Everything happened so quickly - one second he was diving toward the entrance to the burrow and trying to block it, shielding the groundhog from any chance of escaping. Áskell moved just as quickly, leaping for the prey animal and grabbing one of its legs. It wasn't an ideal grip because it gave him little flexibility to make a killing blow, but Veigar caught on and quickly sped toward his friend and the prey he was wrangling. The groundhog was flailing around like crazy, struggling to break free from his grasp. Though he was worried it might scramble back toward its den and no doubt ruin their hunt, he knew he had to try something. His jaws parted as he aimed for its throat, hoping to bite down hard and break its neck in one clean motion, though he knew hunting was never as mess-free as he hoped. Instantly he felt blood trickling down his throat and staining his pale muzzle as the two of them wrestled the groundhog until it went limp and lifeless.

Áskell held on to the writhing ground hog, struggling to keep it in his jaws. He was impressed with how strong the creature was, he could feel the muscles and tendons in his jaw straining as he held on. He watched as Veiger bounded forward, jaws latching over the ground hogs neck. Red blood spilled to the ground and moment by moment he could feel it getting weaker until at last it passed. Áskell released his hold, licking the blood off his maw before grinning at Veigar. "Great job! If you're hungry we can eat now otherwise we can stash this away for later." Áskell was somewhere in between, neither full nor hungry. He could honestly go either way but if Veigar wanted to spar a bit or get a fighting lesson in before dinner then Áskell was only too happy to oblige.

12/20

They were successful in their little hunt and Veigar felt his chest swell with undeniable pride. It was a rare feeling and one he decided he definitely wanted to replicate, again and again - he knew as he got older and stronger he'd be able to take down even larger animals but he was proud they'd wrangled this groundhog together. He released his own hold and lapped the blood from his lips, letting out a little excited cheer at their accomplishment. "Lets eat and then maybe we can do something else," he suggested, plopping down backwards onto his hindquarters. "And then maybe we can have a fight lesson? If you want?" He looked hopeful at the prospect, tail waving slowly behind him. All he wanted was to be strong and protect those he loved, ad he knew he needed to train if he wanted to get any good.

Áskell listened to the younger boy as Veigar voted that they eat first and then maybe they could do a lesson or spar. "Sounds good to me. We'll dig in and then I can teach you about setting your defenses to make it harder for your opponent to seriously hurt you." A full on spar after food probably wasn't the best idea but there didn't need to be a lot of movement when practicing defenses. Áskell moved over toward the ground hog and started pulling chunks of meat from the belly to make it easier for the younger pup to get started. Once that was done Áskell settled on pulling meat off the back for himself. He hadn't realized how hungry he was getting until he had food in front of him and he started wolfing down the meat in large gulps.

13/20

They were successful in their little endeavor and Veigar let out a soft bark of victory as he dug into their food. "Okay," he agreed, feeling quite proud of their little hunt. He had a feeling the older boy could teach him a few things about both hunting and fighting. Hopefully they could eat a small meal before practicing so he didn't make a fool of himself and get sick. Nodding along with his words, he grabbed some of the strips of meat Áskell had started tearing off for him, wolfing them down quickly though he was trying to not eat too fast - or too much either. "Thanks for hanging out with me too," Veigar added between bites. He didn't know many wolves in Habari and wasn't sure how to feel like he really belonged amongst his peers, but spending time with Áskell made him feel a little better about things. Hopefully he didn't mind teaching him a thing or two about fighting now once they finished their snack.

Áskell worked his teeth under the hide and pulled it back, exposing more of the meat. He paused for a moment to lick his lips before grinning at Veigar. "No problem, it's nice to spend time with family." That reminded him that he'd need to corner Jigsaw some time. It seemed like they'd hardly spent any time together this past season and it was starting to worry him. He never imagined they could drift apart. Áskell tore off a few more chunks for himself, detaching the legs as he finished pulling the meat from them. Áskell settled down in a sitting position and licked the blood and goop from his face as he considered the best way to go over defenses so that Veigar could understand and practice.

14/20

Family. The concept was a strange one to him but he felt a swell of pride at the words, finding it impossible to hide his growing grin as he lapped the last bit of blood off his lips. "I agree," he said, sounding more calm and thoughtful than usual. A little snack had hit the spot perfectly, just enough to fill his stomach but not enough so that he'd get sick with some light fighting moves. At least a basic lesson would be good even if they didn't go all out. Silently declaring his meal done, he stretched his forelegs out before sitting into a relaxed position. Once Áskell was clearly finished eating he wanted to get right into it. "Where do I start, then? With defenses?" He'd had a lesson with Deathbelle about some basics but they hadn't gotten as specific as he wanted, but now that he was getting older he felt it was time for more in-depth lessons.

