Huckleberry listened to Mama's instructions carefully. They had never bitten anything before and they wondered what it was like. No, that wasn't true. They ate plants, they ate food. Were they supposed to eat their sibling? They didn't think so, that sounded like it would hurt and Mama had said that they weren't supposed to be hurting each other.

She watched as Mulberry came closer and stood still to let her bite them, but even then she missed. Her ears flopped back and she stepped away, sympathizing with her sister. "It's okay, yeah, it's fine. You have more chances, yes, you deserve more chances. Many more, many more, you can do it, Mulberry!"

They then turned towards Elderberry and wondered how they would bite them without hurting them. They scratched at the ground absentmindedly for a moment, looking for a spot, and then found that spot. With a sudden, jerking movement, they lunged forward. They sunk their teeth lightly into Elderberry's leg, but they would be very easy to shake off. Fearful as they were not to hurt their sibling, they didn't know how to be strong enough to stay holding on as well.

@Elderberry

Elderberry watched unblinkingly as Mama scolded Mulberry, his ears quivering slightly as the harsh advice was directed towards him and Huckleberry. "One chance," he echoed with a small dip of his head. And then the next instruction was given. Elderberry faced Huckleberry, legs stiff and downy neck held ready.

When huckleberry was successful in clamping down on one of his forelegs, Elderberry flinched, but promptly went about shaking them off. When he was free again, he backed away from Mulberry and into position, before rearing back on his hind legs in a (not very intimidating) preparation and charging forward, beak opening wide.

Once again, the hybrid was successful in this endeavour. Even though he was unsteady as he blundered forward, the hybrid's aim was true. He stretched out his neck and clacked his beak before trying to grab one of the pup's forelegs in a gentle, but firm grasp.

@Kitaka

Kitaka watched dispassionately as Huckleberry clamped on to Elderberry's willowy leg. She should have been happy for her sibling, but all the pup could think about was her own mishaps. Every single thing she had tried had failed in one way or another. Was coming to training a mistake, she wondered silently, was she not ready yet?

The doubts were pushed to the back of the hyena's mind whenever she felt Elderberry clamp on to her foreleg. Her sibling's grip was firm, but the bird lacked teeth to hold their opponent in place. With one jerk of her foreleg, Kitaka was free.
She didn't wait for Blackberry to berate her again though. Kit knew she'd failed, and she desperately wanted to make up for it. After quickly side-stepping around Elderberry, Kitaka crouched and then launched herself at Huckleberry.

The move wasn't as planned as it could have been, and nearly sent her flying past the hybrid. With one desperate snap though, she caught and held on to her sibling just long enough to jerk her thin frame about. She plopped down next to Huckleberry, releasing them the moment her paws touched the cavern floor.

Triump momentarily soared through Kitaka. She squished it though and turned to worriedly sniff at Huckleberry. She had to make sure she hadn't hurt them. She wanted to succeed at training, and get as good as fighting as Mother and Blueberry, but she didn't want to harm her family in the process. Nothing was worth that.

@Blackberry @Huckleberry

Blackberry hissed again at Mulberry's failure. The child had shown spirit when she had picked her up, she had shown her great potential. But it seemed as if she could do nothing right. Blackberry remembered what she had told the children and decided that they would move onto something else. Mulberry had her chance. If she wanted to practice on her own, more power to her.

She turned away from the hyena and watched Huckleberry and Elderberry succeed in their attacks, although they were a little weaker then she would have wanted. At least they managed to do it and Blackberry nodded with approval. With practice, they would become much stronger fighters.

She opened her beak to explain their next lesson when, all of a sudden, Mulberry ran at Huckleberry again and landed her attack, although a little strangely. At first, Blackberry was outraged that she dare attack before she gave the command and, for a moment, it looked like she was about to yell at her about it.

But, then again, wasn't her fighting ability the only thing that mattered? Her success? She was eager to prove herself, eager to get it right. Still, Blackberry would not let her command be overriden.

"You are only to attack when I give the word," she hissed at the hyena. "Your attack was better this time, but you will not go again until I say you can!" Behind her eyes, though, there was a sparkle of pride. Her children were eager to learn fighting.

She nodded at Huckleberry and Elderberry. "You might as well do the same and then we shall move to something new.

@Elderberry

Huckleberry paced around, excited for their next turn. Elderberry did good, and so did they! Both did good, yes both! They wanted to see Mulberry succeed too, they wanted all the family to succeed! So it was both a surprise and a joy to see Mulberry leap at them and grab their leg. Although it was a small move, Huckleberry gave a small leap for joy. "Oh, good job! Good job, Mulberry, you did it! Yes, yes! I'm happy for you, so happy!" They bumped their head against the hyena's shoulder before turning to Elderberry. Mama said to do the same thing again...didn't she?

But Huckleberry didn't want to. No, he didn't want to. How boring. He had already done it fine before. This was probably what made him fall short when he leaped at Elderberry. His minimal effort bite completely missed his brother and he went tumbling down behind. He got up slowly, his eyes burning as he dragged himself back to his place, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags:
notes: here

Elderberry listened, fluffy ears pricked, gaze lowering slightly as his sister was reprimanded for her preemptive attack. But as soon as Blackberry had finished, he turned towards her and gave an appreciative nod. Alhough he said nothing, the thought of a proper match, on perhaps more equal grounds, sent a thrill to the very tips of Elderberry's hooves. He looked forward to his turn, and stood his ground against Huckleberry, facing down the other hybrid with a green eyes that were hard as steel in his ridiculous fluffy face.

