An unfortunate event

[Eve]

He easily danced away as she came at him with those unweildy forks. Clearing the space between them, he Unfolds the Fan with a graceful sweep. The ringing of metal on wood (he wore a practice sword of wood today, an expensive thing to make to fit the sheath as it does and look real) sounding around them. Lifting a brow, he cocks his head to the side as he holds the sword between them. His eyes stay focused on her own. There has to be a catch here. Those ‘sais’ look gangly and unwieldy. They look ridiculous, really. And yet...every weapon is forged and created for a reason. And why in the world had she attempted to get so close so quickly? Eyes narrowed ever so slightly in concentration, he steps in. Dipping his shoulder towards his side, he thrusts out, a simple, testing thrust at first to see her speed…

[Lou]

She did not know the Sword Forms that the Gaidin were so proud of, hell, she did not even know the sai forms that no doubt had their own names. She had a few lessons when younger, and that was all she knew, that and what felt right to her. Though, of course, she was not supposed to use them now, she was suppose to use the One Power, but that just did not seem right to her. She watched as he placed space between them, and she smiled just a little as she noticed the narrowing of his eyes. It was a sly smile, just one side of her mouth quirking up. She continued to watch his eyes, and saw as he thrust out, the ideal move, in her mind. She stepped in close, slightly to one side, and brought her Sai up, one either side of the blade, locked it into the gaps there, and twisted. As she twisted she pulled towards her, and with a step back, she moved her body to the left, to fling the sword away, if she could.

[Eve]

He seemed to realize his mistake the moment her weapon slid effortlessly down his blade. The longer prong kept it locked in place, the shorter one made to perfectly twist and flip the sword cleanly (and uncomfortably) from his fingers. And there was nothing he could do to stop it. His eyes widened slightly as he felt the twist, and for a moment he froze, helpless as he watch his blade spin to the edge of the sparring circle. There was stunned silence from the man as he only looked at his blade, laying feet from him. Distantly, he felt a muffled feeling of amusement through the bond, barely there, as Jeremiah's emotions always were. Irritation flowed from his side of the bond and he turned for a moment to shoot a look to his silent Warder standing mostly unseen near the edge of the yard. He crossed go his sword and lifted it again before turning back. "Again." He ordered, his voice more serious than before...

[Lou]

She knew better than to look smug, smug could get her into trouble. Instead she acted, looking humble, though she was so pleased with how that had gone. She lowered her eyes, though watched him through her coppery ashes as he crossed to pick up his sword. His back was stiff, as if he was trying to protect his dignity as he move, as if acting for an audience. But she was the only one here. She looked around, saw no one paying them any mind, she had chosen this spot as it was good and out the way in the first place. When he faced her once again, commanding now that they go again, she looked up, her eyes widening a little at the authority there. She simply nodded her head, and took up her stance again. And once again, they went at it. It lasted a little longer this time, but again, she caught his sword in a ‘hold’ and with a swing of her leg she tried to knock him back as she wrenched the sword away from him.

[Eve]

He knew he was annoyed, and he knew that wasn’t good. And yet, he was so unused to the feeling of being beaten anymore that he continued along this vein without stopping to calm himself. It was far to much like his father, and how easily the man had always beaten him. He felt Jeremiah’s attention shifting, as if warning him not to lose his temper, and for a moment he did indeed attempt to calm himself. Then he engaged the young Drin again. Minutes later, not only did he feel his sword being yanked from his fingers, but her ankle caught behind his and, before he knew it, he was on his backside. He said nothing, though she might notice that even as he fell his features showed only the smallest amount of surprise and irritation, and in a moment like that, the lack of emotion might be...creepy. But he didn’t seem ready to stop. This time there was no hesitation as he moved back to his sword, backside a little stiff from the fall, and scooped it into his hand. “Again.” he commanded once more, no other words seeming as if they would ever leave him. He strode towards her, wooden blade before him, and came in fast and hard in a combination of a swipe towards the head, feigned away at the last moment to stab towards the throat…

[Lou]

