Ragan Do'aydara the use of my gifts
The sound of sparring and practice were everywhere. The sour smell of sweat and heat mingled together in Ragan’s nostrils, but for once, Ragan did not notice it. He was sitting cross legged on the ground, looking at the two swords that Cameron had given him. He was not sure if he was supposed to have given them up when he entered the tower but he hadn’t.
Ragan yawned, and then clenched his jaw. He felt the absence of Mother, having left her in his quarters to go down to the training yards. His roommate had done Ragan a service and attempted to get Ragan some time with a teacher for his swordsmanship. Ragan wasn’t sure who his teacher was ‘would it be a Gaidin? A Gaidar? A Ji’alantin? Or would it be a woman? A Ji’dar? Ragan still wasn’t sure if channelers used normal weapons, and he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the thought that the people whom the warders are supposed to protect, never having a need for the said warders.
Ragan’s thought process trailed off as he stared at his swords again. The swords were different but the same, one was long, long enough that it could be used with two hands, but still able to be used with one hand. The other, was small. It was not much more that a large dagger, but it was made like a sword, the handle was the same length as the handle of the longer sword. Ragan almost jumped when he felt a hand touch his shoulder.
Carra Glaisne
Care before Flare
Ragan yawned, and then clenched his jaw. He felt the absence of Mother, having left her in his quarters to go down to the training yards. His roommate had done Ragan a service and attempted to get Ragan some time with a teacher for his swordsmanship. Ragan wasn’t sure who his teacher was ‘would it be a Gaidin? A Gaidar? A Ji’alantin? Or would it be a woman? A Ji’dar? Ragan still wasn’t sure if channelers used normal weapons, and he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the thought that the people whom the warders are supposed to protect, never having a need for the said warders.
Ragan’s thought process trailed off as he stared at his swords again. The swords were different but the same, one was long, long enough that it could be used with two hands, but still able to be used with one hand. The other, was small. It was not much more that a large dagger, but it was made like a sword, the handle was the same length as the handle of the longer sword. Ragan almost jumped when he felt a hand touch his shoulder.
Carraidhin was doing this as a favor to the one that had trained her. The Yard was short a few people for training, and those that normally could were either laid up in the Infirmary or spread too thing as it was. Itarisa asked and Carra, having little else to do aside build a whole Ajah from the ground up, was happy for the distraction. She wasn't the best trainer in the Tower but she enjoyed teaching, had the right temperament, and there weren't many wrong ways to start someone with the sword.
One day she might consider bonding that woman, but today was not it, and neither was tomorrow. That and she needed someone to teach her that weave. Being in her own Ajah definitely had its disadvantages.
Carra was dressed much like she usually was for the Yard. Her red hair braided down her back, custom leathers in proper form showed that she was not of the usual Wader's Yard Rank, but then she also walked quietly and was light of step. Carra was trained, but she kept both her strengths and weaknesses hidden.
Her charge was not so difficult to find, in fact Carra was a little annoyed at Itarisa for this one oversight. The "boy" was a good foot taller than she was. It would make things interesting, if only just to keep out of his untrained reach. Sometimes size did matter. Taking her sword and tapping it lightly on his shoulder.
"Ragan, I presume? I am Carra and I will be showing you the basics of the Sword today. To save us both some time, can you tell me what little you do know about your weapon?"
Ragan Do'aydara
What I know
One day she might consider bonding that woman, but today was not it, and neither was tomorrow. That and she needed someone to teach her that weave. Being in her own Ajah definitely had its disadvantages.
Carra was dressed much like she usually was for the Yard. Her red hair braided down her back, custom leathers in proper form showed that she was not of the usual Wader's Yard Rank, but then she also walked quietly and was light of step. Carra was trained, but she kept both her strengths and weaknesses hidden.
Her charge was not so difficult to find, in fact Carra was a little annoyed at Itarisa for this one oversight. The "boy" was a good foot taller than she was. It would make things interesting, if only just to keep out of his untrained reach. Sometimes size did matter. Taking her sword and tapping it lightly on his shoulder.
"Ragan, I presume? I am Carra and I will be showing you the basics of the Sword today. To save us both some time, can you tell me what little you do know about your weapon?"
‘She’s a channeler’ Ragan thought. Ragan stood up and turned around to formally address the person whom he believed to be the person that was to train him in the sword. What he had originally thought was a hand that tapped him was a sword. ‘This was not the teacher I was expecting’ he thought ‘but she took the time out of her busy day’ Ragan had finally recognized who his teacher was, the only member and head of the newly formed Red Ajah. ‘It would be wise to be grateful Ragan.’
