Redsand Canyon Frourós

It had been a few days since the woman had been accepted into their Auxillary ranks. Arsenio had wanted to give her time to settle in, to find a den and talk with some of the others who lived in the barracks. It did not seem like a kind gesture to bombard the newcomer, but he had not lingered on the thought for long. The mercenary had wanted to clear his mind, and he had. He had even spoken to Kallik, which had offered him more peace.

As Arsenio climbed the red stone to search the skies for sunlight, he found that they would be met with grey clouds. Such was winter, he supposed.

Drawing back his head, the Greek man called to @Towhee. He hoped that she would have a minute to step away from her tasks. Arsenio believed that the best way to get to know another wolf was to have them on a patrol. It would help her better know the canyon, too.

Thanks for starting!

Towhee stood in the center of the arena and gazed around for a moment. The canyon was as unique as the pack that inhabited it. It didn’t feel like home this early on but she was already adapting to life as an Auxillary of Mereo.

It was time to call for Arsenio. He didn’t seem thrilled about her presence here, so she imagined he wanted nothing to do with her summons. But Germanicus had given them both a task. And whatever he thought of her, Towhee knew they could both benefit from training together.

Oblivious to the fact that he’d howled for her just moments before, she raised her head and howled, the sound especially obstreperous in the canyon’s echo chamber.

Of course!! ^w^

This was not a game of tag.

Arsenio’s features soured as he tilted his head. Confused, the red wolf called back to Towhee, offering her a howl to say that he would find her. Perhaps she did not have confidence in her ability to locate him. She needed the man to escort her until she had gotten better footing, surely. It didn’t do much to warm the Greek man in her favor.

He still searched.

When the redstone man had found Towhee, it looked as though she was in the arena. Arsenio slowed his approach to an easy trot. He offered a toothy smile and a curt nod of his head.

You do not know the canyon well yet? I call, you call back. It is good you were not hard to find, Towhee. The red wolf chuckled.

He arrived with a smile. Very sus, she thought jokingly. Towhee bobbed her head at him in what she considered a comradely fashion, then went still when Arsenio spoke so she could better read his lips. His words suggested annoyance, though he laughed.

I wanted to tell you this when you first mentioned calling for me, Towhee replied, though she hadn’t gotten the chance at the time, but I’m deaf A-F. She wondered what he would make of this information. And another thing: I didn’t mean to be such a dick to you and… was it Sayf? I was in a weird place at the time and the whole ‘pleasure things’… thing… really caught me off guard. I have a tendency to come across as crass, especially since I’m told I have no tone. Anyway, not trying to make excuses. Sorry I was an asshat. Want to spar?

When she met his eye, she began to speak about things that she would have liked to have told him before that moment. Arsenio drew his ears forward and listened. She couldn’t hear well. This surprised him, for she seemed to have done a fine job to understanding. He was curious to know how she had learned to overcome such a thing. The man could not count the number of times he relied on his ears when facing battle. A master warrior who could not hear well sounded like something out of Greek myth.

Towhee then apologized for her attitude when they had met at Akashingo. Arsenio’s smile grew wider. It was not that he would accept her apology, not right away. He appreciated her words, but they had time before he would trust what she offered.

I am not a man who likes Akashingo, or its ruler. On that day, you did catch me with one of the few who I consider a friend. Sayf is… bound to the Pharaoh, but he is a good man, and he has a good heart in him. I was not pleased to see his feelings hurt. As for the subject of coyotes being things of pleasure, Arsenio did not wish to speak. He had freed Tamar from a similar fate. The weight of having left Sayf behind was a difficult one, but he knew that Sayf adored the Pharaoh and would do well.

A spar would be good, yes. It is how warriors know each other.

Arsenio moved to position himself immediately in a sparring stance. The light in his gaze shone a little brighter.

She did not expect him to reply with further context, though she listened in her unique way as he spoke about Sayf. Towhee’s ears pulled backward slightly when he made it known she’d hurt the coyote’s feelings. She wondered what Sayf made of his lot in Akashingo. Had he signed up voluntarily to be used that way?

