Redhawk Caldera May the force be with you

Wildfire mostly understood what was expected of a Warrior now. Although it didn't necessarily jive with her personality, she was excited to pursue it. Her parents had explained how important it was for everyone in the pack to know how to fight, especially after what had happened to her. Wildfire didn't worry much about herself but she definitely wanted to keep the members of her pack safe. She might be young and small, yet Peregrine and Fox assured her that she could kick as much butt as anybody else when she was properly trained.

They encouraged her to seek out either of her godparents for a lesson, as they were both seasoned Warriors. Today, Wildfire ventured to the far edge of the rendezvous site's clearing overlooking the lake and sent up a short, low yip for Finley and/or @Elwood. She hoped they would hear it, as she couldn't get much louder than that. As she waited for a response, she began to run laps around the clearing to warm up and get ready for her lesson.

Luckily, Elwood was nearby when Wildfire's muted request went up. He felt as though he had neglected his godchildren over the last few weeks, due to all of the commotion; between defending the borders and dealing with his own personal issues with Finley, it had been quite some time since he had seen any of them for more than a few minutes. Finley's pregnancy only encouraged him to hone his own skills as a warrior and warden, in order to protect their future offspring, and even practicing with little Wildfire would be an opportunity to sharpen his abilities.

He emerged from the south, with Lake Rodney at his back, and his gaze quickly fixed on the reddish blur that was Wifi. She was zipping around the clearing, her little paws carrying her faster than he had ever seen her move. He chuckled, sinking to his haunches to wait until she was finished, though he did call out to get her attention.

"Look at you go!" he crowed jovially, his tail thumping the ground behind him.

Her legs pumped faster and faster, each lap swifter than the one preceding it. Miraculously, the usually clumsy pup didn't lose her footing or trip. She felt like she was flying. Wildfire was pretty sure she could run like this forever, though the sound of someone shouting caused her head to snap sideways and, just like that, she lost her rhythm and went down hard. Her chin smashed into the ground, sending pain shooting down her already injured neck, and she bit her tongue.

Despite the rough tumble, Wildfire rolled over and sat up, brushing herself off without batting an eyelash. Mindless of the blood dribbling down her chin, her amber eyes lifted to see that it was her Uncle Elwood who had called out to her. She smiled, her teeth stained pink, and thumped her black tail. For a moment, she didn't rise, letting herself catch her breath first before she hoisted herself back onto all fours.

"I'm a klutz," she informed her uncle, her mother having recently introduced her to the term. She chuckled, then finally felt the moisture on her bristly chin. "'M I bleedin'?" she wondered aloud, swiping a paw beneath her mouth and then looking at the bright red smear on her paw. "Doesn't hurt," Wildfire said wonderingly, licking her chops rather theatrically for a moment before suddenly remembering why she'd summoned Elwood and declaring, "I'm ready to be a Worrier!"

As the encouraging words left Elwood's mouth, Wildfire started to lose her footing. Elwood clapped a paw over his mouth, watching her tumble. He wanted to run to her and see if she was alright, but he was frozen on the spot. Perhaps it was instinct telling him that she had to learn to pick herself up -- and that was just what she did. There was a thin rivulet of blood streaming down her chin, but she seemed to be okay, even proclaiming herself to be a klutz once she sat up.

"You're bleeding a little bit," he confirmed, padding towards her. On closer examination, he could see that she had simply bit her tongue; even with his limited medical skills, he knew that would heal itself shortly. She then reassured him that she wasn't in any pain, and suddenly her expression brightened.

"I'm ready to be a worrier!" she announced, and he grinned broadly in return. "A warrior, eh?" he said; her mispronunciation wasn't far off the mark, but it was still humorous. "Want me to teach you some moves?" he asked, ducking in front of her in a play bow with his tail curving over his spine.

It never failed to please the child when she made someone smile, particularly an adult. She beamed right back at her godfather, her head bobbing when he offered to show her some moves. "Ya, that's why I called!" If not for the accident, she might have shouted these things. Instead, Wildfire could only raise her voice to slightly above normal speaking level. It really didn't bother her much, at least most of the time. She hadn't been a loudmouth since her third week or so.

