It was time. The eve of his first birthday had come and it was time for his leader and now mentor to pay up and teach him how to fight. He was jumping with excitement as he let out a joyful call for the man known as Bass. Viv was at his side and he gave her a small bump. He was still very small for his age but that wasn't going to stop him from being the best damned warrior that the world have ever seen. She shot him a concerned glance and he frowned. "What's wrong Viv?" He asked out of concern for his friend. "I know it's just training Dar... but be careful." She managed to say weakly and he nodded, giving her a smile. "I'll be fine." "Darrah Dialog." "Vivianna Dialog."

He knew that it would not be long until the boy called for him. Letting out a chuckle he made his way towards the boy, side stepping the debris that had yet to be cleaned. It didn't take long for him to spot the boy and his companion, grinning at the both of them as he came to a stop. "Greetings Darrah, are you ready for our first training lesson?" He asked, very well knowing the answer. "We are doing to work on defenses today. Vivianna, you may train alongside Darrah if you wish. Wouldn't hurt for you to learn to fight, although your attacks would be slightly different with those claws of yours." said the man. Ah, it was good to feel like himself again, to be more alive and just... happy. Clearing his throat, he sat down in front of the two wolves. First, he wanted to test to see what the boy knew already. "Can you tell me why it is important to know your defenses?" Bass tilted his head to the side, golden eyes slightly squinted as he waited for the yearling to answer him.

Darrah waited with his tail wagging furiously until he saw the light form of Bass emerge from the shadows of the caverns that they resided in. There was a wide grin on the now yearling's face as the excitement and anticipation in his eyes turned to pure determination. His leader spoke and he shook his head as he waited for the first lesson to begin. Defenses! He was so excited, as was quite obvious. He looked to Viv and wondered if she would take up the offer to train with them. "I'd love to train with you." She agreed and that made Darrah completely, 100%, surely ready for this lesson. Only once the question was posed would Darrah speak. "Defenses are important because the best offense is a good defense. If you cannot defend yourself then it makes it easier to harm you or worse kill you." He guessed with a slightly insecure tone slipping into his voice. He wasn't a perfectionist but he hated getting things wrong. "Darrah Dialog." "Vivianna Dialog."

He smiled at the boy's words, nodding his head. "Very good. Now, can you show me some defenses?" He asked, raising himself to his paws and getting ready to circle the boy. He was curious to see how much he really know. He knew that he wouldn't have a problem with his student being interested, it was plain to see that Darrah was excited. His golden gaze fell to Viv too, seeing if she would follow him. There were many different ways to defend yourself, but there was a few basics that no fighter should be without. His own body lowered slightly as if he was about to launch himself at Darrah, his lips pulling back as he growled at the child. Hopefully this would give him more of a panic start. A lot of the time defenses couldn't be carefully thought over, you needed to be able to drop into them very quickly. There was hardly any thinking in fighting, a lot of it was muscle memory and skills. Slowly he would work his way there, which is why Bass didn't jump on him right away.

He was all buzzed up on adrenaline and Bass seemed to be eager to teach him what he knew. Darrah did not take long to try and set up some good defenses while Viv tried to do the same. Darrah lowered his posture so he was closer to the ground to lower his center of gravity while he flicked his ears back and put a mock growl on his face. His hackles raised and haunches lowered to give him an evened out balance. His fur bristled along his spine as he squared his shoulder and kept that stance. He believed it was sufficient defense. Viv went for more of a quick on her feet defense. She popped up onto her toes to allow faster movements and reflexes. She had both her hackles and haunches raised to aid in her movements and her eyes narrowed slightly. She didn't know much about fighting because she had lost her parents before they had the opportunity to teach her. "Darrah Dialog." "Vivianna Dialog."

He watched the two with pride in his heart, chest flaring up with it. It was hard for him to keep his growl, a smile was trying to break through. The defenses that they took on were good, solid for beginners. Raising his own body up he started to circle the two, taking in their posture. "Spread your toes and dig your claws into the earth. With your center of gravity lowered, you need something to hold your body level. Without it, you can be easily knocked over." He stretched out, attempting to butt his head against Darrah's shoulder to show him just that. "Lower your head to level with your spine, and tuck your chin in towards your chest. At the moment your throat is open, and an attacker will not let you have a few moments to readjust your posture. If he sees an open neck, he will take an easy blow and kill you before you make your first move. It is of the utmost importance to keep your throat shielded, which is why it helps to have your shoulders rolled forward as well. This scrunched up your scruff and further protects your neck." Bass said, tucking his head down and attempting to snap his jaws near Darrah's exposed vitals. It was just close enough to close down on a few hairs, and close enough to scare him. Training was not an easy thing, and it would have to be taken seriously.

Walking to the back of the young boy he noted that his tail had not changed. "Align your tail with your spine, make yourself as sharp and level as the horizon. This will make it easier for you to dodge attacks, and your tail will aid in your balance. If your tail is not fanned out behind you, at least tuck it between your legs so that your opponent does not strike at it." Turning to Viv, he tried to see if she too had heard him. "Vivianna, your fighting style is different than those of a wolf. While wolves do not have sharp claws, you do. You want to remain light on your feet, and use that long tail to lash it out behind you. This is your main point of balance, and it allows you to turn on a dime. For you, you want to be able to adjust your weight quickly, because when you lash out with a paw to strike, you want to be able to remain balanced. Can you try to lash out now and adjust your weight without falling?" He asked, backing up so that the sharp claws of the cat would not bite into his skin.

His leader seemed to be pleased with the defenses set by at least Darrah. Vivianna was behind him and so he could not see what she was doing. Bass spoke and critiqued every fine particle of fur and bones and flesh that Darrah had. Determination was welling in Darrah was he fixed the things that Bass suggested he fix. His pure white toes swiftly spread as he lodged his toes into the earth to hold his body level. He definitely did not want to get knocked over in a fight. He lowered his head so it was level with his spine while he tucked his chin closer to his chest to cover his throat. His shoulders were rolled forward and the rest of his defenses stayed in motion. His tail straitened out in order to make himself level at all ends. He held the position with a small grin, hoping his mentor approve. "Like this?" He asked with hopes of a good answer. Vivanna was the next to be corrected. She nodded as Bass laid it on her and her soft blue eyes narrowed. She prepared herself to try what she was going to try. She hissed as she lashed out, her left front paw being used for the strike against air before she pulled back, her balance failing her in the last few seconds when it mattered most. She hissed as she fell flat on her side. She stood back up with a frown as she prepared herself to try it again. She knew her mistake and she was going to fix it if it was the last thing she did. She again, lashed out, but she did so with her right front paw before landing swiftly on her feet. She gave a small smile as she tried it once more with her left front paw and she landed on her feet. She gleamed with pride as she stood there without falling. "Darrah Dialog." "Vivianna Dialog."