Dragoncrest Cliffs it goes, it goes

The culture shock of moving her to hougeda had worn off bit by gradual bit. To go at once from her quaint little family unit to suddenly another set of bigger puppies, their family, and all the other older wolves doing their own daily things too? Little Opalia felt absolutely paled by all this at first. She needed a bit to start to.. well, settle in.

But day after day, urged particularly by her parents and a competitiveness with her brother, eventually she had started to appear out and around more and more. Like now, as she flitted between the cavern's coverage and just outside beyond it--undecided if she wanted to be in or out, but leaning more towards out as the afternoon went on and the clouds opened up for clear, pleasant skies.

She was not yet an overly social little critter, but she liked watching.. and she was coming to like being where the happenings were at, even if she didn't always understand who, what, or why. This interest had at least familiarized her with many, by sight and scent especially. Others, she knew better. Some.. well, she was learning still.

The day before yesterday, she (and by extension of course, her siblings) had been allowed to trail along on a route she had never seen before with her father and with it had come so many fresh unknowns. It had done her good, and she was looking to repeat the endeavor, somehow. But, dad had already long left for patrol, mom was busy.. and honestly, a good look around didn't identify too many worthy candidates as the pup went trotting softly out onto the cavern's doorstep again.

She paused there to visually skim it, then went on to go threading through some nearby ferns in wide figure-eights--just to sate the urge to move around.

She does not spend much time near Hougeda, not quite accustomed to things yet. She’s not so sure she’s welcome but with the departure of their leader, and her taking a step to help their acting commander, she finds herself interested to get to know the area better and the place they mostly congregate. The absence of her son has her worried but he is capable of taking care of himself and isn’t stupid enough to put himself into danger (or so she tells herself) but as one of the few family she has left, she finds her heart aching.
 
So, Helix puts on a stoic face as she always does. Warriors are not meant to betray their feelings, taught from a young age how it can be used against you. Instead, she mourns in silence and tries to move on.
 
The sound of brush moving in the distance, however, is enough of a distraction. Instantly, her mouth waters, first thinking it to be prey but a few seconds later the scent of child and Drageda and Dio wash upon her and she eases back, turning the corner to search for the cream colored girl. At first, Helix stays quiet, watching to see if she’ll be noticed at all or if the child has any interest in what is effectively a stranger.

She serpentined, and she arced her way along around a fern to next double back again. In some spots, she could pass beneath the foliage mostly, others less so--making her either rustle gently, or have to swing wide. She wasn't consciously minding it, but she was adjusting her course, learning what worked, what did not. So on.

As she curved around a draping frond and it no longer obscured her view, she noticed Helix's new presence with a small start that's enough to stand up her hackles a bit. For a beat she froze on the spot there, but did her very best to gather some courage after she got over the initial surprise--and smoothed out a touch. Without Dacio immediately here to out-compete or Dio's shadow to glean strength in, she caught herself at a momentary loss, though, and glanced away apologetically.

But, with what she had mustered: "Hei." she said in a small (almost uncertain) voice and stepped a little closer to Helix, her own ears cupped down and tail wiggling close to her knees. She smelled like the wolves she knew, which helped the goufa feel bolder, and Opalia had likely seen her before--somehow, probably, like so many of the others still. But, an up close familiarity definitely wasn't there--hence the prickles, and her simplicity.  

By the time the girl notices her, she’s surprised, but Helix doesn’t shrink back or try to appear the sudden fear. What if she had been a stranger? Someone wanting to hurt them? If anything, the corner of her lips twitch into a premature smile but is wiped clean relatively quickly. 

“Hei,”, she says in response and offers a swish of her tail.  “I’m Helix,” she introduces a beat later. She has little experience in Drageda, and with the young, but children are not far from her expertise. She’s raised three healthy boys and trained them since they could stand properly on all four feet. Perhaps this day she can part with some knowledge for the girl, already sensing good instincts already. 

pretend italic speech is very clunky trig

Her approach stayed careful and metered, but all signs from the older wolf are helpful to further bring her forward more. Helix, she says her name is, and her ears pricked forward anew. "'m Opalia." she replied in a voice only slightly less tiny than the last time she spoke. In the back of her head, she could already hear her mother reminding her to use her manners again. She was doing her best, though, now that she had taken a moment to ease into this better.

She wasn't masterful enough to speak the other native language in full, though she wondered about trying. Her parents used both, either, and she had definitely noticed that the older puppies used it much more than she and Dacio (and probably Sequoia) did.

