The Game and the Yards. . .[Attn: Avram/Jiggity]

[Roan]

After her early morning ride, Riahana arrived at the Warder Yards and found her preferred spot to move through her sword forms free. Despite what some might think, the Mistress of Arms did not walk around with the Void constantly wrapped around her, though she did find comfort within the calm it seemed to bring. In the matter of a few deep breaths, she centered herself within the Void, and took notice of the focus it seemed to give.

The morning air was crisp, but the Tower was slowly shaking off the grips of winter and slipping into spring. Standing still, facing an open field before her, Riahana could have been mistaken for a statue except for the puffs of steam that slowly slipped from her nose. One moment, she was still as a statue, and the next, moving quick as a fox with Unfolding the Fan, and then moving so her front foot was outstretched, and her weight was on the backfoot with The Ox Lowers his Horns, and launching into The Moon on the Water in what would have been a quick, downward thrust to her invisible opponent's chest.

The point of going through forms on one's own was to know each form intimately, understand how each muscle moved, where the transitions took place, and understand where you might be vulnerable when facing live steal. It was up to the swordsman to reduce their exposure and vulnerability by flawlessly transitioning to the next move. Reading the situation, and knowing whether you should take a defensive or offensive stance came with experience, and, if you were very lucky, sage advice from those who'd been wielding the blade longer and better than you.

Was Riahana the best swordsman in the Warder Yards? To be honest, she didn't know, nor did she care. What mattered to her was improving her skill so that when she did have to use it, she would be the one delivering the last blow of a battle, and live to fight another day. She went through the forms by herself to focus on her own form, but also to give herself a chance to meditate before she jumped into the heart of the day. She opted to go through the forms early in the morning, so as to avoid a crowd.

OOC: Hope this is enough of a start for you. Let me know if it doesn't work

[Jiggity]

Avram

Avram had gotten up early, moving quietly and carefully to avoid waking his hulk of a roommate. A good sort he thought to himself, but entirely too... open. That could get you killed out there. Cairhien, both sides of it that he'd seen, had taught him that the quickest way to lose whatever you had was to let everyone see your cards. He rapidly dressed in his training uniform, sliding knives into boots, belt, back sheathes and a small collection of throwing knives up his sleeves. The silent movement seemed entirely unnecessary given the hour and the depth of Danos's sleep but one could never take too much care. The routine calmed his nerves, though not to quiescence. His planned 'chance' meeting and observation of the Mistress of Arms had had them screaming before though, so only jangling painfully was a good change. He tucked his battered journal into his top, settling it carefully before setting out to the training yard.

He'd taken care to run into the servants in the halls for the first few days and get to know them, knowing that they were one of the best sources of mundane information a lowly trainee could find. Mordjen knew him by name now and in turn Avram knew the name of Mordjen's wife, how he had fixed the leak in the roof last spring but it was starting to drip through again and how the guard wanted to take some more lessons on unarmed combat but couldn't quite work up the nerves to do so. He knew the names of servants who did the chores when they weren't being done by novices, soldiers or drin. He knew the names of servants who brought things to the Aes Sedai, Asha'man and Gaidin. None of them let him loiter, bu free periods were free and many of them were more than happy to take a couple minutes to chat and break up the routine of work. Tomas, one of the hostlers, had mentioned how odd it was to see no less than the Mistress of Arms up at some obscene hour of the morning every day to practice by herself and Avram had had an idea.

He didn't regret the idea, exactly, while he was waiting by the door to get to the yard shortly after Riahana Gaidin (he refused to let himself be less formal, even in the safety of his own head), but he certainly wished he could think of a better way to meet her informally and get an idea of what she was like. He couldn't though, so he took yet another deep breath and trotted down to the yards.

The Mistress of Arms had started by the time he arrived and he took a moment to watch her going through some of the forms. He couldn't follow the forms and frankly doubted he would ever know them nearly as well as even many of the Ji'alantin. Swords seemed too... overt. But the speed and precision she carried through them was impressive nonetheless. With a shake of his head he forced himself to move confidently and took himself to another section not close enough to interfere, but also not terribly far, and drew a pair of daggers. Only one was really being used to attack so far, but that was something to worry about later. He started through a series of warm up exercises: excessively showy moves used to loosen and warm his fingers and arms, spinning and flipping them, forcing himself to ignore the immense self-consciousness that rose in his mind despite the lack of judging eyes.

ooc: We can skip to the finish of initial exercises if you want or one of them can say something while they're both working.

