Northstar Vale (MERC 101) Bussin!

I’ve tagged everyone who signed up here but if you want your character to be involved, please feel free to join! I will make sure to put additional participants on the class roster.

This is dated for November 19.

@Jack Snipe @Leona @Zulema

She came across several serviceable locations for mercenary training but settled on a small field just east of Clandestine Stream. The crags blocked the rising sun, which would come in handy during warmer months. Now, the shade lent an extra chill to the morning air as Towhee jogged from one end of the field to the other, warming up in preparation.

When she felt as limber as she would get on a freezing November morning at her age, Towhee cleared her throat and howled to summon anyone interested in her inaugural mercenary training session.

No hesitation, no regrets, Jack Snipe was ready to take on his first mercenary lesson. The call from his mom sounded overhead. The boy did not want to be the last to arrive, of course. If he could help it, he wanted to beat Leona. Swift as he could, he ran to the stream and gazed across the way where his mother was.

Jack raced to close that distance. He skirted to a stop near Towhee’s paws and looked up at her with wide orange eyes. He panted breathlessly, but it looked like he had beat out the other kids. Smugness settled on his face. He trotted around in circles for a moment before he settled into a sitting position.

We gonna learn something good, mom? he asked her expectantly.

Leona had not gone out of her way to make friends, or put herself out there, after the family had arrived and gotten settled. She had been friendly but standoffish at the best of times, and when not in the company of her brother or mother, spent a lot of her time alone and in a foul mood; keeping her smile at the ready if anyone questioned her, of course, as she did not want to disappoint either her mother or father.

When the idea of training was proposed, Leona had finally brightened to her usual exuberant self. She was more than thrilled that Towhee would be hosting some classes - the time with warriors was what Leona missed the most, and pined for, even dreamt of when she managed any sleep in this new home. She saw Mereo in her dreams and always woke to a poor reception of the truth.

Her mother's call met her ears, and then the drumbeat of her steps carried her to where Jack was waiting. She nearly bowled in to him. Move over, pipsqueak! But she was only joking; reaching deftly for one of his ears and being a nuisance for all of two seconds, before standing straight like a soldier, and proudly looking to their mom.

Zulema ears immediately perked at the sound, raising her head from the stick she was gnawing on. The boredom that pricked at her encouraged her to pull herself up and hurry over, spitting out the small pieces of bark that remained in her mouth with a cringe.

She'd found the stream with ease, now familiar with the vale from her exciting night adventures with her brother. Zulema pushed through the brush poking her head out to the clearing. She took in a deep breath and shook off the nervousness that settled in her belly. While the red girl was not usually anxious, she wasn't entirely familiar with these wolves. In fact, she was rather obnoxious around her family.

❝Hi..❞ Zulema meekly spoke out as she approached the trio, sitting down a comfortable distance from the two siblings.

She wanted to learn what the woman had to teach, and perhaps this way her pack mates would no longer seem set apart from her.

No strict post order necessary, I’ll just start the next round once everyone posts. :)

She’d sort of hoped for a better turnout, though as soon as Towhee realized it would just be the three youngsters (for now, anyway), she felt herself loosen up a bit. This could be a bit more casual and fun than she had originally anticipated, which wasn’t a bad thing by any means.

I hope so, kiddo, she replied to Jack’s question, winking at him and then shooting a grin over to Leo. Means a lot that you’d show up for your madre. I appreciate the support, she said to them.

When young Zulema tentatively approached, Towhee waved a paw and said loudly, Hey, Zulema! Thanks for joining us. You can come closer.

She wondered if anyone else might appear, though she decided to go ahead and get started. She had a pretty good idea of an exercise they could do as a foursome that would teach the kids some skills but also be really fucking fun for all involved.

Mmkay, guys, it’s three against one! she shouted, clapping her paws together before assuming a defensive pose. Come at me!

Hey! YOU squeak!

Jack scrunched his face up into the nastiest pout he could manage when Leona nearly knocked him on his ass. She wanted to call him a pipsqueak! There was no way he was letting something like that slide. She must have been sleeping for the last few months because… news flash – Jack Snipe was the bomb diggity.

There was a red and tan girl who showed up, too. If Zulema hadn’t appeared, Jack might have attempted to scrap with his sister. Instead, he turned to the newcomer and bounced to his paws. The boy tried to make himself look as cool as possible before he croaked out a prepubescent, hey. Embarrassing.

Towhee started them swiftly, for the benefit of everyone involved. If she hadn’t gotten into it, Jack would have sent them on a twenty-minute tangent that probably would have exhausted the whole group. Instead, she presented them with a challenge that he couldn’t refuse.

All thoughts vanished from his mind. Jack lunged for her with snapping teeth, aiming nips at her feet as quickly as he could snap.

With Leo an NPC and this sitting for a month+, I’m gonna go ahead and wrap it for us! Thanks for participating and please feel free to reference subsequent classes in threads or behind the scenes. :)

Her son took her up first, nipping at her toes like his name was Jack Frost rather than Jack Snipe. Towhee let out a sharp laugh, though it cut off quickly as she focused on the incoming Leo aiming for her tail. It pleased her immensely to see her daughter “velociraptoring” her just like Towhee had taught her.

Dance, monkey, dance! the Theos found herself exclaiming with another burst of laughter as her twosome gave her a run for her money.

If Zulema chose to jump into the fray, Towhee knew she was going down. And she couldn’t be prouder. It was the perfect way to kick start the first of many spars to come. And it would set the tone for training in Epoch versus training in Mereo, where much of their skills would be honed through one of life’s most important past times: play.