[Training] A round of a paws

Sah

The Raven must be sent
before the Dove

A raven flew into the shrine, landing quietly on the altar where he placed a lily. Returning to the ground before it, the corvid sent out a mental prayer. Sah wasn't a follower of Frey or Rae, but he hadn't been back in the Oerwoud since he helped purge it from the void. It seemed wrong to return and not at least say thank you for their assistance in healing the Wild region afterward. It was wonderful to see one of his favorite places back to being full of untamed nature. After saying his prayer of gratitude, the Wild Thunder flew out of the shrine on dark wings as he returned to the forest floor on four paws.


The dark wolf weaved through the underbrush silently until he came across a small creek. Bending down to take a drink, his ears twitched as foliage across from him rustled. Raising his head, amber eyes locked on the movement, cautious as to what was approaching.

ominous controversy must precede
peace and the olive wreath

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

Sohalia stalked through the underbrush, her senses on alert. Lately she'd been finding more and more comfort in her tide jaguar form, in disappearing into the shadows and finding out just how stealthy she could be. She was beginning to think that that was how she would win back Stormbreak. Perhaps she'd been focusing too much on brute strength when what she should have been doing more to maintain secrecy.

Sinking into the sounds and smells of the Oerwoud, it was a surprise to Sohalia when a familiar scent crossed her path, and she followed it to the shrine to see Sah exiting and returning to the forest on four paws. Curious to see if she could sneak up on him, Soh prowled along, slinking through shadows, until she crouched, nose twitching with concentration, and waited to see if he had seen her or if he would shrug off any movement he thought he'd seen and move on.

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

Sohalia

Although the wind was in Sohalia's favor, concealing her scent, Sah wasn't a hunter for no reason. The wolf listened as the birds fell silent in the face of a new predator in their midst. A few broke from the trees, heading away from the very noise that had caught Sah's attention. The wolf crouched; teeth barred silently.

Keeping low, he began to stalk around the unknown being, trying to get downwind and identify them before choosing his next action. Given his proximity to a shrine, however, he also reached out through the Attuned bond. Hello? The hybrid had no intention of mistaking another person for a wild animal on the prowl.

the wild thunder

Lightning strikes
A distant howl

code by sky

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

Soh was not a hunter, and so she failed to realize that the birds around her had fallen silent and given her away. When Sah's mind-voice rang out into the woods, sounding vaguely suspicious, Sohalia decided that she'd had her fun. He clearly knew something was there, and she wasn't interested in seeing what a real fight against her new friend would be like, given how he had bested her last time.

So she called back a cheerful, Hello! before bounding from the bushes, darting forward to bump Sah's shoulder playfully with her own. How'd you know I was there? she asked then, tilting her head curiously as she sat back upon her haunches. And she'd thought she'd done well, too!

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

Sohalia

Sah instantly relaxed, standing up as a familiar voice reached him. Sohalia! Good to see you. He gently headbutted the jaguar's side in return. As she sat down, a chuckle echoed through the bond. I couldn't smell you, but did you notice the forest around you? It's obvious that there's danger if an animal gives a warning call or flees. But a forest should never go silent.

The wolf sat down and nodded towards the trees around them. If it does, there's danger. It means that the animals are trying to remain undetected and don't even feel safe enough to run. A few birds did fly away, and it helped me lock onto your location when everything else went still. Does that make sense? He wasn't sure if he was explaining the concept properly.

the wild thunder

Lightning strikes
A distant howl

code by sky

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

Soh accepted the headbutt with a pulse of something like affection down the Attuned bond. Sah had been kind to her every time they’d met, reminding her almost of Harper in some ways. She felt a pang of grief. She still wasn’t used to the fact that her foster father was gone. And maybe attaching herself to Sah wasn’t fair, but here she was, doing it anyway.

That makes sense, she said slowly, her ears pricking and turning, searching for the sounds of animals that were now noticeably absent. I didn’t know you could pick up on so much just from looking and listening, she admitted somewhat sheepishly. I’ve never really paid attention before.

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

Sohalia

Sah softened at the sensation sent his way, sending a gentle surge of warmth in return as he felt Sohalia's grief. He wasn't sure what or who he had suddenly reminded her of, but he didn't pry as she continued the conversation. They'd only spoken a few times after all.

He watched as the Attuned took in their surroundings, chuckling lightly, No worries. Noticing the signs is usually a learned habit. There are a few people that do it instinctually, but most have to be taught. A thought occurred and Sah tilted his head. We could practice if you'd like? We could take turns trying to sneak up on each other. The Wild Thunder couldn't get out of his mind how wary and on guard Sohalia had been in their first meeting. It made him want to give her the tools she needed to protect herself from whatever she was, hopefully metaphorically, running from. He had recalled after their last meeting that she had been the ruler of Stormbreak once, so Sah had a bad feeling that it was a literal threat. All the more reason to help her.

the wild thunder

Lightning strikes
A distant howl

code by sky

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

Ah, if only the girl was on guard from a metaphorical threat. If only things were that easy. But alas, here she was, a former queen who had aspirations to lead once more, therefore painted a target squarely on her own back and on the backs of those she cared about.

