Rangers: Training Grounds

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
August

She nodded, her expression serious. "Three prongs to the trident," she said resolutely. "One: we kick your training up a few notches. If someone comes after you, you have to be able to be at your strongest, your fastest. And we add in some non-standard training, as well. We already spoke of it in the debrief - but you might need it more than most other rangers, given your situation. You need to be ready for the unexpected, because the likelihood of sudden attacks is higher for you. You need to be trained not to panic. To stay calm." A soft, grim smile passed over her face. "So you can defeat your wolf. Yes?"

"Two: we improve your cover. We find a way to convince people you do drink alcohol. We make up relatives or people who can claim you have been here for years. We change the way you speak, or change your hair, or something else, or many things at once - something or anything to alter your appearance so the description Torthon would give of you does not quite fit you anymore. We have the advantage that you have heard the description they are giving out. We can work with that." The general idea was solid, even though it was clear that Arnyn had little experience with this herself. It was also clear that she was very invested in throwing anyone off track who would come looking for him.

"Three: we think about how to get proof. Or, if nothing else, on how to improve this situation you are in. We go over everything. As many times as it takes, no matter how many times we hit a dead end. You cannot hide forever. Nor should you. We think of a way to end this." She turned back toward the target, with larger and faster strides than before. Might it be that she was trying to channel some of her feelings through her walk?

"It will leave you with much less free time, I'm afraid," the Lieutenant added as she pulled the first arrow from the target - meanwhile intentionally not mentioning it would leave her with basically none at all. As she pulled out a few more arrows, Arnyn fell silent, until she paused to look at Trastion again. "But I've told you before: my recruits don't spiral. They rise. This is your moment to do just that, Tras. I can guide you. But you must walk the path."

[Romeran]

Ranger Trainee Romeran
Studying under Captain Pele
@Pele Alarion

Romeran watched Captain Pele with rapt attention, his gaze following every demonstration and his mind processing her instructions. Her words echoed in his ears, each one painting a mental picture of the movements she described.

"Engage the core, keep balance," Romeran muttered to himself, repeating the words like a mantra. The understanding was forming within him, but it was like a faint light through a thick fog. He had a question, however, "But how do you keep your body flexible and firm at the same time? How do you manage that balance?"

He saw her demonstrations, the way her body shifted fluidly from one position to the other. Romeran, on the other hand, had always associated strength with firmness, with rigidity. To think of his body being both firm and flexible at the same time was like trying to imagine a tree bending in the wind without breaking.

With a nod of understanding, Romeran then tried to mimic Captain Pele's movements. He took a narrower stance as she had suggested, keeping his back foot across the beam for better support. His initial attempts were clumsy and unbalanced. He would move his foot, only to overextend and falter. His arms would swing wildly, his body would lean too much to one side and then the other. It was clear that his body had yet to understand the grace and balance that came so naturally to Captain Pele.

Nevertheless, he persisted. Each fall, each stumble, each misstep only fueled his determination. He made the movements again and again, slowly, deliberately. He began to feel a rhythm, a harmony between his body and his mind. And with each repetition, the movements became a little less awkward, a little more fluid, a little more like the demonstrations Captain Pele had shown him.

Romeran didn't get it right after just a few tries, but he was certainly getting better. He was beginning to understand the dance of swordplay, and for the first time since he started training, he felt a flicker of confidence. His thoughts were filled with a sense of satisfaction. There was a long way to go, but at least he was on the right path. "I think I'm starting to get the hang of it, Captain," he voiced out, the corners of his mouth pulling upward in a small, but triumphant, grin.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Archery range
August 1

Listening as Arnyn spoke about improving his training, Trastion nodded slowly, realizing what that would mean. Most intense training. For longer periods of time. He held back a sigh, knowing it was probably necessary. He agreed with the lieutenant; it would be better to be ready, just in case of anything. But he was still worried. Because all the training and battle-readiness his brother had had, did nothing to help him against an arranged accident. So how could anyone prepare for something like that? And then, to his surprise, she made the comment about defeating his wolf. Trastion blinked and looked back at her with a strange little smile at the irony of that. He wondered if she knew about the emblems pictured on his stepfather's family crest, and how funny it was that he hadn't connected that with the wolf incident in the mess hall, until now. How odd.

Before he could pose any such questions, or make any comments about his revelation about the wolf, Arnyn went on to talk about improving his disguise. Slightly surprised, Trastion frowned as he listened to her ideas on that. Make people believe he did drink? And relatives.. how could he do that without involving other people in this? And changing his looks and how he speaks..? How?

He was busy thinking about that as Arnyn went on to the third part. Proof. He refrained from sighing yet again. How to get any sort of proof on this was beyond him. He'd been wracking his brain about that for the last couple of years. He had run out of ideas, and it was frustrating that he couldn't come up with anything. He took a slow, deep breath and began collecting his arrows, thoughtful. "I'll do whatever you think I need to do, lieutenant." He answered quietly.

