I've had enough of leaves. (Attn. Prew)

[Julio]

Adra stepped into the yard, uncomfortable in grey. For as much of her life as she could remember, she had worn bright colours, and lots of them. Now, she must wear grey. She fingered the dagger she had at her belt, the only thing she had that could be classified as a weapon. The only reason she had it now was that it could be classified otherwise. Well, she wasn't with the Tuatha'an. She no longer followed the way of the leaf. She was here to learn to fight. To injure, to kill.

She stood for a moment to get her bearing. Glancing around, she finally saw her instructor; Prewtez Gaidin. She stepped briskly, the cool air invigorating her. It wasn't cold, but it certainly wasn't warm. She stood near Prewtez's space, waiting a moment for him to pause his practicing. After a moment she stepped up. "Hello, I am Adra Glencor. I was told that you would teach me to wield a sword."

[Prew]

Perspiration trickled down his bare back as Prewtez worked the forms: The Cyclone on the Plain flowed into the Lizard in the Thornbush which became Twisting in the Wind. His heightened sense of awareness, what some called the emptiness, suddenly alerted him to a spectator. Folding the Fan, he turned to behold a slight young woman, a Cairhienin by the look of her though he could not be sure.

“Well met, Adra Glencor, so you wish to learn the sword, eh?” he paused to look her up and down. Prewtez knew that size often did not matter, and that a woman could prove more deadly than any man. Still, he thought she might be better suited to the dagger as he sensed a quickness about her. Hmmm. Perhaps she could make an excellent swordsman at that.

“It would be my pleasure to offer what instruction I can, but first answer me two questions, Drin.” He wiped the sweat from face and back before donning his shirt. As he worked the buttons he continued:

“First, what do you know of the Void, sometimes called ko’di in the Borderlands?” he doubted she was from one of those nations but offered the term just in case.

“Second, are you familiar with sword forms? While a soldier in a shield wall may hack and slash, a true swordsman dances the forms, each having a particular purpose.”

Smiling, he picked up his jacket and slipped it on while awaiting her answer.

[Julio]

Two questions. That shouldn't be too hard. When she heard the questions, though, she wasn't so sure.

"I know nothing of the Void, under any name. Neither do I know anything of forms. I don't have any experience with swords, or any other weapon, really. I came to the tower with no skills of use."

As she spoke, she realized how useless she really was, and it likely showed on her face. She could run, swim, and climb, but knew nothing of fighting. All of these other people seemed to know what they were doing, even those her rank. They all knew what they were doing, she knew nothing. Perhaps she should leave, go back to her caravan. That was the place for people who couldn't fight.

"I'm useless. I don't know why I was accepted as a trainee."

Her temper flared, and she wished she could beat someone in a fight. Her hand clenched around her dagger as she watched the Warder, wondering what he would think of her answers.

[Prew]

His eyebrow arched in surprise, the scar above it a violent pink, as Prewtez listened to her admission. He had met several applicants whose braggadocio soon dissipated once they faced the rigors of the Warder Yard but this was the first time he had heard a Drin openly question their worthiness. No doubt most did, privately, and certainly by the time of the Survival Test, but this wisp of a girl was at that point already. Light! What could he do to bolster her confidence?

“Look, Adra,” the formality of rank was abandoned for the moment as he sought to encourage her, “You came here for a purpose. No one simply petitions to join the Warder Yard on a lark. Think on that purpose, on the reason you made the journey here, agreed to submit to the discipline of the place. Skills can be learned and honed, but determination and commitment…. That is up to you.”

He took up two of the bundled practice swords and handed her one. Assuming The Kingfisher Watches the Sky he told her “Attack me. Let us see what natural affinity you might have for the weapon.”

[Julio]

Indeed, she did come for a purpose. That purpose still stood. The only problem was whether she would ever be able to complete it. A noble house is hard to destroy, especially for someone who can't fight. That was why she came... to learn to fight. She would learn.

She took the sword, feeling its awkward weight. She put her other hand on the hilt, feeling nervous as the Gaidin stepped into a stance, his sword held horizontally. Adra lifted her sword, stepped forward a little with both feet, and swung horizontally. She hoped to hit him on the shoulder over his sword. She had no idea whether she was hitting with the correct part of the sword, swinging correctly, or anything of the sort. She just swung.

He was Andoran. She had seen enough Andorans to be able to tell. She gripped the sword tightly, her arms unconsciously tightening and adding strength to her blow. She couldn't know, and it wouldn't have helped if she had, that it slowed her strike significantly. Her jaw clenched, and her sword continued on its way.

[Prew]

He did not embrace the void, preferring to concentrate on what the girl was doing rather than his own sword. From the way she gripped the hilt Prewtez wondered if Adra had even held a sword before. As she stepped forward to deliver a blow, for that was the best description of her attack, he made note of her footwork, a natural quickness of step, and moved his blade to block hers. It would have required no effort to move into The Grapevine Twines and disarm her, but Prewtez reasoned that would only add to her lack of confidence. The last thing needed now was to confirm in her mind that she was useless. He would not allow that.

Instead, he took a step backwards, shifting to Apple Blossoms in the Wind, slowly moving to her left as he spoke. “There are times when emotion is a useful thing, Drin. I have seen soldiers become berserkers, allowing anger to take hold. They are a fearsome sight… until they die, and die they usually do. Anger leaves you open to a killing counterstrike. This is why we preach the void technique at the Tower. All practice it, those who channel and those of us in the Yard.” He stopped to see if she was paying attention or had her anger gotten the better of her? Warily he moved his sword, prepared to deflect another attack if one should be forthcoming.

