It was time to spend some more time with Úlfr. Truthfully motherhood hadn't come very easily to her, but that wasn't much of a surprise. Neither she nor her wife were really the sort to aspire to be parents... but somehow the opportunity had been thrust upon them, and the thought of raising a little family with Valdis at her side was an appealing one. At least they hadn't needed to go through the really awful parents of parenthood, like having to nurse and wean tiny little pups.. instead they'd been blessed with a weaned child, scrawny at first, but with time he was growing quite nicely into himself. Ásvor had no complaints, but she did know she needed to spend more time with him. She wouldn't put up with a child who had no ambitions or interests in life. Now that he was finding himself, it was time to figure out what exactly he wanted, and how they would best aid him in what he wanted to pursue.. and there were lessons she'd be adamant about teaching him herself, whether Valdis wanted to or not.

Ásvor caught wind of his scent near the smaller, run-down barn. It was a perfect day for any sort of lesson - it was warm but not stiflingly so, with a light breeze that offered just enough relief from the sun's strong rays. Only pausing for a moment to inspect the weeds and sparse herbs growing around the barn, she redirected herself toward Úlfr's scent. He wasn't far off now, and finally she lifted her hell to call out for him to come promptly to her.

Úlfr bounded through the barn, chasing after his raven companions but the agile birds managed to stay just out of reach. Glámr flew up into the rafters and cawed at him. Úlfr sat down heavily to catch his breath. It was hard to spar against birds when they could fly. Especially since he had to be careful not to bite his companions in a way that would damage their wings or permanently injure them.

Suddenly he heard one of his mother's call for him. Grinning he was on his feet in a moment bounding towards Ásvor with his tail wagging happily. "Hi, momma!" He reached out to try and nuzzle her muzzle in affectionate greeting. "How are you?" Maybe she'd want to give him a fight lesson or spar with him. Úlfr had been focused on his hunting and he knew he was neglecting his ability to fight.

Ah, there he was. It wasn't long before she found him, bounding out of the barn. The gentle sound of one of his raven friends echoing from inside the structure caught her attention first, but before long he appeared in her field of vision. Immediately her features softened at the sight of him, a gentle smile tugging at her lips. "Hi, Úlfr," she greeted him, the warmth she felt toward him visible in her stare as she watched him carefully. It was because of her love for him that she was so critical of him - she wanted him to succeed in all he strove towards, wanted him to be more successful than either she or Valdis had ever been. He had the potential for greatness, it just needed to be carefully nourished.

"I'm good today. Enjoying the weather?" Her smile remained, though softened after a moment. Fall would be upon them before they knew it, and winter would follow. Though winters here were relatively mild, compared to her childhood in the north, things still got a bit more difficult. It was better to make sure her son was prepared rather than assume. "I was thinking it'd be a good day for some lessons - what do you think?" Her tone had a firmness that implied it wasn't really his choice at all, but all for good reasons. A lazy pup would turn into a lazy adult. She knew he was already quite motivated for his age and she had no doubt that he would be delighted at the prospect of lessons. Perhaps it not be entirely what he was hoping for, but she had a few ideas in mind already beginning to brew.

Úlfr settled down, sitting politely in front of his mother though his tail was still wagging back and forth, kicking up the dust. He nodded eagerly as she asked him if he was enjoying the weather. "Oh, yes! I was playing tag with Galinn and Glámr. They're hard to catch." The little birds were more agile than he was though if he could make an educated guess where they might go then he could some times get ahead of them.

Ásvor stated it was a good day for some lessons and he quickly stood back up, nodding eagerly. "Yeah! Are we gonna have a fight lesson?" It had been awhile since he'd worked on his fighting skills. He'd done quite a bit of hunting with Stjarna and a change of pace sounded great.

It was hardly a surprise that Úlfr had taken a liking to two raven friends. Such companions were common on the Finnvi side of the family, and though he wasn't quite blood related Ásvor would think of him no differently than if he were. Her own interest had tended toward serpents, but she certainly recognized the useful of avian companions. He'd made a fine choice there. "Have you tried communicating with them at all? Or just chasing them?" Ásvor asked curiously, raising an eyebrow and grinning at the boy.

