The tiny girl clumsily lifted herself to her mismatched paws, little koi whiskers wiggling as she blinked back dual toned eyes. Still much smaller than her siblings the child was an oddity. Shuriken didn’t mind, she could easily wind through and around her siblings and parents legs with ease. The girl crept from the sleeping chambers, her little nose pushing back the thick fur to reveal the hallway towards the main hall. She could hear the fire crackling and see the sunlight streaming from the vent at the cavern’s ceiling. Ike hesitated for only a moment, debating turning right to go to the main hall or left to go and bother Baba.

She didn’t hear anything from her grandmother’s chambers and so allowed her tiny paws to carry her towards the main hall and all of the comfy furs that surrounded the fire. Her whole life the child knew the cold. Even now in what should have been spring her life was filled with the adults in her life making sure she was warm and protected. Kuroki was often contrary about this fact, but Kiyohime was always up for a nice snuggle. She got cold easily, being so small. Even now as her little paw pads pattered over the cold stone she started to shiver before making it to the furs and the fire.

Shuriken swiftly dove into the thick grizzly bear fur, using her nose to dig into and cover herself with the blanket. She snuggled in and blinked bright silver and pale lavender eyes at the flickering fire. A tiny smile played on her pretty lips, thinking she was quite well hidden there in the pile of fur.

He'd had a positive spring in his step since he returned from seeing Void - a refreshed determination and a brightened outlook on the cold world. He'd gone right to work when he returned, but there was something that demanded his attention and was more than worthy endeavor to take him away from his training. He adored his sister and had been sneaking peeks at her children here and there when he could, but he knew they were old enough to be out on their own. Between his lessons with Viridis and Procella he would linger near the den, waiting to see if he would catch his nieces or nephews out in the snow. Eventually he couldn't resist any longer and ended up slipping inside, certain that Venom wouldn't mind. He stepped into the main hall and his emerald eyes scanned the room curiously and within moments he was able to spot the bright eyes that glimmered in the firelight, shining like polished silver as they peeked out from a plush fur that was spread by the fire. A grin pulled at his lips and he chuckled at the sight of the small girl, his tail wagging gently behind him. "Do you mind a bit of company?" he questioned as he padded over to where she had snuggled up into the warmth of the bear fur, easing himself down beside her. "You've found yourself a very comfy spot, I must say." Plague | Viridis | Procella

The tiny princess had only made herself comfortable when she saw the tall man appear within the palace. They didn’t get many visitors, she saw Baba and her mother and father all the time because they lived within the mountain cavern’s walls. She hadn’t ventured out much on her own, much preferring the warmth here by the fire than being alone in the cold. His eyes flickered in the light of the fire and illuminated the pale fur of his body as well as the sun that filtered in from above. She lifted her head, obviously caught in her comfy spot as he chuckled good naturedly as he approached.

Ike shook her head as he asked to join her, and she made room on the large fur for the stranger. He didn’t seem scary, and she liked his warm presence as he lay down beside her. The sound of small paw steps could be heard through the corridors as the Akitas moved without. No doubt they had eyes on her and the tall man beside her and the message was being relayed to her mother or father. She was a princess, and from birth was accustomed to the aid of the dogs. She would get her own someday soon her poppa told her.

”I like the fire,” Kiyohime explained softly. She paused for a moment as she looked up at him, bashful but unafraid. ”Who are you?” Her curious voice sounded with a tilt of her chimeric features.

Plague settled down onto his stomach beside the small pup, enjoying the warmth of the fire himself as well. The frigid temperatures only seemed to drag on more and more with each passing day and it had gotten to the point where even just a moment of warmth was a relief. He was constantly jealous of his snow leopard companions and their thick pelts that were built to be in this sort of weather. He thought that his niece had the right idea to stay inside next to the fire wrapped up in a plush fur like she was now. A very smart young woman in his opinion - though he might be a very biased uncle to think so. He smiled kindly to her question, replying, "I'm Plague - your uncle." Of course he had snuck little peaks at the tiny pups right after they were born, but with all of his training he hadn't been able to visit them after they were old enough to remember him so he certainly wasn't surprised when she asked who he was. If anything he was proud of her for checking who he was right away, a very wise move to make. "What's your name?" he asked, even though he was already certain he remembered it. He was already completely smitten with her and it made him all the more excited to get to know all of his nieces and nephews and excited to watch them grow up around the pack as well. The future was foggy and uncertain when it came to him having his own children, but at least he could enjoy being an uncle and that was nearly as good. "What do you like to do?" he asked curiously as he relaxed more into the bear pelt. "Play, hear stories, explore?" Plague | Viridis | Procella

