Clever title goes here: Con

[Ellorian]

Arala enjoyed the short walk from her tent to the training grounds inside the Fortress’ walls. This early in the morning no one was around to want to tag along and talk her ear off when what she really wanted was silence. She wasn’t particularly coordinated when she first woke up either, and the walk bought her some time before she needed to be. Eyes only half open, she ambled peacefully.

 

She was early but was still surprised not to see Con there already. The young girl took a moment to fish a piece of twine from one of her pockets and bind her braids out of her face. There was nothing more embarrassing than missing a block because she couldn’t see it through her own hair. She was dressed like she usually was when not on duty, wrinkled tunic and breeches tucked into worn boots. Living in the tents made such luxuries as pressed shirts and dust free footwear very hard to attain.

 

Taking a seat in the dewy grass, Arala began to stretch. When she first joined der’Algai, she had found the practice ridiculous. Why would hardened warriors need to be able to put their legs behind their heads? Foolishness! But she quickly learned that the benefits of stretching were twofold: flexibility lent itself to greater agility and fewer injuries, and not stretching left one’s muscles a wad of knots.

 

Laying back and pulling one knee up to her chest, Arala hoped she didn’t nod off laying in the grass before Con came along.

[Wayfarer]

The mornings were always good for Con, he'd noticed as he'd gotten older that he required less sleep, and he was up before most as a result. This was one of the few times during the day he could take time for himself, and he did so in the form of one of his more unusual pieces of training. Well, unusual in his current surrounds anyway. Taking slow steps across the grass with his every movement, his hands moved with a languid quality. Tracing paths in the air around him, he was somewhere else even as he was there.

 

That didn't mean that he was unaware of what was around him. Sighting Arala as she came close, Con continued his exercise even as she began stretching. By the time she was done, he himself had finished and picked out a pair of lathes for them. Smiling as she got to her feet, he tossed her one of the lathes which she caught easily. Becoming as the Lion on the Hill, Con spoke as she tested the weight of her lathe.

 

"First we do be finding out how much you do be knowing and where your skill do be. Your attack, be throwing everything at me that you do be having. As we do be fighting, I do be starting to attack back until I do be having the measure of you. When you do be ready, begin."

 

 

Con Stavros

Child of the Light

[Ellorian]

Arala grinned. She was pretty good with a sword and she knew it. She made an effort to temper her pride, especially since every one of der’Algai could and would trounce her in a bout, but she had progressed very quickly over the last few years and was pleased with her own aptitude for fighting. She was also a bit of an attention whore when it came to things like this. She found that she impressed most of her instructors, at least the first time they watched her, by always being a bit better than expected.

 

The young girl moved easily from Lion on the Hill to Parting the Silk, trying to get a feel for the bundle of lathes in her hands. No two were ever exactly alike, a fact that annoyed her. She even went so far as to score the handle of one bundle to set it apart so that she could have some sense of consistency in her daily training. The Falling Leaf flowed seamlessly into The River Undercuts the Bank. She had worked the combination over and over until they were second nature. Con easily defended against her blows, but she continued to press him, running through most of her repertoire.

 

The Cat Dances on the Wall provided a smoke screen for an incongruous uppercut that she put her entire body in to. Arala was always smaller than her opponents and generally relied on her quick feet and precise execution of forms over strength of force, but occasionally she liked to try her hand at a really hard blow. Though she was sweating now and her pulse was up, she wasn’t feeling fatigued. The lathes were significantly lighter than the sword she insisted on using and she had spent a lot of time building her endurance. Her mind was clear, though, and that was a good sign. There was a time when a poor shot or frustration would distract her to the point of a serious mistake.

 

Falling back into Lion on the Hill, she considered her next attack and wondered if Con was waiting until she seemed exhausted to make his own attack.

[Wayfarer]

Weathering the second assault, Con was Twisting in Wind as Wind and Rain tried to wear him down. Arala was able to keep pace easily enough, and she was quick enough to jump back as Con dropped below her slash as The River Undercuts the Bank. Advancing as The Tower of Morning, Con quickly turned his parried blade into The Swallow Takes Flight, The Swallow Riding the Air tossed aside by Low Wind Rising but simply transformed into Whirlwind on the Mountain that clashed as The Moon Rises Over the Water.

 

So they reeled back and forth one minute after the other, though as time passed it was Arala more often than not falling back. Con took a care not to strike her though, pulling any blows that got by so at worst she was tapped, and always with the flat of the lathe. He was sparring to assess her, not to harm her. And he was learning from it, what her strengths and weaknesses were, how she had been taught to fight and how she used what she knew. By the time he knew enough, he stepped away from his attack and lowered his lathe so the tip touched the ground, finishing it.

 

"You do be knowing quite a bit, but there do be alot that we do be able to work on as well. Do be tossing me your lathe." Snatching it from the air as it floated towards him, Con replaced the lathes on their racks as he contemplated what to do first. She was capable of being alot more mobile, she also needed to work on her strength as well, far too often she sought to cut with lighter strokes where a decent hack would achieve better results. Forms were good, but it was how and where she used them that could also use study, but first things were first.

