Sleeping Dragon the rhythm of snow

All welcome! Maybe for a mercenary thread? Spar / combat training / etc? 

The cold weather had kept the girl in her den more than usual as of late, and although she still shadowed Thuringwethil as her second, the girl found comfort in the close confines of her fur-lined den whenever possible. She was small and while the body fat she'd lost on he journey here was slowly returning, there was nothing to be done about her thin stature. As she was still growing, much of her alone time was spent either eating or sleeping, and these days she felt ill-rested even on the days she spent mostly indoors. There was no telling how long this would last, but Snacha wasn't thrilled with the idea of this exhaustion continuing.

This morning was slightly warmer than other days, and she felt a little better rested, too. Stretching her muscles as she emerged from her den, Snacha surveyed the area around Thuringwethil's compound, and set off at a brisk trot. It would be a good idea to get her muscles warmed up before practicing any of her moves today. After the spar with the heda last week, Snacha realized how poor her body condition truly was, and this was the first step in rectifying it. Snacha started her tour of the land at a trot, then gradually increased her speed to a run, which she sustained for as long as possible.

Home II - Dotan (The 100 Soundtrack)

Hush had not been as active in the pack as he wanted or hoped to be. He could not explain it, but it felt as if he had...no purpose. He was new to this idea of trades, but could not find one, or a combination of two, that truly fit him. He was a scout, and yet he was also a guardian, and a hunter, and, in his own way a counselor. Perhaps, he thought, standing and shaking his stiff and idle paws, I should experiment. I have been idle and lazy long enough.

Hush trotted down from his resting place, slowly at first as his body warmed up. He was still not used to this cold, though it was warmer than other days, and he didn't think he would ever be. It was a deeper cold than that of his home in the geyser-filled valley of Yellowstone, a thought he had never thought imaginable. But it was. The hybrid stretched and jumped, feeling the bite of cold on his pads as he crunched through snow, ice and rock. He tried his hardest to ignore it, but it was hard to.

In the distance he saw one of his packmates, the raccooned face female he had first met by the stream. Walking towards her, he chuffed a greeting softly, his tail wagging slowly as he closed the distance. They could do something productive together.

During her run, Snacha was able to let her mind go blank and think of nothing but the bunching of her muscles, the wind as it tousled her fur, and the air she breathed in and out of her lungs. She enjoyed these moments of solitude when she could free herself of worldly complaints and simply be. Toward the end of her run, a chuff was offered in greeting, and the wolf in question appeared before her. The golden-coated Hush stood out starkly against the snowy landscape; then again, so did Snacha in many respects. Snacha slowed her pace and finally paused, her tongue lolling out of her mouth.

"Hei," she said automatically, before realizing that while she may be in Drageda, not everyone here spoke her language. She offered a shrug of a shoulder and continued in the common tongue. "You are Hush, yes?" she asked, looking him over briefly. He was well-made and looked healthy. Whatever other attributes had allowed him entry weren't obvious, but they also weren't her concern. "I am Snacha." She couldn't remember if he knew her name, so she introduced herself anyway with a dip of her muzzle toward him.

With the raccoon-masked girl's attention on his lithe frame, Hush slowed to a halt, his body contorting into a submissive position. Body language was more important to him than most other wolves, and the proper body motions towards higher ranking wolves were memorized and engrained into his and his sister's bodies since they could walk. He moved towards her, licking her chin briefly before jumping back. It might be startling or strange to some, but it was his way of respect.

At the sound of his name, the coywolfdog nodded, affirming his identity, and then wagging his tail slightly at Snacha's introduction. Names exchanged, Hush cocked his head, silently asking what Snacha wished to do.

Snacha almost recoiled when Hush stepped forward to lick her chin, but she remained still. It was unusual for one subordinate to submit to another in her pack, but she has come to realize that not every wolf pack lived by the same rules. Snacha nodded briefly after Hush stepped back and allowed a small smile to grace her lips for a moment before fading away. Then the other canted his head sideways, as if asking what she wished to do, and Snacha took a moment to think over their options. It would not be a bad idea to patrol the borders, to mark them more fully. Or to hunt and fill the caches. Or spar. Any of these things would be good for them to do.

"Patrol, hunt, or spar," she said, gaze flicking over the land around them, before returning to Hush. Having only met him once, she didn't realize that he can't speak more than just his name, and so she looked at him expectantly for his answer. Which one of those things would he prefer to do today? Any of them suited her, but if he wished to join her, she would give him first choice.

Hush stiffened slightly at Snacha's near recoil, but he ignored it as he pulled away, blinking and nearly missing her brief smile before he silently asked his question. She didn't seem like the most cheerful person, but that was alright. They needed to do a job for their pack rather than laze around and be dead weight. The raccoon-masked girl named three things they could do, leaving it open for Hush to choose. Hush after a moment of consideration, stepped back from Snacha and lowered his body into a playful fighting stance, his tail wagging invitingly.

Snacha agreed with him: it was better to train or do something productive than laze about. Dead-weight wasn't an attractive quality in pack-mates. So when he bowed to her, Snacha smiled more broadly and bowed in turn. Her rump swayed playfully and she studied his movements, wondering if he'll be the first to make a move. Before he has the opportunity, however, Snacha barked and lunged forward, aiming to wrestle with Hush. In reality, the move was meant to make him react so she can study his moves, but whatever happened next was fair game, too.

Ending this since Snacha is inactive

Hush was not much of a fighter. Sure, he had his fair share of battles, but he was not talented when it came to the art of maneuvering and dodging, for all of his coyote blood. Snacha barreled into him, nearly knocking the hybrid over onto his side, but he quickly scrambled to his feet. The blow left him open to attack and, realizing this, he tried to counter with a grab onto her leg, trying to pull her down instead.

His attempt succeeded, and the hybrid bowled the raccoon-faced woman over, pinning her down. Taking this as a win, the hybrid smiled and wagged his tail before stepping off of her. He bowed his head to her in thanks and walked away, pleased by his win in the short spar.