Closed (The Sanctuary) Something She Can Sink Her Teeth Into (Rhy)

[Vanator]

Timestamp: 2nd day of Winter, 512 AV

Vanator had almost chuckled when the Luvanor Kelvic had finally approached him earlier in the morning about doing some training. The boredom of the lockdown had finally gotten to the girl. Rhy was young, no more than a year old the Drykas had guessed, and though she was certainly playful and friendly around Van, the canine showed no interest in the formal training in which Kavala had insisted the staff partake. But Vanator did not press her. Rhy possessed something the non-Kelvic residents did not, the instincts of an animal. As a hound, the girl knew how to use her teeth to attack. Fitness was not so much an issue with her either, for her limbs sported lean muscles, and she seemed to love to run, at least on four legs.

Rhy agreed to meet him in the open area behind the chicken house where the school was slated to be built. There would be more privacy there. Vanator had brought a variety of items, having some ideas to run by the Kelvic dog and not sure what she herself wished to accomplish. The Denusk wanted to be more of a facilitator, to help his co-workers and friends find what suited them best, and meet whatever goals they had. He also had planted the practice pole off to the side in case they needed it.

Tearing a bite from a strip of dried meat, Vanator chewed on it as he leaned against the padded pole. Holding up his cupped hand, he summoned a bit of djed and formed a res pool that he ignited in his palm, then willed the small tongue of fire to rise and hover several inches above his hand, manipulating it as he waited for Rhy to appear.

[Rhy]

If anybody were to approach Rhy where she kneels beside the chicken run watching Vanator toy with a small red flame, she would tell them that no, it is not stalking, it is reconnaissance, and to please go away. She's been watching Vanator since they had made their rendezvous plans two hours ago. Leaving only to fetch breakfast from Cadara, (a large, tough boar heart) before shadowing him as he goes about his morning chores and makes trips to the armoury and training centre. Its from there that he picks up weapons she's never used and various objects she can't even discern the purpose of and brings them to the space where the school is to be built. Like that giant padded pole he's leaning on. All she can decide about it is that she has an overwhelming desire to chew on it. The nearly two weeks of lockdown in the Sanctuary wears on the Kelvic. Elem has his studies, Serrif and Iris have medical journals, Kavala does everything, and even Gianne has horses to keep her occupied. Rhy, on the other hand, has no scholarly pursuits other then an hour or two of reading practise with Gianne. And she can't do her usual hunting job. It is her one responsibility to Sanctuary and she can't even poke her nose outside. Leaving her feeling useless. Very, very useless. She stalks Vanator both in an attempt to satiate her prey drive, which has been overactive lately, and because there is another reason why she wants to train with him today. All of this time inside the walls has opened her to a troubling fact in her life; she has very little rank with the Sanctuary's dogs. Ink, the male Imperial Watcher, is the alpha of the Sanctuary hounds. They all revolve around him. Including the Kelvic, who falls within the dog hierarchy. And she is determined to dethrone him. If she does, she can begin training the dogs to hunt in ernest. Maybe even teach them to be guard dogs and protectors, with Kavala's permission of course. She chose Vanator as her model for alpha behaviour a week ago because the man not only oozes a strong sense of leadership and authority, he is powerfully built and projects an alpha-like masculinity. Something she desperately needs if she is to change her situation. The Kelvic shifts her weight to her knees, holding her half-eaten heart in one hand and staring holes into the back of his head. The chicken coup is stone, just like everything else here, and keeps the chickens from making too much noise, thankfully. She gently rolls her knees forward with three limbs on the ground, straining her neck to peek farther around the corner. She has learned much from these forays of predatory tracking with the Armsmaster; how to hold yourself relaxed without looking any smaller, how to passively scan your surroundings, and showing authority towards animals with your voice... Its a start, but she plans to ask him questions later. But right now she has a lesson to get to. She licks her lips and her eyes dilate to half again their size, giving into the the more active rumble of her drive. Her need to hunt totally eclipsing the small human voice in her head screaming of the stupidity of spooking large men who can set things on fire with their minds. His back is to her, as he's facing the courtyard area, so she slowly unfolds herself from her crouch. There is nothing to hide behind from the coup to the pole besides some mismatched building materials, and she is sure his observational skills are better then her sneaking abilities, so she decides to rush him as softly as she can instead of the slower stalking rout. She lets her tounge loll as she eyes the gap between them, imagining the tall Drykras as a particularly large, distracted buck. She wears full winter garb, but no shoes, so she has no problem rising to the balls of her feet to try and stay quiet. And with this half bent, wild eyed posture, she rushes him with as much stealth as she can muster. The footfalls are small, measured, but as fast as she dares. She counts out the steps in her mind: five more, four, three... "Ha!" she barks, lips pulled back in a triumphant smile. In her minds eye it is not a fistful of leather pant leg she has in her claw like hand, but rather the down fur and skin of a buck between her teeth.