"As for the matter of my disguise.." He paused. "I don't know how to go about that without revealing my secrets to anyone else." He frowned, looking down as he carefully smoothed the feathers on one of his arrows. "Kaylin and I have already joked about being brother and sister. Maybe she would be willing to help in that regard, but.. I don't know. Wouldn't I need to fill her in on at least some of the details?" he hesitated, looking up. "I really don't know what would be better... to keep as few people in the know as possible, and risk someone telling things they aren't supposed to tell.. or to tell more people, so they can help keep the secret... because it's also occurred to me since we've been talking, what if someone did come looking for me here, and asked one of my roommates for instance.. and they didn't know they weren't supposed to tell, they'd see no reason not to, would they?" He sighed heavily and slid a hand through his hair, frustrated as well as confused about this.

"I have changed a few things about myself since I left home, by the way." He added, almost as an afterthought. "How I talk, for one thing.. although I still sometimes catch myself saying things that sound too.. proper and formal.." He admitted. "And.. well, it's only been a few months since I left Lamedon." He figured, if she knew his stepfather's name and about their lumber enterprise, she most likely knew that the border of his home was quite near Lamedon. While he had made an effort to talk so that he blended in with the locals of his previous job, that was quite a ways from the White City. "So, I don't know how.. 'Minas Tirith-y' my accent is."

He offered a faint grin before continuing to list what he had already done to throw off their description, "My hair is short now. Mother always insisted on us having our hair how she liked it," He rolled his eyes, and indicated about shoulder-length. "About to here. I always hated it like that.. always getting in my face or getting tangled or something. First thing I did after leaving home, was cut it short." He smiled faintly as he thought of something that might be useful. "Kaylin showed me a way to color my hair darker," He remembered, wondering if that could help. Although it would be weird to have his hair that dark all the time. "I didn't even know that was possible..."

[Rillewen]

@Pele Alarion @Lantaelen

Recruit Trastion Leithor
(Sparring with Pele and Abrazimir - some point before Midsummer)

As he anticipated, Pele swiftly blocked his attack, then maneuvered herself out of their midst. He was briefly at a loss for what to do, but, trying to think of her not as the captain, but as an enemy, he swiftly decided to keep circling. Keeping the 'enemy' trapped between himself and his ally, so she couldn't escape. Trying to ignore how hot it was inside the armor, he kept moving toward his right, circling around her, trying to get around behind the 'enemy' while Abrazimir did whatever he would do to keep her preoccupied.

When he saw a chance to attack, he darted in closer and swung at the 'enemy's' back with his ax, but this time he didn't leave it at just one attack, but followed up with a downward stroke toward the head of the enemy, trying to be mindful to stop short of actually making contact in case she didn't manage to block his attacks, and prepared to jump back in case she counterattacked, as he was fully expecting her to do.

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion
Sparring with Abrazimir and Trastion
@Rillewen , @Lantaelen

Dealing with Trastion and Abrazimir both at once required all the attention and focus Pele could muster, and so she said nothing any more giving herself fully to the sparring. Unwilling to have anyone fully behind her back which would make her completely vulnerable since she would not be able to see any incoming attacks and respond to them, she moved to stand sideways and have at least see both men in some measure. In this process of turning Pele found Trastion already coming for her, and she grasped the hilt of the sword with both hands - one over the other - to lift it up and deflect the incoming axe away from her.

In order to deal with Trastion's dangerous attacks, the Captain was forced to give him more of her attention if she did not wish for any of those to land, though she was very well aware that it would give Abrazimir an opening to attack her more easily. Stepping aside with her left foot, Pele ducked down and away from the axe aiming for her head, and at the same time aimed a stab towards Trastion's armpit.

---

Training Trainee Romeran
@Romeran

"Practice, it is all practice," Pele said matter-of-factly when Romeran asked how to attain balance between flexibility and firmness. She watched him for some time with a small smile, taking note of his relentless attempts no matter how hard it came.

"It will take time, especially when you are used to the idea that unbridled strength is what matters," she continued then, and motioned towards the ground. "You have a good start there, at any rate. But come on down."

She waited for Romeran to leave the balance beam and join her before deciding to expand a little on the topic of flexibility and firmness. "You don't need to think of much else but strength when working on chopping wood, for example, right? But when you use a sword, especially something smaller than a large two-hander, flexibility means that you can adapt better to the situation, to what your opponent throws at you. Attack better. Defend yourself better," she explained and then paused searching for a good illustration. "Think of a cat ready to spring at a mouse, or a snake about to strike. It is a tamed strength, a state of readiness to act without reckless abandon, if you will. Just at the right moment in the right amount."

The practice sword in hand once again, Pele took a ready stance, left foot forward, right foot back at an angle, hilt of the sword kept at the level of her hips and point raised. "Look, Romeran. When you are not on the beam, you can broaden your stance a little, no need to keep the back foot strictly in line with the front - give yourself enough support. Core engaged again, but knees are not locked, elbows not locked. At need, you can easily move, without turning your back to the opponent. This is the very foundation, and I want you to get this down before working on other details," she said, and then switched the stance, moving the right foot forward and the left back behind it. She repeated the switch a couple times, at first slower, and then faster.

