Moonspear I've become a simple souvenir of someone's kill

SPAR INVITATION

Having undergone nearly two months of training and conditioning on the tough slopes of the mountain, Bronco felt that it might be time to start putting himself to the test alongside his packmates, and to begin honing in his sparring skills. While he continued to patrol the borders, he'd become adjusted to that route so that it no longer exhausted him- so he would need a new past-time in order to keep himself gaining muscle and dexterity. 

The place he'd chosen was a bit of a bowl in the mountain's Northern side. A small clearing that sank into the earth perhaps three feet at most at its centre, like an ancient crater formed by some impact while the world itself was still forming. Above the clearing the trees stood in a solemn, towering ring but at noon the sun beamed straight down, creating a warm spotlight on the place Bronco had chosen. With the ground firm and the grass short, he fancied the bowl might make an excellent place to spar. At its widest point, it was something close to twenty metres in diameter; large enough for a couple wolves to brawl comfortable, with a bit of a lip around the edge for spectators. It was perfect. 

He uttered a low call, summoning a challenger to take him on, in the first of what he hoped would be a series of sparring matches.

For the last several weeks, she had been careful, but steady. It meant a lot of time alone for her, but she made her rounds, and covered a lot of mountainside. With the rains gone, everything seemed to lift and with it, she took her solace in that easy routine.. though she felt distant, and missing the sea in her free time, wondering about Praimfaya's situation in the rest--which all just felt like a lot, facing it alone. It was something she was having to consider again, more than wanted.

Today, that sunny morning's wanderings had inadvertently landed her close to Bronco's find. His call's proximity rose her fur, and she pivoted towards it to listen; the message was for a challenger, interestingly enough. She decided she was curious enough to go see more of what was going on--having nothing better to do, and feeling up to it, possibly.

She thought others might get there ahead of her.. it seemed certain Moonspearians could overlap easily, but she found the tawny Blackthorn by himself still, by a cratered out swath of land. Opalia approached, watching him more than the scene. She did not know very much about him, so it felt justified. Hei, she greeted, and tipped a respectable head his way. After squaring her paws, she took a deep breath. She was rusty at this. I heard you were looking for some help, she stated with a flick of her nose towards the bowl. She had an inkling about what he was scheming and a good sense that she might be able to contribute here.

To warm up his muscles and get himself prepared for whoever it was that showed up, Bronco paced around the outer edge of the bowl, pausing every now and again to do a few stretches to make sure that there would be less chance he might strain something during a spar. He made a little bet with himself too, wondering who might show up. Part of him figured that Antares might be the most likely to show up, as they'd discussed sparring before...But he was also a busy wolf, with strengths and interests in both hunting and guarding so perhaps he might've been busy. Osiris might have been a fun match, too- though from what Bronco knew, he also had a certain female guest visiting him who likely took up most of his time. So he figured the most likely wolf to show up might be either Atlas or Hydra.

So he was surprised when he looked up and saw a pale, blode figure approaching at for a very teensy, tiny moment- his heart stopped beating, as the golden hue of her fur triggered the image of his own mother, and made his blood run cold. But his moment of panic was over even before he had a chance for it to register as surprise on his face- because this was definitely not Niamh. No- this was Opalia, one of the wolves he'd met in passing, but did not know very personally. He was surprised that she might show up- while she was definitely fit, she was smaller than him both in height and in frame, and he'd pegged her for being a gentle, quiet wolf. Perhaps he'd leapt to that conclusion too quickly. 

His tail waved as she greeted him, and he bobbed his head in a casual, but friendly nod. Her phrasing made him wonder if perhaps she'd misinterpreted the message in his call, but at the same time...She'd gracefully stepped into a squared stance, which led him to believe that she'd likely be ready for any moves he decided to throw at her- if he hadn't warned her, first. "I found this place, an' figured it'd be a perfect sort of...Sparring ground," He said. He gestured for her to follow, and led the way down the slight decline toward the center of the crated. "Looks pretty good, huh? Not too much of a slope, but nice'n clear, space for spectators along the edges, good earth," He said, flexing his foot so that his claws could dig into the ground a bit. "What d'you think?" He asked, then, keen on getting her opinion.

