The Warlord had recently welcomed a new wolf into his borders. She was clearly a capable hunter, and had mentioned an interest in learning to use weapons much like his own. With that in mind, he spent the next few days after her arrival crafting in his spare time. Ruga’s smithy was still in a state of disrepair, but he managed to use what he could to shape the blade, and set it into the handle. He used leather to create a holster that would wrap around her paw. Keeping her size in mind during the creation. It had been a little while since he had last made a knife, but the knowledge hadn’t left him.

Once the gift was ready, he had his way to the woods, where he had seen she had set up. “Hanmel?” He called out as he approached. “Are you in?”

"Speech"

Soft breaths filled the newly decorated den. Sand lay coating the floor nearly to being invisible. Shells lined the walls and entrance where two blue flowers tied by vines swayed in winter's breeze. Hanmel had done all she could in the short days of her joining to ensure she was comfortable. And the moment she'd finished, tiredness claimed her small form of exhaustion. Sleeping without interruption. The day to meet others would soon come and she wanted to be at her best. Especially when Sirius was ready to begin their training.

So, when his voice traveled through the open mouth of her home, an ear swiveled. Body rising to shake off the clinging sand and her steps were held nearing the exit. "I'm here. Just resting."
"Speech"

It wasn’t long before she made her way out of the den, shaking sand from her coat. A critical eye moved from her to the den, and he noted her lack of animal skins. Winter in the North could be brutal, and despite their current shortage of materials, he would need to bring her some furs to ensure she kept warm. Filing that away as future work, he lifted the dagger by the leather wrappings of its sheath to present it to her.

“This is for you. If I'm going to teach you to use a weapon, then you need the tools to learn.” He said, holding it out for her to take. “Check the sizing, and see if it works for you” He encouraged. He had a good eye for size, but wanted to be certain.


"Speech"

His words settled and her gaze landed on the dagger. The hilt of it was beautifully crafted. Carefully pulling it from the leather patch containing the metal tip, her head moved a bit. Not wanting to do much damage on accident for being so clumsy. It felt light, yet heavy enough to do its job. Mel swung to the left. Then the right. Before placing it back into the holding. Remembering how he had his around the ankle, she put it the same way his was. Tightening the strap so it did not slip off or become lost in her future travels.

"It's indeed perfect. I thank you, Sirius." Her tail wagged and a smile grew present as she gave him a nod of appreciation.
"Speech"

He stood back and let her get a feel for the new blade. Once she’d had a moment to test the balance and fit, she strapped it to her foreleg. He could see that he had been right with the fitting. The adjustable strap would do her well, and was easy to take apart to oil and clean. “Perfect, it can take some time to adjust to your weapon. Personally, I use mine to surprise my opponent.” He raised his own paw so she could see the mechanism that allowed the blade to pop out when he twisted his ankle right.

“You’ll develop your own style for the blade, but it would be good for you to get a proper feel for it. Come, let's head to the training arena.” He said, putting his paw back on the earth and beckoning with his nose.


"Speech"

"Be right there." She slipped back into her den. There was something there that she wished to add to her new gift. A blue flower wrapped in twine and tied together with various stems. Hanmel had been working on it for quite sometime. The perfect ankle decor to from the floral of Armada. It was her own welcoming gift to finally joining a pack/band that did not try to kill her. Instead, she found herself wanting to find her place here.

His retreating back wasn't too far off. If she followed his scent, she surely would find him. Turning away from him to find a rock amongst the trees, she took her time to unsheathe the blade. Admiring the craftsmanship. So beautiful were the markings and the handle that accompanied it. But for some odd reason, Mel wanted it to be sharper. More lethal. And so, she got to work.
"Speech"

He was starting to get the impression that Hanmal hadn’t been around many wolves. She seemed somewhat recluse, a fact that stood out as he went to lead her to the training ring to make good on his promise. She promised him that she would be right there, and so he came to a stop a short distance from her den. In truth, the ageing Alpha wasn’t accustomed to waiting. There were so many wolves, and so many jobs within the Armada that he was often stretched thin to the point he forgo sleep more often than not.

But he was willing to give some concessions to the new wolf, so he leaned back on his hunches and waited for her to finish whatever errand she had prioritised over her training.


"Speech"

What felt like hours had been only mere minutes before Hanmel trotted back to where Sirius sat. A grin tugged at her lips. "I apologize for the wait.." His facial expression caused her to falter a bit. Not quite used to the sternness of some packs and bands here. Back home, they were very much carefree. Only being disciplined when it really came to be necessary. Even that did not come with tooth and claw. More so a stern talking to which deemed fit for her father and mothers. "I'm ready."

