weight of the larger wolf didn’t bare down upon her shoulders or back, the Archer-Lyall was taken by surprise. The sweep knocked her leg out from beneath her, causing her to stumble, chin kissing the sand before she managed to catch herself. She was quick to get her feet back beneath herself but knew it was done now. Her head dipped submissively, though her shoulders still rolled forward defensively, not unused to her more chaotic siblings resuming a fight as soon as they felt the other’s guard was lowered enough, not that she suspected Sirius was the type for such underhanded tactics, it was just residual instinct. "Guess you win this time, huh?" There was a hint of a smirk in her tone. She had no intention of allowing herself to grow so complacent that it would always be the norm. Regardless of his judgement, least here she had room to grow.

"speech".

so you wanna be immortal with a loaded gun

Sedna fell hard with attack, but rolled with the punches. Finding her balance, she was up again in a moment. The Warlord stepped back, having given her time to righten herself. He had seen enough, Sedna was quick to adapt, and held no fear at facing a larger opponent. “I’m sure you’ll be knocking me over in no time” he teased back. Not many could accomplish the feat. But, what else did he train these wolves for, if not to ensure they could take out a brute like himself? “You look a little rusty, but otherwise good form. You adapt quickly. I’ll take you out of training and place you into a warrior position immediately. If we get any new recruits, are you willing to take on an apprentice? Nothing keeps us sharp like training.” at least, that had been his experience thus far. "Speech"

Not being a student didn’t mean there would be any less training, but she was grateful that it would mean people wouldn’t go easy on her. There was far less worry about breaking those already considered competent. Her chest swelled with pride and her smile was genuine. That Sirius might think to entrust her with taking on an apprentice? Well it was more than she could have hoped for, being so fresh to these lands and this pack. "I’d be honoured." It was about all she could manage. So used to having a tighter reign on her expressions, the Archer-Lyall was almost worried her face might split. She wanted to run and turn tight corners with her ears pinned back, she wanted to charge and crash and nip playfully in celebration, but she wasn’t quite sure how the leader would take a sudden outburst of the zoomies, so instead she bounced forward playfully, aiming to bump her shoulder against his. "Just make sure I don’t get stuck with a crybaby or I might accidentally poison them instead..." She laughed, mischief dancing in her eyes. It was only half a joke.

"speech".

good lord turned his back on me

Sedna was a wolf filled with energy. She bounded closer to him again, bumping shoulders with him. He rested one giant paw over one of Sedna’s smaller ones for a moment. She seemed an affectionate wolf, and inviting her into his pack made her a part of his family. He gave her paw a pat, and then removed it, looking out across the ocean, and the cypress trees that grew by the shoreline. At her words, his eyes returned to her, crinkling with amusement. “I’ll send the crybabys to Resin, don’t worry. She’ll give them something to cry about” he joked. He knew that Resin would be a wolf he would trust to strengthen and build up a wolf without coddling or breaking them. What kind of teacher would Sedna be? Only time would tell. “I’m about to run patrols, did you want to accompany me?” Ooc: They could run into some coyotes or something for skill points? "Speech"

The Archer-Lyall had to wonder about Resin, though she was yet to meet an Armada wolf she didn’t like, so she had no expectation the other wolf would be any different. Once the weeds in her garden were under control, she would have to make a real effort to get around and introduce herself to everyone, get familiar with their voices and scents. It would make it far easier to respond to calls of distress or track down intruders if she knew for certain what belonged and what did not.

Her tail waved enthusiastically, patrols had been a regular part of her upbringing and they were a great way to maintain stamina. She had missed having something to defend as her own.  "Sure," she finally confirmed with a ready smile, "Which way first? Do we patrol Ashen too, or just our own lands?" She had been curious about the closeness of the packs. Her mother and aunt were separated by wide meadows to allow for mutual hunting without depleting resources. "Does being so close scare off the prey?" If there was less to eat, the chances of scavengers would be higher she supposed. She bit her tongue before asking if they had bears here. She was sure they did, but was less than keen on meeting one unless she had at least three more wolves with them, and had often found even daring to utter the word seemed to summon them from wherever the hell they had been hiding.

"speech".

good lord turned his back on me

She was quick to agree, and the Warlord began to move. Heading South-East where the ocean met land, and beginning the patrol at the borders of Lover’s Mangroove. It wasn’t far to walk from the training ring, and he spoke as he did so. “We’ll start by Lovers Mangroove, and make our way to the grass lands. I occasionally include Ashen into my patrols to check up on them, but their own warriors and Deathbelle do most of the patrolling there.” He explained. She was curious about the workings of it all, which made sense. She was a part of this place now. “The Weepings Woods offer good hunting. Plenty of grass and fresh water to entice prey. We also fish, and occasionally take trips to Algoma Prairie, which is one of the most bountiful lands. We have a cart we roll over there, hunt, and bring home the meat by wheel.” he explained. She had also seen the cellar, so would know how they preserved and stored meat to ensure they never ran out. "Speech"

Sedna eyed the Mangroves with some trepidation, wondering if toothy fish and giant toothy lizards were ever found among their roots like in her mother’s stories, but she was quick to mask any concern, it wouldn’t do to be looking nervous with her new found promotion. She was, however, somewhat relieved that Armada weren’t expected to pull double time to cover Ashen’s borders too. Not that she wouldn’t make a habit of passing by, but to know it wasn’t expected was a blessing.

