The Grey Tower

Danos watched as Master Riahana demonstrated the next sword forms that she wanted him to learn.

As she showed him the high guard stance, Danos waited till she had finished her demonstration before asking, "Master Riahana a question on the guards. You had stated that this is a high guard, and Kingfisher watches the sky is a middle guard, but what is the benefit to a high guard? It seems like a lot of exposure to yourself to have your blade there."

Danos then drew his sword smoothly, Unfolding the Fan with all the grace his time at the Grey Tower had bestowed on him. He then raised his hilt to the right shoulder and held his sword vertically in the guard, Lion on the Hill

At first it was awkward holding the weight of the blade so high, and he could tell the shoulders and arms would need to adjust to the demand. It was harder to hold the blade pointed towards Riahana as the weight of the blade was more pronounced.

As Danos attempted The branch in the storm he found judging the flat of the blade, imagining an opponents blade striking it was the hardest part to visualize.
He found it easier to execute the move with the sword pointed straight towards his foe. It cut down the travel of the blade, and enabled him to react quickly.

As he swung his form left and right, he imagined the flat of the blade, slowly getting the wrist movement required correct. He knew the edge of a sword was vital, especially after long hours in the Armoury during Chores.

The second defensive movement, Falling Leaf was easier to execute slowly, the sword control coming more natural afar some practice. As Danos tried increasing his speed, the movements got more jagged and jerky. But he could see where the back and forth and shifting blade position would make it harder to get past.

Finally there was The Sapling Trembles . Danos found the quick downward chop easy after years of ax work, and he remembered Master Riahana mentioning it was best used after an opponent had extended himself. That was harder to picture in his head, but he worked on the three moves in sequence until his speed increased and the jaggedness improved some.

Danos saw the way her blade descended quickly, the flat of the blade striking his sword thrust and pushing it harmlessly towards the ground. He could feel the power of her parry in his blade, and he wondered if that was perhaps the form adding to it the way she had described.

When she asked if he had any questions, he thought for a moment and asked the first that came to mind, "I can see the High Guard benefit now, and will practice it Master Riahana. My question is do you mirror the guard your opponent is in, such as High Guard for High Guard?"

He knew with Unarmed that you would often apply a counterforce to overcome the opponents moves, and he wondered if that was true as well with sword based combat.

Danos circled the yard, waiting as his friend Hoplin chose his own practice blade. After their success training together for unarmed, Danos had hoped that Hoplin would agree to practice the sword forms as well.

Danos ran through the moves he had learnt from Riahana Gaidar, the Mistress of Arms, finding that Lion on the Hill had become more and more comfortable as he practiced it. He still preferred the middle guard Kingfisher watches the Sky but he could see the benefits to practicing.

'Well Danos, you feeling ready for this? And what was the work the Mistress of Arms asked you to perform before your next class," asked Hoplin, waving his sword with his wrists in small circles to awaken the muscles and test his grip.

"She wanted me to practice each of the moves I have been taught, both offensive and defensive. I am also to report to her with a defense she has not yet seen," said Danos as he pondered what he could do for that. He had almost no training, but when Hoplin waved at him to begin, Danos drew his sword, the movement clean and smooth and settled into Lion on the Hill .

Hoplin was circling Danos, and he knew from watching his friend that he was allowing him to obtain the experience required for his next class. As such Danos used his feet to dart in quickly, feinting at first, and then striking with a sweeping cut upwards and across his body.

Hoplin's blade dipped down, the flat of the blade striking upon Danos' sword and as he had experienced before with Riahana Gaidar, he could feel the blade pushed low, Hoplin stepping out of the attack's range.

Danos separated from his partner, once again assuming Lion on the Hill this time with the blade held forward, pointing directly at this opponent. Danos circled, feeling his balance for a moment, and then once more attacked, this time with a short weak thrust, and a slashing cut on the diagonal as Hoplin's parry tipped his blade upwards.

Hoplin responded with Falling Leaf tapping the tip out of the way initially, and then sweeping it out to the left as he blade mimicked the swaying motion of a leaf.

"Good, thank you Hoplin. Now if you would allow me to practice my defenses," Danos said as he stepped back and motioned for his opponent to join him in the ring.

Hoplin circled Danos, who stood in Lion on the Hill his blade held forward as he watched his fellow Drin circling. Hoplin darted in with a belly thrust, his leg thrusting forward suddenly as he attempted a viper like strike. Danos unthinkingly twisted his body, using his feet to move himself out of the way, and then responded with The Sampling Trembles striking Hoplin's for wrist as he overextended his sword arm. Danos missed the wrist in his timing, striking instead on the meat of Hoplin's forearm, but from the way his friend winced, he knew he had accomplished a touch.

