Sex: FemaleSure enough, Serach barreled past her in an impressive display of speed and strength... as he skidded and turned back, Nayeli had to smile a bit at the young wolf's reaction. In her mind, memories boiled to the surface - being smacked to the ground by a single swipe of her grandfather's mighty paw, the hotness of embarrassment and frustration that had flushed through her at all of her early failures.
Her own mentor had been a philosopher of the school of tough love, but not everyone benefited from such an approach - and the cold, serious aloofness her teacher had used on her was quite ad odds with Nayeli's own demeanor. Instead she grinned at Serach's breathless question.
I didn't know, but I was able to take a reasonable guess. I call it the 'guess and hope' method.She tried to think of the best way to explain it.
There are a few general rules to fighting, but they're variable and... there's always an element of the unexpected,she said, drawing closer step by step as she did so.The more experienced you become, the more you will be able to understand your opponent and rely upon instinct.She hoped what she was telling him would make sense to the youth, would be of use to him. She was a bit new at this whole teaching thing, as well.
When you charged at a distance like that, it was easy enough to guess your path.She waited for a beat, taking in Serach's stance and the (considerably diminished) distance between them.If you get in close first, like this, I won't have time to see where you're going and get out of the way -the dark she-wolf waited to see if Serach would pick up on the new opportunity he was being presented with.
His sides heaving, Serach panted at Nayeli, stupidly staring at her in bewilderment. Some part of him was embarrassed at his ridiculous display, but the larger part was more impressed than anything else. His interactions with the black furred female had been limited prior to this, but he could feel the beginnings of respect towards Nayeli begin to grow within him. She was not just a prop in the backdrop of his life, but rather somebody to take notice of, listen to, and learn from. Shaking his head, the youth hoisted himself up to his feet, flashing her a grin to show that he was alright. "Okay...but do you think I'll ever be experienced enough to be able to guess right?" he asked her with a grin. As she explained how she had been able to read his mind (and that it wasn't really mind reading, only guessing), he hung on to every word. When it came down to it, it seemed that experience was the thing he was missing. So how did a wolf like him get experience?
He hadn't really noticed that Nayeli had walked closer to him as she spoke - he had been too focused on what she was saying. But when she drew attention to it, he was suddenly very aware of their proximity, and even his inexperienced mind was able to draw the connection. So with a woof that was far more playful than threatening, Serach lunged at her.
The pale youth had lurched forward with his right shoulder leading his path, his head turned towards his left side. He had seen his opportunity and decided to take it, hopefully this time successfully hitting Nayeli shoulder to shoulder.
Serach had asked her a question - a quite natural one, too. Nayeli tried to search for an answer even as she watched his motions, keeping her feet moving and her eyes on her opponent.
Before she could find the right response, a dark wave rose up along her spine in an instinctive reaction to the pale wolf's movement. It seemed he had taken her hint and decided to strike now, at closer range. Despite his playful bark, and despite knowing, or at least hoping she knew what was coming, she found it hard not forget this was a practice match with Triell's nephew - the youth's sheer size made it hard not to be taken aback. He may be young and inexperienced now, but one day, she was willing to bet he would be quite formidable indeed. Even now she felt her pulse quickening with a burst of adrenaline, her thoughts turning only to dodging the blow.
At this distance, though, even her small size and dexterity were not enough. Of course this had been the goal, but all the same she felt her instincts trying to pull her out of harm's way. Nayeli's paws spread beneath her to brace against the hit as they collided. Serach's shoulder struck home, making the smaller, lithe woman stagger back as the hit reverberated though her shoulder. Nayeli gave the lad a quick grin of approval, darting back and to the left with a rather playfully exaggerated wince of pain. Stealing a moment for breath, she began to circle once more, a thoughtful frown growing on her starred features. A portion of her thoughts turned back to his question, while the rest of her mind was still focused attentively on their spar.
Not bad,she said at last, letting her paws swinging along in a rhythmic motion.
Fighting is just like everything else. Tracking, hunting, running... you'll gain skill with time and practice, and by trusting in your abilities.That was how it had been explained to her, at least. At this age, she was hardly going to start questioning it. As she spoke, Nayeli slowed her breathing, seeking and exuding a more calm state. Her circling became almost like a dance....and always pay attention to your opponent's tricks,she added, almost as if it were an afterthought. With that, she ducked forward in a quick, low, weaving motion that broke her previous rhythm, coming from Serach's left as she remembered the way he had lead with his right shoulder moments ago. Nayeli aimed her jaws, a playful smile still etched upon them, for the spot where Serach's neck met his chest, seeking another tuft of fur.
