Getting to the Point [Attn: Roan/Bastian]

[Bella]

Haeden was expecting a student. He had a lesson to give today.

This wasn't at all an unusual occurrence, of course. Haeden spent a lot of his time training, either teaching classes or working one on one with trainees, like he was going to do today. He saw it as something of a mission, and it was an honor, although...sometimes, these days, he did find himself looking for something more.

It wasn't that he felt like his life was unfulfilled, precisely. He got out of the Tower plenty, either acting as temporary warder or heading to the Citadel to do a rotation or training...

The blond-haired Gaidin sighed as he stretched his muscles, then took up the practice sword. It felt vastly different than a real one, but he'd gotten used to moving between the differences long ago. He practiced some of the guards and some basic forms, strikes and blocks, loosening himself up and preparing.

He knew what the problem was, but for some reason, he struggled to acknowledge it--even to himself.

Haeden wanted to be bonded.

The man was no longer a young man, and he'd spent much of that youth running away from the ghost of his father. But he was older now, more mature, and growing aware of the transience and unpredictability of time. He had been trained since he was eleven--or his whole life, one might say--to serve. He wanted to do that.

But it was hardly like Aes Sedai were knocking down his door to get to him, and then, there was--

He heard heavy footsteps approaching him and turned to see a very tall trainee that he recalled meeting once before, and a few times in passing since. He bowed his head. "Well met, Ji'val," he said with a small smile. "Are you ready to learn about the sword?"

[Roan]

Bastian Vass

Swords. Bastian was going to learn how to wield a sword, and he was being taught by a Gaidin who apparently grew up in the Yards. Haeden Ives wasn’t new to Bastian, as he’d met the Gaidin his very first day at the Tower. At the time, he didn’t realize Miahala Sedai was Haeden Ive’s mother, but did know the man practically grew up in the Yards.

Bastian learned enough about Haeden to know he was the son of a Blademaster, and he was no slouch in his own right. The Ji’val had watched Haeden spar with others, and it was always clear the sword was an extension of the Gaidin. Learning a new weapon from someone who was as skilled as Haeden was both exciting and. . .intimidating.

Pulling his hair back and putting it into a ponytail, Bastian nodded towards Haeden, “Greetings, Gaidin. I am as ready to learn about the sword as I can be, though I might have to warn you. . .my father said my size would make me clumsy and awkward with such a weapon. It is why he taught me axe.

“To be fair. . .my father was partial to axe anyway. I’ve never seen him with a sword, so he could have passed his bias on to me,” the large Ji’val admitted.

[Bella]

"You will notice that you are not so much larger than I am," Haeden pointed out with a half-smile. "And I do just fine with the sword. I'm sure you have seen Lysira Gaidin running around the Yards, and she is as skilled with the sword as I am. Even at her small size. All this to say, size is only a limitation if you allow it to be."

He gestured for Bastian to take up the other training sword on the ground. "Now, I'm sure you're familiar from working in the training yards with axes that wooden training weapons are of a different weight and balance than regular weapons," he went on, swinging his own blade a few times as he loosened up. "But they do well enough when learning.

"Take a few moments to get used to feel of the training blade in your hand," he said. "How does it feel different from when you hold an ax, and in what ways does it feel the same? I imagine you'll find some similarities as we go, as well as many differences."

The Ji'val had his father teach him the ax, Haeden thought ruefully. Much like Haeden had learned the sword, in a way, from his own father.

It was no secret that Caden Ives had been a Blademaster, the Master of Arms, and teacher of countless students over the years. As he had died--killed himself--when Haeden was just eleven, the man never really had a chance to teach the sword to Haeden. But as much as he tried not to, the sword was in Haeden's blood. He'd been given toy blades as a child, and it had just grown from there.

"How does it feel?" he asked, pulling himself out of his own reverie.

[Roan]

Bastian

Bastian held his practice sword and tried to mimic the moves the Gaidin was going through while thinking about the similarities and differences to his ‘beloved’ axes. In Haeden’s hands, the sword looked to be an extension of the man, but in his own, the sword felt long and unwieldy.

The grip was similar to how he held the axes, but just different enough for it to be noticeable. The balance, though, was quite a bit different. Where the bulk of the weight for an axe was in the head of the weapon, a sword was more balanced. Bastian was used to overcompensating for a weapon with the weight in the head as opposed to something with the weight distributed a bit more evenly along its length.

Attempting to copy a downward diagonal swing that Haeden had doe, Bastian felt himself a bit off balance. Stepping back and settling into a mid-guard stance, he tried again and wasn’t quite as clumsy. “How does it feel?” he asked rhetorically, “It feels quite a bit different to the axe. Where the weight is all in the head of an axe, the balance of a sword is quite a bit different.

“It seems. . .it takes less effort to swing the sword than it does the axe, and I suspect it is because of the weight distribution and balance of a sword versus the axe,” Bastian guessed.

[Bella]

Haeden listened, nodding appreciatively. "That's a good observation," he said. "You can see just from the shape of the ax versus the sword that the weight is distributed differently, and that is something to keep in mind while you begin working with the weapon. For now, let us work on the basics."