"I wanna fight and keep the pack safe and kick booty!" Wildfire said next, smiling a bit sheepishly as the latter few words left her mouth. She wasn't usually a go-getter, so this attitude was something different for her. But she was enjoying it. Her parents and siblings had really helped drum up an enthusiasm for the practice and now Uncle Elwood would get to push it even farther.

"Well, then let's kick booty!" Elwood agreed with a laugh. Being a warrior certainly wasn't all fun and games, but there was no reason that Wildfire couldn't enjoy her training. He straightened from his play bow positioning, considering how best to go about teaching Wildfire. He wanted to find the balance between serious and playful.

"First of all, you need to know that sparring isn't only about attacking. You also need to know how to defend yourself. So, for instance, if you try to bite me, then I want to make sure I know how to get away." He paused to check for understanding, studying Wifi's face to see if she got what he was saying.

He then crouched again and began to instruct her. "Give me your best shot and I'll show you some defense. Then we can switch," he suggested, readying himself for her attack.

She grinned so broadly at his echoed declaration that Wildfire's cheeks felt like they might split. Her expression grew a bit more serious when Elwood straightened and began giving her an introduction to the trade. She listened attentively, drinking in every word. It wasn't just about offense; she would need to learn defense too. She was still iffy on what these concepts meant, though she trusted Elwood would show her.

The Beta crouched again, inviting Wildfire to attack so he could show her what he meant by defense. Despite her energy, enthusiasm and willingness to learn, she felt suddenly apprehensive. Could she really attack Uncle Elwood, even in jest? And could she bring herself to eventually attack others, for real? Could she truly learn how to fight and be fearless? She felt herself quailing. Her brows knit as she shot her uncle an uncertain glance, then dropped her gaze and chewed on her bottom lip. She felt abruptly flash frozen.

Elwood prepared himself for what he anticipated to be a boisterous attack. But he waited...and waited...and as the seconds ticked past, it became clear that Wildfire was not so keen about the idea of "attacking" her godfather, even if it was just practice. Rising from his hunkered down position, he tilted his head quizzically at Wildfire, then moved to close the gap between them.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked. He had noticed her expression of consternation, and wanted to get to the root of the problem as quickly as possible. He hoped that it wasn't his teaching style that had thrown her off; after all, this was his first attempt at instructing anyone, much less a youngster.

While she stood there like a statue, she thought back to her conversation with her mother a day or two prior. Fox believed in her. She knew her father and siblings did too. Up until this moment, she had believed in herself as well. Her ears drew back. She had engaged in many a play fight with her uncle and all her other relatives, so the sudden hesitation threw her as much as it did him. Wildfire looked at him beseechingly, though it was clear Uncle Elwood didn't know what was wrong, based on his confused expression and subsequent question.

"I'ono," Wildfire mumbled, swallowing. You can do this! she tried to coach herself. Moments ago, she had proclaimed her desire to defend her pack and family, bloody gums and all. She tried to call back that determination and muster up her courage. She needed to be brave, else she could never be a Warrior. And if she couldn't achieve the trade, she would disappoint her family. She might even face exile...

Nothing compelled Wildfire more than pleasing her parents and obeying their commands. Abruptly, her courage returned to her. Her lips peeled back from her gums and she sprang at her godfather before the doubt could creep in again. Her face contorted into a fearsome snarl so unlike her usual placid expression. It would be clear to him (and to anyone else who might be watching) that there was definitely a fierce Warrior somewhere inside Wildfire Attica.

Mild PP, let me know if you mind! You are welcome to PP Elwood in any of your posts to make the combat easier!

Wildfire didn't reply with a concrete answer to Elwood's question, instead implying that she didn't know what was wrong. He prepared himself to make a guess and to reassure her, then to suggest that she try defense first, if she wanted. He didn't want to let her off the hook too easily, but at the same time, he didn't want to push her out of her comfort zone. This was supposed to be a learning experience for Wifi, but maybe it would simply turn out that she wasn't meant to be a warrior. There was nothing wrong with that, but he worried that she would feel bad about herself given Fox's ultimatum to the rest of the pack.

