Today is the day. Aqua eyes look around the dark room that Fern shares with Rudy while she still lies pressed against him. He has a leg resting over her side and Fern carefully extracts her body from the warmth of his body. The gray girl had thrown herself in training, rising with the sun to make her way to the training rings outside the castle. For hours she would drill herself, moving through stances and attacking dummies. She had been determined to make Rudy proud. But then the pirates had attacked the Hallows. In the flurry of defending the castle, Fern had neglected her drills, instead staying close to Rudy. When he had come back wounded, Fern had been beside herself, fretting over him as flashbacks of finding him by the falls filled her head. Ultimately, the wounds were minor requiring only rest to heal. But still, she had worried.

Fern had hated the feeling of helplessness and fear that filled her, vowing to herself to be ready to help attack if that ever happened again. Art’s words rang her head, reminding her that she has to her purpose. That is when she had found it, that was the moment she knew what would make her happy. She had approached Art, letting him know she was ready to learn how to wield a sword. Art was ready for her, telling her to meet him at the training ground before dawn and Fern had agreed. Now she stands in her room, looking at Rudy’s sleeping form and letting the fear she had felt flow through. If left unchecked, fear can swallow one whole, drowning the endless possibilities the future under layers of panic and uncertainty.

For a moment, she allows it to swell, growing and growing, until it is ready to pull her under. But this time, Fern is ready. She adds anger to it, a righteous indignation at the feeling of helplessness it brings. Fern harnesses the fear, making it work for her. The fear is quelled and, in its place, is smoldering fire of anger that she will use to her advantage. With a smile, Fern reaches toward the sleeping form of her love and plants a kiss on Rudy’s cheek. With that, she quickly turns and slips out of the room. Gray paws stealthy make their way through the castle, determination pulling her onward. When she hits the courtyard, the brisk autumn air hits Fern, causing a small shiver to rack her frame. But she keeps moving, the crisp grass crunching under her as Fern makes her way to the training area. Torches have been lit around it, bathing the ring in light since the sun has yet to rise. Making her way into the center of torchlit area, Fern opts not to sit down. Instead, she starts to stretch, loosening her muscles for what lays ahead.


"Fern"

The door to the blacksmith's forge creaked open, spilling light into the dark space. The world was still clad in the shroud of night, the sun just beginning to cast its first rays over the eastern horizon, and thusly, the room was lit by the orange glow of the torches out in the corridor. Artorias stepped inside the quiet blacksmith, striding past the bellows and forge and over to the door on the far end of the smithy. He lifted the latch and pushed the door inward again, letting light spill into the armory. It glinted off of the dark iron and steel plates of armor, off the sharpened blades of swords, axes, and spears. Artorias had spent an indeterminate amount of time repairing and maintaining the weapons and armor in the castle from the moment they moved in, ensuring the Hallows always had ample supply of armaments. But what he was most interested in were the wooden sparring swords hanging from a rack beside the door.

"Hello, old friends," he said with a crooked smile to the dull "swords" and snatched two of them off the rack, slipping them through the straps of his cuirass to carry them on his back. He stepped into the armory long enough to grab a basic leather cuirass and then made his way back out, closing doors as he went. The air outside was cool and heralded a chill of the approaching Austerian winter. Artorias' brow furrowed with concern. The only winter he'd ever experienced in Auster had been the ice age that had killed Askan and brought the creatures that killed Resin too. The young alpha prayed this would not be another repeat occurrence. Artorias strode through the gardens and out of the gates, heading for the training fields just outside the walls. He'd set up some torches earlier to guide Fern to the rings, knowing the sun would be up shortly, but for now they would work in the dark.

When he arrived, he saw Fern already doing some warm up stretches in the ring. Art's lips turned up in a hint of a smile from around the armor he was carrying. She was showing initiative by preparing early for their lessons. Good; Fern would do well. Padding up to the ring and crossing the boundary, Artorias greeted Fern with a tip of his head to her, then he placed the cuirass at her paws. "Put this on," he instructed her. He drew one of the wooden sparring swords and set it down beside the armor. "When you're ready, pick up your sword. We're going to go over some basic movements with a weapon first." Art gave her all the time she needed to get armored up and prepared, only continuing once Fern relayed that she was ready. Artorias drew his own wooden sword and showed her how he held it between solid jaws. "Remember to keep a firm grip on the hilt. Don't bite so hard it hurts, but you don't want your weapon to be wobbly either." He gave a demonstration by shaking his head, showing how the sword didn't wobble or move in his grasp.

