Progression [attn. Moridin]

[silhouette]

After the race it soon became obvious to Rosheen that Moridin needed more than a little guidance from her. There were two things that bothered her about the race. Well, actually there were three, but she decided she wouldn’t count losing to Con just yet. There would be plenty of time to mope about that later. No, what really bothered her was the fact that Moridin had fought in a way that was unfamiliar. To her, at least. Then again, she’d spent all her training years in the yards, so she didn’t exactly know a lot of different fighting styles. There was no need to know more just yet. After the race Rosheen had decided to teach Moridin some sword forms. Perhaps he already knew most of them, and perhaps he knew none. They would find out soon enough.

 

She smiled to herself as she picked up her lathe and wandered over to the central training area, where she had agreed to meet Moridin. He had a tough week to look forward to, with her working on his swordforms with him, and with Ginae helping him with his other problem. There was no denying to it. They had lost the race because Moridin lost his focus. Some prodding from her side had revealed that he didn’t follow any philosophy. At least, he didn’t think he did. Maybe it was one of those things he had miraculously forgotten. Moridin’s aloofness bothered some of the people she knew, but as it was with many things, Rosheen took it in stride. It didn’t make him a lesser person, and as long as his hidden past didn’t get in the way of things…

 

When she saw Moridin standing she grinned. It was obvious that he had had quite a lot of training behind him before he came to the yards. There was a certain air about him, one she saw often in Tower guards. He was ready, even if he looked relaxed. Without thought she sauntered towards him as Cat Crosses the Courtyard, the most arrogant stride she knew. The tension in her limbs was just right. It gave her a look as though no one could ever lay a finger on her. There was no better way to face an enemy, and no better way to show your trainee that he had a long way to go.

 

“Good morrow, Moridin.†She greeted him. “Are you ready for your training to begin in earnest?†She didn’t even need to hear his reply to know it was positive. “Very well then. Let’s start of with some basic guard stances.†She started off with showing him Lion on the hill then moved on to Leaf Floating on the Breeze. “Try them†she ordered.

 

Ooc: forms can be found here http://www.gaidin.org/swforms.php. I’m not going to work through every form, but I’ll start with guard stances, then defensive moves, then offensive moves, and then we can have a bit of a spar.

[Death Incarnate]

OOC: Sounds like fun.

 

IC:

Moridin was up before sunrise and running laps to clear his head. Ever since that race he had done with Rosheen he had been on edge. The constant questioning he'd been getting both from her and others who had witnessed it was tiresome and he found these early mornings to be the only time he could find peace. There were only a few people out here at this time and for the most part they were warders whos lives revolved around training. He couldn't laugh much at that though as his life followed a very similar pattern. Thankfully none of those warders who were out at this time were of the lot that continued to pester him during the day. Who was he? Where was he from? Where did he learn this or that ? as if he didn't wonder those same question enough himself! It was near infuriating. The worst was an Aes Sedai who had been asking about the scar on his throat. Oh that had been difficult. Getting out of that without lying or being disrespectful had been a true challenge and not one he cared to repeat anytime soon. Light why didn't he know these things. And where did he get saying that from. Light?

 

He ran for a good hour if not more and drove his muscles to, and past the burning point before colapsing off to the side of the track and begining to do pushups and situps. Anything to keep his mind off of those questions. The sun was up as he finished and he had just enough time to go get a quick breakfast before he had to meet Rosheen. The breakfast was truly welcomed and the brief reprieve from his exertion was enough to regain the nessecary energy to continue. They were appearently working through sword form today so it would be just the stretching he needed at the moment. As he left he had to tell off some kid who started tailing him and shooting questions at a mile a minute. The trainees were especially annoying as they were all young kids who thought that because he was older yet still a trainee they could all turn to him with anything that was on their minds. Maybe others liked being looked up to like that but he hated it. Atrention was hardly something he wanted and he went to great lengths to avoid it.

 

As he reached the yards where he had agreed to meet Rosheen he proceeded somewhat cautiously, watching for people anywhere who might interupt or do something worse... He still didn't trust anyone here. As he made his way over he caught Rosheens attention and she began to make her way towards him aswell. She moved in a way that made her appear to be ready to strike at anything in any direction. It also made her appear incredibly arrogant and he almost felt like laughing except that he knew she had the right to boast.

 

“Good morrow, Moridin.â€

 

"Good morning Rosheen." he replied with a quick bow.

“Are you ready for your training to begin in earnest?â€

 

"Of course."