But after enough hesitation on her end, she had to say something, somehow! Even if she didn't want to. "Dad's out on big patrol.. so I hadta.. ah," she looked at the ferns where she had come from, deciding that this was relevant to let the older wolf know about this. "Patrols those." She nodded, because they checked out, and hoping to skirt beneath the radar of getting into any possible trouble, she tried to make it all justified. "Are you...?" She definitely didn't have the language for that question's full form, but she hoped with big eyes that the message conveyed all the same this time: what are you up to and how can I watch?

“It is nice to meet you, Opalia,” she says formally before she realizes the struggle she has with their native tongue. It’s there but perhaps she is not as exposed to it as the others. Blixen easily flips between the two but the amount of outsiders within Drageda makes it difficult to know who really speaks the language and who doesn’t. Helix struggles with falling into the default but she slips out of it well enough when needed.
 
“Big patrol?” she questions. “You’re doing a good enough job here, you should tell him you’re ready to go with him next time,” she encourages. Though she asks about what she’s doing, Helix finds her interest more in what the puppy can do. She isn’t doing anything in particular and it wouldn’t hurt to teach the girl a few things, should she be receptive of the opportunity. “If you show me what you can do, maybe I can put a good word in next time I see him?” she adds playfully, a hint of a smile forming upon her muzzle.

She focused carefully upon the words--she liked hearing them, thankfully, and did feel like she understood enough. But there was no way she could reply herself with anything more than a nod.

Which, proved to be a motion repeated soon after because yes, big patrol, the kind that often busied her father and where he oftentimes went sans tagalongs. Since she had not shadowed out that far yet herself, she imagined whatever was beyond her reach still as some vast mystery within which lie some great importance. Details needed work. She knew there was a lot to see still. 

Nevertheless, she steadied herself up to properly bask in the praise she was given--even if it came as a small surprise to her, if that even began to encompass it. "Really?" she asked with big eyes back. Was she ready? Maybe Helix was right..? The little goufa was determined to keep this in mind. "Thank you," seemed necessary here, assuming a good word from non-family would maybe sweeten the deal extra.

As for what she did know? Opalia's ears splayed softly, thinking to where her interests would go first. "I know... some about spars," she said, not that she packed much real, organized experience in that field--except against her brother, which hardly felt like it counted. "And to help keep watch." Usually at Dio's heels, to safe places--but Opalia didn't know this entirely. She didn't know quite how to show that off yet either. 

Helix nods her head once at the gratitude and considers the next step. What she does know is a sound basis. Sparring and keeping watch, the borders safe, is the important. Some may think it is hard to think these small children will be on the front lines but it is their way. They defend their rights, their own wolves, and it involves training from a young age. The outside world of former Seageda is a lot of war and if they are not prepared, then they are dead.
 
“Come,” she commands of the girl, turning on her heels and walking through the thick foliage outside Hougeda until they are at the entrance. “We will find one of the other puppies to spar with,” she informs. It’ll be easier to judge until they are bigger, allowing them the chance to flop around with equally, untrained puppies.
 
Fleimkepa takes in a deep breath and spots @Tux in the cavern and with a demanding chuffs, draws his attention.

He had been napping.  Earlier in the morning he had completed what he considered to be "rounds".  He wasn't too sure he was allowed near the borders yet (@Wildfire cried every time he got too close since the other children have disappeared).  So he takes to marking Hougeda instead.

But the nap!  Oh, the nap!  He had been half-asleep when a demanding chuff pulls him from peaceful slumber, and one of his bronze eyes slits open.  Ugh, he thinks but rises without protest, and stretches before he draws himself close, looking up at Helix with inquisitive eyes.

Following a quick, curt little nod, she stepped forward after Helix and trailed on her heels. The pale girl stayed alert.. and tried to be stone-faced about the prospect of a spar here and now. Among her siblings, her confidence was decent.. but as for the others, the bigger-and-older puppies, Opalia had no good comparison for yet--and she really doubted they were going to find her littermates around right now, so she got to work already trying to muster her best for what was to come, somehow.

Dutifully, she followed along without another word and tried to channel any uncertainty into eagerness to get to show them what she could do.

Shortly after, they did find someone--one of Wildfire's pups, of course, one much larger than her brother too. The goufa's ears tucked back when Helix chuffed for Tux's attentions, and her eyes were already glued to him as anticipation slowly built more by the second.