The tiny princess had not yet been out of the den for very long, she didn’t know any faces yet, but when the ivory pelted man introduced himself her grin brightened and she leaned on him a little heavier. She didn’t forget Plague’s name, her mother taught them the names of their relatives but Ike hadn’t met many of them yet. The tiny child sat up proudly as he asked her for her name, like her father and mother taught her. ”Princess Kiyohime Shuriken Oritsu Abraxas.” She stumbled only slightly, her pride became evident in her huge grin. Ike hadn’t said her full name without tripping over syllables, and this time had been the best one yet.

”Don’t tell Otou-san, but I like just being called Ike.” She told her uncle sneakily as she relaxed again against him and back into the plush furs. Already the puppy enjoyed Plague’s presence, he was attentive and sweet. She liked his green eyes a lot too. His attention was obviously on her as he questioned her good naturedly, asking about her likes and offering up some examples.

”Hmm…” She started thoughtfully, ”I like all of that,” Ike went with generically. ”But mostly wrestling with Oki, or! or! having princess lessons with Baba and Ikigai.” Her little silver and white marked tail wagged at her rear end. Now that she thought about it her markings were similar to Plague, but opposite. She was mostly dark with white, while he was while with some darkness.

Plague couldn't help the amused, proud grin that pulled at his lips when the small princess listed off her many, beautiful names. For such a young pup she did well listing off her titles with just a few little stumbles that were honestly just very endearing. This was one of the very few times he had ever been around a pup for any real amount of time and if all pups were this pleasant and adorable he could see himself gravitating toward them more and more. Of course he had no way of knowing if he just loved Kiyohime in particular because she was his niece, but he liked to think that the sweet innocence she held was universal for all children. He chuckled softly when she told him her little secret of her preferred name and gave her a wink in response. "Your secret is safe with me, Ike." He wasn't sure if it was possible for her to be any more adorable, but somehow she managed. He dipped his head to playfully nuzzle his nose into her side when she reclined back into him, his tail wagging and brushing against the ground behind him. He listened intently when she told him about how she liked all of the things he listed for her, but in particular she liked wrestling and her princess lessons. He lifted his brows curiously and asked, "Oh? What have you learned in your princess lessons?" Plague | Viridis | Procella

The way Plague looked down at her reminded her of the way her mother watched her and her siblings. That proud gleam in his eye that made her feel so good about herself. He was proud of her ability to say her whole name too. Though he didn’t see the struggle leading up to this point he appreciated her efforts for her age. He winked as she pulled back from her secret, assuring her that he would indeed keep the knowledge from her father. Ike brightened, her lips pulling back to reveal a full toothed grin.

He nuzzled against her affectionately and she leaned against him further, enjoying the warmth of her uncle snuggled against her. She answered his question and he followed up with another question. He wanted to know about what she deemed ‘princess lessons.’ He had a good question and she supposed since he wasn’t a princess he wouldn’t be exposed to similar lessons. ”How to say my name.” She giggled brightly, ”And how to serve tea, and walk, and talk… Ikigai is much better at all of it than I am.” Very swiftly her demeanor changed. The tiny girl seemed to deflate at the thought.

He smiled while giving little nods as she listed off all of the very important things she was learning in her princess lessons like how to say her name - which admittedly was quite a task on its own - as well as serving tea and and walking and talking... All of the things that went in to instilling those manners and regal air that came along with wearing the title of 'princess'. Certainly not surprising, but it was still fun just listening to her talk and tell him about the things she had been learning about. He was content just listening to her chatter as long as she wanted to spend time with him. When she mentioned how her sister was more competent at these "princess lessons" than she was and he saw her mood change, he frowned and immediately dipped his head to catch her chin with his nose, gently lifting her head so she had no choice but to hold herself up proudly. "Nonsense," he insisted. "There's no way such a pretty young lady would be bad at princess lessons. You just said your name so well!" He smiled again and lightly booped his nose against hers. "You and your siblings will have different talents and that's a good thing. You'll balance each other out and make a perfect team. Don't feel bad about that. Maybe Ikigai is better at serving tea, but is she as good as you at wrestling with Oki? I doubt it." Plague | Viridis | Procella

Shuriken was anything but details in her explanation of her princess lessons. While that was her own name for the daily allotted time with her Baba it was essentially what they were. Kiyo had a lifetime of experience in being royalty and she did well with teaching her granddaughters similarly. Not being able to keep up with Iki was a fast that bothered her, and Shuriken had yet to admit the fact to anyone but Plague now. Her mood soured, but then her uncle lifted her chin. The act did indeed make her feel more proud and he continued softly, further encouraging her with his words.