While these thoughts swirled in his head -- comprising only a few seconds of time -- Wildfire seemed to gather herself. She straightened a bit, and before Elwood could even compose a single sentence, her lips suddenly wrinkled back in what was a pretty ferocious grimace. Elwood's brows raised and then he smiled, though the expression was fleeting as he had to ready himself for her attack.

She sprang towards him and he deftly turned his shoulder to take the brunt of her aggression. He was able to easily deflect her, given his size, but he made his movements exaggerated so that she would take note of them. Once all four of her paws were back on the ground and she looked as though she was readying herself to make another pass, he interjected. "Good! See how I blocked you with my shoulder? That kept you from using your teeth or claws on a more sensitive part of my body, like my neck or stomach," he coached, then paced backwards. "Want to try again?"

Somewhere between leap and impact, Wildfire felt another bolt of trepidation, though it was eclipsed by a surge of empowerment. She was really doing it! Of course, this feeling was just as short-lived, for Elwood moved deftly to block her with his gray shoulder. Her small muzzle smashed into it, then she bounced. Her teeth didn't even touch his flesh, though she left behind a few threads of blood from her still-bleeding gums.

While she collected herself, her uncle explained what he'd done. The idea of defense began to click in her head now that she had a concrete example. Rather than attack her in return, Elwood had simply shielded himself. Wildfire chewed on the inside of her cheek a moment, then nodded to indicate she understood. When he asked if she wanted to try again, she bobbed her head a second time, a bit more enthusiastically.

It was Elwood's job to protect his throat and belly, which meant it was her job to get past his defenses to get at them. Wildfire backed up several paces to assess him and deliberate her next attack. If she did the very same thing, he would just block her again. Her lips twisted thoughtfully to the side as she pondered how to get the better of her godfather. He was bigger and stronger but perhaps she could use her size and speed to her advantage?

Without realizing she was giving her opponent plenty of warning by taking so long to make a move, Wildfire bowed forward for a moment, then jumped at her Uncle Elwood again. She barked loudly, subconsciously trying to startle and distract him. She then dove toward his front paws, though instead of biting at his legs, Wildfire bounded upward and forward between his legs. The pup aimed to strike somewhere in the vicinity of his throat, chest, belly or crotch. Her aim was as wild as her name, though her target was fairly large, so unless Elwood expertly evaded, her chances of landing a hit were rather good.

The little dhole took the impact of Elwood's block like a champ, falling back and gathering her legs beneath her. He had tried not to hit her with much force, but she was still relatively small, especially compared to his medium-sized adult frame. He smiled only once he had determined she was okay, and then he braced himself for the next round.

He could almost see the gears turning in her mind as she contemplated her options. By the time she moved, Elwood had prepared himself for a repeat of her first attempt. This time, however, Wildfire prefaced her movement with a loud bark which did, indeed, surprise him. She was light and quick on her feet, so he didn't have time to move away as she slipped between his forelegs. She hit him right in the stomach -- luckily not any lower! -- and effectively knocked the wind out of him.

"Oof!" he grunted, again exaggerating his reaction as he backed away from her. "That was great, Wifi. You were quick and you didn't give me a chance to get away. I would have tried to dodge your attack that time. That means I would have tried to move quickly out of the way," he said. He took a deep breath, refilling his lungs, then asked, "Do you want to try defense now?"

Her muzzle thrust into his soft underbelly, quite possibly leaving a bruise. Then she felt a whoosh of air and Elwood was gone, having hopped to the side to avoid further damage. Wildfire straightened, blinking her golden eyes, then smiled and began waving her tail when her godfather praised her. Being small allowed her to be quick, so she could use her size—previously thought to be a hindrance—as an advantage as she developed her skills as a Warrior.

He invited her to swap roles but Wildfire shook her head slowly. "Defense is for Wardens... isn't it? Warriors do offense. Offense is attacking... right?" As she spoke, her lips pulled back from her teeth in an uncertain smile. This was what she had gathered from her parents' teachings thus far. She waited for her uncle to confirm, then smiled brightly, black tail wagging all the faster. She would be happy to learn both sides of the coin; she just wanted to focus on offense first and foremost.

