Redhawk Caldera Let us ride, let us ride home again with a story to tell

The fact that the stranger he so recently expelled from the caldera was once again among them wasn't lost on Gannet, and at first it was cause for concern.  Yet apparently he was joining them, and so was one of the pack.  If his mom allowed this, then Gannet had no further concern.  He trusted her completely.

And now instead of aggressive, he was intrigued.  He had so seemingly easily been shoved to the dirt the other night, and something in Gannet knew he should learn from those older.  Peregrine was gone.  He would have liked to have learned from his dad, but since that was no longer possible, Gannet found himself looking for @Kaizer.  After all, who better to gain a lesson from than someone who had so recently trounced him?

While Gannet was looking for him, Kaizer was looking for Fox, ready to keep trying his luck. He was feeling quite plucky, his bright mood falling upon the black-footed youngster, as they crossed paths again. The grey-coated wolf eased to a stop, lifting his tail to wave invitingly as he noticed the silver-eyed boy there. He didn't see wolves as a constant stream of memories, instead treating each time as an opportunity to form a different dynamic of their relationship. The two had already explored a less favorable side, and it would be up to present company to either continue that particular cycle or change it up as he saw fit. Kaizer was flexible in this way.

His expression remained neutral, but his blue eyes were lively and imploring, having clearly impressed him before— friends?

When he found him, Gannet paused to appraise him momentarily.  Just because he didn't hold an issue with Kaizer didn't mean the feeling was mutual.

Turns out it was.  When the other's body language indicated friendship, Gannet's tail gave a wag, and with a small smile he bent down into a bow.  His eyes returned the question with one of his own - again? Though this time the match would be decidedly lower stakes.

The boy turned out to be as impartial to the events before as he was himself, and Kaizer immediately took favor over the black-footed adolescent, immediately wishing to bond with him. Instinctively, silver eyes seemed to pick up on Bluesummer’s mood, and he dropped into an inviting play-bow that drew the wolf bounding forward – his gait playful and his accompanying growl mock-serious. Show me what you got!

Huzzah! An answer!  With body language that clearly said 'bring it', Kaizer accepted his challenge, and Gannet immediately galloped forward and attempted to grapple the older wolf with a paw about his neck.  He had little experience with anything aside from play and therefore made no attempt to hide his intentions.  Not yet at least.  The move was one he'd often pulled on his father, and there was a nostalgic pang to this fight that he ignored for now, enjoying the bonding and the chance to learn something new.

A feeling of happy comoraderie overcame Kaizer as he dove into the boy's embrace, letting long, pale limbs wrap about his neck in a show of complete trust and solidarity. His body vibrated with rambunctious growls, twisting against the young Redhawk as he sought to gnaw playfully at one of his draping forelimbs. They wrestled for a bit, Bluesummer allowing himself to be grounded as he noisily fended off his playmate. At some point, while pushing back the young male's face with a bossy forepaw, he grunted: "don't always go for the neck. It's closest to the teeth and easiest to defend." Because even in play, the older wolf's instinct was to better his packmates.

Kaizer wrestled with him willingly, and Gannet returned the enthusiasm, thrilled when he managed to (too easily) wrestle the adult to the ground.  He sensed instinctually he was going easy on him, but this was play, so the fun wasn't lessened.  He was almost able to forget why he'd initially approached, lost in the youthful fun.

Until Kaizer dropped a tip, and Gannet paused, looking at him and nodding.  Yes.  He'd wanted to get better.  He took a step back, eyeing the experienced fighter curiously.  "Where then?" He asked, wondering what the best alternative was.

As the boy stepped back, taking in the advice with interest instead of derision, Kaizer got to his feet and shook his coat. "Start at the back," he said as he demonstrated, trotting around Gannet and lowering his head to nose his hocks. "If you bite here, you can cause a lot of pain— even cripple your opponent if you're ruthless about it." Leg tendons were fragile things after all. "You want to injure them without getting too hurt yourself, and only then should you go for the neck," he continued, coming to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the fledgling defender. "You need them to be weaker than you, before you go in for the good stuff." It was the most he'd remembered speaking in months, but he enjoyed it, he found— instruction just felt to be his kind of thing.

"But the best thing you should remember is," he aimed a playful nip at Gannet's shoulder and then leaped sideways, putting several feet between them; "strike, and get out of the way of their attack." He tried the move again, more forcefully this time. "Strike and dodge, strike and dodge!"