The wind had picked up significantly, cold winds blowing in from the north had brought heavy clouds looming over Avalon. The wind rattled the sides of the barn, all the while Cloud did his best to try and sleep through it. It was too early for this madness, but he was fully aware too that there was no controlling the elements. It wasn't until sudden thudding against the structure startled him. Was someone throwing rocks at the barn? Sighing, he decided to get up, passing by the sleeping stallion as he made his way toward the opening to go outside. When he looked out, he saw hail falling. Small bits of hail bounced off the ground and pelted everything in sight. Frowning, he wasn't so sure that he wanted to go hunting today...but things needed tending to still, and he had a training session with Finan today. Turning around, he headed back to his stall to grab a cloak to keep himself at least...a little dry. It wasn't raining too much, a light drizzle at best, but the hail was starting to come down more. Cloak secured, he left the barn to meet Finan at their usual training spot, using whatever cover he could find. He could hear the sheep and other livestock voicing their displeasure, but he figured they'd be fine until Balian or someone else got around to checking on them. He spotted his nephew sitting beneath the makeshift shelter he had made, and his tail wagged a bit as he saw him. "You ready for today's training?" WC: 260/1500 "Speak"

art by Otackoon

He had been up pretty early this morning. The clouds that had made their way over the southern lands were dark and heavy, blown in by the cold winds of the north. He wore a cloak that his uncle had given him pulled up high against his neck and shoulders to try and keep a little warmer. He made his rounds on the border, chased off a fox that tried to sneak into the hen house, and was now on his way back to meet his uncle for a training session they had planned. While on his way, it started to hail. The hail pelted him, bouncing off the ground, and when there was enough of it on the ground, he found himself slipping and sliding on the grass. He tried to be careful, but the mud created by the rain made it difficult, too. He made it at least, to the lean-to shelter he had put up at the start of the season. He sat and looked out at the fields as the hail started to drop faster. Harder. He wondered if his uncle was still going to show up or if he decided to cancel class because of the weather. Looking up, he spotted his uncle's companion and grinned, knowing then that he was on his way. Within a few short minutes, Cloud showed up, asking if he was ready. "Aye, you bet yer furry arse I am!" He stood, stretching his limbs before stepping out into the elements. "Get ready old man!" He playfully grinned before throwing himself forward. His uncle was used to his prompt starts, and this time was no different. Finan made to close the short distance between them, looking to throw his shoulder into Cloud's chest in an effort to shove him back. His back foot slipped in the mud and hail bits on the ground, making his shoulder throw less...effective. And when he turned to try and bite, he realized he wasn't getting as good a grip as he wanted. WC: 598/1500 "Talk, 'Think.'

He grinned at Finan's response. He always should expect as much. After all, Finan had been blossoming since the two of them had joined Avalon. He found purpose. A family of sorts. And so did he. "Let's get to it." He quickly prepared himself right before Finan threw himself forward, looking to slam into his chest. Cloud braced for it, and was pleasantly surprised when Finan's shoulder throw was...not as strong as it usually was. Even his bite seemed to have less to it than usual, and he noticed pretty quickly the reasoning behind it. The slick mud and the hail were making his nephew slip. He couldn't keep his balance. His traction was shot. Finan was far bigger and bulkier than himself, so his weight did little to help him. Taking advantage of this, Cloud countered and reared up on his hind legs, quickly wrapping his forelegs around Finan's neck and held on. "You have to use everything you can to your advantage," His head twisted toward Finan's head, teeth looking to grip his muzzle as he held on, using his nephew to keep him stable. Though the hail that fell around them was distracting and he could feel his hind legs threatening to slide, he figured that using Finan to keep him stable would help him enough to bring his nephew down. wc: 822/1500

He was having a hard time trying to keep his feet under him with the mud and hail. He had to narrow his eyes, especially after getting pelted in the face one too many times with hail and he wanted to minimize getting struck in the eyes with it. It was bad enough that the cloak he was wearing was already soaking through and dragging him down. That combined with the slick ground, and now his uncle wrapping himself around his neck was really making it hard for him to move. He had barely managed to get a nip on his uncle, but already Cloud was turning it around on him. He pushed forward as Cloud had a hold around his neck. He tried to throw his uncle's balance off but only managed an inch or two as he struggled to keep his own traction. When Cloud struck for his muzzle, Finan pulled away and managed to bring a forepaw up to push against his chest in an effort to put some space between them. He kept forgetting that despite his uncle's age, he was still a formidable fighter. But...he was learning. With a grin, he swung his head to the side to throw off his uncle and then surged forward once more, digging his claws in as he lunged to grab his uncle by the scruff and pull him down. wc: 1,053/1500 "Talk, 'Think.'

So far, Finan seemed to be holding his own. Sort of. He still struggled to keep his balance and didn't have the best footing in this environment, but he'd learn. He just needed more practice and to learn how to use the different terrain to his advantage. His cloak was getting drenched now, weighing him down a bit, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He kept his hold on Finan, pushing forward as Finan did the same. His attempt at grabbing his nephew's muzzle missed as Finan eventually pushed off of him and backed up for a moment, and it seemed he was finally starting to figure things out. He ducked to avoid Finan's head when he swung it, but wasn't quite quick enough when his nephew lunged and managed to grab his scruff.

Grunting and growling, Cloud turned his head and pulled away, grinning as he let his nephew think he had him. He narrowed his eyes against the rain and hail before shaking his head and throwing his head forward, using his momentum to throw his cloak over Finan's head. It was a trick he learned with the livestock. Especially the wiley rams and young goats that were being unruly. Blind them, and they either panicked or settled down. Either way, their vision was compromised and they had no choice but to either try and get it off, or comply with what he wanted. And sure, Finan wasn't a goat or anything, but if he couldn't see, he couldn't fight effectively. Fighting blind was doable, but dangerous. And not something that his nephew was prepared for.

1,322/1500

Things weren't going too well. He was still struggling, but at least he managed to grab his uncle's scruff and tried to drag him down. The only problem was...Cloud had once again outsmarted him. Before he knew it, his uncle's cloak was over his head and it was wrapping around his face and tangling up his foreleg. While he wasn't quite yet ready to quit, he knew this was a losing fight. He needed to practice more. Needed to get better with his footwork, especially in these conditions. He backed off and managed to pull the cloak off. "You won again you old bastard, looks like I've still got plenty of practicin' to do, eh?" He laughed as he made his way back into the lean-to, inviting his uncle to sit beside him where it was dry. "Are ye goin' to show me how to keep my feet under me in this sort of weather? Or are ye goin' to keep those secrets to yerself till you're good and gone?" He really did need to figure it out. He was a big guy, sure. But he was a good fighter, just not so great at the footwork quite yet.

1521/1500