It was not often that Njal had a chance to truly let loose and fight. The winter chill demanded more of him, and he was eager to give it. To rouse his heart and work his body. Being a lowly fisherman had been invigorating enough upon his discovery in to the creek pack, but he wanted more.

Something powered Njal on this day that he could not name. A sense of purpose had started to wane within him, as it always did when he ascribed to the ideals of pack life; but he was resistant to these whims as well. The man was happy here. He had found a land much like Kindred in territory and filled with quiet, stoic individuals. Beings that reflected his own reserved nature.

Still, he wanted. He desired. A deep level of Njal was not satisfied and he would continue to hunt for that piece which would fill the hole in his heart.

As he patrolled along the river's edge, his steps were sluggish. His figure drooping with a growing lethargy. A man could only spend so many hours staring at the water before wishing for a fish; however, much of the river's shallows were frozen over at this point. Frost crept along that water's surface and scared away the fish within. Njal thought up many reasons why he was not flourishing at his job; but they were only excuses. The Gamma heard a sound behind him -

somewhere in the grass, amongst the snow and crispy grass. He turned sharply - leaping in to action. Large paws caught against the earth and pulled him forth, crunching the snow as he pursued. Njal had a feeling something was watching him. Just as his lungs began to burn from the running, he heard a new sound - a howl, perched in the winter air. A summons for a spar.

With a sharp breath, Njal headed in the direction of the call. The running had warmed him, thawed his stale state. He spotted the wolf after a short trek across the territory; and with a grunt, he observed her movements.

There were no words, no formalities, as the bear-like girl came at him. She was eager for this spar and showed a certain prowess, even in the fleeting initial moments. Njal was quick to lower his head, but it was the only thing he was able to do before the full intent of her teeth gripped at his quickly-thrusted shoulder. It had been a while since Njal had a proper spar - and he was not expecting the younger wolf to be particularly skilled; her size was the immediate threat, not her ability. The combatants had misjudged one another. He let out a breath as he twisted his head, positioning his body as best he could despite her firm grip, and snapped his teeth. He tried to pivot and thrust his fangs in to her vision - a relatively easy feat, as Jinx was so close to him. The warning snap caught at nothing for he was not intending to catch her, only shock if it were possible. And as his teeth slid behind his lips, he thrust his nose in to her neck as hard as he could; trying to aim for her throat or the edge of her jaw, but it all depended on how close she actually was, and his own maneuvering.

When in battle against a foe, perhaps Njal would have used his teeth. He had never been faced with such a situation though. In Kindred, he learned to fight with the intent to train; so his blows were well placed but hardly damaging. It was a habit that would take time to break.

Even now as his snout thrust against the meat and muscle of Jinx's neck, he kept his teeth away from her. The rumble of her chest spurred him to react, goading him even if it wasn't her intention. The bestial noise was soon met by his own rumbling tones, as he tried to circumnavigate her close body. Her teeth flashed in his vision but he could not duck out of the way - still, too slow, too rusty - and the spectre's canines caught upon his nose.

He felt the skin tear slightly. It wouldn't be much, just superficial. Njal reacted with a quick lift of his snout (which was probably a poor decision) that exposed his neck very briefly. He was trying to knock at her exposed teeth before they could vanish from his reach. Again he snapped his teeth, but this time the man drove his body toward Jinx with the intent to strike her shoulder-to-body, and bowl her over. With a squared stance and the scent of blood upon each inhalation, Njal was thoroughly invigorated.

An individual who was able to thwart his burly body was a rare one indeed; Njal had not encountered someone like Jinx in Kindred, or anywhere in between. She managed to withstand his thrust of momentum upon her, which made him quickly reconsider his style of battle. If she could handle that, then she could probably retaliate - so he did what came naturally, and ducked away from her. This was partially successful, as her pale body collided with his shoulder but did not make him lose his footing. He did stumble a step, but was quick to rebalance. Njal's new stance and position placed him farther from her neck and closer to her middle, so he dove towards her body with teeth gaping - slamming at her with his thick skull and trying to grab at the tender flesh of her hip. It was not something Njal usually did in battle; he was more adept at bowling over his opponent and simply pinning them, but that had proven to be difficult when faced with Jinx and her indomitable weight. The man found himself commending her mentally for her ability, while snapping his teeth so close to her flesh.

The woman's murmured growl was met by his own bestial sound; Njal was overtaken by the joy of the spar, which was something he missed. He hadn't been entirely aware of how badly he missed fighting like this, but it had been a long time between such exploits. It was good to get his blood pumping - and the invigorated male was ready for more. Jinx reacted as any wolf would, when faced with an unexpected attack; she retaliated as best she could. Teeth snapped and bodies drew close to one another, but the woman failed in her efforts. This left a gap within which Njal could place himself. He saw her teeth flash near his face and responded in kind - baring fangs and snarling with the gnashing of his pearly whites, which were meant to ward off further attempts. He wanted her distracted as he rose up a few inches upon his back legs, and draped his heavy chest across her back. It would be easy enough for the wide woman to snap at him now - he was exposed - but Njal would take this chance to try and end the fight. He wanted to force her down and pin her, the way he often tried to win his battles. The rumble in his chest extended to his belly (and he couldn't help but feel a masculine satisfaction that spread like heat along his belly. Jinx's attempts at freedom did not help this sensation).

It was a poor decision to rise up against Jinx in the manner that he did; she turned on him easily and quickly, delivering a series of winding, snapping attacks at his neck and chest. The movement caused Njal to slip off of her, and while he struggled to land and defend himself concurrently, he was mostly overwhelmed by her viciousness. She grappled with his body and the pinching of his neck signalled that the battle was almost over - he was overpowered, finally, and thrust towards the dirt. The man was exhausted and unable to do much else.

He was caught and he knew it; as much as it infuriated him to lose a spar, Njal was simultaneously glad. That he had lost against someone so formidable (and so young) gave him a burst of hope for the pack as a whole. He struggled regardless, not wanting to lose outright, but Jinx had him in a good hold. The burly woman held his writhing self until he bayed a wheezing, tired call. Surrender, the sound implied. Njal was exhausted and there was little fight left in him.

Efforts proved to be futile as Jinx's strength forced his head down; it wasn't an outright thrust of power, but enough for him to release a short and shallow rumble, and then she released. The spar was over and it was clear that Njal had lost, but both combatants were complacent. The grey man breathed raggedly for a moment or two, his mouth sliding open - lips across his previously exposed teeth - and tongue lolled out, licking at the air. Gulping it. When Jinx spoke he only gave a deep-breathed nod; clearly exasperated. His mouth clicked shut once, opened to gasp for more air, closed twice, three times, and he finally caught his breath. "You are more skilled than I anticipated," Njal commented. He did not want to be insulting, but his words were truthful. "I enjoyed that."

The man hefted himself to his paws, and shook his body; hoping to cool it with air at least a little, before taking to the trails. He passed by the white woman with a courteous nod - although his tail lifted and flagged in tired dominance, if only to reinstate his position despite the loss. As he passed he muttered, "Another time, perhaps?" And then passed in to shadow.