The sun was just beginning its heavenward journey and the land was still bathed in shadow. It was cool and the grass was damp; something that would change before the sun reached its zenith. Imperium was blessed with frequent showers. The rain made for lush grazing grounds and large, healthy herds of game. However, it also had a tendency to raise the humidity to an ungodly level. Combined with the heat and the time of day, it could made one regret living in the south. Valentine aimed to make the best of the morning while it was still pleasant. Reaching Rhythm's den, Valentine poked his head into the entrance. He was pleased to find that it still smelled like home. In a low voice he called, "Training day! You ready?"    "Talk" Think "You"

Rhythm would wake as the very beginnings of dawn started filtering through her den, bright blue and purple gaze would blink open after a refreshing nights sleep. She was well rested and energized from the previous day, and she'd find excitement running through her veins as the realization of the days events came back to her. She was going to train with Valentine today. A shy smile found its way to her lips as her thoughts of him seemed to make him materialize out of nowhere. Her smile seemed to broaden as she found complete wakefulness with the strength of his voice. It was training day, and despite the raging butterflies that leapt to her stomach at the sight of the alpha she was ready. With an eager nod and a verbal confirmations the girl would tell him just how excited she was. "So ready." She wasn't exactly sure where the sudden urge had come from, possibly her chat with Kyarst? Either way she was eager to try her paw at this sport, though even all the confidence in the world would not ready her for what he would teach her. Unabashed Rhythm would reach up and nuzzle the slate blue man, this was their third date, affections were acceptable right? Even if they were about to do exactly the opposite. ""

"So ready," came her response, and Valentine chuckled. She greeted him affectionately and he returned the gesture without hesitation. "Ah, then follow me. I know just the place." There was a spot in the Range that would be perfect for them. A large wooden structure rotten there, its belly largely hidden in shadow. There they could practice without feeling the need to race the rising sun. He took off at an easy lope, trusting she'd follow. In no time at all he reached the barn and ducked inside. There was a large, empty space near the center and he made a beeline for it. Finding a suitable starting point, he spun to face the entrance and hopefully, Rhythm. "Alright, I think we'll start at the beginning if that's alright with you." He had no idea what she knew already, but the way she had worded the request implied that she knew little or nothing on the subject. "Show me your defenses."    "Talk" Think "You"

She'd receive a chuckle for her eagerness as well as his returned affection. Her stomach fluttered with nervous butterflies at the touch but she'd let his words distract her and lead her from the narrow entrance of the den. She realized how much easier she fit inside than he did. Smiling she'd nod in acceptance before slipping out after him, his pace was easy enough for her to match, and the brisk warm up beforehand was welcomed. They'd come upon an old above ground cave made from old old wood. For a moment Rhythm wanted to deny the validity of the structure, but trusted Valentine and followed in after him. She had no need to duck. The slim she wolf followed him to the center, her bright gaze taking in the surroundings. It was even more bizarre inside. She couldn't focus on the oddity that was the barn as her companion spun around to face her and take her focus with ease. The beginning, sounded like a perfect place to start. She was pretty sure the last time she had sparred anyone was before her siblings had left Ahlon. She had been given the same basic training of her siblings, who enjoyed a good battle. Or at least she thought they had. "Show me your defenses." She would nod, shifting her focus to her body. Being acutely aware of how alone and secluded she was with Valentine she'd force herself to think only of the lesson. Hackles would raise on down her back as she straightened her spine and aligned her tail and neck similarly. Her tail waved out behind her for balance as she tucked her chin, opened her mouth to show off her fangs in an almost snarl at the same time she narrowed her gaze and her ears fell to her skull. With bent knees and evenly distributed weight she rolled her shoulders forward to help protect her lower neck. "Do I look completely ridiculous?" ""