[Vanator]

The Luvanor hound was not bad at stalking. Only the years of living in the grasslands, where one could be hunted by any number of large predators, had given Vanator the ability to catch glimpses of the prowling Rhy over the past tenday. The Drykas never let on, and honestly quite often, he only guessed she was lurking nearby. The Kelvic was a hunter, and the poor thing had been denied the ability to follow her instincts. Secretly, he was honored to be considered her practice prey, and he often lead her on a goose chase to help the girl bleed off her primal needs.

As the armsmaster played with his flames, he did not see Rhy crouching by the coup. Vanator expected her to show up soon, but was not expecting what the young Kelvic had planned. Too late did the Drykas hear the faint padding of small bare feet across the hard ground, though when he did, Van knew to whom they belonged. By the time he clenched his fist, extinguishing the flame, and spun around, Rhy had a firm, feral grip on his leather pants.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, looking down at the hound-girl. Her fanged grin was wide and generous. The flare of her small nostrils and gleam in her eyes, gold-flecked brown orbs like his own, proved she had been in full hunting mode. "I appreciate you choosing not to sink those pretty white teeth into my leg! I am glad you showed up, I have been looking forward to working on some things with you." He did not move until Rhy chose to release him.

"I have some ideas of things I would like to see you try, but why don't you tell me what you want, then we can loosen up and get started."

[Rhy]

Rhy shivers in delight and lets go of her eagle grip on his pant leg. The fact that he had spotted her before she could grab him made little difference to her. So what if the buck saw her if it didn't run away? And as far as she is concerned her secret hunting of the Armsmaster is just that, a secret. She has yet to master the subtle nuances of a perceptive human. Unlike shrieking marmosets or flagging deer, they don't give sure signs of awareness. They are much more clever then that. But the long hours of secretly hunting the Drykras has bolstered her confidence in the sport, and vanity in herself. She smiles toothily, straightens up and rolls her shoulders, giving a satisfying crack as the joints realign. And with that simple motion she releases her energy and settles into the more human, adult version of herself. The kind that can carry a serious conversation. She squeezes his arm in her version of a 'hello' and dances off to inspect the array of instruments brought from below. "Well, what I want is to be able to protect Gianne and myself if we are ever attacked again." She picks up a wooden short sword and swings it experimentally. "I'm not much of a..." she flounders for words, drawing an image of a large head and shoulders of a humanoid with the tip of the sword. "Presence", she concedes in Turkant, and signing the Pavi symbol for 'strong'. Her own meaning for physically intimidating. "Not in this body (have you seen the Akalaks?), and size only gets me so far in the other one. I need to learn to kick ass in both forms or I won't be of use to anyone. Especially not Gianne. And she is spending more and more time out on the grass." She jabs awkwardly at the air, mimicking what she has seen Akalak do in practise, and takes a few more overhanded swings. Whatever she was testing, she is done now, and drops the dummy sword back on the pile. She takes a last bite of heart as she faces him again. "And I have a problem of a more, mhm, personal nature I think you can help me with too. But I'll ask you about it later. For now, whatch'a have in mind?" "I am at your responsibility!" she adds in Pavi, mixing the words a bit, but with a surprisingly accurate accent.

[Vanator]

Vanator watched the kelvic girl prance off to inspect the bundle of items he had brought, some easy to identify like practice weapons and a small shield, others didn't offer much explanation. Rhy picked up the wooden short sword, and the Drykas noted her unconscious selection. Van followed her conversation, getting hung up on the Alakak word until she offered the grassland sign he recognized. He found her mingling of languages interesting, and he appreciated her Pavi, even if rudimentary.

"Well Rhy, you know I am here for you, for anything." Vanator smiled, but his tone was honest and was sincere. "So, when you are ready, my ears are yours. In the mean time, lets start from the beginning," He drew closer, resting his hand on her slim shoulder and meeting her gaze. "I want you to think differently about this form," he gestured down her body with his other hand,"...do not think that because you are not large or strong, you cannot be formidable." Van's hand slid from her shoulder and he took a step back. "first, you have a distinct advantage, because an attacker will be thinking that same thing about you. Small. Weak. Young. That gives you an edge, because they will be overconfident."

"You are right, you can't match a human or Akalak male's size or strength. But you don't have to. Your weapons will be speed and agility, to play the larger opponents own size and balance against him." He stepped forward again, his hands resting again on her shoulders. "Have you ever tried to swat a wasp? They are small and hard to hit, but pack a nasty sting." One had lifted to point a finger at her nose. "That will be you."

