Gavin surveyed the class in front of him. Such a meager lot, but I guess it can't be helped. As a Dedicated, it fell upon him to teach a class on occasion. He understood why they had to do it, but that made it no less humiliating. Gavin was particularly unenthusiastic about the topic. He had been allowed to choose what to teach, so long as it wasn't currently being taught by someone else, but he didn't feel qualified to teach anything else.

He fixed his icy blue gaze on each member of the class in turn. Most of the class were predictably Soldiers, but there were a few Dedicated as well. He seized the Power and amplified his voice slightly, to carry over the din of the Black Tower. "You all know what I am to teach you today, but I want to know your thoughts before we begin." He picked a Soldier out of the line at random. "You," he pointed, "What is your opinion of the humble knife?"

The Soldier screwed his face up in thought, but did not answer. "It's not a trick question, Solider," Gavin said. Pointing at the Soldier's neighbor, he said, "You, what are your thoughts on a knife?" This Soldier answered immediately. "They're great for use as a tool to shave with or cut your meat, but worthless in a fight." Gavin smiled.

With blinding speed, he had a knife in his hand, and threw it at the Soldier, then immediately grabbed it with a flow of Air. The knife stopped mid-flight, an inch from the Soldier's eye. "You were half right, Soldier." Gavin pulled the knife back along the weave into his hand, then addressed the rest of the class. "As I said, this Soldier, who would now be dead at my feet in a fight, was half right. Knives are excellent tools. As with any tool, it has proper and improper uses. And as with any tool, it can be brutally effective if used properly."

One of the students raised a hand, "Dedicated Mortisane, why fight with a knife when you can fight with a sword?" Many of the other students were nodding, wanting to know the same thing.

"That is a good question," Gavin replied. "The main answer is, don't. If you have a choice. But you may not always have a choice. What happens if you are caught unarmed? Or if your opponent disarms you? Or what if you are in a place where swords are forbidden, like in the presence of most royalty? A knife is a tool, and most people carry one. As such, they are permitted in places where swords and other weapons are not. They are easy to carry, and easy to conceal. Most opponents will underestimate a foe wielding a knife. I am not going to teach you how to fight a Myrdraal with a knife. You will lose, even if you kill it. I am not going to teach you how to kill a Trolloc with a knife. They are too big, and usually too numerous to chance getting that close. I am not going to teach you how to throw a knife accurately. You probably don't have the talent, and I don't have a lifetime in which to teach you. I AM going to teach you how to use one for those times when no other option is available. We are weapons for the Lord Dragon. We are tools, crafted for his use, in any way he can. All of you carry knives with which to eat, shave, and perform other small tasks. Those are also tools, and you WILL learn to use them."

Diatribe over, Gavin gestured to the table laid out behind him. "I have laid out an array of knives from my own collection. They vary in size and weight, but all of them are razor sharp. You WILL respect them, and you WILL be careful of them, or you will get to explain to the Asha'man in the infirmary why your disobeying my instructions resulted in the loss of a finger. Now, come to the table, and choose a knife. Not all knives feel the same way in your hand, so be picky. Like picking a sword, you must pick the one that feels right."

Gavin watched with wry amusement as the class sorted through his myriad knives.

Gavin awoke in a daze. Two thoughts immediately crossed through his mind. The first was that he had lost. The second was that he was hungry.

He attempted to sit up in the bed he was on, and was immediately rewarded with failure. The telltale weakness and hunger he felt meant that he had been Healed, and quite extensively. Which in turn meant that he was in the infirmary.

He replayed the training fight in his mind, and cursed his foolishness. Jumping into the burning ring of fire was a gamble to begin with. The stone armor definitely saved his fool life, but almost killed him in the process. For all my power with Earth, I definitely need to work on my delivery if I'm going to try a stunt like that again, he thought to himself. Or, I just shouldn't try that again.

Poor Baran, Gavin thought, I hope he doesn't get in trouble on my account. For all that Gavin didn't get along well with Baran, this situation was most definitely Gavin's fault, and he would not have the other man punished in his place.

When the Healer on duty came to see him, Gavin received food, and assurance that Baran wasn't punished for this foolishness. Apparently, Gavin wasn't to be punished either, except with extra work detail on the wall. Considering himself lucky, Gavin thanked the Healer.

By the time he had finished his meal, he was strong enough to stand. A few moments later he could walk. Wasting no time, Gavin left the infirmary for the wall, eager to get his penance over with.

Thanks. I've had spotty computer access the past couple weeks, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to post something, but hopefully by the end of the week.

Don't hold me to this since my posting track record is pretty terrible, but I'm gonna try to have something new (weapons or saidin class, haven't decided) up next week. Something open to everyone. I have ideas. They need pondering first.

Two questions actually. First, do I need to post anything else in that thread? Some sort of recovery or something, or are we pretty much done.

Second, since there was extensive use of the Power, does it also count for our Saidin learning requirement as well? If not, no biggie, just trying to get a sense of where I stand. It was pretty dead around here for a while, so I'm trying to determine what else I need to do.

Thanks in advance.