Unaware of the inner horrors he faced sparked by sight of her pale furs, she only wanted to keep it simple.. if she could help it. She needed something good, and tangible, to keep herself busy with and it would all come easier--so that was what she told herself as her ears turned to his explanation, which once more, had her sights pulled to the crater-like space in silent appraisal. This time, she allowed a longer look at it to get at some of the finer points, then answered first with a slow nod. You're expecting an audience? she asked lightly, having caught that note in all of his details, but she turned with a soft chuff of a laugh. She was trying to loosen up. Sha. It's definitely promising, the gold gona decided on as she appreciated the space, and the thought set out behind it.

It had taken time, given her circumstances and distraction, but she knew the mountain had helped make her stronger over all these months--even despite what she had lost here, too. The thinner air, the constant hikes.. every waking moment. It was sure to be different from sparring down at the sea-level beaches so very long ago, and nothing like their little grove in the fen.. but she knew to be open to the opportunity of testing her footing at something a little different--and after a while, too.

They were still alone, so perhaps it would be up to them to christen the space. Best to test it out, to be sure.. she added, and a small tail sway too as she began her pivot, facing the bowl's heart. I may be a little out of practice, Opalia offered as she tilted her head over her shoulder, though her look was good-natured. But I wouldn't mind helping to break it in. Maybe he wouldn't know what to expect of her, and frankly, neither did she entirely of him. There was a lot of pent up everything lately, for months now.. so she invited the chance to let all of that go, and just think about a brawl with no repercussions, no inertia to hold her down.

Bronco blushed, chuckled, and bowed his head. Perhaps he should have thought more about the introduction he wanted to give this place, but he was quick to roll with her jousting words, and rolled one shoulder in a shrug. "I dunno, maybe someday we'll do spars where you havta fight with one foot lifted up, or...Put a buncha thornbush branches in here to make the footing trickier- make it worth having an audience," He chuckled, eyed glimmering with mischeif. "But truth be told- I could probably learn a lot just by watchin' how others spar...An' it might be handy for the kids too, havin' them watch how the adults spar," He said, ears perking a bit. After all, the youth were brought along to watch how hunts were done- why not do the same with spars? Her question had likely just been in jest- hypothetical- but Bronco found it helped to work out those extra little detals out loud, so he was grateful to have the chance to come up with yet another reason to use the small crater.

Still, she seemed game. Casucally, he nodded, and in dramatic seriousness he but a thoughtful look on his features. "Make sure it's safe for the others, hmm," He agreed, sounding like an overstuffed politician talking about something he had no idea about. The yearling turned a gaze as gentle as a lamb's to Opalia, and offered her a reassuring, kindly smile, his tail waving behind him. "We can go at whatever pace you'd like. We can spar to pin, or use the no-blood rule, or just see how you feel as we go," He said, always accomodating, especially toward pretty women. He stepped back and squared himself, dipping his head respectfully. "Ladies first," He invited, but not without a coyote-ish smile.

It was obvious he had put a good bit of thought into this. The answer had more depth than she had anticipated, but that was certainly fine. He was thinking about his packmates, and what all they could do with this find. Could be interesting, I agree. Lots to work with here.. she gestured vaguely, trying to envision what brambles would do down here as he suggested. We used to spar down at the beaches, in Drageda. Deeper sand, or rockier spots--for that bonus work, she detailed, revealing that she was keen on the subject more by the second. She had been young back then, but the lessons of the fight were valuable, and she once a hungry student with a barely-contained rage, eager to show off and progress. Different times now in retrospect, though those learnings had always been worth keeping close to her heart.

Before old homesickness could rear its head, Bronco was easy enough to focus on instead. Mhm. I guess it is up to us--safety first, after all.. Opalia chuffed as she stretched a foreleg, one first, then the other. A deep breath, and she moved closer a bit on light steps. To pin, or a concede. Whatever comes of it, she replied, looking him up and down, knowing well what it seemed; he was bigger up close, and she was out of solid practice. She still didn't need concrete rules, even without knowing what she was getting into. We can see how it goes, if that is fine.. she agreed to loose terms, and switched her tail at his smirk, barely concealing her own as she sprang away towards the center after awaiting his reply just long enough. Her bounding strides shortened and started to arc back towards him soon--because small, agile, she liked motion in her fights, especially against someone new. As soon as he was halfway situated here with her, she was going to set out to keep the paws going.