His question wasn't surprising, but she had something different in mind than a simple fight lesson. Teaching Úlfr about her upbringing and the gods and goddesses that her family historically worshiped was important to her. She knew Valdis had shared a similar upbringing, but had distanced herself from those beliefs more than she had. Hopefully Valdis agreed with her sharing these teachings with their son - if not she supposed they could argue about it later. Not every decision was made easily, and she recognized that she couldn't always check in with Valdis to get her input before making a decision. Ah well. "Sort of. I'd like to teach you more about my family's gods while we practice." Her mother's faith had been unquestionable, though her own had been far less devoted. In a way though she felt her relationship with Valdis and now raising Ulfr was exactly what as needed of her. What better way to worship the gods that had been responsible for her own life than to raise a son of her own? "Tell me what you want to learn first. Do you need practice in attacking? Defending? Something else entirely?" Though Ásvor was the tough-love sort of parent, she also wasn't terribly overbearing. Better to foster Úlfr's own particular interests and skill-sets rather than assume she knew what was best for him.

Úlfr nodded eagerly as his mother asked about the ravens. "Yea, we can communicate. They're pretty smart and have picked up wolf tongue." Of course they couldn't speak it as well as wolves could but it was close enough that he could understand them and they could understand him. As he didn't have any siblings and there weren't many young wolves in Fireside that he was aware of the ravens had almost become his siblings in some ways. They were his playmates and friends.

Ásvor explained that she was interested in teaching him more about their family's gods. He nodded, he was curious to learn more about this as well. He'd heard various names spoken and he wanted to know more about them in addition to honing his skills in battle.

"I think my defense is pretty good. It's attacking where I could use some help. Especially when an opponent is either quite a bit bigger than me or quite a bit smaller."

"Good," Ásvor replied, glad he'd found some use out of his companions as more than just... well, companions. She knew the relationship between a wolf and it companion was often mutually beneficial. She didn't have quite the same relationship with her serpent companion, Jǫrmungandr, at least in terms of active communication. Regardless she was helpful to her in her own ways, ways that she wasn't yet about to lay out for young Úlfr quite yet. Better to focus now on his lessons and what he needed to improve about. Ásvor was infinitely grateful that the wolf that had become she and Valdis's son was as driven as Úlfr was, without much need to be pushed. It certainly made this whole motherhood thing that much easier.

"Alright, let's focus on that then," she agreed gladly. With his size as a natural advantage when it came to taking blows, more slender and swift wolves could use that their advantage when attacking. That was something he would definitely need to remain cognizant of. Though Úlfr didn't quite tower over her yet she had no doubt he would before long. "It's good to remember to always use your size to your advantage. Sometimes that can be tricky, but if you overpower a smaller wolf it'll be quite difficult for them to get out from beneath you." Easier said than done, sure, but he did need to use his size and strength to his advantage when it came to fighting smaller opponents. "Let's give it a try. Show me how you'd come at me," she suggested lightly, rearing back slightly and steadying herself to prepare for Úlfr's approach.

Úlfr listened as his mother instructed him to use his size to his advantage when it came to smaller opponents, stating that it would be harder for them to get away if he could successfully pin them. Ásvor suggested he give it a try and he nodded, suddenly feeling a bit nervous. He wanted very badly to impress her and not make any bad mistakes. Úlfr quickly set his defenses, feeling fairly confident he could get that part right. His ears pinned to his head, tail tucked as he spread his legs equidistant apart, evenly settling his weight over them. His neck scrunched back, shoulders rolling forward as his toes spread, claws digging into the earth. His hackles raised as he lowered his head to align with his spine. Ok, use his size to his advantage? Maybe he could try ramming into her as well as biting.

Úlfr kicked off toward his mother, barreling toward her head on but slightly off to his left as he tried to slam his chest into her right shoulder. At the same time he twisted his head to his right as he tried to grab the right side of her neck, seeking a good hold.

Úlfr vs Ásvor for Spar
Round 1/?
Age: Under 1 Year
Size: Large
Build: Medium
Companion 1: Raven, Male - Battle
Companion 2: Raven, Bale - Battle
Skills: Expert Hunter & Advanced Fighter
Specialty: N/A

Ásvor wasn't good at verbally teaching things. She worked better by doing, and that was precisely the approach she had planned for Úlfr's training. Though healing was definitely more her thing than fighting - maybe this was an avenue he'd learn more from Valdis on - she wanted to give him guidance wherever she could. She set her defenses and waited for him to sprint towards her, watching the way he shifted his weight to his left as he collided with her, his chest into her shoulder roughly.

