Fighting is not an option Attn Arie

[WhiteWolf]

“So you see it is not so hard to do but you do need to pay attention .If you do not you run the risk of catching a finger in the blade and that means goodbye to the finger.”

 

Owen was demonstrating how to make a quarterstaff to a small group of Guardians. Although they all carried enough weapons top outfit a small army there was always times when even this vast an armoury would run out and one needed to use what one could find. “Obviously we do not always have access to equipment such as you see here, but if you can find a good straight length of wood and a knife, you can over come that and produce a passable quarterstaff.”

 

Owen finished what he was doing and held it up so that everyone could see what he was on about. “Now your task for the rest of the day is to take only a knife, whatever knife you have with you, and go in search of a stout length of wood and return here no later than sundown with your finished quarterstaff.”

 

Realisation hit the group as they contemplated a journey through the forest in the pouring rain. It was not the sort of day to be outside, nor was it the sort of weather to be hunting that elusive tree branch. But as Owen had often told them when they had complained, they were not Aes Sedai, and they were not able to control the weather. That meant they had to be able to do what was necessary come what may. Slowly they trouped out of the shed they were in, and Owen and John collected all their weapons, even those that were hidden, which the two Rangers always managed to find, and made their way into the sodden forest in search their ever-elusive quarry.

 

Once John had departed, to keep a wary eye on the group, Owen returned to the workbench but instead of settling down to continue his work he spoke in a soft voice,

 

“You can come out now, they have all gone and no one will disturb us.”

 

Owen was not entirely sure who it was that had been spying on the lesson he had been teaching, but their scent was familiar and as she stepped out from the gloom of the shed he smiled to himself. “So would you mind telling me why you were skulking back there and why I should not turn you over to the Sages to show you the error of your ways?”

 

There was no threat in his words, if anything the over riding emotions was amusement. The lesson this day had not been anything that he would not have gladly taught to anyone who had asked so by hiding out, this miscreant had not learned anything secret.

 

Owen

 

The WhiteWolf

 

Ranger Leader

 

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

 

The day was pitiful. Horrid in the most horrid of horrible ways. If there was but a little bit of sun than there may have.. no, rain was fun. Rain was good fun for jumping, like puddle jumping. Korrena kicked a stone and didn't bother to watch as it hit a passing tree. The day was most horrible because not one person was about for her to even amuse herself. Even Windy had decided that it was too wet to get her paws wet in the puddles outside of Antons cabin. So, while her sisters and her own cub were lazying about inside the cabin by a fire doing absolutely nothing worth doing -knitting, games played with make-shift stones painted white and black- she was out wandering aimlessly in the woods. Perhaps not aimlessly, but she had no aim, but she did know where she was and which direction she was going!

 

The rain had been from the night before, and now everything was just wet. Just as well as now her scent was washed away with the drops fallen from the tree's above. Sitting to the side against a tree, Korrena was pleasantly surprised to see a group of older fares trod through the paths in front of her. Lead by none other than Owen. The man was a ranger, and had introduced her, in some way, to the glorious fun to be had at a Sage in Training. Ah, how wonderful it was to see Aleeza turn that beautiful shade of rage. However, her distaste for the day dropped to an ultimate low.

 

Weapons training. Ugh...

 

Not wishing to interrupt.. a rarity for her, Korrena instead leaned her head against the wall of the tree and closed her eyes. Too lazy to bother leaving, and no nearly interested enough to bother watching. Even if some of the boys in the group were a little cute. There was just something about them swinging around dead tree's are each other that made her shake her head. And they thought she was immature!

 

Time passed before the familiar voice and over-riding scent of Owen awoke her.

 

“You can come out now, they have all gone and no one will disturb us.”

 

-Busted!-

 

“So would you mind telling me why you were skulking back there and why I should not turn you over to the Sages to show you the error of your ways?”

 

Crawling out of where she had hid,, Korrena brushed out her slacks that had bunched up a little from sitting as long as she had.

 

"If there was an error it was you in cutting up that poor tree!" She wrinkled her nose. There was no disrespect in her voice, just a simple distaste for such an action. "Hitting each other with stick. It is barbaric."