 

“Very well then. Let’s start of with some basic guard stances.†She immediatly stepped a quick and easy posture which he had used before with slight variation. She watched as he took it in and when she was satisfied switched postures to something a little more flowing. This one was something he thought would be more effective as he noticed it could easily mislead an opponent into thinking an attack is coming from somewhere it wasn't. It kept them occupied watching where the tip was moving instead of watching the body for hints of where the attack was coming from. A tense muscle here or there could be all the indication needed. How did he know that? After a little while longer she nodded and stepped back.

 

“Try them†She said without any indication of a request. Pulling out a lathe that he had grabbed off of a rack earlier he quickly assumed the first of the two positions and maintained itas she watched him and pointed out a few tings about his stance. Pressure being placed on certain places and weight distribution. He didn't like it as much as the sword was held too high and felt like it would be difficult to begin an attack without making his intentions far to obvious.

 

Eventually she was satisfied with what she saw and indicated that he should switch forms. moveing with relative ease from one stance to the other he quickly brought the lathe up to bear in a horizontal line infront of him. She raised he lathe to give him an idea of where to move the lathe and he kept it moving in pace with her lathe as it rose and fell. Slowly she critiqued what he did the it brought him out of a more natural stance into what felt more confined or restrained. The stance felt... familiar, which in itself was strange. He felt well and ready for any vertical attack but against someone who favoured horizontal attacks it would be awkward and dangerous. Switching between the two forms though would provide adequate protection against either. Now that she was satisfied again he dropped the stance and waited for what would come next.

 

OOC: with "Lion on the Hill" I'm not sure from the description if by "held a shoulder height" is refering to the tip of the blade or if the hilt should be held that high. for this I treated it as the latter though if I'm wrong let me know and I'll correct it.

[silhouette]

Rosheen watched closely as Moridin worked his way through the forms she taught him. There were some differences in the way he held himself here and there, but that was easily corrected. Every single time she explained why the small changes were useful and necessary. She just hoped he wouldn’t fall back in the same mistakes as soon as she turned her back. The look of concentration on his face told her he would at least try not to. Perhaps the Void would help him in that as well. “Well done.†She said. “Now let’s move on to some offensive forms. We’ll start with slashing.â€

 

She proceeded to demonstrate Arc of the Moon, one of the very first forms she had learnt herself. Smoothly she fell back into her guard stance. It had taken her a long time to see the difference between the stances she took when she wielded her naginata, and the stances she took when she wielded a sword, and it had taken her even longer to keep from mixing those up. “It’s not likely that a skilled opponent will fall for that, but it’s a useful form to use in the middle of battle.†The next form she showed was The Boar Rushes Down the Mountain, a form used by many Tower Guards and warders. Starting high and ending low, it was subtle enough for one to change the direction of it in mid-swing.

 

“And now for the useful version of The Heron wades the Rushes namely, The Heron speards it’s wings. Another favourite of hers, especially when she was wielding the naginata. The tight swing allowed her to put a lot of force behind the slash. With the sword she had to worry more about her defences, but it was still a powerful slash, focussing the power one put into it on one part of the slash. “Block that one the wrong way, and you’ll break your wrist.†She said. But wasn’t that the same with every blow?

 

Ooc: I’m not really sure with Lion on the Hill. I always thought it made more sense from a defensive point of view to keep the tip of the blade on shoulder height, but… meh… either is fine.

Now for this lesson; same as before, with the sword forms that are described here: http://www.gaidin.org/swforms.php . We’ll get some void lessons in after that, ok?

[Death Incarnate]

OOC: for the forms i personally like this list that i found a little better. Sword Forms Just the way it catagorizes them. I think i may combine the two in a text file for personal use... If i see you on msn i'll send you a copy when its done.

 

IC:

For the first time that he could remember Moridin felt reasonable happy when she said they would now be moving onto offensive forms. Something useful. Defense would help you survive longer but you'd never win with it. Ther first thing up was a simple slash she called "Arc of the moon" He knew this slash though it was more the kind of thing that most people would do even had they had never held a sword before in their life. A simple slash arcing upward in a crescent moon shape. Hence the name. Assuming the stance "Lion on the Hill" he began to practice the quick swipes. It was easy and he performed it with ease and clarity on his first time through. It was almost to simple a move that if used in battle it might actually prove effective simply because the oppoenent might not expect so base an attack. Either way he was made to repeat it several times before moving on.