"When fighting with a sword, it's important to always remember where your blade is. Treat it like it's an extension of yourself—of your bite." Artorias took a slow step forward, showing how the sword remained steady as he moved. Another step, and this time Artorias slowly brought his head from left to right, swinging the sword slowly with his movement. He followed this up with another step, turning his head the opposite way to bring the sword back again. "Do you see how I'm moving as I'm swinging? It helps you stay balanced and on target to keep up your momentum as you strike. The goal is to use your weapon to not only harm an opponent, but to keep them at bay as well." Again, Artorias built a slow, steady rhythm of moving and swinging his sword, letting Fern follow alongside him as he did to practice and learn with him. All the while, he left silence between his lessons, giving her space to ask questions if she had any.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

The stretching helps warm Fern up, loosening tired muscles and getting her blood flowing. A form appears in the torchlight, moving toward the ring and Fern moves to stand in the center. When Art is close, the gray girl gives him a bow and dips his head to her. Art then places a leather cuirass at her paws, instructing her to put it on. Ocean hued eyes look at his smoldering embers and Fern watches him take out a wooden sword a place it next to her armor. Looking back to Art, she listens to his words, a smile appearing on her lips. Quickly, Fern moves to don the armor. Puff appears from the shadows, approaching the gray girl to help with straps and buckles. Once the armor is in place and all the straps tightened, Fern tests her range of movement, nodding to Puff in approval. The stoat scampers off.

She takes a moment to get use to feel of the armor, rolling her shoulders and going through simple motions to test the limits and stretch of the leather. Satisfied, she returns to the sword and takes a deep breath. This is it. The moment that defines her future. Reaching down, she grasps the sword’s hilt with her mouth and raises her head, nodding to her teacher. Art explains how to hold the sword in her jaws and Fern moves her lips and teeth, trying to find the sweet spot of balance. When she shakes her head, the wooden sword wobbles and Fern takes time to get the perfect grip. Art is there, helping with minor adjustments and suggestions, coaching her in the proper technique and feel of the sword.

After several attempts, Fern finds the sweet spot behind her large canines. The longer teeth hold the weapon steady while allowing to ease off the pressure required to keep the sword stable. Giving it a test shake, the sword wobbles slightly but not nearly as much as it had been. She is confident that, with time, her hold will become perfect and Fern looks to Art, offering him a smile around her sword hilt. Next Art explains about the blade and how it is an extension of her bite. He moves forward slowly, a fluid motion of muscles and strength, swinging the sword slowly on his next step.

Fern watches intently, memorizing his motions and how they are flowing and precise. He speaks of staying balanced and using momentum, of using the blade not just to harm but to keep enemies at bay. Artorias starts the motions again and Fern falls into step next to him. She stays slightly behind so that she can glance over when she needs to, making sure her rhythm and stances are correct. They practice the movements, working through them repeatedly and Art always pauses in between adding another movement. He allows Fern to ask the questions that clog her mind. She is eager to learn and so she asks about everything, “Why do I stand this way?”. “What purpose does holding the sword like this serve if the enemy attacks from over there?”.

After the questions, they always fall back into step, Artorias leading this dance and Fern following closely.

"Fern"

Artorias watched Fern put on the armor, letting her figure it out as she donned the protective gear. For many a wolf, putting on armor for the first time could feel odd or unnatural, so learning how to move with it would be step one. Once Fern had it on and attached properly, she picked up her sparring sword. Again, Artorias watched while she adjusted to try and get a steady grip on the weapon, making small adjustments here and there. Whenever he spotted a mistake, he would gently correct her, suggesting the proper way to hold it. Things like "Move your mouth down the hilt" or "Get a tighter grip with your teeth". When she did finally find a grip that felt comfortable for her and didn't seem loose to him, Artorias nodded his approval, and the two began.

She was a focused student, the Aegis had to give her that. As Fern moved at his side, following his movements and motions and mimicking them herself, she would ask questions and dig for more information. Artorias would patiently answer each one while they went through the basic stances and movements, allowing Fern to really feel what moving and acting while wearing armor and holding a weapon was like. In many ways, fighting with a weapon was a lot like having to relearn the basics of combat. With your jaws occupied, biting was out of the question. The sword became your primary—and often times only—means of attacking.

“Why do I stand this way?”
"Because it keeps you balanced. Your center of gravity remains low and centered, so if you need to brace against the impact of an enemy, you don't get toppled over."

“What purpose does holding the sword like this serve if the enemy attacks from over there?”
"It doesn't. That's why how you hold a sword and which direction the blade is facing is only part of what you need to think about in a fight. You also have to remain agile, nimble, ready to turn the sword and your body at a moment's notice."

To demonstrate, Artorias broke out of teaching mode and into example mode. He turned the blade from one right to left with a quick flick of his head, catching the blade again as he jumped and turned midair, now facing behind him with the blade pointed back at the place Fern had asked how he would defend. The entire maneuver had taken about three seconds. It was far more advanced than Fern needed to be learning about now, but she would work her way to that point, and he wanted to show her that it was possible. He'd been training this way since he was a pup old enough to walk. She would need time and patience and grit, but she would get there. "Don't worry about any advanced footwork yet. You still have to master the basics before you go into any real battles. That's why we're practicing in the training yard."

Artorias began to move alongside Fern now, the two in interlocked step while they repeated the same back and forth, slowly guided swings matching their steps forward. Gradually, Artorias began to slip back more and more, letting Fern take the lead with or without her noticing so he could shadow her and observe her movements. "Good. Just like that. Remember it's more important to land one good strike than it is to swing a million times wildly." He stepped off to the side after a few more passes to watch Fern go, giving her little critiques and pointers of her footing while she practiced. "How does it feel moving in armor, or holding the weight of a weapon while you try to fight?" he asked with a little knowing smirk on his lips, remembering back to when he was an awkward little puppy swinging a stick around like a club.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

Fern has to hand it to Art, he really is a great teacher. The leader knows just the right way to gently correct her, giving pointers while also helping to correct and strength her form. She is determined to learn this style of fighting and she is willing to work day and night to see that she does. Art answers every question she throws at him, helping to further her understanding and to put her trust in the motions. When he steps away to demonstrate the way to protect a different angle, Fern watches his fluid movements with wide eyes. Offering him a nod when he lands, Fern lets out a muffled, “Wow.” Unclear if it can be heard around the hilt in her mouth, she gives him a strong nod when he tells her not worry about the advanced footwork yet and her mouth moves as she tries to say around the around the sword, “Trust me, I won’t be trying that anytime soon.” Truthfully, Fern is uncertain how much of her words are garbled and how much can be understood. Hopefully lesson two will revolve around how to speak with a sword in her mouth.

And then Artorias rejoins her, they continue to move through the paces, this time side by side, as Fern slowly builds confidence in her forms. She knows this work is important, that Art is laying the base to build upon and the gray girl is determined to commit each movement to memory. With time, she expects herself to make them muscle memory, able to fall and out of the forms without too much thought. But for now, she drills. She is so focused on working through each movement that Fern is unaware when Artorias slowly slips back allowing her to lead. Barely turning her head when he speaks, the gray girl keeps up her rhythm of attack. Reaching the edge of the ring, Fern turns around to start again, noticing Artorias now stands off to the side. Eyes flick over to him for a moment before restarting her forms.

Every critique and pointer he offers her is taken to heart, adjustments are made and advice taken. After a couple more passes, Fern stops a moment to take a breather. Placing the sword down, Fern licks her lips and works her jaw, ears perking up when Art asks her about the armor and weapon. Rolling her shoulders, Fern shrugs and says, “It feels… weird. The armor… moves but is stiffer than I like. It feels clunky and I have to compensate when I make turns so the weight of the armor and the weapon don’t pull me over. As for the sword…” She looks down at the wooden weapon contemplating her opinion. After a moment she says, “It is different. The weight makes me feel unsteady at times but if I lower my center of gravity more and lean backward a little, it helps. Still, it’s not my favorite feeling but I can get used to it.” She flashes him smile before moving to pick the wooden weapon back up, all while ready to listen to Art and continue on.