“You struck as if you wanted to behead me, which is a fine objective in a fight with a Fade, but one you would not live to see achieved. Control your emotions, practice assuming the Void. I can instruct you if you wish or you might seek an Accepted or Dedicated to share their technique. And then, if you still wish to learn the sword, I shall be here tomorrow at this time and would be pleased to teach you some forms. You have a natural quickness that could serve you well with a little training.”

He waited for Adra’s response before adding, “You should also visit the armory and select a sword that you intend to use. I suggest something fairly light, a rapier or a katana such as I carry. Stay away from broadswords and cutlasses.”

[Julio]

Adra was shamed by his ease in blocking, and more so by his reproof for her anger. "I'll be sure to seek out someone to teach me of the Void. I don't want to be a berserker. Dying won't help me." Or my family, either. Not that anything can help them, now. "I'll be back tomorrow, unless something suddenly stops me. I intend to learn to fight with a sword." Whatever it takes.

She didn't say that out loud, but it was doubtless obvious to anyone nearby. After she had respectfully bidden farewell to Prewtez Gaidin, she headed off to the armoury. A sword would be good to have, as she could become acquainted with it.

The next day she was back, the morning light shining brightly over the yard. She wore her sword, much like the katana that Prewtez had mentioned. She had asked the armorer, and he had shown her a sword with a blade like a katana, but a different handle. The handle was much like a longsword, though it retained the length of the katana's handle. The guard, too, was different from that of most katanas, as it was a ringed cross-guard rather than a circular guard.

She walked up to the Gaidin, greeting him formally. "I have learned of the Void, though I can not embrace it easily. I will try diligently to not let anger get the better of me."

That might be difficult. Anyone so apparently Andoran still made her come close to losing control. Thankfully, she hadn't lost control yet. If she had, she likely wouldn't be standing here unscathed.


OOC: Berserker? By the time I'm done with Adra, berserker will be a gross understatement. It'll also be slightly inaccurate.

[Prew]

The Gaidin suppressed a smile as he watched the young Drin approach. Although he had questioned whether she would return after the previous day’s less than successful first lesson, she had validated his prediction that she would.

“I am pleased that you sought out instruction on the void, Adra, and be assured that very few are able to embrace it easily at first. With time and practice it will become second nature to you, I am confident of that,” eyeing her weapon he added, “And I see you’ve obtained a new sword, the armory here supplies only the best, but we won’t be using swords today.”

He waited a moment for his words to set in and watched her expression to see if he could detect any disappointment. Light! Why wouldn’t she be disappointed, this was supposed to be a lesson on swordsmanship.

“Before we get to actually sparring, and I promise we will soon, we first need to work on some other aspects of the craft. First, we need to identify your advantages. Your size is one. Many opponents will take you lightly because you are small. We shall make sure that you will be able to teach them the error of their ways.” He knew from experience that larger and taller did not necessarily guarantee victory, Riahana Gaidar had taught that lesson too well.

“Second, your quickness; you have very agile footwork. Do you dance?” he anticipated a laugh or a question and hastily added, “Sword-fighting is much like dancing. You need light feet, quick movement, and the ability to read and react to your part… er… opponent. For that we need to introduce you to the forms.”

OOC: I think Adra is going to be a character you'll have a lot of fun with
We can start the forms in the next posts

[Julio]

She had brought this sword out for nothing? Really? She had spent quite a while in her room trying to imitate the stance and stride of the sword wielding warders. She didn't want to look clumsy.

She was quite surprised when she heard that small size could be an advantage. All the warriors she had ever seen were tall and bulky. Most had large heavy swords, too. She likely couldn't block any attack from any of them. Being small didn't really seem like much of an advantage, and it had plenty of disadvantages to go along with it. Well, she would just have to learn how to overcome those disadvantages. Giving up wouldn't help.

Could she dance? Was that a question? She tried to keep from laughing, but couldn't. Could she dance! Could a fish swim? All Tuatha'an danced. They sang, played songs, and danced. Who would have thought that anything such peace loving people loved could be so important in the practice they hated, that of fighting? It was strange. Yes, she could dance.

She was finally going to learn something about actually fighting. Finally! She stood straight, a happy smile breaking through on her face, and a melody ran through her head. Forms. Perhaps they would fit with certain melodies? She would find out.

Adra's a surprisingly different character from Daelar, especially considering how similar they are... if that makes any sense at all.

[Prew]

Her laughter brought a smile to his face. Nice to see her as something other than that tough, angry, Drin from the previous day. Prewtez could tell she was disappointed at his announcement they wouldn’t be using swords today. He remembered feeling much the same when the Saldaean had begun instructing him.

“I know the idea of a relationship between dancing and sword fighting seems ludicrous but you would be surprised.” He had no idea of her background, whether she was noble-born or from the most common of peasants, though he doubted the latter given the way she spoke, but imagined there must be some familiarity with dancing there. “As there are different steps in the dance, different flows of the rhythm, so there are different forms with the sword; more so than with any other weapon I dare say.”

Striking a rather awkward pose, one leg lifted, weight on the back leg, he raised his sword hand, which was his left, to his shoulder and made horizontal slashing motions as he pivoted on his back foot. He waited to see if she would laugh again. He probably looked ridiculous demonstrating the form.

“That is called The Heron Wading in the Rushes, a practice form only,” he cautioned, “It leaves you too open to use in a fight. But it is good for developing balance. With your quick feet and short stature, add excellent balance and you could be a whirlwind. Now, let’s see you try the form.”