Ember had been taught to read people, and she could read the man before her. And she was getting nothing back, not a thing. It was a little unnerving, more than a little really. But she did not think he would want her to give up, or go slow or soft on him. She felt anger from him, but it was a slow and quiet anger, the type that got its own back on someone in the darkest of moments. That sent a chill through her spine as the Man stood, and moved to get his sword, and then it was happening again. He wanted to come at her own. And he did, though this time he was holding nothing back. She tried to keep up with him, managed it, until there was a stab coming at her throat. Ember knew this was bad, she managed to turn enough so his sword scraped along her neck. She gritted her teeth as she raised her Sai, and pressed the sword down and then spun once again to knock the weapon from his hand, though the spin also sent her a little wild and off balance back towards the Man she was sparring with. The graze on her neck was bad, but she did not feel it in that moment as her smaller frame bumped into his.

[Eve]

His body was rigid when she collided with him, taunt in use as well as emotion. Even as he cursed himself for losing his sword *again* he knew he had gone to far. There were rules in sparring, and one of them was to avoid sensitive places...like the throat. He had lost himself in his growing irritation, and while he didn't feel guilty (such an emotion was far to foreign for him) he knew he had erred. Hands came up and caught her when she fell into him, and he held her in his arms. Another single word came from him, "Enough," to signify that the hold wasn't an attempt to grapple. Still so calm, he didn't release the young Drin. Instead, one hand detached. Holding it over her throat, Saidin came to him as easily as it ever had. Twisting all five elements together swiftly, he touched the scrape that was quickly bruising over, delving it to see if he had damaged her more. Then he shifted his weave, causing it to twist and spread out like an umbrella. This he lowered into her skin with expert skill, and a moment later her wound was gone. "Forgive me." He stated, still holding her back in his arms, emerald eyes gazing into emerald eyes. "That was uncalled for."

[Lou]

Half expecting to simply be pushed off the guy after she had collided with him, she had tensed, braced herself for the impact with the ground. But instead the guy caught her, and held her. This was strange. Her initial instinct was to pull away, wiggle from his grasp and put distance between them, but his single word, one again said like a command, told her that the spar (of it had been that) was over. But it still left her standing in his arms, which was still quite strange. When his hand moved to her throat the pain of what was there came back in now that adrenaline was leaving it. Blood and bloody ashes, that didn't feel good. And then it felt weird, like super itchy and she wanted to reach for it, to brush his hand away, but she knew what it was. He was Chaneling. He was an Ashs'man! Oh hells! When he apologised, she moved back, her hands going to her neck and feeling nothing there, to the touch or under it. "Um... Don't worry, Asha'man. It was my own fault for getting complacent." She shrugged, meeting his green stare with one of her own, though Herts more like the forest after the rain. No wonder he had looked amused, she had been calling him Lord, which was a step down a rank for one such as him. Light! She'd be in for a month of scrubbing floors at this rate.

[Eve]

This time the amusement was a little deeper than it had been when she was calling him Lord. “I’m not an Asha’man.” He told her, though this was one thing he didn’t *want* to say. “At least….” He paused, cocking his head to the side as he looked at her. “Not here I am not. I was one of the rebels.” He waited a moment to see if she would understand that, then went on whether she did or not. “When I returned of course they demoted me, but found I was far to… helpful to stuff back into soldier’s black.” he gestured towards her throat with his fingertip. “You may call me Caddoc. Or sir, if you are uncomfortable with that.”

[Lou]

When the guy before her claimed to not be an Asha’man, she eyed him but knew he could not lie, so if he was, then there was something wrong. And so she guessed that he was not an Asha’man after all. She felt a little relief at that, knocking an Asha’man on his arse would not be a good thing for a Novice to go and do after all. And then he mumbled something about being a Rebel, and being demoted, and she barely understood much of that. She had heard something about there being Rebel Aes Sedai up near Shinear somewhere, but that was about it, when travelling with her Father. The way he gestured to her throat, as he said about being helpful, that and the yellow fluff he covered himself in, she could guess at the Yellow ajah. “Oh, right...Well, Caddoc it is then.” She flashed him a cheeky grin, “I don’t call people Sir unless I really have to.” She moved to toe up his sword, and handed it to him, grip first. “I’m Ember, but you can always call me Mistress if you prefer.” She said the last with a totally sweet look on her face, as if she was totally serious.