Mount Apikuni It always seems impossible until it’s done.

@Grezig, the spar thread I finally am getting to. :)

Elixir was nervous, not for the fighting but to please. If she wasn’t good at this would she be good enough for pack life? To even be out in the wild? Maybe it would take her a while but for now it was getting caught up in her head. The wolfdog was taking small deep breaths to slow her heart that way it would be better when they sparred. 

It was only a matter of time before they settled and had to start actually defending their land. It would be nice if she could be apart of that and the only way to be apart of it and it not be a problem is to learn the ways of fighting. As she calmed down she looked over at Grezig (assuming from the last thread they were still walking to the sparring location) and smiled lightly. “I hope I do well, if not could we could do this every once in a while  to help me? Assuming I won’t be a pro at first maybe we could anyway?” She asked with hope in her voice. If this was important to Grezig than it should be important to the whole pack, including Elixir.

“You will be fine,” Grezig assured Elixir. “Especially with practice. Now, I have some rules to lay out before we begin sparring. There will be no blood. This is a friendly spar, meant for practice, so there will be no giving of grievous injuries. Bruising and a bit of discomfort are fine, but everything else is off limits. Understand?” When she was sure that the wolfdog had conceded to her rules, she took a few steps back from her and got into a ready stance. “We fight until one of us gives up or too tired to continue. Ready?” She watched Elixir, waiting to make sure she was prepared before doing any kind of attack.

Elixir nodded at she’d be fine. Grezig laid out the rules and the wolfdog listened closely so she wouldn’t break them during the spar. “I got it. No blood no serious injuries. “ she nodded reassuring that she knew the basic rules. Elixir took a few steps back from Grezig and then tucked her chin, her tail, and then got low to the ground. She tried to pin her ears again but it was with no luck, as always. Her heart started thumping through her chest anticipating what would happen next, what move and how she would get out of it. Her eyes traveled to Grezig. “I’m ready.” She said digging her paws down for stabilization.

Grezig watched Elixir carefully to make sure she was ready before she started. This was the wolfdog’s first real spar, so far as Grezig knew, and she wanted it to be as fair as possible. Real fights were not fair, but if Grezig immediately started with dirty fighting, then Elixir might not want to continue learning, or would just take a lot longer to figure out how to spar properly. Best to start clean.

When Elixir had gotten into her ready stance and told Grezig that she was, indeed, ready, Grezig charged at her and went for hard nudge to the shoulder. She was tempted to try biting (lightly, of course, so it wouldn’t draw blood), but she was afraid that the mutt might panic at the first sight of teeth. So, she kept her mouth shut and just tried to hit her in the shoulder with her head.

Attack: 5/10 (Discord)
Health: 30/30.

Attack: 9/10 (discord)| Health: 25/30

It was time that they had to spar and she was very ready but her nerves were getting the better of her. As she seen Grezig coming she braced herself for the blow coming but it was a fail. The wolfdog wasn’t low enough and had fallen with a hard thud. Her eyes squinted shut at the fall, not hurt but mad because she failed to stay standing. Given that this was her first fight at least it wasn’t too bad of a start. 

With rocks and other earth attached to her pelt she hoppped up to the standing position. In her mind the rules played over and over again, No blood and no serious injuries., she wasn’t sure what her next move would be but it would have to impress Grezig to come back from letting herself fall like she had. 

She tucked her chin and then lept in the air toward Grezig to pin her to the ground. If successful she would grab her front left leg in her mouth not too hard but hard enough for Grezig to notice. Not familiar with what to do when fighting this was her best chance to try and impress her. Elixir wasn’t thinking about what a leg in the mouth could do for danger but she would find out as this was her first spar ever and hoped it could be a learning experience.

Grezig allowed Elixir to get back to her paws once she was shoved over. Still need to work on your balance, she thought, but barely had the words entered her brain that she was being jumped on! Grezig lifted herself to her back legs to try and fend off the attack, but ended up falling over backwards, pinned onto her back. Elixir had chomped down on her front leg, too! 

Grezig growled at the feeling of fangs in her leg. Even if there was no blood, she knew there’d be a teeth-shaped bruise around her leg tomorrow. In retaliation, she went for Elixir’s exposed neck/shoulder area, chomping down and shaking!

Attack: 10/10 (Discord)
Health: 21/30

Attack:2/10 Health: 15/30

Elixir thought she was doing well in the spar, she had pinned Grezig and had ahold of her leg. Well, that thought was short and sweet when Grezig grabbed her exposed neck and started shaking it. Oh no!, Elixir thought as she was shaking. She should have never let her neck be exposed even when going for an attack. With winning on her mind she thought for just a second about how to get out of this one.

As Grezig was shaking her neck she released her front leg and then hurried to find a place to grab onto next. Her eyes were shooting around and then she stretched as far as she could and grabbed some of her side hoping that maybe this time would be a better position. It was hardly better because as she was being shook her teeth let go of what little she had. It felt like she was struggling but kept it from showing because that’s weakness and could be used against her.

Grezig felt Elixir’s teeth leave her leg and go for her side instead. But there was barely any biting there at all before she was shaken off. Good. Feeling like she’d been on her back long enough, Grezig got her back paws underneath Elixir and shoved her off, rolling over back onto her feet at the same time. She stood over the wolfdog, panting, but watching her closely.