Plague reminded her how well she had just told him her name, and made mention of how pretty she was. Kiyohime leaned into his touch, pressing her nose to his as he returned her smile to her delicate features. Plague went on to explain that she and her siblings would have different talents, even if Iki was more graceful she didn’t have the same talents in wrestling Kuroki as she did. Come to think of it she wasn’t sure that her sister ever wrestled.

Shuriken became confused again, did that mean that if she wanted to be more like Iki and a lady she had to give up her fighting? Their mother was a warrior Empress, both poised and dangerous. Shuriken could do both right? It just seemed like she would never overcome her own paws working against her.

”Do you like to wrestle, uncle Plague?” She asked him, lifting her own head proudly this time. It seemed like almost everyone in her family had a talent for fighting.

Plague didn't really know if what he was trying to say came across the way he wanted it to. He wasn't exactly well versed in pep talks, but it was a lesson that he had taken a long time to learn so he hoped little Ike would take it to heart faster than he had. He had gotten hung up in believing that he wasn't as skilled as his sisters in pretty much any area for the longest time and that had held him back from seeing his own strengths. It had taken most of his life thus far to find his own confidence and he only ever wanted this young girl to see herself for how beautiful and strong she could be. He wanted that for all of his nieces and nephews - he hoped they all grew to be proud of themselves and the family they were born into... even if he sometimes had his doubts. He grinned when she asked if he liked to wrestle and he nodded in agreement. "I do. It's one of my favorite things." He'd found a love for crafting in the last year or so and he tolerated hunting out of necessity, but healing was a lost cause with him. Fighting had always been his first passion and was the area where he felt the most confident in his skills. He never wanted to think that he had mastered it so that he never stopped trying to improve, but he could at least walk into any fight and feel like he was prepared to face it. "If you'd like I can teach you some things when you're a little bigger," he promised, grinning a little and chuckling as he added, "And when it's not so cold outside." This was certainly not the kind of weather that was very inviting for anything that involved being out in the elements. Plague | Viridis | Procella

Shuriken felt that because of her clumsiness she was far behind her siblings in all of their shared and different talents. Plague encouraged her though, maybe he was right, they needed to work as a team and help each other in their weaknesses. Of which Ike was convinced she had many, but tried to put it past her. The adults in her life did well to advise her and she did try to believe him. She was better at sparring than Ikigai, she didn’t want to be though. She wanted to walk gracefully, and speak properly. She wanted to be a lady.

Shuriken sighed internally but let herself forget for now, it wouldn’t be long before she was reminded of the messes she could make. Her uncle’s grin helped her to shove the thoughts away as he mentioned that they shared similar interests. He really enjoyed fighting and eagerly offered to teach her soon. She just had to be bigger. ”Awe, but I’m big now!” She whined softly, lifting herself to her paws and puffing herself up as she tried to prove her point. He was right, it was cold, but the hall was big! ”We don’t have to go outside…” She looked away bashfully, knowing she was fighting a losing battle.