"Now, take a proper ready stance for me, Romeran," she encouraged, "Let me see if you can combine tame your strength and maintain a good balance when you don't need to think of distractions such as the possibility of falling off the beam."

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
August

She nodded when Trastion said he would do whatever she thought he needed to do. "If anything, if he does not find you... You will be a better ranger all the more quickly," she tried to offer him some kind of silver lining. As he told her what he'd done for his disguise so far, she finished plucking out the rest of the arrows and handed him his own back. "Good," she stated, pleased that he had already changed his hair and had changed the way he spoke. Somewhat. Because to her it seemed like he could still make some progress there. "Your accent still sounds Lamedonian," she admitted with a faint smile. "Depending on where we decide 'Trastion' is really from... we can try and change that."

When he mentioned Kaylin and darkening his hair, Arnyn's expression grew thoughtful again. She started them back to the front of the range and considered a few options. "Have you and Kaylin been spending some time together, then?" she finally asked. "Making a friend?"

The question sounded all the more casual when she later followed it up by thinking out loud about his training. "I think it would be useful to have you training with other rangers some more. I know you have been working with me mostly, and then just a bit with Duinion - and Orla, as well, yes? Kaylin has trained soldiers in the past. I'm sure she could work with you and teach you a few things." Arnyn gestured. "In many ways, we fight similarly. But in just as many ways, we are different. We both combine swordfighting with hand-to-hand moves very well. However, my style is more..." she wanted to say elegant. But would that be construed as rude? "...about fast, fluid and precise movements, with a focus on agility and control. Economy of energy. Finesse." She raised her eyebrows for a moment. "Kaylin's sword style is, in a way, more aggressive. She still shows a great deal of agility and control, but her style is more straightforward. More about power, about force." It was difficult to define the exact differences. "While I am inclined to think my style suits you better, it would be good for you to see if hers might be more up your alley." She smiled. "I promise that if it is, I will not take it personally. And even if it isn't, it would be good for you to learn to deal with foes who fight her way."

She hesitated. "If Mourgan hadn't been hurt, I would set up sword training for you with Mourgan as well... There's a difference between the way men and women fight. And you need to learn to defend against all of it. Mourgan is even more aggressive than Kaylin." Arnyn grinned. "And the power and force he uses... Well. I am sure you can imagine." She took a moment to think. "He'll probably be bored out of his mind, recovering," she mused out loud. "But he could coach you in strength training." She nodded, the matter decided. "There is another Ranger I have in mind, with similar muscle strength as Mourgan. I'll arrange for you to meet with him, as well."

For the first month to come, at least, they could focus on that. Between assessing his horsemanship, their existing training schedule and the additional sword training with Kaylin and Mourgan, the recruit would have his hands full. "We will stay the course with my assessment of your riding and horse care skills - we will do that soon. Your healer training, however, will be pushed back for a time. We have to prioritize. In 4 or 5 weeks, we will re-asses your training schedule. But for the weeks to come... " They went on to discuss his schedule.

Twice a week, the two of them would meet. One time to focus on speed, agility and balance. With and without the sword. Another time for endurance training and archery. That would be two days where the Lieutenant advised him not to add any other training sessions.
Once a week, Trastion would train with Kaylin. He would also do strength training with Mourgan at least once a week and be expected to do it (on his own or not) a second time every week. The other Ranger would take up another weekly session. If they added in the biweekly sessions with Duinion for survival training out in the woods, and the plan Arnyn had to assess his horsemanship... the recruit's coming month would almost be rather booked. He would have several half days to himself still, but the idea was not to drain him... completely.

She smiled when they reached their earlier spot once more. "Now. Archery. Imagine the target's your stepfather's face."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Archery range
August 1

"Lamedonian," He repeated with vague amusement. It was probably the most correct way of putting it, but it still sounded a bit funny to him. "Yeah, I feared as much." He added, unsure what to do about that, exactly. It had been difficult enough to adapt his manner of speaking to better match the way others spoke, back in the first few months of being on his own.

He had been so caught up with answering the lieutenant's questions, he had forgotten to help gather the arrows. Feeling a bit guilty now, he accepted the offered arrows with a slightly apologetic expression. "Thanks," He slid the bundle into his quiver, thoughtful as Arnyn asked a few more questions. "Some," he answered, about Kaylin. "We..hung out a bit, that one day, after the card game. Had a bit of fun," He answered carefully. "That was when we started claiming to be brother and sister," He added with a little smile. "And we've run into each other, here and there, since then. I'd call her a friend, yes."

He listened as the lieutenant went on to discuss the various ideas she had about his training. Offering a few nods here and there, he mostly kept quiet while she explained about this or that, her fighting style versus Kaylin's, and so forth. When she mentioned Mourgan, he couldn't help a little grin. "I don't have to imagine it," He informed her. "I've sparred with him a few times. Before..you know," He added, knowing she'd know what he meant. The injury. Sadly, that put Mourgan out of commission for a while. But apparently, all hope was not lost, as far as that went. He was pleased to hear that Mourgan could still manage to assist in his training, to a degree. "I'm sure he'd be pleased to have something to do besides sit and count the clouds through his window," He grinned.