 

 

Korrena

[WhiteWolf]

”I have never known a tree to be poor or rich, but then again I do not profess to know everything under the sun.” That was true, Owen thought that anyone who professed to know everything was just an accident waiting to happen. He had always tried to learn something new every day no matter how inconsequential that maybe. Well inconsequential to others maybe, but to him all knowledge was useful and would serve a purpose at some stage.

 

"Hitting each other with stick. It is barbaric.”

 

“And can hurt but then it is exhausting trying to dodge being hit by a stick and usually the one doing the dodging expands way more energy than the one doing the hitting.”

 

Owen had often bore the brunt of physical violence before he had gone through the Howling, so he had very little time for those who thought they knew better when it came to the need to learn how to defend oneself. It was not the current colour of his eyes that had caused the problems in his past, nor was it his constant companion, a large snow white wolf called Ice. Rather it was the lack of skin pigmentation and the redness of his eyes that had led to the abuse that he had suffered.

 

“There is a time to turn the other cheek, and there is a time to fight back. If I had not fought against those who had tried to do me harm then I would not be alive today. Before I came here, before my eyes changed colour and I learnt to talk with the Wolves I was persecuted for my skin colour and the colour of my eyes.” The memory of those days was always like an open wound for Owen, no matter how much he tried to come to terms with that he never could lay to rest the ghosts of his past.

 

“It is through the help I received after I went through the Howling that I am what I am today. If it had not been for Aragorn, or Wolflover, and their patience with me, you would not be talking to me now. If it was not for the love that my sister bore me, I would have died long ago, my life unfulfilled, however I help our new brethren to come to terms with who they are and to be able to protect themselves and others like us.”

 

Owen’s words had obviously caused Korrena to think for a moment and he used that hesitation to his advantage.

 

“Let me ask you a question Korrena, if you are attacked, and if you cannot run away, how would you protect yourself, or those in your care? Negotiating is not always an option. As one who has fought many battles, for many reasons, I know that running away is not an option. So I say to you, what should we do?”

 

Owen

 

The WhiteWolf

 

Ranger

 

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

"Start name calling and attempt to scratch and bite whenever possible?"

 

It was the most ridiculous answer she could have given, to which she wasn't done. "Of course the ones of thier mothers tend to make them go really red which is highly entertaining. However, being female and tiny it serves me nothing. Just something I saw once." The guy had the piss kicked out of him. Dreams were funny to watch sometimes. "But i suppose stooping to thier level never pans out. You see, they seem to have more experience than I do."

 

Korrena smiled, there was laughter there, but the matter-of-fact stance she took could not be broken so easily. "You say that fighting is not an option but a last defense. I can understand and respect that. But learning to fight is also a way to welcome fights. I personally only like the bruises I give myself when I fall from a tree." She thought back to when they first met, ah, that was such an awesome day. Pausing in her speech, she wrinkled her nose. "Now I sound all serious like my sisters. I suppose I have to ask a favour of you not to tell them that I was actually talking sense, wouldn't i?"

 

 

 

Korrena

Wolfcub

 

(Great post! And i figure with a simple "I teach you and I wont tell", Kor will nod her head and you can carry on a lesson, unless you want to debate, which is always great fun! :D)

 

 

[WhiteWolf]

“Learning to fight does not mean you will end up fighting even more, if anything it should mean you fight less.”

 

Korrena raised an eyebrow in response to that, obviously not agreeing with Owen’s words, and from her perspective who could blame her. Many who did not know how to defend themselves always though it was the person who did know how to fight who was to blame. But situations could force a person to defend themselves, or those around them, and then a person needed to know all that they could in order to minimise the damage inflicted.

 

“Although there are many who would go out of their way to initiate trouble, there are also many who would not. I do not go looking for fights, nor do any of the Rangers I know of; even some of thetwo-legs I know are of that mind. But we all know how to use our weapons and some are accounted as very good at what they do. But if you ask them if they like to kill, or like to fight, they will tell you they do not.” She still did not seem convinced and why should she. She hardly knew Owen so why would she take his word as law? If Owen was in her position he would not do so either, and had not when he had been in the position she was in now. Bach then though it was because Owen thought he knew better. With Korrena Owen thought it was more a case that she thought differently to him.