The blond Gaidin held up the sword. "The parts of the sword. The pommel. The grip. The hilt, or guard. The blade." He pointed to each section of the sword as he spoke. "Important fact. Always keep the pointed end away from you." He smirked.

"Now, one thing to take note of is that there are swords of different sizes. There are swords meant to be used with one hand, then the hand and a half that can be used in one or two, and finally the two handed. I tend to favor the hand and the half because of the flexibility, but everyone has their own preferences. You'll learn which one works for you as you train, should you pursue the sword."

Straightening his stance a little, he began at...the beginning. "The first thing often taught to people using the sword is Unfolding the Fan, which is, simply put, a motion of unsheathing one's sword. But you learn it and practice it until it's second nature. Until you don't need to even think it through."

"Contemplate where you imagine wearing your sword. Most wear it on the hip, but many on the back." He held his sword to his hip with his other hand, since the training swords did not have sheaths at the moment. He mimicked drawing the blade. Then he did the same off his back, though the hand-sheath was a little more awkward.

"Now you try."

[Roan]

Bastian

While Bastian had seen any number of weapons while practicing in the Yards, sword seemed to be the weapon of choice for most. He’d seen people carry their swords at their hip and on their back, as the Gaidin suggested. The back seemed an awkward place to carry the sword, and he couldn’t quite invision how one would unsheath the weapon without it getting caught on the scabbard. . .especially a longer weapon like a hand and a half or two handed blade.

The Quartermaster, when hearing Bastian would be training with Haeden, suggested he take a hand and a half sword. The practice lathe, while having a different balance to the axe, did feel comfortable in his hands. He watched as Haeden held his own practice lathe at his hip and ‘drew’ the sword. The grace with which he drew the weapon was clear, as was where the movement got its name.

Unfolding the Fan

Holding the sword on his left hip, Bastian ‘drew’ his own sword, though his draw was nowhere near as graceful as the Gaidin. The tip got stuck before springing forward, and he found himself giving a soft laugh, “Something that looks so easy is anything but, which should not surprise me. How long did it take for Unfolding the Fan to become second nature to you, Gaidin?”

[Bella]

Haeden laughed softly and held out one hand. "I wouldn't compare yourself to me when it comes to the sword," he said. "I don't say that out of ego but simply that I started far, far earlier at it than you. I was playing with toy swords as a child, and had a father who was both Master of Arms and Blademaster. He wasn't exacting, even in playtime." He tried to not sound bitter.

"And I began training to be a Gaidin when I was eleven, starting with the sword and a sister who is also a swordsman. So... To look at how long it took me versus how long it will take you now, well, it's not a fair comparison, Ji'val."

He swung the sword idly a couple times, the moves slow but pulling at the muscles in his shoulders as he loosened them. "However, I can tell you that other students, more comparable, have taken a while to make it as smooth and easy as they would wish it to be. It's not as easy as some people think it is. It takes time, and practice, so don't begrudge yourself either.

"Try it a few more times and then we'll move on."

Haeden stood back and watched Bastian try the move a few times, offering suggestions and corrections as necessary, but it really was one of those things that was simple in theory and just required a lot of practice.

He told him he could stop now. "We'll move on to a few of the basic guards and stances for how a start may fight. As they say, the best place to begin is at the beginning. There are several of these, but we will not cover all of them today. I'm just going to discuss the top favorites, so to speak, and terms so you can start your learning.

"First, you start with your feet. I know you've done some unarmed combat, so you know about how to stand in readiness." He placed his feet appropriately.

"Then, the guards. There are low guards, like this." He stood with the sword in both hands, arms lowered so the hilt was roughly below his mid-line. "This is often called Apple Blossoms in the Wind, which also stands for the way it can easily flow up and down as you move, but stays low.

"Middle guard." Same, but closer to waist/chest level. "High." The sword was held point up and slightly back, over his head. "This one is often called The Hawk Surveys the Plain. It is not meant for one-handed swords, such as a katana, and should be used with caution, as it leaves the body open."

He returned to at ease. "These names are something you'll hear a lot of, and they are the sword forms. Not every swordsman uses them or has to, but I was raised to know them and so I teach them." He smiled slightly. "I'll show you two more, and then we'll go through them together so you can practice.

"This is another common on. Lion on the Hill." Body up, sword hilt near shoulder and just to the side of his head. He held it with the blade point up. The other variant, they would discuss later. "And The Ox Lowers its Horns." A small smile quirked the corner of his mouth, since this always made him think of his sister.

He spread his feet slightly, lowering his body as he brought the hilt toward his head, sword down and slightly angled, ready to strike.

After staying like that long enough to demonstrate, he straightened up. "Alright, let's begin. We will go over those five stances, one after the other, until you feel you have a basic grasp of them to practice on your own."

[Roan]

Bastian

Bastian watched closely as Haeden showed him first how to stand. The Ji’val settled into a relaxed stance as he would in unarmed and held his sword in a similar manner to the Gaidin. The first guard, Apple Blossoms in the Wind looked awkward, but he was surprised at how comfortable it felt.