Despite that, he was already beginning to feel a little concerned at how exhausted he was going to be by the end of the month. It sounded like he'd be doing nothing but train, train, train, every waking moment. And his muscles were already dreading it. But she was right; it would be better to be prepared, and able to defend himself if necessary. And it would help him become a full-fledged ranger all the quicker.

Once he and Arnyn had finished discussing the upcoming training schedule, Trastion tried not to feel overwhelmed by it just yet, and instead nodded as she brought his attention back to the archery practice at hand. Then grinned at her suggestion. Picturing Torthon's face on the target was brilliant. His, or Togg's, for that matter. While Torthon had actually been responsible for Aearon's death, Togg was aware of it, and therefore, considered a co-conspirator as far as Trastion was concerned.

Drawing an arrow from his quiver, he took a slow breath and tried to find his calm before he put it on the string, drew back, and fired. When he had gone through all of the arrows in his quiver, he felt quite pleased to see that only a few had missed the target, and the majority of those that made it into the target were grouped reasonably close together. Nowhere near the quality of Arnyn's aim, but it was fairly good for him, considering the delays he'd had in his training so far.

[Lantaelen]

@Pele Alarion @Rillewen

Abrazimir Dimaethor
Sparring with Trastion Leithor & Pele Alarion, Training Grounds

Of all the things, Abrazimir didn’t anticipate the somewhat shattered shield being thrown at him. He had no shield of his own to block the projective and could only twist his torso and face out of the way. It struck him hard in the side and he threw his arm to shrug the broken item off of him and to the ground. Whatever the throbbing pain, he had to maintain the Captain before him and ensure Trastion could sweep around for an assault, which the young Recruit promptly engaged in.

The pair engaged in what seemed like a fierce duel, parrying and counter-striking. Abrazimir saw his chance, shifting over to get at Pele’s flank, launching the backside of his axe in a blunt-force strike towards the back of her knee. If landed, hopefully the move would buckle her down and perhaps cause a yield. But she was a reason she wore the rank and might anticipate his forthcoming attack. In which case, he was prepared to pull back to regroup.

[Rillewen]

@Pele Alarion @Lantaelen

Recruit Trastion Leithor
(Sparring with Pele and Abrazimir - some point before Midsummer)

After swinging his ax down toward the captain's head, Trastion was expecting some sort of retaliation. But he'd also expected a block, rather than a dodge. Despite his efforts to stop his motion, the ax still carried on its downward trajectory for a few inches even after the captain had evaded it. Seeing her counterattack coming, Trastion sprang backward, but he sprang a little too much, and overestimated his ability to do so nimbly in this heavy armor. He'd been practicing doing the obstacle course, in and out of armor, but that was leather armor. It was easier to move in, and lighter than this metal stuff. And it was becoming familiar to him by now. While this stuff he was wearing from the storage shed was not at all familiar. While he managed to avoid Pele's sword, he ended up a little unbalanced from the weight of the armor, his feet moving a bit too fast as he tried to correct that and keep from falling backward. As a result, he ended up tripping from his efforts to not fall down in the sand... and did exactly that.

He was getting tired.. Trastion was aware of that. And perhaps a bit overheated. This metal stuff felt like an oven in this heat. And it wasn't even midsummer yet! He briefly wondered how cold it got in the wintertime here in Minas Tirith, and whether it would be easier to train then. Watchful of the enemy trying to attack him while he was down, Trastion tried not to get too distracted as he struggled to get back to his feet. It had been easy earlier, but now he was weary, and perhaps a little dehydrated. He should've drank more water during the break. Feeling a bit more encumbered than he had felt earlier, Trastion put the head of the ax against the ground and used the handle almost as if it were a cane, help get to his feet again, shifting back into a stance that he hoped would be easy to defend from. Although he was using a stance intended for sword fighting, not ax fighting, since he didn't know much about such things for axes, yet.

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion
Sparring with Abrazimir and Trastion
@Rillewen , @Lantaelen

Her strike did not find its aim, and Pele pulled her weapon back in to follow up with an additional cut or stab, but seeing Trastion fall on the ground she reconsidered. While she could have used his seemingly slow recovery to land a hit, she had no wish to harm the Recruit. Instead she lingered a while to see if he was all right.

While she waited for Trastion to scramble back to his feet, Pele noticed movement with her peripheral vision. Abrazimir. Expecting that the Knight would not hold back much of his strength, the Captain sprang away from where she had stood, and in the process felt the axe grazing her leg. Had it been a sharp edge, it might have left a thin bleeding line even if nothing more serious.