 

“Look at it this way, I am not a great fan of sewing, but if I did not know how to make and mend my own clothes, then I would be going around naked, and that is not a sight I would want to inflict on anyone.” The image of him without clothes obviously amused her as her face split into a big smile.

 

“Of course you could always avoid the bruises and cuts if you were not so rude to people. Not everyone shares your sense of humour, nor do people always like having their faults pointed out to them in the manner you use, especially when it comes to their mothers. For some reason a lot of people are very sensitive about comments concerning their heritage.” Korrena could hear the amusement in his voice and realised he was not lecturing her just talking matter of factly. “However they may come a day when your words elicit a response you cannot escape from and on that day even a rudimentary knowledge of how to defend yourself could save your live.” Owen stopped talking, giving her a chance to absorb the meaning behind his words. “When you do decide that you want to learn, and how much, I will be more than happy to help you, or suggest someone else who you might feel more comfortable learning from.”

 

Owen

 

The WhiteWolf

 

Ranger

 

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

 

-There was nothing wrong with my sense of humor! It least _I_ have one... -

 

The wrinkle in her nose faded as she regarded the mans offer. Swinging around a staff didn't seem so bad. In fact, sometimes it looked really pretty, like a dance almost. But then it makes noise. Wait... she liked noise. Noise put people at unease and allowed her to get a better jump, or give them a jump. Sometimes she would make big noises at random times just to see who was paying attention or not. Of course when Jirenne nearly fell down the stairs in the Infirmary crazy house place, Miryana yelled at her for it. That sort of took away the fun from the scare. Jirenne never really forgave her for that. The woman had no humor either.. Bah.

 

Korrena shrugged. "Usually I'm attacked with words and chores. Lots and lots of chores." Although, Miryana got a little more picky after the bee incident. Although, it had been totally worth it to hear some of the men scream like girls with the onslaught of oncoming bees. She paused in thought. Perhaps, after seeing the looks on their faces.. Perhaps it might be a good idea for her to pick up a little nifty training.  Couldn't hurt, could it?

 

"On second thought. Show me what you got. I may be small.." itty bity teeny ..etc. "but I'm faster and stronger than I look." She should be. She spent enough time running through the woods than most trained soldiers.

 

 

Korrena

Wolfcub

Up to something..

[WhiteWolf]

The speed with which Korrena changed her mind amused Owen, to him her thought process mirrored her personality and reminded him of how wolf cubs could be, always jumping from one interesting smell to another, without fully investigating the precious one. Deciding that for now it was better to stay indoors rather then venture out into the rain, Owen started talking to Korrena about how to hold a quarterstaff, explaining that once a person had developed the correct grip then they could use the quarterstaff in a manner that would confuse and befuddle any opponent who had no experience at facing some one with a quarterstaff. “But it is not just how you hold the staff, it is also how you move, how you stand, and how you think.”

 

“How I think?”

 

“Yes Korrena how you think. It is no good just swinging the staff about with abandon and hoping to connect with your target, any fool can do that, and I doubt very much you are a fool. So let’s start with the basics, how to place your hands and how to stand, come on lets clear a space and then we can make a start.”

 

Reluctantly Korrena helped Owen in the space-clearing task and soon there was a large enough space to suit their purpose and Owen handed Korrena a staff. “Now not only do you need to learn to hold it and how to stand, you also need to find a staff that will suit you, one that is not too small or too heavy.” Owen indicated a row of staffs against the wall of the building and asked Korrena to choose one she thought would suit her.

 

When she returned she asked Owen if she had made a good choice. Usually people choose a staff that was too big for them, believing size could make up for a lot of things. But with size also came weight and not everyone was capable of wielding a large staff for any length of time. Korrena, however, had not made that mistake and had chosen one that was large enough for the task, but also small enough not to overly tire her. “It is a good choice Korrena, now let us see about how to hold it and how to stand. Hands should be roughly this far apart and your feet should stand with your feet a set just slightly wider than your shoulders to give you a good balance point. Also you want to be standing with your weight on the balls of your feet so that you are ready to move in any direction and still maintain your balance.”

