Learning to control emotions (attn: Sana)

[Matalina]

Sasha did her research on which Tower Guard or Warder used the Spring as their philosophy.  It took her a while to find just the right person, with just the right temperment for her desires.  She didn't want someone who was harsh or even too nice.  She wanted someone with a level mind and a decent amount of experience.  She eventually decided she would work up the nerve to as Ursana to help her lean the Spring.  She had never met the man before but after watching him he seemed like the best choice.

 

Sasha found Sana practicing his forms early one morning.  She sat and watched him till he stopped.  "Excuse me, Guard Ursana.  I was wondering if you had time to talk to me a moment."

 

He turned and smiled with a nod.

 

"I was hoping that you might be able to teach me the Spring in some of your spare time?"

 

Sasha

[TaeaDawn]

(Sorry you had to wait so long hon :P)

 

It was with more than a little surprise that he found himself talking to a trainee that morning.  His own had a free day and he was using this spare time to loosen up a bit, get a good morning's workout in, and hopefully spend a fair amount of time between a few taverns and inns but it didn't seem that would be the case.  He smiled as he nodded for the trainee to lead the way and as they walked a few steps he learned what she wanted.

 

Well, this wasn't how he wanted to spend his day but there were worse ways.  His own mentor had been unable to teach him the Spring and he'd had to learn from someone else, someone he had called friend as a trainee.  It seemed to come full circle that he would teach someone else's trainee today.  He smiled at her as she finished, giving her a small nod.  "Well, it seems I have some free time today.  Why don't we take a walk, you can tell me about yourself, and then we can have a nice quiet lesson."  he offered her his arm as he started walking her to a quieter section of the yards where they would be able to have the quiet she might need to learn how to work the Spring.

 

Ursana

(just have her introduce herself and get them settled and then i'll start the lesson on my next post :P)

[Matalina]

Sasha almost laughted at the noble way he offered her his arm, but she kept her face straight as she took it.  It reminded her a little bit of home.

 

He wanted to know about her, she wasn't sure what to tell him.  "My name is Sasha Daleb.  I come from Tanchico where my family are minor nobles.  I came here to learn to be like my cousin."  Sasha hoped he'd not ask who her cousin was, she wasn't sure if being Lyv's cousin was such a good thing here after all.  Not that it was  bad thing but it didn't really prompt friendlier interactions, it actually made it worse in most cases. 

 

Sasha wasn't sure where they were going but Ursana lead them to one of the quieter areas of the yards.  She wasn't sure about her training at that point, she wondered again if she was ready for this.  But it was a bit too late to turn back now.

 

Sasha

 

OOC:  no problem hun.

[TaeaDawn]

Sana smiled as he took a seat on the ground in a quiet spot that would allow his young trainee the peace that she would need in her initial lesson.  "A cousin?" He asked with a grin.  "I can understand that.  I actually ended up signing up as a trainee to get closer to my sister.  She's a Tower Guard here as well.  Though at the time I didn't know that i'd end up actually making it all the way to Tower Guard.  I thought i'd just get to know her, take a little training, then head back to my family, but things didn't quite turn out that way."  Not that he was complaining.  He'd long ago made his peace with who he was and how he'd ended up making the same choices as his sister.

 

"alright then.  The first thing I want you to do is get comfortable and close your eyes."  He didn't need to close off as he had in the very beginning so he watched as the young woman did as he asked.  "Close your eyes and try to focus on yourself, on your heartbeat.  When you have that firmly in mind, take that and change it.  Make the gush of blood into your organs the gush of water in a fountain.  Picture that fountain in your head."

 

Ursana

[Matalina]

Sasha sat down across from Sana and tried to do as he asked.  It was difficult to focus on something inside you.  She sat there for a long time just listening to her heartbeat, focusing all her engeries on it.  She could almost feel it running through here when she tried the second part of the instructions.  She willed her thoughts to push that heartbeat in the the flowing water fountain in her mind.  The water turned red in her mind and she opened her eyes in shock, she was sure it was her mind playing with her.  She didn't want to ask questions, she would try again.  She listened to her heartbeat, made it the flowing of the fountain.  It didn't turn red this time, she thought her mind was playing tricks on her.  Maybe one day she would ask about that, but now it was not there, she was sure it wasn't suppose to happen.

 

The fountains rivers of water pulsed with each of beat of her heart.  It was pretty to see it go on and off as she lived.  Sasha wasn't sure what was next so she just pictured the fountain in her head.