I'll post something in there, prolly Monday or Tuesday. I'm traveling with family at the moment, but I should be able to post around then.

No worries man. Real life trumps online, any day of the week.

Besides, it's not as if we've progressed much since you left. In three months, we STILL haven't finished the weapons training thread.

Gavin jumped backwards as Baran wove his spinning wheel of fire. He watched the "wheel" go through two revolutions, and figured out the pattern. From there it would be a simple matter to dance into the mix and beat Baran senseless while the other man was concentrating so hard on his weaves.

Unfortunately, Gavin never got all the way there. He jumped over the first spoke, and too late realized his error. He clumsily fended off the Shield that Baran hammered him with. The moment of distraction in fighting the Shield broke his rhythm, and pain lanced through his leg as one of the spokes grazed him. Gavin considered himself fortunate that it was only a graze, given how badly it hurt. If the spoke had caught him directly, it like would have severed his leg. Then the rest of him when he fell.

Deep in the Void, Gavin registered the feeling of warmth rapidly spreading upwards from his leg, and belatedly realized that his clothes were on fire. Summoning more Earth, Gavin reached as deep into the Source as he'd ever been able, and brought up a solid rock wall around him, covering himself completely. The rock had its intended effects; it snuffed out his burning clothes, and it shielded him from another pass of the fire wheel. Unfortunately, it opened him up to another Shield entirely.

Gavin could feel the Shield approaching his link to the Source, and knew two things at once. First, he was powerless to stop it. Second, he would likely die either from suffocating in his armor of stone, or burned alive on the spokes of the fire wheel when the rock crumbled. Summoning his very last reserves of the Power, he caused the earth under him to heave, throwing himself clear of the fire wheel.

No sooner had he left the wheel's burning radius did he feel the Shield slam into place. Cut off from the Power, Gavin's Void collapsed, and he experienced a brief moment of panic as the stone he was encased in hurtled through the air. He only had enough time to register the panic before he impacted the ground. The rock surrounding him shattered from the force, and so did many of his bones.

Gavin did not cry out, which he considered a personal victory. However, both legs were broken, along with several ribs, and at least one bone in his spine. He had just enough clarity to register that he was still alive, and thus able to be Healed, before his body betrayed him. Rapidly going into shock, Gavin lost consciousness.

Howdy all. I play Gavin Mortisane, though IRL I'm known as Jeremy. I live in Amarillo, TX, and I work as a technical writer for a company that contracts with the US DoE. Also, I do computer things in my free time, and I'm an all-around gamer.

Character wise, I'm Dedicated, attempted to work up to Asha'man, though I've been on an unannounced hiatus for about a month to take care of wedding stuff. Oh, did I mention? I got married two weeks ago. The Wife actually RP's on these boards as well (Keyholder21). At any rate, I'm not dead, and I'm done with wedding stuff, so I'm ready to get posting.

Tomorrow. I've got places to be tonight.

"Is there anything else I can do for you Dedicated? I have a little time before my meeting with Arath, seeing as how he doesn't even know it is going to happen." Tai paused, adding, "I would be up for a nice hot meal if you have the time."

Gavin thought for a moment. He didn't have another class for a couple of hours. He did have his regular sparring practice with Haver, but the large man would forgive him for missing one. After all, they had been sparring every day for months now without missing a beat. That decided things for Gavin. He quickly double-checked that the knives he had been juggling were secure in their sheaths, and nodded at the Asha'man.

"I would be honored to share a meal with you, sir."

Civilians are fun! The one tricky thing is you HAVE to find a reason to be there. For example, your brother/parent/child could channel and you are searching for them, or, your spouse/parent is coming to the Farm and you came with them. Things of that nature. For example, my Civilian was childhood friends with Arath and he rescued her from a bad situation.

Gavin's backstory comes with a built-in hook for that. His sister was kidnapped in Tear, and never found. Eventually he ended up at the BT. She could have gotten away somehow, and been looking for him and came to the BT. It definitely requires some thought. I'll have to consider my options before I apply for it.

I'd be down to play a civilian as well, if I'm allowed to. My only character on these boards is still a Dedicated though, so I'm not sure if I'm allowed.

Name: Gavin Mortisane

Learning RP (Saidin): 8/5, Martial Weaponry 201

Other Learning (Weapons): 1/5, Stabbing 101, Introduction to Fighting With Blades Significantly Smaller Than Your Opponent's

Using Saidin: 0/5

Inter-Divisional RP: 0/8

Asha'man Duel: 0/4

"Can I help you, Dedicated?"

Gavin was caught off guard by the suddenness of the question. "No sir," Gavin stated, saluting the Asha'man. Thinking a moment, Gavin changed his mind. "Yes sir. I saw you arrive at the Traveling grounds, and was wondering what brought you back. Forgive me, but noone here has seen you in some time, though rumor was you were sent to Tear on some errand. If you are back, it must be important."

Sometimes I out think myself. Gavin thought as he hastily crushed the knot on his shield. His head swam for a moment as he seized saidin faster than he ever had before. I should have just Shielded him and been done with it. But no! I had to be clever.