 

Owen demonstrated what he was talking about and then asked Korrena to have a go. As she did Owen offered small pieces of advice on how to correct her stance, or remind her to not move her hands too far apart.

 

  Owen

 

The WhiteWolf

 

Ranger

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

 

Finding a staff that 'fit' her was easy. It took a little scrambling and a bit of staff twirling but in the end the trees helped her decide which was best. It wasn't something she could easily explain or even afford to mention in sane society -funny thought as THAT may be!- but it was how it worked, regardless. A little longer than an ideal walking stick, she beamed as Owen approved of her choice. It took a moment to inwardly scowl as to what she was holding in the first place. A staff used to hurt people.

 

Don't mistake her and her rather eccentric sense of humor for the desire to do harm. Lessons of patience, or random foolishly was all that it was. And a slight perchance to entertain her on those rare (more often than not) occasions. To take a stick to another in the intent to do...

 

Setting her feet shoulder length apart, Korrena followed Owens instructions, adjusting her arms, elbows, knees and back to form a more appropriate stance. Shamefully all exactly like Antons had taught her a long while ago. None of which she intended to keep practice on. After all, why would she need to learn how to use a staff. Grimacing to herself, Korrena moved through the basic low mid and high stances. Even Owens logic was like Antons. Both seemed correct. Korrena hated being out voted. It happened far mor often than she cared to account for. At least with the previous practice Korrena was easily moving through the basic movements as if no time had passed. Her body didn't even break a sweat.

 

-Thank the Light for Tree swinging!-

 

 

 

Korrena

Wolfcub

[WhiteWolf]

Owen watched Korrena intently, marvelling at how easily she progressed through the moves he had shown her, it was almost as if she had been born with a quarterstaff in her hands, something that intrigued Owen given her reluctance when it came to learning.

 

Realising that the basic movements were easy for her to memorise and repeat Owen decided that he would move her training forward and demonstrate more moves for her and see how easily she could memorise and repeat them. If she could do as well with those as she had done with the first basic set then her talents were wasted on anything other than becoming a Ranger. Owen doubted that there would be any persuading her to join the guardians of the Stedding but at least he would have the comfort of knowing she could protect herself and any others that were with her.

 

Later on that afternoon, as the sun finally set behind the towering forms of the mountains of Mist Owen and Korrena sat outside the barn. It had become too dark to see in the barn, and so Owen had called an end to their training for the day and was now offering a water skin to Korrena. As she took a sip of the water Owen asked her about the ease with which she picked up the lessons they had worked through this day.

 

“It would almost seem that you had been taught by someone else and only need a reminder of what to do to be able to master the moves. Have you been taught before Korrena or is this an ability you have?” Owen had heard of people who had only to be shown something once, their memory was that good, perhaps Korrnea was one of those fortunate people.

Owen

 

Ranger

 

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

 

Without any form of grace, Korrena plopped herself to the ground with a fleeting sigh. Tired as she was, the forms were rigorous but did little to curve her energy. No doubt in an hour or so she would be up and moving again. The fact that it would be to keep her body limbered and from feeling the soreness of unused muscles completely eluded her. After all, Korrena was in excellent shape! Why would she need any exercise to feel better? Accepting the waterskin from Owen, she guzzled down a fair amount and passed it back with a quick thanks of gratitude. A arm wiped away a few drops from her chin.

 

"When we first came here Anton showed me a few basics. Like stance and the High, mid and low. A little foot work too." There was a touch of bitterness in her tone, she didn't want to learn then either but Antons Will won over hers. She would have to work on that. "And then there were books that I found in Papa's bookshelf but it was all words and no pictures." Most of those books rarely held her attention for more than a few minutes at a time. She gave a slight shrug. "I don't think I'm good, really. I honestly don't want to be. Oh, I get the whole "protect yourself" thingy, but I don't have to like it, right? I mean, I can out run most in this whole Stedding and besides," She puffed out her chest a little with a smile, "I'm so small that grabbing isn't easy. Light, i'm shorter than most 'short' Cairhiens! Like, I'm 'really' short." She smiled, "but I like it that way."

 

 

Korrena

Wolfcub