 

The next form was a quick downward strike which could be used to simply bonk someone on the head or, if you had a sharp enough blade, halve someone. It was not particularly hard either but Rosheen picked on a few details in the way he placed weight when he struck. Thinking back he realized he had been somewhat off balance. If his attack was blocked a quick rush forward would have easily knocked him over. It took him a few more tries then the last to get it right by her standards but once he had he had to agree it felt better and more stable.

 

Finally he moved on too her final form which she called "The Heron speards it�s wings" He watched carefully as she moved fluidly through the carefully balanced form a few times before he tried it himself. It was difficult as his balance was quite off and standing like that on one foot was awkward. Rosheen corrected him fairly frequently on this one and he spent a great deal simply working on getting the posture right and working his balance. Such careful balancing was not something that came easily to a man of his bulk. He wasn't fat, far from it, but he was quite muscular so flexibilty and balance were things that came with a little more difficulty to him. A weakness... Something he would not tolerate within himself. He made a mental not to spend far more time on ballance and flexibility training. He still didn't know much about this White Tower and nor did he trust it's inhabitants so he couldn't afford to let them see a weakness which could be exploited.

 

After some time Rosheen was satisfied with what he was doing though advised him to work on his ballance more to correct his problems. Quite dissatisfied with himself he waited for her to continue with the next part of their lesson.

 

OOC: Maybe i'll have Moridin become a little more balance oriented because of this which would lead to the Tai chi style of fighting i'd thought to have him use. Speaking of which. another form i have questions about is Heron Wading in the rushes. From the books i gathered it was a thrusting move done from a stance similar to this except while holding the sword inverted with both hands. the forms page depicts it as a slashing move and i find myself confused. I also find myself confused as to what the warders yard depiction of the form would look like as I can't find a very decent description. anyways... thats all for now

[Death Incarnate]

OOC: for the forms i personally like this list that i found a little better. Sword Forms Just the way it catagorizes them. I think i may combine the two in a text file for personal use... If i see you on msn i'll send you a copy when its done.

 

IC:

For the first time that he could remember Moridin felt reasonable happy when she said they would now be moving onto offensive forms. Something useful. Defense would help you survive longer but you'd never win with it. Ther first thing up was a simple slash she called "Arc of the moon" He knew this slash though it was more the kind of thing that most people would do even had they had never held a sword before in their life. A simple slash arcing upward in a crescent moon shape. Hence the name. Assuming the stance "Lion on the Hill" he began to practice the quick swipes. It was easy and he performed it with ease and clarity on his first time through. It was almost to simple a move that if used in battle it might actually prove effective simply because the oppoenent might not expect so base an attack. Either way he was made to repeat it several times before moving on.

 

The next form was a quick downward strike which could be used to simply bonk someone on the head or, if you had a sharp enough blade, halve someone. It was not particularly hard either but Rosheen picked on a few details in the way he placed weight when he struck. Thinking back he realized he had been somewhat off balance. If his attack was blocked a quick rush forward would have easily knocked him over. It took him a few more tries then the last to get it right by her standards but once he had he had to agree it felt better and more stable.

 

Finally he moved on too her final form which she called "The Heron speards it�s wings" He watched carefully as she moved fluidly through the carefully balanced form a few times before he tried it himself. It was difficult as his balance was quite off and standing like that on one foot was awkward. Rosheen corrected him fairly frequently on this one and he spent a great deal simply working on getting the posture right and working his balance. Such careful balancing was not something that came easily to a man of his bulk. He wasn't fat, far from it, but he was quite muscular so flexibilty and balance were things that came with a little more difficulty to him. A weakness... Something he would not tolerate within himself. He made a mental not to spend far more time on ballance and flexibility training. He still didn't know much about this White Tower and nor did he trust it's inhabitants so he couldn't afford to let them see a weakness which could be exploited.

 

After some time Rosheen was satisfied with what he was doing though advised him to work on his ballance more to correct his problems. Quite dissatisfied with himself he waited for her to continue with the next part of their lesson.

 

OOC: Maybe i'll have Moridin become a little more balance oriented because of this which would lead to the Tai chi style of fighting i'd thought to have him use. Speaking of which. another form i have questions about is Heron Wading in the rushes. From the books i gathered it was a thrusting move done from a stance similar to this except while holding the sword inverted with both hands. the forms page depicts it as a slashing move and i find myself confused. I also find myself confused as to what the warders yard depiction of the form would look like as I can't find a very decent description. anyways... thats all for now

[Death Incarnate]

OOC: We gonna keep going Rosh?

