Come in Peace

@Njal Though she hoped not to leave in pieces as some victim of a plot willingly walked into. Ever since her encounter with the gruff male on the mountain, his words had swayed her to truly consider his offer. Prior to the mountain, she had dismissed him as a cruel thing, not worth the second thought given how nastily he prodded at her, or so she exaggerated. It was more a wound dealt to her pride than her body, causing the female to cling to the mountains where she knew her weight and dexterity were used as an advantage. She fled from the land, lest another of his ilk came and harassed her in a similar manner. She had felt bullied then and had retained that fear. Though their second encounter had indeed given her a reason to relinquish her petty reservations and start again. It was days since they had spoken, a long enough time to allow her to reconsider and silently accept, but with some apprehension given how far away she would be from the Vale. It was not the security of the Vale she feared for, but the disposition of the demon in knowing his ward had slipped his sight. Would he be enraged with her? Would he seek her out when her scent was not on the Vale for hours? Perhaps a day? Such thoughts gave her pause in her walk toward the known lake but were not strong enough to detour her. She was doing this not only for herself but him as well. For the whole of the Vale if it meant her grace could be seen not only on the mountains but the flatlands as well. The familiar trickle of the lakeside beckoned to her, announcing that she had reached her destination. He had told her that he resided among the river wolves, but still she was reluctant to tread so close to another’s lands. Thoughts of the insufferable prodding still make her wary if not hesitant to advance. Perhaps he would find her here, she hoped as she lifted her muzzle to the sky in coarse song of her patience in waiting for a pale river wolf. She would wait as long as need be until sense better became her.

Since his excursion across the mountains, Njal had been swift to return home. His lust to search out whatever it was that he missed so desperately - the thing that continued to evade him, even in concept - had left him as soon as he had encountered the golden woman. He had given her his word, he had invited her to his home, and that meant he should at the very least be there if she chose to show up. Njal had returned home and busied himself; adjusting to the borders in a proper manner, with extra patrols. The man was tired a lot more often now due to the additional work, but it was invigorating. It gave him something to do, which he needed desperately. Something to keep his mind off of his thoughts, and keep them rooted to this place that was supposed to be his home.

It was during a routine patrol that a scent caught upon the wind, and was brought to Njal's attention. It was familiar in that it was mountainous, but there was something even more familiar than that. While searching along the border of the territory he caught her call upon the wind - the golden woman, there was no doubt about it. The man picked up speed and reached her position, and when the woman noticed him, he gave a small nod. There was a sense of glee in him that was betrayed in the subtle twitching of his tail; he had half expected her to ignore the invitation entirely.

"Hello," He greeted with a tinge of warmth. "I am glad to see you." Njal commented next, albeit a little awkwardly. What was he supposed to say? Hi there, lets have a friendly brawl? With a small shrug and a toss of his head, he invited her across the border's edge; the entire territory was flat land, clear of debris and provided ample room for a spar. But he wanted to do it where others would not bother them. It was in this moment that Njal wondered if Lethe would mind - maybe what he was doing was wrong, as this was not one of their wolves. He ignored his doubts for the time being, but kept his senses alert in case someone intervened.

As fate would have it -or how that devilish creature had constructed it- she needn't wait too long before her foreign host he arrived. She had only just began to fall to the serenity of the lakeside song before the crunch of snow underpaw drew her attention to the north, and inevitably to the male she was meant to call instructor. "Njal," she dipped her muzzle cordially then let it humbly linger for a moment before returning upright. She was not accustomed to bowing, yet time in the Vale had resurfaced that instinctual exhibition of respect. And a habit once re-learned was not easy to unlearn. She could not claim to be as happy as him for her arrival. Afterall, she was still very much wary of his intentions, however benign they appeared to be. But she did not hold her suspicions for too long as he beckoned for her to walk with him across the border. If anything, it showed that there was sincerity in his actions, and perhaps this venture would indeed be worthwhile. As well as benefit her and the Vale.

No wolf would ever willfully pass over the border of another pack; this was a rule that Njal staunchly adhered to, and believed that others would abide by. His invitation did not hang in wait for acceptance, for the woman took to striding quickly. She caught up to him, and they walked together for a short span of time. It was easy to spot others upon the plains, and easier still to notice when that other was not supposed to be there. Njal hoped, perhaps with a sense of naivety, that his company would not be faulted for their venture here. That by being nearby he would protect her from any backlash, if anyone did find them. It was something that made him err on the side of caution; he led the golden woman in to the territory but not by far. Their trail followed a simple trail until they were in a location that Njal believed would not be so frequently visited.

