Amethyst eyes had opened bright and early that morning. He'd explored most of the cool morning away, and he could begin to feel the gentle warmth of the sun on his back, signaling that it was somewhere around noon. His paws had involuntarily carried him to the knolls in his wandering, and he found himself close to the den he and his sister shared. They were getting to the point where they would have to separate soon, as they both had been growing like weeds now that they had a regular food supply. His skin still hung slack in some areas, but he had started to put on a little bit of fat and muscle. Ideally, he would have been nearly his adult size by now, but alas, he was only about three quarters of what he would ultimately grow to be. He kept on walking, straight past the den they shared and further into the knolls. The small creek that he often drank from was on his right, and his ear flickered toward it idly as he passed it - moving toward.. he didn't know where. A boulder rose up in his vision like a great mountain ( at least it appeared a lot larger from how far away he was ). He picked up an easy trot and moved toward it, lining his figure up so that when he got close enough he could leap on top of it with ease. Moments passed and finally it was time to jump. His back legs coiled and sprang, launching him upward and outward until he was soaring up and onto the boulder. He landed hard, harder than he'd intended, and his momentum carried him over the other side of the boulder and into a pile on the hard earth below. "Oof!" he sputtered, the wind having been knocked out of him. Well, hopefully nobody saw that. ""

OOC; He just jumped onto... and fell off of the boulder that acts as part of her den :3

Rhythm was feeling rather spry, she'd just sent Shaye on her way home though parting had been difficult for the both of them she knew her young niece would soon return. Either that or she would so to Shaye. She'd had to remind her that they could really visit with each other whenever they wanted now, their restrictions had been completely lifted and there was little else that could have made Rhythm happier. She'd make her way back to her den now, she'd left Shaye even before the sun was up, so hopefully she'd make it back to Abaven before the day was through. Rhythm had offered to walk her all the way back, but the spar she and Kyarst had been through made Shaye deny. Rhythm had been ordered back to her den for more sleep. Though as she made her approach the sight of one of the younger members of Imperium would catch her eye, for a moment she would slow and watch him from afar, not sure if he was heading for her den or if it was just a coincidence. When she knew where he was going her pace would resume, bringing her to his side as he jumped right over the boulder. Well he didn't literally jump over it but he was on the other side. She couldn't help the smile on her face, but she'd try to suppress it in consideration of his feelings. "Well, you almost jumped completely over my den." She'd congratulate him as if that had been his actual intention. "Are you hurt?" ""

His lungs expanded, but for a moment they wouldn't receive air. He tried in vain for a moment more before his brain finally received the oxygen it demanded. His side hurt, but not so bad that made him think anything horrible had happened. No, his ego was hurt far more than his frame. He struggled to his paws just as the woman addressed him. He swung his head toward her, trying to determine if she was mocking him or congratulating him. He preferred to think it was the latter. "Just my pride," he finally answered, eyes roving over her frame with interest. "Are you?" he retorted, not having missed her mild injuries. Was she another one involved in the Imperium fight club? "Do you all just fight each other all the time?" he queried, genuinely serious about his question. His boldness had been blossoming lately, and he found himself wanting more information about just how Imperium worked. Was he supposed to get involved in this? The prospect wasn't horrible, and was actually alluring, but he also wondered.. just what had he gotten himself into? He rocked onto his haunches, his body feeling a little stiff from his most recent fall. It would pass in time, he knew, but there was no sense standing around if he really wanted answers out of this woman. "I'm Shaw, by the way." ""

He made it to his paws just as she spoke to him, at least it didn't seem like anything was broken. She'd receive his attention as well as an answer as he gave what it was he'd hurt. Only pride, though she knew very well how hurting that aspect of yourself could be almost as detrimental as a physical wound. He didn't seem so bad, and while she was the only one to really see surely he wasn't so bad. Though she hadn't expected the question he gave her in return, she was still quite beat up from her most recent spar. The dried blood had been rid of but plant material was still stuck in her cheek. The words caused her to smile as she thought about the spar she'd endured, and how much experience they'd given to Shaye. "Do you all just fight each other all the time?" This statement brought her an amused smile, yeah it kind of seemed like that sometimes. She remembered the severe wound Kyarst had come to her for not so long ago. It was no enemy that had caused that but their own beta. "It certainly seems like it sometimes." She'd answer him easily, "Nice to meet you Shaw, I'm Rhythm." She didn't know who to think his parents were. As she looked at him he almost reminded her of Revenge and Mercy, but he was much too old to be the offspring of either of them. Cascade's scent was upon him, but he did not look like Valentine's spawn. ""

It wasn't as if he were unaccustomed to wolves fighting, he just hadn't known them to fight without.. well, killing each other. His mother had died in a fight - to protect him, no less. But apparently, a fight could end in more results than just victory or death. Who knew! The woman seemed on the same page with him, noting that it seemed like they all just fought each other all the time. She looked like a willing participant, all bandaged up and whatnot. She wasn't bloody, though, so he assumed that she'd seen one of those healers or medicine wolves or whatever they called themselves. Whoever they were, he didn't trust their techniques. She introduced herself as Rhythm, and he took careful note of her name for future reference. If he was going to belong here, he had to know who else belonged here. "So.. did you at least win?" he queried, unaware that his question might be sensitive in nature given that there was a fifty percent chance she didn't win. He was a child, after all, so those things didn't always occur to him. She didn't look that bad, so he kind of figured she'd at least held her own if she didn't win altogether. He wouldn't know without seeing the other guy.. or girl. His tail tapped the earth once before curling neatly around his hips. "What is it that you all fight about?" Did they fight for food? Other wolves? Some sort of.. prestige? All of these things were foreign to him, as he'd only known fighting to exist for the purpose of.. well, not being killed or kidnapped. ""

Rhythm had never been into sparring before she'd come to Imperium, that was Bass and Motif's specialty. She stood back and watched. Now that she was here though it was becoming second nature to her, the adrenaline rush, the quick thinking, the feeling of your blood pouring on the earth. It was an indescribable feeling that she'd come to enjoy. It was interesting that he didn't trust a healer, when it would have been likely that any other time she would have been the one dressing the wounds on her face. This time though it had been done by the novice hand of her niece. Though she couldn't have done a better job herself. He'd ask if she'd won, and like the truly humble she wolf she was she'd answer him, "It's not always about who is the winner and who is the loser," really in this spar the winner was Shaye. That was all the answer she'd give him, and he wouldn't be hearing anymore about it. Though his next question was much easier to answer. "Mostly for practice, though this last time it was so my niece could practice her healing on some live subjects." ""