The brief flash of Baran's eyes was the only warning Gavin had of the other man breaking his shield. Gavin had barely had time to seize the Power himself before Baran attempted to weave a Shield. Gavin only had a brief second, but was able to clumsily block the Shield. Baran's movements with his sword had blocked Gavin's attack, and he had jumped over the leg sweep intended to knock Baran's legs out from under him. Both men were within reach of each other, but both on the defensive. Gavin eyed Baran warily. Now that they both had control of the Power, the fight would become much more interesting. And be over much more quickly.

"Give up, Gavin. You have no chance to win this fight," Baran stated, smiling at Gavin. The smile was real, but Gavin saw uncertainty in Baran's eyes. Gavin wasted no time, and lashed out with the Power.

Earth was his strongest element, by a significant margin, so Gavin attempted to press whatever advantage he could get. He deftly directed a weave towards Baran. Baran directed his own weave to block. He not quick enough to stop Gavin's weave entirely, but he was quick enough to divert it. The weave plunged into the ground between the two men, and the ground erupted in a cloud of mud.

Gavin was in the middle of some of his exceedingly rare free time. He had spent the morning showing some of his teachers his skills with the Power. By blowing up rocks. The Power of creation at our fingertips, and they have me blowing up rocks. I know I'm still learning, but it seems like such a waste.

After classes, he had gone for his daily beating at the hands of his friend Haver. Gavin's skill with his chosen weapon had progressed significantly, but Haver was still the better combatant. He was also twice a large, and three times as strong. Matters were not helped by the fact that the two had started using Arath's blunting weave on their real weapons, instead of sparring weapons. Trips to the Healers were an almost daily occurrence, though the severity of the beatings were on the decrease.

With his free time, Gavin preferred juggling. Sometimes he would practice throwing knives and other objects, but he'd been working that into his combat routine, so he was getting practice at that too. No, juggling was his favorite pastime. It worked out the mind to a small extent, and kept his hands quick and nimble. Most of the time he would juggle knives, as he was now, but sometimes other things. On rare occasions, he'd go stand on the table in front of The Inn and juggle, as other Soldiers and Dedicated, and a few Asha'man, would toss things at him to work into the routine. Gavin smiled to himself thinking about the last time he had done that. He had started with three knives, and others had started tossing objects at him, so he worked his way up to the knives, one fork, an empty ale mug, and a shoe. It ended when someone threw an entire cooked chicken at him. One trip to the Healers, two days stitching up his coat, a week to get the grease stains out. Gavin had kept the chicken as payment.

Still grinning over the incident, a flash of movement in the corner of his eye caused Gavin to turn. At the nearby Traveling Grounds, a gateway was opening. He couldn't tell where it was from, as it was somewhere indoors. Through the gateway strode a figure that Gavin couldn't quite make out. Stashing his knives, Gavin casually walked towards the Traveling Grounds to get a better look. Gavin finally saw who it was, though he didn't recognize the man. He did recognize the embroidery on the cuffs of the black coat that signified an Attack Leader. I thought he was in Tear?, Gavin thought to himself. I wonder what brought him back? Overwhelmed by curiosity, Gavin strode along the same path as Tai, towards the inner workings of the Black Tower.

Gavin was at his usual spot practicing with his halfspear when one of the gate guards found him. The Soldier paused nearby, waiting for Gavin to address him. Some other Dedicated and Asha'man liked to put on a big show with those of lower ranks. In the case of the highborn that had come to the tower, it was a means of holding on to what they had willingly given up by coming here. In the case of the lowborn, it was simply pretending to be better than everyone else. Gavin was not one of those, so he didn't make the Soldier wait long.

He leaned the halfspear against a nearby tree stump, and picked up his coat. Despite the cold, weapons practice works up a sweat, and Gavin still hadn't mastered the trick of ignoring the weather. Besides, there's no need to get a good coat sweaty. "What do you need, Soldier?" Gavin asked.

"New recruit at the gate, sir," the Soldier replied. Gavin sighed. For all that he was making strides here at the Black Tower, Gavin still had reservations about men channeling. Some went mad on almost a weekly basis. Some were half-mad. Gavin knew it was only a matter of time for all of them. The bonfire that broke the world was already mostly rebuilt; adding more kindling would not help matters.

Pausing in his introspection, Gavin realized the Soldier was still standing there, waiting for a response. Gavin sighed again. "I'll go get him," Gavin said, but paused. "Just as soon as I get a drink of water. Another couple minutes wait won't hurt."

After donning his jacket, and grabbing a mug of water, Gavin worked his way towards the gate. The Soldier that had fetched him still had not returned, and Gavin made a mental note to have someone teach him not to shirk his duties.

Two people stood at the gate. Haver stood there, the enormous Saldean man looked menacing, but that was his normal look. The other person at the gate was a rather short young man, dressed for traveling. He looked nervous.

"Haver, quit scaring off the recruits," Gavin joked at his large friend. Haver grunted in acknowledgment, smiling at Gavin. "Light Haver, you're so ugly, we should just send you into the Blight. The Dark One himself will surrender just so he doesn't have to look at you." That actually got a laugh out of the big man.