[silhouette]

ooc: yup, my bad. Posted my butt off today but managed to forget this post :( and that while I remembered it this morning. I need a new brain. Anyway, I'll post on this tomorrow. I'll edit this post.

[silhouette]

Ooc: I’ve always assumed that it was a slashing motion myself. I’m probably not the ebst person to teach sword forms though, since I’ve never actually wielded a sword myself :S I can only go by the descriptions on the site. You might want to try asking about it on the gaidin.org boards.

 

IC:

 

“Ok, that’s it for now. I’d say it’s about time for you to meet with Ginae for your lessons in the Flame and Void.†Rosheen stated after Moridin had practised his balance a bit more. She wanted him to be warmed up for those lessons, not exhausted. Together they walked over to Ginae’s office. Rosheen knocked, and they waited patiently for her to open the door, only to be surprised by Ginae as she stuck her head around the corner of the small building. “I wasn’t actually in the building.†She said, grinning at both of them as she walked around the corner, revealing herself. Though she was a good two inches shorter than Rosheen, the elder woman carried herself in a way that made Rosheen look small. She was a Grandmaster after all, so it made sense for her to come across that way. “So you’re Moridin, eh?†she asked, smiling at Rosheen’s trainee. “My name is Ginae Auvriani. I took over Lyv’s job a while ago.†She looked over at Rosheen. “Don’t worry, I’ll return him to you soon enough.â€

 

With that said she turned around, and beckoned for Moridin to follow her. She had chosen a quiet place not far from her office, where Moridin would be shielded from the sounds and sights from the yards, but where she could still see if someone needed her. “So… I gathered from Rosheen that you need a guide in the Flame and Void. That means that for the next month or so I will be involved in your training to help you not only gain the Void but also to be able to hold it under any situation. It’s no use learning a new technique if you forget it at the first sign of trouble. Now that we’re somewhere quiet I’m going to help you first attain the Void.â€

 

Ginae sat cross legged in front of Moridin, her blue eyes observing him in a casual way. She placed the wooden board she’d found earlier between them, and, after lighting two candles with a flint and steel she brought, she used candlewax from one candle to fasten the other to the board. Then she extinguished the second candle. They might need it again soon, depending on the progress Moridin made. The candle flame flickered slightly in a breeze, before settling. The day was relatively free of wind. If it hadn’t been, they would have been forced to work on the Flame and Void indoors, which was something Ginae didn’t enjoy quite as much. Glancing at Moridin to make sure she had his attention, she started the lesson.

 

“At the heart of the Flame and Void is the belief that emotions cloud one’s decision making and that through the attainment of detached rationality you will be able to act, think, live better. A general on the field of war cannot afford to throw away the lives of his troops all because he is irritated, an advisor cannot give proper advice if he is infatuated with the subject matter, a soldier will not make the right decisions if he is overcome with rage. Through separating yourself from emotion you will be able to choose the right actions for the right situations.â€

 

“The Flame and Void is named such because of its two components - the Flame through which you feed your emotions to cleanse yourself and the Void, that state of mind where nothing can touch you but that which you allow. The first few times you try to gain the Void you will find that you have to spend long periods of time feeding your emotions into the Flame and that all your concentration will be centred on keeping your emotions at bay but with time and practice you will be able to attain the Void without conscious actions.â€

 

“For now what I want you to do is to concentrate on the flame on top of this candle, let it fill your mind until there is nothing but the flame. Then I want you to choose your most potent emotion or the most emotional memory you have and feed it into that flame, when you have purged yourself completely of that move onto the next emotion and the next and the next until you have nothing else to fuel into that flame. You will know you have reached the Void when there is nothing left in your mind but a sense of total calm and an increased awareness of all around you. Don’t be worried if you don’t get it first try, it takes most people at least an hour before they even catch a glimmer of the Void and it will take hours more effort before you can even grasp it for more than a minute or two at most. All things come in good time, remember that and you will do fine.â€

 

ooc again: Ginae is 5'9", with dark hair and blue eyes.

[Death Incarnate]

OOC: Really sorry about how long it took me to respond to this. Damned classes...

 

IC:

“Ok, that’s it for now. I’d say it’s about time for you to meet with Ginae for your lessons in the Flame and Void.†Moridin had heard of this flame and void technique from others within the yards but had been somewhat sceptical about it. The things they described about it seemed absurd to him. Then again, a Warder whom he had been talking too - a man who was younger then him by a good few years - had seemed to be able to sense his movements while his eyes were closed no matter how quietly he had moved. It was somewhat agrivating. He hadn't spoken with the man since.