"I wanna do another attack!" she proclaimed, when a sudden thought occurred to her. She could use the element of surprise. With her proclamation likely still ringing in her uncle's ears, Wildfire leaped at Elwood a third time, flailing her red forelimbs at his gray muzzle.

"Well, yes," Elwood agreed; she was right, a warden's main area of expertise was defense. But a warrior also needed to know how to defend oneself during battle. He opened his mouth to continue explaining, when suddenly Wildfire made her decision -- she wanted to continue playing the attacker! -- and sprang at him.

She smacked him right in the nose with her paws. "Ouch!" he laughed, instinctively stepping back and moving away from her. "I guess you don't need defense if you've got a good offense -- and the element of surprise," he joked with a fond shake of his head. "But wait, listen for a sec, okay? Sometimes, even when you're a warrior, you have to be able to defend yourself in the middle of the fight. You might not always be able to tackle the other wolf." Even if she didn't want to give it a try this time, he decided that it would be okay. Perhaps it would be better to separate her lessons, even; to let her focus on offense this time, and defense next time.

With that thought in mind, he grinned at her and said, "Now, hit me again."

Her paws smacked against his snout, harder than she had necessarily intended. She felt a moment of triumph, though as she backed away from him, she frowned a little at his "Ouch!" He didn't actually appear to be hurt, so Wildfire's black tail stirred tentatively. It continued to wave through her uncle's explanation.

"I geddit!" she assured him with an overstated bob of her head. "I just wanna—" she began to say, only for Elwood to invite her to, "Hit me again." She grinned toothily. She had been about to assure him that she wanted to learn both and that she only meant to focus on offense first. But her godfather had read her mind.

Showing none of her earlier hesitation, Wildfire sprang forward, nipping her teeth at his nose. She fully expected him to block her, so the dropped suddenly. In the spur of the moment, she decided to roll when she hit the ground, then start flailing all four of her gangly red limbs at the Beta male.

Elwood's invitation was too good for Wildfire to resist. She beamed and jumped at him, grazing the tip of his nose with her little teeth. He was surprised by her speed and persistence this time, so he only managed to pivot away from her as she dropped to the ground and began kicking with her legs. This invited him to move towards her, and he even went so far as to lean his head down with his snout aiming at her belly.

When his muzzle impacted her red tummy, he started to tickle her fiercely, his actions accompanied by his own laughter. He was already impressed by her dedication to the trade and could tell that she would be a fine warrior. But even the toughest of wolves still liked to play.

The Beta expertly navigated the tangle of flailing limbs, his cool nose soon snuffling at her belly. Wildfire froze, then began to squirm in an entirely different way as Elwood tickled her. She rocked back and forth, giggling, her forelegs now slapping ineffectually against his snout. She tolerated it for as long as she could, then rolled out from under him, regaining her feet in a surprisingly sweeping motion... but overbalancing and practically falling forward onto her face. Fortunately, she managed to avoid impact and went rigid until she established equilibrium.

Then she turned toward him, smiling. "Can a Warrior tickle a enemy to win?" she wondered. It had seemed an effective tactic, though it was hard to picture doing that to a stranger, much less an opponent. Before her uncle could respond, the pup's stomach gave a sudden snarl and she asked, "Can we get a snack?" It was about time for a break.

You can fade with your post if you want, or just go ahead and archive this! :)

Eventually, Wildfire squirmed away from her uncle, although he had done a good deal of "damage" with his tickling. She almost fell right over as she took to her feet, but managed to right herself and then turned back to Elwood with a grin. "Can a warrior tickle an enemy to win?" she asked, and he shook his head while chuckling. Although it would certainly be an unexpected tactic, he couldn't see that going well in a real battle.

Without giving him an opportunity to reply, Wifi then asked if they could get something to eat. He answered both questions in the same breath. "No, I don't think so. Just save the tickle fights for your family," he said first, then added, "Yeah, let's go dig up some grub." He reached down to nudge her shoulder with his snout, then began to pad in the direction of a nearby cache.