Plague could see how excited she was by the prospect of a training lesson as she hopped up and puffed out her little chest, insisting that she was big enough right now. He tried to hold back a little grin and failed. If nothing else he admired the tenacity and he certainly didn't want to stifle that in her. That was one thing he wanted to flourish in her to drown out those doubts that had reared their head a moment ago. He gave the hall a glance when she mentioned that they didn't have to go outside. The hall was certainly big - especially for someone as small as her - but he could already for see him trying to avoid stepping on her or something along those lines and accidentally getting too close to the fire in the process. When he looked back to her and saw how she was looking away defeatedly his heart broke and he knew he couldn't deny his niece this simple wish... they were just going to have to be creative. He chuckled softly after a moment and replied, "Alright, alright... We can do a little bit of practice in here. But don't tell your parents, I wouldn't want to get in trouble with them," he warned, giving her a mischievous grin. He didn't think he would genuinely get in trouble with Venom or Hattori, but he also didn't know what sorts of rules they had in place for their children and if doing something like fighting practice in the main hall was allowed - or even fighting practice this young in general. He looked at her thoughtfully and added, "I think we might need a sparring partner a little closer to your size though..." He got to his paws and walked over to the entrance, stepping outside just long enough to let out a soft howl, calling for Procella before he came back over to where he had left Ike. He started moving a few of the furs that were scattered around the room to make a clear space for them to practice and just as he finished moving the last one aside his blue eyed snow leopard companion entered the hall uncertainly, casting wide eyed glances around the space. "Ah, Procella! There you are!" He waved the feline over with a nod of his head. He had picked Procella in particular since she tended to be the more gentle and even keeled one of the pair. "Ike, this is one of my companions. Her name is Procella." Procella had grown quite a bit since he first brought her home, but she was still larger than Ike by a noticeable margin. They were still much closer in size than himself and his niece though so he figured they would be good sparring partners for each other. He positioned himself between the pair of students and the fire, sitting on his haunches with his back to the flames so that he could catch or stop any unstable balls of fur from tumbling into them before they got to close. He leaned down to Procella and whispered, "No claws, okay?" before turning his attention to the princess. "Alright, the best thing to learn right away is how to be defensive. It's not the fun part of fighting, but it keeps you from getting hurt, right? So I want you to really focus on staying on your feet and dodging whatever Procella tries to do, okay?" Plague | Viridis | Procella

Shuriken wasn’t really sure where her talents truly lie, she was always running after her siblings and copying whatever they were doing. She did get Oki pretty good the other day when they were wrestling, but she was sure that had been a fluke. She wanted to prove herself now to her uncle Plague, she was eager to learn. What Plague didn’t know was that both of he parents had been taught their first few lessons at a similar age. Hattori’s father pushed him before he could barely walk and Venom had Sirius to sneak her away to teach her. To Ike’s pleasure and surprise though, Plague did relent to her and the tiny princess brightened considerably.

Her bright dual toned eyes looked back up to her uncle in wonder as a smile overwhelmed her features. Ike crossed her heart with her eagle like talon as she sat up and promised silently. The tiny child tilted her head curiously as he mentioned a much smaller opponent. Uncle Plague moved to the entrance and called out into the territory. Bright vibrant eyes widened in wonder as she waited for their guest. Ike scrambled to help Plague create space for a spar, her own little claws clicking against the stone floor as they repositioned everything.

Before she knew it though, there was a stranger at the door. Ike’s dainty features looked up to see the fluffy cat as Plague explained who she was. A companion, much like the akitas were to her parents and Baba. ”Procella,” She greeted bashfully with a nod of her head, her dual toned eyes unable to leave the thick pelted cat. This was it, Plague was going to give her a lesson, she wasn’t even disappointed she wasn’t going to go up against her uncle. That would come one day, but for now the snow leopard would be enough of an opponent.

”Yes Uncle Plague!” She told him eagerly as she instinctively bent her limbs and centered her weight as she awaited the cat to spring at her. Ike knew how clumsy she was on her paws, but she would do whatever she could against the similarly aged cat.

Seeing how much it brightened her mood just to be given a lesson made it all worth it in his mind. He knew that from then on he'd make the world start turning the other way if it meant keeping that huge smile on her face. It warmed his heart and motivated him to make sure she had a great time during her lesson - and if she learned a lot in the process then that would be even better. Procella immediately took a liking to the princess as well, the feline grinning and coming over to rub against Ike affectionately as the small girl greeted her. Procella didn't speak nearly as much as her brother did, only really talking when it was necessary, but she did at least give her new friend a soft, "It's nice to meet you." Once everything was set up and he had the two opponents facing each other, he ginned at his niece's enthusiasm and gave her stance a once over with an approving nod. Without him having to tell her she was already balancing her stance out pretty nicely so he didn't feel the need to correct anything just yet. Procella squared off with the speckled girl, glancing up at Plague and waiting for him to give her the go ahead before she leapt into action. Once he did she focused in on Ike, her fluffy tail waving back and forth before she jumped toward the princess, swatting a large, mitten like paw toward the girl's shoulder. Even if she did dodge Procella's attack it would do little more than slap her with a very plush paw, but that wasn't the purpose behind the exercise was it? Procella tried to make it a little harder on the girl by quickly hopping to the opposite side and swiping at Ike's other shoulder as well, her blue-gray gaze following the girl's movements closely. Plague | Viridis | Procella

Shuriken already adored her uncle Plague, anyone who would give in to her demands like he did would have won her heart. The ivory man seemed special though and Ike could tell that the man would be one of her greatest allies as she grew up here in the Empire. The same went for his young snow leopard, who’s grin seemed just as bright and excited as her own. Kiyohime giggled lightly as the feline rubbed along her side and she returned the affection and ending with a sweet bow as Procella returned her greeting.

