Broken Antler Fen Ready Up

@Aduin and @Brandy , Kinra wishes to teach them something that could help in a hunt she counts on doing!

Taking on a pair of lynxes would be a little too risky for her to do it on her own. She would need help from other members. There was one big problem with that. Personally she didn't see anyone with lots of hunting experience yet so the best she could do would be to teach what was necessary. Big cats weren't that big of a problem so she figured that it was best to involve those who seem a little too inexperience for anything big. The two she could think of were Aduin and Brandy. Those two seem well and completely capable so she'll start with them.

Kinra howled in calling and hoped that they would show up soon to this open mossy area. The sky was partly cloudy but that was fine. It felt like a good day to do a little training session. But this was going to be more of a preparation for the up coming hunt. If the two young wolves were interested to learn more then maybe she'll consider doing real training sessions with them. The Knight stood in the middle of the clearing, waiting to see if the willing would come to her.

Aduin's ears flicked then perked up at the howl. After he heard, he shuffled to his paws and stretched. He had left the sleeping area late at night, still not entirely comfortable with the idea and ventured to his little private spot. Poking his head out of the underbrush that surrounded the small clearing, he checked if anyone was near. Then he went into a trot away to the call.

There he found Kinra waiting. He had heard another name in the howl, and was unsure as to who that was. So he sat and waited, dipping his muzzle in greeting to the night before him. "Are we practicing? Have you found something that is more..my level?" he asked, surprisingly without a stutter. But he was just too tired to be nervous, his eyes drooping slightly.

Brandy had been out on her own when she heard Kinras howl. It seemed to be calling, but the young bronze and red shewolf couldn't be sure it was for her. Naturally, however, she wandered towards it with a slight air of purpose. Even if the call wasn't aimed to her, perhaps she would learn something anyways. Kinra usually shared some knowledge with Brandy, and it was something she'd grown to like, so soon she was pushing her shoulders through the undergrowth opposite of where Aduin had done much the same. Grinning and ears perked, the excitable female trotted forward. She knew these two, no strangers, and they looked as though they were waiting. For who, the yearling wondered, but she came up to the silvery she wolfs side anyways. Shed only just missed the males question as she spoke up herself.
    "Hello you guys, what's the commotion about?"
Brandys tail wagged behind her, everything about the female open and happy: surely nobody that one would see as living her life as a loner. Shed come far in the time they'd been there, but she was already more social than her mother.

The Knight was patient as she waited. She doubted that her call would be ignored so she was able to hold back the idea that maybe no one would show up. But if that was ever the case she would then go after them one by one. Her job was to make sure the pack was strong enough without her support. That meant working with every member up until each one could stand on their own under one banner. There was also the matter of guiding Sebastian to make sure he leads well. It a lot of work but it's nothing a Knight can't handle.

Soon enough the wolves she wanted to see shown up. Kinra tried to keep a neutral expression but her tail failed to to contain the joy she felt when they showed up. She was sitting up tall and proper but her tail behind her was wagging happily. Aduin was first to come and asked his question. Kinra did notice that he wasn't acting nervous or shy like last time. She was confused for a second but then she realized he was tired.

Then Brandy appeared, curious as ever. Kinra couldn't help but smile a little bit. This was really the first time she would teach other wolves instead of her being taught. She getting a little excited and couldn't wait to get started. First she decided to answer Aduin but in a way for Brandy to understand what was going to happen. "I found traces of a pair of Lynxes who seem to live quite close to the pack. For the pack's safety it would be best to get rid of them either by chasing them out or killing them." She got up and turn her head to look at Aduin. "On a one on one fight with these cats, normally a wolf should win." She waited a moment before presenting her plan for today. "Today I wanted to teach you two how to fight them so that later we could hunt them with minimal risk. It would be too risky for me to take them on alone."

Aduin let out a yawn as she spoke, smacking his jaws together then licking along his lips. His eyes were half-closed, one ear just barely perked up. If he had been fully awake, he would have been quite nervous. It kicked in when he heard the word 'fight' came. His eyes flew right open, and he looked around to check where he was exactly. It came to him in a flash, and he remembered the last talk he had with the Knight.

"F-fight? You are going to t-teach us, right? Not just throw us in th-there?" he asked, the nervous side kicking in once more. He looked over and only just noticed the young she-wolf there, giving him a bit of a surprise and a jump.