Haver replied, "That's funny, coming from a man so weak and small that his bones barely support his own weight. We should send you to the Blight. That way the Dark One will laugh himself to death while watching you try to fight." The two friends laughed with each other for a moment, then Gavin realized why he had come to the gate.

"Well friend," Gavin said, "you continue guarding the wall. You're large enough that you're practically a wall yourself, so it shouldn't be that hard. I'll take care of the fresh meat." Motioning to the new guy, Gavin started walking into the compound a short ways.

"Well now, so you're here. The big scary Black Tower. Before I let you go any further, I need to know two things. First, have you been tested?" Gavin paused a moment, but the recruit didn't say anything. "I'll take that as a no. Second, I need to know your name."

(OOC: Apologies for taking so long to post. I'm not dead, I promise.)

Gavin began working the shield practically the instant it went up. Arath had said that these knots were less complicated, and Gavin immediately saw that for truth. That doesn't make it any easier to break though.

Gavin eyed his opponent. He was already at a disadvantage against Baran. The smaller man boasted much more skill with the sword than Gavin did with his new weapon. The two men eyed each other expectantly, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Gavin's thoughts hung on Arath's words, "You will use everything you've learned today." He ran through each lesson in his mind, quickly distilling the wisdom of his fellows. Know your opponent. Adapt to the fluid situation of the battle. Use every tool at your disposal. Don't hold back.

Well, Gavin thought to himself, No reason to stand on ceremony. He brought his weapon to the ready, and began advancing on Baran's position. The other man already had his sword up in a defensive posture, one Gavin recognized as being able to deflect nearly any attack Gavin could launch. Rather than charge recklessly towards certain defeat at the hands of Baran's superior skill, Gavin slowly approached and studied his opponent.

Desperately working his way though the shield, Gavin thought on the impending battle. Know your opponent. Baran was a better swordsman, but Gavin was more agile. He had faith that he could dodge most of Baran's attacks, but Baran's superior skill would provide ample defense against mundane attack. Adapt to the fluid situation of the battle. Gavin knew that throwing knives would be of limited use in this fight. The element of surprise was gone, so they were a backup weapon or a distraction at best. And once the Power came into play, they would be basically useless. Use every tool at your disposal. Gavin's greatest tool would be the Power. Beyond that, he had his halfspear, and the environment. Don't hold back.

Gavin was close enough to Baran now, just out of reach of Baran's sword. He felt the last turn of the knot in the shield give way, but Gavin did not immediately seize the Source. Not knowing how close Baran was to breaking the shield, Gavin did not want to press his major advantage too early. By holding a firm grasp on the knot, ready to break it, Gavin would be able to seize the Source at a time of his choosing, or in reaction to Baran. It was a gamble, but surprise was too big an ally to waste.

Using the superior reach of the halfspear, Gavin launched an overhead attack at Baran. It was a feint, but Gavin put significant strength into it, forcing Baran to respond. The moment Baran moved his sword to parry, Gavin was already in motion with a low sweeping kick to take the other man's feet out.

if you'll all kindly

Since I've played through Bioshock again recently, this amuses me greatly.

But seriously, Gavin Mortisane, Dedicated.

I'll have something up in the weapons class within the next few days. The past week or so has been rather. . . hectic.

Looks that way. Been over two weeks since he last logged onto DM. I'll go ahead and start up the next part. You two can pair up for it and he can just play catch up when he comes back.

Sounds good to me.

"The knots in your shields are fairly simple, so I don't expect this to be too difficult for you. The process is a little painful, but I expect all of you to do it, and do it quickly. The last one to get out of the shield will be running laps of the training ground for an hour after we're done here."

Gavin listened to what the Asha'man had to say, but he remained skeptical. He had been battering at the shield off and on since it was put on him, but he had never noticed anything different. However, knowing how to escape a shield would be a valuable tactic, so he focused all of his efforts on it.

As it turned out, "all of his efforts" didn't amount to much. After the morning's exertions, Gavin didn't have much left in him. He had been beaten senseless by a man twice his size. Then he had been beaten by a man twice his skill. And on top of everything, he had been Healed twice. He had broken the same ribs in both fights, and while they were healed, his mind still told him they should hurt. Being Healed was something Gavin had yet to get used to, after spending his whole life healing the normal way.

Not one to stand on ceremony, Gavin remained seated where he had been after the sparring match with Arath. He blindly fumbled around the shield, trying to find the hard spot that Arath was talking about. Like the Asha'man had said, it felt like a solid sheet of glass, and Gavin's grip slid off wherever it touched. Once, he thought he had found a spot that felt different, but it slid away just like the rest of it.

Finally, he found it. He had been correct earlier, it had felt different. A hard spot in the shield. But it wasn't really hard. It was only slightly different from the rest of the shield. But a difference was a difference, so it must be what Arath was talking about. The first time he found it for sure, Gavin tried forcing his way through, and he just slid away like usual. To his mind, it felt like the shield was mocking his futile efforts at breaking it. Determined, Gavin fished around until he found the spot again.