He watched her develop a defensive stance without commenting, unwilling to influence her choices in any way. Slowly he circled to her left, attempting to make a full circle around her, all the while running a calculating gaze over her. Silently he ran down a checklist of defenses. Flexibility played a big role in fights and while he firmly believed she should tailor her defenses for each fight, there were a few that he considered essential. Finally he was in front of her again. "Do I look completely ridiculous?" At this his concentration broke. A lazy chuckle escaped his lips and he grinned. "If it were a beauty contest there would be no winners." Alright, back to business. Her heat was distracting enough. He grew serious again. "Your defenses look good. Something to remember is to try not to get into the habit of using the exact same defenses over and over. Tailor them to your opponent." What else? "Another option would be to widen your stance." He positioned his paws so that he was standing over them squarely. "It's easier to throw off someone's balance if they're standing like this, but if you widen your stance just a bit," Valen demonstrated by sliding his paws out to the sides by a few inches, "And bend your knees a bit, it'll make you much harder to move." He paused for a beat, then, "Some people think spreading your toes and digging your nails into the ground help too; for balance and traction. Unrelated to balance, but something you should add to your repertoire is tucking your chin. It protects your throat and combined with shoulders forward bunches the skin up on your neck and makes it harder to get a damaging grip. Any questions so far?"    "Talk" Think "You"

She was thankful for his seriousness as he looked over her simple display, the rusty edges pretty much as obvious as she expected. Her statement brought about amusement from her teacher, but his statement easily caused her face to grow red. Taking in a deep breath afterwards the girl grew more serious as well, the girl would easily match his movements as he offered examples, she'd try to add them to her memory. Eventually he'd ask for her questions. "I feel like taking a hit is bad for someone of my stature, especially if I'm against someone as big as you." She'd take the opportunity to look him up and down to emphasize her point. "How should I go about dodging said off-balancing attacks?" Hopefully instinct would help her remember all of this in a spur of the moment fight, it still felt like it would be years before she would be able to boast any kind of talent other than barely being able to defend herself. ""

"I feel like taking a hit is bad for someone of my stature, especially if I'm against someone as big as you." He nodded. Her size put her at a disadvantage. However, she could also use it at a weapon. "Say they're coming at you head on. Use their size against them. You can duck, go for their belly, their joints, their toes. You could..." Valentine shrugged, his eyes briefly rolling heavenward as he mentally flipped through scenarios. "Get low and trip them. You could sidestep, line the front of your shoulder up with their elbow, and take the hit. If you time it right, I bet you could get a bite in too, either to the side of the leg or the chest." He shrugged again. "Just be creative. Make 'em hurt; fight dirty. If anyone ever tells you to fight with honor, they're an idiot. What's honor when you get your ass handed to you?" Or when your freedom is on the line? How about your life? The life of a loved one?    "Talk" Think "You"

She was already quite positive that she would never be able to boast Valentine's impressive battle prowess, mostly because of small she was. Her limbs were thin, her paws delicate, and her weight was hardly even considered 'weight' depending on who you were talking to. If her opponent was even a little bigger than her they could easily send her flying. Valen would nod as she offered her opinion, though it was more fact than anything. She did not want to get hit. Bright blue and purple stare would stay trained on Valen's form as he offered quite a few different options. She just had to use her diminutive stature to her favor. She would nod at each suggestion, continuing to store the possible moves in her head. "Make 'em hurt; fight dirty. That suggestion was perhaps the most difficult to swallow. "That will be interesting, the dirtiest thing I've ever done was play in the mud with Shaye." The chocolate girl would utter a nervous giggle as she confessed how innocent she really was. A shy smile would play on her lips afterwards as she looked back up to her tall teacher, her form still mostly displaying her earlier defenses. ""

"That will be interesting, the dirtiest thing I've ever done was play in the mud with Shaye." Instantly his mind went elsewhere. He doubted it was what she intended, but his mind wasn't exactly the home of clean thoughts. Seconds later he shook it off, but the curiosity remained. Really? That was the dirtiest innocent thing she'd ever done? In disbelief, he asked, "Really?" Huh. At some point he was going to have to do something about that. "Well, I...think I'm going to have to fix that at some point." Maybe on their next date? He was having a hard time keeping his thoughts away from a different kind of dirty. Her comment made him curious about...well, her sex life. Valen didn't know what all she knew about him, but he assumed she had an idea. However, he couldn't say the same about her. The brute cleared his throat and attempted to get back on the "right" kind of dirty. "But in a fight you should definitely seize any opportunity that looks like it will give you an advantage." Didn't matter if it was stomping toes or busting balls. An advantage was an advantage.    "Talk" Think "You"