[Roan]

As focused as she was on her own exercise, Riahana was very much aware of the newcomer. Given the hour of the day, she thought it odd that a Drin' was out going through solo exercises. It was more odd still given that the Drin' in question was likely very new since she didn't recognize him. While Ria might not directly interact with all of the learning ranks, she did take time to get to know who they were. The young man's uniform was still pretty crisp, and while it was clear he was not new to daggers, it was obvious he did not have the finesse of someone who'd been through unarmed.

As Riahana finished up her exercises, she caught glimpses of the Drin's, and the showy moves were not lost on her. Perhaps he was using them to warm up, though there were better ways to do that without showing off. Not entirely sure if he was actually showing off or not, Ria wanted to give the young man the benefit of the doubt. As she Folded the Fan to sheath her sword, she moved to a post that was nearby and leaned against it to watch.

Without any real expression on her face, Riahana spoke up after several minutes, "It is good to see eagerness in our learning ranks, especially one so new to the Yards. However, I would suggest care with such 'fancy' moves, as any weapon work should be first about skill, not flare." Her tone was neutral, and the statement was not meant to chastise, but more to advise. She wondered how he might take it.

[Jiggity]

Avram

Avram knew that his warm up was suffering from his attention to the Mistress of Arms. Her forms were beautiful, for lack of a better word, despite the fact that he knew she was completely aware of him as well. He very nearly fumbled some of the twirls when his fingers refused to do as he wanted and had to skip some of the more fun spins, concentrating more on wrist, elbow and shoulder movements.

He finished the warming exercises, panting slightly and sheathed one dagger before bowing to Riahana. "I appreciate the advice Gaidin. They are... legacy of where I started learning. I'm aware they would get me killed in an alley somewhere, but they do warm the muscles well. It takes a bit longer this early, but it's worth it to avoid the mob." He made an effort to keep his grin sheepish instead of scared. "If bad habits are going to stick around, may as well make them useful." He bowed again and took his place against a practice dummy. His nerves were bad enough with something to aim for, he would likely fall over his own feet if he attempted to perform basic skill practice in the air.

He began a series of exercises, moving excruciatingly slowly to ensure perfect form. First at sword length, using his empty hand to deflect a sword blow as he stepped in with a stab. Over and over, the same move, gradually speeding up. The familiar motions comforted him and managed to distract him from the Mistress of Arms watching him practice. He started to transition to the next technique he was practicing, then stopped and turned to Riahana. "Gaidin, if you don't mind my question, is there anything you could suggest for practice for me? I understand daggers are not your specialty, but I am always looking for advice. Plus" He shrugged "A master of the sword might have better understanding of what I could do to defend against a sword."

[Roan]

Ria placed her left hand on the pommel of her sword and watched as the Drin went through his exercises. He had some skill with his daggers, but lacked finesse. Time in the Yards would change that, starting with his time in unarmed. When he asked what he could practice to defend against sword, she arched a brow as she considered what advice she could offer.

“I would suggest you think about what advantages your daggers afford you, along with the disadvantages. Consider the same with those who wield swords. You likely know your main aim is to exploit their disadvantages. Swords are slower and have longer reach, so if you can get within a swordsman’s guard, you would have the upper hand,” Ria explained.

“One of the best things anyone in the Yards can do for their fighting form is work on footwork. Being well balanced, quick footed and nimble is just as important as knowing how to wield your weapon. When I work with anyone on swords, we spend at least one session on footwork, and I strongly encourage them to practice on their own. I suspect solid, quick footwork would be of use to you, as well,” she explained. “Does my answer help give you a starting point?”

[Jiggity]

Avram

Avram stood, listening to the answer he was given. She is willing to listen to a very new Drin'far'ji she never met and give advice he thought, filing away the helpfulness and lack of judgment. That being tended to, he mulled over the actual advice and sighed slightly. "Thank you Gaidin. I had thought to close with an opponent but I failed to fully consider the difficulty of that against a skilled opponent." He shook his head. "That... I'm definitely going to need to work with a partner on. Just my luck." As the words tumbled out of his mouth he swore internally. Great. Now she'll think I'm antisocial. Not what I needed to start with the Mistress of Arms.

Trying to cover what he considered his verbal stumble he flipped the dagger over and sheathed it again. His mind raced as he desperately tried to think of a way to get more information before he realized he could just introduce himself. "My apologies, I just realized I never introduced myself. I'm Avram Nolaisen, late of Cairhien. I only arrived in the last week or so." His mouth quirked in a self deprecating smile. "As you've pointed out, it certainly shows." He knew her name already, but he was curious as to how she introduced herself.An introduction frequently said quite a bit about how a person thought of themselves.