Attack: 7/10 (Discord)
Health: 19/30

attack: 2/10 health:8/30

Elixir was surprised to be knocked to the ground as Grezig stood up. This fight was not going how she had planned in her head. In her head she’d be better having more moves and graceful instead she’s not sure what to do and what she does do isn’t fluid. The wolfdog came to her feet breathing heavily. In an instant she was running toward Grezig again but with no luck because she tripped on her own paw (ironically) and did a summersault looking move. Elixir’s back side did come down near Grezig’s face and front paws.

Grezig’s face was knocked into a bit when Elixir’s well, butt, came into contact with it. It was actually her tailbone area, but still. Grezig shook her head from getting knocked in the face, and then quickly jumped over the top of Elixir’s body while she was still on the ground, taking the the mutt’s front leg into her mouth. Let’s see how she liked it—a taste of her own medicine.

Attack: 5/10
HP: 17/30

Attack: 9/10 Health: 3/30

Elixir’s hind end hit the ground with a light thud but she would feel it later surely. She lifted her head only to see Grezig coming at her to pin her. The woman pinned her and took her leg in her mouth. The wolfdog was surprised that she had done the same move that she had done earlier. It shook her a bit and took her a moment to understand what was going on but when she did she sprung into action.

Elixir pulled her leg from Grezig’s mouth, that would probably be a bad idea later but for now at least she didn’t have a grip on her anymore. The ebony wolfdog rolled to her stomach and then stood up, stealing her move that she had done also. She slid out from Grezig and then trotted a few steps away. The wolfdog turned and lowered her head to her chest and then lowered her center of gravity. She was ready for the next blow.

Elixir pulled her leg free of Grezig’s jaws, and Grezig tried to open her mouth so she wouldn’t scrape her leg too hard against her teeth. This was a spar, Grezig remembered, so there was no reason for excess damage. She was surprised how quickly Elixir wiggled out from under her and got to her paws though. She watched as the wolfdog trotted away and then turned to face her, lowering her center of gravity. Ah… a challenge. 

Grezig grunted, lowered her own head, and charged at Elixir, aiming for her shoulder. The two of them collided, and Grezig sent her stumbling back…

Made it vague on whether or not Elixir falls. Based on dice rolls, Grezig has won the spar.
Attack: 7/10
HP: Still 17/30?? Since you said Elixir didn’t attack her.

That's fine! and yes! still 17/30

Elixir was surprised when Grezig was running at her and they collided. The blow sent Elixir on a fall again, for the last time this time. On the way down which felt like an eternity but in reality it was mere seconds, she realized just how inexperienced she was at this sparring. Though she was inexperienced she had hoped she made Grezig a little proud as she had been trying hard during the fight. Then... thud... she hit the ground again her rump first and then her side tumbled to the ground bringing her back to reality. 

"Well, you win." she said a little defeat in her voice. Slowly she brought herself back to her feet and then shook her pelt of the earth that was on it. "I hope we can do it again though. I think with practice I can be better." her eyes seemed to have lit up after saying this. With practice she had hoped one day maybe fight alongside of Grezig, it was like she was her roll model for sparring now. The wolfdog waited for her response.

Grezig was panting as she stood there, watching Elixir slowly rise back to her paws. 

’Well, you win.’ The disappointment was clear in the wolfdog’s voice.

Grezig sat back on her haunches with an audible huff. “You did well,” she told Elixir, tail thumping on the ground behind her. “You did not win, but it was your first spar. You tried, and you got in some attacks of your own, and you tired me out. That is all that matters for now.” She chuckled for a moment, an utterly foreign sound for someone like her. “You even shoved me to the ground once. Perhaps I need to work on my own balance.”

’I hope we can do it again though. I think with practice I can be better.’

“Of course,” Grezig said, taking a deep breath to steady her heart rate. “But give it a few days. We will both be sore tomorrow, and I am not sure when we will be traveling again.” 

This had been a good first spar for Elixir. With time, Grezig was sure even the wolfdog could learn to fight like a full-blooded wolf.

Elixir was surprised she had tired out Grezig. As she spoke her tail couldn't help but to have a mind of its own and wag. The words weren't too critisizing they were actually constructive and nice. Though she was tired she would train by herself before the next time they spar, just to make sure she would remember the basics and try some new moves. She heard Grezig do a chuckle and it was her first time ever hearing the woman do something like that, especially in her presence. 

A smile appeared and Elixir nodded slightly. "Maybe you should work on your balance." she joked lightly but regretted it in an instant afraid that she would think she was being serious. Her face turned a bit fearful. "Yeah, I think I'll feel all the falls later. I'll for sure be resting a lot more than usual." she told Grezig. Her nightly routine of looking at the stars would have to wait just a night or two after this spar so she could get back to her 100% self.

Grezig stood. “Don’t practice too hard. We can get into practicing more once we actually settle down. Right now we need our strength for moving.” She gave a small smile to Elixir, and then it was gone as if it had never been there. “Thank you for the spar,” she said, dipping her head. “I need to eat now to get my strength back.” Then she turned and walked away. This had been a bit eye-opening for Grezig, who had assumed that Elixir would fail immediately, due to her dog blood. She had been proved wrong. Elixir had lost the spar, yes, but she’d definitely put up a fight, and Grezig would not soon forget.

[Exit.]

Elixir nodded at her words and then watched her walk away. Hopefully she would become the fighter she knows she can be. For now she would have to suck it up because they have to travel. The wolfdog turned the other way and started walking back to the rock she had made her sleeping place since being on the mountain. There she would rest until she got her energy back and then she would start her training.