Wylan had finally recovered enough to be up and about. A lot of changes had been made while he was laid up, including abandoning the Mile High woods, and taking on two new territories. Gale Gorge appealed to him the most, and he was starting to explore the vast, and diverse territory.

He made his way through a woodland section and found a clearing near a section of the stream. It was a nice day, and Wylan realised he wanted to spend it with someone. What better time to call for a couple of the newest kids in the pack and share some learning with them?

Raising his head, the young Hair called for one or two of Basilisk and Ignita's children, seeing who would be interested in meeting him and taking on a lesson in fighting stances.


"Wylan Fatalis"

Citadel was eager to respond to another lesson. In fact, he wanted to be everywhere at all times. If he could split into a hundred wolves, he would! Perhaps then he would get the chance to learn a little faster. He wanted to be better and stronger than he was right now. His father had made it clear to him that the only way to do that was to learn.

So he went along, answering the call from a pack member about a lesson. Turning up in front of the blue wolf with a smile and a dip of his head in greeting. He took a seat, waiting to see if anyone else showed up before the lesson began.


"Citadel Fatalis"

Balrog arrived shortly after Citadel, padding into the clearing with quiet steps. His obsidian eyes reflected the daylight as they took in the blue winged wolf, Wylan, and the surroundings. He gave a brief glance to Citadel, feeling a pang of competitiveness but also comforted by his brother’s presence.

Without a word, Balrog settled next to him, sitting with a calm demeanor but his muscles tensed, eager to learn. He wasn’t as outwardly enthusiastic as Citadel, but inside, the idea of mastering new fighting stances stirred a deep interest. Balrog had always believed that strength was the key to protecting what mattered most, and with Wylan now recovered, he knew this was an opportunity to sharpen his skills.

Balrog nodded respectfully to the Professor, signaling he was ready for whatever the lesson had in store. Though young, he carried himself with a quiet intelligence.

"Balrog"

Wylan was pleasantly surprised when not one, but two puppies heeded his call. They were both surprisingly quiet - had ever been that quiet as a puppy? So he tried to be encouraging and supportive, in case they were shy. “Hello! I’m Wylan” he said, looking from one pup to the other “and we are cousins.” With that short greeting out of the way, he surveyed the two pups.

“We have a couple choices for today's lesson. Do you want to learn how to spar, or how to make a knife?” He asked, leaving it up to the two pups to decide on the direction of today's lesson.


"Wylan Fatalis"

Citadel wagged his tail in greeting when Balrog showed up to attend the lesson as well. When the winged wolf introduced himself, Cit spoke up as well. “I’m Citadel!” He said, wondering if there were any more winged wolves hiding in the pack.

When Wylan proposed the idea that they pick the lesson, he perked up in surprise. Oh, an option! The idea of learning to spar sounded good, but a shiny knife sounded dangerous. So of course he picked that route. “I wanna make a knife!” He said back, looking to his brother to see what the golden wolf would pick.

"Citadel Fatalis"

Balrog’s ears twitched slightly at the mention of knives. He wasn’t as quick to react as Citadel, taking a moment to consider the options. Sparring would teach him immediate skills, something useful in battle, but a knife? That could be a tool, a weapon, something with long-term value. He liked the idea of having something tangible to carry, something he could rely on beyond his own strength.

His obsidian eyes flicked from Wylan to Citadel, seeing the excitement in his brother. Finally, after a quiet pause, Balrog nodded in agreement. “A knife,” he said softly, his voice steady but firm.

He didn’t explain his reasoning, feeling it unnecessary. Wylan had given them a choice, and Balrog’s mind was already running through the possibilities. A knife could be more than just a weapon, it could be a symbol of his growing strength, a mark of his transition into manhood.

"Balrog"

Looms like the choice was an easy one for the pups. Wylan grinned, remembering how enthused he had been for his first knife. “Excellent! We're just going to concentrate on some simple knives today.” He explained, He made a shooing motion to his polar bear, Glacier. Encouraging the companion to grab him some supplies. In the meantime… he turned back to the pups. 


“We need three ingredients for our knives. First, we need a handle, which we are going to use wood for. Second, we need our knife edge. For this we are going to use flint. Lastly, a binding material. Glacier is grabbing the flint and leather for binding. Meanwhile, we are going to find a piece of wood for our handle. We're making knives, So consider the length and balance.” He instructed, making shooing motions at them next. “Let's look for some sticks.”

Citadel’s tail started up behind him, and he nudged his shoulder lightly against Balrog’s as he grinned at his brother. Knives! Would they get to keep them? He’d worry about that part later. For now, he was content to learn how to make one.

Wylan went on to explain the basic components and Cit jumped hastily to his paws when they were given instructions. Look for a stick! He could do that. They were in one of the woodland areas of Gale Gorge after all. He instantly started exploring the floor around them until he found a stick he thought would be suitable. It was smooth and not too long.


"Citadel Fatalis"

Balrog watched Citadel dart off with his usual excitement, but he remained calm and focused, taking his time. He padded through the woodland, scanning the ground for something more than just a random stick. Wylan's words about balance echoed in his mind, and he knew he needed something sturdy, not too thick but strong enough to support a blade.

After a few moments, his eyes landed on a fallen branch, smooth and straight. He carefully tested its weight in his paw before nodding to himself. Satisfied, he returned to Wylan, the branch held firmly in his jaws, ready to continue.

"Balrog"

His students were instantly into the lesson, which was gratifying. Wylan was accustomed to being taught, not the teacher. This was very new to him, and there was a level of uncertainty that he hid from the pups. Citadel picked up the first stick he came across, but he could see Balrog put more thought into the lesson. Testing the balance of the stick as he picked it up.

“Very good, Balrog you considered balance, and Citadel, you considered length.” he applauded them both. His companion returned then, holding leather and flint. “First, we are going to go over our flint. You need to pick a piece that isn’t too brittle. It’ll need to be able to withstand sharpening.” He explained, encouraging the pups to pick a piece of flint. “To sharpen it, we are going to use a method known as ‘knapping’ where we strike the flint with a harder stone” He said, demonstrating the motion on his own piece of flint, using granite for the process.


"Wylan Fatalis"

Citadel setted himself down before Wylan again, his handy stick in his maw. He spat it out, and rested a paw over it as he waited to see what their lesson would need next. He did glance over at his brother to see what kind of stick the golden wolf had brought over.

Wylan’s white bear appeared with a few supplies, and it seemed their teacher was ready for the next part of the lesson. The flint! This was the ‘something sharp’ of the lesson and he was eager to pick out a piece. After some searching through the pile, he found one that was relatively big and sturdy. Hopefully that fit the requirements. He frowned thoughtfully as Wylan started to sharpen a piece of flint, before taking one of the spare pieces of granite. Trying to copy the winged wolf's movements awkwardly.


"Citadel Fatalis"