"Mmm!" her chin went down in a slow nod towards Abrazimir as she came out of a half-spin to face the two men again. "That might count." Her body tense and prepared to jump into action, the tip of the sword raised to indicate as much, Pele glanced at Trastion. "Not a bad attempt, Trastion; however..." She left off the end of the sentence assuming that he realised the fact that she might have finished him off if this was a fight and she was swift enough.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
August

She listened attentively to Trastion explaining he and Kaylin had 'hung out', having 'a bit of fun'. She had not told anyone of what she had seen in that side street of the First Circle about two weeks ago. She had not heard anything from anyone else about it, either - and Trastion was being vague. So he defined getting into a fight and deceiving a pair of guards as 'a bit of fun'? Arnyn's expression or body language betrayed nothing of her inner monologue. She wondered if he had decided whether this fell under the category 'what she did not know, she need not report'. And so the Lieutenant was once again confronted with one of the things that impeded becoming a true confidant of those under her charge. Did this also impede true friendship? Perhaps not. Even the best of friends did not always know everything about each other. Right?

Pleased when he said he already sparred with Mourgan a few times, she smiled with approval. She couldn't help but think Trastion was looking a little off-balance, which reminded her of what she wanted to talk about before he had told her all of this. When all his arrows were in the target - most of them, anyway - she gestured for him to go and retrieve them. This would give her some more time to think.

Once he had returned, she took him to adifferent lane of the range, where the target was slightly closer. "Again," she ordered, although her tone was friendly. "And while you practice, we will talk. Practicing with a bit of a diversion can come in handy in the field. There is usually at least one distraction close at hand."

Drawing in a slow breath, she slung her bow over her shoulder as she watched Trastion during his practice. "I know it probably sounds strange, coming from me," she said quietly. "But sometimes it is best that, once a course of action had been decided, not to overthink it. It pays to go over something once. To prepare. Or to reflect, so as to prepare better next time. But we cannot lose ourselves in what ifs or could haves."

[Lantaelen]

@Pele Alarion @Rillewen

Abrazimir Dimaethor
Sparring with Trastion Leithor & Pele Alarion, Training Grounds

Abrazimir had no idea that Trastion had been close to folding in. The Captain had gotten the better of him and he was near to the end of his rope, until the Swan Knight intervened and caught the Captain at her flank, striking her leg. Had it been a real axe, he might have taken her foot off, and even after the blow, Abrazimir didn’t follow up and shifted back, for a moment concerned he might have harmed her a little too much. But she merely observed the blow cooly and counted it as a point, before attentions could be turned to the recruit.

She trailed off on the advice she was about to give him. A wicked grin came over Abrazimir’s lips and he gestured at the Captain while looking at Trastion. ”Exactly.” He agreed with her, though he wasn’t sure what she was hinting, but it was a little jest to mess with the young warrior in the making. He looked wobbly though, using his weapon as a makeshift crutch just to stand.

”Take a breather, Recruit. I’ll give you an opening to score our second.” He said to Trastion, readying his weapon as he turned to face Pele now, ready for the next bout. He drew closer, one step at a time, though feinting and trying to lure the Captain to begin this next clash of blade and axe and shield. Hopefully, while the two exchanged blows, Trastion would have caught his breath and given a chance for his own flanking maneuver.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Archery range
August 1

Had Trastion known that Arnyn knew anything about that incident, he might have tried to offer what little explanation he could, or he might have worded it differently. But of course, he had no idea she had witnessed the tail end of the adventure he and Kaylin had shared. He actually would have liked to tell someone all about it; it had been rather exciting and it was difficult to keep totally quiet about it. But he and Kaylin had agreed on certain points that should not be told. And of course, the lieutenant was.. a lieutenant. So, telling her anything about this adventure of which the entire purpose was to acquire illegal liquor, which wasn't even allowed in the barracks... did not seem like a good idea. Much as he would have liked to told her more about that, he kept quiet about it.

After retrieving his arrows, Trastion nodded when Arnyn said to shoot again. He wasn't opposed to the 'distraction' of talking while he practiced, and so listened as Arnyn began to speak. He listened as she began to speak, and fired a few arrows. Taking a moment to aim, and making sure that his arrows were each placed on the string exactly the same each time, and that he drew back the string the same way each time. He watched his arrows hit the target, feeling a small sense of satisfaction to see it. He glanced at Arnyn after the third arrow. "You mean something like, you can't change what's already happened, so no sense in wishing you could?" He asked, trying to make sure he understood what she was saying, before he turned his attention back to shooting.

---

@Pele Alarion @Lantaelen

Recruit Trastion Leithor
(Sparring with Pele and Abrazimir - some point before Midsummer)

"Not a bad attempt, Trastion; however..."

Nodding, to indicate he knew what the Captain meant, Trastion sighed slightly in disappointment at himself. Yet, at the same time, a tiny part of his brain told him that maybe it was better that way. It would help to confirm his claim that he had no experience with any of this. Armor, weapons, the works. He did his best to wipe away the sweat from his face, what parts he could get to with the helmet on, anyway, and nodded in answer to Abrazimir telling him to take a breather.