Whether or not Helix is aware he’d been sleeping isn’t shown on her face. She has his attention and that’s all that matters. As he stretches out and makes himself comfortable, she hardens her glare for keeping her waiting. “Komba,” she commands of him, turning and ushering Opalia out, and leads both of them out of Hougeda and through the thicket blocking the entrance. “We train,” she explains along the way, until they are out in the open.
 
Their size and age difference is hardly anything, in the grand scheme of things and it will not hinder any learning they do with one another. If anything, they will find their skills will work together in the future. “You remember play fighting with your brothers and sisters, right?” she asks, looking between them, asking about the one thing all siblings do: fight. “I want you to do that, but focus. Pay attention to your moves, watching for openings.”

It was a little early for Tux to be realizing that girls and boys are different, or for him to begin feeling any sort of real attraction, but he couldn't help but notice the way the girl was staring at him.  He couldn't yet differentiate between her anxious stares and those of a suitor; he felt his ears heat up as he began to walk.  

It disappeared only a few moments later as his focus drifted to something else.  We train.  Helix goes on to explain that they will be play-fighting while at the same time not play-fighting, and he nods as if he understands.  He's had a little experience with real sparring; once when he was young with Artaax, and one other time.. but that ounce of experience wouldn't give him much of an advantage, if any.

He nods dutifully then steals a look at the girl.  He doesn't know if he should speak yet, or if he should start.  Will he be told?  Or should he just know?

Wide-eyed, and with ears that couldn't get any taller, she shot her looks between Helix and Tux. When guided to, she followed next and wanted to take it all in, somehow. She had to remember--these were valuable foundations, after all. Opalia knew her parents would be proud if she began to master them.

Of course, she nodded as Fleimkipa spoke of what experience had brought her to here today--she was very good at play-fighting with Dacio, to her own standards. Replicating this, by explanation like that, sounded so simple and it had her back to eyeballing Tux up and down. There was more to him than there was to Dacio..

The explanation seemed to reach and endcap. She nodded, and saw Tux do the same just before. She understood, she agreed. Now.. where to begin?

If it was supposed to be anything like when she did playfight, she was probably meant to be the first one to swing, but these circumstances had her off-kilter for the introductory moment. With a look to Helix to make sure it was alright to go, she started to stance herself up to the best she knew how. It really just looked like she was ready for something; it was supposed to mean she was on her alert, defensive and ready to spring! Saying no more, she hoped to meet eyes with her new opponent for that last signal as the anticipation suddenly got real fast, seconds away.

Helix says nothing, and Opalia moves into something resembling a defensive stance.  His eyes eventually stop flickering between his mentor and his opponent; he's sure that no instruction will come, and it makes him nervous.  He doesn't want to look stupid, he wants to be strong and capable.  Somewhere, he understands that this is how he learns, but it doesn't make him feel any better.

It helps to imagine that the girl in front of him is not Opalia, but something bigger and more threatening.  As she is seeking his gaze he tucks his chin, and attempts to use his size to his advantage by ramming towards her with his head and his shoulder to knock her off kilter.

feel free to pp her for the sake of the lil spar thingie, i don't mind!

Alright. It might have taken her a second, maybe more, but she was soon starting to feel out where the groove was supposed to be. It was almost a familiar feeling, despite the unfamiliar target, and one bigger than her. Already she had to fight back the worry that she will be hung up on that fact.. but no! Size small or not, her training so far had begun to teach her about advantages, and the disadvantages they inevitably counterbalanced.

In worrying about the force he can possibly generate with all that height, she tried to stay alert--light on her toes, too, but grounded. Her father had emphasized this once. Feel it, listen, and be smooth but -- whoa! She definitely saw him coming, took a heartbeat to process this, and still didn't manage to maneuver for the whole dodge. Most of his momentum did deflect, or rather, she ducked clumsily just out of the way of the worst of it, leaving his headbutt to skim over her shoulder at worst, and shoving her back down at once. She didn't find herself too thrilled about that smart of an early bruise, but it was a good motivator; she reacted in turn, now and whipped back into his proximity.

He was still big but she was hopefully able to be fast. She tried to duck past him enough to aim a pounce and a bite the sides of his ribs -- or more realistically, probably the backs of his armpits. Still! For a first offensive move, she decided to start with whatever she could reach. From there, she gained her footing, and the volleys back, then forth, began. She was panting too, worked up, but enjoying the motion, and the energy well spent. This would not be the last time, she was sure of it.