ORIGIN

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She had come back, thankfully, to a much calmer Huckleberry then had been earlier in the day and that had made it much easier to set up this little session. She had little time to ever spend with her children alone, but none less then Elderberry - she was looking forward to getting to know her son better outside of the hectic full-family chaos.

Perhaps soon, but this was a time to get to know his skill instead, as well as Huckleberry and Mulberry, who she had taken as well. They were here in Polaris, Blackberry's personal favorite place to train, both for its close vicinity, openness, and the presence of the Spire, which gave magic training an extra push and a little extra energy to get through fighting.

Once they were a little ways into the cave, Blackberry turned around, pushing down a wince at the twinge in her chest. The bones Pride had broken were still healing and there was a tough wrapping of plants around her claws to let them heal good. But on her necklace was a new prize - a tuft of white hair, torn right off of the young deer's pelt. The battle was still fresh in her mind and it gave her satisfaction to think about. But she probably wouldn't be participating too much in her children's spar.

She looked over the three of them and how much they were growing, her chest fluffing with pride. They would be 2 cycles in just a few days.

"Children," she announced, proudly, "It's time for a little sparring session. Training time, if you please. It's something that is long overdue. I will assess your abilities one by one. You will attack - but not hurt! - your sibling on my command only. Elderberry, you will attack Mulberry. Mulberry, you will attack Huckleberry. Huckleberry, you will attack Elderberry. Only when I say and do not hurt! This is practice."

She nodded towards them. "Whenever you're ready, lunge at your opponent and attempt to knock them over."

@Kitaka @Elderberry

There was a haunting beauty to the blue glow that surrounded the Polaris entrance. Kitaka shuddered as she passed through the gaping tunnel mouth. She had been this way only once before, and it had been in a situation very similar to the one she was in now.

The hyena loped behind Blackberry, her long, charcoal dipped legs carrying her skeletal frame easily. The sounds of her hybrid siblings filled the air around her, so familiar now that she could tell where Huckleberry and Elderberry were without even looking.

Kitaka was grateful to see no one else in sight when Blackberry finally stopped. She knew this trip was meant as a training session, but there was always a chance they could run into someone and the situation change. Since she was in no condition for any real battles, she was more than happy to avoid them.

The consequences of the hyena's first battle had almost spoiled her appetite for them. Blackberry's victory over the deer, and offer to train, had inspired Kit again though. Fighting was in her family's blood, and their purpose was to shed other's blood in their name. She couldn't forget that, and she couldn't let herself be beaten again.

Kitaka listened to Blackberry's instructions intently, not wanting to miss a thing. Whenever the goose finally gave them permission to begin, she turned to face Huckleberry.

Eager to prove herself, the hyena darted forward without any consideration at all. After three, long strides, her left forepaw stepped on a jagged rock. She stumbled to the side with a yelp, unintentionally leaving herself open.

@Huckleberry

Huckleberry followed Mama, her eyes wide. She was feeling great today, enthusiastic and very energetic. Mama had taken her through some steps to try and stabalize her moods and, although it didn't work, she would try her best to stay on one track today. She wanted to do her best for the family!

She sat patiently, feeling a small change coming over her and focused intensly on Mama's claws. What she felt about them now. It was enough to stave away the crawling new feelings. Proud, she turned back to what Blackberry was saying about fighting.

She turned to Mulberry, an eternal smile on her face and watched the hyena lunge for her. She was completely silent, the same grin plastered on her mouth as she watched her fall. Now that it was her turn, she turned to Elderberry and bunched her muscles.

But then a moment later, a change forcibly came over her and, unprepared for it, she stumbled weakly and barely managed to lash at her sibling. She sat on the ground for a moment, feeling anger starting to well up and she looked at a rock intensely, trying to focus in before the smile spread across her face again. She turned back to Mama, with the grin once again, as if nothing had just happened.