Subsequent attempts proved no more successful than the first, but Gavin did feel like he was making progress. While he had yet to work his way into the knot, he knew he was improving his technique, since it took longer for him to slide off of the knot each time.

Finally, he managed to work a little ways into the knot. He was pushed out almost immediately, but didn't slide away. Determined by his apparent success, Gavin redoubled his efforts and attacked the knot again. This proved to be the wrong thing to do, as he slid off almost immediately. I've been doing this all wrong, Gavin thought to himself. The brute force comes after I'm through the knot. Forcing my way through won't do it. It requires a bit of finesse.

This time, when Gavin found the knot again, instead of trying to force his way through, he gently pushed. He knew it wasn't a real sensation, but his mind told him he was feeling it. It felt like being squeezed through a sieve. He didn't like it. But, it was progress, and he had to keep working or end up running for the rest of the day, so he kept on.

Gavin followed down the thread of the knot until the first turn, then he lost it and slid away again. Frustrated, Gavin beat against the shield several times, and eventually calmed down. Squeezing his way back into the knot, he made it past the first turn.

It took several more attempts, but Gavin finally managed to get to the end of the knot. It didn't feel any different than before, but Gavin knew he was through to the other side. Saidin still stood just out of reach, but now Gavin felt as if he could reach out and grab it. What was it Arath said to do? Flex? How am I supposed to do that? Gavin wondered to himself.

As it turned out, it was not that difficult to figure out. Gavin got at least that part right on the first try. It was like being tied to a chair, then trying to break the ropes with nothing more than brute strength. But instead of a person, he was squeezed into the shape of a noodle, then wound up into the rope itself.

Needless to say, it was not a pleasant sensation. But, having come this far, Gavin refused to be defeated. He flexed his Power, and felt the knot give a little. Feeling a surge of hope, he applied more and more pressure, and finally he felt the knot snap.

Gavin was wholly unprepared for what happened when the knot broke. The snap of the knot stunned him at the same time as he seized the Source. Saidin almost consumed him on the spot, but Gavin fought, and he fought hard. After what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was only seconds since the knot broke, Gavin had forced saidin to his will enough that he was able to put that battle at the back of his mind. Not that that battle can ever be forgotten, let he be consumed, but he had practiced enough with the Power now that the fight was automatic. Something he did with little conscious thought anymore. But he was still wary.

Gavin sighed with relief at finally holding the Source again. Even though it was only a couple hours since the class began, Gavin felt like it had been days since he touched that filthy sweetness of the Power. He drew up to his limit, basking in the feeling.

Taking a look around, Gavin realized that his eyes had been closed almost the whole time. He also realized that he had been working on that knot for an appreciable amount of time. And he was not the first one through. He was still one of the first ones though. Maybe three other people were holding the Power, not including Arath. At least he wasn't last. No running for him today. Well, no extra running anyway. Gavin reached out with Air to pick up all of the knives he had thrown at Arath, and idly wondered if there was anything else to this class today.

Gavin stood in front of the rest of the class. He listened intently to the speeches that Baran and Lir gave, nodding the whole time. Both men were more experienced fighters than Gavin, and he knew that he could learn a lot from them. Gavin had been learning a lot, both from the regular weapons classes as a Soldier, and during his private sparring sessions with Haver. But, using a new weapon, it was clear that he had much more to learn.

Gavin quickly went through his fight with Haver in his mind, trying to figure out why Arath had singled him out. Haver had thoroughly pounded Gavin. Healing fixes the wounds, but not the memory of the wounds, and the memory of broken ribs and cracked sternum were still fresh in Gavin's mind.

Gavin replayed the fight in his head again and again, and couldn't come up with anything. No matter how he looked at it, he still lost. He had almost won, there at the end, but he still lost. He paused. There it is. He didn't just "almost" win. He should have won. In a real fight, if he had been trying to kill Haver, he would have. Well, he would have won the last part of the fight. Haver would have cut him in half earlier. But the point was, Gavin used all of the tools at his disposal. That was what Arath wanted him to teach. Use everything.

When it was Gavin's turn, he stood in front of the other Dedicated and cleared his throat, and began speaking in his performance voice. "As many of you may have noticed," Gavin began, "I didn't win my fight. My partner, Haver, is twice my size, with more than twice my strength. He's familiar with his chosen weapon, and I'm using a weapon I've never used before. And he's a better swordsman to boot. So why am I up here?"

He paused for dramatic effect. "I used other tools that I had at my disposal. Sure, Haver would have cut me in half earlier in the fight. And I struck him as well. He broke my ribs, and cracked my sternum. But I had his throat with a knife. It is the knife that's important." To illustrate, he idly began juggling his knives.

"When we use the Power, we use everything we know. We constantly push our limits and learn new weaves. In battle, we will be expected to use every tool at our disposal to win. And we will be expected to win at all costs. Why should it be different when using a sword?" Gavin made the knives disappear. "The reason I'm up here, is because I used the tools at my disposal to win. Granted, I should have used said tools sooner, but I used them nonetheless."

Gavin paused, steeling himself for what was coming. "And now, I will attempt to demonstrate these points as Asha'man Faringal beats me bloody."

