Silvertip Mountain Go on, give it all you got

Anyone want to spar? She's just failed a hunt and is feeling frustrated. ^·^

Another failure. This time the hare she had tracked outside the territory had smelt her coming when the wind suddenly shifted. Niita had stalked back to the territory, mad at herself though this time it was the wind's fault. Once in the territory she let out a growl of frustration.

Passing by a tree, she stopped and swiped at it full force. The gouges left in the tree were shallow but visible. It hurt but Niita didn't care, she was mad at herself for continously failing on her hunts. The tree didn't deserve her anger but it was there and a good outlet for her,

Oooh me! I'm always up for a spar. Maybe this time Zeke can win xD I've been getting some real crappy rolls lately!

Ezekiel was on his way home from an unsuccessful hunt. Again. He'd been very off his game lately. Losing an embarrassing fight with some strange female and gaining some painful reminders of it. And his hunting had been awful, missing every time. Of course this time he'd been fishing at a small river and he didn't have much experience with fishing, but still it sucked.

As he was walking along, head bent down shamefully, he noticed Niita kicking stuff. Something he often did when he screwed up. Yes he knew that expression well. It just screamed, 'I'm a failure today'. As much as he wanted to go home, it seemed she needed a little comforting. He huffed, deep voice cutting through the trees as he came towards her. His tail wagged, but low down. He wasn't feeling very confident still, much like his friend. Bad hunt huh.He asked, coming into her clearing and sitting down at her side, staring up at the hot June sun.

Niita turned at the chuff, hearing one of her pack mates enter the clearing. It was Zeke whom she had recently begun to count as a friend. The tips of her small ears burned with embarassment, feeling like a child for taking her anger out on the tree.

With a huff, Niita too turned her eyes to the sun. "Yeah, I seem to be failing a lot here of late." Niita winced, hating that she couldn't even help her pack. "I suppose I shouldn't take my anger out on the tree though." Niita patted the tree affectionately before turning to Zeke. "How do you release anger, besides beating up trees?"

Ezekiel nodded, he was right. He knew exactly how Niia felt. He felt useless and ridiculous, a joke of what he used to be. The famine in this land really had taken its toll. I know how you feel. I haven't caught a thing in a while, and I got beat up by some random girl a few days ago. It's really depressing. She asked about what he did other then beat up trees when he felt this way. Honestly, other than biting trees? Biting rocks and plants. But that wasn't very productive advice. He thought about her question for a second then an idea came to him.

Well we could spar! He said, excitement flashing in his eyes. Spars were fun because when you were done, nobody got hurt. And apparently, he was rusty with his fighting skills.

Niita grew excited as he did, she hadn't had a good fight in a while. Even if this would just be a friendly spar, her blood began to surge with adrenaline. The pale girl would have said she was an average fighter, she had held her own in the battles back at Asmundr. The question was, who was better: Niita or Zeke?

Niita jumped up with a grin, rolling her shoulders a bit. "Great idea!" Moving closer, Niita wondered silently who was leading the fight. Were they starting right now? 

left it open, you want to roll or should I?

You can roll if you don't mind, I've kind of flooded the dice table today xD

Ezekiel grinned when she agreed, and he stepped back to the edge of the clearing. He shook out his pelt, preparing for a fight. This was exactly what he needed, a win mostly. But if he failed it would be ok, because it was only a spar. And this was just for fun anyway. Now he would finally get to test her ability like he'd hoped to all that time ago when he'd first met her.

You ready? He eyed her carefully, a twinkle in his pale blue eyes. He was ready, muscles tensed to leap whenever she was ready. He wanted to make the first move, but he also wanted to see what she would do. So he waited for her say so.

rolled a 10 so failure for Niita, we can do a couple rounds before she loses if you want or just get to it in your next post.

Niita nodded, letting him know she was prepared for their spar. A serious look overcame her face, replacing the usually bright smile. Niita's stance lowered defensively, hunching slightly to protect her body and make a smaller target. Glacial eyes flicked over Zeke looking for any type of weakness.

Strangely enough, Niita couldn't find one. Ezekiel was a large male with a stoic expression and no telltale sign of what his next move would be. Perhaps his gauntness could be used against him but Niita too was thin from the famine. Alongside that, she was smaller than Zeke. That didn't always mean failure but unknowingly, today it would. 

