Ankyra Sound She cleaned me out and hit in on the sly

"@Svalinn wait!" Raleska's impatient cry called over the keening wind, followed by the sharp-faced girl's appearance cresting the dune above. She had not seen much of her sibling recently, though in truth it was her fault more than his. Following Eurycrates' death the girl had transformed into something wizened and resentful, and had patrolled the borders and beyond with a newfound fury.

"I heard you lost to the new guy," She teased, bounding down the slope with a rather insolent smile attached to her features. "So I'm here to teach you how to fight." She lowered herself to the ground with a fierce growl, arching her back in a playbow as she awaited Svalinn to seize the bait.

do you mind a rescue?  If you do can be a cameo

The sound of Raleska's voice lit on Rosalyn's ears as she passed slowly by, and she paused to watch from a short distance away as she attempted to spar with her brother.  She hadn't seen her since the meeting with that Drageda wolf, and wondered how welcome her company would be.

She felt a fond sort of kinship towards the girl, though.  She reminded her of herself when she was young, wanting to take on and surmount anything and everything life threw.  She wondered now if she had the skill to back that.  She'd never seen Caiaphas' children fight.

YAY THANK YOU <3  pretty boi Svalinn I will make you a new one whenever you want!

Welp, Svalinn did not wait. The little fricker had already disappeared down the dune, and Raleska's hook and bait meant to drag him back to her sank without so much as a flounder.

She huffed, ready to find a different target, just in time to see Rosalyn peel into her view. Noticing she was being watched, the girl cast one last insolent look at Svalinn's retreating back and then slithered right up to Rosalyn, energetic as an eel. "Hi." She said somewhat bashfully, having found like Rosalyn, a kindred respect between them. "How is your leg?"

Apparently their talk after had done the trick of keeping her in Raleska's good graces.  Good.

Better. She said, though it was still held aloft.  It no longer pained her unless she tried to walk on it at least, and hopefully it would be healed up sooner now that she'd decided to stick to short walks.  Though I suppose not quite enough for a spar yet.  She was disappointed by that fact, as she would have stood in for Svalinn gladly on any other day.  It had been too long since she sparred and, as recent events had shown, she could use the practice too.  You were looking for one, yes?

Rosalyn still kept her leg held out in front of her, and Raleska didn't blame her. While the leg had healed over well, she could still see traces of swelling and a knot of skin where the leg had been mangled - it would likely be some time before the bone set completely.

She didn't know enough about their own bodies to estimate a timeframe, but she had noticed Rosalyn looked better by the day. Hopefully, she would heal completely soon - and hopefully, they'd never have to deal with Drageda again.

This time if they did, Raleska would be ready - and no one, not even Rosalyn, could hold her back.

She had been lost in her own vengeful thoughts, and Rosalyn's question drew her back rather sharply. Glancing at the older woman with a look of skepticism, Raleska wondered if she was going to volunteer a spar - what about her leg? "Yeah, I was.. Svalinn got beat up a few weeks ago. He obviously could use practice." She smiled a smug smile, an ear flicked to the side in arrogance. "but I guess he's too good for us." She turned her gaze pointedly to Svalinn, who hadn't waited for her at all. So rude!

Is that right? She watched his retreating form as it disappeared.  She believed it - though she had little doubt Raleska could use it as well if she was so keen on picking fights with strangers.

Too bad.  Have you practiced a lot?  Was Caiaphas a part of her children's training, or did she leave them to fight amongst themselves?  Siblings were fine, but there were skills that took experience to learn.  It didn't seem like the Rusalka pack had many of the mentoring sort either.

It was a shame Svalinn didn't turn around to meet Raleska's challenge - she could have showed Rosalyn right and there she was well-practiced as she believed (and also maybe COMPLETELY full of hot hair). Puffing out her slender chest, the girl turned her gaze back to Rosalyn with a proud nod. "Yup. Svalinn, Illidan and I, so that we will be ready when Drageda strikes again."  Her voice took on a hardened edge as she glanced briefly to the stone-studded cliffs.

"I won't let anyone die this time."

Rosalyn watched her silently, contemplating.  This entire pack was on a razor's edge... their focus was the cliffs.  Her conversation with Illidan surfaced, and she gave a light shake of her head.  Something told her the headstrong young wolf before her wouldn't hear the words.

No one will. she agreed, mostly because she hoped the other part stood true.  If they attack us indeed.  What a pack like Drageda would gain by crushing the sound out of spite she didn't know - she'd worried if they found out her presence maybe, out of pride.  But not spite.

What have you learned?  She asked, curious how the three trained.  She couldn't do much with a bum leg, but maybe pointers?

What had she learned? Raleska rested on her haunches, her features scrunched as she recalled every lesson, every tussle her mother had imparted. There were many - mostly she watched Caiaphas and Svalinn, then sometimes Caiaphas watched the two of them -- now that Illidan was in the picture, they were often all encouraged to spar any time they could.

