What they axe of us? (Sorry, not sorry) [Attn: Lugh]

[Roan]

Bastian

Bastian had adjusted well to life at the Grey Tower, and found he quite liked living amongst so many other people. Having spent the bulk of his life in the cabin in the woods with his parents, he worried being around so many people, and so far from his wilderness would get to him. He was more than surprised to find he was a rather social creature, and enjoyed the company of others.

Beyond simple company, the ability to train and hone his skills with his axes while picking up other skills like unarmed appealed to the larger man. Today, he had a bit of free time, and was working with his axes on a practice dummy. It was just after high, and the sun shone down making the spring day a bit warm for comfort. Sweat trickled down his face and neck as he swung one axe, ducked, and swung the other.

The target was stationary, of course, but Bastian practiced moves his father had taught him so many years ago. He went from one move to another, letting muscle memory guide him with each transition. Any time something didn’t feel smooth, he stopped and broke the move down again. There were those who were familiar with axes here, but not so many worked with dual axes, and it took a bit of practice to get the timing of each swing so that the two weapons didn’t interfere with each other.

The Drin wasn’t using his real axes, but instead worked with two practice blades that had the same length and similar balance. It meant he wouldn’t damage the edge of his weapons on the wood, and it also made it a lot less likely he’d severely injure himself if he completely misjudged a swing and axed himself….not that he’d ever done such a thing, but the risk was always there.

[Lugh]

Beron
Beron made his way through the Warder Yard, he was heading towards the Armoury to grab a practice weapon when he noticed the familiar sound of weapons striking a target. Curious as to who else had decided to brave the high sun for practice, Beron followed the noise until he located an unfamiliar Drin.

The man was striking in his size, being several inches taller than Beron and with a thick strong build. His arms were thick and corded, and Beron wondered if perhaps the man had been a soldier or blacksmith’s son before arriving at the Grey Tower. He moved with a strength, and fluidity that lent itself to the weapons he was dual wielding.

Beron had used an ax many times, for splitting wood or repairing the paddocks on the farm. He was surprised to see how different the strangers approach was to the weapon. He was clearly moving through practiced motions, Beron realized when he saw the other man pause and work through a particular motion until it was smooth.

The rest of the weapon Beron was unsure of, he could not see a good glimpse from the fence; and he wondered how a practice axe might vary from the stout hatchets he had used around the farm.

Never one to shy away from a chance to learn, Beron waited for the other man to finish his practice attack on the target. As the large Drin paused for a moment to wipe the sweat off of his brow, Beron approached.

“Peace favour you; I couldn’t help but notice your practice as I was on my way to the Armoury. I have to say, I have never seen an axe put to such a purpose. I was curious and thought i had better introduce myself. Beron Faim, a new Drin of the Grey Tower.”

[Roan]

Bastian turned to look to the speaker, and offered a slight but warm smile, “Peace favour you, Beron Faim. I too am a Drin and I am Bastian Vass.” He held up one of the practice axes, twirling it in his hand, “My father was a member of the Kandori Guard and favored axes. When I was old enough to learn, he taught me what he knew.

“Working with an axe is different than working with sword. We do not have the formal forms you might get with swords, though understanding the movements and what the forms are is beneficial. We use similar footwork, but then footwork is similar with most forms of fighting, I imagine,” Bastian mused.

Rotating both axes, he studied the Drin before him, noticing the man’s stature and how he held himself, “Am I right in thinking you’ve trained with weapons before?”

[Lugh]

Beron Beron smiled when Bastian mentioned his father being a member of the famed Kandori Guard, “Kandorian Guard was it, I’ve met more than a few of those while I scouted for the Saldaean army. Tough men all of them, and that explains why you’re built like a Ogier.”

Beron listened as the other man explained to him the basics of how he approached the weapon. It made sense that there would be some sense of form to it. And in a way it reminded Beron of watching the pikemen training; it had been far simpler that the sword forms he had learned but no less potent for men who worked together.

“I grew up learning the sword, like most of Saldaea,” smiled Beron as he thought of the man’s words. “I think you’re right about the footwork, I took Dax Gaidin’s class when I first arrived; and I learned quickly that the positioning was similar.”

Beron stopped to look at the weapons in Bastian’s hands, and immediately he could see one advantage to the ax. Where as a sword would need room to swing for its power, he hazarded a guess that the ax would punch through thicker armour with less room needed.

“Those must come in handy against the larger breeds of Trollocs. The handle would give you decent reach compared to a sword, and I could see the power in your swings from the fence,” Beron asked the other man, curious to see if his initial thoughts were correct.