Towhee wanted to ask—come to think of it, she had a thousand questions about Akashingo and Mereo’s relationship to it—but she must focus on the task at hand. Her orange eyes followed as Arsenio assumed a battle stance.

Rather than rapidly throwing herself at him like she had Aquene, Towhee more subtly shifted her own posture and posed a question. Which role interests you most: warrior, guardian or tactician?

Towhee moved, shifting her figure until she had taken a better stance. Arsenio saw that she still wished to carry on some parts of a conversation. This was good and well. She was doing what Germanicus had instructed her to do. The redstone figure was not interested in making her job harder than it needed to be, but he was a man of some small pride, and he did not enjoy the idea of answering to this stranger until he had gotten to know her better.

A spar would work wonders for them both.

Hmm, I am not much for planning. I do not have the mind for a tactician. I believe I would do well as a guardian or warrior. You may be the judge of that, Arsenio answered her with a small smile and a swift nod of his snout.

Those on the border had said that Towhee was a master at such skills. Perhaps, the Greek man wondered, I could learn a thing or two from her.

She paid close attention to his self-assessment, wishing she’d made a little bit more of a distinction with her original query. Okay, out of those two—warrior and guardian—which do you think sounds more… fun? Somehow, Towhee doubted he’d easily apply that word to either, or to any aspect of his duties, but she hoped Arsenio would humor her.

But she didn’t wait for an answer. Resisting the impulse for an attack without any warning whatsoever, Towhee decided to employ some preamble. She dropped into a sudden crouch, giving Arsenio about two seconds to prepare himself before she sprang. As always, the Redhawk drove straight for the throat, though she kept her mouth firmly shut.

Arsenio barked a laugh.

What did fun have to do with it?

I do not know, the man said, shrugging softly. I have many things to defend in Mereo. Protecting, defending, guarding, those things are vital. It is rewarding because it means my love is safe. The ice of his eyes fixed on Towhee’s face. He wondered why she cared whether he had fun. They were a military outpost, after all. Was it not duty above all else? Did the Roman wish for his soldiers to have fun?

I have never been disappointed by a fight, either.

The smile that formed on his face was confident. Fun had nothing to do with it. Arsenio was a man, and he thrived on the opportunity to flash his skill.

The mercenary took the first shot, aiming a snapping bite of his teeth for her chin. He kept his head low enough to protect his throat - always.

He mentioned his love and Towhee remembered: this dude was married to Tamar. That was a worthwhile cause right there, naturally, and any pups they brought into the world would need safekeeping too. She nodded her understanding, filing these mental notes for later.

Meanwhile, she must focus all her faculties upon this spar. His muzzle dipped to safeguard his throat, thwarting her initial attack. He retaliated by leaping for hers, or at least that’s how it seemed to Towhee. Instead of dodging, she let the hit happen, his fangs scraping her chin.

She didn’t particularly appreciate the use of teeth, though Towhee didn’t say anything. Arsenio remained attached to mandible for a second and she imagined he felt the thrill of a successful hit. The Redhawk then yanked her muzzle away from his grip, only to lob it back at him, essentially trying to pistol whip his snout with her own.

The swift movement struck his snout and sent a spark of pain through his skull like electricity.

Arsenio barked a laugh, dipping his snout lower and shaking some of the tingling pain from his head. She had let him get his hold on her chin. The Greek thought it a good sign. Towhee did not shy away from the potential harm. She seemed to have weighed her odds and had retaliated with efficiency. The mercenary was tickled.

Two steps back, Arsenio had placed a small amount of space between their bodies. He angled his body so that his ribs showed to her. The mercenary did not wish for her to find his throat. He did what he could to keep his snout pointed down. It was the most tender way to steal the life from another beast – with how swiftly she had bopped him on the skull, he did not want to test how she might find his jugular.