Her head bobbed along with her lengthened strides in silent acknowledgement of the locations listed. Her brows drew together though at the mention of carts and wheels, even the cellar had been a foreign concept to her, the earth being cold enough back home that they simply buried small portions of food in the earth and it was sufficient to keep it for a while without spoiling, even if it did, it was still sustenance in a pinch. "Sometimes I wonder if you’re speaking another language," she admitted with a smirk, "Cottages and carts and wheels and castles... I’m still not quite sure I know what those words mean, but I’m sure it’ll click eventu..." A familiar scent came to her on the breeze, enough to raise her hackles and cut her off mid-sentence. Her head dropped to the ground scenting, tongue pressed forward between silently snarling lips to taste the air, a low rumble grew in her chest. It didn’t seem the borders had yet been breached, truthfully, the coyotes weren’t even close enough to be considered a threat, but close enough to scent was too close in the Archer-Lyall’s books. If she had to guess, they were testing their luck, seeing how long they could hang around, how close they could get before they would no longer be tolerated. She looked to Sirius with a silently raised brow, all it would take was a nod and she would be after them.

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

He wondered if the strange two leggers that had inhabited this world before them, had ever lived in the place Sedna had hailed from. The constructs of their time, such as the castle, and the lost relics he picked up from Daggers Isle seemed utterly foreign to her. Things like the cellar, he had crafted after seeing similar designs in the castle before he had fallen and broken his leg in his travels there. The cart was Io’s idea. Where had she gotten the design from? He was not certain, but he could guess the industrial large monkeys that had died off before his time had taken part in inspiring that, as well. The Empire where he had been born had been well skilled at implementing such crafts to extend their comfort.

He didn’t have a chance to fill Sedna in any further with what he meant. She paused, and he caught the reason why a moment later. The scent of the pesky coyotes reached his nostrils. The scavengers were a constant menace to pack life. No matter how often they fell beneath the paws of Warlord and Co, they pushed their luck. They were brainless, hopeless creatures.

His wolf turned to him, waiting permission, and he gave a sharp nod. Leaping forward the moment his head reached stillness again. He had no doubt that Sedna would be at his side, as he charged towards the almost-intruders.

At the leaders nod, the girl sprung forward, shorter legs working double time to not be left in the dust, but with her ears pinned back and head dipped to streamline her form, the Archer-Lyall managed to keep pace. The scent grew thicker as the first russet rump came within range. She didn’t slow her step, running straight over the top of one unsuspecting coyote and sending it sprawling in the dirt as her jaws opened wide, aiming to bite over the ass of the next. Once upon a time she might have tried to tear the tail clean off, but she knew that took more force than one might expect, and she would be wasting her time focusing on one scavenger alone. As if to remind her to keep her bites short and sharp, a sting over her own hip bought her back to the present, the air filled with panicked shrieks as the second coyote fled, but the first seemed to think itself suddenly brave. She trusted Sirius was big enough to look after himself as she turned her attention to her attacker. If this one wanted to punch above it’s weight, she wouldn’t mind reminding it just why the wolves held a higher place on the food chain.

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

At his go ahead, Sedna sprung forward like a loaded weapon. Displaying her grace and cunning as she charged the line, plowing through the first threat, and moving on to the next. He carefully balanced keeping an eye on her, and taking on his own battles. Picking a coyote, and trampling it, to the sound of snapping bones and pained yipes. The Warlord's size and mass ensured that capturing any coyotes before his grasp was a death sentence.

The pained yelps surrounding Sedna assured him that she was coming out ahead. He grabbed for the next, which attempted to dart past him. His blow did not grab it, but it knocked it off balance. He surged forward before it could find its feet, his elongated fangs piercing its flesh, maiming the creature. His next blow put it out of its misery. The carnage of the corpses littered the earth around him, as he turned to look at Sedna and see how she faired.

The healer and the Lyall in her wished the coyote had just run off after its companion when it found its feet again, but her Archer blood sang at the prospect of another round. She let the coyote charge her, its teeth finding her shoulder but the heigh discrepancy between them left the back of its neck exposed. She grabbed close to the base of its skull, biting down with force before shaking the smaller canine from side to side forcefully. The screaming in her ear was cut short with the satisfying crack and crunch of its neck breaking, but she failed to drop the critter, a low growl in her chest noting the silence that stretched out around them. The scent of blood filled the air and she finally dropped her last combatant, only wishing it was still in its winter pelt, but maybe a hunter could make something nice of it anyway. The others were a bit punctured and bloody, but maybe Sirius’s fang holes could be made into button holes or strap attachments? Now she was starting to think like one of them.

Taking note of the small bodies sprawled out around them she had to chuckle. The size difference between them and herself was about the same as the difference between her and Sirius. How terrifying must his arrival have been to them? "Do yer reckon someone would trade this one fer a turtle shell?" She asked out of the blue, pointing to her last opponent. She had no real use for coyote pelts, definitely didn’t want her den stinking of one, but bowls, well she could never have enough of those. Business as usual.

"speech".

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed