It was time to get to work. Gossamer was the Armada's new Lieutenant and after recovering from her illness and returning from her trip to Auster it was high time to get a training session in before the next winter storm. It was the cusp of winter but snow had already fallen several times in the mountains of the north. Judging from the clouds gathering to the north and the darkening sky it was going to storm again, sooner rather than later.

Gossamer edged her way carefully down the mountain side to the Soul Sand Cove. The black sand tickled her toes as she walked to a large clearing. The waves crashed along the shoreline and tipped back her head to call for the Armada's warriors as well as any that wished to sharpen their fighting skills. They had a lot of work to do, especially since their loss to the Pirates. It was a clear wake up call that they'd been resting on their laurels and needed to sharpen their skills.

Aris had been getting restless cooped up in her den with the puppies, even with her workshop to occupy her attention. She'd gotten used to a great deal of physical activity, but she couldn't just take off daily to patrol or fight on the battlefield, not when the battlefield was so far away from home and the pups were still nursing. Now that they were weaned she was at least able to get out and patrol, so she was getting back to some semblance of her old fitness. She hadn't so much as sparred since her disastrous failure at the raid, though, and she missed the thrill of the fight. Yet, when she heard Gossamer call out for the warriors, it wasn't excitement that made her heart trip over itself and begin to pound, but... fear. Fear of failure. Oddly, realizing she was afraid motivated her into action. Or, maybe not oddly. Aris had always been a spiteful little gremlin and she wouldn't let anyone keep her down even herself. She left the pups with Tansy, who was already looking frazzled as Aris sped out the door (several of the pups were already nearly as big as she was, and keeping all of them in one place was a nearly impossible task even for Aris) but Aris just metaphorically washed her hands of the whole thing and bounded off. She was, perhaps not surprisingly considering her haste to leave, the first to arrive in front of Gossamer. What was surprising though in retrospect also shouldn't have been was that the first of the escaping pups had managed to dog her heels the whole way and arrived right behind her. She rolled her eyes at the determined pup and bowed mockingly to Gossamer. "I await your orders, oh Mighty One."

The faint sound of someone howling reached them, and Atreus immediately went alert and stood, ears pricked at the sound in interest. Interest that grew exponentially when his mother shoved her cat companion at them and said to watch them. He was quick to completely disregard the cat's hissed command to stay there and followed at his mother's heels. Tansy was too busy trying to corral his siblings to do more than swat at him on his way past. He dodged, and took off after his mother. It was a much further way than the oversized purple ball of fuzz had ever gone before, but Atreus was nothing if not stubborn to his very core. He arrived not long after his mother did - his legs weren't all that much shorter than hers, after all, though he hadn't the muscle she had - and copied her bow. Without knowing that she was doing so playfully, his was entirely serious, even somber as he inclined his head towards his much larger aunt.

The days since the family has returned to Armada lands have felt strange to the young Andy as she finds herself trying to get back into the rhythm of life here in the Col. It isn’t just the day to day tasks but the sudden, dramatic change in temperature that has the pup reeling. Paws silently carry the girl across the Col toward the roaring bonfire, seeking the warmth it offers. She had forgot how utterly cold it is up here.

To make matters worse, the approach of winter has had the temperature feeling even more and, when the freezing temperature drives inside, the pup often finda herself missing the humid heat of Auster. She hopes that, with a few more weeks in this climate, she will be more comfortable in it but, for now, the bonfire is her best friend. Basking in the warmth that it offers, Andy takes a moment to close her eyes and enjoy the way it chases the chill from her bones.

Suddenly, a call rings out from the sandy cove that borders the Col and pale blue eyes shoot open. Blinking, Andy  turns toward the call and considers her options before deciding that a little training will help to get her blood pumping. Moving at a trot, Andromeda quickly crosses from the Col to the Cove and makes her way to the meeting area. She arrives in short order and finds two of her siblings in a large clearing.

Aris is straightening from a bow that she has given to Gossamer as the pup silently arrives and lingers around the back edges of the area. Andy attempts to catch Gossamer’s gaze, offering her a warm smile and respectful dip of her head in greeting before settling herself into a seated position to wait. While she has not spent much time with either of her sisters, the young Andromeda knows who they are.

However, the young pup that stands near Aris is completely unknown to her and Andy finds her gaze being pulled back to him again and again. Man, he is… purple.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

Charlton was still new to the idea of wanting to try his paw at fighting. He’d been working on a weapon with his father, had a defensive accessory from his mother, and now he had two new friends to help him with fighting. He’d already been meeting with Yorrick, and was grateful that the fisher had decided to come with him. Meeting Silveris was another surprise, but the shrike seemed happy to be by his side. When they heard the call of one of Charlie’s older siblings, though he hadn’t spent time with either of them yet, he set off in the direction of that call, his companions coming with him.

When he arrived it was two of his older sisters, a pup, and Andromeda. He frowned, furrowing his brow. Shouldn’t more of the Armada have shown up? He moved over to Andy, gently bumping her shoulder with his to announce his presence. “Hey you,” He greeted her. Silveris chose to land on Charlie’s shoulders, eying the horned girl curiously. She tilted her head to the side but remained silent for now. Yorrick on the other paw sat beside Charlie on the opposite side, his gaze towards Gossamer, the one that had called this training.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Gossamer was delighted that Aris was the first to arrive. She hadn't been able to spend much time with her sister and had been giving the young woman some time to be with her new pups. Ophelia wouldn't be joining them. After their mother's death she'd heard her sister was going off on a journey to try and center herself. Gossamer certainly had no idea how to properly process the loss so she wasn't going to try and tell any of her siblings how it ought to be done. Gossamer sought distraction. She'd deal with the volatile feelings some other time.

"I await your orders, oh Mighty One."

Gossamer smirked and winked at her sister, knowing the woman's biting sense of humor. "Not gonna lie, it's fun to be in a position to give them." She dipped her head in greeting to the purple pup that was with her, no doubt one of her own. Gossamer would need to get an audience with them some time for proper introductions. The family was getting so large it was hard to keep track of everyone. He started to bow and she felt a sudden burst of embarrassment. "Oh, no, you don't have to bow. I'm just your mom's sister and she's teasing me."

Another small, purplish wolf arrived. One of her new siblings, Andromeda, if she wasn't mistaken. She caught the girls gaze and returned the nod of greeting. Andromeda was followed by her brother Charlton. Gossamer waited for awhile, but to her disappointment no one else showed. None of the other warriors or any of the higher ranked fighters. Well, she supposed she hadn't earned the respect of the others yet. She might need to go gnaw on a few ears.

"Well, I'm glad everyone here answered my call. I didn't have anything fancy planned, just some good sparring. Aris, I figure it's high time you and I have a good ol' fashioned brawl. As for the pups… has everyone sparred before?" If not it would be worth running through some basics and having her and Aris demonstrate before turning the pups loose on each other.

ooc: Next round due February 18, thanks everyone!

Malachai was late, he knew this. He also wasn't really too ashamed or apologetic. Not because he shouldn't be but because he was mostly not the type to let things like decorum weigh him down. He also frankly, did not have the emotional bandwidth, that was being taken up with the feeling of failure and isolation that had firmly settled over him as of late. Some part of the man wondered why he was here at all, he didn't have anything to keep him tethered to Ashen true but it felt more and more like his tether to Armada was also fraying. He'd not spent much time with his mate since his challenge, even before the raid had torn the end of Malachai's tail from him.

Still, it was probably better to show than not at all, so that's why he lumbered his way onto the beach and towards the small gathering. He said nothing, mismatched eyes watching the small gathering. Mostly children and two women he assumed were the warlord's children. He would stay standing, unspeaking, as he listened to the black and white woman speak, he wasn't normally an unreadable wolf, his displeasure was almost always known but he frankly didn't even have the ability to feel much more than a desire to not have to interact with the pups.

"Malachai Cain Klein"

Art by Cebochka

Andromeda waits for the training to begin and, when Charlie arrives, a huge grin splits her maw. His greeting is returned with the girl leaning into him and she softly whispers, “Glad you’re here.” Her tail brushes the ground as they continue to wait but it becomes apparent that no one else was coming. Gossamer speaks up and the pup’s chest puffs up slightly as excitement begins to tickle her nerves, causing her toes to tippy tap the ground as sparring is suggested.

At her sister’s question about if any of them have sparred, Andy happily says, “I have!” Pale blue eyes quickly turn to her brother and the other purple pup as she adds, “But I don’t mind going over some basics.” It seems like a polite way to suggest that the others may need a few pointers without being so… blunt. A strange, extremely angry wolf lingers nearby and Andy unconsciously moves a little closer to her taller brother.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

Like hell she'd let her brother trail after mom without making a run for it too. As soon as she started getting herded off to Tansy, Tethys started to itch to break free.

And so she did. It took her a little bit longer to scramble after Atreus than she anticipated, a bit smaller than him still but a sudden growth spurt seemed to have struck hold and soon she'd be towering over even her mother.

Though she was late, she was proud that she'd made it though otherwise looked unaffected by the rush to get here… save for her slightly labored breathing. The galaxy-coated  female slunk in alongside Atreus, attention immediately going to Gossamer as she spoke to the group.

"No," she answered his question plainly. The prospect of learning to fight was enough to excite her, and make her forget that she'd likely pissed her mother off in the process of trailing after Atreus to get here.

Being near Andy always made Charlie feel better. His purple-furred sibling had such a positive energy about her, and as she leaned into him and whispered the boy gave a smile. He certainly wasn’t one of the more ambitious of Sirius’ children, but he had hoped by deciding to take an interest in fighting that he was moving in the right direction. At the very least he wanted to be able to pull his weight in the pack and do something beneficial for the Armada. Sure he was having a later start than some of his siblings but it was better late than never, right? Plus… he thought about the defensive battle accessory his mother had left him. An armor piece he would wear with pride once he was fully grown. For now, he needed to focus on the basics, and figuring out where his skills and strategies in battle might lay.

As Gossamer spoke another older wolf trailed in as well as another pup. Charlie glanced toward them but didn’t say anything to them. The older one seemed extremely grumpy and as Andromeda shifts a little closer to him he draws closer to her as well in a protective manner, narrowing his eyes slightly at the other male. Charlie didn’t recognize the action as a protective one, or even realize he did it, but it revealed some of his nature. He let his eyes flick back to Gossy though as she posed her question. He wasn’t thrilled with the answer, but he would answer honestly.

“No… but I’m ready to learn as much as I can.” The boy shifted on paws and glanced at Andy. He was sure she could teach him some things too.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Gossamer's ears twitched as Malachai appeared and she quickly gave a grateful smile to him. Sure, he was late, but better late than never. Of course this meant she'd need to re-arrange her plans but she could make it work. Her younger sister chimed in that she'd already done some sparring while her younger brother stated he was interested in learning more. She was excited for these pups and now that Pyralis was gone and she wasn't constantly looking over her shoulder maybe she'd get a chance to know her younger siblings. As Tethys answered 'no' Gossamer made note to try and get to know her nieces and nephews to. Goodness, so many new pups! Gossamer wasn't the most outgoing so this was going to be a challenge.

"Ok, well, the best way to learn is to practice. I can stand up here and lecture til I'm blue in the face, but it will only get you so far. For those unfamiliar with sparring I'd like to touch on a few defenses. These are ways to help protect vulnerable areas."

Gossamer spread her legs hip and shoulder width apart and bent her knees and elbows gently. "First get into a stable stance. You'll be harder to knock over if you lower your center of gravity and keep your weight spread evenly over your limbs. Stand shoulder and hip width apart. Obviously this will change when you're in motion but this is a good place to start."

"Next I want you to pin your ears to your head, like this. That'll keep opponents from ripping them off. Next, either tuck your tail or set it in line with your spine. If you're being attacked the first is the better option, if you're doing the attacking you might need your tail to help with balance." Gossamer hoped this wasn't too much information. "Lastly, let your hackles raise. You know when you get scared and your fur stands on end? Let it happen. Now roll your shoulders forward and scrunch your neck back. This will make it harder for opponents to get your throat." She demonstrated each move as she discussed it.

"It's a lot and you probably won't remember it all at once but the more you practice the more it becomes second nature. Now, in a real raid things are chaotic, so I want to practice melees. This is when you're fighting more than one opponent, some times on a team. Atreus, Charlton you'll be a team against Tethys and Andromeda. Malachai, Aris, we'll be be a 3 wolf free for all. Whoever's ready can start." Gossamer held her fighting stance from the demonstration and waited to see if Aris or Malachia would make the first move.

As all the pups give their answers, Andy offers a small smile. Gossamer gives them all a quick lesson on defenses and the lavender pup stands to do is instructed. She goes through the motions with the others, offering her brother an encouraging smile as they go. With the demonstration done, Gossamer splits the pups into two teams and her eyebrows raise as Charlie is put on the opposite team. Blinking at him, she offers him a small, uncertain shrug before moving to Tethys side. Offering the younger pup, a friendly smile as she says, “Hello. Ready to kick the boy’s butts?”

Her smile grows as she wonders if Gossamer purposefully pitted the girls against the boys or if it has just been a fluke. Moving to stand so that she is facing their ‘opponents’, Andy sets her defenses and looks to Tethys, offering the other girl she may want while also offering her friendly encouragement. Once they are all set, she tosses a wink to her teammate before calling out to all of the pups, “May the best team win!” She is quick to follow up, under her breath so only Tethys can hear, “Let’s give them a fight to remember.”



Andromeda & Tethys vs Charlton & Atreus for Spar
Round 0/?
Age: Under 1 year
Size: Large
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Thorn Wrappings
Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather Armor
Companion 1: Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Female - Flying [Perception]
Companion 2: Snow Leopard, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Kudu horns - Offensive
Mutation 2: Grippy paw pads - Agility
Mutation 3: Denser Fur - Defensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Expert Intellectual
Specialty: Weaponsmaster


"Andromeda Fatalis"

Gossamer didn't seem too put off by her admission, something she found herself feeling good about. She wanted to learn after all, and she knew pretending she knew a bunch of stuff about fighting wouldn't get her far at all. The pup gave a big nod as she explained the best way to learn was to practice. Her ears pricked forward, listening carefully as she explained some basics about defenses. Something about keeping your weight stable, and stayinglow to the ground. Tethys mimicked her motions as best as she could, finding them a bit awkward to stay in for long, but she figured in a fight you'd be moving more than standing still like this. Next she pinned her ears and tucked her tail, nodding to demonstrate understanding.

But then they were being given instructions. She was paired up with Andromeda, a yearling, versus another pup and her brother. Fun! She acknowledge her partner's smile, which implied she must be happy to be teamed up with her, and she mimicked it. "Ready!" She agreed quickly. "Lets do it."

Maybe she should be polite and let the boys start the fight, but that sounded like it'd be giving them an advantage. No thanks. Dipping a bit lower to the ground, keeping her center of gravity square and her ears tucked and trying to remember everything Gossamer had just said to them, she readied herself for a quick moment before charging. She was used to wrestling with Atreus, so instead, she charged Charlton. She came at him head on, not trying to do anything fancy, just ram her weight into him, parted jaws aiming for the scruff on his right shoulder.

Andromeda & Tethys vs Charlton & Atreus for Spar
Round 1 / ?
Age: Under 1 Year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Skills: Beginner Fighter & Beginner Hunter

Well, ready or not, the training was underway. Gossamer began to explain defenses, basics that every fighter should know and get comfortable with. Charlie focused on her as she explained, a thoughtful frown upon his muzzle. The reason for defenses was straight forward - you didn’t want to leave anything open and vulnerable for your opponent to grab and, potentially, try to rip away from your body. Putting it into practice though…? That was where it was really going to be interesting. He didn’t feel very certain about his abilities to put it into practice just yet, he hadn’t even tried to mimic Gossamer’s examples yet, and she was pairing them off for a two on two match! Wait wait wait - he glanced at Andromeda and the younger pups. It was boys versus girls but, out of them, he was sure Andy had the most experience. He frowned…

…but he was a Fatalis, wasn’t he? Fighting should be in his blood, even if he hadn’t trained in it as early as all of his siblings had. The saber-toothed boy drew in a breath. Alright then, fine. He was going to do this. He would rise and move to the opposite area as Andromeda. It felt… strange… that they were on opposite teams. His mixed emotions were clear as day on his face, but as he prepared himself, trying to mimic the defenses his older sister demonstrated, Yorrick shifted on the outskirts near him. The fisher wouldn’t leap into the fray against one of the younger pups but he could certainly be a factor to catch Charlie’s littermate off guard. Silveris, ever nearby, crossed above the four would-be combatants as they got ready.

Then things got started. The she-pup, Tethys, was coming at him. Charlie growled at her seeking to attempt side stepping to his left to get out of her range. Which, if he had been more knowledgeable about this sort of thing and the distance a wolf might be able to reach, he might have calculated better. He felt Tethys ram into him, the boy using his weight as an anchor of sorts, dropping his center of gravity down to keep from stumbling back. Focused more on his right side now, yet still before him, the she-pup managed to get a loose grip on the scruff of his right shoulder. Teeth pinched skin as Charlie attempted to retaliate - focusing on an attempt of using his heavier weight and taller height to his advantage. Not that it’d last forever - this girl was looking like she was going to be huge!

Charlie’s move was simple enough - an attempt to hook his left foreleg over Tethys with the intent of shifting his weight forward into the leg as he brought it downward. Would he be able to wrestle her to the earth, though? His jaws would also twist to his right, toward Tethys’ neck and shoulder area. The boy would part his own jaws and make a move to deliver a sharp, yet mostly harmless bite to her in hopes it would encourage her to release her own hold.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Charlton & Atreus vs Andromeda & Tethys for spar
Round 1 / ?
Age: Under 1 Year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Heavy
Defensive Battle Accessory: Spiked leather brace
Companion 1: Great grey shrike, Female - Perception
Companion 2: Fisher, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Sabre fangs - Offensive
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Beginner Intellectual

Gossamer grinned at Andromeda's spirit and she watched for a moment as the pups began their battle. She kept a watch out of the corner of her eye to see if either Aris or Malachai would initiate the adult melee. When she was satisfied with the pups melee fight she turned her attention to the adults. Gossamer swiftly set her defenses, pinning her ears to her head then bolted head on toward Aris. It had been ages since they'd sparred and most of her fighting experience was with wolves about her own size. Gossamer was lacking in experience with smaller opponents and she aimed to make up for that deficiency.

Gossamer's head dove down toward Aris' seeking to catch the top of her sisters head in her jaws, fangs on either side of the smaller wolf's temples. As she moved she rolled her shoulders forward, seeking to protect her throat as much as possible during this attack and knowing full well Aris, by far the faster of the sisters, wasn't going to just stand around for the attack to happen.

At the same time as her jaws dove down she shifted her weight to her left front leg and hind legs as her right foreleg lashed out, paw attempting to strike Ari's left foreleg, just in front of her knee in hopes of forcing the leg to bend back and destabilize her sister.

Gossamer vs Aris vs Malachai for Melee Spar
Round 1/2?
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Extra large
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Clawed gauntlets
Defensive Battle Accessory: Spiked helmet and coif
Companion 1: Fox, Female - Battle - Boosted
Companion 2: Snow leopard, Male - Battle - Boosted
Mutation 1: Saber fangs - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Healer

Aris' stronger daughter showed up at the last minute, having clearly imagined to evade Tansy as her brother had, and Gossamer was quick to give her a run down on the basics. Good - maybe hearing it from someone else would make it stick. Basics having been given, the pups were partnered up, and the adults would be having themselves a brawl. Though given an opportunity to begin the fight she'd normally have taken it in a heartbeat, today she was distracted watching out for her two young children. Despite her hard-driving style of parenting, she did care for the pups. Besides, she wanted to make sure they were giving it their all and not slacking.

It was luck that drew her attention back to her own responsibilities as Gossamer made her move, and Aris hopped back just in time to avoid the strike to her foreleg, though Gossamer's teeth did catch the top of her muzzle and leave a pair of matching shallow gashes over the bridge. Aris, keeping her claws partially sheathed to minimize the real damage to her sister, retaliated by slashing her right paw towards Gossamer, aiming to swat her across the nose with her cat-like claws. This time, she kept her eyes open for Malachai, the third opponent, to enter the fray. She didn't want to be taken by surprise.

Aris vs Gossamer vs Malachai for melee spar
Round 1/2
Age: over 1 year
Size: Small
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Spiked Plate Mail
Companion 1: Black-footed cat, Female - Battle
Companion 2: Blue jay, Male - Flying
Mutation 1: Oversized canines - Offensive
Mutation 2: Cat claws - Offensive
Mutation 3: Spine bristles - Defensive
Skills: Advanced Healer & Expert Fighter

Malachai honestly kind of zoned out until he heard his name, he grunted when it was announced that he'd be in a melee with the two women. He stood, shaking himself out and rolling his shoulders. He wasn't exactly eager for most things right now but maybe a good old fashioned brawl would help. (It wouldn't.) He waited for Gossamer to stop watching the brats, he fell back into a defensive position, knees bending and tail aligning with his spine. His eyes narrowed as he watched the bigger woman charge down her smaller sister, he shifted himself, slowly moving to try and line himself up to that he could stand away from the two sister but "between" them. It wasn't a great idea but it was one and he was done with thinking right now, he just wanted instinct to take over.

The man lowered his head, tucking his chin but still his head lowered, keeping it low he charged towards the two women, honestly looking to ram into both or either of them, hoping to swing his head upwards once within range and maybe knock one of them off their paws, effectively attempting to bowl both women over, though he'd just seen how quick Aris was so he wasn't exactly hopeful.


Malachai vs Aris vs Gossamer for melee spar
Round 1/2? (Uncertain if we're swapping to a single round fight)
Age: 1+
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Heavy
Offensive Battle Accessory: Sharpened candy cane claw covers
Skills: Expert Fighter & Advanced Hunter

"Malachai Cain Klein"

Art by Cebochka

And the winner is...

Aris

Gossamer & Malachai must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Gossamer: Attack Roll: 66 Defense Roll: 7 Agility Roll: 41 Perception Roll: 28 Total: 142 Attack[66] + 65% Bonus[42.90]: 108.90 Defense[7] + 40% Bonus[2.80]: 9.80 Agility[41] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 41.00 Perception[28] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 28.00 Total[187.70] + 25% Bonus[46.92]: 234.62 Aris: Attack Roll: 56 Defense Roll: 99 Agility Roll: 14 Perception Roll: 63 Total: 232 Attack[56] + 35% Bonus[19.60]: 75.60 Defense[99] + 35% Bonus[34.65]: 133.65 Agility[14] + 10% Bonus[1.40]: 15.40 Perception[63] + 10% Bonus[6.30]: 69.30 Total[293.95] + 20% Bonus[58.79]: 352.74 Malachai : Attack Roll: 69 Defense Roll: 25 Agility Roll: 82 Perception Roll: 23 Total: 199 Attack[69] + 35% Bonus[24.15]: 93.15 Defense[25] + 5% Bonus[1.25]: 26.25 Agility[82] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 82.00 Perception[23] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 23.00 Total[224.40] + 20% Bonus[44.88]: 269.28

Aris pulled away, panting but exuberant. Yes, she had probably only won because Gossamer and Malachai were distracted by each other and in the chaos of a melee she'd been small enough she'd gone unnoticed until it was too late, but a win was a win, and a small enough stroke to her easily bruised ego to have her preening over it. Oh, she was definitely out of shape, and she definitely had a ways to go, but it was especially satisfying given that two of her children had seen her win. With all of them but Zeejay clearly setting out to tower over her, she needed all the help she could get keeping authority.