"Fern"|"Puff"

A soft chuckle slips from the Aegis' lips while Fern does her best to respond to him from around her mouthful of wood. It had taken him some time to get used to talking around the sword as well, but she would learn in time. With every step she took and every slow methodical swing of her sword, Artorias sees the uncertainty slowly melt away from her features. Eyes that had once been clouded with nervousness shone with a determination. Good, she was beginning to believe in herself. He knew it was what Fern struggled with the most, and more than just teaching her a new deadly way of fighting, he was teaching her to build her own confidence in her abilities. He listened while Fern listed her pros and cons to wearing armor and fighting with a sword. The alpha dipped his head in a sagacious nod. They were common complaints for a wolf who wasn't used to wielding a weapon or wearing armor in a fight.

"We can get you your own set of armor. Make sure it's fitted and tailored to you. Something lighter weight if you prefer, but remember that more agility means a sacrifice to defense. It should feel more comfortable then, make your movements more natural and fluid," he explained. He gave a languid stretch and twist of his body to show off how his own cuirass had been tailored to fit his body so it didn't hinder his movements. "Keep practicing with the sword. You'll get used to it. A real sword is heavier than this, so it'll be good preparation for when you graduate to that. In the meantime, we practice until you are ready, and then we practice more. It will get harder before it gets easier, but the more you dedicate yourself and keep moving forward, the easier it will get."

Artorias stood up again and picked up his sword, once more rejoining the girl in the sparring ring. A gleam of mischief lit up his fiery gaze. "How about we put theory into practice?" he suggested, rolling his shoulders while he assumed his fighting stance opposite of Fern. "Come at me with those movements. Get used to the feeling of actually swinging a sword in combat." The corners of his lips curled upward into a playful grin. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you the first time. At least until you feel ready for a real spar."

Artorias vs Fern for Training Spar
Round 0/2
Age: 1+ years
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Damascus steel sword
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced leather cuirass
Companion 1: Common raven, Male - Flying - Boosted
Companion 2: Silver cross fox - Battle - Boosted
Mutation 1: Stronger teeth and jaws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Thicker fur - Defensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Navigator
Specialty: Weaponsmaster

"Artorias" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

After Fern talks about the pros and cons of everything, she listens with rapt attention. Armor that is tailored to fit her? That sounds extremely nice. To demonstrate the benifts, Art gives a languid stretch in his leather cuirass and the gray girl’s eyebrows shoot up. It seems like Art’s armor is send skin, something that is comfortable with. Testing her training armor, the gray girl tries mirror the stretch but finds it pinches and hinders her movement. Standing back up, Fern says, “Yeah. I would like tailored armor like that.” And then, Art is speaking of practicing with the sword and she bobs her head in understanding, dipping to pick the wooden object back up. She takes time to reposition the sword, finding the sweet spot in her mouth before giving a couple test swings. Already her hold feels more secure then when she first started. Smiling around the wooden sword, Fern watches as Art picks up his own practice sword and joins her in the ring. Her tail wags lazily as she watches him approach, expecting to learn some new stances. Art’s words her off guard and her tail stops wagging as excitement builds.

A smile plays across Fern’s lips as Art rolls his shoulders and gets into his fighting stance telling her to get the feel of swinging a sword in actual combat. Nostrils flare as the exhilaration takes hold and Fern lowers her center of gravity, preparing her defenses and a plan of attack. When he says he will go easy on her, Fern snorts a laugh around her wooden sword and leans forward slightly, putting a slightly greater portion of her body weight into her front legs. Without a word she launches toward Artorias, legs devouring the short distance to the alpha. She charges straight at him head lowered but not cocked to one side to give away which side she will attack. At the last possible moment, Fern angles her paws to Art’s left side and winds up a swing. She lowers her head down and to the side and, when she is close, Fern will slash the sword upward and to the opposite side in an attempt to smack Artorias’s leg… hard. He might take it easy on her but Fern feels the need to prove her worth as student.

Fern vs Artorias for Training Spar
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Medium
Build: Medium
Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather armor
Companion 1: Stoat, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Enhanced vision - Perception
Skills: Expert Fighter & Advanced Hunter

"Fern" | "Puff"

Artorias was proud to see that Fern didn’t balk or back down from his challenge of a training spar. She squared up against him and charged in, running right for him. The Aegis braced his paws, sharp eyes following her every movement closely, nerves primed and ready to react. Fern took an abrupt swerve to his left as she drew upon him, winding up a swing with her sword. Being a novice, her windup was predictable and slow to his eyes, and Artorias turned his head to point the blade of his sword downward to block her strike with practiced ease. He deflected Fern’s blow, then quickly lifted his head in an attempt to flip Fern’s sword out of her grip or at least put her off balance. In the same momentum, he pivoted his body to bring a horizontal swing aimed for Fern’s forelegs, aiming to sweep her off her paws. "Don’t stop your movements. Always follow through with your weapon. Let the blade be an extension of your reach."

