As a follow up from the meeting with Aris' kids, he pulled Tethys aside to have a more in depth conversation on what she wanted for rank and lessons. He padded quietly down the Col with the colourful wolf at his side. Thinking, not for the first time, that he wished Zee had gotten the opportunity to get to know them. Their birth was the mark of her loss, and he was careful to keep his mourning from them.

"You spoke of your interest in the rank of Warrior" he said conversationally, starting them down the right path. "What experience do you have so far with fighting?" He continued. It would be good to get a run down of where she was at, so he knew how he could help her.

"Speech"

Despite not having any real formal training, Tethys knew exactly what she wanted to do... though she supposed it could change as she got older, though it was hard to imagine it changing much. She wanted to be a fighter just like her mom. She knew mom did other things too but those seemed less important to the yearling and not something she found herself gravitating toward.

Having a one-on-one conversation with Sirius felt like an important thing, and something she was going to take seriously. "I don't really have any. Besides wrestling with my siblings," she explained carefully. The girl worried it wasn't the answer that the Warlord wanted to hear but she wasn't going to embellish the truth either. "But I promise I'm real strong."

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The Warlord listened to Tehys, and nodded his head in understanding. The children of Aris had kept to themselves more than he would have liked. Perhaps he had given them too long to work their way out of their shells. At the very least, they should know self defence, and the ones that wished to be warriors should have mentors.

He walked in silence a moment as he considered the first draft list of mentors and apprentices that Hazel had given him not long ago. “How would you feel about Hazel training you in fighting?” He asked after a moment. “I’ll also be happy to give you pointers any time you like”

"Speech"

Tethys knew she had the drive and determination to make Sirius and the rest of her pack proud, and prove her worth, even if she hadn't done so yet. She wasn't worried about that - but she did worry about him being disappointed in how little progress she'd made so far. She studied his serious features, trying to find something that would give her an indication of how he was feeling. If it was someone her age, maybe she'd ask if he felt that way, but she didn't feel comfortable saying that to the Warlord.

"I like Hazel," she answered quickly. She wasn't sure she'd complain about any mentor she received, but Hazel had left an impression on her when she'd found the warrior practicing fighting moves with herself not long ago. "I think I'd like her to be my mentor." Silence fell over her as she considered his offer. "I wouldn't mind going over the basics, if you have time. Like defenses and basic attacks?" Not that she wanted to reiterate to Sirius how little she knew, but she also didn't want to go into a lesson with Hazel completely unprepared.

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His expression eased into a warm smile. “I’d be more than happy to, tethys” He agreed. Happy to see her interest in learning. “let's head over to the training den and see what we have” He suggested. Already planning to put down a few hours with the younger wolf. If he could get her started on the basics, and give her a weapon to practise with, that would be a good starting point.

He aimed his paws away from the Col, and up the incline towards the large open den space used for this purpose. Entering the cavern, he made his way to one of the rings first. “The most important thing a wolf can learn in regards to fighting is how to utilise their body. Let's start with your defences. Think about your body, what parts stick out, and where your balance lies. Move into a defensive position, and then i’ll show you how to maximise it” He said.

"Speech"

Sirius seemed pleased that she had interest, and that was enough to help fade away some of that nervousness she felt at a one-on-one meeting with the Warlord. It was hard for her to not over-analyze everything he was saying and he was doing, weighing whether or not he was disappointed with her progress. Fear of being a disappointment weighed heavily on her in almost every waking moment, though she tried to still her nerves and focus on the task at hand.

She nodded understanding and obediently followed him, grateful for the opportunity. He started their lesson then, explaining that one of the most important things when it came to fighting was knowing how to utilize her own body, especially in regard to defenses. That made perfect sense to her. Trying to think about the small things she'd learned so far, she obliged by settling into what she thought as a defensive position, lowering her head and tucking in her neck, while trying to remember to keep her weight low to the ground while her toes splayed out slightly for balance. "Like this?"

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The Warlord walked a circle around the younger wolf, watching her move as she pulled her body into a defensive stance. It was a good start, but he could see where she could improve. “bend your knees a little, and spread them apart, you want to bring your balance to your centre” he advised her, touching her lightly on the knee, then the stomach. While she did that, he walked another circuit, giving her a moment to adjust to this change before changing it further.

“flatten your ears, narrow your eyes, and flare your tail for added support” He told her. That was the important parts of her defence, and he wanted her to feel familiar with this.

"Speech"

Tethys was intensely focused on the task at hand, doing her best to settle into a defensive position. Surely she had room for improvement, she wasn't naive enough to not expect that, but she still felt a slight surge of disappointment at the corrections she was given. It wasn't enough to discourage her, so she followed Sirius's instructions, bending her legs a little bit and spreading them out.

The reasoning behind it all made sense. Centering her balance, making it so she couldn't easily be toppled over in a fight. She followed him even further, flattening her ears on her head, narrowing her eyes and letting her tail stick out behind her, also aiding in her balance. Doing all of them simultaneously didn't feel natural in the slightest, even if some parts on their own did. She supposed practicing them would make the motions come easier to her. "Does doing all these things feel natural to you now? Or do you still have to think about them every time you fight?"

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He watched as Tethy demonstrated her defences as he asked. She looked a little awkward, and it was clear her body wasn’t accustomed to the stance. But that would come in time, with practice. “It didn’t at first, but your body learns to adapt, and these stances become a part of you.” He explained to her.

“The more you do them, the more natural they will feel. Anytime you find yourself standing, or waiting, you should let your body fall into this stance. Eventually, it will become second nature to you.” He explained. “Would you like to try a practice spar?”


"Speech"