Redhawk Caldera There's a shining in the shadows

going with the assumption you laid out in discord, but I can update this as well if things change <3

For @Sphyra and/or @Caracal and/or @Killdeer

@Bronco had left a bit ago, sure that he'd caught wind of Niamh and wanting to see if he could track her down.  Fennec had told him outright that she thought it was a waste - probably a little harsh, even for her, but Fennec didn't see the point in looking for somehow who didn't want to be found.  Niamh could live with the consequences of leaving just like she'd been prepared to.

Obviously Bronco felt differently... and Fennec at least knew when to stop.  She was still his mom.

But now they knew the truth.  Phox had come back with news that Fennec honestly didn't know what to do with, and while she was worried, she was also a little glad he was still gone.  How the fuck was he going to take this?

Worried, stressed, upset - there was only one thing to do with all of that and it wasn't talking about it.  Tierra was back now and that meant she had four pups to teach some shit to; maybe this wasn't the healthiest mentoring mindset but it was certainly an effective distraction.  So Fennec gathered as many of them together as she could in an open clearing near the base of the caldera.

Ma! Killer hollered, emerging from the shadows to barrel headlong into Fennec.

He had grown, and he was saying more words. No more just "butts" and shit (literally "shit," THANKS GRANDMA) but actual, non-profane words. He definitely had "Ma" down, and Oh-ee was slowly morphing to the more phonetically accurate "Towhee."

"Caracal" he'd heard once or twice, and once the tawny pup came into view, he pounced upon the older boy with a slurred CACKLE!

He would not settle down until his mother called the group to attention, rolling happily in the dust with his best bud.

Tierra didn't need to be here, she was already a master at kicking butt. She feigned disinterest in the lesson and in Killdeer and Cackle wrestling nearby, but the one time they got close, she jumped back a little. She didn't want her kid cousin's drool all over her, ugh!

She didn't know if she felt like sparring or not, but she'd been unobtrusively clingy to either Towhee or her siblings lately. If they were here, she was here too.

Sphyra was always up for more training. She'd been practising with Fennec, and for the moments she could concentrate (she was a small child, after all) she was showing promise in her fighting skills. Sphyra at the very least had the drive and will to go far. All of the uncertainties in the family only made her work harder, because herself and her own body were things that she could control. Sphyra didn't just want to be a good warrior for the pack; she wanted to be a good warrior for herself. Fighting and running was fun, and she was going to prove the world that she was the very best at it.

Killer and Crackle were already entangled in a fight from the beginning, before Fennec could even start training. Tierra was at the edge of it all being high and mighty. Ugh, what a pretender. Sphyra really disliked her sister's arrogance and she loved to take her down a peg and show off how hard she'd been training. She mostly disliked that Sapsucker was such an unrelenting drama queen. She had run off several times. Sphyra didn't even get why the adults were still worried every time she did. She'd come back every time. She was like an annoying whiny boomerang as far as Sphyra was concerned.

Their father had visited once or twice, but Sphyra had missed him every time. Bummer, but she figured she'd run into him sooner or later. Maybe his sickness was taking longer than expected.

Sphyra sat and watched Fennec attentively, waiting for the lesson to begin (and maybe also wanting to prove she was way more mature than any of the others).

sorry for makin this and then abruptly losing every iota of my spar thread muse XD if I end up going too long again y'all are more than welcome to skip my dumb self and start making assumptions

She had a gaggle of them, she could hear, and launched in without bothering to determine the interest level of each. Killdeer she acknowledged with a small bump of her muzzle, but nothing more.

She didn't really care if they didn't want to get anything out of it - the ones who did would. Some of you are interested in sparring. Play fighting is fine, but when you face off with something dangerous, they won't be playing. So neither are we.

Fennec crouched, lifting her lips to show her teeth in something not quite like a smile. As she did, she listened, shifting her weight defensively. Who's first?