Low guard transitioned to mid-guard and then high guard. Bastian watched as the Gaidin transitioned to what he called The Hawk Surveys the Plain. It was more than obvious the guard left one exposed, and it was an exposure he would take advantage of if he found himself in a fight and his opponent went into such a guard.

Lion on the Hill also looked like it would leave the swordsman vulnerable, which seemed to make sense since it was another high guard. Ox Lowers its Horns was distinctly different to the other guards, and made Haeden look like he was ready to pounce his opponent. He did the best he could to follow the Gaidin with each of the moves, and thankful Haeden said the pair of them would go through the forms together.

As Bastian settled into Apple Blossoms in the Wind, matching Haeden, the Ji’val looked to the Gaidin, “Where did they come up with these names? Why names at all?”

Both Ji’val and Gaidin moved into The Hawk Surveys the Plain, holding the high guard before shifting the position of the blade to settle into Lion on the Hill. Bastian watched Haeden lower his body before doing the same thing himself. It wasn’t a natural motion for him initially, though he could feel the power in it.

When the pair finished going through the forms, Haeden didn’t skip a beat and transitioned right back into Apple Blossoms in the Wind. They cycled through each form three more times before Haeden had Bastian go through them on his own, and this final time, Ox Lowers its Horns felt almost natural, “Similar to unarmed, you start with the guards, which makes sense. Let me guess. . .blocks next?” He gave a crooked smile.

[Bella]

Haeden had to laugh at the question about the sword forms and their names. "You're not the first trainee and student of the sword to ask that," he said easily, still moving through the forms as though second nature...which, of course, they were by now. "And the fact is, I don't actually know. It's just something that's always been and a way for people to learn many of the maneuvers."

They kept working after that, moving slow and steady, to demonstrate and practice. Haeden could see that the moves did not all come easily to the big man, and he could understand that. In truth, Bastian was not too much greater in size than Haeden himself, but the Tower-born Gaidin had been training since a child and that made it easier.

He took as much time as necessary for the new student to grow accustomed to the moves before they finally paused.

Haeden smiled. "We will discuss some basic defense, but will not go much further today. You need to get comfortable with the weapon and the opening forms, and then enough to try to keep someone from spearing you with one, but too much and it gets harder to remember it all at first."

Moving back a couple of steps, he moved into The Ox Lowers its Horns. "First, The Branch in the Storm." He moved forward, turning the sword into a high, horizontal slash perpendicular to his stance. "This is meant to deflect a blade. It's important to remember to hit with the flat of the sword, not the edge."

The Hawk Surveys the Plains. He held the sword high and then brought it down from this high point in a slow zig-zag motion until it reached the low point. "The Falling Leaf," he explained. "Adjusted as needed for the attack, this is a parry maneuver that can flow into different offensive strikes to be discussed later."

"Lastly, The Kingfisher Circles the Pond. This one is generally used as a combination maneuver, which many will be. Not just is it to counter a strike, but it is to gain some distance at the same time." He lifted his blade in a blocking parry, just above shoulder height. "It is used against an overhand blow or strike meant to behead. Then you either sidestep to get away from your opponent--" Which he demonstrated, before moving back to where he was. "--or deeper into their guard." Which he also demonstrated.

Again relaxing, he gestured at his student. "We will now practice these maneuvers on their own before I'll demonstrate some moves to use them against."

[Roan]

Bastian

Bastian wiped sweat from his brow as the Gaidin explained they would go through a bit more before calling an end to the day. As Haeden moved into The Ox Lowers its Horns and demonstrated The Branch in the Storm, the large Ji’val could see how the move was meant to parry an opponent’s slash. Hit with the flat of the blade. Makes sense. Gives more ‘area’ to intercept the strike.

The Falling Leaf was another one meant to parry an enemy’s strikes. The last move Haeden showed Bastian was different from the other two. While The Kingfisher Circles the Pond was also meant to parry, the follow through could give him a chance to either give distance, or move inside his opponent’s guard.

After demonstrating each move, Haeden moved into The Ox Lowers its Horns, and Bastian followed suit. He mimicked Haeden’s moves as the Gaidin went from the guard stance into The Branch in the Storm. Taking a deliberate step forward, Bastian pulled his sword through the horizontal slash, imagining his blade intercepting one meant to gut him. From there, both Gaidin and Ji’val moved into The Hawk Surveys the Plains before they both moved their blades in the zig-zag motion of The Falling Leaf. Where Haeden made the change in direction look seamless it felt awkward to Bastian, though he could see the usefulness of the move. It would be one he’d have to practice. (Though in truth, he’d need a lot of practice).

Finally, Bastian followed Haeden’s moves as they went through The Kingfisher Circles the Pond. Bringing the blade up to block a strike, he stepped to the side of his imaginary opponent before repeating the move to then step inside the invisible opponent’s guard.

Their first time through, Haeden took it slow, critiquing Bastian’s form, but he had the Ji’val go through the moves another four times. As they finished The Kingfisher Circles the Pond for the last time Bastian held the pose until he saw the Gaidin relax. “Those all seem doable, though I suspect I’ve got a lot of practice ahead of me for these to become second nature.”