Hefting the halfspear, Gavin settled into the same stance he had with Haver, weapon swept back, point down, ready to block with a savage upwards slash. He squared off with Arath, and they slowly walked around each other, gauging defenses before committing. Not waiting to be put on the defensive with an unfamiliar weapon, Gavin swept forward with the same upwards slash that he would have blocked with. Arath was ready with a parry, but on his riposte, Gavin jumped back, letting a knife fly. Arath swatted it down with his sword, then attacked back.

Gavin was on the defense already, and it was not looking good. Arath attacked with a blinding series of attacks, and it was all Gavin could do to keep up. That Arath was using two swords was a problem. In none of their classes or sparring matches did any of the Soldiers or Dedicated fight with two weapons, so the style was unfamiliar to Gavin.

At every opportunity, Gavin threw a knife or dagger. He had nearly a dozen throwing knives on his person at any given time, plus the two long daggers at his belt, but he was running out of things to throw. Arath, wise to the strategy, easily dodged or bat down everything Gavin threw.

The fight had lasted less than a minute so far, and Gavin had just thrown his last knife. His ribs were already broken again, and he had twisted his ankle tumbling away from Arath's attacks. Arath delivered a brutal kick, right through Gavin's defenses. Struck in the chest, Gavin felt another rib give way as his body lifted from the ground with the force of it. He knew he was finished, or soon would be, but refused to go down easily. Arath would have to beat him unconscious before Gavin would stop.

As his body sailed several paces, Gavin twisted, putting his gleeman tumbling to good use. He landed with both feet and did a backwards somersault to bleed off his speed and soak the impact of his fall. But his ankle betrayed him on the second landing, bringing him to his knees. With his ribs broken, Gavin could barely stand, and Arath was advancing again, both swords at the ready.

I'm currently in the process of moving, and won't be finished until sometime this weekend. In the mean time, I have net access on my phone, so I can read what other people post. The phone's not conducive to long posts however, so I likely won't have a response up until early next week.

Sweat beaded on Gavin's brow as he concentrated on the object before him. He had been wielding the Power for what seemed like days, though in reality it was only about an hour or so, but he held as much as he could. He had to focus all of his will on what he was doing, or the piece he was working on would be ruined. And he had used a significant portion of his funds to purchase a piece of steel so large. He had money left, but not enough for another attempt.

Before him on a workbench in the armory was a new version of the weapon he had taken to using. P'dao was the proper term for it in the Old Tongue, though everyone had taken to calling it a halfspear. Gavin hadn't known there was actually a formal name for this weapon, but one of the Soldiers at the Tower had been something of a historian in Cairhien before coming here, and had seen the weapon in drawings and descriptions of battle. Nobody but the historian had ever heard of the weapon. Or the battles. The style of weapon apparently dated back before Hawkwing, though it had fallen out of usage long before even that time period. He had no clue how one came to be at the Tower. It looked quite a bit newer than a thousand years, though it seemed that it had spent most of its life in someone's attic.

Unfortunately, the halfspear broke, only days after Gavin began practicing with it. While it was most certainly not as old as Hawkwing, it was equally certain that the weapon was at least two generations old, and the wooden haft had weakened where it joined with the blade. Which brought Gavin to the task at hand.

Earth was his strongest Power, and Gavin had successfully changed the shapes of other various things made of metal and stone, so he figured the principal would be the same in this case too. He was mostly correct, though properly shaping a weapon took much more finesse than making a chair out of a boulder. He had practiced with other, smaller, metal items before taking on this project, and he had gotten quite good at it.

It wasn't exactly a Power-wrought weapon. It was made using the One Power, sure. But it wasn't created with the Power. It would not be nearly indestructible. And it would definitely need sharpening. No, it was a mundane weapon, simply formed using the Power instead of a blacksmith. Gavin release his weave of Fire to let the weapon cool before he handled it. It still floated on Air however, no need to set the work bench on fire. Weaving razor thin slices of Earth, Gavin honed the edges of the blade to razor sharpness. It would be razor sharp now, though he would have to use a regular whetstone on it to keep that edge.

Forged of a single piece of steel, the weapon was almost as long as Gavin was tall, and half of that length was blade. The blade was straight, with a deep fuller and a double edge, ending in a sharp point for thrusting. Where the blade met the haft was a ring quillion to protect the hands from other blades sliding down. Gavin had added sword-breaker notches to the ricasso, figuring that the superior leverage afforded by the weapon would enable him to disarm opponents more easily. The haft was a smooth rod of steel, and Gavin had already had a leather wrap made for it, along with a scabbard for the blade. The butt of the haft ended in a large ring. Gavin actually didn't know the purpose for the ring, but the original had one, so he kept the design.

Judging the weapon finally cool enough to touch, Gavin dropped it into his waiting hands with Air. Giving it a quick spin and flourish, careful not to strike the ceiling. Laying it back on the bench, he wrapped the haft with the leather that he had had prepared for it. The black leather strip was mostly unadorned except for the image of the Dragon pin, spaced evenly down the length of it. When he wound the strip tight around the haft, the Dragons gave the appearance of chasing each other up a spiral staircase. He had not asked for the adornment, but he like the look of it regardless.