Áskell paused for a moment then stood. "Well, I think I'll start with going over what I do and explaining why I do it and then you can give it a try. Some of this will come to you instinctively. I'll start with my head and neck area." Áskell started setting his defenses there before pausing to go over them. His ears flipped up then pinned back down again, the movement meant to draw Veigar's eyes to his ears. "It's helpful to pin your ears to your head to make them harder for an opponent to grab."

Áskell's hackles raised and he scrunched his neck back while rolling his shoulders forward. "You definitely want to protect your neck as much as you can. Your throat is vulnerable just like on a prey animal. If you pull your neck back and roll your shoulders forward it will cause your skin and fur to bunch there, making it hard for an opponent to get to your vitals. Your fur and hackles should also be on end. More fur will help to build up that barrier between your opponents fangs and your throat." Áskell then tipped his chin downward. "If you're on defense or in close quarters with your opponent think about keeping your chin tucked when you aren't attacking. Again, this helps protect your throat but its hard to do that and attack with your fangs at the same time. Make sense so far?"

15/20

Veigar really appreciated the lesson Áskell was willing to give him. Ever since he'd called him family he felt a growing pride stir inside his chest. He belonged here, and he wasn't going to let Áskell down by being a poor student. His eyes were wide with interest as he nodded along and tried to register what he was saying. He explained, as well as demonstrated, how he pinned his ears down. He mirrored his motions, noting that some came instinctually while others were less obvious. Maybe he could see himself doing some of these in the heat of the moment but if he was real mad he thought it might be easy to forget some things.

He rolled his forward as well and tucked his neck down, giving him another nod. "Makes sense," he agreed quietly. "How d'you know all this stuff, anyway? You've had a lot of training?" He interrupted for a moment, head cocking slightly as he loosened his posture. Áskell was young, older than him, but not quite an adult yet himself. "You're good, is what I mean," he added as an afterthought. He continued to mirror his friend's body language, his hackles raising with some effort and his chin tipping further down toward his chest.

Áskell watched as Veigar set his defenses in motion with the older boys. He grinned, gland to see Veigar was a quick study and eager to try what he was being taught. He nodded as Veigar asked if he'd had a lot of training. "Yea, my dad trained me a lot on fighting… before he passed away." Áskell shrugged, trying to make light of it but there was a crack in his voice still at the mention of his dad. Some days he wondered if he'd ever really get past it. He recovered though as Veigar complimented him. "Well, thanks. I appreciate that. I hope to be good enough to be ranked a warrior some day." He needed to catch up to Jigsaw who was already an accomplished healer.

"Ok, you'll also want to prepare to move quickly by coiling your legs a bit and centering your weight evenly across them so you're centered. It'll make it harder for your opponent to tip you over if you're steady." Áskell moved to demonstrate, spreading his limbs equally and then bending them slightly. "You'll also want to get as much traction as you can so you don't slip. Spread your toes a bit and use your claws to grip the earth. Does that sound good? If you're comfortable with the defenses part maybe we can do a spar and I can see how your attacks are?"

16/20

His expression faltered a bit at Askell's words and he nodded understanding. Instead of dwelling on it long though he tried to focus on the task at hand, perking up a bit when his friend mentioned he wanted to be a warrior. That sounded like an ideal rank for him, as well - he wondered if he'd ever be at that level. He was determined enough, but surely it took more than sheer willpower?

He did as he was told, letting his legs bend slightly so he felt springy where he stood, balancing as evenly as he could across all four legs. Doing this was a little less instinctual for him but he made sure it was firmly stuck in his memory now. "Makes sense," he agreed quietly. Likewise he spread his toes a bit and tried to envision his claws gripping into the earth like talons. He asked him then if he wanted to do a spar and he nodded eagerly. "I'd like that! You start?" He was only a little worried about making a fool of himself. Either way he wanted to impress Askell, and wasn't sure if making the first move would do that.

Áskell grinned and nodded as Veigar finished setting his defenses and gave the older boy the first move. Áskell quickly double checked his defenses and then when he felt they were both ready he leapt forward seeking to close the distance between them as quickly as possible, hoping this wouldn't give time for the other boy to experience a bubbling up of nerves. Áskell remembered how nervous he was when he first had to spar his father.

Áskell attempted to shift to his right and aim his jaws down as he attempted to nip the top of Veigar's left shoulder. It was a bit difficult fighting an opponent who was so much shorter. He also wanted to be careful not to cause too much damage to the younger boy.

Áskell vs Veigar for Spar
Round 1/?
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Medium
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Bear claw gauntlets
Defensive Battle Accessory: Helmet
Companion 1: Eurasian magpie, Male - Flying
Companion 2: Macaque, Male - Battle
Skills: Master Intellectual & Master Fighter
Specialty: Tactician

17/20

It didn't take long for Askell to settle into a fighting stance, giving him a moment to get his bearings before striking. Veigar widened his stance in anticipation of an attack, ready for whatever what was to come - or so he hoped. He hoped he could at least hold his ground for a little while and not make a complete fool of himself. Instantly he felt the older boy's jaws nipping at his shoulder. Instead of trying to wriggle free from his grasp he sought to return the bite, aiming for the scruff just below Askell's throat. He hoped he could at least grab hold of something, knowing gaining control over his throat would be too difficult for him.