The gona had to wonder how he would wear his welcoming friendliness against her as an opponent. Hopefully she wouldn't have to coax it out of him, but she was already prepared to be a little underestimated given her stature. It helped her be less uneasy about knowing nothing of how he would play this out, anyway, so mostly she didn't mind.

The more Opalia spoke, the more he caught himself catching hints of what he thought might be a bit of an accent. There was an austere, discerning look to her eyes, as though she knew what to look for and he felt himself wondering if he should potentially have stuck to challenging the other yearlings to a spar, not someone who evidently had experience using a sparring arena with her former pack. And she hadn't even been on firm ground. "Woah, sand? That must've been intense," He said. While living on the mountain was giving him quite a leg workout, he could only imaging that fighting against loose sand would also be quite tiring. What he might've thought was exhausting, she called 'bonus work.' Yeah, okay, so maybe he'd picked someone who was much tougher than he'd thought. She was very, very pretty- and had that soft, plush gold to her pelt, and feminine hues to her eyes- but in the long run, it seemed she was some sort of sand viper. 

This could be interesting. 

He felt his nerves creep in as she began to stretch her legs out, though he patiently gave her time to do so. He felt relieved when she chose the limits of their spar, and he found himself wondering what other skills she might have been hiding...But he had to keep his head in the game. Maybe she was just doing all this talk to freak him out. 

An agile creature, she began to move and he circled opposite her, though he knew where his strengths were, and it wasn't going to be in chasing her around, or meeting every lunge she made. His best quality was his strength, and if he allowed himself to follow into her fast-paced movements, he'd tire himself out before he could get a hold on her. So he abruptly stopped and crouched, ready to move in a slinking turn on the haunches to keep her vision- but unwilling to follow her around. To lure her in, he turned paralell to her, hoping that the flash of his flank might bait her to draw closer, and make an attempt to lunge at him so he could finally get a hold of her.

Intense? Maybe. Sometimes, she replied, stilted, because she debated saying more then. Did he want to hear it? It was strange to think about and to her, maybe now wasn't the time--entirely. Not yet.

There had been moments when it had been intense, though she didn't think the terrain was entirely to blame. She had had a lot of pent up rage back then for someone who did have it good then. It almost felt weird to fondly remember those times.. way back when just Sequoia was her biggest nuisance, and her family, their Heda included, had been there too. Before her mother had died, before the packs had warred, then dissolved. Before everything had spun into one grief after the next. She blinked that away, focusing. Trying. The beaches had been a very different setting than this. Taking that in served as good grounding and soon enough, she had him answering her motions to think about too.

So with that in mind, he was soon to a stop. Didn't seem like he was taking the bait yet as he turned his whole sparkling self broadside, where she watched his haunches, still closing in but careful--not only fast, though it was tempting to not even think about it at all. Too soon, though, Opalia reminded herself. She was impatient enough to keep it going regardless and with a last hearty pounce, she faked half a lunge towards his shoulder before (if she was quick enough about it) she sprang in earnest towards his later half--thighs, best case, with a hearty click of her teeth. She had to mind herself somewhere in the middle of this all, keeping her own tail-end out of his range too. Too soon for that, too.. hopefully. Maybe that would get some moving going, if nothing else.

He could see the glitter of a scheme in her brilliant eyes, though whatever message those sparkling orbs might have been considering was hidden to him, as though it had been translated into morse code. He watched her body language, the angle of her hips and the bunching and clenching of her muscles for any indication of direction- but such a nimble creature as she was almost impossible to predict. As soon as he felt he had an idea of where her next pawstep might go, he found that she'd already taken two more. She drove him to focus in on her movements, though he felt clumsy and slow in her presence. 

She swooped toward him like a falcon diving through the air, and he side-stepped, opening his mouth to fend her away from his shoulders though he was slow to move his hips- the true aim of her lunge. He felt the smarting pain of teeth clipping through the fur and pinching the skin of his haunch, causing him to crouch and crow-hop in a clumsy attempt to withdraw from her reach but he was like a terrible tango partner, lulling a step or two behind the beat. Now that she was within his range, though, he too aimed to nip at her hindquarters- too rattled still by her agility to mount an honest counter-attack from her previous move, and a weak attempt at matching her skill. He felt nervous now, realizing he'd potentially underestimated his opponent in this match and that simply throwing his weight around might not win him the spar.

