Bearclaw Valley karate lessons

for @Zephyra

the valley’s youngest were growing fast, their gangly frames beginning to fill out with the promise of strength to come. one in particular caught his eye today—zephyra, one of nephele's kiddos. and with the coyote uprising, he's decided to take it upon himself to make sure everyone knows how to defend themself—even if it's the simplest of defensive measures.

anything to keep 'em alive until one of the adults came.

with a low chuff to announce his presence, tvar strode closer. he stopped a short distance away, his head tilting as he regarded the pup with an amused smirk.

hey, kid, he calls. he jerks his head toward the clearing, inviting her over. feel like sparring?

zeph had been idly kicking around snow when the hulking frame of tvar had come striding over. she lets out a grunt feigning disinterest, when in reality she was finally thrilled to have someone consider her potential worth.

the corner of a lip tugs upward to a bold smirk, paw raising to motion the classic bring it on gesture. 

"do your worst," she teased before ducking low and surveying the man's figure for any opportunity to strike.

a long, hearty chuckle comes streaming from the brute at her beckoning. an amused glower settling upon his bearded face, shoulders rolling as he lowers himself to the girl's level.

you don't want that, lass. he chides, engaging in a little healthy shit talk with the girl. couldn't ever go wrong with that.

his muscles coil as he measures her stance. he wasn’t about to go easy on her—not entirely, anyway. lessons were learned best through challenge, and if zephyra wanted to prove her worth, she’d have to earn it.

so, with a heavy swing of his body, he charges the girl, eyes calculative as he watches her; eager to see how she deflects the head on attack.

a bubbling growl spills it's way out of her at the provoking words, playful, but still holding determination to it. 

zephyra was inexperienced and if there was a correct way of fighting, she didn't know it. she knew only what instinct guided her to do, to tuck her neck and protect her stomach. so she assumed if that's where her gut was telling her she was weakest, it's exactly where tvar would aim to protect too. 

when he charged she planted herself, ready to take the full force of his attack should it come to that. but at the last possible moment she would bolt left like a bullfighter avoiding the raging beast. and if she were successful in her evasion, she would lunge for the first thing in her line of sight, which happened to be the ankle of a foreleg. 

zephyra, the mighty ankle biter.

tvar couldn't help the chuckle that rumbled in his chest as zephyra growled; her movements were raw, instinctual—no finesse, but plenty of spirit.

he surged forward with purpose, watching her closely. she planted herself, bracing for the impact, and for a moment he thought she might actually try to take him head-on. bold. but at the last second, she darted left, nimble as a fox.

“clever,” he muttered, skidding slightly as he adjusted his footing. but then he felt the sharp pinch of teeth against his foreleg. if she released him, he'd take a quick pivot, aiming to use his weight to gently but firmly shove her off balance, testing her reflexes. if she held on, he'd swipe a broad paw toward her side, careful not to strike with full force but enough to test her grip.

and zephyra didn't let go, not until the strength of his paw forced her to. she tried to sink her teeth in deeper, enough to retain the grip, but it was of no use. she stumbled backward, nearly loosing her footing and falling altogether. 

miraculously she managed to remain on her feet, staggering for a few steps until she regained her balance. he outclassed her in every way. tvar was the heavyweight champion and zephyra was a featherweight still wet behind the ears. she stood no chance against him, not in brute strength anyways. 

but if there was one thing she'd picked up so far, it's that she was faster than him, and she sought to use that to her advantage. she would tire him out, would run circles around him all day if that's what it took. but for now she started with something less demanding, something more infuriating for him. 

she would place herself just out of reach, and every time he'd try to close the distance, she would take the steps to put it right back between them.

tvar shook his paw lightly as she stumbled backward, the brief sting of her bite fading as he watched her recover. a low chuckle rumbled from his chest, amused by her determination despite the odds stacked against her. she was scrappy, that was for sure, and he couldn’t help but respect it.

his eyes narrowing as she danced just out of reach, clearly intent on frustrating him. he lunged forward, testing her reflexes, only to stop short as she darted back, the gap between them remaining intact.