Brandy felt the urge to protect her pack rise up in her belly, and she wiggled happily. She had complete faith in Kinra to teach and guide them, lead them to victory. 
    "Give me the training and I'll help you!"
Glancing over at the not so enthusiastic male, the young female couldnt help but be hyper and active as she grinned at him.
          "We'll be okay, and smarter for it! Not to mention the extra skills and being able to protect the pack."
She turned her lemon eyes back to Kinra, questioning the silvery female.
                    "Will we eat the cats?" 
They were other predators, but meat was meat, right? Why wouldn't they eat whatever they killed? The colorful yearling dug her nails into the ground, ears swiveling around to listen to their surroundings.

The idea of tossing Aduin into the fray did cross Kinra's mind. She definitely believed it would be very entertaining to see how he would hold in a fight where all he had to count on was instincts. She may have wanted to do that but there were better ways to train him, she can't just use him for personal entertainment. Still, the idea made her smile. She spoke in a friendly tone. "I'll be fighting along side you Aduin. But to work together effectively we need to make sure everyone knows what to do and when to do it, understand?" Then she turned her head toward Brandy. "We can't let fresh kill go to waste can we now. It will be a rare treat for all of us." She said with a friendly smile.

She let a little moment pass by and decided to begin the preparation "Alright, let's begin." She got up and looked at them both. She switched to a calm but controlled tone. "First I want you two to be in a stable stance where you are at the least vulnerable. In other words, stand in a way where I can't reach a weak point." She said as she begin pacing slowly around them. While they are at it she decided to explain why they were working on stances. "In a fight you'll want to make sure you cover the vulnerable areas from your opponent otherwise you'll receive injuries that are difficult to recover from."

Aduin felt more relaxed that Kinra would be fighting by his side. She was surely more confident and most definitely better at fighting. The other, Brandy, seemed very eager for it and gave some supporting words. That cheered him up even more, and he managed a small smile in thanks to her.

There was a short intermission of silence from the Knight, then she began the preparation. Aduin got in his best stance; holding his head at a straight angle while trying to shorten his neck best he could into his shoulders, fore paws bent and back legs ready to spring. His tail held straight, his lips quivering as if an opponent stood before him. Although, his forelegs shook a bit.

Brandy tried to hold herself still through the rest of Kinra's talking, but it was hard. She was excited to be part of a pack, to help someone other than her and her mother. She had the heart of a warrior, and it showed at her eagerness to learn from the silvery Knight. She listened intently to her teachers words, thinking all the while of what the best stance would be. Eventually, as the silver she wolf began to circle them, the bronze and russet female half-crouched as if to brace herself, while at the same time making it harder to get to her belly. She lowered her head over her chest, gripping her claws deeper into the dirt and watching for an approval or denial from Kinra.

The Knight watched the two in their defensive stance. It looked like they understood where their weak points are so there was no need to explain farther on that. She nodded in approval to both of them. "Good form, You always want to keep your throat and belly out of reach while always being ready to move." Then she lowered herself too defensively once she was front of them. "If possible it's always better to avoid an attack when you see one coming. It's also very important to always keep an eye on your opponent." She then quickly took a large step to the side (almost just leaping to the side) and then another and then another basically circling while facing them. "It's much better to stick to large movements since an opponent will likely try to follow on you movements." The whole time she kept her defensive stance and remained balanced.

The knight stopped her movements to give the two wolves instructions. "Instead of having you two do basic exercises, how about we see what you guys can do. Aduin I want you to try to push Brandy off balance for a moment. Brandy I want you to focus on avoiding Aduin completely. After a few minutes the roles will be switched. Understand?" She waited to see if they understood what she was asking before giving the call to begin. Once they were ready "Begin!"

Aduin listened intently. That was something he could do. Avoid anything coming at him. To what degree was he good at avoiding? With the absence of scars, that would be a good degree to another's eye. Although, he really avoided conflict altogether. Not a brave move, but one he had been able to live with. And now, he had to learn how to do the opposite of running. He watched Kinra demonstrate, trying to keep his eyes on her while she circled.

Then she told him to try to knock over Brandy. Glancing over, he noticed she was a bit smaller. Should be easy. Except he was a little uneasy on hitting a girl, let alone one so young. Still, this was to show what he could do, so he wouldn't be hurting her. At least, he hoped he wouldn't. He turned on his paws, stepping around until he faced her. Then ducked his head down and dashed forward, hoping to headbutt her down. It seemed like the most plausible way to do the task without injuries.