Watching them begin the next bout, he kept an eye out for any sort of opening that he could make use of to attack and come to Abrazimir's aid. Meanwhile, it was helpful to stand still for a moment, take a few deep breaths, and try to keep his focus off of how hot he felt. It looked as if Abrazimir might be trying to lure Pele around so that he could have a chance to attack. He smiled faintly, and moved forward to take advantage of that opportunity, waiting until he had a good chance, then slid forward with a jab from the ax aimed toward her side, as if it was a sword. He realized, of course, that a stab wasn't really that useful with an ax unless it had a spike at the top (which it didn't), but he figured if he had applied real force to it, to a real opponent, maybe it could damage some ribs or something.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
August

"Yes, that is one part of it," she agreed. "With Relic, for example, we cannot change the deaths of our comrades. We can reflect on what the events have taught us and how we can better prepare for it and deal with it a next time. The events have taught us that it could be useful for the rangers to learn and deal with certain things - like how to fight wild animals or how to try and not let evil words get to you...

"But it is pointless to overthink what we cannot guard against or what would make our lives much too complicated."

"For example, the events have taught us that there are people who can shapeshift into others, yes? That is how Relic killed two of our own - by shapeshifting into me. But to our knowledge individuals with such a capability are extremely rare, and protecting ourselves against something like that from happening again could only be done by continuing to use strange cues among ourselves. All the time. Every day. Permanently. Is that worth it? Given the unlikelihood of such a threat presenting itself again? And given the issue that we cannot include everyone we all know in such a scheme, for then surely any new arrival would find out about these cues? We should not live in constant distrust of one another. That is enough to drive anyone to madness or depression."

Arnyn observed Trastion's expression to see if he understood what she was trying to say.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor
Archery range
August 1

Listening as the lieutenant began to talk, Trastion paused and glanced at her, somewhat surprised she was bringing that topic up. He nodded slowly as she went on to talk about what would or would not be practical to prepare for. "That makes sense," He replied after a moment, and returned his attention to shooting his arrows, carefully aiming, trying to get his grouping a bit closer together.

As she mentioned about the signals and cues, he nodded slowly. "Right, and that wouldn't have even helped matters in this case, since she infiltrated our midst as a recruit," he agreed. "She'd have had to learn all the signals and things, and then it would've been pointless to even do any of that." He glanced at her again, pausing after another shot. "Why do you bring this up, Lieutenant?"

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Lieutenant Arnyn Dealedwen
August

She was glad he seemed to understand. Had some time brought him clarity of mind, then? When he asked her why she brought this up, the question caught her off guard. She considered telling him she'd been concerned about him getting lost in the what ifs and the could haves, after the way he had spoken at the debrief about the fire and Relic. But the proper, lengthy explanation would also involve her telling him that it was a hard thing not to fall prey to - even the Captain did, after all. But that was not for Arnyn to tell. She would go with another reason, just as valid - and just as true.

"I'm not just doing a few archery or sword sessions with you," she said, tilting her chin. As if she would be offended if that was what he had been thinking. "I'm your mentor. And in my book, that means I do not just teach you how to wield a sword or shoot a bow. It's my responsibility to teach you how to handle everything that comes your way as a Ranger. How to handle enemies, yes. But also how to cope with the aftermath. Being a warrior is not only about physical skill and strength. It is also about mental strength - willpower. Emotional resilience. Control. Honour. Valour." She paused, eyes on the target. "Too often, all of that is forgotten or left to gather dust in a corner."

"You may shoot the rest of your arrows. Then you can go again. Afterward, I'll take you through one of the obstacle courses. We can talk more of these things on the way back to the Sixth."

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion
Sparring with Abrazimir and Trastion
@Rillewen , @Lantaelen

Pele watched Trastion for a few moments to see that he would be all right, even if somewhat tired. She did not have much time though, since Abrazimir was already advancing on her and she had to take action to defend herself. The Captain mostly tried to keep herself just out of harm's way and ward off the attacks, not seeing any immediate openings which would let her dive in for an attack of her own. The longer reach of an axe and Abrazimir's taller stature were not easily overcome when directly faced, but she could wait.

However, Abrazimir's relentless actions claimed much of her attention, and while Pele did her best to keep Trastion at least somewhat in her field of vision, she found it difficult to deal with both of them at once.

"Trying to leave a dent in this armour, Trastion?" she exclaimed, when she felt quite a prod from his axe. This was not the way she expected the axe to be used, and had he aimed a cut at her side it would have counted as more damaging. Pele thrust her sword towards Abrazimir first to discourage him from some onslaught or other, and then turned halfway to try and grab Trastion's axe handle with her left hand intending to pull on it and see if she could disarm the Recruit.