It was then that he paused in his stride, and turned to regard the woman. He took stock of her figure; this was not a lewd act in any way, but a constructive one. With a keen eye he traced the curve of muscle that sat naturally upon her haunch, her shoulder, and made mental notes. "We will begin when you are ready," He finally said, with a little nod. The man took a few steps away from her and his body arched, turning in a pirouette so that he could face her head-on and square his body. With a slow shift of his paws, Njal placed them in deliberate locations beneath himself; not too wide a stance, not too narrow, and then with a raised brow he prompted her to imitate him.

Caution would have better suited her instead of the ease that came with crossing into another’s territory. She was very much suspicious that any moment another of the river wolves would appear in ambush, but even as she mentally entertained the idea she felt herself growing more tense and mental ill with the assumptions. She had come this far, crossed the land deep enough. Perhaps what was needed now was not further suspicion but an open mind. Afterall, he had proven his intentions true thus far. When well beyond the borders, her lead paused and addressed her silently. She was still as his eyes roamed the curvature of her form, noting with a studious frown, her bulk, and perhaps deciding his plan of action. He would find that she was not a small thing by any means. There was plenty to work with, but also a chore to mold. Fat had settled in places were muscles was better suited, making her gait awkward and stiff when on the flatter lands. Even standing was with some difficulty, though she hadn’t the heart to admit that even to herself. Her ears perked forward when he called for her attention, and she watched as his body adjusted itself purposefully. Quietly, she shifted her own stature to mirror him, her brows knitted in concentration as she tried not to ‘see’ but feel her positioning out. Her legs squared and head lowered yet her body was poised more forward as if on an subtle slope, ready to follow the pull of gravity and adjust accordingly; no different than she would have been on the mountain.

She was a larger breed of wolf, and due to this, Njal expected her burly weight to level out in a disproportionate array when she stood at attention; however, he was surprised to see how naturally the woman fell in to the stance. How her body, imbibed with more fatty tissues than muscle, was almost eager to perform, and they hadn't even started working out the kinks yet. He saw potential within her - that same potential that had sparked curiosity during their initial meeting, now flourishing before him, kinetic. Njal let out a pleased chuff as he lowered his head, making it level with his shoulders. "Good. Now, hit me." He instructed. The corners of his mouth curled ever so slightly, and his chin ducked down to protect his throat. Now was the first test. He would be ready for whatever action she brought forth, and would do his best to defend against it. Njal would not give her boundaries — if she were to learn to fight, she would do it properly. Fighting meant teeth and claw and the potential for bloodshed; although he doubted it would come to that, Njal wasn't afraid of a few superficial wounds. Limbs bowed slightly at the joints as his block-shaped figure prepared to move and potentially, to retaliate.

Without the sloped pull of gravity to ease her weight, she was made to hold herself up by the support of her own legs. It was one thing to hold one’s self by standing level, but another thing entirely to keep a bent form and at the same time prepare to move. It was a strain, but one she intended to acknowledge and adapt to. If she was going to learn this properly, she would not fall away simply because of the pain it brought to her joints. She would adapt. Surprised to hear his subtle expression of approval, she felt a bit more inspired, if not inclined to see this lesson further in. Eventually they would come to blows, as he initiated, but apprehension kept her from running at him on the instant of a word. She knew she was slow. She knew she was heavy. This was not the mountain where gravity was at her advantage to move her swiftly. This was the earth. Her mind began to race as she thought only of the failure of her execution, and began to doubt that her blows let alone attempts would succeed at all. She was simply too slow. Breathing shallowly, she tried to stifle her insecurity, shifting a forepaw on the earth as she prepared for advance. She gave herself only another moment before she darted forward, one heavy paw over the other as she ‘quickly’ shifted her path to take him from the right side. Her jaws parted and neck extended as she sought to snap at the upper section of his right shoulder.