@Elderberry

Elderberry listened to Mama's explanation with a silence that was regal and distinct, moose-like ears perked and green eyes focused. He gave a small nod at the end of her every sentence. So, this was it then. This was the circumstances in which family became something else; greater and closer than any other meeting. Through this, they might come to know each other more than any friendly nudge or nip, or uttered word.

Elderberry had, when their first call to arms rang throughout the caves, remained with his father. So, there was a hint of nervousness ruffling his downy feathers and twitching his ears. But he watched Huckleberry evenly, stepping back a little as she came to a halt before him. He moved towards her again with a nervous sniff, ears flickering, to make sure that she was okay. And then it was his turn, and he wouldn't hesitate.

Elderberry turned towards Mulberry and planted his hooves firmly apart. He softly clacked his beak.

"Prepare."

Elderberry sprang with all the grace of a duckling fired from a cannon.

@Kitaka

Blackberry watched carefully as the first two children failed in their excitement. No focus at all, except for Elderberry, who seemed to have a decent lunge. But he looked absolutely ridiculous. Then again, battles were not about looking the best, they were about winning.

She frowned at Huckleberry and Mulberry, one of her claws tapping on the stone. "Focus, children. Calm yourselves. There is one thing important right now and that it your training. Keep your mind on that and that alone. Visualize where you are going to leap and do nothing else but lunge towards your target. A distracted fighter is a dead fighter."

She clacked her beak and nodded at Mulberry. "Again. Stay focused this time."

@Kitaka

Kitaka was too wrapped up in her own predicament to notice Huckleberry's. While she gnawed at the jagged spear of rock that was lodged in her pad, the hybrid stumbled and failed at their own attempt to lunge and attack.

It wasn't until Elderberry told the hyena to prepare that she even looked up. Her slender, charcoal mask turned up just in time to see her sibling in the middle of throwing themself at her. There was no time to scramble up to her, three, paws to avoid the hit. All the pup could do was watch as the hybrid came closer and closer until they finally collided.

The impact wasn't nearly as hard as Kit had expected it to be though. She was grateful, and not for the first time, that her hybrid siblings seemed to be much lighter than Blueberry. Though Baneberry and Elderberry seemed to share some of his height, they also seemed to have the lighter bone structure like Blackberry. Kitaka recalled that it had something to do with being able to fly, but she didn't pursue that trail of thought.

Her ears pricked as Blackberry spoke up again, this time to chastise and instruct her and Huckleberry on how to improve. Kit listened intently, nodding after each sentence to show she understood.
When she was finally given the go ahead to proceed, the pup turned toward her opponent and lowered her head. Her deep brown orbs narrowed as she assessed how Huckleberry was standing, and her tail twitched as she imagined ways to tackle him. However, she thought about the possibilities for so long, that she forgot about her paw.

She'd been holding it up, instinctively keeping her weight off of it while she thought. Whenever she finally lowered it to take a step, and lunge, though, she pressed the piece of rock deeper into her pad. Another yelp ripped from her maw as her leg folded underneath her.

@Huckleberry

Huckleberry couldn't help it this time. When Mulberry went flying towards him before stumbling and falling again, he burst out laughing. He laughed at his sister's fall for a moment before he caught Mama's burning gaze, full of anger and disappointment in him and he immediately stopped. Sadness weighed down his body all of a sudden and he stepped forward, giving Mulberry a soft nudge. "I am sorry," he murmured. "I did not try to be rude, no, no, it was not to be rude."

He turned towards Elderberry, trying to push down all the emotions again, trying to steady himself. But his feet were beginning to dance lightly with excitement and he stepped forward, prancing strangely. "It's my turn, my turn. Gotta focus, focus on Elder. Yes, yes, yes, attack and knock." He trained himself on his sibling, but there were so many things going on in his head he didn't know how to do it. Eventually, he gave up and lunged forward. It was a little better this time, but not very graceful as he reached towards Elderberry's legs, trying to swoop him right off of his feet.

