Paw prints pressing into the ground, slowly changing from soft dirt to hardened soil to layers of ice and freshly fallen snow. Careful not to bear too much weight on his steps, allowing the wind to brush away that top layer of imprints. Trekking forward, not quite on a mission, but a search for something. Paranoia glittering in the corner of his eye, watching every corner, nook, and cranny. Not wanting to be followed, to be found, to be seen. He avoids it.

Sticking to the shadows, he’s careful not to brush along the spindling trees that reach for the darkening sky. Having waited for the sun to sink behind the norther mountain range, he feels more comfortable in the twilight. Soon it would be dark, too dark for most, but for him? He languished in it. His eyesight poor during the day, but spectacular during the night.

The way his stomach grumbles continues his pursuit deeper into the pines. Food is on his mind and he needed something he hadn’t tasted before. Having been told of a weasel covered in white fur, he salivated at the idea of turning that blank canvas red. Attempting to pick up on a scent he’s not familiar with, the wolf stops for a moment in a rather large clearing.

Some trees have fallen during a recent wind storm, leaving the trunks laying haphazardly across the ground. Perfect places for rodents to hide. Stepping out from the shadows, he glances up to the sky. Taken by surprise at how large the moon is, it sends a trickle of apprehension through him. What was it about this land and the weird things that happened around it? Not only were the wolves so different, but so was it fauna and now the sky? Had he transported to a different planet?

Distracted by his thoughts, he doesn’t hear the approach of another until it’s too late. Whirling around, fur bristling around his neck, he lifts his lips in a sneer. “Unless you’re looking for a fight, don’t come any closer,” Idris warns, the growl in his chest making it clear that he was serious.


Word count: 357 / 1500

The north was his domain, and Bronze wandered these lands - the lands surrounding the Armada, and further - with the air of someone who belonged here. It was clear he knew these lands like the back of his own paw, though the unusually bright moon overhead made the pine forest have a slightly different aura than usual. Nothing he couldn't deal with, but still, things felt a little off tonight. Not that he'd admit such a thing out loud, but that wouldn't stop him from feeling a little uneasy. Large paws carried him over ice and snow as he moved, navigating carefully over sparse vegetation that grew close to clusters of pine trees. His intent tonight was simply to patrol the forest east of Armada's lands, but it seemed as though he wasn't the only one who was feeling on edge. He hadn't even noticed the presence of another before he was impinging on someone's personal space, apparently. The sound of a growl registered before the voice, and he felt his own hackles raise instinctively, feeling suddenly defensive. He wasn't the sort to pick fights - he had far too much self-control for that - but he didn't appreciate being told where he could and couldn't go. Especially in a land he considered as good as home. His lips began to curl back, revealing teeth as he held his ground. "A fight doesn't scare me," Bronze admits plainly, a hint of a growl at the edge of his voice now too. The moon's light might even make his fight less tricky than it would normally at such an hour. Only hesitating for a moment, he decided to act, worried now if he tried to turn and leave that this stranger would try to ambush him. Better to act first before he did. Lunging forward toward the shadows, Bronze aimed to throw his weight directly at the stranger, hoping the sudden assault might knock him off balance. If he succeeded, it would no doubt give him the upper paw right away. Words: 337 Total words:  694 / 1500 Bronze vs Idris for Spar Round 1 / ? Age: Over 1 Year Size: Extra large Build: Heavy Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather foreleg bracers Skills: Expert Fighter & Intermediate Hunter

Some might think the enlarged moon above to be beautiful, but to Idris, such a thing was ominous. Where he came from, things such as mutations and changes to the natural world never happened. What did it mean? Was the end near? He felt that inner fear, that paranoia of doom, bubbling up in him as he faced the stranger. Peering at the blue coated form from his position near the trees, he blends in quite well with the white landscape and bright light. He wouldn’t call it an advantage, but it was at least something.

Hearing the growl from the other, his ears settle backward, and his own lips pull up to show teeth that were unafraid of ripping and rendering flesh. He hadn’t expected to come across anyone this far north nor this late at night. It only pushed him closer to the edge, fraying his nerves farther than he liked.