She grew a bit nervous as her statement seemed to stun the much taller slate-blue man, her dark tail would twitch nervously behind her as he tried to shake off her words. At first she hadn't really realized what she'd said, but as he questioned her she realized. "Really?" Dark ears would flick forward nervously before falling back to her skull, almost embarrassed by the disbelief that fell from his words. She'd lose her voice and nod in answer, yeah she was that pure. "Well, I...think I'm going to have to fix that at some point." Her eyes grew wider at that, she'd such in a breath as her face grew very hot. "oh," she'd whisper almost with a curiosity behind it, what kind of dirty did he intent on her to experience? Rhythm's needy body had an idea, and it made such knowledge known through a rather obvious shiver that streaked down her spine. She'd shake herself of the thought as well as using the movement to help cover up the unintentional shudder. Her focus readjusted she'd try and focus back on Valentine and the task at hand. He was teaching her to fight. One more point would be given but Rhythm certainly did not feel like she was going to be much use focusing through the rest of the lesson. Somehow she'd still manage to nod in agreement, "Right." but her voice did not hold the same focused strength it held earlier. ""

"Oh." Oblivious of their continued misunderstanding, he nodded. "Mmhm, ever been to a swamp?" He was willing to bet all she'd done with Shaye was splash around in a teeny tiny mud puddle. Swamps were smelly, gloppy places. Another possibility was turning Angel loose. That boy would have find the grossest substance Imperium had to offer and gleefully smear it all over her. But adding the boy wouldn't be much of a date, would it? He shook his head. What was he thinking? This was a lesson, there was a purpose for being here. Valen cleared his throat again. "Anyway, we can talk about that later." Both the innocent dirty and the not so innocent kind. This was important and he wouldn't be turned from it by even the most tempting of ideas. Slowly the brute set his defenses. He widened his stance and splayed his toes as his knees bent and weight centered - effectively lowering his center of gravity and making it harder to displace him. His head lowered and his tail rose, these two defenses coming together to bring his spine into alignment. Along his back his hackles rose as his shoulders rolled forward and his chin tucked. Valentine's ears fell flat as his eyes narrowed, the skin around his eyes and along his forehead wrinkling. "Alright. We'll start small. Show me or tell me how you'd come at an opponent."    "Talk" Think "You"

She almost fell over with the relief his next statement brought. A swamp? That sounded considerably more dirty than just a simple mud pit. "No, sounds pretty dirty though." She would giggle, quite amusedly before Valen cleared his throat again, back to business and back to training. This might have been a date but what she was learning was deadly serious. She'd take in another deep breath as she tried to focus her mind once more, the task much easier as she watched Valentine shift into a defensive pose. Now things would get more intense, she'd really have to start using her brain instead of taking in the information he'd offer. He'd give her a task, show him how she might attack an opponent. She;d take in another large breath, how in the world would she go after a giant wolf like Valentine. He weighed over a hundred pounds more than she did as well as towered over her thin frame. What could she do? There weren't really any weak places in his defenses, "I'd probably try and get to the side of you, to keep myself away from your jaws." She'd move slowly to her right, wanting to skirt around his front while moving closer to his rear. "Maybe if I made it this far I'd try and.." She'd grow quiet, "I don't know, trying to come close at all seems dangerous." She was a runner, and was growing even less confident in what skills she thought she had. "Maybe try and bite at the tendons in your back leg?" Much like she would do when taking down bigger game. ""