“Thank you for being my teacher Aes Sedai” Ragan said as he sheathed his two swords and bowed.
When the question finally registered with Ragan he immediately began reciting what his father had taught him when he was younger. “I am nowhere near a master, but I do know a few forms and strikes and the like. I know how to clean, oil, and sharpen my swords. If you would like me to show you the few that I do know I would be glad to.”
Although Ragan was excited to learn more about swordsmanship than what he had when he was a child, he still missed his pack. There was a she wolf in the pack, Pond, who was about to have a litter of pups and he didn’t want to miss the birth. Though if he had to he would so he could be raised faster.
Carra Glaisne
Good enough to start
“Thank you for being my teacher Aes Sedai” Ragan said as he sheathed his two swords and bowed.
When the question finally registered with Ragan he immediately began reciting what his father had taught him when he was younger. “I am nowhere near a master, but I do know a few forms and strikes and the like. I know how to clean, oil, and sharpen my swords. If you would like me to show you the few that I do know I would be glad to.”
Although Ragan was excited to learn more about swordsmanship than what he had when he was a child, he still missed his pack. There was a she wolf in the pack, Pond, who was about to have a litter of pups and he didn’t want to miss the birth. Though if he had to he would so he could be raised faster.
The recognition in his eyes was impressive. But then she has been an Aes Sedai of the Red for a long enough while that likely the entirety of Hama Valon knew who she was. Notoriety was a strange thing to her having lived a life being worth less than nothing. Strange.
"Good. That saves us a good day of practicing how to clean a blade properly." She gave a nod of approval. "Yes, I would like to see what you know. Unsheath and take your time with your movement and call out the forms you know. And if you can, please demonstrate to me a Low stance, a Mid Stance and a High Stance along with its subsequent strike. Go." And with what little she knew, Carra watched the small things. Toe's, shoulders, elbows... if these were in the right place the rest will come naturally.
Ragan Do'aydara
Training was so far in the past
"Good. That saves us a good day of practicing how to clean a blade properly." She gave a nod of approval. "Yes, I would like to see what you know. Unsheath and take your time with your movement and call out the forms you know. And if you can, please demonstrate to me a Low stance, a Mid Stance and a High Stance along with its subsequent strike. Go." And with what little she knew, Carra watched the small things. Toe's, shoulders, elbows... if these were in the right place the rest will come naturally.
‘THERE ARE NAMES FOR THE STANCES!’ Ragan thought to himself. He unsheathed his sword and began to go through what he thought his teacher meant by low, mid, and high.
“I was never taught the names of the stances Aes Sedai but I will do my best to show you what I believe them to be” Ragan slid into a split legged stance with more of the weight of his back foot (when he did this his feet began to point apart). “I don’t know the name of this” He said as he held the hilt of his sword low with both hands and squatted down, putting his upper body slightly forward. After he took his stance he struck at where he believed his opponent’s thighs would be. “That is was I remember of that Aes Sedai”.
Ragan stood up a little higher so his knees were just barely bent and, shifted his grip and placement of his arms so his sword was held almost horizontally to his body at waist height. “This is what I believe to be a middle stance?” Ragan then proceeded to perform the one maneuver that he remembered the name to “Arc of the Moon” Ragan said as he arced his blade up in a half circle and then pulled it quickly to his side.
He began to think through what little his father taught him and what the guards had tried to teach him. He finally shifted his weight again until he was standing almost perfectly straight up, and held his sword above his head with one hand this time with the point towards the ground in front of him. “I know this is most likely wrong Aes Sedai, but this is what I remember as a high stance.” He struck down quickly from this stance at a diagonal and then sharply pulled the blade horizontally. “And that is one of the few I remember in that stance.” He then proceeded to sheath his sword and bowed to the Red Aes Sedai.
Carra Glaisne
Not great, but not terrible.
“I was never taught the names of the stances Aes Sedai but I will do my best to show you what I believe them to be” Ragan slid into a split legged stance with more of the weight of his back foot (when he did this his feet began to point apart). “I don’t know the name of this” He said as he held the hilt of his sword low with both hands and squatted down, putting his upper body slightly forward. After he took his stance he struck at where he believed his opponent’s thighs would be. “That is was I remember of that Aes Sedai”.