She had anticipated what he'd been trying to do, though she held her ground and took the blow with a soft grunt as he grabbed hold of her neck. "Now," she started to speak, feeling adrenaline beginning to rise despite the no-risk nature of this fight. The sudden jolt reminded her that she wasn't getting any younger at all - and wouldn't actually want to fight him; despite his age and inexperience he had a vigor and ferocity that she couldn't match if she tried. "I'd recommend being careful when attacking with such force. If I moved out of your way it's possible you could've lost your balance there and given me the upper leg."

Was it likely? Maybe not, but it was a possibility and one could never be too careful in a fight. Some opponents could be much craftier than others. Using the brief moment of distraction to her advantage, she made to pry herself out of his grip, kicking up and aiming her front paws on his shoulders, hoping to gain some control over him in that split moment and keep him down. "The entire reason we fight - why we're even able to fight - is thanks to the Alfaðir, Odin. That thrill you feel when you battle, when you feel like you're being possessed by something, that is the power of Odin at work." Even if Úlfr chose not to believe in her family's faith, and even if she herself wasn't the most spiritual of wolves, she thought it important that he learn anyway; it was the least her own mother would have wanted.

Ásvor Finnvi vs Úlfr for Spar
Round 1 / 2
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Medium
Build: Medium
Defensive Battle Accessory: Viking Helmet
Companion 1: Bush Viper, Female - Battle
Skills: Expert Healer & Intermediate Fighter
Specialty: N/A

A rush of excitement coursed through him as his attack was successful. Úlfr latched onto his mother's neck. His chest slammed into her shoulder but not with enough force to move the larger wolf. He also noticed that his chest was starting to hurt. Now that he had a hold he realized he didn't know what he should do next.

His ears perked up as Ásvor started to speak, warning him to be careful when attacking like a charging bull. He could risk losing his balance and that made sense. He would've nodded in response but he still had his teeth embedded in his mother's fur.

He was completely unprepared when Ásvor lifted up her paws and slamming them into his shoulder. He lost his grip and fell onto his side. Instinct took over and he quickly rolled over back onto his feet, turning around to face Ásvor as he reset his defenses, making sure to pin his ears and tuck his tail again in addition to rolling his shoulders forward and scrunching his neck.

He listened as she spoke of Odin and nodded. "That makes sense. It is really exciting to fight. How do you earn Odin's favor?" He prepared himself again to attack. He bounded forward, this time attacking straight on. He sought to wrap his arms around his mother's neck as he twisted his head to bite at the left side of her neck this time.

Úlfr vs Ásvor for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: Under 1 Year
Size: Large
Build: Medium
Companion 1: Raven, Male - Battle
Companion 2: Raven, Bale - Battle
Skills: Expert Hunter & Advanced Fighter
Specialty: N/A

At least Úlfr was eager and unafraid to simply delve into things, which was a huge aspect of fighting. Sometimes hanging back and assessing the situation more carefully could be a good move, but usually you had to think fast and make decisions without much deliberation. He seemed to understand her warning, even though he held strong to his grip on her neck. Fortunately - at least for her - she did catch him off-guard, paws coming down hard on his shoulders in an attempt to gain control over him.

He reacted quickly, something she'd applaud him for, rolling over and turning around to face her again, setting his defenses as fluidly as any trained fighter would. She couldn't help but grin, proud of him. "Odin looks highly upon the brave. Fighting for a cause you believe in will surely earn his favor, whatever it is. Fighting for what you believe in, or fighting to protect someone even if it means sacrificing yourself - those things are brave." Her own culture was quite self-interested at its core, but not when it came to family. Ásvor would likely not recklessly fling herself into mortal danger for just any packmate, but for Valdis or Ulfr? Her life would be given gladly, ten times over if she could.

Before she could explain anything further, he charged at her, attacking straight on, mirroring her own movements in wrapping his paws around her neck. She underestimated his weight, nearly buckling under the force - wasn't he a small pup just yesterday? - though she tried to keep herself upright. His position left him vulnerable to an attack of her own though, and she tried to shift her smaller weight to grab hold of the scruff beneath his neck, where it met his shoulder.

Ásvor Finnvi vs Úlfr for Spar
Round 2 / 2
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Medium
Build: Medium
Defensive Battle Accessory: Viking Helmet
Companion 1: Bush Viper, Female - Battle
Skills: Expert Healer & Intermediate Fighter
Specialty: N/A

And the winner is...

Asvor

Ulfr must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Ulfr: Adjusted: 89.9    22.05    49    92 Total: 252.95 Asvor: Adjusted: 58.8    66.3    82    55 Total: 288.31