Moonspear towards disaster and the things that i would see

arcturus paused, looking over a dark shoulder. @Osiris was but several feet away, navigating a large slab of rock that his uncle had simply leapt over.

smiling to himself, the mountaineer spun on his heels and draped over the lip of a boulder like a mountain cat; his sunny eyes focused on the whelp. try the left side, arcturus offered from his perch — the left portion of the step was slightly shallower, and just a little above the height of osiris’ shoulders.

Osiris was struggling to find his footing when Arcturus suggested an alternative path. Obediently, he obliged, although it took some time for him to re-trace his progress. When Osiris did steer left, he found it less challenging than his previous attempt. The shallow divet allowed him a way to hoist himself upwards, and after some scrambling, he managed to overcome the obstacle. 

Feeling a rush of confidence, Osiris strode towards Arcturus. Although he was not one to parade about, he walked a little taller.

the boy wrestled with the stone, and emerged victorious. arcturus noted the tall swagger with a quirk of his lips — and indulged in it by a gentle sway of his tail in approval.

now, jump down. follow me. arcturus leapt smoothly from the bank, legged down through the stony teeth, and began to hop from rock to rock with the agility of a wolf used to mountain-life. this exercise he did often — it sharpened his reflexes, and kept his core in balance.

Once victorious, Osiris now struggled. His travail was evident, voiced by huffs, puffs, and breathy, disgruntled sounds as he scrambled after Arcturus. Lacking proper calluses underfoot, Osiris lost his footing every-so-often; his pace and flounders did not deter his discretion. 

Trailing several paces behind, Osiris attempted to keep to the set speed to the best of his abilities.

arcturus kept an eye trained to his small protege, watching in approval as Osiris rallied under his tutelage. Arcturus’ lessons would not be easy — but neither would they be unfair.

he measured the boy’s breathing and then called for a halt around a stony bend. recover here, arcturus’s own breath came in even strides — for most of his endurance had yet to be tested. this is called interval training. in laymen’s terms, we push for an elevated heart rate — and then do short breaks between. it strengthens your heart.. and your wind. it will be useful in battle, or protection of the homestead. have you decided which trade you will pursue, osiris? a wolf must contribute to his homeland, and often developing a skill is an asset to the pack.

Relief was offered to Osiris, and he relished it. Standing at Arcturus' side, Osiris' sides heaved, and his tongue lolled as he attempted to steady his panting. 

Despite his age, Osiris had already contemplated his future profession. "I think that I would like to hunt," he admitted once his breathing had calmed; his inclination towards the trade was only an inkling, though. "Mother and Father were going to take us hunting soon, too—" Osiris added, recalling an earlier conversation with Hydra—but that occurred before the calamity. "—Well, hopefully we still will. Mother and I talked about it before the ground began to shake."

arcturus stood patiently as his young disciple gathered his breath; the mountain was a hard teacher, and impressed all that traversed it with its toughness. osiris was born for the spear — and soon would come into his own as a mountaineer himself.

nodding in approval, arcturus considered hydra’s plan for her young. she likely would like to be the first to guide them, but arcturus could provide small tips now to ease osiris better into his new profession. once he was sure the boy had partially regained his breath he pushed off for the hills, motioning for osiris to follow. the pace he set was a light jog — enough to push the heart, but not exhaust stamina.

a hunter is a very important role to the pack. that is a good trade to pursue. once the large game returns to the wilds, i will ask your mother if we can go on a hunt. has your mother told you much of hunting, osiris?

Their journey resumed once Osiris had collected himself, and they pushed off towards the nearby hills with a light jog. The pace that Arcturus set was manageable, and Osiris appreciated that they would be able to hold a conversation while they traveled. 