Making the first move, Niita darted forward with the intention of grabbing his shoulder. Not hard enough to hurt him, but hard enough to be cconsidered a blow.

We can do a couple posts before she loses so she can get a few hits it :)

Ezekiel did the same as she did, sized her up, pointed out weaknesses. Did all the strategizing that he'd been taught as a soldier. Never underestimate your enemies, but figure out what you can do better, his mother had told him. Sometimes she was right, and with strategy and fighting, she had never been wrong. Niita was smaller, which meant she could probably move fast but her hits wouldn't be as hard as his. Thus while he would have to lighten up his weight, he could also use that to his advantage.

She darted forwards, as he expected making the first move. She was headed towards his shoulder, so he only had moment to think. He let her grab him, it didn't hurt but there was enough force to push him back. He whipped his head to the side, hoping to head butt her and push her onto her side. From there he would pin her.

Niita managed to grab him, pushing him a bit, before his head turned and he head butted her in the shoulder. Niita braced herself, but he was stronger and down she fell onto her side.

Niita scrambled to get up, eyes locked on Zeke in case he came after her. The fall had knocked some of the wind from her lungs, making it harder to get up.

Ezekiel's head butt was a success, and it threw her back off of him and onto her side. He planned on pouncing on her and holding her down, seeing as she was very out of breath and exposed. However the spar would be over too quickly and he wanted to see what she could do. Instead he circled her, watching her struggle to her feet.

Sorry, you're ok right? He asked, remaining tensed in case she lunged for him, but at the same time giving her an apologetic glance. He hadn't meant to knock the breath out of her, and he was a rather respectful guy.

Niita seemed to be leading this fight, seeing as Zeke merely knocked her over before circling her. She expected him to pin her but he didn't, Niita nodding and giving him a smile in return to his concerned question.

Starting to get to her paws, Niita paused halfway up and swiped outwards with her paw and giving a push. Her intent was to knock him onto his feet as well.

Niita nodded, and Zeke was back on the game. She was fine, which meant he didn't have to worry about being too rough. He'd give it his all like with any other. While Ezekiel was bigger, Niita had skill as she was limber. She swiped at him next, attempting to push him backwards. He leaped back, her paws only meeting his chest fur for a moment before and evaded her grasp. In return, he darted forwards and grabbed at her paw. He of course didn't bite, but he pulled down in an attempt to pull her to her knees.

As much as he hated to admit it, he'd learned this trick from that vicious wraith of a  female he'd met earlier this week. If he did it right, her knees would buckle and she would fall, and he'd grab her scruff to keep her down.

Niita's plan didn't go so well; instead of falling as she had, Zeke only moved back before reaching forward and snatching her paw. He didn't bite it as she expected, even though it wasn't a real fight, he pulled forward. Niita fell onto her knees but before she could get up his teeth latched onto her exposed neck.

Niita had known her fear of having her neck touched made her a liability. It had always been an abstract thought, she hadn't actually planned on anyone grabbing it. Worst case scenario, she had expected that she could keep her shoulders hunched to avoid people grabbing her scruff. 

Something changed, it was as if a switch flipped. Niita stuggled against him like a feral creature, a few cuts being torn into the already sensitive skin of her scar. Her tail tucked between her legs and she lowered her body, not caring that it meant she lost the fight. "You win, just let me go." Her voice was fearful, even desperate, as she continued her efforts in a frenzied manner.

At first Ezekiel was glad that he'd managed to keep her down. He won! Winning always felt great no matter what you were doing. But then he noticed that Niita'a mood had shifted from enjoying the spar to fear. She was struggling under him, desperately trying to move. She submitted to him quickly, and he leaped off, worry in his eyes. Had he hurt her? Memory flashed back to his days at the bluff, seeing the crippled bodies of other wolves. And it frightened him. 

He darted forwards immediately after letting her up, sniffing and scanning for the problem. Are, are you ok? He said with concern, checking her scruff to see if he'd accidentally bitten too hard. He noticed only some small cuts here and there and was confused instantly. The stark grey wolf stepped back, brows furrowed in confusion. Are you hurt? I'm sorry if you are. Zeke felt really bad for doing whatever he'd done, and his victory certainly didn't feel like a victory yet.

Since this is an AW thread, and I've been itching to jump in and I can't help myself XD

Steady had been happily strolling along the territory, mostly happy with the way things were settling in Silvertip. His ears picked up some ruffling sounds, but they didn't seem alarming, and he began to veer away from the noise. 