 

Sasha

[TaeaDawn]

There was a certain state of calmness, a state of relaxation that came when you started with the Fountain and he could tell when Sasha had achieved it.  It wasn't the same as the alertness that came with truly holding the Spring, but it was a step closer and he was happy that she'd found it as quickly as she had.

 

He kept his voice quiet, trying to let his baritone flow softly into her consciousness as he continued with the exercise.  "Now, outside of the fountain you'll find everything else about you.  Keep the fountain in mind, but look beyond it, see the emotions, feel them.  As you experience each one, let it fall into the water, let it feed the fountain more and more.  Each memory that crosses your mind, each fleeting thought or emotion, let them feed into the fountain until everything is in that fountain."

 

Sana

[Matalina]

Sasha tried to do what Sana said.  It was difficult to keep the fountain in mind and look beyond it.  She had to start from the beginning several times before she finally was able to feel her own emotions and begin feeding them into the fountain.  She could feel the fountain getting stronger, as it got stronger her awareness got larger, she could feel the hairs on her arms moving from the wind blowing by.  The next she could almost see the grass moving beyond her.  It was such a strange feeling she felt overwhelmed with the senstations and the fountain crumbled in her mind.

 

Sasha set to work again and soon found that it was getting easier to do, but she knew she'd never have it mastered quickly, it took alot of concentration and she was just sitting her.  She wondered how she would be able to do this while fighting.  She knew it was doable because people did it everyday, but her doubt shattered her fountain again and she focused on it, trying to master the ability she was trying to learn.  It really was a wonderful experience, if she could only keep it.

 

Time slowly passed for Sasha as she finally poored all her emotions into the fountain.  She opened her eyes and saw Sana looking back at her.  "I think I've done it."

 

Sasha

[TaeaDawn]

Sana smiled at her as she announced she had it.  Not bad, not bad at all.  She was looking around at things and he was pretty sure she really did have it but he asked all the same.

 

"I want you to do two things.  The first will be to tell me what you are seeing.  How is it different when you have embraced the Spring?"

 

She began telling him the different things and he listened patiently as she did.  When she had stopped, he smiled.  "Good.  So you found the Spring.  Can you keep it though?  That's something you need to work on.  What I want you to do now, is begin to work your basic forms.  Hold onto the Spring as you do it.  Everytime you lose the Spring, start over."

 

He sat and watched then, ready to give encouragement or to call a halt to the exercise if she got too tired trying to do both.

 

Ursana

[Matalina]

Sasha started her forms, she didn't know many but she started out with in the spring.  Leopard in the Tree to Unfolding the Fan and into Lion on the Hill, then arc of the moon.  And that was where it was lost.  Sasha started over going through the all the beginning froms again.

 

It took Sasha three tries before she actually completed the arc of the moon correctly with out losing the Spring.  But that mere accomplishment made her lose the spring as well.  She sighed and started again.

 

The sun was getting high and Sasha was sweating from the exhaustion of trying to keep the Spring in mind and to keep moving.  But Sasha had managed to get through one round of all the forms she knew in the Spring.  She was proud of herself.  She kept moving as Ursana watched, she started from scratch and tried to see how long she could manage to stay in the Spring. It was getting decidedly easier and Sasha could feel the strength the spring was giving her to go on, her enthusiasm was building it strong and she could feel where Ursana was, it was a strange senstation but she was glad she'd managed it this far.

 

Sasha

[TaeaDawn]

Sana watched the young woman, wondering if she'd be the type to lie about losing the Spring, or if she'd be truthful.  She stopped quick enough though and it made him smile a little.  Honest and hard working it was then.  He sat watching, noting the way she moved through the forms but not commenting on anything.  He was only there to teach her the Spring after all and it seemed he had managed that already.  Getting the ability to keep it was something entirely different and Sasha would have to practice herself to get it.

 

"I think you've done enough for now."  Sana said, stopping her as she completed what she knew of the forms.  "And that is the Spring.  It will take time for you to be able to hold it all the time and you'll need to practice calling it around you until it comes as easy as breath, but you know the basics now.  My advice is as you begin each task for the rest of the day and tomorrow to find the Spring.  As many times as you lose it, keep pulling it around you.  It will help you gain it quicker and will help you keep it longer.  If you find you're losing it too much or need more help, let me know.  I'm always around here somewhere."  He said with a friendly smile. 

 

Sana