Redsand Canyon Feel the bass, racing across the desert night

The tag is an invitation, not an obligation. This is open to anybody.

“It would require you to go far afield and gather information on locales that we have not yet seen.”

As Atreus padded toward the sparring pit, he contemplated the Imperator’s words. He wondered if he could take it a step further: what if he infiltrated other packs, learning all their insider secrets, and reported back to Germanicus? Would that path have any merit, he wondered?

But Germanicus had already given him a few tasks, including continuing his training. He arrived at the arena and looked around, wondering who might show up today for some practice. He wondered if Glaukos would come; the quiet giant always gave Atreus a run for his money.

He wasn’t really in the mood to get his ass kicked today, though. He leafed through a mental catalog of Mereo’s other members and suddenly found himself hoping @Killdeer might turn up here. He didn’t know much about the other guy but had watched him at work a few days back. He would probably still lose but they seemed a bit more evenly matched.

Paeon had just entered Mereo and started to get a hang of the commonly visited areas only to hear the other day that the pack would be migrating. It didn't sound like it would be all that far. Just south within the Canyon. But it was still annoying she would have to learn everything all over again. Luckily she wouldn't be the only person learning this time around.

She wasn't afraid of change or disliked it as a concept in general, but since leaving home these past few weeks had felt the most chaotic. Blowing off some steam would allow her to focus on something else for a while.

As she approached the sparring arena she found a brown, black, and white young male. Perhaps just a hair before his growth spurt they were roughly the same size. "Hey there Kid. Whatcha doin?" she asked walking up to him with a smile on her face.

He stood there a few more minutes, then began to walk the perimeter of the arena. He wondered if it would see much use in the coming days, though before Atreus’s mind could wander much further, someone turned up at the edge of the dirt circle.

His eyes immediately narrowed when he didn’t recognize her. He doubted she was a trespasser, this deep in the canyon, yet the lack of familiarity made him slightly uneasy all the same. He shifted to face her properly, giving her the elevator eyes without even being aware.

Nothing, yet, Atreus answered her question. I was waiting for somebody to show up for sparring practice. He paused. Is that why you came here?

Hope you two don't mind an extra joiner!

Alstroemeria had been short on ideas of how to fill her day. The cache was full, Germanicus and Fennec were busy tending to whatever the new changes brought.

But what of Atreus, her supposed trainee?

Speaking of which-..

Just ahead — there he was! And with Paeon! What could be a better coincidence?

Did I hear something of a spar? She questioned with a hint of humor, loping closer to the pair. Perhaps if they chose to spar here, she could offer some insight on where improvement may have been needed.

So this young wolf was seeking out a sparing partner as well. She supposed growing up in a pack such as this, he would be versed in the art of sparing from an early age. The look on his face read a level of wariness. Paeon never thought of herself as one that would appear intimidating, so that lack of familiarity must be the cause. "Sure is!" she replied when asked about her desire to spar.

"It's good to meet ya. I'm Paeon. New here. Wh..." she was about to ask the boy his name when Alstoemeria arrived. She perked up at the sight of a familiar face. It was a feeling she hadn't had in a while. Her arriving comment also made it sound as though she were interested in sparing. Introducing herself to a new pack member through a spar, or going up against the seemingly well-versed Alstoemeria... it was a hard decision, but she knew one thing for certain. "I call first round!"

Her enthusiastic reply and introduction immediately reminded him of Tierra. He wondered if they’d met, though Atreus set that thought aside just in time for a second opponent to appear. By now, he was rather familiar with Alstroemeria. He dipped his head to acknowledge her and her words.

“I call first round!” cried Paeon.

Atreus blinked, then glanced over at the rugged Discens. Would she mind refereeing? Or should he step back and let the two ladies fight, maybe learn something through observation? Perhaps he would leave that choice up to Alstroemeria, his eyes lingering questioningly on her face.

"I call first round!" Paeon demanded. But Alstroemeria wasn't quite in the mood to participate. Remaining on the sidelines would suffice.

I will just be watching. When you've finished, or as you progress, I can offer input and suggestions. But only if you request it. She would not spew words that they were not willing to hear.

Preparing for them to soon begin, she picked a spot a few paces away and settled semi comfortably over her haunches.

Sweet! Ali would sit out meaning there would be no fighting over who went first. You never know with new individuals how much they are going to respect the rule of dibs. Moreover, she would provide feedback.

"Alright!" Paeon explained and then galloped over to the opposing side her opponent. She left enough space between them so they could have a proper start. It wasn't often that Paeon sparred with someone her own size, most were taller or larger. She also wondered if she should hold back given the kid's age. Winning was certainly the goal, but overkill wasn't sportsmanly. Or was his background enough to make them an even match? She couldn't decide just yet.

With a quick stretch, she readied herself and took a fighting stance. "How shall we start?" she asked openly. Who would go first? Were there special rules? 

Are you open to traditional roll structure?

Sorry, I’m very bad at math and prefer not to use complicated dice rolls (simple ones are fine). Or we can totally just say Atreus loses because that’s the likely outcome, lol. :)

Alstroemeria picked up on the unspoken question and opted to sit on the sidelines. She offered to provide feedback if they wanted. Atreus glanced at Paeon, who cheerfully agreed.

Alright, he echoed much more neutrally, seeing as he could take all the constructive criticism he could get.

His eyes tracked his opponent’s movements as she darted to the far side of the ring. As soon as Paeon got into position, she asked how they should start. In Atreus’s experience, one of the partners declared the start. But they had a referee at their disposal, didn’t they?

Will you call it? he said to Alstroemeria, then assumed his own battle-ready stance.

This has been sitting for a month, so I thought I would ask: did you still want to continue this, @Alstroemeria and @Paeon? If not, I can edit in a conclusion for us. :)

oh, my! i'm so sorry guys... i totally forgot this was in existence! here's a quick reply from me. after this, consider her a spectator (non reply) until she calls the fight's end.

"Will you call it?"

Alstroemeria offered a brief, affirmative nod in response.

Go ahead. But be mindful of one another— no serious injuries. She coddled a bit, yes— but in her lifetime, bloodshed had been too often of an occurrance. Here, with her now packmates, she didn't wish to see more.

No worries! But since this thread is outdated and I really need to pare down my logs, I’m gonna narrate a quick conclusion for us and archive it. :)

Alstroemeria concurred, reminding the two combatants of the most important ground rule: don’t actually do damage to one another. Atreus bobbed his head in understanding, taking a deep breath.

When the proverbial whistle sounded, he threw himself into the match. Paeon was a spirited opponent, which fit her earlier enthusiasm. Her moves were as punchy as her exclamatory remarks. Although Atreus hated to lose yet again, he still managed to enjoy himself and, of course, learn a thing or two.