Veigar vs ( Askell for Spar
Round 1 / 2
Age: Under 1 Year
Size: Large
Build: Light
Skills: Beginner Fighter & Beginner Intellectual

Áskell bounded forward, quickly closing the distance between them as his front fangs nipped the top of Veigar's left shoulder. He only held on for a split second before attempting to bound along the boy's left side and seek to nip the top of his back, between the hips in a nip and run. As he moved it brought his throat out of range of Veigar's attack but as he made no attempt to move away there was no avoiding Veigar's fangs as they latched into the side of his left upper arm. Áskell still tried to stretch his neck out to complete his second attack while dealing with the pain of his cousins teeth digging into his flesh. All the while he tried to keep the defenses set that were practical, such as keeping his ears pinned and his tail tucked. He could tuck his neck and roll his shoulders without jeopardizing his attempted attack so he let these defenses fall by the wayside.

Áskell vs Veigar for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Medium
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Bear claw gauntlets
Defensive Battle Accessory: Helmet
Companion 1: Eurasian magpie, Male - Flying
Companion 2: Macaque, Male - Battle
Skills: Master Intellectual & Master Fighter
Specialty: Tactician

18/20

He tried to adjust his stance as Askell released his hold and aimed toward his left side, nipping hard at his back. Though Veigar's bite landed, the older boy's movements away from him made his neck twist in a strange position. He tried to throw his weight into the bite, but he eventually released him so as not to strain himself too much. His own defenses had slipped, caught up in the heat of the fight - hopefully it wouldn't cost him the whole spar. But it was all a learning experience no matter what happened so he wouldn't worry about it much, especially as he tried to swing himself around and shove his hindquarters further into Askell's bite, no doubt worsening the pain but he hoped it might disrupt his balance slightly.

Veigar vs Askell for Spar
Round 2 / 2
Age: Under 1 Year
Size: Large
Build: Light
Skills: Beginner Fighter & Beginner Intellectual

And the winner is...

Áskell

Veigar must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Áskell : Attack Roll: 91 Defense Roll: 80 Agility Roll: 11 Perception Roll: 28 Total: 210 Attack[91] + 30% Bonus[27.30]: 118.30 Defense[80] + 10% Bonus[8.00]: 88.00 Agility[11] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 11.00 Perception[28] + 65% Bonus[18.20]: 46.20 Total[263.50] + 25% Bonus[65.88]: 329.38 Veigar: Attack Roll: 80 Defense Roll: 19 Agility Roll: 16 Perception Roll: 33 Total: 148 Attack[80] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 80.00 Defense[19] + 5% Bonus[0.95]: 19.95 Agility[16] + 5% Bonus[0.80]: 16.80 Perception[33] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 33.00 Total[149.75] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 149.75

The duo tussled and tangled. Áskell took note of his cousin's movements as they fought. Soon the battle was over with Áskell snatching victory. That was not terribly surprising being so much older. He shook out his coat, panting lightly as he settled down with a grin on his face. "Good work! Going for your opponents throat was an excellent target choice. It'll get easier as you get older. As your body grows you'll become faster and stronger. Experience and practice will give you the intuition you need to out maneuver your opponents." There really was no lesson better than repeated practice when it came to fighting. There was only so much time for thinking and muscle memory was the key to speed in reacting to an attack. His father had taught him that.

19/20

All it took was one wrong move and then the older boy overpowered him, pinning him to the ground. Though he'd wished he'd somehow won, at the same time he wasn't so naive to think he knew everything, especially when compared to someone older than him. He had plenty of learning and growing to do and he knew if he accepted that, his training would be even more worthwhile. Panting hard he shook his coat out as he dragged himself onto all fours, now fully tired from the little hunt they'd done as well as their spar. "Well thanks, for helping me out," he said with a little grin. "I'll beat you someday, I promise." It was all in good spirits though, at least when it came to a fellow packmate. All he could do was keep training and eventually his skills would at least rival Askell's.

Áskell grinned. "I look forward to that day." It would mean he had another equal to train with and Habari would gain one more skilled warrior. Although Áskell knew there was always more for him to learn himself. He stretched and cracked his neck, gazing up at the sky and assessing the time. "Well, looks like I'm due to go on patrol soon. What say we head back? I'm sure your mothers are wondering where you've been." He didn't care to get on his cousin or his aunt's bad side, though since they'd stayed in the bounds of Habari he didn't imagine they'd take issue with him and Veigar going off and training. After all, neither had howled for the boy. If anything they were glad for the break.

20/20 yay thank you!