Little Fangs (Any)

[Electus]

"Can I try, Uncle Umbra?"

"First, do not presume to give me that title." Umbra growled quietly.

"You do not...try. A warrior learns by doing. You learn to kill by killing. You learn to fight by fighting. You learn to be a shadow in the night by learning first how to disappear. You learn to make your enemies fear you by striking from the dark, from above, from where they least expect! Then you make them dread your name by disappearing when they look to find their comrade in a pool of their own blood.

"So do, little fang. Use your cunning, use your stealth, and your terrain. Paths are made by moving forward!"

[nightblood]

"First, do not presume to give me that title."

Zuka didn't understand. If this was part of her uncle, didn't it make sense that the title was carried to him as well? Or maybe... Mother had told her that they were to separate souls. Separate identities. It was Uncle Mortil's body, but Umbra was there too. But it was still hard for the pup to understand. Maybe the two wanted to be distanced from each other, though, as it was explained to Zuka, it sounded as if there should have been another body born. They were basically brothers... weren't they?

Her ears folded at the growl as the thoughts passed over things she could not hope to understand. She would ask for clarification later, probably from the safer side.

"You do not...try. A warrior learns by doing. You learn to kill by killing. You learn to fight by fighting. You learn to be a shadow in the night by learning first how to disappear. You learn to make your enemies fear you by striking from the dark, from above, from where they least expect! Then you make them dread your name by disappearing when they look to find their comrade in a pool of their own blood."

A cold shiver ran up her spine. She'd like that, being feared. Khenti wouldn't have the guts to show off around her anymore.

"So do, little fang. Use your cunning, use your stealth, and your terrain. Paths are made by moving forward!"

At his command, Zuka moved into her hiding spot once again, this time, laying down and closing her eyes. After stopping herself from focusing on the darkness, she instead opened her ears to the sounds of the forest. As she did, she slowly began to see again. There was a squirrel in the tree next to her, high in the branches gathering acorns. A bird as flapping in the distance. Her brow furrowed, worried that it could be the hawk again. But as it passed, she calmed herself, searching for more sounds.

[Electus]

Umbra exhaled slowly, a fell smile on his face. "Yes...exquisite, is it not? To feel the things around you...but to not see them. Sight is but one tool of the warrior. A warrior uses all his senses to fight. A mere twitch of the muscle, a slight flicker of the eyes...are all the openings a warrior needs."

Umbra began to circle slowly the ground upon which he sat. "You will talk of this technique to no one but your mother unless I permit it. It is not something everyone can learn, let alone master. I alone will decide who will learn it and who will not. Understand?"

Without waiting for an answer, Umbra began talking again. "Now, I believe I will escort you back to your mother. Albireo may be able to train you all day, but I want my sleep. Come."

With that, the berserker walked through the thicket of brambles and toward Nightblood's den without a second thought.

[nightblood]

"Yes...exquisite, is it not? To feel the things around you...but to not see them. Sight is but one tool of the warrior. A warrior uses all his senses to fight. A mere twitch of the muscle, a slight flicker of the eyes...are all the openings a warrior needs."

Zuka heard Umbra stand up and circle, much like Uncle Mortil did. The grass and leaves crinkled and shifted as they were disturbed.

"You will talk of this technique to no one but your mother unless I permit it. It is not something everyone can learn, let alone master. I alone will decide who will learn it and who will not. Understand?"

Zuka opened her eyes at the order. A technique just for her? Awesome! Khenti and Surethim would NEVER be able to top her now!

"Now, I believe I will escort you back to your mother. Albireo may be able to train you all day, but I want my sleep. Come."

"Yes sir!" she exclaimed happily as she jumped up and bolted toward him. It was easy to follow him as he pushed the brambles aside. There were only a few branches that whipped back and threatened to hit her in the nose. These, she avoided by ducking and hopping as she tried to keep up with the taller wolf.

[Electus]

Umbra smiled, amused. The little fang was quite a lively one.

She will make a fine killer.[/color]

He led her easily through the winding dark of Arnlan, yawning a bit nonchalantly.

"Little fang. What is your goal?" the warrior asked in a neutral voice as they neared Nightblood's den.

"Well. It matters not what it is. Just remember this."