Ragan stood up a little higher so his knees were just barely bent and, shifted his grip and placement of his arms so his sword was held almost horizontally to his body at waist height. “This is what I believe to be a middle stance?” Ragan then proceeded to perform the one maneuver that he remembered the name to “Arc of the Moon” Ragan said as he arced his blade up in a half circle and then pulled it quickly to his side.
He began to think through what little his father taught him and what the guards had tried to teach him. He finally shifted his weight again until he was standing almost perfectly straight up, and held his sword above his head with one hand this time with the point towards the ground in front of him. “I know this is most likely wrong Aes Sedai, but this is what I remember as a high stance.” He struck down quickly from this stance at a diagonal and then sharply pulled the blade horizontally. “And that is one of the few I remember in that stance.” He then proceeded to sheath his sword and bowed to the Red Aes Sedai.
She gave a nod as she watched him carefully. She took note of not just his stance, where his feet were, but also how he moved his body and held his blade and how high his shoulders were. It was once told to her that sword work was a lot like dance. Not that she knew how to dance or anything specific from it that would help with sword work.
Maybe that was why she was helping this new recruit how to use a sword and not how to dance. "Adequate." She said, not believe to hand out praise freely until at least earned. "You have the concept about right but for now I think we will keep to the basics of the three stances. Normally I would show you by striking you but given your height." Carra moved over to an area just in the corner that had sturdy poles. Some had notched in it and some looked new. Carra moved to the new one, pulling out her sword.
"Now watch my movement, and not where I strike. If your feet are in the right place and your shoulders aren't hugging your ears, the theory is that your body will learn to do the work so your eyes can be looking elsewhere."
Her example started, "Watch your feet, you want to stay on the balls of your feet. Not your toes. This keeps your feet from being planted. Your feet will be shoulder length apart and no matter where you move they should return to that width apart. Too close and you will lose your balance." She pointed to his feet, "And you don't want to point your toe's in or too far out. Yours were too far out so you will have to work on that. If you can't get your feet where you need them to be you may as well fall over and play dead."
"Next, your shoulders. You don't want to tense up when you strike. Loosen them up and let the core of your body do the work. Same with your elbows, don't lock them into place as it'll be a good way to have them broken. Sword work is all about contact and while you want to kill the other person first you don't want to bring your own death in the process." After wards, she demonstrated the High, medium and low stances, moving her feet in and out of range of the pole as she moved.
"Your turn. Two strikes high, two low and then two in the middle. One from the left and the other from the right."
Ooc:
You seem to know what your doing better than I so I'll let you work on the stances. Go through it a few times until the movement seems like it's working. Carra will correct knee's and feet with a swat of her blade (not hard) but will make him continue until he gets it right.
Seriously, i'm really sorry for the delay in the post. I hit an RP wall and needed a bit of a break. >.> But I should be around to help you through this more now. :)
Maybe that was why she was helping this new recruit how to use a sword and not how to dance. "Adequate." She said, not believe to hand out praise freely until at least earned. "You have the concept about right but for now I think we will keep to the basics of the three stances. Normally I would show you by striking you but given your height." Carra moved over to an area just in the corner that had sturdy poles. Some had notched in it and some looked new. Carra moved to the new one, pulling out her sword.
"Now watch my movement, and not where I strike. If your feet are in the right place and your shoulders aren't hugging your ears, the theory is that your body will learn to do the work so your eyes can be looking elsewhere."
Her example started, "Watch your feet, you want to stay on the balls of your feet. Not your toes. This keeps your feet from being planted. Your feet will be shoulder length apart and no matter where you move they should return to that width apart. Too close and you will lose your balance." She pointed to his feet, "And you don't want to point your toe's in or too far out. Yours were too far out so you will have to work on that. If you can't get your feet where you need them to be you may as well fall over and play dead."
"Next, your shoulders. You don't want to tense up when you strike. Loosen them up and let the core of your body do the work. Same with your elbows, don't lock them into place as it'll be a good way to have them broken. Sword work is all about contact and while you want to kill the other person first you don't want to bring your own death in the process." After wards, she demonstrated the High, medium and low stances, moving her feet in and out of range of the pole as she moved.
"Your turn. Two strikes high, two low and then two in the middle. One from the left and the other from the right."
Ooc:
You seem to know what your doing better than I so I'll let you work on the stances. Go through it a few times until the movement seems like it's working. Carra will correct knee's and feet with a swat of her blade (not hard) but will make him continue until he gets it right.
Seriously, i'm really sorry for the delay in the post. I hit an RP wall and needed a bit of a break. >.> But I should be around to help you through this more now. :)