[Lantaelen]

@Pele Alarion @Rillewen

Abrazimir Dimaethor
Sparring with Trastion Leithor & Pele Alarion, Training Grounds

It was his intent to trying and shift the axis of their combat about, striking and then side stepping, parrying and then side stepping, slowly turning the Captain until her back was forced towards Trastion. He hoped the young Recruit would soon take advantage, as it was becoming exhaustive for Abrazimir in his armour to continually exert himself on the offensive. He could feel the sweat dripping down his forehead and over his eyes, getting into his eyes, burning and causing him to blink rapidly to dispel it. Anything wrong could happen in those moments…

Which is exactly what happened, as Pele thrust her sword towards Abrazimir to create some space and indeed managed to do so, as at that very same moment some sweat burned into an eye, causing him to feel vulnerable from the temporal lack of sight. Instead of parrying, he shifted back and away, giving the Captain some precious seconds to deal with Trastion’s assault. Abrazimir’s back foot shifted heavily in the sands and he growled like a wolf, outright shutting that eye as he reorientated and came back to drive the backend of his axe head into the Captain’s arm as she struggled with Trastion.

If the Recruit could match her strength and not have his weapon torn away, that is… Otherwise, Abrazimir will have to go up against the Captain who would have two weapons.

[Rillewen]

@Pele Alarion @Lantaelen

Recruit Trastion Leithor
(Sparring with Pele and Abrazimir - some point before Midsummer)

"Trying to leave a dent in this armour, Trastion?"

Hearing the captain's exclamation, Trastion grinned slightly. "Maybe!" But before he could elaborate on his thoughts, he found that the captain had seized hold of his weapon. Acting hastily, he attempted a circular sort of maneuver with his weapon, first circling upward, around, then ending with a hard downward yank in the hopes that he might break her hold on it. Part of him hoped that Abrazimir would come to his aid, but the other part was pointing out that in a real battle he might not be able to count on assistance from comrades, if they were hurt, or busy fighting elsewhere. He would have to handle this on his own.

Despite the sweat flowing down his forehead, and the sides of his face, and drenching his hair and clothes and everywhere else on him, Trastion was determined not to give up. He suddenly wondered whether anything was off limits, like kicking. While no one had said specifically that they could do so, they also had not said that he could not. Again, in a real battle, nothing was off limits, and he wouldn't stop to ask the enemy if that was alright to do this or that. Therefore, hoping to hinder the captain from continuing her attack at him, he aimed a forceful, pushing type of kick toward her abdomen.

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion
Sparring with Abrazimir and Trastion
@Lantaelen , @Rillewen

When Trastion went about trying to retrieve the axe from her grip, Pele felt that her fingers were barely holding on to the hilt, and when she saw that Abrazimir was aiming a hit for her arm, she let go of the axe instead of renewing her hold on it. Yet, as she made to avoid Abramizir's strike, she made ended up opening herself even more to Trastion's kick instead.

Regardless of how well Pele tried to pace herself and maintain strength, fending against the two men took its toll, and the strong push caused her to stumble backwards and hit the ground on her bottom.

"Well, dang it," she exhaled in exasperation, and did her best to quickly tuck her feet under her and scramble up to one knee at least to be in a position of defending herself in some way at least. Pele had not released her sword during her fall, and she felt the bruised knuckles of her right hand burning inside the glove. It was likely the skin was scraped off from the contact with the ground. Regardless, she made to raise her sword up to counter any incoming attacks.

[Lantaelen]

@Pele Alarion @Rillewen

Abrazimir Dimaethor
Sparring with Trastion Leithor & Pele Alarion, Training Grounds

Just as Abrazimir recovered, he beheld the young Recruit plant a strong kick on the Captain’s core, knocking her off her own feet and onto the ground. Abrazimir gave a chuckle and used the momentary reprieve to use a gloved finger to wipe at his eyes. ”Not bad, Sir.” He called out respectfully. ”But don’t stop there, keep up the attack!” He urged Trastion to follow up, to keep the kneeling Captain distracted and occupied. Meanwhile, Abrazimir shifted to the side, to try and flank Pele. If Trastion could keep up the attack, maybe Abrazimir could inflict a blow to the Captain’s sword-arm, forcing a yield and defeat.

[Rillewen]

@Pele Alarion @Lantaelen

Recruit Trastion Leithor
(Sparring with Pele and Abrazimir - some point before Midsummer)

Seeing the captain fall down, Trastion paused. "Sorry, you alright?" He asked, instinctively checking to make sure his kick hadn't been too hard. He glanced briefly toward Abrazimir, hearing the knight's encouragement to keep up the attack. But it was only sparring, and he didn't want to actually injure anyone, especially not the captain. But, since she managed to get back up with apparent ease, he relaxed and assumed she must be alright.

With a small nod in answer to Abrazimir, he fought his instinct to offer the lady a hand up, and instead decided to see if he could hook the ax around her blade and disarm her. The ax, he was realizing, did not have much reach, as the longsword did. He felt a bit hindered in what he could do with it, so that was about the only thing he could think of to do. With her sword raised in anticipation of any further attacks, Trastion attempted to get his ax hooked around it, so that he might try and yank or twist the weapon from her. And, it even occurred to him, he might manage to then take over her sword...

