Wrestling With Saidin

[Ashfalcon]

Darthalien stood in the Channeling Yards, in a square carefully warded to keep most uses of the One Power safely inside, and faced off with his friend Revic. Overseeing them was one of the more common battle-trainers, Gilben Asha'man of the Green.

"Each of you has, in his way, demonstrated an aptitude for battle weaves," the Trainer said. "But destroying a target or a trolloc is a very different thing from facing off against another Channeler. For now, you will practice -- practice, mind you -- against each other so that you can see each other's weaves and react to them. Eventually, each of you will practice against Aes Sedai, and learn to respond and anticipate when you cannot see each other's weaves." He paused, then continued. "For the duration of this practice, you will limit yourselves to non-lethal weaves. Put your opponent to sleep, paint a mark on his clothing, demonstrate that your weave can reach him... but do not harm him. Do you both understand?"

Darthalien and Revic nodded together.

"Very well. Begin."

Darthalien had an immediate advantage; the training he'd done in healing had shown him weaves for putting people to sleep, numbing limbs, and otherwise affecting the body without harming it. He formed a restraining weave, but Revic caught it with a burst of Fire and Air that scattered his threads, and countered with a weave of Air that would have trapped Darthalien in place. Darth managed to turn it aside, but barely -- Rev was stronger than he was. At the same time, he spun out two more weaves of Spirit and Water, while quietly dropping a third -- or fourth? -- strand of Air to tangle Revic's feet.

Revic preempted his efforts with a massive wave of air that stopped just as it hit him -- knocking him sprawling, but doing little damage. Had the weave been tighter, he would have been flattened; but neither of them were trying to injure each other.

Darthalien held up a hand, and came to his feet.

Gilben Asha'man called, "Hold!" He strode over to Darthalien and examined him for a long moment, but Darthalien shook his head. "Knocked down," he said. "My pride, but it only hurts if I try to boast."

The Asha'man laughed and moved back to the side of the square. "Are you ready to try again?"

[Ashfalcon]

Darth wasted no time, spinning out three different weaves and sending them in different directions. He didn't try to catch the wall of air coming at him; instead, he angled it aside. Revic was strong, but Darth was used to using multiple weaves at the same time. The weave that would have rendered Revic's right arm completely numb ran into a small, spiky shield of Air, Fire, and Spirit that unravelled it, and Dar smiled as Rev gathered a massive fist of Air and Fire overhead while he tried to reach down with a weave of Earth that would be his real attack.

Dar caught the weave and held it back for a moment. Rev could force it forward, and he would have to dodge -- tricky -- or truly counter it -- trickier. Instead, he squeezed his eyes closed as conjured two sudden bursts of light -- flash-flash -- and a slanted wall of Fire, Water, and Spirit to turn aside that massive fist overhead. He was certain that Rev had intended it as a feint, but it would be foolish to leave himself exposed.

Rev hesitated, blinking, and Dar's third weave touched the back of his ankle.

"What?" Rev asked, as he dropped to one knee in front of his friend. He was still blinking; for a moment, he dropped his weaves in favor of rubbing at hie eyes.

"One and one," Darthalien told him, and Rev nodded. "You've been working with actual counterweaves, though, haven't you?"

"I told you," Revic said. "Green or Red for me, and either way..."

Darth nodded. "I'll need to study that myself," he said. "Remind me, and I'll show you some of the non-lethal weaves in exchange."

"Deal," Revic told him. "You up for the next round?"

Darthalien chuckled. "Always."

[Ashfalcon]

"Begin," Trainer Gilben said again.

Revic evidently decided to press his advantage in strength: he swept forward with a weave of Earth, creating a wave of dirt that swept towards Darth. Darthalien created his half-sword with the One Power, and countered Revic's weave with a downward slice. It was close enough that dirt sprayed across his legs and hips, but it worked. He dismissed the sword and spun his hands around, weaving out threads of Fire and Spirit in a subtle wall, then reached through it with a weave of Earth.

Revic was already preparing his next attack, a pincer of Air and Earth sufficient to hold Dar forcibly in place, but Darth had been studying too: the pincer slipped past him and tried to close on the image he'd spun with his wall. The weave of Earth stretched towards Revic's feet...

...And Revic jumped back, countering with Earth and Water to block the weave.

Dar cursed softly, grinning, and spun out more weaves, trying to overwhelm Rev with repeated small attacks before his friend could overwhelm him with his greater strength in the Power.

It almost worked.

Revic pulled his weaves in, wove a shield around himself, and then pulsed it out in a way that Dar would have said was impossible. Before he could regroup, that same wall of soft air slammed into again, knocking him back.

"Blood and ashes," he said, climbing back to his feet. "Well done."

[Ashfalcon]

"Very good," said Trainer Gilben, studying Revic. "Another round, and then we're done -- I don't want either of you doing this when you're tired. Not yet, anyway."

Darth paused to focus on his breathing, then nodded. Rev nodded back.

They both looked at their trainer.

"Begin," he said.

Darthalien wove Fire and Spirit, with just a touch of air, to create an image of himself; he stepped out of the image and off to the side, wrapping himself in a similar weave that left him a shimmering, barely-visible shape. Rev would know he was channeling, and might even see the weaves, but Darth was counting on confusing his friend with the illusion.

Sure enough, Rev tried to wrap Air around the image... and that was when Darth yanked both his feet into the suddenly-soft dirt and froze them in place. Rev wavered for a moment, clinging to his balance, then went over backwards.

"Hold!" called Trainer Gilben. "Well done, both of you, and that's enough for today. We'll resume in the morning. Be cautious with your channeling: this sort of struggle takes a lot more out of you than you might expect."

[Ashfalcon]

"Well, he's right about that," said Revic. "That was a lot of work. I'm still not sure how you got around me like that. How many weaves can you handle at once?"

"I'm not sure," Darthalien admitted. "I just know I'm not as strong as you, so my only real chances are either misdirection or trying to overwhelm you with multiple smaller attacks."

"Huh," Revic said, reflectively. "Well, it worked. More often than I'd expected."

Dar chuckled. "More often than I did, either," he admitted. "I'm probably not doing enough with my one real talent, but I don't trust myself to use it safely."

"That Power-weapon of yours?" asked Rev. "Yeah, I can see that. You can part weaves with that thing, can't you?"

Dar nodded. "I think it's the Spirit woven through it. At least, that seems to be the part that most Asha'man have trouble reproducing."

"Yeah, that was what kept me from learning it. But then, I'm strongest in Fire and Earth, so..." He shrugged. "Maybe you could show me some of those non-lethal weaves after dinner, and I'll walk you through what I've been taught of the counter-weaves."

Dar smiled. "Deal."

Note to self: submit this one for the Dextrous Weaver Talent.