Things were getting serious now though as Plague arranged them and the cat and wolf faced each other. Ike’s defenses were set and Plague didn’t offer any corrections or praise but the girl was better off so her focus wasn’t upset. The girl was smart and observant, and as Procella looked to Plague Shuriken readied herself for the first attack. She watched carefully with dual toned eyes as Procella leapt at her.

Ever the clumsy one Shuriken did exactly the opposite as she should have. Instead of dodging the first paw swipe she sidestepped into the swipe. With a groan she was allowed to try again, and just the same her body again collided with the paw. With a defeated groan Shuriken plopped down right in front of the young snow leopard.

Plague watched his niece stumble into Procella's swipes not once but twice and gave a small, sympathetic smile when she plopped down onto her haunches defeatedly. She was still so young that just learning how to use her paws was still quite difficult so he wasn't necessarily surprised and he definitely wasn't disappointed. Procella stepped forward to bump her head encouragingly against Kiyohime's, her blue-gray eyes wide with a silent apology for hitting the princess twice with her large paws. "Failure is a big part of learning," Plague told her with a knowing emerald gaze. "If you let yourself get defeated every time you mess up you'll never be able to learn." He gave a small nod to Procella to return to her previous position which his companion obediently followed. Plague stood and walked over to Ike, nudging her gently till she was back on her paws and then looking down at the little princess with a look that was firm but still loving. "All of the best fighters had to fall down over and over till they were able to master their craft - myself included. But you know what all strong fighters have in common?" He leaned down with a playful glimmer in his eye, tapping his nose against hers as he added, "They don't pout about it." With a chuckle he turned and walked back over to where he was previously sitting, settling back on his haunches to watch the pair again. "Alright... Try it again." Procella waited for the princess to get ready before hopping forward and repeating the same exercise she had before, silently rooting for her opponent all the while. Plague | Viridis | Procella

Shuriken didn’t give up easily, but this disaster came after a long line of failures. The tiny princess was always stuffing things up when she tripped over her own paws or made a misstep. She never meant to mess things up, but it seemed like no matter what she was ruining something. Like when she’d very nearly lost Kitsune’s sweet gift forever in the snow. Even as she sunk to the ground the snow leopardess cub was there, offering an encouraging bump of her head as Plague walked over too. ”But uncle Plague I’m always messing up.” She confessed softly. Kitsune was convinced that she would someday become that graceful dragon in the stories, but Ike wasn’t so sure.

Kiyohime let her ivory uncle help her to her paws, she looked up to him as she found her footing. She puffed out her chest like when she was trying to convince him to teach her. Plague looked down at her seriously, his words were some he wanted her to take to heart. The tiny Princess perked and did just that, this wasn’t the last time that she was going to lose. Nor was it the last time she was going to trip over herself and ruin everything. ”Yes, sir.” Her voice was soft but it was strong.

Ike took a deep breath and took a step forward, ready for Procella to come at her again. She prayed to the gods to let her body and mind work together for once. The princess steadied herself and narrowed her dual toned gaze as the leopardess readied herself as well. One more deep breath and the sweet cat leapt forward to repeat the exercise. Shuriken was determined this time, as Procella began to raise her paw Ike bounced in the opposite direction. Excitement filled her, but she knew she had to keep her wits…

Procella smacked her on her little pink nose. It was little more than a bop, and Shuriken tried so very hard not to let it get to her. She had succeeded in dodging one swipe, that wasn’t bad especially compared to the first try. ”Oof.” She huffed, but this time she stood still and proud instead of falling in quick defeat.

