It was a haunted moor, doused in mist. A dreary afternoon. Nothing but the mist and the churning of the waters for company. One hulking, ominous figure padded across the terrain. Tye. The black wolf’s head was bent, level with the rest of his body. He cut through the mist mercilessly, effortlessly. Muscled, long legs swept through the air propelling him forwards. He jumped over the stretches of water that separated him from the next piece of grey earth without breaking stride able to clear it easily. And when it seemed as if he wouldn’t stop, he finally did. Smoothly and swiftly. At the shore-line where there were streaks of very faint pink. Blood. He dipped his muzzle into the water his jaws closing around the body of a dead eagle he’d smelt and dragged it out of the water. It would be a prize for the new Lead if Tye was satisfied with what he showed him. They had arranged to meet at Deathly Glade Whisper on this day. Weeks had passed since the events at Dragon’s Breath. So many weeks. He had barely seen Cliché and he did wonder where she was. And he had not been able to make time to spend with his pups. He had been able to watch them from a distance on his patrols though they had not seen him. Icarus and Renier had been spending some time away from the pack. One day he’d make sure that he took all three of them out and get them to become stronger. In Frozen Fang perhaps because that was still the most dangerous place in Erenyx with the snow, the slipperiness and ice and wind. It took far more endurance and strength than any other place. And it was the ultimate test for one’s mind because it would hit you with everything from bone-chilling winds to gusts of snow to fighting virtually blind with very little advantages. And when you were down, it would still crush you into dust. But that would come in time. They were already all proving to be the adventurous lot in their own different ways. Icarus really seemed to have no fear and Renier’s curiosity and keenness to explore seemed endless.                    

He peered down at the murky waters, staring at his reflection through the mist. He looked older, rougher and somehow, even colder than he had been before. The scar on his ear had left a noticeable mark at the base, a pink line that was partially covered with black fur. Still, he was as devilishly handsome as ever though. The large black wolf rose to his full height, toned powerful muscles coiling and uncoiling with the motion and gazed around him at the thin, wispy fog rolling in the area. He unleashed a bone-rattling howl that shook the skies. His gaze, as dark and emotionless as the sordid atmosphere that choked the area, was searching for someone. The new warrior who he had yet to learn the name of. It hadn’t been something Tye had expected, his new rank. He had been content as he was to remain in his former position which now currently occupied by the other wolf. And he, for reasons related to dedication to a cause and undying persistence in taking down a bear he had been given the rank of Elite. Odd. But naturally that required him extra duties such as being tasked with training those that required it. Specifically, the now Lead Warrior. As Tye’s glacial blue eyes scoured the area with their usual cold precision. They never showed any intense emotions except in private moments of solitude and reflectiveness and min the company of his mate and pups but even then it was muted and restrained. He expected competency from the new Lead along with persistence in the face of adversity. The strength was a given. And beyond strength and courage, at the moment it was more his cunning and intelligence that intrigued Tye. To keep up or turn the tide in his favour for a moment. Then and only then he would see what the other wolf truly made of. This was just a basic session to see where the new Lead was at. What he was good at. What he was not good at and how to improve. As for why he picked an area outside of Erenyx, he had seen how tough the wolf was when they were fighting the bear but now he needed to see how his battle instincts were. This was the perfect place to hone the mind and body.

A large figure appeared in the fog, emerging from the surrounding trees. The Lead Warrior. Tye watched him approach, his expression unchanging. A name surfaced in his mind, dredged up from the hurricane of thoughts writhing in it. Raymond. The green-eyed wolf was relatively calm was visibly prepared, his shoulders rolled back to defend himself. Good. It meant he was paying attention. Being alert as imperative in a fight. As he neared, Tye noticed he had scars. Whether they were from the bear fight or not, Tye did not know but that was a good sign. It suggested that he was used to fighting. He wondered if the other male had been taking it upon himself to train. It would be interesting to see if he had. The wolf seemed to have some fire in him. Tye did not mind that. He also seemed to have a spine which was good. He did not care about submission. He was happy with who he was and did not feel the need to make others bow down to him in order to flaunt or prove his rank. He was entirely secure in himself. It was better that the other wolf stand his ground in order to show him he could at least look him in the eye without quivering. Tye wouldn't have mistaken it for a challenge in this situation but rather a show of confidence. But if it was a challenge the other male was presenting, he should rise to it. The strong never denied a challenge because each challenge could only make you stronger. And in these things, it was expected.      