@Elderberry

Elderberry stepped away from Kitaka. It was hard to tell, but he seemed pleased with his efforts as he stepped back, at enough of a distance to lunge again when it was once more his turn. Then he looked at Blackberry, her voice domineering the situation.

Elderberry's head followed Huckleberry's prancing motions, and his legs stiffened slightly. The hybrid held his ground, fluffing out his back feathers until his sibling lunged. The heavier hybrid bowled into him, sending him skittering backwards, hooves over head. Finally, Elderberry slid to a halt, and clambered back up onto all four hooves.

After quickly shaking himself off, Elderberry turned his attention towards Mulberry, lunging once more.

Blackberry nodded, approvingly, as Huckleberry and Elderberry did better that time, but Mulberry was still falling behind. She turned to the hyena and wondered why she wasn't doing as well as the others. Was it because she was not a child of her and Blueberry? No, that couldn't be it. She had shown her ferocity and enthusiasm when they had first met. She was a good fighter. Perhaps she was nervous and wanted to prove herself.

But, either way, Blackberry frowned at her and hissed lowly. She stepped forward and leaned down, grasping the rock and ripping it out of the canine's pad. "If something is bother you, don't let it go deeper! Destroy it before it has the chance to hurt you again." She turned to the other children. "This is a good lesson for you as well. One chance is all anyone needs, unless they deserve a second. If they do not, destroy them."

She picked the rock up and swung her head, releasing it at the pinnicle point. The rock flew through the air and smashed into a boulder not far away, where it split in two, the halves falling away on opposite sides.

She turned back to her children, her eyes glaring at each one in turn. Should they keep practicing the lunge for Mulberry? But she had already had two chances. She would have to learn it on her own. "Another essential part of battle is the bite. I have won many a fight by simply crunching down and holding on. Now, you will not be trying to draw blood or crush bones, but you should have a grip firm enough to hold on, even if your sibling tries to throw you off. You will let go if you are still holding on after 5 seconds. It is a good thing we all have mouths and beaks here. In the same order we did before. Off you go."

(you don't have to roll to shake the other off, just for biting and holding on)

@Kitaka

Kitaka did not notice Huckleberry's laughter. All of her attention was focused on prying the rock from her pad.
It was stuck deep, like an unwanted passenger trying to hitch a ride. Her underbite made it difficult for her to get a grip on the rock, so she basically gnawed at it until it was Elderberry's turn.

Whenever the hybrid hit her this time, the hyena wasn't able to keep on her paws. Even though her sibling was light, she didn't have as good of footing as she had before. The impact sent the pup tumbling, which was hard to stop with only three paws.
Before Kit could stand back up, Blackberry was over her. The goose snaked her head down and ripped out the rock with one snap of her beak. The now open wound throbbed, which Kitaka thought felt worse than something stuck inside it, but she pushed the thoughts away to listen.

Blackberry's words were, as always, blunt but full of wisdom. The hyena nodded, grateful for the instruction, and then pushed back up to her paws whenever Mother turned to address the other children. She took a deep breath, trying to control the throbbing pain in her paw. In an attempt to focus, she looked up to Blackberry, just in time to see her send the rock flying.

The jagged piece hit the wall, and broke into two pieces. Kit eyed them warily, then turned her gaze back to Blackberry whenever she began to explain what the next part of training would be. It should have been easy for her, considering she had the sharpest teeth here, but her underbite made this exercise as uncertain as the last.

Kitaka tensed whenever Mother instructed her to go again. She wasn't ready, she knew that, but she also knew that she wouldn't get any special treatment. There would be no breaks because of her injury, so she'd just have to do the best she could.
She darted forward, surprisingly fast despite having to limp, but her bite was, of course, off. The hyena felt only thin air as she snapped her jaws shut, making her growl in frustration.

Can I do nothing right!? she thought in despair as she turned toward Elderberry and braced for their attack.

@Huckleberry

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Nameless

Kitaka

Huckleberry

Elderberry

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Kitaka

Huckleberry

Elderberry

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Kitaka