She was apprehensive, but he was a patient man. Njal studied her in those first moments between thought and action. He watched the concern slide across her face, and the way her body tensed and relaxed, growing rigid before she advanced upon him. The woman was slow, there was no ignoring that. Her bulk became more apparent as he watched her. Njal noticed that the muscles he boasted did not sit properly upon her own body - instead there was soft tissue, mass that sat without tone and instead jiggled a little as she came forward. If she was to be any good at fighting, even decent, she would have to work that extra fat off.

Then, her attack. She was just as apprehensive with this motion as with any other; nervous perhaps for his retaliation, or thinking more about her own failure in the attempt. Njal couldn't know what caused her to be this way. While she reached, he ducked away and whacked with his snout against her chin - bringing her teeth to a close. The man took a few careful steps in a semi-circle so that he was facing her, while her own momentum carried her figure away from him.

It hadn't been a very successful attempt on her part, but there was lots of time to improve. "Again." He commanded, while squaring his body off once more.

It would have been foolish of her to expect instant success, but she could not stifling the dejection at having her attempt thwarted so easily. As her muzzle was snapped shut, she shared with the male a rather stunned look as she lumbered quite oddly to bring her heavy self to a pause. Her body shifted uncomfortably as her weight eventually settled and she once against faced him, squaring her body at the ready. Suffice it to say, she felt rather foolish, but tried however silently to remind herself that she had taken him on his offer in the course of improvement. There was bound to be some faults and embarrassments. She huffed soundly as she turned to face him outright, lowering her head between her shoulders and poising her body forward again as she prepared. Her brows lowered in concentration, then would lift as she charged forward feeling the cold wind against her face. Again she sought his right side, though with a lower tilt of her muzzle to discourage his scolding mark should he try for her muzzle again. Her steps remained heavy, too sound to be discrete. But there was determination in her stampede even if her body was not yet able to harness it properly.

He watched as the burly mass of the woman came towards him a second time. With no intention of rebuttal Njal kept his head level with his shoulders, twisting his ears up and towards her so that he could listen to the beat of her steps. There was a clumsy staccato to the rhythm; one more thing that needed work. She adjusted her angle of attack though, which curved her face away from him just enough to prevent the man from striking up the way he had before. This was good. Her stampeding motion was loud but uneven - showing the same lack of finesse which only made her seem unsure all over again. Untrained. Weak. Njal waited until the last possible moment before side-stepping and, as she careened passed his silhouette, exhaled an amused chuff. She was too slow, too heavy, and too obvious.

"No, this is not right." He commented half-heartedly. As he squared off again, facing her retreating rear end, Njal huffed and looked away from the lesson area - at the wilderness around them, perhaps to check for curious pack mates. When he turned back to Xinuata he was placid in nature, and disgruntled in expression. "You will need to come back again. Go home, but run there. Work your body in whatever way suits you - up and down rivers, along mountainsides, but work. Come back when you feel you are ready."

Perhaps he was being harsh - but she was in no physical condition for this training. Xinuata would need to shed a little of her extra weight. A week would do it; maybe two. If she worked hard, then perhaps another session would be beneficial.

Njal turned and began to stalk his way towards the edge of the packlands; he turned his ears to listen for her, but did not move to collect her in any manner. She would know by the rigid manner with which he was behaving that the lesson was over - and she would have to leave, before someone caught her upon Swiftcurrent lands. At least until the next spar. "I will escort you." His voice rumbled, rippling through the air between them.

[exit njal]

There came a time when one’s pride would suffer a crippling blow, though it seemed for the second time it would be at the behest of the same individual. Her attack ineffective if not embarrassingly slow, she turned again to face her instructor but found only disappointment and contemplation in his eyes. And then his words- Like claws through tender flesh. Her ears fell back as he left her with near instruction, a new goal that was not at all to her liking. ‘Running’ was for wolves that needed to shed their weight, a common practice in the spring to rid themselves of the winter fat. That it was still in the winter now and he still ordered a run suggested that he believed her size was not appropriate. And such a notion led to other, more self-damning thoughts as well. The others of the Vale had been silent whilst around her, but did they believe like Njal that she was ‘too’ large? Was there even such a thing? She followed his steps and marked the tensed setting of his posture. Taking nothing to chance even amidst her thoughts, she followed swiftly after to the borders of the territory. Their lesson had been short, but it was all her doing. If she was to learn more, then she would need to listen… however embarrassing she believed the task to be. She only hoped that in the end the lashes to her pride would bear fruit she could be proud of later. [Exit]