 

Following Rosheen he found himself being lead to a quite small building where they waited for someone to answer Rosheens knock at the door. He found himself a little shocked as a head suddenly stuck itself out from a cornor on the building which turned into a person. Obviously the person Rosheen was looking for by the way the two greeted one another. The woman had a strong air of confidence to her and he didn't doubt she had a right to it though it was begining to become somewhat monotonous amoungst everyone here. Everyone was confident and many bordered on arrogant which served no purpose but to show they needed humbling. Fortunatly the smaller woman before him showed no signs of arrogance as he didn't expect he was anywhere near skilled enough to "humble" her.

 

“So you’re Moridin, eh?†she asked, smiling at him. He gave her a polite bow as was fitting for his superior officer. “My name is Ginae Auvriani. I took over Lyv’s job a while ago.†She looked over at Rosheen. “Don’t worry, I’ll return him to you soon enough.†and as suddenly as she had a appeared she turned and began walking away. Without looking back to check she gave a slight wave of her hand to indicate that he was supposed to follow.

 

“So… I gathered from Rosheen that you need a guide in the Flame and Void. That means that for the next month or so I will be involved in your training to help you not only gain the Void but also to be able to hold it under any situation. It’s no use learning a new technique if you forget it at the first sign of trouble. Now that we’re somewhere quiet I’m going to help you first attain the Void.†Remaining silent Moridin sat where she directed him and watched as she procured a wooden board and some candles and proceded to light both and stick one to the board before putting the other out. It seemed a little strange but he assumed she must know what she was doing.

 

Listening to her talk of this "Flame and Void" he thought its purpose made sense. emotion could not be allowed to cloud ones judgement, especially in a time of crisis. He nearly laughed mirthlessly at her instructions though. Most emotional memory? Ha! The only memories he had were of the brief time he had spent here. Most were not exactly fond either. Fond memories were a luxery which he envied everyone else for having. So instead of focusing on an a memory he chose an emotion instead. Anger. Best to start with that which there was the most of. Focussing on the flame infront of him he made it his focus. The only thing he saw. Everything else might aswell not have existed. The first angry thought that came to mind he pushed it away, right into the flame. But, as soon as it was gone another quickly came to replace it, triggered by the first. Thoughts flew by and as each came to mind and was pushed away it served only to make his anger grow. The kids in the yards pestering him, even some guards and the odd Aes Sedai. People with nothing better to do. People who could allow themselves the luxery of idle time. People whos thoughts weren't plagued by self-questioning. People with a past. The hole in his memory. and then it stopped. He couldn't push that thought aside no matter how hard he tried. And oh Light he tried! It stayed there almost seeming to taunt him. Who was he? Where did he come from? did he have any family? Did they miss him? So many questions now bounced inside his head he felt like it might explode from the pressure. Suddenly he realized his head was in his hands, fingers rubbing at his temples, and he was growling. snapping himself out of it he tried to refocus himself only to realize the candle had burnt itself out and was being replaced by the other. How long had he actually been focusing on the flame for before he lost it and the ferocity of his thoughts took over? He needed to keep his focus on feeding the flame. Squaring himself, he set about starting again.

 

OOC: I'll finish this up when I have a bit more time. I'm currently debating whether or not to have Moridin sense some familiarity about the void to help him get it or keep having him have alot of dificulty clearing his mind. Hell maybe even have him unable to reach the void altogether and maybe force to to go through some other exercises or something to highten his natural senses so as to replace it. I dunno...

[Death Incarnate]

OOC: SO once again it was left for a tad bit longer then expected or desired...

 

IC: The new flame was burning down and he was failing once again to attain the void. It was frustrating as the light only knew as he had heard others going on about how easy it was to attain and more about how incredible it was. How could they focus their minds so? To be able to maintain that level of calm and clear thought seemed impossible. Worse was the woman sitting in front of him waiting for him to manage this feat while he was making no progress whatsoever. Whenever he tried to clear his thoughs by banishing everything into the the there was no end to his thoughts. And there was always the single question hanging over his head. Who was he? It was a torment. Everytime he tried to focus that was where his mind wound up and once he reached it he might aswell have been facing a brick wall.