Artorias vs Fern for Training Spar
Round 1/2
Age: 1+ years
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Wooden training sword
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced leather cuirass
Companion 1: Common raven, Male - Flying - Boosted
Companion 2: Silver cross fox - Battle - Boosted
Mutation 1: Stronger teeth and jaws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Thicker fur - Defensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Navigator
Specialty: Weaponsmaster

"Artorias" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

Fern’s charge is thwarted by the master of the sword. Art easily deflects her attack and lifts his head in an attempt to get the sword out of her mouth. Stubbornly, the gray girl bites the wooden handle harder losing her balance, but not her sword, in the process. Artorias then pivots, sweeping her legs out from under her and causing her to crash over onto her side. Even as Fern hits the ground, her eyes ablaze with determination. Biting deep groves into the wooden sword handle, the gray girl quickly moves to stand back up while carefully listening to Art’s words. Squaring up again with the larger wolf. Fern smiles around the sword handle suddenly darting in toward Artorias once more. Rushing forward, she once more darts to a side, picking his right this time, and pulls back to swing. She slashes the sword up and to the side, aiming to try and smack Art’s ankle hard while continuing to try and move past him. Fern heeds his instructions, continuing to move while following through with weapon. It does feel smoother this time and she is proud of own her small improvements.

Fern vs Artorias for Training Spar
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Medium
Build: Medium
Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather armor
Companion 1: Stoat, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Enhanced vision - Perception
Skills: Expert Fighter & Advanced Hunter

"Fern" | "Puff"

Artorias watched Fern as she tumbled to the ground, her legs taken out from beneath her by his sweeping swing. Artorias paced slowly back and forth while he watched Fern get back to her paws, glowering at him with a fierce determination. Once she's up and squaring off against him again, Artorias resumes his combat stance with a roll of his shoulders, lowering his tensed body and prepared to spring. Once again, Fern darts right for him and the Aegis waits, watching her movements. She repeats the same process as before—predictable—and goes for his right side this time. This time, Artorias blades his sword down at an angle, catching Fern's blow along the length of the wooden blade and using her own momentum to direct her swing high. Because of their height difference, he still felt the end of her training sword graze over his right ear, but he'd managed to block the majority of her attack.

"Good. Don't stop, keep pushing!" he instructed Fern while he shoved his body towards hers, pushing them into close quarters combat and aiming another horizontal swing for her head this time. Not hard enough to cause any real damage, just enough to give her a good thunking if he made contact.

Artorias vs Fern for Training Spar
Round 2/2
Age: 1+ years
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Wooden training sword
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced leather cuirass
Companion 1: Common raven, Male - Flying - Boosted
Companion 2: Silver cross fox - Battle - Boosted
Mutation 1: Stronger teeth and jaws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Thicker fur - Defensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Navigator
Specialty: Weaponsmaster

"Artorias" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

And the winner is...

FERN

ARTORIAS must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Fern: Attack Roll: 40 Defense Roll: 53 Agility Roll: 90 Perception Roll: 92 Total: 275 Attack[40] + 35% Bonus[14.00]: 54.00 Defense[53] + 10% Bonus[5.30]: 58.30 Agility[90] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 90.00 Perception[92] + 10% Bonus[9.20]: 101.20 Total[303.50] + 20% Bonus[60.70]: 364.20 Artorias: Attack Roll: 4 Defense Roll: 16 Agility Roll: 18 Perception Roll: 43 Total: 81 Attack[4] + 95% Bonus[3.80]: 7.80 Defense[16] + 20% Bonus[3.20]: 19.20 Agility[18] + 25% Bonus[4.50]: 22.50 Perception[43] + 10% Bonus[4.30]: 47.30 Total[96.80] + 25% Bonus[24.20]: 121.00

Fern fights with all her heart. Artorias has been kind enough to take her as a student of his sword school and the gray girl is committed to impressing him. When her swing is blocked and Art tells her to keep pushing before shoving his body toward her, bringing the fight in closer, Fern feels anger spark inside her chest. How can be so horrible at this? She berates herself for not trying harder, criticizing her inability to memorize each stance perfectly. Sure, this is their first fight but Fern has to show Art that she is a worthy student. Muscles burn from exertion but still she pushes on, the need to finish overriding any complaints her body gives.