Hoplin rubbed his wrist wryly as he returned to the center of the sparring circle, "Light but I forget how fast you can move those feet of yours Danos. Thought a big bear like you would get belly struck for sure," said Hoplin with a wink as he settled into an unfamiliar middle guard.

Danos thought for a heartbeat, and kept himself in Lion on the Hill , his blade held high and unwavering as he waited for Hoplin to strike. Hoplin's next attack came, a curving strike that Danos met with The Branch in the Storm parrying with a high slash to the right, turning his wrist to bring the flat of his blade against Hoplin's strike. As Danos swung Hoplin's sword away, Hoplin spun on his feet, and suddenly Danos was facing another blow from the left.

Recalling Riahana Gaidar's teaching, Danos calmly swung his blade left, continuing the sword form and stopping the second strike in time to prevent a touch.

Hoplin backed away, and Danos ran through the list in his mind for moves he had yet to practice, coming up only with Falling Leaf . As Hoplin advanced, Danos waited until he struck for his shoulder, using Falling Leaf to sweep the blow to the side, and continued the motion to ensure a second snaking thrust would not punch through his guard.

"Well done Danos, that's all of them. Now set yourself in Kingfisher Watches the Sky and I will show you another move I know," said Hoplin as he waited for Danos to assume the guard stance. "Now this is called Storm on the Mountain and it will suit someone who can move faster than imagined. First you would pivot as you did when you dodged my thrust, then strike for the wrist, and finish with a thrust to the chest. I was taught to use it mostly against daggers or one handed swords, as with luck you can disarm your opponent," give it a try now.

Hoplin then spent the next few tries , slashing and thrusting slowly, giving Danos time to practice pivoting, striking at his opponent's wrist, and then snapping the blade back quickly for a sword thrust. Hoplin tried backing quickly, his footwork well trained, but fortunately the move also allowed Danos to take advantage of his reach, making it hard for Danos to miss a touch. Although the Gaidin must know a response to this situation , thought Danos to himself as he headed to the mess hall, chatting amicably with Hoplin.

As Danos approached, Ria inclined her head, “Good morning, Drin’far’ji. As you are warming up, tell me how your sparring session went, and the name of the move you learned?”

Danos took a moment to collect his practice blade, and as he began his warm up, he related his success from the day before, "Hoplin another Drin'far'ji I have gotten to know well, was good enough to spar with me Riahana Gaidar, and showed me Storm on the Mountain ."

Danos then finished his warm ups in silence, the muscles limbering quickly as he moved through the guards and stances the Mistress of Arms had showed him through the class.

When he was ready, she advanced to the centre of the ring, and Danos stood at attention while observing her keenly.

Danos saw as she assumed the Ox Lowers his Horns and mirrored her movements. He placed his feet with his right hand back and stretched out his left leg. But mostly awkwardly was centering his body lower and lower so that the bulk of his weight stood on his rear leg.

All the instincts he had learned in Unarmed screamed at him that this was incorrect, for he had trained to move balanced and swiftly, but he watched as Riahana Gaidar demonstrated the power possible from this position.

Without much hesitation, Ria executed a fast overhand thrust before she settled back into the guard stance.

Danos repeated her move, the basic ideas of thrusts and sweeping cuts know much more familiar to him as he had practiced the basic forms many times. The Falcon Stoops felt powerful and Danos imagined it would cause a good amount of damage to a foe.

She repeated the move as she explained, “It is nothing more than an overhand thrust, and it is a simplified version of another form I often use from this stance: The Kingfisher Takes a Silverback.”

At first Danos was confused as he did not see much difference between the move and the last one. But then he watched as the Mistress of Arms demonstrated the move from each height of guard.

It then became apparent that the move was adaptable, each time the target would shift higher or lower onto the opponents body as he moved his guard height.

Danos then placed himself into Kingfisher watches the Sky and with the familiarity of last nights practice showed the Mistress of Arms the form Storm on the Mountaim . As Hoplin had taught him, he began by imagining a strike at his midriff, pivoting on his foot to strike at the wrist of the imagined foe. As he imagined striking bone, he pulled the tip back sharply,
picturing an attack to his opponent's chest.

Riahana nodded, "Good. You will need to keep practicing on your own, of course. Now, though, I would like you to put everything I've shown you into practice." She looked over to the side where a Ji'alantin was waiting, "Drin'far'ji Danos, this is Ji'alantin Calim, someone else I've been working with. We will finish today's lesson with a spar between the two of you. When you both are ready, please proceed."

Danos nodded to the Ji'alantin Calim, and stepped into the circle of sand that would mark his final test. He could see the other man carried himself well, with the grace Danos would expect of someone a rank above.