[Roan]

Riahana inclined her head slightly, "Welcome to the Grey Tower and Warder Yards, Drin'far'ji Nolaisen. I would not worry overly much about finding a partner to work with, as there are any number of trainees in the Warder Yards. I'm certain over the last week, you've seen we have Drin' and Ji' aplenty, but we also have a number of Novices, Soldiers, Accepted, Dedicated and fully raised channelers who come to the Yards. Most Gaidin and Gaidar would be willing to work with the learning ranks, and if you struggle to find a partner, never hesitate to go to Master Darrow.

"Until you are fully raised, you are one of his charges, and he will ensure you have what you need to progress in your skills and studies," Riahana began. "I am Riahana Ferria Gaidar, and the Mistress of Arms for the Yard," she mentioned, though didn't dwell on her title. "I mentioned your showy moves not to draw attention to any lack of experience, but to simply offer advice. Often, those in the learning ranks are prone to boasting about their skill, and it can be a humbling, if not humiliating experience if someone more experienced calls you out in front of your peers.

"Each Gaidin and Gaidar has their own approach and personality, though most are subdued in their actual skill. We have some among our ranks who have earned the right to mark their weapons with the Heron, but those who are masters of their weapons are often the last to boast," the Mistress of Arms explained. "Having said that, I understand the importance of warming up before beginning any exercise regime. If those moves are the best for you to warm up, then feel free to take my advice as you will," she finished by offering the Drin' a small smile.

[Jiggity]

Avram

Avram smiled, glad that she had interpreted it as worry about being able to find a partner rather than a desire to avoid working with one. "Thank you for the reassurance Riahana Gaidar. If the willingness to work with me is as widespread as you tell me, and you would know, I should certainly be able to find a suitable training partner. Though Master Darrow can be... intimidating at times." He smiled self-consciously. "Not that our relative sizes help, but I suppose I should be getting used to that here." He didn't have to crick his neck to look at the Mistress of Arms at this distance but he still didn't quite come up to her chin. At least in Cairhien he had only been slightly shorter than most. Here he was surrounded by giants.

"I appreciate the advice, truly. I recognize that my skill is nothing to brag about. If I had mastered it I would be the teacher rather than the student and this" he indicated the pale grey cloth he wore "begs to differ. And if my opponents underestimate me, so much the better." He doubted he would ever achieve the air of deadliness that most warders did, but he would be just as happy if any given fight were over before his opponent had the chance to get an accurate read on him. They were rarely fought for points.

He took a second to consider the advice about warming up. "I... may well find another option for warming up when in the company of others. I would rather the others in the Yards did not draw a similar conclusions about my opinion of myself. But..." He decided to open up a little more than he had planned and smiled shyly. She was just so... approachable. "It's fun. They're pretty like that." He pulled one back out and spun it rapidly in his fingers, the blade little more than a metallic blur around his hand before sheathing it directly from the twirl. "It's useless except to impress someone who truly has no idea what they're doing but it's pretty."

[Roan]

"Master Darrow is meant to be intimidating," Riahana replied with a small smirk. "And as for your size, I know plenty of fighters who are of similar stature who are some of the best fighters I've had the pleasure to work with. You can use your size to your advantage, as I'm sure you will learn during the course of your unarmed training," she added.

"Pretty has its place, but when form and function meet is best. I have heard many tell me the forms I do with my sword are pretty, but I do not do them for their aesthetics. I do them so that when I face an enemy who seeks to end my life, I can meet him strike for strike, blow for blow, and, the Wheel willing, come out the survivor," Ria replied. She watched as he twirled another blade, "Impressing those who have no idea serves little purpose other than to stroke one's ego."

Pausing for a moment and tilting her head ever so slightly, "You will learn pretty quickly that ego has no place here. For some, it can come as a hard lesson in humility. I would suggest you take that to heart, though and learn sooner rather than later."

[Jiggity]

Avram

"He certainly succeeds then." Avram laughed softly. "I have started learning that, a little. It's harder to hit down for many people." He shrugged. "That was pretty much what I was trying to say. It's not useful. That's what I will learn here." He bounced back and forth, unconsciously slipping his feet into the stance he had been taught thinking about it. "It's been... an interesting time so far."

He hesitated for a long moment, trying to think of another question to be able to understand her better. One of his hands still gripped a dagger hilt, and suddenly . "Riahana Gaidar, why did you come here? I'm... uncertain about my future, and I want to know why other people made their decisions." The dagger was out, spinning slightly in his hand, the motion comforting him. "I don't really know who else to talk to about it. I wanted to do something with what I knew, and this seemed like the best idea. But I, I worry that I won't be able to hold up to the standards here, I guess, if that makes sense." He had meant to ask a few more probing questions, get a better idea of who she was to feel more secure, but some of his doubts had just... fallen out of him.