Until the noises were alarming, and the voice was Niita's. Steady turned quickly on heels and ran towards the commotion. He had no idea what was going on, but seen Ezekiel backing away from Niita, who was on the ground. Steady's hackles raised and he growled at Ezekiel as he came to a stop to stand over Niita, protecting her. What the hell is going on? he demanded, his voice conveying the anger he was feeling inside. He glanced to Niita, noting the scratches on her neck. Another growl came from his throat as he turned his gaze back on Ezekiel. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.

He let go, Niita moving away with trembling legs. Her blood still surged with adrenaline and fear, she didn't feel the fresh marks on her scar. Zeke came forward to sniff her and Niita restrained a flinch, knowing he wasn't the one she feared. It was only the memory that scared her, only a reaction to it that caused her to act that way. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.." She murmured, trying to find some explanation for her actions. Before she could assure Ezekiel that she was okay, Steady appeared standing over her body rather angrily.

"It's okay, I'm not hurt." Niita reassured him, moving out from beneath his protective stance to stand beside him. "We were just sparring and I guess I freaked out. I'm sorry." 

Ezekiel leaped back, tail tucked when Steady arrived snarling. Niita apologized, but poor Zeke had no idea what had happened. He bowed his head to the angry alpha, not scared, but worried. Zeke allowed Niita to explain, for he wasn't exactly sure of what was going on anyway. When she finished he spoke up. S-sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, or hurt you at all. I-I'll accept the consequences of my actions. He said, looking up for a quick glance at Steady. He'd never seen the black wolf so snarly before. The young male felt like a pup who'd broken a rule and was now in trouble with his parents. He felt very bad for freaking out his friend, and was glad she was alright. But now he was going to pay the price.

Omg poor Zeke xD

He remained stiff, his lips threatening to bare his teeth as he held back another growl. He didn't understand why Niita was the one apologizing when she was the one who was on the ground, scratches on her neck, while Ezekiel looked unscathed. Steady seriously considered changing that when Niita moved underneath him. He stepped back to give her space to stand up, his gaze moving to her. She came to his side, explaining they had been sparring and she freaked out. Ezekiel apologized, but it did nothing to calm the storm rising in the Alpha male.

His steely gaze moved back to the other male. Were you being rough with her? he asked, his voice angry as he stepped towards Ezekiel. Steady couldn't come up with any other reason for Niita to be afraid unless Ezekiel had pushed the line of sparring to fighting. After all, Niita had never told Steady of her past. Ezekiel would indeed accept the punishment Steady would dole out for frightening a fellow pack mate. If the male fought him, the situation would turn dire.

completely forgot that it was my turn to reply, sorry!

Niita moved between the two, standing in front of Zeke protectively. This was her fault, not Ezekiel's and she wasn't going to let Steady hurt him for her issues. It didn't matter if he was the Alpha, he could punish her instead. 

"Stop." Niita's stance was submissive, careful not to challenge him. Just because she wasn't going to let him hurt Zeke didn't mean she wanted to come off as dominant.

"He didn't mean to hurt me, this is my fault. If you want to punish someone then you can punish me. Just don't hurt Zeke." 

You're so fine :)

Steady looked furious, taking another step towards him. Zeke flattened himself further, feeling a bit angry now. A portion of his head was telling him to stand up for himself, to tell Steady what had happened and if it came to a fight, fight back. But he was smart, and Steady was his friend, he wouldn't ruin everything he'd come to Teekon for over a misunderstanding. He kept himself as submissive as possible, not wanting to seem insubordinate at all. Were you being rough with her. Zeke wanted to say, 'no she freaked out!', but Niita saved him from himself.

She stepped between them, attempting to calm down the fury. She held a protective stance, she was siding with him! That wasn't something he'd expected, but he was relieved. But it wasn't her fault either. Maybe Zeke was being a little rough. He still didn't know what had gone wrong, but it was possible that he'd gotten too into it with her. In his old pack, spars were as rough as wanted, a spar without a nice scratch was hardly considered a spar. Things were different here. The more Zeke thought about it, the more he doubted himself. Perhaps he should take the punishment Steady gave. But he was sure that he would never hurt Niita on purpose. That he knew.

No worries!