Ocean-hued eyes are ablaze with determination, Fern faces Artorias, the wooden sword held tightly in her mouth. Suddenly, she lunges to Art’s right side in an attempt to get behind his foreleg and take it out from under him. Her wooden strikes the back of his leg near the joint and Art’s leg lifts. The surprised girl sees an opportunity and bounces backward, coiling her muscles in anticipation. Swiftly, she leaps forward, jumping off the ground and aiming to strike Artorias, with her wooden sword and all her meager weight, behind his right foreleg where his ribs rest.

Maybe her sword pokes the right spot to knock the wind out him, or perhaps he feels bad for her, either way, when the girl makes contact with Art’s side, Fern is surprised to find him falling over. Eyes round with shock as he falls, excitement zipping along her nerves. Fern follows Art’s falling body, curling into herself to try and soften the landing. Art hits the ground first and the girl follows a second later. Swiftly she uncurls her form and springs to her paws, closing the gap to Art and placing the point of the wooden sword against his neck.

Ocean-hued eyes are wide with adrenaline as she stands over Art for a moment, trying to process what just happened. A grin splits Fern’s lips as she steps back, allowing Art to get up while she places her training sword on the ground. Working her jaw, Fern says, “That was awesome! Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to learn. You are a great teacher. And… thanks for letting me win.” Artorias had to have let her win, no way she could have beaten him after one lesson. Still, the win bolsters Fern’s mood, giving the gray girl confidence to continue learning the way of the sword.


"Fern" | "Puff"

Artorias' strike went unrewarded, slicing through the air as Fern ducked his predictable strike. Good. If she'd gotten walloped by that one, he'd have to rethink teaching her the basics of fighting altogether. But what Art hadn't been expecting was for Fern to transition her dodge into an attack, as her wooden sword suddenly swung around to make contact with his right leg right at the joint. The sword hit a nerve, and Artorias felt all of the strength leave his leg, sending him toppling to the side and losing his balance and momentum. Amber eyes shot open wide in shock, and before he could recover, Fern was striking at his side again with the sword, catching him right below the ribs as he was off balance and taking him completely off his feet. The world spun for a moment, and then Artorias felt his body make contact with the soft sand of the training ring. Beside him, Fern had fallen as well, taken down with him no doubt, but she was already recovering.

It was at that moment that Artorias realized he'd lost hold of his sword when he fell. It was lying next to him, but as soon as he rolled to snatch it up to defend himself from his opponent, Fern was on top of him and pressing the end of the training blade to his throat. There was nothing left for him to do other than admit defeat. "Hold!" Artorias called, announcing the end of the exercise. A proud grin crept its way over his face while he rolled to his feet, shaking the sand from his dark coat while Fern thanked him profusely and praised him as a great teacher. A soft chuckle slipped from the larger wolf and he shook his head. "Well done, Fern. But don't thank me just yet. We've still got a long way for you to go, but you'll get there with patience and dedication and hard work." Artorias scooped up his sword and tossed it out of the ring before turning to Fern again with a surprised look in his eyes. "I don't let wolves win. You earned that win, Fern. You moved well, struck a good blow, and caught me off balance. Don't diminish your efforts." Sure, it had mostly come down to a lucky shot and good timing that Fern had gotten, but it was still a win, and sometimes the outcome of a battle came down to sheer dumb luck.

"You'll train with me out here every morning at dawn until you've got the basics down," he told Fern, detailing out the training regiment he had planned for her while he gathered up their supplies and assisted her in removing the training armor. "When you're not training with me, I want you to carry that sword with you at all times. It will help you get used to having the weight as part of you while you go through your normal routines. Practice these basic movements I've shown you today whenever you can. When you're ready, we'll move you on to more advanced techniques and combos." With their training gear gathered up—save for the wooden sword that he left with Fern—Artorias began to head back towards the castle. "Oh, and Fern," he said, casting one more glance back at her with a kind yet stern look in his eyes. "Every master started as a beginner. Remember that, and don't be hard on yourself for making a mistake. So long as you learn, you've never failed." With their training done for the day, Artorias made his way back towards the armory to stow their gear. Fern had shown a great aptitude for sword fighting today. She would make an excellent swordswoman someday.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Argent"