Vanator had no doubts that the luvanor had the heart of a fighter. He remembered the night of the Zith attack, her slim, naked form slipping between the stone spikes with a wieldy mace in hand, ready to defend her home and loved ones. It was an instinct, and regardless what shape her body assumed, that instinct was still strong.

Stepping back again, Van crossed his arms over his chest. "We will start in your human skin. For the sake of practice, go select a weapon, doesn't matter which one right now. Then come over here and take up a battle stance and lets see what you got."

[Rhy]

The Kelvic nods firmly, his explanation of her new fighting style duly noted. Though she is having a hard time coming to terms with his wasp metaphor. Flirt, weave, and annoy people to death? She's always attacked things head on in this body. And if she does not gain the upper hand within the first two chimes she tucks her metaphoric tail and runs away. Her defence is a ferocious and sudden offence, preferably by surprise. But what he is saying does make some sense. Except the wasp thing. Thats just strange. She also takes a note of his way of handling her. A firm, fatherly way that she's seen before, usually towards Cadara and herself. She's not sure if anyone else in Sanctuary has been on the receiving end of this phenomenon, is it part of how he commands subtle respect? She files the information away for later. At his beckon she goes to pick a weapon from the stack of wooden practice pieces. He says it does not matter which, but she takes a second to think over it anyway. If for no reason then to make a good impression as he throws her to her back again and again in practise. The sword she was testing before looks deadly enough, but strangely one-dimensional in style. Used to hack people to bits and nothing else. The daggers are too short (how would she ever get that close to the Armsmaster?), and the broadsword is too long and clumsy. Then the battle-axe is just too... much. She picks up the hand-axe and tests its weight. That'll do, she decides. Long handle, one handed, and a curved blade make for a formidable weapon. She licks her lips and turns back to the older Drykras with a smile. She faces off with a few feet away from the broad-shouldered man, automatically adopting a challenging pose for her battle stance. Her shoulders are thrown back and squared off like a mans, her legs stiff, wide apart and tall on the balls of her feet. A growl works its way from a deep part of her chest, vibrating through her teeth that show to the gums, nose and cheek crushing into deep lines. Then her mind rears as an almost physical wave. This isn't what he meant, think wasp! Agility and weakness and whatnot. The pose she originally adopted is more suited for the 'come at me' mentality. She needs something more loose and adaptive. She checks her balance and bends slightly at the knee, coming down from her high stance. She keeps her long legs wide but loosens up her shoulders, bringing her weapon down with a two handed grip close to her middle. The snarl cuts off and drowns to a humming that seems to vibrate from her whole body, her lips taunt but tongue and teeth suspiciously absent. She shifts her body weight experimentally, deciding that she can pull herself in any direction faster this way. She looks to Vanator for approval, but pulls back slightly lest he decide to test her stance right now.

[Vanator]

Vanator could see Rhy's eyes glaze over even as he tried to draw the anaolgy of the wasp. Her brows furrowed and her narrow features took on a quizzical cast. He did not pursue it further, sending her off instead to find something to practice with. He had to remember he was dealing with a Kelvic.

The Drykas watched as the girl took some consideration in the weapon she chose, pleased that she did not select a large, wielding weapon. With a grin that was both endearing and feral, Rhy returned, assuming her battle stance.

The hound's presence was worthy of an Akalak. Squared off facing Vanator, her shoulders back, legs planted, head tilted up slightly in defiance. The low rumble eminating from deep in her chest was the threatening growl of a guard dog. Unruly hair, challenging dark eyes and the hint of sharp teeth between her lips personified the beautiful nature of the luvanor hounds he grew up with, in a lovely human form. The Denusk hunting dogs were loyal and brave. Rhy was no less than that.

But at her self-examination, Vanator's smile widened. The canine girl relaxed her posture, allowing her knees to flex, acting as ready springs and pistons to propel her in whatever direction required. The Drykas nodded in approval, then took a few steps over to pick up a wooden broadsword, then returned to take up position facing Rhy.

"Very good! Now, make sure not to put all your weight on your front leg," Van swept out his leg until it stopped when it made contact with Rhy's front ankle, "...an opponent could take your leg out from under you and you would lose your balance. Balance will be the key, keeping yours...and taking your opponent's."

"Alright, take a swing at me."