Oh--with a satisfying rush, her teeth did find purchase. Reasonably, he hopped away at that, which for now she decided to let him go. Her defensive shift came next (used to a good routine of give and get for sparring with her packmates), for even if he was kind of slow on it, he was coming back for her hips.

She knew, though, that because he was bigger, he could probably hit harder--or topple her easier, pin her down--something. So, in her perfect scheme, she should avoid that happening and keep out of his grasp entirely. Opalia was used to being smaller and honestly, in many ways, she could find solace in the bigger opponents. It was familiar to her and this was just another instance. Anyway, she tucked her rump down low and swung it out of reach at once, well, mostly out of the way; his nip still grazed her a touch. Not bothered enough by that pinch yet, she used her momentum to make space around the back of him.

This time from closer, she tried another similar route. She would go for his opposite side though, hopefully, and aimed for low on his flank with a reach of teeth that way.

Barely. He'd combed his teeth through the beautiful, flaxen fur along her hip but had done little other than to straighten a few of the tufts of fur out. Fortunately, she didn't bound off, which kept the two wolves still within striking distance of one another- which worked out better for Bronco. He knew if he was tempted into a dance that ultimately, he would tire himself out or slip up with clumsy footwork. 

She was swift to circle around him and dive in toward his vulnerable flank, but this he chose as an opportunity to sacrifice a bit of pain on his behalf, for want of being able to get in closer to Opalia and get a better hold on her. So his hind leg, near to her, was there to be grabbed- and in that grip he shifted, hoping to pul her in closer so that he could in turn make a grab for the fur above her hip.

From up close, she took what she could get. Seemed like that was going to be leg after a little shift between them, which that could cost him some maneuvering. After all, she doesn't really know his rhythm either. Maybe he barely knew his own, but this was still new, and she was just glad for any motion whatsoever. When she set her teeth into the grip on his rear leg, she tried to be gentle-ish but firm, though reflexes were hard to measure.

Next he had gravity on his side and with her held fast onto him (not that it seemed to slow him down much), he did get her hip this time--so she had to give him that much, said so with a subtle shift. That made her let go of him with a quiet hiss then. She distantly wondered if he'd see the old scars; she had a pretty good feeling he was getting close, but suddenly she wondered what he'd intended to do by getting her close enough to capture. She wasn't going to make whatever it was easy, hopefully, and would try to bend herself in half to bite back at him, biting him away by hazing the side of his neck or chest--not discriminating, though, until she got free or his next moves dictated something else.

With one hind leg compromised, he wasn't terribly stable on his feet, and couldn't exactly lunge or maneuver without potentially losing his balance. Opalia was close, but only close enough for him to nip at her hip more to prove the point that he was willing to give a bit of himself if it meant getting her to come closer...But on three legs? Not the best idea. Had it been a real fight, all she would've had to do would be to break through the bone in his leg, or jerk him sideways and make him fall onto his face. So far, it had mostly just been a spar to see who could get a nip in here or there- and now that they were a bit more comfortable, it seemed like it was time to engage a bit more. 

So when Opalia came at his shoulder, pinching the fur and skin there several times with her rapid snaps, Bronco lunged to meet her, forelegs outstretched and mouth agape, hoping to make a grab at her own shoulder and use his momentum and weight to push her sideways. She'd been standing with her body arched a moment ago- if he was quick enough, he thought he might have a chance at shaking her stance.

The situation was shifting, or progressing, rather. A little back and forth tended to do that. She trusted in her quickness, usually, and it made her nimble too in the best of instances. But it lacked brute strength. She tried to infuse it with fury, intent, when it needed it--and when she had to close that gap. Not that this was that, but she was ever-aware of how she had been before, and how she knew it could be.. if it went just right, maybe.