 

He closed his eyes and began again. Picturing the flame within his mind and feeding everything into it. He fed his thoughts about his peers, that threatened to bring his anger up, into the flame quickly before it could ruin his current calm. then came sporadic thoughts of events that had occured during his time at the White Tower. This was a very short list. Worse was that it was a full list of everything that had happened to him in his life. At least that he knew of. So short... The hole in his mind was a void in itself. How was he supposed to ever figure out where he came from? Nothing came back to him. Nothing! Was it so unfair as to want to know who he was or where he came from? The faces and voices of all those people he had pushed into the flame came back and began dancing about in his head. Taunting him. They all knew who they were. They had a past on which they could reflect and enjoy. They had familied to which they could turn. They had lives. He didn't... Life and all its pleasures ignored him. He was dead. The walking dead. He felt cold and numb and when he looked up and met Ginae's eyes he knew it was showing.

 

Once again the candle had burned down to nothing and he could tell it had been out for a while as it lacked even the trickle of smoke or warmth. Devoid of life as he was. He held Ginae's gaze and watched her with envy. She knew who she was and where she came from. She had a past. How fortunate...

[silhouette]

They had been staring at the little flame for what seemed like an eternity now, but Ginae saw no signs that the boy was getting even remotely close to attaining the void. Boy… she almost smirked to herself. It seemed like Rosheen’s student was of an age with Rosheen herself. When did she become old enough to call people of her age ‘boy’. Soon she would be like an Aes Sedai, calling even the rulers of nations ‘child’. She saw Moridin watch her, in a somewhat mistrusting manner. It didn’t really surprise her. According to Rosheen there was definitely something strange about this young man, but she had never been able to pinpoint it. Ginae had spent some time with him now, and she too had noticed strange things. Sometimes he mumbled to himself, especially when he had come very close to achieving a meditative state. Questions, from the sound of it… But what was he asking himself?

 

It was not Ginae’s place to ask him about it. She could only offer to help him on the path he had chosen now. Perhaps she would alert Fayth to his state of mind. The Yellow sister had a soothing way about her that made people eager to talk to her. With a sigh she bent forward, and extinguished the candle. “It doesn’t look like this is working for you right now.†She rose fluently, stretching herself. There was a little kink in a muscle in her lower back. It had been there for days now, but she had managed to ignore it so far. Another sign that she was truly getting old. Perhaps she should talk to Fayth about that later as well. She didn’t enjoy the thought of having to ask Fayth to do something about the pains that came with aging, but she couldn’t work properly this way either.

 

“Let’s try something else for now. Perhaps we started this the wrong way.†She motioned for him to follow her. They stopped at a small pond with a narrow beam over it. Many people used this for balance training, as the desire not to get wet was a very good incentive to keep one’s balance. “A different exercise. I want you to get on the beam, and stay balanced as long as you can. As soon as you start having difficulties, let me know.†Chances were that the next exercise she had in mind wouldn’t help. She’d only seen it work once, but according to Rosheen Moridin was an odd fellow. Perhaps odd training methods would work on him.

[Death Incarnate]

“It doesn’t look like this is working for you right now.†Moridin almost scoffed at the understatement. He was fed up with this reflection period as it did nothing but draw his anger. He rose with her as she stood and glanced around slighly looking for what it was they might be doing next. “Let’s try something else for now. Perhaps we started this the wrong way.†It was taking greater effort to hold back that scoff. He followed her all the same though as she led him to a small pond. There was a very narrow beam crossing the pond which seemed barely wide enough for a foot. “A different exercise. I want you to get on the beam, and stay balanced as long as you can. As soon as you start having difficulties, let me know.â€

 

This did nothing to improve his mood. he had discovered just how much improvement he needed in the area of balance earlier against Rosheen. Looking down at the water he knew he was going to get wet today and with a sigh he stepped out onto the beam.

 

He nearly fell several times simply making his way out to the center and once there barely caught himself when his footing wasn't as sure as he thought it had been. Finally he settled himself in a stance that felt comfortable enough though he still teetered somewhat. Maybe he'd had a better sense of balance before wherever it was that he'd learned what he knew of the sword but if he had he'd lost in between then and when he woke up in the woods. He was suddenly very self-conscious of the very open scar across his throat. That drew enough unwanted attention and questions as it was. At least the rest are hidden by clothes... he thought to himself.

 

It was then that he realized how easily he'd been balancing when he was unfocused. Maybe he did still have some sense of balance? But as his attention was drawn back to it he began losing it again. He looked over at Ginae standing there on the side watching him and grinned slightly.

 

“What do you think? Look like I’m having difficulty?â€