One thing Artorias prided himself on was his ability to learn and remember important aspects of his wolves. He remembered the first day he had met Mercury, how intrigued the young male had been to see the castle and his sword, showing a fascination for his weapon and how it was used. When Mercury had joined the Hallows, Art had promised him that he would show him the ins and outs of wielding a weapon, how to utilize them in combat, and share his knowledge and experiences with the Ermís wolf. Now that he had named Merc as his Vanguard—his only Vanguard for the time being—it felt more appropriate than ever to share with him the methods that made the Hallows' warriors so capable and deadly.

Artorias knew Mercury was a capable fighter with enough combat prowess to take on virtually any foe, so he did not believe a beginner's lesson was needed here. He would just need to introduce his friend to the different types of weapons the Hallows possessed and allow him to get paws on with a few, test them out for himself while showing him some techniques. This would be less of a formal lesson and more of a showcase of what Merc now had at his disposal from the pack's arsenal. Artorias gathered up a few training implements from the armory—sparring swords and daggers, a spear, and an axe—and brought them to his dojo. The Aegis had already arranged several straw-stuffed training dummies around the circular arena for them to practice on. With his preparations set, Artorias howled out a call for Mercury, ready to introduce his friend and Vanguard to the wide world of weaponry.

"Artorias Carpathius"

Responding quickly to the Aegis was now more important than ever. Positioned as their -currently solo- vanguard, and protector of the Aegis’ family, He expected to be called on more frequently. His companions in tow, the Vanguard made a quick journey from the meadows to the Castle, and followed the call to the dojo.

Upon entering, he whistled in appreciation at the well-laid scene before him. From dummies, laid out in a circle around the centre, and the weapons Artorias had prepared for them. “You’ve had a busy morning” He commented with a warm smile as he came to attention before his Aegis. He knew that whatever Art had called him for, he would explain soon enough.


"Speech"

He wasn't kept waiting for long, and soon after his call Mercury made his way through the dojo doors. Artorias greeted his friend with a welcoming smile and gave a chuckle at the keen-eyed wolf's assessment of his morning activities. "Nah, just getting some toys out for fun," he quipped back with a roguish grin while he led the way over to the assortment of weapons laid out on the padded dojo arena. "You told me when we met that you liked to learn about shiny new concepts, and I promised you I'd show you all about weapons one day." An azure paw gestured out across the sparring weapons laid out before them. "Welcome to your first day of armed combat training, Vanguard Mercury."

Artorias approached the weapons and sat down beside the two sparring short swords, lifting one up to balance on his paws while he inspected it. The blades weren't edged so they wouldn't be dangerous to handle, but should be treated with respect all the same. "Go ahead, touch them, study them. Pick them up and feel their weight," he invited Mercury forward to learn in the paws-on way both men appreciated. "The Hallows houses several different types of weapons, but these are the most common. Swords, daggers, polearms, and axes. Each has different benefits and considerations, each one deadly and ready for battle." Artorias took his sparring sword into his jaws, holding it securely but not so tightly at to be rigid or painful to hold. "Grasp the handles of each weapon in your jaws, like so. Try to hold them so they're secure and won't fall out or be knocked away, but not so tight that they can't be twisted and turned." He let Mercury take his time getting used to the feel of them, and to ask any questions he may have right off the bat before they got into the nitty-gritty of each one.

"Artorias Carpathius"

Mercury followed after Art, and then nodded his head in understanding as the Aegis spoke of their first introductions. “You have a good memory” He said. Neither had expected at the time that their paths would lead here. But Art had remembered, and laid out some time to fulfil that promise.

At Art's invitation, Merc made his way through the swords. Examining each one as he passed, not yet touching. He walked a full circuit before he began to pick things up. He started with the axe, finding it heavy and unwieldy in his maw. The polearm's length made it unsuitable for close quarters, and there were plenty of chances for fighting to spill out into the castle walls while he was living here. The dagger could be handy, underestimated and unseen. He could see the benefits of learning to fight with each one, to get a feel for the styles. But the swords sang to him as they had that first day, and his boyish grin returned as he found himself standing before one of the swords again, and hefted it in his maw. “How long did it take you to get accustomed to the weight?”


"Speech"

Mercury complimented his memory and Artorias chuckled under his breath. "I make a point to remember the things that matter to the wolves that are important to me," he remarked. It wasn’t a grand gesture, but it was one he hoped showed that he cared and took a vested interest in the passions of his wolves. Mercury might have been one of the newest additions to the Hallows, but the fellow dire wolf had already made his mark on the pack and proven his ambition. As far as Artorias was concerned, the Hallows was as much Mercury’s home and family as it was to anyone else.

The Aegis sat in silent observation while the dark-coated man paced a circuit around the small arsenal he’d assembled for them to try out. He watched while Mercury considered each one, then began to test each weapon. The axe and spear were discarded quickly into his inspection in favor of the daggers and swords. Ah, a wolf after his own heart…! Artorias found that he and Mercury were more alike the more time he spent with his friend. While Merc tested each weapon, Art studied the way his Vanguard held each one, getting an idea for what felt more comfortable to the Ermís wolf. "I’ve been practicing armed combat since I was two seasons old," replied the Aegis with a wistful sigh. Probably more time than Mercury would be expecting. "It was easier for me to graduate to each different weapon over time the more I got used to it. I’ve only ever trained one wolf to use a sword so far, and it took her about two seasons to become proficient with it."

Artorias knew Mercury had met his first and only protégé, Fern, so he’d know who he was referring to. Merc would make the second wolf he trained in the art of armed combat. Stepping up to the assortment of weapons, Artorias picked up the other sparring sword in his jaws, lifting it with practiced ease and familiarity. "The extra weight is something to consider when using a weapon in battle. A sword increases your reach and lethality, but it is an additional thing to consider when making an attack or block." Art began a few demonstrations of how he would swing the sword side to side, much like he did when he introduced Fern to the art, his movements slow so Mercury could observe the way he turned his head and twisted the blade in his grip to create the smooth sideways arc in the air. "No matter what weapon you use, it should be treated as an extension of yourself. Consider it a part of your body meant to strike and defend and move with it." Fire amber eyes looked over to Merc, inviting the other male to practice the basic motions with him and get a feel for the sword. Art was a paws-on kind of teacher and believed in practicing his lessons with his students when possible.

"Artorias Carpathius"