He was proud of his niece. Granted, he was already having a hard time being impartial with the young girl, but still - as she picked herself back up and puffed out her chest proudly, he had a hard time holding back a pleased grin. Their family in general was a strong and resilient bunch and she was cut from that very same cloth. He saw it in everything from the duality of her beautiful, speckled coat to the pride she took in herself. There was a long road of trail, error, success, and failure ahead of her so if there was anything he could do to help her along that path he would. She seemed to really absorb his lesson and that made him feel like it was worth it. He watched as Procella made another swipe at the young girl and grinned when she hopped to the side and avoided the attack entirely. He didn't care that the second swipe had gotten her across the nose, he only cared that there was improvement. He was perhaps even more proud of the fact that when Procella did land a tap on the princess' nose, Ike didn't fall down in a huff. Instead she stood tall with just an "oof" to show for it. "Well done," he told her, that pride showing through his emerald gaze. Procella rubbed happily against Kiyohime as well, her long, fluffy tail practically wrapping around the girl like a plush scarf. "Again," he instructed after a moment, leaving a gentle smile on his features while he watched his companion and his niece go back to their training with a series of swipes, hops, and bops all one after another. Sometimes Ike was able to dodge them and sometimes she wasn't, but she continuously got better and more comfortable with it and that was what mattered. After a while he raised his paw, stopping the two young fighters from this particular drill. "How about we reverse things a bit?" he asked with a grin. He knew attacking was more fun than defending and he didn't want Ike to see it as all work and no play. "Procella, you be on the defensive. Ike, its your turn to see if you can land a hit on her." Plague | Viridis | Procella

Shuriken didn’t like to lose, that was a quality she wouldn't hide. Her first performance was evidence of that, she showed how bad she took failure right off the bat but Plague was there to encourage her onward. She had to get up and she had to keep going because this wasn’t the last time she was going to fail but if she didn’t get back up she wouldn’t go on to win either. She was proud of herself for managing to dodge at least once, but the pride in herself didn’t compare to Plague’s eager smile as he beamed down at her. ”Thank you,” she told her uncle with a small bow of her head. Ever the humble child.

She leaned against Procella, enjoying the pride that even the young snow leopard had in her. Plague wasn’t through with their lesson yet and Ike wasn’t either. She wouldn’t dwell on her tiny victory though, Plague swiftly had the girls return to their places for another few rounds. Shuriken felt herself succeed as much as she failed, but in either case she was learning. Procella was sweet and gentle, and no matter how many times she was knocked down the tiny girl’s confidence rose.

Eventually Plague stopped the two of them. Dual toned eyes looked up to Plague as he spoke again, now they were going to switch. Ike’s dual toned tail wagged at her hips as she was the one to do the attacking. The girl lowered herself into a play bow, her tail still eagerly wagging as she eventually sprung towards Procella. Her own paws didn’t have real retractable claws. Unlike her mother’s paws Shuriken’s were like Hattoris with long wicked talons that were so much like an eagle’s.

Just like the young snow leopard Kiyohime swiped once right and then left, hoping to land at least one. Her paws weren’t offered terribly hard, she didn’t want to scratch her new friend.

He certainly wasn't surprised when he saw how excited his niece was to be on the attacking side, but that didn't make it any less adorable. Right now it was a fun activity, a way to play, but perhaps one day it could grow into the same sort of vigor for battle that he had. He wasn't sure why he had taken to fighting the way he had, but for as long as he could remember it had been a focus and a passion for him. Perhaps it had started as something he knew could be helpful to his family and would allow him to protect them, but now that he had grown confident in his skills, it had come back around to the fun and thrill he used to feel from it once upon a time. Procella faced off against Ike again, this time coiled and ready to bounce out of the way. She was successful in avoiding the first swipe pretty easily, but adjusting her direction quickly was something she was still working on so when Ike's taloned paw swiped toward the opposite side it grazed her shoulder before she could get away. It wasn't quite a hit, but it was certainly a very good start for a first go at it. Plague knew that most of the training he had done so far with Viridis and Procella had been centered around offensive attacks since that would most likely be how they would assist him most in fights so he knew there would be a pretty good chance that Ike would be more successful with this than she had been with the previous exercise. His guess seemed to be correct, but he certainly wouldn't downplay the success either way. He smiled again and nodded, telling her, "That's a good start. Try using the same sort of stance you had before when you were defending though. Your opponent won't always be one sided like it is right now so you'll have to be ready for attacks and defending at the same time. You might as well get in the habit of it now." He waited for the girls to get to their places before he nodded again and instructed, "Again." Plague | Viridis | Procella