Brandy's sparkling yellow eyes beamed at the praise, turning herself towards Aduin and fixing him with a waiting, intent stare a she waited for a move. Though he was bigger and probably a year older, she wasn't in the least bit intimidated. The bronze, red and cream female was confident to do anything she wanted to, with enough work; she was determined to get this down right. Ambrosia had taught her a lot of being a warrior, so she knew she already had the skills and basic knowledge to do what Kinra asked her to do today. Her careful eye caught his very beginning movements and Brandy prepared herself to react. As she realized his straight-forward intentions, she coiled her hind leg muscles and waited until he was within three feet of her to bound suddenly to the side, springing clear of his shoulders and headbutt. She bolted behind him, making sure to keep a good distance between them in case he made any sudden movements, and trying to stay behind him as best she could until Kinra gave her something else to do but stay away.

The Knight watched carefully searching for mistakes both could do. As asked Aduin made the first move, Surely if he had landed his attack he would have thrown Brandy off balance. But he didn't look determined enough, It was easy to see it coming and it wasn't fast enough to really be any sort of threat. "Come on Aduin, you'll need to be as determined as you are when hunting prey. Otherwise you might never catch anything." She said as she tried to encourage him to do better. This was almost like a friendly spar so mistakes were allowed.

Kinra decided to step it up a bit seeing that Brandy did learn a few thing already. It looked more like Aduin was the one who needed the most attention. "Try again Aduin, I'm sure Brandy is a tough girl so this time she gets to try to knock you down too. Don't let her do it."

Aduin came to a sudden halt when he felt no contact, looking around as if she disappeared into thin air. Perhaps the 'keep-head-low-and-charge' strategy didn't work as best as it could have. He needed to keep eyes on her, and with what he did that was near impossible. His ears fell a little. He understood the encouragement, but it instead made him feel the opposite, knowing Kinra acknowledged his mistake.

This time, it was a role reversal. Aduin turned to face Brandy head on, tensing his leg muscles. He had an idea, and being side on with her would not be the best. More of an area to hit that way. If he remained facing her, then that would make things harder since the target area would be smaller. He had his legs muscles ready to spring in either direction. Fighting may not be his thing, but avoiding is. That much he knew.

Hearing Kinra's orders, Brandy's stance shifted from that of someone defending themselves to one that would fit an alpha challenging a trespasser. The once sweet-looking female went feral looking, baring her teeth and play-growling. She began stalking around him in a circle, making sure not just to always face him but also to keep her movements erratic and twitchy as to throw him off. Hopefully, eventually, Aduin would get used to her fake-outs and she could go in for a real lunge. Her lemon eyes locked onto his brown ones but she kept them guarded; even if there was a playfulness there that made it obvious she wasn't fully serious. After a few circles, slowing winding up the muscles in her back legs, she decided it was time and sprung out with her back legs as she would pounce on a bird about to take flight. 

Leaving this a short post so you can decide if Brandy hits or misses.

The Knight watched but it was too early to say anything at this stage. It looked like Brandy knew the basics in fighting so there wasn't much that this friendly spar could teach her. Kinra expected that maybe Brandy's mother had something to do with it. But now with Aduin it look like he was a beginner, almost like it was his first time. Depending on the results after Brandy's attack on him The Knight was going to have to work with Aduin. If she was going to bring him on a hunt against predator he would need to know how to fight properly. It's for his own safety but it also would allow him to provide protection for the pack. If everyone knew the basics then her task would be completed on that point.

1-5 = dodge. 6-10 = hit. and it's...1!

Aduin watched carefully, being as observant as ever. She feigned multiple times, nearly catching him off guard. But instead of getting used to it, he was just too jumpy. And that saved him when she finally came at him. He bounded to the side, closing his eyes as if bracing to get hit. Which he never did. Finally, luck was on his side. Down side; No one got to show how good they were in actually physically attacking, or their strength.

"That..was close" he muttered to himself, glancing back at Brandy to see if she made it past fine or tripped. Or ran into a tree. After all, when he fell from his stupid act of showing off, she had been there for him.

