Hattori had met and sparred with the Aracari scout once before, but so much time had passed that he could no longer recall their fighting style. He had no doubt of their prowess, otherwise Venom wouldn't have granted them the rank of scout so quickly, but given he had finished his patrol for now he thought now might be a good time for a spar.

As he made his way into the open glade of the Shrine, Hattori tipped his head back and called out for the scout. There was no demand in the low timbre of his voice, rather a polite request to see if the scout wished to shake off the cold with him. And it had truly gotten cold over the past few days; winter had settled in nicely, hardening the ground beneath his paws as the sea air took a bitter chill. At the very least it was not as bad as last winter-and by extension, spring- the worst of it seemed to have passed but Hattori knew better than to get too comfortable just yet.

"Speech"

And It's The Stars That Shine For You

Stjarna patrolled the borders of Ashen, today focusing primarily on the area around the shrine. They'd caught the scent of a few wolves, but thankfully no signs of attempted trespassing. Now that winter had arrived there had been no scent of bears though it did seem there was an increase of coyotes in the area. Star continued walking, pausing only when the call of Hattori rang through the air. Heeding the summons, Stjarna headed toward the source of the call and arrived in short order. Star dipped their head in a bow of greeting and respect before speaking. "Hattori, you summoned me?" The call hadn't been urgent so Star doubted it was an emergency but they were still anxious to hear the reason for summons.

Stjarna was just as punctual as expected and arrived on the scene in no time at all. Hattori offered them a polite nod in greeting, but was quick to address the matter at paw. It was not an overly serious matter, nor did they have anything to worry about, but he knew this likely came across as a tad odd. He was not one to call on his underlings often, if at all.

"Yes. I wish to spar with you, if you are agreeable." He idly wondered if they recalled their last match, if the outcome would be different this time. He would not force the matter if they did not wish to proceed, the Shogun was a lot of things but he had no interest in throwing his weight around for the sake of it. "We sparred some time ago and I am curious to see your skills as they are now."

He then adjusted his posture, shoulders dipped and head low. Anticipating and ready, should Stjarna take up his offer. The first move was theirs.

And It's The Stars That Shine For You

Stjarna gazed curiously at Hattori but was quick to nod in agreement to a spar. It had been quite some time since Star had had the opportunity to spar another wolf instead of fending of a bear or large cat. An opponent like Hattori could prove a considerable challenge and that was an exciting prospect. "Sounds good. It has been awhile since I've had the chance to train." Stjarna moved a little ways away from Hattori and faced off against the horned-wolf. Swiftly setting their defenses they waited until the alpha was ready before starting their attack.

Stjarna kicked off and charged toward Hattori, attacking straight on. Eager to try something new and perhaps unexpected Star sought to go in low, seeking to bite into the front of Hattori's left elbow. In truth it was a set up for another attack but Stjarna did not want to give away their gambit just yet. So much depended on Hattori's response.

Stjarna vs Hattori for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Large
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Spiked shoulder harness
Defensive Battle Accessory: Helmet and chain mail cowl
Companion 1: Jaguarundi, Male - Battle
Companion 2: Mountain Lion, Female - Battle
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Bloodletter

The scout was quick to kick into motion, rushing head on as they closed the distance. Hattori was ready and adjusted his posture accordingly, ears flicked back, shoulders set and square, whilst his muscles were ready to react at a milliseconds notice. Dipping in low, Hattori assumed they would focus their first attack on his front half, but knew it wasn't uncommon to mix things up in the heat of the moment. That he had to be watchful all the same.

Baring his teeth, he lunged forward and aimed to grab a mouthful of  their left ear. In aiming down to grab at his leg it was an easy target to reach, even pinned against their skull he knew he'd be able to pry it lose with little effort.

Hattori vs Stjarna  for spar
Round 1/2
Age: over 1
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Tanto
Defensive Battle Accessory: Shinobi cuirass
Companion 1: Asian Golden Cat, Male - Battle
Companion 2: Mountain hawk-eagle, Male - Battle
*Companion 3: Akita, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Eagle talons - Offensive
Mutation 2: Antelope horns - Offensive
Mutation 3: Reinforced bones - Defensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Cooperative

And It's The Stars That Shine For You

Stjarna kept their focus on Hattori's movements, resisting the urge to grin as they saw Hattori's head dive down for their own. Perfect. Star suddenly shifted their jaws up, kicking off hard on their front legs in an attempt to slip between Hattori's chest and lower jaw so that they could seize the alpha's throat. The goal was to get a decent grip, not enough to choke the other man out but enough to make it known that the attack could've been significant if this were more than just a spar. As they moved they attempted to keep their defenses set as much as possible.

Stjarna vs Hattori for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Large
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Spiked shoulder harness
Defensive Battle Accessory: Helmet and chain mail cowl
Companion 1: Jaguarundi, Male - Battle
Companion 2: Mountain Lion, Female - Battle
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Bloodletter

It was a good thing Hattori had a solid head on his shoulders as it seemed as though Ashen's scout was not only fast but clever too. Feinting their first attack, Stjarna rushed in to make a grab for Hattori's throat, left exposed by his initial lunge.  It was the right call to make, he'd give them that. Twisting away, Hattori attempted to block the attack with the expanse of his shoulder, if their bite landed there it wouldn't inflict as nearly as much damage nor leave him vulnerable. Moving suddenly gave his shove added momentum, so even if the scout got a mouthful of shoulder fur it would still give their muzzle a solid knock.

Hattori vs Stjarna  for spar
Round 2/2
Age: over 1
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Tanto
Defensive Battle Accessory: Shinobi cuirass
Companion 1: Asian Golden Cat, Male - Battle
Companion 2: Mountain hawk-eagle, Male - Battle
*Companion 3: Akita, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Eagle talons - Offensive
Mutation 2: Antelope horns - Offensive
Mutation 3: Reinforced bones - Defensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Cooperative

And the winner is...

HATTORI

STJARNA must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: STJARNA: Attack Roll: 36 Defense Roll: 90 Agility Roll: 43 Perception Roll: 56 Total: 225 Attack[36] + 60% Bonus[21.60]: 57.60 Defense[90] + 15% Bonus[13.50]: 103.50 Agility[43] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 43.00 Perception[56] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 56.00 Total[260.10] + 40% Bonus[104.04]: 364.14 HATTORI: Attack Roll: 96 Defense Roll: 99 Agility Roll: 29 Perception Roll: 93 Total: 317 Attack[96] + 95% Bonus[91.20]: 187.20 Defense[99] + 20% Bonus[19.80]: 118.80 Agility[29] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 29.00 Perception[93] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 93.00 Total[428.00] + 25% Bonus[107.00]: 535.00