Evaluating Sword [Luna]

[Carra]

Luna Chislen

Maybe Luna didn't enjoy channeling, but swordplay was something she did enjoy. She was also far better at it than channeling- she was still having difficulty making weaves, especially anything involving Air. She was beginning to wonder if she might be weak in the One Power after all.

But right now, at least, she didn't have to think about that. She was on her way to an evaluation of her sword skills. Luna knew she wasn't that good with a sword yet, but she did have some skill. To that end, she had been informed she could seek an evaluation. Wearing a training uniform- she wasn't about to fight in a dress; besides any excuse not to wear that novice dress was a good one- she walked into the yards. Giving the trainees an envious glance- she still wanted to be out there- she found a secluded spot nearby.

While she was waiting for her teacher to arrive- whoever that might be- she could warm up. Doing some basic stretching exercises, like her father had taught her, she glanced about the yards, wondering who her teacher would be.

OOC: I'm seeking 2 points for her in sword.

Jenna al'Chan To teach and evaluate the ways of the sword

Jenna walked down to the training yards, looking about for the student that Nani had asked her to teach. There were plenty of swordsmen in the Yards that could teach this young girl, but none were channelers as well. Nani felt that someone like her would help her adjust, show her what it was truly like to channel and physically fight. Jenna just happened to be the name that Nani had chosen. The Master of Training was a smart woman, the Keeper has to give her that.

Her black pants were skin tight, and her dark green blouse was tucked into those same pants. Her shawl, that denoted her of the Green, was wrapped around her waist, covering her sword belt, that held her sword strapped horizontally across her lower back. Her right hand rested on the hilt of her sword as she strutted into the yards like she owned the place. Her red hair was braided and pulled up into a bun at the nape of her neck.

She saw the girl wearing a white trimmed training uniform standing by herself, and stretching. The Keeper moved forward, and looked at the young woman. "Luna Chislen?" She asked softly, standing with her left hand on her hip and her right hand on the hilt of her sword.

Luna Chislen An Aes Sedai?

Luna was busy stretching when she heard a voice behind her, softly calling her name. Cursing slightly- she was really going to have to pay better attention to her surroundings; she was Kandori, she should know better- she spun about.

As soon as she spotted the woman behind her, she groaned. An Aes Sedai. Light, I thought I'd escape them in the yards at least . But, she knew at the Grey Tower channelers did use weapons. It was, after all, the only reason she was even in the yards at all.

Hastily standing up, she bowed awkwardly, though it was more graceful than a curtsy from her would have been. "Aes Sedai." she said carefully. Her sharp eyes noticed the green shawl around the woman's waist. Green? Well, that's something at least . If she were to be made to be Aes Sedai- and she was still determined she wasn't- the Green seemed like the best option. Standing ready for the Last Battle was something Borderlanders understood well.

"I am her, yes. Are you my evaluator? I was told one would meet me here. " She kept her tone as respectful as possible. Snappiness and snarkiness were all well and good with Carra, but an Aes Sedai was a different matter.

Jenna al'Chan Be calm child.

Jenna nodded. "Yes Luna, I'm here to evaluate you, and start your training, if you so desire to move forward." The Keeper gestured her forward, and moved into the center of the training area. "Show me what you know." Jenna said as she watched the young woman. The keeper watched the Novice who looked a bit nervous. But she wasn't sure why. Perhaps she could find out over the process of this evaluation.

[[OOC: sorry it's not longer. I promise they will be more lengthy from this point forward.]]

Luna Chislen A Demonstration

Luna nodded, smiling slightly. "Yes, Aes Sedai." Pleased to be able to show what she knew- even if it wasn't that much- she moved to the center of the area. Well, she's different than most of the Aes Sedai I've met at least . Most of the Aes Sedai Luna had met so far seemed either amused or exasperated at the idea of an Aes Sedai using a sword. Carra and this woman seemed to be the exceptions.

She would do her best to show what her father- and then later her cousin, once her father no longer had time to teach her- had taught her. Taking a combat stance, feet apart, knees slightly bent- the first thing she had been taught- she drew her sword. It wasn't as grand or well made as her father's sword, but it would do.

Feet balanced, she held the sword at waist level, straight out. "I think my father said this is middle guard, but I don't remember exactly." He hadn't taught her many form names, insisting the names weren't important. Next, she swung the sword up, above her head, before bringing it back down, ending with it pointed at the ground.

Bringing it back to waist level, she thrust out with the blade, pretending she was fighting an imaginary opponent, before following it up with a series of quick slashes and thrusts.

The longer she practiced, the more the short-temperedness she had experienced since arriving at the Tower slid away. She felt free out here, in the yards. Why did she have to learn to channel? This was where she should be.

Ending her demonstration with a hard jab, she lowered her sword, wondering her her evaluator would think. Her Kandori pride hoped she would say 'good job' but Luna knew she was hardly that great with a sword.

"What do you think, Aes Sedai?" Belatedly, she wondered if the woman had meant for her to spar with her instead of give a demonstration, but it was too late now. Though she hope did they were going to spar.