"Well my mom says not to fight fair too. She says two is better than one." She remembered how Caiaphas had taught Illidan that fighting dirty was often synonymous with winning. "And that sometimes it's better not to make the first move." She frowned, recalling why that was the case -- stalling out the enemy often made them rush or become foolhardy in their approach. "My mom says sometimes flinging sand into their face before the fight, giving them something to react to so they never see the real hit coming, that kind of stuff. But also, knowing who you fight. Like Svalinn is stronger than me so I have to stay away from getting too close or he could pin me. And Illidan has a lot more endurance, so waiting things out doesn't work for him."

Seems Caiaphas had taught her children a few of the more useful methods.  Two was better than one, if you had two. Dirty fighting was definitely choice, if you had the option also.  There were times it wasn't possible - in a rank challenge, with others watching, respect could be lost.  But in a fight for a life it was the only way wolves their stature survived.

Sounds like she's set you off to a good start, she said when Raleska finished, the approval in her voice only begrudging in her own head.  It wasn't fair to the children for Rosalyn to hope Caiaphas was a terrible mother, but in part it would have made her own worries less to find this out.

If you can, watching an enemy fight before trying is a good way to set up a quick win.  It was too bad this was a hard thing to achieve sometimes.  And what if you are alone, against a more powerful enemy? She thought of the bear, and was curious.  Had Caiaphas taught her children one of the most important lessons a wolf could learn?

Raleska was proud of how easily she had recalled her mother's teachings, but Rosalyn's last question had her stumped. One ear pulled back as she considered the question - it seemed too simple to have a simple answer, and she wondered if it was a trick question meant to make her think.

"What do you mean?" She asked, trying to envision what she would do if she had to fight someone -- maybe someone big like Vaati or Firefly. Trip them? Throw sand in their eyes? Give them a good old swift kick to the family jewels?

The answer was so simple, so under her nose -- run, just like Caiaphas and Kierkegaard had, the day the bear came to the Sound.

She watched her think about it with approval.  A stupid wolf would have immediately sprung back with 'fight' or similar.  Raleska at least considered her options and asked for clarification.

You are alone.  An enemy comes that is powerful, and it wants to fight you.  You don't think you can win, not without risking major injury.  What do you do?

The answer wasn't entirely straightforward, but it was fairly.  Run was the most acceptable, but there were some good follow ups.  What was at stake? What was to be gained? Did the enemy have something she wanted, and could a brief fight gain a chance to get it? 

But she paused, waiting to see what Raleska's answer would be.  Surely with the spirit of the rest of her lessons, Caiaphas had taught this one as well?

Raleska's features looked doubtful as Rosalyn enunciated her question further. To the dark-headed girl, there were too many variables to give a straightforward answer. She jutted her chin, considering carefully.

"Why are we fighting?" She asked first, wondering what things she would be willing to put her life down for. Her home? Probably. Her family? Definitely.. but for all the other things in the world souls were apt to squabble over, she was not sure she would be so willing to fight to the death. "Like, is he coming to take something from me, or hurt me? Because, I guess my answer depends.. If there wasn't much at stake.. or maybe not much that was valuable to me, I guess I'd run.." She glanced to Rosalyn, wondering if that had been the answer she had been looking for. "Why, what would you do -- what are you supposed to do?"

we can wrap this little guy up and have another in the future!  I love them

Rosalyn nodded approvingly, enjoying that she'd not only answered, but turned the question back.  For a pirate, there is no reason to fight a lost cause, unless you are a Captain.  Then you fight at least for your crew to be safe, if you are worth your salt.  She thought of the bear on the beach.  A captain goes down with her ship.

Anything else, you have to trust the ones you are with can take care of themselves too.  I haven't changed much in that.  There was only one thing that had begun to alter her own views, and that was her wife.  Erzulie was wont to stand and fight, and when she did, generally Rosalyn would break her rule alongside her. 

So I would run, she finished, with a small smile.  Warrior and crew weren't interchangeable - the challenge for Rosalyn's brand of piracy wasn't the fight, but the thrill of escape and enjoying the spoils.  How could you enjoy those if you died in the process?  It was comraderie, but ties of enjoyment and trust rather than loyalty until death.  This was a pack of warriors, not pirates.

How about we see if we can find Illidan?  She would like to see how Raleska fought, and she was bored sitting here.  They could keep talking as they went.

ofc! i love them too. they're great, you're great <3 i'll wrap up and start a new one soon!

Raleska would have had issue with the adage "a captain goes down with their ship", perhaps because she hadn't yet understood the political warfare that was leadership, nor the gravitas such a deportment commanded. Knowing that Rosalyn would have run as well made Raleska slightly less dubious of her original answer. Truthfully, knowing Rosalyn approved of her answer was enough to set a slight spryness to Raleska's step.

Suggesting they find Illidan prompted a mute nod from the girl; she was determined to show Rosalyn just how much she had worked to be a good fighter; adopting the panther-like slink she had seen her father employ, Raleska stalked after Rosalyn ready to grieve Illidan into ruin.