Danos gripped his sword, taking a moment to accustom his grip to the leather wrapped around the hilt. As he advanced, he slide his feet into the balanced stance, and slid into Kingfisher watches the Sky his sword blade held between him and Calim as he began to consider his options. Calim assumed the high guard Lion on the Hill his sword smoothly ascending as he pulled himself into the form gracefully, staring at Danos over the blade as he held it towards him.

Danos decided to gain a measure of his opponent and as the two men circled the sands, their feet balanced and moving quickly to keep each other in sight , he launched into a balanced attack. Taking his blade, he darted forward with his feet, two quick steps, then planting as he directed his sword in quick thrusts. His practice blade flicked out, heading thrice for the midriff and shoulders, which Calim parried with ease with Falling Leaf his sword swaying back and forth as the flat of the blade blocked Danos' attack. The recoil of the wood through the length of the blade allowed each man to feel the strength of the other.

Danos could see the other man was a good match, his footwork was better than his own. And as he watched Danos could see Calim twisting and pivoting as he used his speed to make up for Danos' slight advantage in strength.

Danos attacked once more, his wooden sword arching through the air as he struck with The Falcon Stoops Taking advantage of his reach, Danos kept his feet movements short and fast, shuffling as he advanced towards Calim. With his hilt grasped in both hands, his attack cracked against Calim's sword, and he could feel Calim strain as he blocked with a high slash that sent the blades tumbling away.

Calim brought his riposte towards Danos as a slashing strike. Seeing the wooden blade arching for his chest, Danos followed the motion of his sword, gracefully allowing the energy of the parry to help carry his sword over his head. Danos backed with his feet, gaining a little separation to weaken the blow as his body returned to the middle guard position, his blade snapping into place just in time to stop Calim's attack. The wood crashed together with a snapping sound, and Danos could feel the vibration through his grip and arms.

Light the advantage is smaller than I thought he thought critically as he could feel their bodies strained as their blades were locked together.

Calim grunted and forced the two of them apart, Danos having to use his feet to regain his balance and keep the other man in reach. Calim continued to press his attack, bringing his sword up quickly into Boar Rushes down the Mountain .

Danos saw quickly how Calim's wooden blade rose above and behind his shoulder and as it came down Danos could hear it whistling with force. Reacting in instinct Danos used Falling Leaf to parry the attack. He kept his blade straight, and grabbed it with both hands to help him divert both the initial sweeping attack, and as his blade swayed gracefully, he kept the blade straight to catch the sudden back swinging attack off the glare of his blade. He knew with wooden blades there was no edge to dull, but he had drilled the positioning in his mind to keep it for live steel.


Both men then separated, respect in their eyes as they took a moment to assess the spar. Danos and Calim mirrored each other's movements, setting their feet and raising the grip to their shoulders, assuming Lion on the Hill and staring at each other over their wooden blades. Danos could feel his body tiring and he knew that the spar needed to be decided soon.

Calim was also fatigued, the spar taxing him more than he had expected and in his impatience Calim dashes forward, swaying like a serpent as he attacks with The Lion Springs The wooden blade in his hand darted forward like a serpents tongue, and then cut through the air with a whistle as the form brought the sword slashing for Danos' shoulders.

Danos brought his blade vertical, using the side of the blade to strike Calim's blade, forcing the thrust aside. As he saw the secondary attacked, Danos launched himself immediately into Ox Lowers his Horns his foot sliding smoothly backwards as he twisted his torso abruptly, forcing it to bend with all the flexibility he had obtained.

His sudden change of form was enough, and as he moved fluidly, it allowed Calim's blade to whistle over his shoulder as he shifted his weight below the attack.

Danos instantly pressed his counter attack, shuffling his feet forward rapidly to buy himself some more reach. Danos then struck with a series of rapid slashes, his blade clashing repeated against the side of Calim's blade. This tactic succeeded in forcing Calim to keep his blade close to his body, Danos' commitment to the force of his attack giving little chance for an attack.

Under the storm of strikes against his blade, Calim was determined to break the rhythm of the attack, and so when Danos paused for a heartbeat he thrust out quick and brutal.

His struck forward with an unbalanced attack, his back foot unable to generate the movement needed, and so his thrust was overcommitted.

Danos seeing the attack, and the way Calim was caught flat footed and unable to quickly snap back his overcommitted attack, responded with Storm on the Mountain pivoting his body to avoid the blow, the speed of which still had the practice blade graze his shirt.

Seeing his advantage, Danos swung hard, his wooden blade striking hard against the bone of Calim's wrist.
Danos could feel a crunch, and hoped the other man would be okay, but had little time for concern as with a quick twist of his wrist brought his blade around towards Calim's torso for a second touch.

Panting the two men seperated, and stood awaiting Riahana Gaidar's assessment.