He came after her, limbs and teeth both. Mid-snap of her own, she tried to rein it in. Shift course, defensive if only for a heartbeat.. but he was a lot of force, and she didn't make it fast enough for anything ideal. Trying to dodge some of his force, she tried to get low, his jaws contacting further to the height of her shoulder-blade than below while she fumbled for better footing after being knocked around a bit, only to lose most of what she had in among his force. She accepted a little dirt, probably stirred a little of it up herself as she tried to scramble back together and not let him shove her over entirely.

From her lower vantage point, this time, she tried to aim for the bottom of his chest with her snaps as she arced back towards him once more. But in all of her rush and stay on her feet, it seemed... more aimed at his armpits, honestly--though any last second suggestions from him were sure to change this, even in mere instant, but she intended to keep this momentum going, good or bad.

He hadn't expected her to cower down out of his reach, so he landed somewhat roughly, scrambling for balance the same as she had, though she was a step ahead of him and had managed to position herself in such a way that she was able to seethe past his reach and nab him twice just behind his elbow where the flesh was sensitive. He barked out in a high pitched yelp twice, and skittered a couple paces sideways, like a sheep herded away by the clever nips of a collie. His expression showed surprise- even though she'd not been snapping at him with the full force of her jaws, it had still been quite painful. He'd have to remember that, for the future, if he needed to get someone to get out of his space quickly. 

He side-stepped in the wake of that unpleasant experience, eyeing her for a way in, while now being more mindful of the fact that she potentially knew other places that could be nipped and have as profound of an effect, before he straightened up, forgetting his crouched stance and calling at least a momentary halt to their spar. "Hold up a sec-" He said, stepping back. "Can you show me- like...Where else can you do that, like...Where else can you bite, even without a lotta force- that'll hurt as much as that did?" What he was asking for, was a demonstration of what pressure points could be found. Even if it meant he surrendered the match- he thought it might be more helpful, at least for him, to take a moment to learn these tactics before he suffered from more of them.

She wondered what, and who, he had rallied against before. Parts of him and his motions seemed experienced enough, others surprised by her, though here in the tangle of the moment, she couldn't say for sure on the finer details. She only sought to sort out what she could, and decide what he was going to do, how she would counter it, or how she would get her edge in next. Maybe it was all things together, her smaller size, her forwardness when it came to swinging teeth, and her determination to not let the little things knock her down, let alone keep her that way.

When he sidestepped her finally, after her making some progress that ended up bigger than expected, first instinct coiling in her was to launch back at him for the next move. But, he put a pause to it, catching her breath in her throat as she cancelled the motions to go after him again. He was uncoiling, and she eased off with a half-step back of her own to blink at him.

She had been caught up in the rush. Even if only a friendly match. She didn't feel so heavy at the moment but good that he was learning, and picking up things like that so easily.. Well. I don't.. know all of them, and I think some wolves.. are more sensitive to certain ones. she spoke between soft panting, still regrouping without trying to be obvious. Under the jaw, for me.. she said, tilting hers up to show the spot. My brother taught me that one the hard way once.. and your head is obvious, the sides really.. she took a deep breath, this was all so subjective! She felt like it wouldn't make sense until he felt it for himself. She only knew anything because of it herself. And, I think right inside your legs, where they meet you, front and back.. she angled out a foreleg to show off her "armpit" area with a nose-point to match; bites there stung pretty nasty on a whole new level that she did not care for one bit.

You masculine sorts have a really easy one too, I hear.. she eyed him with mischief then, pointing out his dangling bits unabashed. Okay, she only knew about that one best because she had her frequent sparring partners in a brother and a father who had quickly reinforced her against that type of ball-biting nonsense as a wee pup, and like a good citizen she kept to it for them. Though, there had been times when a low blow like that was awfully tempting. Anyway: I'm sure there's more.. to find, she concluded afterward, on a grin through her tongue-lolled expression.

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For a second, he realized that in having drawn back, he left himself vulnerable to another attack- should she decide to answer his question later, and finish the spar by surprising him. And she would have had every right to do so- he shouldn't have expected that it would be fair for him to call a time-out in the middle of a spar, but something about the way it had hurt when she'd hit a sensitive pressure point had made him realize that he hadn't been aware it had even existed. And before he forgot to ask- and also before he had to suffer the pain of enlightenment- he'd wanted to ask about it.