“what’s the plan, little shadow?” he taunted.

he lunged and she retreated, pacing backward until the space between them was restored. his words did little to rile her up, but the tone of them was enough to summon forth a toothy smirk from the girl. 

"what's the matter?" she goaded, tail flagged high in brazen confidence. "can't catch a little girl like me?" 

he seemed steadfast, and if she could not get him to move in one direction, she would challenge him another way. slowly she turned to stalk around him, slinking low to the ground in catlike fashion. ears forward, eyes glued to her target. 

as she worked her way around him in measured circles her pace would eventually quicken, testing the limit of his patience. and if he dared for even a moment to stray away and take his eyes off her, she would pounce, ready to sink her teeth in him once more.

don't poke the bear, lil girl. he growls out jokingly. i assure you i could catch you if i tried.

as she circles him, he shifts, just enough to keep her in his peripheral vision without fully turning. his muscles coil with restrained energy, his paws planted firmly in the snow as if rooted there. he let her think she had the upper hand, let her pace and measure him. and then, just as her movements quickened, he let out a low, almost imperceptible huff and faltered.

his weight shifted awkwardly, his shoulders dipping slightly as though he’d lost his balance. he staggered a step forward, clumsy, exposing his backside to her in what appeared to be an unguarded moment.

it was bait, pure and simple.

their playful banter stirred up a gloating smile from the girl. now this was fun. 

zephyra saw the glimmer of a sunken hook and yet would still bite the bait as if it were not attached to metal barb. 

the moment tvar feigned his misstep she lurched forward, prepared to grab hold of whatever it was she could find a grip upon; leg, thigh, tail, it did not matter so long as she found purchase upon the brute. 

she knew well enough she could not defeat the man, but if she were capable of leaving him with the thought that she might not just be this frail girl, then that was enough.

the moment zephyra took the bait, tvar struck.

her teeth found purchase on his leg, and shifts his weight and throws himself backward; smirk splitting his face.

his bulk collided with her smaller frame, pinning her to the ground beneath his weight. her surprised grunt was met with his booming laughter, the sound echoing through the frosted air.

"gotcha," he rumbles triumphantly.

for just a moment zephyra knew the sweet taste of victory, but only for a moment. 

what grip she'd had upon him was short-lived as he collided with her weight and sent her toppling to the ground with a thump. she submitted willingly beneath him, lifting her paws in classic surrender as he boomed a laugh of triumph. 

"good job, you've pinned a kid," she teased, sarcasm lacing every word. however there was no malice found within her eyes, if anything, there was fulfillment. 

but more than that there was adrenaline and the high that came with it.

tvar smirks, breath still steady despite the scuffle. kid or not, he says with a cocky grin, you came at me like a real fighter. his paws stay planted for a moment longer before he pushes off her, allowing her space to get back on her feet.

besides, he adds with a playful huff, i'm gonna make sure you kids are tougher than rocks.

he steps back, shaking the frost from his pelt and flicking his tail. you want to help keep your home safe, right?

it took every tendril of her being not to crack an overjoyed smile when he complimented her, recognized her as a real fighter. she shuffled to rise once he'd stepped aside, a soft huff and the roll of a shoulder feigning the excitement she felt as if his words had been no big deal at all. 

"course i do," she responded in turn to his question of guarding the valley. 

stomping along patrol routes and picking fights wasn't just her choice of rebellion, it gave her purpose.

good. his eyes are bright as they look approvingly upon the kid. then you’ll need to learn discipline too, not just how to scrap.

he flicks an ear and lowers his chin against his neck, voice lowering to something more stern. fighting’s only half the job. a good guard watches, listens, and thinks ahead. know your borders better than your own paws. know when to strike and when to wait.

the ebony, gold-dusted form of the man turns to stride a short distance away, giving the girl a glance over a scarred shoulder. c’mon. we’ll walk the routes and make sure you know them.

fade here!! would be down to continue this in another thread tho :3