Even with his inexperience, Serach had not expected to miss. As his shoulder made contact with Nayeli's, he couldn't help but grin. Physics was on his side, and his motion pushed the older wolf backwards. Not enough to hurt her, but that hadn't been the goal. After hitting her, the youth had peeled off to the left and had come to a stop. Nayeli knew better though, she had continued to move. She was moving back and forth, circling around him once more like she had before. She had the experience to see beyond one hit at a time, whereas he was very much content with just one. Ears perking, Serach furrowed his brow at her, only to relax when she complimented his successful attack. His tail came up over his back and he wagged it back and forth a few times, too caught up in his own pride to hear the break in her tone. "I practice those too. I've gotten better at scouting prey," he told her.
Yellow eyes grew wide as Nayeli broke from her circle and darted towards him. With no time to think and no time to react, he had no choice but to accept Nayeli's bite. She snapped at his chest, successfully pulling loose another tuft of fur. But he was learning, and this time did not shrink back away. Their proximity gave him an advantage. Even as she reached for him, he was reaching back, going right where she had gone left. The angle was awkward, and he couldn't quite bend his head to reach Nayeli's ears, but he tried anyway, hoping to come away with at least something.
Nayeli's jaws snapped shut lightly - she'd successfully claimed another tuft of Serach light-hued fur. In the same moment, the she-wolf sensed an unexpected change in the Serach's movement. Reacting almost as quickly, she tried to twist her body away from Serach's jaws mid-leap, to dance away with her prize. Her ears pinned back flat and her paws reached out for traction, accelerating her away from the other wolf. She heard his teeth snap shut just behind her ear. Raising an eyebrow, Nayeli spun to face the younger wolf once more.
Good. Practice makes p-fft- perfect,she answered, spitting free the tuft of fur as she spoke. A lady was not necessarily refined at all times, especially in her case. Still, even as she spoke, her paws danced in a wide circle....or as close to perfect as a wolf can get, I suppose,she added quickly. The response was directed both towards Serach's earlier words, and his swift thinking. He seemed to be a quick learner.If you keep working at it, I bet you'll make a great scout, or whatever path it is you find yourself on.Sometimes the future you envisioned for yourself and the one that ended up happening were vastly different... whether it be because one changed their minds, or because the universe had different things in store for them.Truthfully, Nayeli knew she wasn't exactly the best warrior - sure, she'd been taught to spar one-on-one, and she'd been in a few scrapes, but mostly she relied on being quick on her feet, slow to tire and... trusting her instincts? She wasn't even sure of those. As far as fights like the one that had almost taken place between the Bend and the Glen that winter... at the time, snatching some food and running had been the wisest move for the young wolf, had it not? Nayeli had stood her ground, but her heart had raced with fear at the thought of two packs in open conflict, and she had not forgotten the events of that day. In her mind they had come perilously close to something very dangerous, and she wasn't sure how to prepare herself - or Serach - to face something like that again.
She hoped the young wolf had learned a bit of value from their spar - but his mention of an interest in scouting had made another idea occur to her, too.
If you've had enough sparring for one day, we could try to track something down while there's still a few hours of sunlight left,Nayeli offered. She may not be the best choice as a fighting coach, but she had always prided herself as a good scout and hunter. Serach probably knew of a few hidden trails and locations she hadn't stumbled upon yet, too. Perhaps they could both learn a little more from the other today.
He tried, he really did, but ultimately, Nayeli proved to be too quick for Serach. She pulled away from him and his teeth came together on empty air. Once again, she stepped back, releasing her prize into the air. The youth watched his fur float down to the ground, but grinned anyway, despite his defeat. One day, he thought. Nayeli was right, practice made perfect. Maybe he would track down his brother and try his hand sparring with somebody closer to his own experience. Not today, though, he was finished. At least he thought he was. Ears perking at the sound of Nayeli's voice, he snapped back to attention. A hunt? "Sounds good to me!" he said, tail wagging earlier, all evidence of exhaustion gone. "Let's go. This way!" He called out, already dashing towards the woods, eager to try out his hunting skills. After all, practice made perfect.
{Exit}