[Roan]

Bastian

Bastian straightened up to fully face Beron, “I’m not sure they give better reach than a sword. Short swords perhaps, but the type of sword wielded by the likes of the Mistress of Training? Those long blades provide excellent reach, and when in the hands of an expert, they are like an extension of the person’s arms.”

Holding up both of his practice axes, Bastian went on, “These are perhaps half the length of those swords, meaning I’ve got to get closer within my opponent's reach. Whether they come in handy against Trollocs? I wouldn’t know. I’ve never encountered one. After my father left the Guard, we moved to a cabin in the middle of the woods.”

“Though you are right, the power in the axe comes from the swing. The danger with them is the blade getting stuck after it makes impact with your target. When that happens, it slows you down, and can potentially leave you open to a counter-strike. Being able to withdraw without hesitation is critical, but that can take practice,” the larger man replied.

The corner of his lips twitched upwards slightly, “Are you thinking of making a switch from sword to axe?” He twirled the axe in his right hand as he waited for Beron’s answer.

[Lugh]

Beron
Beron noticed the height of the man as he straightened. He was not surprised this Kandori man had been excepted to the Grey Tower; the only other man who seemed as large and strong had been Gareth Ashaman,

“I see your point. I was mostly a scout, so the weapon I am used to carrying was a far shorter blade. I am still working on adapting my skills to the much longer sword favoured by many Gaidin,” Beron mentioned as he considered the axes before him. He had initially thought the weapons were much longer, but seen up close he realized he had been mistaken.

“Well at least you don’t think they are tales from a Gleeman. I could hardly believe the doubt expressed by many in the southern lands when it comes to shadowspawn. And the woods of Kandori, what was growing up there like? I am more used to Plains and mountains myself.” Beron asked inquisitively as he conversed with Bastian.

“Though you are right, the power in the axe comes from the swing. The danger with them is the blade getting stuck after it makes impact with your target. When that happens, it slows you down, and can potentially leave you open to a counter-strike. Being able to withdraw without hesitation is critical, but that can take practice,” the larger man replied.

The corner of his lips twitched upwards slightly, “Are you thinking of making a switch from sword to axe?” He twirled the axe in his right hand, the move seemingly second nature to Beron’s eyes.

“Well I don’t know if I would say that,” chuckled Beron as he looked at Bastian. The difference in their build leant him to believe that he probably lacked the muscle and bulk required for axe work. “I think I will be more suited to blades; although I should try them before ruling it out. One thing I have learned at the Grey Tower is that many things boil into each other. Dax Gaidin’s unarmed class improved my dagger skills, as I grew more aware of how someone else might stop me. And I have seen a few Gaidin here who are walking armouries.”

“If it will not take too much time from your own practice, any pointers would be appreciated,” Beron smiled as he grab his own practice ax from the racks nearby.

[Roan]

Bastian

Taking one of the two practice axes he held, Bastian twirled it so the handle extended out towards the other Drin and he nodded towards it, “Get a feel for it, then. As you no doubt saw, I work with two axes, but I learned with one.

“My father taught me as I was growing up. He started by showing me what to do with my dominant hand, and forced me to learn the same moves with the other. It was how he learned. He also taught me how to use an axe and a shield, but I prefer the mobility of two axes. While we don’t have the fancy forms you have with swords, there are some similarities,” Bastian explained.

Nodding to a practice dummy next to the one he was using, he continued, “Practice what I show you using that dummy.” He waited for the other man to get into place and then widened his stance, “Like with unarmed, you want your center of gravity low and give yourself a nice solid base. We don’t thrust with an axe unless we want to push someone off balance.

“We mainly. . .chop, for lack of a better word. We have an over-head swing,” Bastian demonstrated this by bringing his hand up and chopping from his right at shoulder height to his left hip, and then brought the axe up to do another overhand chop, but this one going from the upper left to lower right while keeping the axe in his right hand. “Notice we can change the angle we hold the axe and angle of our downward swing. Go ahead and do the same motions with me.”

Bastian repeated both swings, starting off in a slow methodical way and picking up his speed as Beron got comfortable with the first ‘move.’ “How does that feel?”

[Lugh]

Beron Beron grasped the ax from Bastian, feeling the weight of the weapon and allowing his hands to get a sense of the haft. It was smooth, without being overly polished or slick inside his grip. At first he took a stance similar to that of woodcutting, then as the other man showed him the attack; he realized his stance was incorrect. Changing his footing to match Bastian, Beron shook his head and tried to clear his mind of habits learned by years of chores. Anyone who lived on the Borderlands knew the trying task of keeping the wood sheds filled with seasoned firewood; but those habits would serve him poorly now.

