Blackfeather Woods i could fight on a wall

backdated to july 29th; dawn. - @Rowan. other tags for reference.

she'd woken up feeling oddly light today and it hadn't taken her long to discover it was due to nothing more than anticipation. but perhaps what made it so significant was the nature of it, she was indeed a being used to the anticipation associated with bad things, but it was still unusual to wake with a purpose she looked forward to. and had it not been for how successful her day with the boy had been yesterday; perhaps she wouldn't have felt this way today at all. a lot could change in 24 hours and she mused at how such little actions could shape so much as she wandered through the woods. 

it was early but she'd chosen dawn on purpose, she wasn't going to half arse the little bit of training she could give rowan; whatever she could include she would. so getting used to being up as the sun was just breaking the horizon would definitely have to be included. the air was cool considering it was the height of summer, both due to the extra cover their home provided and the time of day and she was even close to shivering as she brushed through dewy vegetation. her body had gotten used to the suffocating heat really quickly, she actually relished in the slight chill in her muscles as she broke into a brisk trot.

it wasn't long until she came upon the den and was quick to slow to a quiet walk; not wanting to disturb @Moonshadow or her  other pups. with practiced grace she slipped forward until hissing a soft; "rowan" into the still air, she then leaned back onto her haunches, tail twitching impatiently. he'd better hear her; she didn't fancy having to go in there and drag him out herself; especially if it resulted in startling moonshadow and getting a bite to the nose.

The boy was incredibly excited. He could barely sleep, but of course, he did, curled up under his Mother's warmth. Everything was good, everyone was happy.
He woke up with the dawn, possibly because his unconscious clock told him today was important or the fact he was chilly. But he didn't mind. 
He curled up closer to Moonshadow and his siblings, waiting for Tundra.

He heard her voice and pulled himself up to greet her. He'd told Moonshadow where'd he'd be the previous night, not that she needed to worry.
He'd never leave.

"Let's go," he whispered, grinning and tail wagging with joy. Gosh, what were they going to do today?

he almost startled her with the speed he emerged from the shadowy den with, earning an amused smile from the decima. clearly no need to worry about him being grumpy about the time, she had the inkling that had she not come for him now it would've been him seeking her out as the sun rose. like before, she was surprised by quite how contagious his unfiltered joy was and could not even attempt to cover the smile that graced her features; not that she even particularly wanted to or anything. letting jaws widen in a yawn she'd shake her head in exaggerated wonder. "i'd love to know where you youngsters get that endless supply of energy from" but she doesn't hold him up for too long, concerned that he might literally explode if he's left buzzing in the one place for too long so after a quick stretch she straightens and beckons him to follow with a quick flick of her wispy tail. 

she led him to the small clearing in the woods where she'd spent countless nights staring up at or sleeping under the stars. it was one of the only places in their home that she could get a decent enough view of the sky and hence felt very fond of the spot indeed. she pushed through dewy grass, the vegetation much lusher here due to the extra light source and spun daintily in the mist to face the boy with a small grin. "as i'm sure you've been eagerly awaiting, today we're going to be training in the fighting area of being a warrior" her head tilts to the side in a little bird like movement; "tell me anything you know about fighting or sparring".

He wondered if she felt tired. Asking about his energy seemed kinda dumb, surely everyone had energy. Of course, he felt slow when he needed sleep or food or water. Is that what she needed?
"You need nap." He grinned. Naps always helped.

They came to the clearing and he looked about, not having been to this place before -- preferring to stick in the shadows. He looked to her. All he knew was from play fighting and the raccoon attack.
"Attacking the neck will kill and attacking from behind stops you getting hurt." He remembered when Moonshadow had come in to protect him. Coming in from behind where the raccoon couldn't see and therefore fight. He'd seen countless striped bandits killed with bites and crunches to the neck.

a soft laugh slips free at his little deduction; she needed a nap. "perhaps" is the simple response she hums out. she leans back on her haunches, shoulders rolled back as she sits tall and attentive. the only movement present to confirm that she was indeed, not a statue being the occassional twitch of her tail. only when he finishes speaking does she nod; curiosity alight in her gaze. interesting...stretching out, she pushes herself to stand once more. "well you're right, the neck is a fragile spot. especially the throat" she dips her head downwards to portray what she was specifying. "a wound bad enough there or if enough pressure is applied will indeed kill, however we do not...usually fight to necessarily kill" she tries to pick her words carefully, aware that it's quite an important topic and also how she is really not the one to be giving lessons on morals. her tongue felt heavy with the hypocrisy she spun but rowan seemed like a good wolf, she'd hate to see that ruined by the mere ignorance of others. she swallows down the bitter tang in her mouth and continues on somewhat uneasily. "really we should only fight when we need to, whether it's to defend yourself, your wolves or your home...and killing should be a last resort, believe me it's not an easy thing to have on your conscience."

would he believe her? had she been told the same thing only a year ago..maybe even less, she would've perhaps scoffed at such foolery. yet it seemed to be making a big enough effort to catch up on her now, did she regret everything she'd done? not exactly, but only because it had shaped her into something she didn't want rowan to become. shaking herself briskly, she nods quickly. "anyway er, attacking from behind i suppose can stop you getting hurt but wolves are quick to retaliate, it's never guaranteed you're not going to be hurt, never let your guard down." god she hoped she was doing this right, honestly she hadn't even thought of this part at all when deciding to teach him a few moves despite it probably being the most important part of his training. she just felt like everything she said was a lie not because she didn't believe in it but because she was training him from her experience and anything she'd just said went against that. wanting to get it over with so that she could show him what she knew she was good at; she simply asks, "where'd you learn that anyway? it's good to be starting with that much knowledge."

His head tilted at her words. Or was it a warning? Surely they fought to kill, that's what had happened to the raccoons. He blinked, eyes questioning. But the keyword was usually. Usually, they wouldn't fight to kill, but they'd stolen from them, so surely the vermin had to be put down. He understood why Mother killed the one that had grabbed him, but what about the others?

She said it wasn't easy to kill, but he'd seen her and the others. They hunted and they killed often. Why would it be different for a wolf?
He trusted Tundra though, and he could try to promise himself that he wouldn't kill unless someone endangered the woods or his life.
She continued though, reminding him it was important to not let his guard down. It would be a skill that came with practice.

"I was there when the raccoons attacked." Surely that said enough to her. He'd seen the worst of them all -- well, maybe not worst.