 

"One of the first things we do be working on do be your mobility. You do be quick enough on your feet, but you no be using it nearly enough. That do be part of how you do be taught to fight, and also how you do be viewing combat. You do be seeing it as the two combatants, and the space that do be between them. It no be unusual, because that do be how most people do be seeing it. Themselves, the opponent and the space that be between them."

 

"The problem with this do be that it do be leading a fighter to be forgetting that there do be a greater range of movement available, moving side to side. The problem do be then that lighter and quicker people like yourself then be playing to your weaknesses rather than advantages. A stronger opponent do be able to build up momentum, you do be able to rob that of them by moving around them rather than against them. So, we do be needing to change your footwork to be using this, one moment."

 

It took him a minute but Con found what he was looking for, cloth. Strips of it that were used to bind people's hands and in particular the knuckles. Tossing a pair of strips to Arala to use, Con let one hang from his shoulder as he began binding the other around one hand. "Something else I do be noticing, the sword do be your weapon. You and the blade do be two different things when they should be one. A sword can be as sharp as it be pleasing, but without a hand to wield it do be nothing. So, for now we do be working on you, so it do be catching up with the blade. I want you to be attacking me, and I only be defending. You are to be moving around me constantly, even when close you are to be keeping your feet moving, light steps, side to side."

 

 

Con Stavros

Child of the Light

[Ellorian]

Keep moving. Light steps. Keep moving. Light steps.

 

Arala repeated the instructions in her head trying to will them into habit as she wrapped her hands. Left one went ok but as usual the right one was sloppy. She had a fair amount of experience with hand to had combat, but she wasn't exceptional or anything. She simply lacked power and if Con was right, her lack of mobility was probably what was holding her back. She could do the moves she was taught, but she never seemed to be able to get the best of her opponents.

 

Her first attack involved getting close and stoping, then remembering she was supposed to be constantly moving and clumsily trying to move again. Old habits were hard to break. Usually she would get in close, throw a few blows, the retreat to a safe distance, all theoretically before her opponent could strike her. All in all, it wasn't a good first attempt. Regrouping, she tried again.

 

Quick steps brought her within striking distance of Con and she struck out with her right fist before circling around to her left to make another attempt. Both were easily blocked, but she hadn't stopped at least. Still, she felt like a drunken squirril, quick but completely uncordinated and lacking her usual fluidity.

 

Back to the right she shuffled, stiking out with an elbow when she saw an opening. She was finding that moving wasn't so hard if you just never stopped, but it still felt quite foreign to her, completely against the habits she had already developed. More shuffling, more blocked blows, more awkwarness. She started putting more muscle behind her attacks when she finally figured out there was absolutly no chance of actually getting a solid blow in and possibly hurting Con. Though she wasn't exactly sure if he could be hurt. He looked pretty solid.

 

Feet moving and braids clicking softly down her back, she kept at it, not wanting to give in until she at least felt less awkward with it.

[Wayfarer]

As Arala began to get into the exercise, Con began moving more, dancing to either side with her, or sometimes moving in the opposite direction to throw her off. Not only did she have to get used to being mobile, she also had to become accustomed to more mobile opponents. Occasionally prompting her to move as she forgot here and there to do so, simply turning on the spot to follow him, they kept at it for perhaps half an hour.

 

By the time Con called a halt to it, they had managed to build up a little sweat, but there was more to do. Her footwork could be further improved by learning to use her legs more, not just for movement but as weapons. Standing infront of her so he was only a couple of feet away, Con gestured to her as he spoke. "I do be wanting you to kick me. I do be serious, be kicking me as hard as you can. No be looking like that do i-"

 

Turning to one side, her foot scored his thigh as opposed to his crotch. She was going to need alot of work, alot. "Your legs do be weapons as much as your hands do. That kick only do be helping you so far, now.." standing beside her but leaving a bit of space "I want you to be following my movement."

 

And so it was that Con ran her through basic kicks. There were two basic forms of kicks, ones which used the momentum of a swing to hack at a person with either the foot or the shin depending on the direction, and tucking the knee in before lashing out to catch a person with the heel. To someone who was new to it, it was hard to keep one's balance, Arala even fell down a few times, but that didn't diminish her enthusiasm.

 

Once she had some of the technique downpat, Con fetched a leather bag stuffed with sand and sat it on the ground, letting it lean against the side of his body. "Now you do be learning to put your body behind it when it do be connecting. Begin."

 

 

Con Stavros

Child of the Light

[Ellorian]

As she worked on her form, Arala mentally made a list of things and people she wanted to kick once she mastered it. For every good one she managed, she added a name. Kick. Hallin, because it would be fun to try and knock him over. Kick. Analie, because she was all doe-eyed around Doeshan and nasty every other time Arala saw her. Kick. The wobbly bench in the mess she kept managing to get stuck at because it was annoying.