“I would have to say I agree with you as well Bastian, I have yet to work much with sword and shield; however I have to say that while the protection is a bonus, the men who wield it do look slow and ponderous when compared to a master swordsman,” Beron replied between strokes. The form was simple enough, it was more a sense of the timing and the weight of the weapon behaving differently than a sword. One stroke he overextended, his axe head swinging high and over the shoulder of the practice dummy. On instinct, he used the thick portion of the axe head to pull forward, imagining that he was grasping a shield or shoulder and pulling it out of position.

As he resettled his stance, placing the weapon on his shoulder to mop the sweat from his brow, Beron smiled at the Kandorian. There was a joy to the learning of a weapon, a joy Beron had found at the Grey Tower that stemmed from his desire to serve and grow stronger. The horror of blood and death he had seen, serving the army however in the oasis of the Grey Tower he had to admit, he loved the trade of a Warder Trainee.

“This is a mighty weapon, and you would be a terror with two of them in hand. As well as the expertise to utilize them well. I have slain enough firewood to be comfortable with this move, I would learn more as well,” Beron replied as he heartily demonstrated two attacks that bit deep into the wood of the target dummy.

[Roan]

Turning to face Beron, Bastian rested the head of his axe on his right shoulder, “It looks like you’ve got the hang of it. Your form looks good. It takes a bit to get used to the weight distribution of an axe over a sword, but it looks like you are getting the hang of it.

“What I’ve shown you are overhead swings, but the axe wouldn’t be much of a weapon if we were limited to just one type of attack. Don’t underestimate underhand swings. You do need to switch your grip if you want the sharp edge to bite into what you are attacking, but you can leave it as is if you want a more blunt instrument,” Bastian explained.

The large man stepped back and flipped the axe so the sharp edge pointed upwards before bringing his arm up in an underhand swing, aiming for the armpit of the target dummy, “As with the overhead swing, you need to be careful your weapon doesn’t bite too deep into your target.”

To demonstrate, Bastian swung again and let his axe sink into the dummy, “When this happens, you are incredibly vulnerable. Sometimes you have to abandon your weapon and think on your feet. If you try and tug it free, your balance is off, and your attention can become too singular.

“It’s better to let it go, rely on hand to hand skills to incapacitate your target and then retrieve it,” the Drin replied. Looking to Beron, Bastian smirked, “Normally, I’d kick the target and take it to the ground, but I’d rather not break my foot kicking wood. Try the underhand swing. Just like the overhead, you can come at an angle from either side.”

[Lugh]

Beron

Turning to face Beron, Bastian rested the head of his axe on his right shoulder, “It looks like you’ve got the hang of it. Your form looks good. It takes a bit to get used to the weight distribution of an axe over a sword, but it looks like you are getting the hang of it.

“What I’ve shown you are overhead swings, but the axe wouldn’t be much of a weapon if we were limited to just one type of attack. Don’t underestimate underhand swings,” Bastian continued and Beron had to admit the Kandori was a keen teacher. He watched as Bastian demonstrated and explained the shifts in grip required to drive the axe head.

The weighty head would work as a club or mace, Beron thought to himself as he hefted the axe. Still crushing something was the slow way to his goals, and so he practiced the new grip.

When Bastian buried his axe in the armpit of the dummy, Beron edged closer to see the issue. He was surprised at how deep the wedge had bitten into the wood, the shape clearly enabling the power to part the wood. While he was surprised to see the ax would not pull back out, it was clear to him that Bastian was correct in the disadvantage it would cause during a battle. .

“It’s better to let it go, rely on hand to hand skills to incapacitate your target and then retrieve it,” the Drin replied. Looking to Beron, Bastian smirked, “Normally, I’d kick the target and take it to the ground, but I’d rather not break my foot kicking wood. Try the underhand swing. Just like the overhead, you can come at an angle from either side.”

“Yeah, I think that must be the reason some of the Gaidin here at the Grey Tower bristle like hedgehogs with weapons,” chuckled Beron as he took over Bastian’s offered spot. Matching his stance and grip to the way Bastian showed him, he had to allow his mind to focus on the movements. Underhand felt less natural compared to overhand. Part of that was using an ax as a tool for much of his life, and part of it was the grip. Still he had learned a lot since arriving at the Grey Tower, his skills broadening with blades and fists; and so he slowly found the rhythm of the new attack. He noticed that the haft and axe head were strong and sturdy as it hit the dummy. Imagining a person trying to block with a sword or dagger, Beron found himself wondering if the added weight and thick wood of the axe wouldn’t prove an advantage. With that in mind, Beron worked on combinations, a series of underhand strikes, combined with a blow from the middle or end of the haft as he imagined catching an opponent off guard.