Jenna al'Chan Now we start

Jenna watched the girl do the same thing that she had done years before training with her master. The pretending to fight someone always made things better for actually evaluation of the forms themselves. Her form was weak, a little bit sloppy, but it was nothing that Jenna couldn't fix. "Your form is a bit weak, like you don't quite have arms. The slashes, as far as I can tell, are missing strength behind them. But, that being said, you know what you're doing, and that is half the battle."

Jenna's right hand slide around the grip of her sword, her left hand around the end of her sheath on her left side, and she drew her sword, with dull edge against her forearm. "You'll notice that I wear it differently then most people. It is easiest for me to wear it like this. You can block a blow coming for you like this." Jenna let her sword go only to immediately grasp it again, and right her stance. Her left hand grasped the bottom of her sword, and slid her stance around to low guard, with the tip of her sword facing down, next to her right foot.

"I learned from someone more skilled then I. The easiest stance to defend from is Low Guard. Come on. Try and attack me."

[[OOC: Attack Jenna in any way you like, multiple times. She will block each of them. (She's a Veteran in Sword)]]

Luna Chislen Striking

Luna had to bit back her temper at the Aes Sedai's words that she her form was weak, with no strenght behind them. Weak? She wasn't weak. However, she had to admit she hadn't placed as much strength behind her blows as she could have. Resolving to improve, she nodded, watching closely as the Aes Sedai drew her sword and held it in low guard.

Yes, I remember my father telling that, that low guard is the best to defend from.. Though Luna personally preferred middle guard.

Attack her? Alright, then Perhaps she should have been more hesitant, but she wasn't. Moving her sword back to middle guard, she moved her feet apart again and eyed the woman. There were only a limited number of strikes she knew, so Luna didn't have a wide choice to choose from.

Deciding on a simple, straightforward stirke, she gripped her blade tightly and lunged forward, pushing off from left foot. Throwing her full weight behind it, she thrust at the woman's middle, only to blocked roughly.

Cursing slightly, she stepped back, though she wasn't all that surprised. It was a rather simple strike, after all. She suspected anyone could have blocked it.

Holding her sword back in middle guard, she thought, finally deciding on a move. Pushing forward with her left foot again, she raised her sword high, above her head and brought it down smoothly. Given her height, she had been told that strike could be used to her advantage.

However, the Aes Sedai once again blocked her, forcing her to take a step back.

OOC: I hope you meant for me to npc Jenna. If not, I apologize :)

Jenna al'Chan Good, now show me how to defend

"Great moves Luna. This is a great start." Jenna said as she blocked the blow again. The Keeper spread her arms wide and smiled. "I will need you to copy my movements exactly." She said, before she drew the blade up to a high guard, and her body back to the basic ready stance, with feet a shoulder width apart and her body squared over her slightly bent knees. "This stance is called Lion on the Hill. You can move into nearly any sort of attack, defense, or other stance." She said, waiting for Luna to copy her movement, and then did any corrections needed. "Usually it's partnered with Lightning of Three Prongs," she said, demonstrating the quick thrust, a feint, and a third thrust. "It can also work with The Hummingbird Kisses the Honeyrose, which is a thrust to the face."

"Another good combination of movement - because swordplay isn't static, not even with your back to a wall - is The Creeper Embraces the Oak, a circling maneuver with feints and thrusts. You will find most combat begins with a circling, even in the barnyard cats! Creeper Embraces the Oaks is particularly useful because it has such a fluidity of movement: the sword goes up or down, or out into a thrust such as Lightning of Three Prongs. You can, for instance, aim for that crippling blow to the leg, or shoulder, or upper arm, while having enough control of the blade to preserve your own flaming head on your shoulders. No sane enemy would leave his body wide open to strike at your head while you're using this form."

"A final beginning attack is Leaf Floats on the Breeze, which turns very neatly into Lizard in the Thornbush. Just as The Boar Rushes Down the Mountain, you start high, such as from Lion on the Hill, and draw the sword in a sawing motion as you slice down. From the nadir of your form, you can slice in a upturned arc, which we call The River Undercuts the Bank, and try for a disemboweling cut or a major leg wound."

As Jenna talked, she followed the motions of what she was demonstrating. "Now, show me those stances and attacks again. But against me this time. I will merely block, not look to disarm you. Throw some weight into your attacks. Make me feel them." The Keeper felt more like a Warder now and she loved this feeling.

[[OOC: It was perfect. I hope that you can follow everything here, but if not, http://www.grey-tower.net/GTWarders/ski ... dforms.php There's the link to find that which you need.]]

Luna Chislen

Luna was pleased this woman had liked her moves, though she said nothing. The Aes Sedai had moved onto showing her some various strikes, and she watched closely, attempting to commit all of them to memory. Lion on the Hill was familiar to her, as were several of the other strikes. Though she did wonder who had thought of those names. Hummingbird kisses the Honeyrose? Leaf Floats on the Breeze? Really?

Taking a combat stance again, she ran through the strikes in her head. She knew she couldn't beat this woman, but she could at least make a good showing. Her pride would allow no less.