Tye stared at him with his own blue hues as he spoke, tail raising. He sounded cold and slightly bitter. But Tye had taken his time to see how his skills were because he saw promise in the lad and he trusted that the other male understood that. Tye spoke in his deep, calm voice,"Yes I did. Now I know you have ambitions of your own as many of us in this pack does. Perhaps you have dreams to stand beside the Alpha one day or dreams to become the best warrior but I warn you of one thing. Tread carefully where others are concerned. You have shown some promise but beware of your pride. You do not underestimate the weak because when you do, they will strike when you are least prepared and at your most vulnerable. The weak are not as worthless as you think because when you turn your back on them they will attack and when you push them past breaking point they can and will kill you. For as much abuse you give them, for every time you say or treat them as if they are worthless they will remember the times you treated them as if they were nothing but dirt beneath your paws and they will have no mercy on you. The strong can easily become weak and the weak can easily become strong." He paused, thinking if there was anything needed more to be say before he explained the task he had in mind. Or rather, the session. Deciding he did not, he pressed a paw over the dead eagle and said, "Today is just a very basic sparring session. All you have to do is fight me on the rocks in the mist. As an extra incentive if you manage to with-stand, counter and defend my attacks for as long as I am satisfied without getting pinned down by me for one minute then you get this eagle after we're finished. If you're down for more than one minute then you don't get the eagle. Any questions?"      
   
(occ: It's not short don't worry about it. It's good so far)

He could see that the wolf was thinking about what he had said and nodded to show he was listening. Tye did not know if he agreed with what he had said and he did not have to. These issues were always grey and white, not entirely as straight-forward as they appeared at first. When it came to matters of who was strong and who was weak it was all relative. It was why someone who was the strongest in one situation could be the weakest in another situation because the opponent was either smarter or bigger. To Tye, killing a wolf who was trying to kill you was the only time when one should consider those thoughts. Killing itself wasn't morally ethical because no matter what you were still taking a life. But to defend oneself from death? It was ruthless. It wasn't right but it was justified. And it was a reality that some were unfortunate enough to be born into. He supposed that being the one who survived proved that you were the stronger one and your opponent was the weaker one. There would be others that would rise of course. Others that would end up being stronger because time had a way of aging and slowing down even the sharpest of minds and the strongest of titans. Was he wrong? It would've been simple to say yes or no but killing was never so simple because it was unethical and wrong in the first place as it took a life. It may have been justified in some situations but in other situations there were better solutions. But now wasn't the time to dwell further on this. The wolf before him had come here to train and it would have been disrespectful to not grant him what he came here for. No questions asked, no answers given. What a perfect automaton the new Lead was. Obey blindly. Obey without question but he was probably keeping his thoughts inside. Smart wolf. Sir? Tye almost laughed at the notion. Could one who had so much blood on his paws be given such a noble, esteemed title? To be granted with such an honour and prestige. Well it seemed even killers could be given that much pride. He shoved the eagle away, out of reach of the area where they'd be fighting. He didn't want the creature to be knocked into the water where they'd have to find it again.        

"Begin," Tye's voice rumbled through the air, one simple word. As the other crouched down low in an attempt to cloak himself in the mist Tye bent his head, his eyes never leaving the other male's form. He began to prowl, circling him. His long legs swept the air, leaping from bits of ground that were visible in the mist to other bit of ground with ease. On the inside, he was quite impressed with the other male's spirit but on the outside, his face was like stone. Danger shone from his ice blue eyes, reaching out and shining like blue beacon lights from a light-house. A warning to wayward wanderers. He continued to circle, his hulking black form pushing through the mist as he analyzed the best way to move. Raymond had crouched, his belly low to the ground which made it more difficult to unbalance him and send him off his paws and pin him. He was also close to the same height and weight as Tye. He could have just rushed him anyway, slamming into him with his full weight into his lower torso and throw him off towards the water once he had gathered enough speed and strength to do so. And Tye shot off, water flying as his paws thudded the moor's half-submerged ground. He crashed into him tackling him to the ground in one ferocious move, jaws clamping shut around his left foreleg while putting his right fore-leg over the top of the other male's neck to get a grip and restrain him. It would also give him some indication as when the other male's head may twist and try to bite him. On contact, the force of the hit would've unhinged him at least a little. Once Tye's jaws were shut around his left foreleg he'd throw him into the watery depths of the moor with the leverage and strength he had. His lower torso would follow in motion when he completed the movement so that he was standing slightly on the side, head and neck turned towards Raymond.