He fit the blade into the scabbard, and made a mental note to have some sort of strap made so that he didn't have to carry it all the time. Leaving the armory, he carried the halfspear over his shoulder as he strode towards the inn. As a Dedicated, he was finally allowed in, though the place was predictably over-hyped. Bad service, and worse ale, but it was the only place around. Bad ale aside, Gavin felt a drink was well deserved after the time and effort spent on the new weapon.

When he walked into the common room, he glanced around and saw the usual faces of Asha'man and Dedicated. And Lir, sitting at the middle table as usual. Gavin strode to the table and sat down opposite the Andoran former noble, propping the halfspear up against the table. "Good afternoon Lir," Gavin said, "You look like you have something on your mind."

Gavin watched carefully as Arath wove the blunting weaves around their weapons. I'll have to remember that for later. He mused to himself the battlefield applications of that weave. If one were fast enough, and deft enough with Air, one could weave that around an opponent's weapon during combat to blunt an otherwise damaging blow. And if the opponent was not a man who could channel, they would be none the wiser until they failed to kill with a strike. Gavin chuckled to himself as he went over some ideas for that weave in his head.

He listened intently to their instructions. Fight like you mean it. Gavin looked at the dozen assembled, and was unsurprised to see Haver there. Gavin was raised to Dedicated first, but Haver followed only days behind. Gavin was slightly stronger in the Power, but Haver was better with the sword. Where Gavin was fast, Haver had brute strength. All in all, they were pretty evenly matched, though Haver regularly cracked Gavin's ribs when they sparred together. And while Gavin figured that he would fare much better with this new weapon he'd found, he had no experience with it, and Haver had plenty of experience with the sword.

"Well, it looks like it's you and me again Ogier," Gavin said to the huge Saldean. Haver laughed at the nickname Gavin had given him. "Did you think it would be otherwise?" Haver replied, "I hope you're better with that swordspear thing than you are with a normal sword. I don't want to hurt you." It was Gavin's turn to laugh. "We'll see my friend, we shall see."

They squared off with one another, slowly walking in circles, gauging each others' defenses. Haver stalked with his sword held in front of him. It was some sort of form, but Gavin could never tell one form from another. For Gavin's part, he held his odd weapon with the haft across his torso, point towards the ground somewhere behind him, with a grip that would let him sweep up and across with a powerful cut. He didn't think that it would actually penetrate the large man's defenses, but the extra leverage afforded by the long haft would help him match Haver's strength.

Haver lunged forward with a downwards slice that would cleave a man from shoulder to hip. Gavin quickly swept his weapon up to meet the attack. The blades met with such force that they bounced off one another and both opponents were knocked back a step. Gavin recovered slightly quicker, and with a quick flip of his grip, brought it down in an arc intended to take Haver's hands off. With these weaves on the blades, there was little chance of actually maiming the man, so Gavin put everything into it.

Haver took a hasty step back to dodge, but couldn't get his sword up in time to block. Gavin's blow struck the back edge of the sword, knocking it to the ground. Gavin had too much momentum however, and his follow-through caused his blade to strike the ground. Haver was quick to capitalize on the weakness, and planted a full kick to Gavin's chest, knocking him backwards. Gavin, suddenly even more thankful for what his father had taught him, and rolled with the kick in a backwards somersault, snapping back to the ready. He could feel his sternum having been cracked, and would have to be more careful of getting inside the giant's reach again.

By the time he came out of his tumble, Haver already had his sword back to hand, and squared off again. "I have to admit Gavin, you're better with that weapon than I thought, though you still need practice if you ever hope to beat me. Maybe I should break a couple more of your ribs for you so you can learn." Though it sounded an insult, Gavin knew it was otherwise by the smile on Haver's face. It wasn't a malicious smile, far from it. Besides, during their private sparring lessons, they taunted each other almost constantly.

Gavin didn't rise to the bait, which was just as well, since Haver assaulted almost immediately. Gavin managed to block the sideways slice, and dodged the next thrust. Haver parried Gavin's thrust, and came down with an overhead cut that Gavin blocked squarely, but was barely able to stop due to the man's strength. Light, he's been holding back on me. He's much stronger than I thought.

The fight went on for another minute, and it didn't go well for Gavin. It was all he could do to not get cut in half, even with those blunting weaves. He found this new weapon easier to wield, but Haver was right, he definitely needed practice. Even staying almost completely on defense - he only managed to attack a few times - Haver still managed to land several glancing blows. Gavin was already feeling the bruises, and his cracked sternum certainly wasn't helping matters. I need to outsmart him. He's much more skilled with his sword, and much stronger to boot. I'll have to fight dirty.

Gavin thought briefly about kicking dirt in the large man's face, but squelched that thought quickly as his boots were likewise squelching in the mud. It was a sticky mud too, and would resist being kicked about. Gavin's reverie cut short has he backed into a tree. Ducking quickly and rolling to the side, he barely avoided Haver's strike, which took a chunk out of the wood. Feeling something jabbing him as he rolled, Gavin got back to his feet, and remembered one of his knives tucked back behind his belt. Thinking quickly, he pulled the knife out, but left the sheath on so that he wouldn't actually kill Haver, then threw as the big man was charging. His knife flew true, and struck Haver in the throat.