Brandy sailed past Aduin harmlessly, apparently not fast enough. She landed on her front paws, in the pounce she was supposed to, but with the force of her tackle concentrated in her two front feet. Feeling the pain of the impact already hurting, she went limp and let herself do a somersault, rolling over and flopping down on her belly. All four legs splayed out, the bronze she-wolf brought her front two to her muzzle to lick the pads. After being sure there was no damage to her paws, she stood carefully as to test out her limbs. She'd landed hard, but thankfully she couldn't feel anything out of place or hurting.
        "Better luck to both of us next time, huh?"
Back to the puppy-like female she was, tongue lolling out of her mouth as she panted and lemon eyes shining in excitement, she walked back to where Kinra was watching them.

Kinra couldn't help but grin at the mistakes the two were making. Before saying anything she waited to see if Brandy wasn't hurt from her missed attack. It all looked fine so now it was time for the Knight to step in. "Good tries you two, it seems you understood the basics. However, from what I see you both have much more to learn." Watching them reminded her when young pups where sparing for the first time. Except Aduin and Brandy were more experienced compared to a pup. That really meant that all they needed was more practice and advice and they would continue to improve.

She decided to start by giving them advice that would help them improve. "Aduin, I notice you close your eyes too often when both attacking and avoiding. Try keeping your eyes partly open as if you were squinting, you are going to want to know what your opponent will do next so you need to keep an eye on them." She said aiming to correct his main problem. Seeing everything show allow him to attack better and avoid so that was really all he needed to work on for now.

Then she turned towards Brandy. "Brandy, your strategy was good and can work. Just remember every move can also be used against you. Repeating a move leaves you open to a counterattack. An experienced fighter would have tried to jump at you after a feign and it would be you that would be caught off guard. You want to keep your opponents guessing or they will turn the fight against you." 

With all that said she felt like the only thing they could do now is practice. "I suggest that you two find some time to practice together. If there are no questions then today's practice is over."

Aduin nodded, glancing from the ground to the knight continuously. He always closed his eyes just before a fight. It was a habit, an act upon instinct of not wanting the eyes to be injured. If there was one thing he hated and feared just as much as fire, it was darkness. And to have it always, he just couldn't bear it. "I understand."

He listened to Kinra speaking to Brandy, and he took this time to watch her. She seemed so confident, and a much better fighter than himself. Yet she was just a little younger. What did she have that he did not? Still, everyone had flaws.

When Kinra suggested they practice more together, he looked over at Brandy once more with a curious glance, as if asking if she would. "Okay." The next time they came across each other, he'd have to suspect it would be as a spar. Or just a surprise attack that turned into a spar. Either way, Aduin was not too keen on that.

Brandy listened intently, not taking her eyes off Kinra as she spoke to both her and Aduin. The bronze she-wolf took her criticism well, already going over a new plan in her head. She turned to Aduin when practice was called to a close, smiling and wagging her tail. 
            "That was great! We should do it again soon, keep working on our skills. I don't want to be a fighter for the pack, but it's still good to know just in case. It helps that I was raised to be a warrior, even if my interests are different."

She was glad to know both wolves understood, It gave her the impression that teaching was easy. But really this little practice lesson was to prepare them for the up coming hunt Kinra had planned. She wanted both of them to come with her to hunt down the two lynxes who wonder or likely lived close to the pack territory. For the safety of the pack they need to be removed. Before moving on to that subject she decided to comment on Brandy's words. "Even as a hunter you must know how to fight. Wolves aren't the only hunters around. The only wolves that risk getting hunted down by predators are pups. To keep the pack safe it's best to hunt down predators that are a threat to the pack."

Since she was on the subject she figure now was the best to talk about the hunt against the cats. "I'm going to give you two time to practice a little before asking for both of you to come hunt the cats with me. When the time comes to act I want you two to work together against one of the cats while I'll handle the other. It shouldn't be difficult, just one wolf is good enough to take on one." She gave them a moment to understand the plan. "I will call upon you when I believe it's time to go. meanwhile practice together because ready or not I want you two to be there no matter what. So that's all for today, I need to head back to patrolling the surrounding territory. Work well together, Aduin and Brandy." The Knight turned and started heading out.

Last Post. Shall we start the thread? Or another practice between brandy and Aduin first?

Aduin nodded. He still was a little unsure about facing off against a cat, even with help. He had seen cats from a distance, but not lynxes. He wasn't sure whether they were big or small. Or how fast or strong they were. It worried him. In turn, he turned as Kinra did, but not before sharing a glance to Brandy, with a small smile. He felt that she was a good friend, especially after his 'tree' incident. He was going to enjoy the next training session as best as he could, knowing he would be in no danger.