always

oh your hands can heal, your hands can bruise. I don't have a choice but I'd still choose you.

As Taliesin scrambled, clearly taken by surprise at suddenly no longer having the earth beneath his paws, Alcide easily placed himself over the boy. Staring down at him, he waited a moment for the mahogany hued lad to settle before he spoke. Alcide’s words were smooth, his deep vocalizations instructive and then turning to become inquisitive. Silence fell between them then as the massive alpha saw the juvenile’s mind go to work, trying to map out his escape route effectively in his mind before he vocalized his ideas. It was clear to Alcide that Taliesin was graced with intelligence and the ability to think things through before he took action, even in a situation that most definitely had his blood pumping faster than normal. It was a trait that was most attractive in a would be soldier, and the behemoth would not soon forget that he had recognized it in Taliesin on this day.

When Taliesin began to explain his ideas, Alcide nodded at each one in turn, a small smile creasing the very corners of his maw. The boy was smart. “Excellent,” he stated simply. “Kicking up at the stomach is a technique that works quite well. Be sure to dig your claws in the best you can with each kick; even though they are blunt the skin that covers the abdomen is incredibly sensitive and soft. It’s much easier to damage than, say, the skin over your ruff.” Shifting his weight slightly he continued to stand over the boy, watching intently as Taliesin turned his head to the side and almost seemed to study the large paw of his foster father for a moment. Alcide could practically see the idea light in his eyes as he began to inquire about the possibilities of trying to cause his opponent to fall. An intelligent boy, indeed.

Of course Alcide was presently far larger than Taliesin, but when the time someday came for him to fight or defend himself, hopefully he would be matched more evenly with his challenger. “If the wolf is equal to you in size or smaller, or even slightly larger, it is a definite possibility. It is not tactic used frequently and so you might be able to catch them by surprise when they’re expecting an assault on their stomach,” he said. Lifting the paw that Taliesin had in his sights, he offered the region that connected paw to leg to his student’s jaws. Once Tal had taken the limb in his mouth – though he would not be able to grip as well as he would when he was older, Alcide had massive paws and the legs that carried him were equally sturdy – Alcide said, “Now if you pull back towards yourself and to the other leg, chances are you’ll throw a wolf enough off balance that he’ll fall or at least stumble enough to let you get out unscathed.” Nodding to reassure Taliesin that it was OK for him to try, his limb followed the course over Tal’s body and to his other leg. Of course Alcide had been prepared for such movement, but to demonstrate the usefulness of the action he stumbled and gracefully fell to his side next to Taliesin, freeing him from his pin. He remained where he was for a moment, watching Taliesin to see how he reacted to his freedom and where he would go next.

alcide | sixteen | moonglow | polaris of spirane
sleekwing, swallowbane, orca, daenerys, ceal, taliesin | ♥