Hanmel felt a little bad for making him wait. She really didn't think he would do so. If anything, she had the mindset to just follow his scent to the training ground. However, that was not the case here and she made a mental note to get her shit together. Not wanting to be cast out or dropped when this was something she'd asked for.
"Speech"

As she faltered, his eyes glanced over her expression, and he shook himself free of his musings. "All is well" he promised her, getting back to his paws. "The training room is supplied with tools to practise with, you're more than welcome to make use of them" he explained to her as he led her around the Col, and up the incline that housed the packs training area. "There are also training rings on the Cove, marked with ribbon." He kept this as a nod to their old pack territory, and because it was convenient. The tide cleaned the sand free of any blood spilled. 


As they arrived, he thought of what he knew of her so far. She was a capable hunter, but he was yet to see her fighting abilities in action. "Are you familiar with the basics?" He asked her as they came to a stop in the large cavern

"My father taught me majority of fighting tactics. Defensive. Offensive. Weaponry? I know absolutely nothing about." They’d arrived to the training grounds. His direction becoming engraved into her mind for future usage if she wanted to do so alone. Feeling a little bit more relaxed around the colossal male after he’d given her a response that did not end in yelling. Sirius was indeed far different than that Medusa bitch she’d met so many months ago. Had Mel followed her second mind and joined only for her brother in Insomnia, all would be lost in this moment.

The Armada apprentice stretched out her body. One limb at a time. Neck rotating along with shoulders as she faced Sirius with a look of determination. She would work hard and learn fast to build up her skills. No matter what it took. There was no time to waste. "I’m ready whenever you are."
"Speech"

The Warlord nodded his head in understanding, and thought through the options for a moment, before deciding on a course of action. Every wolf was different, and it was a matter of working out what would suit them best. “It would be best to see your abilities and style, and then adapt a use with weapons to match it” He decided. As Hanmel stretched out, he moved into position opposite her. Placing them in an ideal position to start a match.

“Let’s start with a spar, the first move is yours when you're ready” He told her, indicating with a paw for her to begin. He would spend the fight assessing her defences and style.

Sirius vs Hanmel for Spar
Round 0/2
Age: Over one
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Front leg bracers with knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Back leg bracers
Companion 1: Black Vulture, Male - Battle - Boosted
Companion 2: Snow Leopard, Female - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Spectacled bear, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Cat claws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Fangs - Offensive
Mutation 3: Thicker fur - Defensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Bloodletter

"Speech"

Hanmel listened as if Sirius was the only things around. She payed no attention to the rustling winds or the birds overhead. He was all she could see and when given the opportunity to show what she knew, a smile graced her lips. I’ll make you proud, father. One thing the old man always told her was to never be overconfident in oneself. A wolf is to never know what tricks lay under their paws when faced with an opponent. The same shown here. New to the Armada, the Apprentice knew not what the male was trained in. Despite seeing him with a blade alone. The rest deemed to be an underlying mystery to unfold.

Neck circled to release any tension in the area there. Eyes straining solely on that of Sirius to not allow him any idea as to where she would attack first. Without hesitation, Mel launched herself forward. Though they were indeed two different sizes, him being far much larger, she took this into consideration. The mere false image was to take him head on. Jaws wide and ready to attack. However, Hanmel quickly shifted her body to the left and aimed to latch teeth onto the fleshy area of his back hind leg.
"Speech"

Hanmel vs Sirius for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: Over one
Size: Small
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Left leg strapped with a dagger

The Warlord was accustomed to wolves her size as they made a forward feint, and continued onwards. It made sense for them not to take him on head first when he had the element of strength behind him. So it came as no surprise to him when the small blue wolf darted along, continuing towards his back leg.

He pivoted on the spot, moving in a quick fluid motion as twisted around, following her movements. He attempted to get his front half within range, and grab the hind leg of Hanmel as she raced past him. If he could grab it, he would be able to stop her dash with one quick pull.


Sirius vs Hanmel for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: Over one
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Front leg bracers with knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Back leg bracers
Companion 1: Black Vulture, Male - Battle - Boosted
Companion 2: Snow Leopard, Female - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Spectacled bear, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Cat claws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Fangs - Offensive
Mutation 3: Thicker fur - Defensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Bloodletter

"Speech"