Huckleberry, however, appeared to have lost the edge, and Elderberry's ears pricked forward as the other hybrid missed completely, and toppled to the ground at his feet. He clacked his beak a few times in amusement, letting out a low humming sound from his chest. He adjusted his stance to face Mulberry once again. It seemed he was getting the hang of it; the hybrid charged with more confidence this time, the feathers along his back and neck standing on end, ears forward and eyes focused in on their target.

He opened his beak to latch onto Mulberry's chest or upper forelimb- gently, he hoped, but it might have been that the youngster had miscalculated the force of his attack.


@Blackberry

Blackberry watched the other two do their attack and gave an approving nod as Elderberry strongly clamped down on Mulberry. She had first mistaken him to be strange, clumsy, and too quiet for what she planned, but it seemed he preferred the fight rather then the word. Blackberry respected that and a new surge of affection for her children filled her. "Good. You are all learning. You will make mistakes, but do not let that hinder you. Now...we're going to skip ahead a little. Let's see how you do in a fight...a little spar. Elderberry and Huckleberry, you will face each other." She turned to Mulberry and narrowed her eyes. "You will fight me," she hissed.

She whipped her head around, suddenly locking each child with a burning glare. "This is practice! You are to fight but do not fight to hurt or kill! If it happens, though, that you get hurt, do not stop until I say so!"

She turned back to Mulberry and lowered her head, getting into attack position. "You go first," she snarled. "See if you can hit me."

@Kitaka @Elderberry

Elderberry let go of his sister after a few seconds, raising his head back up to full height and prancing back to his spot with high-stepping hooves. He turned to his mother again, eyes glimmering with a spark of excitement as he listened, the tips of his ears twitching to attention. He turned to huckleberry and planted his hooves, the position becoming more and more natural over time. The feathers along his back prickled upright, making him look bigger, and he clacked his beak in readiness.

As Blackberry issued her command to Mulberry, Elderberry readied himself for his move on Huckleberry. After a moment of preparation he went for the attack, hooves clattering against the stony earth. He went to try and grab Huckleberry's wing, opening his beak wide, and hoping that the move would be unexpected. But for the first time, Elderberry stumbled, and found himself missing completely, leaving one side open to attack.

He let out a dismayed bleat, fully aware of his mistake.

Round 1/?
Attack: grab huckleberry's wing
Defense: None
Injuries: none

---

"When I speak."

When I think.

@Huckleberry @kitaka

Despite Huckleberry's enthusiasm and encouragement, Mulberry ducked her head in submission. One look at Blackberry led her to believe that that was the best course of action, and she seemed to be right. Mother didn't scream and honk, and her warning was even followed by praise. The pup let her tail wag hopefully and then raised her head whenever Blackberry turned to the two hybrids.

The pair were supposed to try to bite again, but Huckleberry didn't look like they wanted to. Elderberry, on the other paw, seemed to be ready to spring from the moment it was their turn. It might be because they were given plenty of time to prepare, but the hybrid made the most of it. They charged straight at Mulberry, making her muscles instinctively tense up in preparation to spring away. She had to will herself to stay still and let Elderberry clamp their beak on to her foreleg. It was a better grip than before, which allowed them to hold on the entire five seconds that they were required to.

Once they let go, the hyena felt a soreness blossom in her leg. She lifted and stretched it a couple of times, then finally set it back down whenever Blackberry spoke up again. The goose praised their progress thus far, and even made note that everyone makes mistakes. Just as the pup began to feel hopeful of doing better at whatever move was to be taught next, Mother announced that they would now move on to training battles. She would, of course, be facing off against the matriarch herself.

Kitaka tensed, her eyes wide as she stared at Blackberry. She nodded vigorously whenever Mother said they were not fighting to hurt or to kill, but she didn't actually hear what she was agreeing to. Her heart was pounding too fast and too hard to be able to hear anything else but it.

Whenever Blackberry finally turned toward her though, her instincts kicked in. No sooner had the goose gotten the words out of their beak, instructing the pup to go first, than she sprung forward. With her slender crown lowered, Mulberry charged straight toward the goose.
She hoped to knock her down since all opponents were easier to handle off their feet. Kit wasn't unaware of her severe disadvantage in the fight. Any upperpaw she could gain would help her prove that she had learned something today and she was worth every moment Blackberry and the others had spent with her.

@Huckleberry

Round: 1
Attack: Ram her!
Defense: None
Injuries: None

Huckleberry wanted to do good for his Mama. He wanted to impress her. He wanted her to be proud of him, but he knew that she wasn't. Not yet. He was too unpredictable. Sudden awareness of himself went into his head and he perked his ears with surprise. It was like everything became clear for just a moment.

He turned towards Elderberry at his mother's command and nodded, his eyes shining, muttering quietly under his breath. "Okay, attack. Don't hurt. Attack. Don't kill. Gentle, gentle, but strong and strong. Fight. Spar."

As Elderberry lunged towards him, he prepared to dodge, but there was no need as his brother stumbled. He didn't emotionally react, instead choosing to counterattack against Elderberry who had left his side open to attack. Huckleberry leaped forward, his front talons extended to give him a shove, hopefully strong enough to knock him over.

Round 1
Attempt: knock him over
Defense: none
Injuries: none

"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags:
notes: here