The brute stood still as Rhythm looked him up and down. She came across as very hesitant and even more unsure, and that wouldn't do. Confidence was needed in this game. That and some amount of fearlessness. It occurred to him that he was, for the first time, seeing her flaws. Until this point he'd been caught up in her humor and her kindness, and now, looking through strategic eyes, he was aware of other qualities he'd been blind to. It brought Cascade's word to mind and Valen's mood soured. He shook the thoughts away, determined to get through this session. "You can't be so afraid of taking damage," Valen admonished gently. "Let's see..." He eyed their new positioning, several possibilities immediately making themselves known to him. "I think I'd ram my shoulder into your haunch, stomp on your toes and either bite into the tendon in your back leg or, since I have a height advantage, try to get a grip on your back." Still thinking, he went on to say, "Depending on the angle I might try to counter your attempt to bite by kicking you in the face." Brutal? Absolutely.    "Talk" Think "You"

She was going to get hurt when everything was said and done, she wasn't going to completely avoid injury when she fought. Her confidence was dwindling, she didn't know what she was doing, her pup-hood battles were hardly anything compared to the militaristic training Valentine had been given. She was determined though, she had to prove to herself that she could do this, that she could fight for herself. She'd never had a reason to be this ruthless before, but she needed this. The journey was going to be anything but easy though, "You can't be so afraid of taking damage." She'd nod, he was calling out exactly where she was the weakest. She was afraid of taking an injury, she'd never experienced anything worse than a scrape or a bruise. She shouldn't have been so nervous about it, it was just like learning to hunt. There was always a possibility of serious injury, but at least her prey wasn't trying to destroy her. Valentine brought his eyes over her as he calculated what he might do, and every counter seemed just as terrifying as the last. Again the girl found herself suffering from an extreme lack of confidence. "Well, then I'd let my haunches fall as you hit me, using the momentum to roll under you, avoiding your stomp and hopefully that kick to my face. Maybe try and stand up really quick under your gut and knock the wind out of you, possibly try and bite at your elbows and kick your back legs." It seemed really weird, but maybe it could work? "It might work until you sit on me." How was she supposed to beat this giant? "I feel like I'm going to need a lot of practice." She'd eventually confess, "How long have you been fighting?" Surely knowing how much experience he had on her would help make her feel better about how much of a beginner she was. ""

This time her response came easier, although she still gave off the impression of extreme unease. Valen listening attentively and nodding occasionally. There were some flaws in her counter, but she'd put thought into it. "Not bad. Couple things to consider though. If I push you away from me, how will you roll under me? You're also facing my heels, so it would make more sense to bite at my knees and kick at my forelegs." Very aware of the damage he was possibly doing to her frail confidence, he paused to think. "As you said, I think I'd try to avoid the kick as well. Either counter it by trying to bite the paw or letting the shove to my hip roll me away from the kick and the stomp. I'd then get to my paws and turn towards my opponent for an attack." "It might work until you sit on me." At this he chuckled. "Make it the most unpleasant sit ever. And don't be such a defeatist! No one is born knowing how to do this; it takes a lot of practice." How long had he been fighting? Training had started when he was quite small, the details surrounding his first lesson very vague. "I started training when I was a child. Got into my first fight when I was a yearling, got into quite a few after that, but," his lips rose in a wry smile, "I didn't win my first fight until I was two."    "Talk" Think "You"

She wasn't sure why she felt nervous, Valentine had stampeded a whole herd of buffalo right towards her and she'd barely batted an eye. Why was it that fighting just gave her the willies? Where did her confidence go? She'd focus though, trying her hand at some real theoretical fighting. She wanted even actually receiving any attacks (or giving them) and she acted like she might get knocked out at any moment. She was still as inexperienced as she had been when she was a child, she'd take a deep breath though, she wasn't ready to throw in the towels yet, and neither was her teacher. He'd take her reaction and he'd dissect it, laying out all of the pieces for her to see. Much more plainly than even she had imagined it. As he did she would nod, listening and taking on everything he said. Even if she might not ever be in that exact situation she wanted to remember all of these tips. She was in awe at exactly how talented he really was. He'd chuckle as she made a joke about what might happen if she really had made her move, though he was quick to throw it back at her. She couldn't just give up, there was always a little fight left. And even if he did sit on her, she shouldn't be so willing to turn into a pleasant chair. It was going to take a lot of practice before she would show any skill. He'd even give her his own experience. He'd been actively training his whole life, in stark contrast to her studies growing up. It was two years before he'd even won his first fight. He was full of perseverance. "Lots of practice." He did make her feel better with those words, he'd lost many fights and he still had all of his limbs and parts. "I feel like your babies would even be able to beat me right now," this was said with an amused laugh, partially complimenting his children and partially reiterating how inexperienced she was. ""