[Rhy]

"Balance", she confirms like a good student, resting her weight evenly between her legs. She swings her weapon around in her hand, considering him for a moment as he tells her to attack. He picked the broadsword. And somewhere in the back of her mind she knows he could easily bludgeon her to death with it. "I won't go easy on you, old man", she teases. She's buying time, and she's sure it shows. Since when has she ever had to 'think it through' when attacking someone! That not how it works! The thinking part is limited to gauging risk and submission. Thats it. But she is here to learn the human way, that clever, strategic way. The axe is transferred to the other hand, swinging methodically, and back again. She studies him from head to boot in a quick flick of the eyes. He wants her to play up the small, weak and young strategy right? As if she is any of those things. Not in her own mind, anyway. A sudden idea comes to her. A stupid, scattered idea pulled from thin air. All at once she straightens up out of her stance and opens her mouth as if to ask a question. At the same time her constantly swinging arm lengthens to fully extended, and with a bound and a badly contained shout she swings it as hard as she can on top of its natural momentum. Planning to catch him off guard. Aiming right for his wrist holding the wooden sword.

[Vanator]

"I won't go easy on you, old man"

The girl's taunt was received with a wide grin, for it was not the first time the canine woman had teased him so. Rhy could get away with it, for Vanator had a soft spot for the young Kelvic. She exhibited both the loyalty and playfulness that many human's could not find within themselves, and he enjoyed having her around. However, Vanator was not so soft on her that he would allow it to hinder her training.

"And I will not go so easy on you, young pup." He shot the woman an ornery grin. Truth was, he would go easy enough not to harm her, but firm enough that she learned.

The Drykas could tell Rhy was stalling, watching as she fidgeted and overhandled her weapon. The girl continued her charade for a long moment, before she paused and stood, as if to ask a question, the wooden hand ax still shuttled from one hand to the other.
Vanator's eyes lifted from the 'T' of the upper torso he usually watched to foresee a coming attack, looking to Rhy for the pending question...but it never came.

Van saw her lunge forward, but not as soon as he could have. Rhy's choice of target was unexpected as well. Most would go for a vital spot, torso, head or neck, but the Kelvic swung for his hand. Vanator shifted his body to bring it out of the arc of her swing, but unused to the sword, he couldn't turn it in time to block, and the girl's wooden weapon glanced off of his knuckles.

"Petch!" He barked as the ax scraped a layer of skin from his fingers. His left hand raised and he cocked it back, instinctively ready to cuff his opponent soundly in the head. But the blow was belayed and a glowering glare quickly melted into a smile as the sting set in. "You clever little..." Switching the wooden sword to his other hand, Vanator shook out the bruised hand. His eyes settled on the Kelvic's. "I have to give you credit Rhy, that was unexpected. Your spirit was in the right place, you just need to work on technique. Your plan to strike my weapon hand was not a bad one. If I can't hold a weapon, I can't hit you with it. Usually, it is pretty difficult to do that. You just proved it is not impossible!"

Vanator took the wooden sword into his right hand again. "Lets see how you react to an attack." Giving the hound girl little time, he raised the sword and swung it at her, shoulder height. They Drykas did not put his full force behind it, nor full speed, but enough that it would inspire a hasty reaction from the dark-haired Kelvic.

[Rhy]

OOCSorry for the delay! Christmas/new year hiatus Had this been a real fight, Rhy knows she would have been killed thrice and left dangling at the end of that broadsword in the time it took Vanator to curse. But all the man did is wind up to clout her about the head. And she surprises herself by flinching and waiting for the strike rather then actually moving out of the way. And just for a second she sees on his face just what it would be like to be on the receiving end of his anger. And she doesn't like it very much. But the ass-kicking never happened, and instead the passionate Drykas lowers the hand, grins good naturedly and calls her clever. Clever as in: 'you clever little shyke'. Which is something you say to the kid that tricks you out of the last cookie. But he seemed to think it was a good idea, with a few execution falls. And that alone is enough to make her simper with pride. For his opinion of her matters greatly. Even if his opinion seems to hover somewhere between 'amusing' and 'child'. "Alright, glad to know thats a legitimate strategy and I'm not just knocking about", she laughed. "My plan didn't move far past 'get the wooden thing out of his hand', to be honest, and I didn't even get that far! But under your expert tutelage I'm sure I'll be bashing heads left and right before Kavala opens the gate and sets me loose on the world." Then a verbal warning from the Drykras and the broadsword transferred back to his wielding hand is all the preparation the Kelvic receives before she's attacked. A forceless dummy attack, naturally, but it still gave her a kick to the impulse. Much more then when she was expected to be the attacker. As a result she did not pull away or duck, but rather pushed herself into him with a force. Leading with a shoulder aimed at his ribs and a mouth for his adams apple, her weapon all but forgotten in her grip. But she misjudged just how long the broadsword is, and how fast she can clear the distance with his soft effort, and the weapon collides with her body at the guard and throws her aim. She skitters off to the side but immediately swings around for another go, her ribs acing but otherwise ok. Once he had completed the arc of his swing she has a chance. And she goes for the same trick of swinging at his sword hand with the back of her wooden axe.