"I would love that, Uncle," Osiris replied, his excitement published by a gentle glimmer in his eyes. "And, yes, she has—Father, too. I try and bring it up whenever I can."

the excitement in the young ostrega was palpable. arcturus's features split in a soft smile, though most of it seemed hidden by his thick winter fur. "good. you are too young to hunt large game." he started, his tone gentle despite the truth laced in it. "that is not your fault. you will wish you were young again, soon enough.. but for now, it is best not to complicate hunting matters by involving young scoundrels such as yourself."

he continued his pace, though he paused here and there to sniff at tracks in the snow. "there is not much large game to torment, anyway. we can start with something small - surely your mother would be okay if we went on a little hunt ourselves?" sharing a conspirator's wink arcturus rose from the snow and trailed after the scent of a vole. he had been osiris' age when hydra had brought him to the dark well that housed a wolverine -- somehow, it seemed it had been eons ago.. had he truly ever been that young?

"do you smell that?" arcturus paused besides the trail, waiting for osiris' input. hunting was so much more than killing: it was also learning scents, learning ways to conceal yourself, and practicing movements in stealth -- all of which they could practice today.

The information that Arcturus provided piqued Orisis' curiosity. "Do you know when I will be old enough?" he asked, "I know that they're dangerous—Mother and Father have both told me that—but I think that I can be ready for them soon." Osiris' desire stemmed from nativity; age wasn't the only factor to be judged in his readiness. Osiris wanted what was best for Moonspear, and fuller bellies would surely do just that—that much he was sure of. 

The focus of large game was neglected when Arcturus proposed an alternative—smaller game was a more obtainable goal for the inexperienced hunter. With his expression bright, Osiris leaned over and sniffed where he was prompted. "Vole," he replied in a hushed whisper; the rodent was a staple of his diet, and he recognized it almost immediately.

arcturus turned an ear towards osiris, savoring the question and choosing his words delicately. "age is not so much a factor. it is your training, your body, the availability of prey, and the experiences you've had leading up to the hunt." it was unfortunate osiris had been born in a time of famine. "the famine works against you."

he offered a shrug - who was he to command the herd? osiris had nothing but time, and if arcturus was around, he would see to it the boy would not be underprepared. "large game is unbelievably strong. it is best to watch several hunts first, before you partake yourself." he crouched downwards as he watched osiris suss out the scents, and for a moment his shape seemed like that of a blackened panther. "yes, vole. and where does it go?"

Arcturus was gentle in his delivery; nothing could alter the circumstances that Osiris had been born into. "Oh," he replied. "Okay." Osiris' training would take longer than he had initially anticipated, and although he wasn't pleased with the news, it was not in his nature to refute outright. 

With the expectations set, Osiris was able to focus on the task at hand: tracking the vole. When asked to follow the trail that the creature had left, the child dropped to a crouch and crept forward on light paws. The residue seemed to direct Osiris from the crest of the hill and to the valley below—where the ground was softer underpaw, and perfect for burrowing. Standing, he turned and looked at Arcturus. 

"It goes down there, Uncle," Osiris announced, motioning to the plain with a gentle sweep of his snout.

arcturus had already ascertained where the vole had gone -- his query was more for osiris, who was learning yet. pleased the boy had managed to figure out the scent and the direction it tracked himself, arcturus issued a brusque nod and motioned with his paw. "off we go, then."

he was careful not to lead the expedition; this was a practice for osiris only, and whether he failed or succeeded today, he would still learn. it was arcturus' opinion that failure was often a better teacher anyway; he would help, and guide, but he would not work on osiris' behalf. vole was small game, but it was tricky -- everything osiris learned today would be the building blocks for when hunting truly became a sport over a game.

When prompted to lead, Osiris obeyed; this was his hunt to drive, and his excitement in doing so was evident. Slinking forward with light footfalls, he initiated their search. 

They tracked the scent-trail until the sun began to fall. Although the search was fruitless, a substantial foundation of knowledge had been laid for Osiris' training. Arcturus had provided him with items to work on until their next lesson, and when they parted ways, Osiris promised to report back on how his practice was progressing soon.