Malice was curled up inside of her den that she shared with her family, wide awake as the rain sprinkled down on the earth with soft drop sounds. Her children she had shoved close her her belly in case it begun to storm. It was possible that it would, summer always bringing more storms than any other season because of the temperature that attracted the big gray clouds. There was definitely some magnetism in the air, and seeing as the boys were so new to the world, she didn't want them to be scared of a little thunder and lightning. Malice herself had a kind of appreciation for the storms, seeing as how it made sure the plants grew back in their full glory and seemed to wash away all the sorrows off the surface of the planet.

When the familiar voice of Shink had rung through the moist air, her head popped up. She wondered what the cause was of his sudden summoning, but did not hesitate to go outside to find him. The children were asleep, she knew, and would not wake unless awoken by either herself or Burke. They would be safe her, safer than anywhere on earth.

She quickly spotted the odd colored young man and approached him with a smile. The journey had not been long, but still her back was soaked by the rain. She did not care; rather enjoyed the feeling. Good day, Shink, what is the cause of your summoning? She greeted politely. She had not thought about their first meeting and did not blame him for scaring her back into the den. It had only been natural to flee for a male that lunged at her children, but really did not held it against him.

She smiled at his apology. It was appreciated, but not needed. She had long forgiven him for doing something that was not really wrong to do. Apology accepted, though now time has passed, I think I might have overreacted a bit. Don't think I won't ever let you near my children again after just such a small incident. She said, a smile present on her features all the way through her short speech. They had both been in the wrong, and therefore-now that they had both realized their mistakes- could forget and forgive. She knew Vassago would seek Shink out again anyway, so it was no use forbidding the male seeing the pups again anyway. She almost chuckled at her own thoughts.

The next part of his reason was quite unexpected. It was true she was an experienced fighter, having been trained to kill ever since she could walk and speak, but to teach someone the art of how to end lives? She knew fighting was in their nature, for defending and making sure everyone knew their place, but she preferred a peaceful conversation. Then again, had she not wanted to be a fighter herself? She thought about it as he finished his explanation. So Burke thought the boy could be a fighter? Oh well, who was she to crush dreams?

I'm flattered, and think you would make a great guardian. Alright, I'll spar with you. She said and bowed before him, tail high in the air and head lowered to protect her neck. 

She guess she had missed fighting, even though it reminded her of the dark days. Perhaps it was some sort of art, the art of killing maybe, yes, but still an art. She smirked as he lunged for her shoulder, her yellow eyes shimmering as his neck was right to her side. Perhaps it hadn't been a smart move, but he still managed to almost topple her over with his quick move. She felt his teeth just softly grab her shoulder, and let out a surprised yelp in the process.

She soon shifted, muzzle preening the soft skin of his neck, the same spot she had once bitten through to kill her own mother. She grabbed him and pulled slightly harder though not hard enough to do any real damage. She tried to throw him off of her, and if that didn't work, she had more trick up her sleeve.

Of course Malice did not try to hurt the boy, knowing he was still a beginner at fighting and a young soul more delicate than her. His growl came as a surprise, it having been a while since she had last sparred, but soon her own rumble made her body shudder slightly. Her hackles raised as instinct took over her massive body. The kicks connected, if only barely, and she closed her eyes to let him fall over. 

He was soon to rise though, and her plans on pinning him then and there disappeared as another growl left her throat. She followed his moves, body lowering to the ground while her bum was high up in the air in another bow. She showed her teeth to playfully mock, and then her hindlegs pushed her forward in an attempt to grab the side of his neck.

She almost smirked through her angry battle face, his snarl being quite a treat to her ears. The last time she had sparred had been with Issun, a wolf that would now live among them once again. She now wondered how well he had trained on his skills on his own. Perhaps they could spar again one time, or maybe Issun and Shink could battle each other for training purposes. 

As Shink lowered further, Malice saw her chance, even though his sudden dash toward her legs did make her stumble. Her massive form was hard to topple though, quickly placing one paw to her side to hold her balance. Though it did slow her down, she couldn't help but try jumping on his back to pin him.

She hoped she wouldn't crush the boy to death with her muscles -not fat, like Nemesis would've done-, though she made sure to shift her weight onto her legs rather than just letting her plop down on him. as he made a final attempt to get her, she looked to the side to expose her scarred eye. If he was to hit, at least she would have one good side of her voice not covered in scars. Lucky for her, his teeth only brazed her muzzle slightly, but it did draw some blood. It would not scar, she could tell by how it felt, but maybe she'd have to clean it to prevent it getting infected. 

As he surrendered, she immediately rose to her feet, standing over him, panting just as much as he was. It had been great practice and a good fight for a young warrior, though they both could learn some more. She let her balance be and fell onto the ground, her side softly flopping down. The mother was exhausted if she was being honest. She moved her paw to the scratches on her muzzle. It was a minor wound, one that would easily heal if treated right, and she supposed she deserved it for so recklessly crushing Shink. 

You're pretty good for your age. She panted out. You know, my old friend joined some time ago. He can fight as well. Perhaps you'll both make great warriors.