Waterfal training (PoW) for Anashawn

[Guest Celes]

The office door slammed shut, but not by a force from Lyv’s hands, she was remarkably calm after her meeting with Captain Taj. She had hardly expected to be, but he had made some good points and had not tried to enforce those on her. His comment that she was now a Blademaster and should pass on her knowledge had hit home and she had taken it as an assignment, rather than a personal grudge thing. Of course Ralleigh and herself did not come out as the best of friends, but surely not everything he said or did was spite. She nodded at Rosheen who was standing on the wall and looking at Lyv to see if she had to come and patch up her friend, or maybe even the captain. Lyv smiled and gestured that she would be fine, then headed down to the mess hall for some breakfast.

 

She would need to find someone who would be ready for the kind of training she had had. Neroin had taught her in those first years, after he had taught her how to swim as a trainee. Somehow, Lyv felt, a trainee had to be found in the water, it was just something that belonged in the training regime. A fear of water overcome, a respect for the force of the water and the strength it could give those who trained themselves to receive it. Just then, a newly raised guard sat across from her at the table, to have his breakfast. She looked him over and recognized the trainee she had done a test with, together with her own mentee Ran. “Shawn, good morning,†she said and he looked up at her. Maybe he would be someone to train, she wondered about this for a bit and then said, “How have you been?†she had lost the race to him in the end, Ran and himself had done a great job and she had not minded at all to lose a fair game from someone who did his best.

 

As they spoke a bit about life in the guard, Lyv directed the conversation to the idea that had popped into her head, that maybe Shawn would like to try his hand at the training she had undergone herself. How long had it been since someone was tested? Most of the time, men and women who asked to be tested for a Path went through a few months of intense training, not to be tested for their worth in the Path, but to see for themselves if this was their strength, their Path through training. Maybe she would have to invite him on a trip to the waterfall? She already knew he could swim, from the test a few months ago. Taking a sip of her tea, Lyv waited for breakfast to be finished, maybe an idea would come up by itself. The water glided past rocks and shaped what seemed to be stern and took what was weak down the stream. Lyv was curious how Shawn would feel about this, battling the water one moment and then using it to find his strength the next. Finally she said, "Have you considered what Path you would like to train in yet? Maybe use that strength you showed in the race to better yourself over time?"

[Asfaloth]

As usual Shawn started his morning with exercise. His morning routine was more vigorous than most but he had reason to push himself. He still followed the same basic pattern that his old mentor Corin had helped him to develop but there was so much more to it now. As a trainee, about a year before his recent promotion, he had doubled every aspect of his fitness regime. Now, after finally earning the title of Tower Guard he had added to it again, he would certainly not be one of those that slacked off after promotion.

 

Now his morning exercises took nearly two hours and he woke well before the sun most days to get it done. This second increase resulted in him running 150 laps around the Yard, with 150 pushups, situps, and chinups spaced at set intervals. After the fitness run he went to lake. There he swam laps until his arms were as tired as his legs were from the running. Utterly exhausted, he pulled himself from the water and went through his forms with practice lathes.

 

He had once thought to do his forms work earlier in his workout but Corin had convinced him this was better as you never know how tired you'll be when it comes time to fight and you need to be able to do the forms with the same precision regardless. So he went through all the forms he'd learned, first with his right, then his left, and then with a sword in both hands.

 

After that he swam a few more laps to rinse the sweat from his body and cool down. Then it was back to his room to change and on to breakfast. When he got his food he looked around for a moment to find a seat. He saw an open seat by Lyv Tylin but hesitated before he sat with her. He knew they were supposed to be peers now but this was, after all, the woman who'd been Mistress of Trainees when he'd arrived four years ago. And a blademaster.

 

But, Dene was right when she said he needed to get over such things. They were both Tower Guards and he had every right to sit with her. Besides, she seemed a very interesting person to get to know.

 

"Shawn, good morning. How have you been?"

 

"Good morning to you Lyv. I've been, good I guess. It's taken some getting used to, realizing that I really am a Guard now and no longer a trainee."

 

She laughed along with him and they talked for awhile about life in the Yards. Finally she asked him, "Have you considered what Path you would like to train in yet? Maybe use that strength you showed in the race to better yourself over time?"

 

"Why yes, actually. I've given it a lot of thought. From all the choices offered here at the Yards I've decided the Path of Water fits most with my own way of thinking. I've seen first hand the explosive power water can have. More importantly I marvel at the beauty and grace as it flows. I want to train my body to move as freely as the water does."