"I feel like your babies would even be able to beat me right now." He sniggered, the sound quickly turning into a full blown laugh. By itself her statement didn't quite deserve the mirth it got. The picture it help paint though was priceless. Valen couldn't stop the image of them all piling on top of her at once. "Now they would sit on you for sure." The laugh had displaced a few of his defenses and Valentine finally let the rest go. He straightened and relaxed before sinking back on his haunches. "It'd be unfair of me to toss you into a fight today," he commented absentmindedly, his thoughts dipping into the future. "Do you have any more questions at this point?" It was a lot to take in.    "Talk" Think "You"

She'd earn a pretty hardy laugh from her comment about the children, it was quite amusing though with out the same visual he had she didn't quite find that level of hilarity. His following comment would suggest it though and her grin would widen. They really would sit on her. Already their height was challenging her own minor stature, and again she wondered shortly how she might ever be a victor in any kind of fight. Her smile wouldn't move as Valentine seemed to relax, the tension in her own form would dissipate as he sat back easily. He wasn't going to have her do any real fighting today, which released a tension she hadn't known she'd been holding on to. The girl would relax in the barn, content to be there with Valentine as he asked for her last round of questions. Was there anything left to ask? "It seems like all of it is hands on experience and practice. Even if I did somehow know absolutely everything there was to know about fighting I'd still be terrible until after I honed myself." She'd accept her level and would take it easily. If she wanted to boast any kind of skill she was going to have to get tough and dirty. "Have you got a couple years to help train me?" She'd find herself giggling slightly, though this was the first time she'd really considered any kind of future with Valentine, and it was a student and teacher relationship rather than what she might have expected. ""

She spoke the truth and once again he found himself nodding in agreement. It was very true. It was possible to know and understand the mechanics of a successful defense, but be unable to put that knowledge to use in an actual fight. Without practice that knowledge was useless. "Mmhm, but it does help to have a good grasp of the basics before you begin. Of course," his voice took on a teasing edge, "If you'd rather jump straight to a spar, I'm game." "Have you got a couple years to help train me?" He chuckled softly, finding humor in the query but enough exasperation (defeat? despair?) to keep his mirth in check. He understood the feeling, but there was no doubt in his mind that she would do well. It took more than just practice to get good; there had to be a desire to learn. Rhythm had approached him for lessons and that pointed towards a desire for it. She would do well. Her question brought up thoughts of the future, of their future if they had one. The brute grew serious. "Well," he ventured, "I hope so."    "Talk" Think "You"

He would only agree with her as she restated how much work she had to go, she was aware of this fact and would have to keep pushing herself before she made any real progress. Though even as Valentine offered her a spar, albeit half jokingly, she knew she really should have taken him up on the offer, and yet she still held some hesitation within her. Thankfully her slightly amusing question would mostly redirect them to different conversation. She didn't have to jump right into a fight. Despite his amused chuckle though Valentine seemed to grow quite serious as she brought up the future. It was cloudy at best, and Rhythm could not even begin to make out what was to come. "I hope so." She'd smile shyly, but she knew they were focusing on her training.. right? "Me too." Watching him from her bright blue and purple gaze the girl would find herself moving from across from him to right next to his tall frame. She'd lean into his shoulder if she let him, as she found herself wanting his affection. She felt a conflict in her heart, thoughts of Kyarst and their little talk as well as what had been said with Cascade. Before she could even think about it enough to stop herself she'd grow a bit more bold. "What do I mean to you Valentine?" By now her eyes had fallen to her feet as the question left her lips, "Where are we going?" Their relationship had haunted her for a long time now, but she'd never found a good time to ask. The timing still felt completely off, but the words had fallen and she couldn't take them back now. ""