Zeke remained submissive, and Steady was a little surprised he didn't explain himself at all. But, Steady was a formidable opponent, as as Alpha, he demanded respect. But, there was another side of him, a gentler side, that knew these were his friends, and not every situation would call for aggression. It remained to be seen which side would win.

Niita was brave, or foolish, enough to get between the two males, and although she was submissive, Steady couldn't deny she was still acting against him. Her one word was deemed an order, and he didn't like it. But, larger matters were at hand here, and he dismissed it, listening to her explanation instead. She said it was her fault, but that didn't make any sense. How is it your fault when he was over you, and you're the one with scratches? he asked, his voice barely containing his anger, and he was careful not to yell at her. However, his question was genuine, and he waited for an answer.

Steady would have a challenge on his paws getting adjusted to his new rank. He was friends with these wolves, but didn't know where that stopped and his position started. But, he did know that unless they did something truly betraying, spats likes these would not cause him to end their friendship. The Alpha wasn't one to hold grudges in cases like this.

Niita could tell he was angry, though she wouldn't stand down. She was the one that freaked out and if taking the fall for it meant having Steady mad at her, so be it. Niita couldn't let Zeke take the blame for this, he hadn't known. 

"It's my fault there are cuts in my neck because I freaked out. I struggled when he grabbed me but Zeke didn't mean to hurt me. We were just sparring, this is all a misunderstanding." Niita tried desperately to get him to understand, not moving from in front of her friend.

Steady spoke to Niita now, he could tell her demanding tone had frustrated him a bit. This wasn't a good thing for Niita, perhaps she ought to m step back and give Steady some space. How had this happened? How had a fun spar turned into a big issue? Ezekiel didn't dare to rise an inch from where he remained flattened on the ground, and there was no way he would risk looking into Steady's eyes. Anything to signal a challenge was a bad idea at the moment.

Ezekiel didn't know what Niita meant by, 'she had freaked out' but she apparently didn't like being touched on her neck. Whether it be scruff or throat, it frightened her. If only she'd told him before they started the spar, this all could've been averted. However of course it was no fault of her own, it was as she said, a misunderstanding. Ezekiel nudged Niita, hoping for her to back off a bit. While it wasn't necessarily his fault, it wasn't hers either, and she didn't deserve a punishment for sure. Remaining submissive, the shamed soldier spoke to Steady now. Sir, what she said is true. I would never hurt any of you, I had no idea she would freak out like that. But since she did, I may be at fault. Don't place any punishment on her if you plan any at all. He said, flashing her a grateful glance. She tried, and so had he, so it was up to the alpha now.

Ezekiel was clear out of Steady's mind now, with Niita fully in the forefront of it. But, something shifted inside of him. Whether she meant to or not, she had challenged him and his rank, and he would not let it go. But, nor would he attack her. She was the object of his affection, after all. He stepped forward until barely a hair would fit between their muzzles, his eyes locked squarely on hers, whether she looked at him or not. His expression was carefully blank, void of any emotion, and his hackles had smoothed. 

Ezekiel said something, and Steady had to think a moment to hear what he said. Without moving or looking away from Niita, he responded, his voice calm. I know you wouldn't intentionally hurt her, he said, realizing it to be the truth. Ezekiel was a friend, and had never given Steady a reason to think he would harm another pack mate. 

His full attention went back to his standoff with Niita, wondering if her stubbornness had a limit. However, he wondered it in the most affectionate of ways. A hint of a smirk gave away his thoughts.

Niita hadn't meant anything as a challenge, she just saw that Steady was angry and when he stepped towards Zeke, she reacted. She only wanted to protect her friend from being hurt, even at the expense of herself. Now though, she couldn't help wondering what she had gotten herself into.

Niita never would have admitted it to anyone but this side of Steady scared her. She wasn't sure what he was doing, moving forward to stand so close she could have touched him but she didn't dare. Her stance had been submissive from the start and Niita didn't budge from it now. She kept her eyes down, afraid that looking at him would be seen as a challenge. 

At the very least, Steady no longer seemed mad at Zeke nor did he seem to have the intention of hurting him. That didn't reassure Niita, given now he seemed to have an intention of hurting her. Well, she had gotten her wish: Zeke wouldn't be punished and instead she would be or it seemed that way at least. In a complete act of submission, Niita bared her neck to him, the vulnerable underside. If he wanted to punish her, she wouldn't stop him.