He was fascinated by this woman who had been a hidden gem all along. He had seen her in passing, but had always been drawn more toward others who were driven to seek out attention and companionship. Opalia was quieter than some of the others, but her mystique now gave away to reveal just how amazing she was. He listened, fascinated, as she proved herself to be more learned in the art of sparring and inflicting pain by explaining several other pressure points. He hadn't thought about the underside of his jaw, or how it might hurt to get hit hard enough in the temple. She'd nabbed him just behind the crook of his elbow, and that had been enough to tell him instantly that there was much he could learn from her.

“Eyyyyy,” He winced, tucking his tail, flattening his ears and retreating back a couple steps, intentionally making sure he had a couple more feet of space between them as she pointed out a particularly sensitive area that only males had. He chuckled, though there was a somewhat nervous crackle to his voice. He wouldn't have thought to go for another male's private parts- simply because it seemed uncouth, and far too painful. It made him wince to think about doing that to someone else. “I guess that's sort of a...Last ditch effort though, right?” He asked. How many wolves had been taught to go for the family jewels in order to win a fight? Was this something he'd have to be worried about, now? Was Opalia teaching other wolves to use that as a trick? He wasn't entirely certain he wanted to continue with his mastery if he had to worry about that.

There was something seductive yet terrifying about how casually she pointed out that there were pressure points yet to be found, and while he tried to keep his cool, it was probably quite apparent that he'd suddenly begun to see her differently. This woman was potentially very, very dangerous. He never would have expected it- and it was a lesson in learning not to judge others so quickly.

“We can, uh, continue, if you want. OR I'm totally happy to surrender this one, having interrupted our spar...” He said, with a sheepish shrug. Maybe he'd tossed the vibe out the window- he wasn't sure. But while she'd revealed one of her personal weaknesses to him, he wasn't sure he had it in him to make an attempt to go for it- knowing how painful it might be- nor was he entirely certain he trusted that Opalia wouldn't also use her knowledge of extremely sensitive parts against him, either.

For all of her chilly veneer, this was her way of saying she trusted him by imparting this type of knowledge. It was what Drageda had given her, and what she had dove into head first to experience more of, this knowledge to fight, be fierce and strong and protect their own at all costs. She had come to find it was not so different than what Hydra set out to foster among her mountain wolves. Probably why she could persist as such.

Her loyalty to the Moonspear banner probably didn't always look so obvious since she was so bad at actually mingling, and only decent at working beside them when she was focused. She still tried to blame in on her weird loneliness, while the rest of the world for all its sorrows whirled on around her. Nevertheless, now wasn't the time--she chuffed a soft laugh when Bronco put space between them when she threatened dingle-damage. It should be, for any halfway civilized beasts... she assured him. She was not a threat to it because although she couldn't sympathize totally with having such an obvious soft spot, she generally respected their likes--which Bronco was able to fall into this category. But see--now you're good and aware of it. Can't trust everyone, after all.. she snickered, though sobered her expression soon enough after.

It was tempting to keep going, but she concluded on a slow exhale. She got the feeling she had given him plenty to think about and maybe if she had not scared him off completely, he would let there be another one. We can pick it up next time. Are you hungry? She'd trade off the earnest conclusion for a quick snack instead.

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He liked the fact that Opalia also referred to those painful, pressure-point moves as something left for a means of escaping from a stronghold, but only when it was a matter of life or death. It didn't seem fair to inflict that sort of pain simply for torture, or to win a fight by choosing one and wrestling the other into submission. It was helpful to know, though, so that he could potentially use this as a quick and effective manner to force a trespasser into submission and avoid a long, drawn-out spar if he needed to get them to give in, quickly. These tactics could definitely help him both with his offense and his self-defense. Opalia certainly was an intriguing character.

“You're right about that,” He said, his laugh complimenting hers though his voice was considerably lighter and more airy. When she mentioned going to get a snack, he nodded, his posture relaxing so that his tail could swing from side to side with the steps he took. “Sure. I think I got a good chunk of elk meat stored away, I'd be happy to share that with you, Ms. Victorious,” He offered with a kind nod. He'd learned a good deal from the spar- and was glad that he'd found an excellent place to practice.