Tipping back his head, Valentine sent up a summons to Levaithi, his new apprentice. Now that he had an idea of what the Tribune was capable of it was time to begin his formal training. Sinking back on his haunches, the brute settled in to wait out the arrival of the Tribune. He was half tempted to call the other one, Mercy, but decided that he would leave her training to Dione since the Dominus was so keen on taking care of her. Perhaps, one day when both trainees were ready, he'd get them together for a spar. Having someone to compete with would add an edge to their training and hopefully encourage them to give their best. Yes, that was a good idea. Valentine made a note to bring it up with Dione and get her opinion on it. "Speaking" -- Thinking

 

Levaithi was eager to start training, to strengthen his claws and his mind. He wanted blood and he wanted it fast and hard, but the boy easily kept that under control. He seemed calm, collective and uncaring most of the time he didn't speak often either. He seemed liked a well mannered boy. Even at the meeting or during his fight he had been that way and he wondered what his lord Valentine thought of that. Levi was quick to answer his call, legs stretching as he pulled his body over. His cyan eyes looking curiously at Valentine, wondering what he would be doing today as he bowed his head. "Greetings Valentine-sama." by birth the honorific hadn't held anyone worthy for it on there. Japanese being his second language, it was rare for him to use it still. His tail flicking back and forth as he patiently waited for instructions. Levi would shape his mind into something his family would hate.  "Speech"

 

"Levaithi," he said in greeting, dipping his head as he did so. "Thank you for coming." Valentine sank to his haunches before clearing his throat and continuing. "It's time to begin training." If the boy had thought earning a fighter rank would be easy, he was sadly mistaken. Imperium's ranks had to be worked for and if he couldn't meet the standard then he would either need to choose a new career path or find a different pack. Imperium only employed the best in its militia. "We're going to start with defenses," he informed the boy. "Let's see what you got, shall we? Take a fight ready stance." And show me what you're made of. "Speaking" -- Thinking

 

Of course the boy had a lot to learn. He couldn't know everything. He spent his whole life conflicted with his deep down feelings of wanting to kill things. He'd half scare his sister to death leaving dead animals in front of the den and not even to eat them, it was just to kill them. Levaithi was a bit of a special case, he psychologically couldn't feel bad for what he did. The disease spread rapidly through the males in his family, he was no stranger to the thought about his great grandfather being a tyranist leader. He came from royalty, and while didn't hold a royal rank now, it didn't stop the fact he was a very pure breed aside from his mothers side which he didn't know much about. Levi gave a simple nod to the man, defenses were easy, he watched other wolves fight plenty times. He made sure to watch Valentine carefully though, for all he knew the man could attack him unannounced. The boy wouldn't be surprised, being cautious was a first rule in survival if anything. He bent his knee's slightly, hackles raising as well as rolling his scruff forward to protect his vitals. His lips curled back as his ears came to settle easily against the back of his skull. The boys toes spread evenly into the snow, and his eyes narrowed at Valentine locking on him like a target. Tucking his chin in slightly, making sure his shoulders were rolled inwards and his tail level with his spine. After setting his defenses he watched Valentine carefully. As if a wolf trying to wait for its prey to make a move.  "Speech"

 

Levaithi was quick to heed him and adopted a defensive stance. Slowly Valentine began to circle him, eying the defenses he had chosen. Noting the boy's level tail as he stood behind him, the brute commented, "A commonly adopted defense. An alternative to it would be to tuck your tail. I realize that some would view this as a cowardly gesture, but if you're tall like me, your belly makes for an easy target." Speaking from experience, he said, "In a fight appearances meant little. Fight to win, not to look good. Fight dirty, fight smart, fight however you want. Just fight to win." Stopping in front of the boy once more, he met Levaithi's eyes. "Something else you might want to consider is lowering your head. Depending on the opponent, your throat might be a target." Silently Valentine ticked through a mental checklist of defenses. There were many possibilities, many scenarios where certain defenses were more beneficial than others. "Try not to get into the habit of using the exact same defenses over and over. Tailor them to your opponent." "Speaking" -- Thinking