It didn't even slow him down.

With the sheath still on, the knife struck Haver's throat, and bounced off, and Haver's full powered swipe knocked Gavin off his feet. Gavin fell to the ground a good two paces from Haver, and he could feel at least two cracked ribs. If it weren't for the weave, he'd have been cut in half.

Haver sheathed his sword with a grin, then offered a hand to help Gavin up.

((Edit: Good call Arath, I fail at reading))

Gavin dusted himself off as he got up off the floor. How did I end up there in my sleep? I know I've been having weird dreams lately, but the floor? This is getting out of hand. He banished such thought however. Or rather, they were banished for him as he assumed the Void and seized saidin. He quickly channeled Fire into his washbowl, and winced when the ceramic cracked from being heated too quickly. Well, Fire isn't my strength. At least I can fix that. Before too much water could escape, he channeled a bit of Earth to mend the cracks.

After washing up, Gavin threw on his coat, doing up the buttons as he was settling his feet into his boots. Light, I never knew my life would be so ordered. So much different from what I've known. I've been here for a while, yet I still have trouble acclimating. It was true, too. Just when he thought himself accustomed to the rigid order imposed by the Black Tower, he would be called back to his days roaming the roads with his father and sister. He quickly banished thoughts of Cassandra before they could get out of hand. His temperament had been bad enough those weeks in Tear, immediately after her disappearance. And while his moods had not grown any worse themselves, the ability to lash out with the Power lent some. . .severity. . .to his mood swings. He made sure he was alone and away from anyone nearby before doing anything destructive, and he hadn't hurt anyone yet, but the loss of his sister still weighed heavily on him. Many a tree just beyond the walls of the Tower had been reduced to smoldering stumps during one of those black moods.

Today was his first weapons class as a Dedicated. It had been a short time since his raising, yet there were so many things that still needed to be done. He reluctantly strapped on his sword. Bloody, flaming swords. He jogged to the location of today's class, and was surprised. First, he was only the third person there. He knew from talking with some of the other Dedicated that many needed to take the weapons classes. He had assumed that there would be more. The other thing that surprised him was their teacher. He had expected Skechid, the Asha'man that oversaw their regular beatings during the Soldier weapon classes. Instead, Asha'man Arath Faringal stood before them. Gavin had heard of Arath of course, even seen him once or twice, but never met the man. He had heard stories though.

As Gavin arrived, he noted that the other two Dedicated present. Lir was the young man that Gavin played stones with, raised to Dedicated on the same day as Gavin himself, though Lir had arrived to the Tower days after Gavin did. Baran, the other Dedicated present, was the stoic man that Gavin had offended during a conversation involving the Power and a tree, now twisted around into a screw. Baran had been raised somewhat before Gavin, and though they had started on the same day, Gavin had been late to show up to their first class. Gavin liked both men, though he stepped lightly around the ambitious Baran. Following the death of another Soldier, rumors had been circulating about that man.

Gavin's surprise upon arrival at the training site quickly turned to panic, if not quite fear, when Arath shielded the three of them. Struggling against the shield, Gavin fought for the Source as hard as he could. He had been shielded before, of course, during the course of some of his training, but he had been prepared for it then. Now, his instinct told him to fight.

"Today, you learn battle plan B," Arath stated. "What to do when you can't channel. Go to the weapons shed at the north end of the training grounds and grab your weapon of choice. Move!"

Gavin ran quickly to the shed, along with Baran, though Lir seemed satisfied with his own sword. Upon arrival, Gavin was taken aback by the contents of the "shed". While small in stature, the building housed a bewildering array of weapons. Some of them were obvious. Swords of varying sizes. Daggers and knives. The latter called to him, but in the back of his mind, Gavin knew they would be almost useless in a close-in fight, particularly against Shadowspawn. He eyed a pair of long daggers for a moment, then moved on. Some of the weapons he knew would be easily wielded by foot soldiers. Maces and morningstars. A few flails. Others, he couldn't even puzzle how to use. Things with long chains. Short staves held together by chain links. Even a whip, of all things. One was more likely to hurt himself than hurt a foe with one of those.

Running out of choices, and about to return to the long daggers, Gavin came across a few polearms. Quickly dismissing most of them as unwieldy, something caught his eye. It was a spear, or rather, it had been a spear at one point. Or a pike. The blade was three feet long and sharpened on both edges, and it looked like someone had chopped off the haft to be about the same length as the blade. A guard had been constructed separating the two, and leather wrapped the haft from top to bottom. Hefting it in his hand, Gavin was shocked to find that it was nearly perfectly balanced.

Gavin stepped from the shed with his odd polearm, and saw Arath standing there with two swords made from the Power. Gavin settled his shoulders and prepared to be beaten, yet again, by someone with a sword.

((OOC Edit: think along these lines for that weapon, but with a straight blade that's double edged.))