The impact smarted, though hopefully it hurt him more… not that she was out to cause him pain. Each of them pranced a few steps backward as they took a few seconds to recover from the successful maneuver. That one did tend to come in handy to break someone’s grip, in spite of the headache that would come later.

Arsenio swiveled so that he stood perpendicularly, seemingly offering up more surface area in exchange for keeping his most vulnerable points out of reach. Of course, there was something nearly as tender as the throat now on ready display, though Towhee didn’t look at it. She wasn’t in the mood to bite a dick right now.

Instead, she sprang toward his toes. It was a total feint, as she leaped back again in nearly the same movement. But if he was a guardian, he should have quick reflexes. Towhee wanted to see if she could make Arsenio dance.

The woman was swift, springing toward him on adept paws and aiming her mark for his feet. Arsenio was reminded of the days training on Rhamnus Peak. It had been a long time since he had been able to flex his ability, to show the worth behind his hardened figure. It felt good to have someone to spar with, even if they did not know very much about each other.

Arsenio danced quickly, though he only took a single step back in hopes of avoiding her movement. He watched as her own feet pulled her into a feint. So, it was only a test of his instinct and swiftness. The redstone figure was pleased to find that she was judging him.

The next movement was to close the space between them again. Arsenio lunged forward, snout pointed down. The man’s aim was to have his skull crack against her chest, her shoulder, anywhere that he could plant it. Arsenio hoped that if he could make a bump to throw her steps out of place, he might be able to find a mark. The attempt to ram her was not done with the full force of his body, but if he were to land it, there would be a dull ringing in his skull.

He moved swiftly to dodge her. In theory, she might’ve enjoyed landing a hit, though in practice, she was glad Arsenio possessed quick reflexes. It boded well for the strength of Mereo.

Towhee was so busy darting hither and thither, she did not expect his counterattack. He headbutted her square in the chest. Without even thinking, she reflexively brought up her right forepaw to slap him hard in the face.

Whether or not she landed the hit, she hadn’t actually meant to do that. She felt a little bad, though it wasn’t like Towhee was going to apologize for having her own quick reflexes, other than to crow a playful, Whoops, sorry about that, twinkletoes!

Towhee’s smack found purchase in his face. Arsenio recoiled from the force of it, but it did not slow his efforts. Instead, the redstone mercenary laughed heartily at her response. She called him twinkletoes, which was something that didn’t ring through his mind right away.

The mercenary took a few steps back, trotting until he had placed several feet of space between himself and the woman with fiery eyes.

You ought to be sorry! My face is my most charming feature. We can’t have you tarnishing it… the man said to her with a toothy expression. His tongue fell from his mouth as he panted. Tamar might leave me if I cannot keep my looks, Towhee. For a moment, the Greek man had nearly slipped into calling her Finley. It would take him a few tries before he was able to move past the name she had offered when they first met.

Towhee felt like they were breaking the ice by breaking each other’s faces. She laughed at his playful retorts, resisting the urge to point out that she could’ve bitten off his dick a few minutes ago. She wondered if Tamar would be sadder about a busted face or a castration. Maybe one day she’d make those crass jokes with him, but they hadn’t quite hit that point of camaraderie despite today’s progress.

Personally, I’m grateful for the close shave you gave me, she bantered in reply, rubbing at her scored chin, my chin was a little too hairy for me but it’s perfect now. She made a tch noise with her tongue before only slightly more seriously adding, Let’s call it a day. I think I’ve got a good idea of your… constitution. She smirked, just a little.

The redstone wolf was grateful for a chance at a spar, but he was pleased enough to draw their match to an end. She had done well to work up his spirits and keep him on his toes. It felt good to test the stretch of his limbs and to try to avoid the snap of another warrior’s teeth. Arsenio felt that he had been slacking for too long – Akashingo might have made him soft.

Only a taste of my constitution, but you’ll have more in time, the Greek man said in response to her statement. He did not mind the slyness, the quips and retorts. It was something that was common among those who served together. Arsenio hoped that he might see a true battle with Towhee while serving underneath Mereo.

Would you like to fade and maybe have another? ^^