But even though her goals were always a thought in the back of her mind, she was determined not to let it overshadow the rest of her life. She wasn't sure what use hunting would be in her future, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to learn. After all, if she'd been more aware of her surroundings, perhaps she could have avoided almost certain death in the Greatwood after her capture. So it was that she leapt eagerly to her feet. That would be great! she said cheerfully, her tail lashing back and forth with excitement. How do we start?

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

Sohalia

Sah nodded, a plan already forming. The animals around her are already alert. Let's go deeper into the forest. Keep your tail away from any bushes and don't put any weight into the foot stepping until it's already flat on the ground. Like this He gave Sohalia a brief demonstration, trying to show her how to walk silently. There'd be no point in going somewhere else if they alerted the animals there too.

The wolf led the duo into a clearing surrounded by foliage. The trees were still alive with the sounds of birds and insects around them, unaware yet of the predators below. Sah sent a pulse of pride towards Sohalia, Well done.

Scanning the clearing, he described his idea. Now. How about, one of us stays in the center of the clearing while the other circles and tries to them without being caught. The person in the center will try and figure out what direction the other is coming from. If the person in the center turns and spots you before you tag, they win. We can switch off after every tag attempt if you'd like. How does that sound? (Think weeping angels.)

They'd be able to practice both sneaking up on a threat and on detecting unseen ones.

the wild thunder

Lightning strikes
A distant howl

code by sky

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

Sohalia copied Sah, concentrating on her footsteps until she felt confident that she could walk silently. She’d have to be sure to keep an eye out for sticks and leaves. It didn’t matter how she walked if she stepped on things that would pop and crackle underfoot.

She listened to Sah’s explanation of their game, then nodded. That sounds fun! And so it did. She wasn’t used to someone taking the time to teach her something, especially not when it came in such an interesting format. A pulse of something akin to affection rushed through her, and she pranced around Sah excitedly. I can start if you want! She was eager to put her new knowledge to the test.

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

Sohalia

Sah gave a wolfy grin and sent a rush of warmth through the bond. Good. Sohalia's excitement was reassuring, and he was happy to see her so eager to learn. Nodding, the dark wolf sat down, amused as the feline bounced around him. Alright then, I'll sit here, and you can try and sneak up on me. I'll give you three minutes to get situated and then you can start trying to sneak up on me.

That time would hopefully be long enough for Sohalia to put some distance between herself and the wolf and make a plan of what direction she wished to approach from. As the jaguar left, the wolf prepared himself. After three minutes, he stood and focused on the area around him. The sounds, the smells, the shifts in the wind.

the wild thunder

Lightning strikes
A distant howl

code by sky

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

Sohalia did her best to tamp down on her excitement as she made her way into the trees. It wouldn’t do her any good to run about alerting the wildlife - and therefore Sah - to her location. So instead, she treaded lightly as she made her way through the underbrush and was pleased to find that the birds continued their calls around her. She was already improving - but perhaps it was simply that it was second nature to her shift, if not to her.

Circling around to be on the opposite side of the clearing from where she’d entered the trees, Soh crept through the brush, focusing on staying low to the ground without her belly brushing and making noise. She was so focused on sound that she forgot about the other senses, and whether or not she stood downwind was completely unknown. She snuck forward, trying to get to Sah before he could detect her.

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

Sohalia

Sah's ears rotated as he focused on his surroundings. The wolf's eyes scanned the trees, picking up on even the smallest of movements. The birds continued to sing above him and there wasn't a lull in the quiet hum of insects. If he were in human form, Sah would have grinned. Sohalia was already doing great.

It was the wind, and her scent that gave her away. As the breeze moved through the trees, it came from her direction, alerting the hybrid to her location. Once Sohalia got close enough, the wolf spun around and locked eyes with her. His tail raised, Well done! You came from upwind so I could smell you. But other than that, you were silent. Pride and encouragement flooded the bond.

After a moment, the wolf rolled his shoulders, My turn. Vanishing into the trees, Sah used his three minutes to strategize and get into position. Coming from downwind, he crouched low and moved from shadow to shadow in the underbrush. As he got closer, the dark wolf gently nudged a bush to make it rustle. The noise was hard to decipher over the call of the birds above but Sah wanted to see if Sohalia would notice it nonetheless.

the wild thunder

Lightning strikes
A distant howl

code by sky

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

Sohalia paused as Sah spun around, locking eyes with her and raising his tail. She’d been caught! For a moment, she wavered, but then she felt the pride and encouragement through the bond and perked up. Maybe she had done alright, if all that had been wrong was her scent. Thanks! she said, her voice perky and excited. Then she took up her spot at the center of the clearing and waited.

Her ears twitched this way and that as she struggled to hear where Sah might be over the sounds of the forest, aiming to focus on all of her senses in addition to sound. She couldn’t see him, but that would, of course, have been too easy. She couldn’t smell him, so that was out. The only sense left was sound, and when a bush rustled gently, she whirled to face it, paws splayed out in the universal sign for play. Perhaps it was nothing and she would look foolish, but if it was Sah, perhaps her reaction would at least elicit a laugh.

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

Sohalia