Frostbite

OOC: Mature for language. Set a good bit before the Fatalis funeral thread

As time edged closer to her first birthday despite the lingering cold, Ari grew more and more intent on finding someone to teach her what she wanted to know. She thought she could probably count on cadging more lessons out of Lukina's little group for healing - and, maybe if she was lucky, poisons - but she wanted someone to teach her to be a better fighter. The best fighter, so she could challenge for the best ranks in the pack. She wasn't going to find that in the Armada, where her training was going to be controlled by wolves who had no reason to let her get to the point in her training that she could beat them. That was why she was here, marching determinedly through the battlefield far from home, her spiked hackles raised high over her shoulders and back. Oh yeah. She was fucking finding a battle mentor, come hell or high water.

Tansy, trotting beside her, had been surprisingly supportive of the whole plan. She was usually a bit more of a wet blanket about the really fun things like escaping her parents' companions to sneak out, but she was super encouraging about the idea of getting outside learning. Ari hadn't asked her why, just in case she jinxed it or something. "Don't expect that you'll find someone to teach you right off," the cat cautioned, her wet blanketiness coming out in the pessimism. "You'll probably need to do a lot of sparring here before you find someone with the skill level and personality that will suit."

The jay, flying overhead, cackled harshly. Oh fucking hell, m' little puss, you make it sound like we ain't lookin forward to fighting every fucking cunt in this fucking yard before we're through. Bring 'em all on and see what a mess the little bitch makes of 'em."

"You just want to see Aris get hurt so you don't get an opinion," Tansy hissed up at the bird, who just jeered at her.

Ari rolled her eyes at them both and stopped on a little hill, her spiked hackles still erect in excitement. This was it! She lifted her head and gave a howl in her most confident, important sounding voice, calling for an opponent.