She wouldn't go hard enough to injure, but she wasn't planning on holding back. This was a lesson they needed to learn - that sometimes fights hurt, and got messy, and desperate. Just like she had.

As Fennec spoke, he stopped his wrestling, lifting his head to stare open-mouthed at her. She didn't need to ask twice. Killdeer didn't quite get the gist of all the words, but he understood the stance his mother took, deep in his marrow.

MA! he answered, rising to his paws to charge toward her with bared teeth. He tried to seize her neck, like he'd done with Caracal, but she was too tall. 

Instead, he hopped, slamming against her with all the strength he had—which was not much. Once grown, Killdeer would be big as any wolf, but for now, even his diminutive dam dwarfed the boy.

It was a pitiful sight.

im going to kick off another round, no post order for this!! Tierra is gonna be pp'ed for now unless I feel like tossing her in to participate

Killdeer was first. Of course he was, Fennec thought with pride. She listened, noting where he came from... and as he jumped into her she was ready for him. Of all of the children she knew his size the best, the way he moved, how best to catch him. He'd need to be quieter if he wanted to surprise her, but she'd teach him that.

She twisted so that his momentum wouldn't catch her broadside, but rather get her a glancing blow. That told her what she needed to know and she reached down for his scruff, moving to flatten him down to the ground. If she managed to pin him, it would teach him to think a bit more before recklessly leaving himself open.

Before Sphyra could stand forward to volunteer herself, Killdeer did. Sphyra watched him as he bounded forward and very ill-prepared headed out to attack Fennec. She took note of the fight and watched, this time. She glanced at Tierra, longing to whisper to her that that'd be her getting flattened by Sphyra if they were to fight, but then remembered she was proving she was mature and she turned all her attention back to the fight between Fennec and Killdeer to absorb what tactics worked and did not work.

He was heartened as he managed a hit—albeit a sidelong one—but his triumph was short-lived as Fennec mercilessly forced him to the ground. HEY! he exclaimed, the frustration clear in his voice even as it was muffled against the dirt.

The boy wriggled, desperately trying to wrench himself from his mother's iron-clad grip. He might manage it if she loosened her jaws, though he thought that wasn't likely. He was beginning to feel embarrassed, getting kicked around in front of the others.

LEMME GO! Killdeer demanded, but it was less a command and more a plea. Goddamn it, was he gonna cry? Don't cry, stupid!

When Killdeer cried out, Fennec did let him go. She wasn't about to let the opportunity for a lesson go by, though. If you come in too fast, especially against someone bigger, you give an opening for them. You should circle and find out as much as you can. Always protect yourself first. She instructed all of them, but gave Killdeer a soft (and intended to be encouraging) nudge, potentially to help him to his feet.

Like this. She took a step back, then began to prowl, ears and unseeing eyes both focused in on some unknown assailant. Either wait until they make a mistake, or get in and get out fast.

She lunged forward, snapping at air, before dancing back as quickly as she could. In a pack you could be bold, but she was going to teach them to defend themselves alone. She wouldn't have Killdeer rushing in like that, not when real danger was around.

She listened to see if he'd mirror her and try it, or if he'd checked out of the lesson for today in his brief defeat.

Sphyra listened and nodded, diligently paying attention to Fennec's lessons. She watched as Killdeer squealed to be let go and when he was, Fennec wasted little time to get right back in there. Sphyra nodded a few times as she watched, and mentally noted that she would use this tactic on Sapsucker sometime soon to test its effectiveness.

going to wrap this <3 I need to close some of these out, thanks for joining and sorry they dragged so long!

Fennec couldn't see Sphyra's interest, but when Killdeer seemed ready to quit, she tagged her younger sister in. Killdeer was eager but Sphyra seemed to take to fighting with a lot of the same spirit Fennec had.

She'd give as many pointers as they all had the energy for, but she didn't go as easy as some might have. There was no use practice fighting without some stakes, and even she would likely wake up a little sore tomorrow.