He was glad to feel the other male move to try to throw him off when Tye tried to do the same to him as he gripped his fore-leg in his jaws. He felt the Lead Warrior move as he tried to throw him and started to loosen his jaws. Flesh ripped through Tye's teeth, blood curdling down them into the fog. Raymond had gone for broke, with-standing some pain to get out a bad situation. Good. The other male's teeth cut into Tye's shoulder, drawing blood. Tye growled as the other male grabbed and threw him with full strength, skidding across the fog and through the water, onto the smooth surface of a rock until his back slammed into it. Tye rolled immediately to his paws feeling for the surface of the rock or ground, splashing through the water and mist. He didn't waste a moment, knowing that a moment was the difference between life and death. Raymond was a formidable fighter and Tye could see that from the outset. He had a killer's instinct. Tye wondered. Had he been born in a pack where he had to fight for his life the minute he was cast out into this world as well? Perhaps they had more in common than they thought. Tye moved swiftly, partly on instinct as he mind ran through the scenarios that would come from his next steps. He lunged, meeting the other male's lunge with one of his. To be sure, they could crash. Two beasts lunging towards one another, made of nothing but pure muscle. Not a mid-air lunge which was good but rather a lunge from the rocky ground he was on. It could end either way because it wasn't particularly graceful on Tye's side which made it quite dangerous. It could end with broken leg bones and or a twisted ankle or a permanently broken spine. Whether that would happen depended on what fate had in store for them. But Tye was at heart, a fighter and no stranger to killing. Things were messy. It was also a past he was not proud of and never could be. But what mattered was here and now. And now he had a fight to do with a strong opponent.

He could have dodged. It would've been a good option but the male had lunged at him. He was too close for Tye to dodge and there was no time to do so without getting hit again, this time against a rock with a sharper edge so Tye met Raymond head-on. If he made contact he would slam into the other male, opening his jaws to try to bite his neck. He'd then slide his head underneath the male's neck. He would use the impact of hit and his strength combined with the speed to try to force the other male to go backwards. Then he would try to grab hold of his neck with a right fore-leg and twist his body to the right as they fell below, attempting to slam him to the ground using his right foreleg and upper body so that he was partially in the water and on the rocks below. Tye aimed to slam the back of his head first so followed by the rest of his body. It would stun him if anything long enough for Tye to get the upper hand to pin him. He did not know exactly how deep the water was so he had to hope for the best and that there were no hidden surprises. He did not actually want to kill him but he was not interested in killing himself when he had a family. He hoped the male would swim. The water was deeper than it looked, shrouded by the fog and well, the jagged, jutting rocks were so very friendly and inviting. Friendly enough to gore one's face open.          


Occ: You are doing fine. Just concentrate on attacking and defending. Counter-attack if you must. Focus buddy.

(OOC- I'm low on Raymond Muse lately... o.e it's like Raymond's all like "Ima leave you museless." and I'm like "Nu -.e" haha, well next round I'll be better~)

As the other brute twisted, Tye tightened his grip but the landing was messy, jarring him slightly. Enough to make him loosen his grip for the other brute to get away. Tye rose to his paws water dripping from his chest and muzzle where he’d landed. The water came up halfway to his legs. As fog curdled around them, he searched for the other male keeping his tail low to the water-submerged ground. The ground was much more even at this part but the fog made it harder to see. He could smell his blood, mingled with Tye’s own blood. There! He saw it. A moving mass of white-grey and black fur that was rocketing towards him. He was quick. Tye backed up, keeping his eyes on the other male’s jaws. It looked like he was aiming for his neck. Tye shifted his paws so that his body was twisted to the right, finding purchase on the ground in quick, swift steps. He did not know how high or low the ground was, only that there were jutting rocks. So he just hoped he didn’t end up dipping his legs and paws in too far and slip underwater as he moved. He could feel the ground sloping downwards slightly and even a crevasse where he almost jammed his paw into and twisted his leg. He braced himself as the other male crashed into him, grunting. His fore-legs rose off the ground from the force of the hit to wrap around the male’s neck and craned his neck away to avoid the worst of the attack. The other male’s teeth didn’t sink into his throat but cut through his fur and skin near the shoulder at the side of his neck. It was a slightly precarious stance as he could fall but he needed some leverage and strength to hold the other. He felt the other male’s foreleg hook over him for grip at the same time.