 

Concentrating as she was, Arala did not notice the twine holding back her braids loosen and finally release its grip entirely. Her braids clicked softly as she moved, the beads glinting in the sun. Once again she stepped forward to pivot and lift her leg for a kick when all of a sudden she felt the strangest sensation on her pant leg. Then it was on her thigh. Then her back. A tuft of brown fur flicked itself into her vision just as she felt a pulling sensation in her braids and immediately Arala realized what was going on. She had unwittingly lured a curious squirrel into her hair with her shiny beads. The nasty things were notoriously drawn to flash and motion and moving around in the sun as she was, Arala had become the perfect target.

 

“Nasty bastard, get off me!†She screamed at the top of her lungs and hung her head over to shake at the furry intruder. Unfortunately, this only aggravated the squirrel as it rightly assumed her attempt to free herself from his clutches was also an attempt to deny him his shiny treasure.

 

There was no training for something like this. There just wasn’t. Not once in all of her special training had anyone covered how to deal with a small rodent lodged on one’s person. Probably it didn’t happen often enough to warrant an actual lesson, but at the moment Arala wished there had been one anyway. Grabbing the thing by the tail, she tugged on it, but this only infuriated it more and it tightened its little grip with one paw and batted at her with the other.

 

Sighing at having reached a new low in being matched (if not bested) by a small, furry woodland creature, Arala called to Con, "A little help, please?"

[Wayfarer]

Con was struggling not to laugh as he saw Arala's dilemma. She wasn't the first person he'd seen thrown into such disarray by a bit of fur. Indeed, his old companion Stephanos had caused a bit of trouble for alot of people. Even Arette had been surprised a couple of times to find Stephanos crawling up her leg and into her hair like a flash.

 

But, that was neither here nor there, and Arala was clearly in need of help. "Do be still. Do be keeping your hands at your sides, keep grabbing and it do be taking one of your fingers." Walking forward, Con took his time as he reached up with a hand. Not the tips though, rather he used the side of his palm. He had no wish for his fingers to be bitten, and the squirrel had already suffered a bit of a shakeup.

 

Placing his hand on the top of Arala's head, the squirrel was watching with utter fascination when Con clicked at it with his tongue. As it reared on its hind legs, sniffing at Con as it did so, Con repeated the sound. Dancing down his arm, the squirrel regarded him as it sat on his shoulder, even as Arala took the opportunity to take a step away. Not looking away, Con spoke even as he held the squirrel's stare.

 

"Interesting creatures. They do be small, yet they do be able to challenge creatures much bigger than them, or they do be alternately evading them. They do be quick, lightfooted and agile. They do be intelligent and curious, people do be saying that they no be intelligent because they no be taking to training easily. What people no be realising is that squirrels do be capable of training, they just do be happy to be ignoring it if it no be suiting them."

 

Remembering his old companion, Con smiled at the memory of always having Stephanos near him. A friend that could always be counted on to remain close... unlike many people had been. While the last caused him to frown, he calmed his expression. "A task for you, this squirrel do be young, hence why his curiosity did be getting the better of him. You now do be having charge of this squirrel, see if you no be able to learn from him. Well, do be taking him from me already, but no be grabbing him. No be grabbing a squirrel unless you do be wanting to be bitten, not until it do be knowing you for a long time. Do be stretching your hand close for him to be jumping on."

 

 

Con Stavros

Child of the Light

[Ellorian]

Ignoring it if it doesn’t suit them, eh? Arala would have chuckled if she wasn’t still red-faced and wanting to kick the nasty thing. Now she was supposed to keep it as a pet? Surely that wasn’t safe. She would have to keep it in a sack at night or something so it wouldn’t try to eat her face as she slept.

 

But not one to argue, while being taught at least, she held out her hand slowly. The squirrel hesitated and Arala figured it was probably because her face clearly broadcast her displeasure at the situation so she made an effort to relax it. After a moment, the squirrel bounded onto her hand, then up her arm, finally settling on her shoulder and picking at a bead contentedly, no longer concerned with Arala, Con, or their conversation.

 

“If I get rabies I will come find you and bite you,†she said to Con, almost smiling. She was only half serious after all. “This thing is probably one of the Darkone’s minions the way it behaves. All that biting and scratching…â€

 

She watched the furry thing with a sidelong glance as that was all she could manage with its tiny paws wrapped in her hair. Now that it wasn’t swinging about wildly it wasn’t really that scary. If it wasn’t so annoying with its clicking sounds and pulling of her hair, it might even be cute.

 

“I think I’ll call him Con,†she said. “’Con, don’t chew my boots’ and ‘Con don’t poo there’ or ‘Con, if you don’t stop rummaging through my smallclothes I’ll take you off into the woods and leave you’.†She definitely smiled at that one. “Well I suppose we’re done here since I can’t very well kick anything without sending Con into another frenzy.†Non-rodent Con gave her a nod.

 

Lesson over for the day, Arala headed back to her tent. She would have to find a way to keep Con contained while she was on duty. Then there was the matter of what to feed him. What did squirrels eat, anyway? Oatmeal? She ambled towards the gates considering her new responsibility and trying very hard not to shout at him to stop tugging at her hair so she could concentrate.