Placing a calculated step forward that spaces out his stance, Idris lets out an indignant snort. A fight didn’t scare him? What a bold sort of lad to be saying such things to a monster in the dark. Guided by snow and the unnatural light of the moon, Idris watches his newfound opponent charge toward him. Taking the offensive against him wasn’t such a bad idea. Idris could at least admit that because he would have indeed tried to charge the other wolf if he had decided to turn tail and run.

Bursting forward with energy, dull claws digging into snow and ice, he meets the stranger with his shoulder pushed forward and aiming to meet him head on. Bone and muscle make a loud thudding noise as they collide. Gritting his teeth up impact, Idris strains against the wolf’s slightly heavier build.

Word count: 296
Total: 990 / 1500

Idris vs Bronze for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: 1+
Size: Extra large
Build: Balanced
Skills: Novice Fighter & Beginner Healer

Though the unusually bright night definitely helped him see his opponent better than he normally would, it also had a strange way of toying with his imagination. The way the shadows moved all around them as the tree limbs around them moved ever so slightly in the crisp air, the way Idris seemed to blend in with the shadows, his coat the color of debris-flecked snow. Focusing on his opponent was difficult from his position in the open and Idris's own in the shadows, but his eyes began to adjust as soon as he charged forward, trying to calculate the distance between the two of them. They collided hard when they finally did, the other male's shoulder hitting him square in the chest. The force was enough to make him reel back a bit, trying to maintain his balance with his legs spread. Instead of completely pulling back though he was happy to keep the force there, not wanting to seem like he was backing down. Instead he'd aim to part his jaws and grab hold of somewhere on the other male's shoulder, one of his paws swinging forward to aim to push between Idris's forelimbs, trying to give him more control over his attempted bite. A low growl bubbled up in his throat as he made his attack, feeling adrenaline beginning to course through him from the unplanned fight he'd wandered into. Words: 233 Total words: 1,233  / 1500 Bronze vs Idris for Spar Round 2 / 2 Age: Over 1 Year Size: Extra large Build: Heavy Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather foreleg bracers Skills: Expert Fighter & Intermediate Hunter

The glow of the moon casting over them seems to brighten as they collide. Was its closeness causing their heightened aggression? An unexpecting spar in the middle of the night did sound odd. It was perhaps something Idris would have thought of later after the fight, but right here and now, he was focused on shoving the guy into the dirt where he belonged.

With a bruised shoulder, Idris slides a step or two forward as Bronze reels backward. Inches separate them until Bronze comes back, closing the distance that had given them only a few seconds to collect their breaths. Snow and ice beneath his paws makes it harder to keep his balance, slippery and precarious, he once more blames the moon for this. If it had not been so bright, the snow would have stayed packed down and provided ample traction. But now? Now he had to be careful.

His head pulls backward, moving his precious facial features away from Bronze's jaws and opening up his shoulder to the toothy attack. A grunt escapes him as he feels teeth dig into his skin, but he doesn't back away. No, instead he once more pushes his shoulder further, deeper into Bronze's mouth, hopefully preventing him from biting down any harder. In those seconds as he pushes back, he feels Bronze's leg aim to go between his forelimbs for a better advantage to his attack.

Infuriated and propelled by the pain and adrenaline, Idris snakes his head forward, moving around to the side Bronze's neck, aiming to latch down. Bracing against slick snow, he lets his paws slide slightly until they find good footing. Relentless, he doesn't stop trying to find a good place to bite until Bronze backs down.

Word count: 290
Total: 1523 / 1500

Idris vs Bronze for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: 1+
Size: Extra large
Build: Balanced
Skills: Novice Fighter & Beginner Healer

And the winner is...

BRONZE

IDRIS must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: BRONZE: Attack Roll: 16 Defense Roll: 75 Agility Roll: 79 Perception Roll: 15 Total: 185 Attack[16] + 10% Bonus[1.60]: 17.60 Defense[75] + 20% Bonus[15.00]: 90.00 Agility[79] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 79.00 Perception[15] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 15.00 Total[201.60] + 20% Bonus[40.32]: 241.92 IDRIS: Attack Roll: 85 Defense Roll: 63 Agility Roll: 17 Perception Roll: 16 Total: 181 Attack[85] + 5% Bonus[4.25]: 89.25 Defense[63] + 5% Bonus[3.15]: 66.15 Agility[17] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 17.00 Perception[16] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 16.00 Total[188.40] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 188.40