With Tye’s balance compromised, he would definitely fell but he would tighten his grip on the other male’s neck, aiming to choke him so that his attention would be focused on getting out of Tye’s grip and snapped at the other’s muzzle from the side with fearsome teeth and fangs, aiming to shred it to pieces with his teeth including his nose which would deprive him of his sense of smell. Tye would land in the water and fog and the second he hit the ground, he would roll twice using brute strength in complete 180 degree turns so that the other male would end up beneath him. He’d sink his claws into the male’s shoulders to gauge his skin to grip, hopefully cutting deep into his bone. When he was underwater he’d hold his breath, breathing as soon as his muzzle broke the surface. Once finished, he would pin Raymond down on his back. It would be tricky as he would be leaving himself open to any kind of sharp protruding rocks beneath the surface of the water and damage but it would be an attack that would disorientate and rattle the other male as well. He would also have to concentrate on breathing, same as Tye. The momentum and speed combined with the raw strength of the attack would see to that. It would also give him bruises and deep cuts. Unfortunately since it could also cause some damage to Tye as well but he would angle his head as far away from the ground and rocks as possible so that his shoulders and part of his back would take the impact of the hits on each roll. He would also tuck in his ears. If Tye managed to rip into the other male’s muzzle it would also give some form of distraction and cause significant injury. He would see how the other male was doing as he had amassed some prominent injuries.    

Tye did not expect the other wolf to get out of the roll initially. It was not that he didn’t have any faith in the wolf. It was that not many wolves could because it was so fast and in these conditions, it was especially hard. Tye felt the loose pebbles scratch his back, the uneven ground as it rose up and down. So he felt twinge of surprise as he felt the other threw his legs up in a crouched position when Tye was about to pin him on the last roll. The black brute almost smiled. Almost. He almost got something resembling a slight smile from him. But nevertheless, Tye’s forelegs were around his neck giving the other wolf enough space to use his legs to shove him. It was a good idea and a good time to do it when he was about to pin him so he had some leverage as Tye would naturally lose a bit of grip on the turn. Tye was shoved off. He rolled in mid-air, making sure to land on his paws in a crouch. His paws landed on even ground nearby with a splash of water, luckily but the ground dipped at the front as it sloped downwards so his upper body fell slightly. But he regained his balance quickly. There were cuts on his shoulders and his back, adding to his existing injuries. Tye remained still, tail raised and head level with the rest of his body watching him. Tye’s chest rose up and down, breathing in and out in pants as he caught his breath. Rising, with water sliding down his fur Tye looked at the other wolf with his usual wry expression. Though the other wolf was not ready to back down he was bleeding deeply. Tye did not want to kill him. Tye thought it was best to finish. He did not want to lose a warrior. His eyes were still as icy as ever, their natural shade of blue.

But he raised his head, rolling his neck from side to side idly and said in his usual deadpan voice,“Good job.”He leaped from rock to rock, tail splashing through the water and landed on partial ground and water where the eagle was. He leaned down, grabbing the eagle with his jaws and threw it to Raymond for him to catch.“Congratulations Lead Warrior Raymond. You’ve won a prize.”He expected Raymond to catch the eagle, wings and all. Tye knew it was hard to see because of the fog but he was sure the other wolf could see a mass of feathers flying towards him.“Sorry it’s not as fresh as it could be. I found it in the water but that shouldn’t affect how good it tastes. You may want to dry it out before you eat it.”Tye stepped onto more even shore where the ground levelled out from the water in swift and calm movements. He shook his entire body, starting from his head, down his neck and shoulders all the way down his back and tail. Parts of his fur stuck out, particularly the parts along his spine, back of his neck, his shoulders and top of his head. He was feeling quite energized from the spar, the adrenaline still pumping through his veins. And he was impressed with the other male. For showing quick thinking and perseverance. It would only increase with age, as it was supposed to. The mind grew wiser after all as time passed by, less prone to making mistakes and thinking in a calmer way. The new Lead had a lot of potential. Now Tye knew he could face some uncertainty and he could navigate through foggy weather and uneven ground and keep up. But Tye would not be so easy on him in the future. Tye truly believed that the warrior could be stronger than he was. He had the build for it and the strength. And he didn’t have too bad of a mind at all. All he needed was to feel the movements, to think on his paws while running through strategies and not over-think. It was fine to think but not so much that you weren’t moving at the same time to fight. And to get used to switching from offensive to defensive then back to defensive to offensive. He would get better with time. Tye’s back was riddled with cuts, his shoulder bleeding from the injury. Blood was streaming down his shoulder, sinking into the murky water. Tye glanced back up at the new Lead, contemplating something and mused,“I think you’re ready for Frozen Fang Pass after you recover. That is, if you think you can survive.”