He bent down til he and Zuka were eye to eye. "A warrior must strike while he has the advantage. A warrior must kill without hesitation. A warrior must be cunning, a shadow in the night. He must strike and then disappear, leaving only his enemy's corpse. That is what it means to be a warrior of Arnlan. Sometimes, your teacher and your mother lose sight of this. But never forget, little fang. Remind your mother as I constantly remind Albireo. Remind your brethren, your kin. We are the warriors of Arnlan, land of shadow. We strike, we kill, we vanish."

Umbra raised his head and lifted his voice. "Nightblood! Come out and stretch your muscles!"

He looked to Zuka again. "Goodbye, little fang. We'll not meet again for quite some time."

With that, Umbra made the switch with Mortil.

"Hm. He has his moments." Mortil said softly.

[nightblood]

"Little fang. What is your goal?"

"Goal?" Zuka asked, confused. She'd never been asked that question.

"Well. It matters not what it is. Just remember this."

The pup's ears flicked forward as her Uncle, or rather, her Uncle's eyes locked to hers at her level. She would hear every word this dark half of Mortil had to say.

"A warrior must strike while he has the advantage. A warrior must kill without hesitation. A warrior must be cunning, a shadow in the night. He must strike and then disappear, leaving only his enemy's corpse. That is what it means to be a warrior of Arnlan. Sometimes, your teacher and your mother lose sight of this. But never forget, little fang. Remind your mother as I constantly remind Albireo. Remind your brethren, your kin. We are the warriors of Arnlan, land of shadow. We strike, we kill, we vanish."

"Yes sir," she answered, spine shivering with delight. She couldn't wait to be Arnlan's greatest warrior!

"Nightblood! Come out and stretch your muscles!"

Zuka winced at his lifted voice as he called to her mother. She didn't know if she'd take her running off to train with Umbra too well. She'd know soon enough, however. True to form, the Beta of the pack rushed out of her den when she heard Umbra's call. She always snapped to attention when anything that had to do with Mortilitas Umbra, her pups, the Alphas, Arnlan, or Sallin was mentioned.

"Umbra... I didn't expect you do suffer an audience with pups," said NightBlood, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw that her daughter was unharmed.

"Goodbye, little fang. We'll not meet again for quite some time."

Zuka's ears folded at the news. Where was he going? She quite liked this dark half. He was very informative.

"Goodbye, U-Umbra," she answered, catching herself before she said 'Uncle'.

It was then that she noticed the change of eye color that signified a switch had been made. It was the first time she had seen it, but her mother had described it once. She wagged her tail when she saw that he had become her Uncle Mortil again.

"Hm. He has his moments."

"Umbra's fun, Uncle Mortil," Zuka said with a big grin, "A little creepy, but fun!"

As NightBlood smiled at the exchanged between the gray male and her daughter. Knowing that Zuka could be around Umbra alone (probably supervised by Mortil) and come home alive gave her comfort. If Zuka gained both Mortil and Umbra's favor, she had the ultimate shield and would never be unprotected, with or without their presence.

[Electus]

"Umbra's fun, Uncle Mortil," Zuka said with a big grin, "A little creepy, but fun!"

Mortil smiled grimly. "I wish I thought that." he said quietly to himself.

He looked at Nightblood. "Your daughter here almost got eaten by a hawk." he said, grinning a little. "I managed to prevent that."

The ash-grey warrior looked at Zuka.

"Don't think you're off the hook, little one. You and your brothers and sisters still have to train tomorrow."

[nightblood]

Zuka didn't catch what her Uncle had said, mainly because she was running at top speed to her mother's side before she got scolded even more.

"Your daughter here almost got eaten by a hawk." he said, grinning a little. "I managed to prevent that."

The pup was about to retort when she got an evil glare from her mother. Yep. She was in for it.

"Thank you, Mortil. Zuka, you owe him your life. I hope you said your thanks as well."

"I did," she said, pulling her ears down.

"Don't think you're off the hook, little one. You and your brothers and sister still have to train tomorrow."

"Yes sir..."

[Electus]

"Yes sir..."

Mortil nodded.

"Don't be too hard on her, Nightblood. Heaven knows I'll be tomorrow. To all of 'em."

The ash-grey warrior smiled grimly. "'Til tomorrow then, sister. If you need me, simply call. I will hear."

With that, Mortil turned and silently vanished into the concealing darkness of Arnlan.