Raising her sword above her head again, she lunged quickly at the Aes Sedai, bringing the sword down and out into a thrust at her face. Her thrust was quickly knocked aside. weight, Luna. Use your weight. . Tightening her grip, she placed all of her weight behind her next attack, a hard thrust at the middle, followed by a feint, then a final thrust. Both of her attacks were easily blocked.

Light, she thought. Taking a step back, she ran through all of the attacks she knew, along with the newer one this Aes Sedai had just showed her. Clearly, she was going to need to change tactics.

Sliding back into a combat stance, she raised her sword back into Lion on the Hill, before quickly moving into Creeper embraces the Oak. She had never used it before- though she had watched her father use it- but refused to show that, circling confidently around the woman.

She circled a few times, blade now held in middle guard, before feinting low, at the woman's leg. However, at the last moment, she shifted her blade up, towards her middle. Both of her blows were knocked aside, however.

Stepping back, she lowered her sword, waiting. At least she had used her weight this time.

[Carra]

Carra Glaisne Don't think this is a Spar, girl.

A little irritated to be the errand girl, Carra took as much time as she dared to arrive in the Warders Yard where she was meant to retrieve the Keeper of Chronicles. The smile, however, was over who she was instructing. Whatever it was, she could already see the weakness in the girl's form although there was an apparent skill. Evaluation was always interesting to watch.

"Jenna Sedai." Carra, the Accepted, gave the Keeper an appropriate curtsy as is expected from Accepted to Aes Sedai. "I have been sent to inform you that the Amyrlin Seat has requested your presence along with the M'Hael and the Keeper of Archives in the Amrylin's study." Such a mouthful, it was a little rediculous. But she was told to say it word for word. Bloody formality. "I have skill to take over, if you wish."

The Keeper gave her a nod, paling only slightly at those that required her. Must be important, Carra thought, and leaned over to give the Novice a smirk before they both curtsied the leave of the Keeper and watched her leave. Once she had gone, Carra walked over to where they kept the back up blades for teachers and students to use. They were not the same as her own blade but she wasn't intending to teach... or let the girl put notches into the blade out of poor aim.

"Recap for me, quickly, what Jenna Sedai has done with you and we can continue. I can only push you so far but lets get one thing clear. This. Is. Not. A. Spar. This is evaluation, and since Jenna Sedai had to go it will be up to me to decide where you need to learn and how much the Tower will have to reteach you. Start."

[Vibyka]

Luna gazed after the Aes Sedai as she left, more than a little stunned. Oh not that the woman had had to leave- she supposed that that was only to be expected, given her position- but over who the replacement teacher was.

Well, stunned, wasn't exactly the word for it. Furious was more like it. Furious and determined. She bit back the swear that leapt to her lips- light, it was her, of all people-and turned back to face her new teacher.

Setting her teeth, she vowed not to let the girl see she had surprised her. Or see her fail. She was going to give her a run for her money with this evaluation. She still hadn't forgotten that they had a spar to do one day.

She didn't smile at the woman as she lifted her sword again. "We were just going through the basics, Accepted." It was curt, barely on the edge of respectful. "I showed her what my father taught me- how to stand- " she demonstrated, shifting her feet apart into a combat stance, "and how to hold the blade." She held her sword straight out, in middle guard, before raising it above her head, then lowering the blade below her waist.

Raising her blade again, Luna gave the Accepted the same demonstration she had given the Aes Sedai at the start of their evaluation.

Holding her sword in middle guard, she thrust straight out, then followed that up with some quick slashes and thrusts. Remembering what the Green had told her, she placed all of her strength behind the blows, and made them as steady as possible.

"Then she had me practice striking at her several times, and showed me some sword forms." She couldn't remember all of the names, but she could remember the forms. She decided to demonstrate the first stances the Green had showed her.

Making certain her feet were in combat stance, she raised her blade in to high guard. "This, I believe, is Lion on the Hill." Next, she shifted her blade into a fast thrust, followed by a feint, then a final thrust. Finally, she shifted into a fast thrust out, directed towards an imaginary opponent's face.

"She also showed me Creeper Embraces the Oak, which is a circling maneuver, and Leaf floats on the Breeze and Lizard in the Thornbush. Also, River Cuts the Bank." She didn't demonstrate those, but she could remember the forms.

Lowering her sword, Luna stepped back, waiting. This wasn't going to be fun. At all.

[Carra]

Carraidhin Glaisne "So you are not a beginner but you have a ways to go. It is good that you understand the use of a blade but lets see how you wield it." She gave a nod, keeping her demeanor formal, Carra readied her blade. There were movements in her that seems hesitant in the forms that she demonstrated that would need working out.

"What forms you know feel free to call out, but I want you to make slow strikes at me. I want to see them coming so that we both can how you hit and need to improve." Sometimes a full on spar was a faster way to evaluate but it created bad habits while a slow spar exerted more control over the blade and the body. "Lets go for mid strikes and up."

As the girl worked on her attacks Carra would have her pause, "Don't over extend, watch your shoulders.".. "Careful of your feet, they are too close together.".. "If you are aiming there you won't hit much, try keeping that mid strike where it should be. Too high and you lose control of your blade, too low and you will find a blade in your head.".. "Again."