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor

Sitting cross-legged in the grass, off to the side of one of the practice areas, in front of a supply shed, Trastion frowned in annoyance as he carefully wiped the mud off of the back of his armor. The majority of it came off easily enough by pouring some water from his canteen over it, washing it away. But there was some that lingered, and he was not willing to leave it until after the training session, which might leave a stain and make the armor look bad. (not to mention hoping to avoid the wrath of a certain Lieutenant who had already had a fit about him walking around covered in mud)

With a rag in hand, he focused on getting the majority of the mud off, using some leather cleaner borrowed from the shed, and relaxed slightly in relief when it began to come clean. The leather was darker for now, due to being damp at the moment, but at least it wasn't likely to stain. He hoped it wouldn't look any different by the time it dried. Now that it was clean, it was time to reapply a protective barrier against such elements in the future. Taking up a small vial he had also been glad to find inside the supply shed, he applied some of that to the leather next. With another, softer rag, he focused on rubbing it in carefully, making sure that it wasn't too much.

Once he felt satisfied that he had done all that he could for the body piece, Trastion laid that aside and picked up his left bracer, which had fallen into the mud. There was still plenty of time left before she would be arriving, he thought. He hoped, anyway. He repeated the same steps as with the main piece, until the bracer was clean, but damp. Then he set it aside and turned to check if any of his other gear had gotten muddy.

[Arnyn]

Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr

Kaylin arrived a few minutes late. She would have been on time if it hadn't been for the bracers she'd left upstairs and how dirty her boots were. She'd needed to unlace them and take them off to go upstairs, get the bracers and then come back down and relace the boots. And put on the bracers. And then she'd been thirsty and only then thought to fill her water skin.

Not that she minded. Trastion might be a bit late himself, right?

Regardless, she was breathing a bit quicklier than she would usually be breathing by the time she made it down to the training grounds. She'd made up some time by rushing, but was still not technically on time. Seeing Trastion was already at the grounds, near a supply shed, she briskly walked over to him.

"Little brother," she greeted him with a wide grin even as she noted the mud on him. "What are you doing?" She hoisted her shield a bit higher onto her back again, adjusting the strap over her shoulder, just half a second before realizing he was cleaning mud off his gear. "Ah. Never mind." She made a mocking, deep curtsy. "Lieutenant Dealedwen ordered me to instruct you. In my own way." Arnyn might reconsider if Trastion went blabbing about her preferred teaching methods. But she could see what would happen with all that, later. At the very least, she would have one training session with the recruit. Today.

Kaylin unslung her shield and gripped it with her off hand as easily as she would flick a knife into her hand. "Give up on that," she said impatiently, rolling her eyes at his efforts to clean his leather armour. "Unless you're changing clothes, it'll just get dirty underneath again, anyway. Get ready and pick up your sword." She nodded at the mud-covered blade laying on the ground nearby. "Which, I would prioritize as far as cleaning your gear goes. By the way."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor

After seeing that the rest of his armor seemed alright, Trastion looked up when he heard Kaylin's voice calling out to greet him. Aw, too bad, he hadn't gotten done before she arrived. He lifted a hand to wave, slightly awkward to be caught in the middle of cleaning up his gear. "Hey, sis," He called back with a smile. When asked what he was doing, he mentally cringed. "I.." He got as far as that, before she said 'nevermind', apparently figuring it out. "Yeah." He shrugged, then frowned slightly when she said to give up on it. "I didn't want the leather to ruin," He protested, with a slightly puzzled frown that she would not seem concerned about the armor.

Turning his attention to the sword, he pulled it into his lap. Alas, the sword had not been spared from the mess. It had actually slid out of the sheath and fallen directly into the mud. He was somewhat aware he was probably lucky he hadn't landed on it and cut himself, but right now he was more worried about getting it clean. He'd have to remember to check that the strap was secured over the hilt, next time he went through the obstacle course, he decided. "I did the armor first because it's leather, and I figured the mud and water would soak in more quickly," He explained with a little frown. "Is a few minutes' waiting that crucial to the sword?" He wondered with sincerity, glancing up at Kaylin while he worked cleaning the blade to get the streaks of mud off.

He had already wiped the majority off before she'd come, so it wasn't completely coated with it, just sort of smeared with what had been left behind after the initial quick wiping-off. "This shouldn't take long," He promised. "How are you?" He asked her, while he worked on cleaning the blade, hilt, and handle with a soft cloth dampened with a mixture meant for that purpose. Once that was accomplished, he inspected the sword to make sure it had no more dirt on it, and dried any excess moisture off. Next, he applied a very light coat of oil. He wiped the oil off his hands, then applied a different sort of oil onto the handle, careful to select the right kind for the sort of handle he had. "There, done. For now." He intended to do a slightly more thorough cleaning, including polishing, when he got back to the dorm, but for right before practice.. this was good enough.

He looked at his armor, then at his clothes, and sighed softly. Kaylin was right, of course. He was too muddy to be putting his stuff back on without getting it muddy again. "Will I need the armor, today?" He asked, glancing up at her questioningly. If it had been Arnyn, he had a suspicion what she would say, but this was Kaylin, and she had just pointed out she would be teaching him in her own way. So, he figured it couldn't hurt to ask. "I usually wear it in training, but, like you said, it'll get muddy again if I put it back on..." He shrugged.

[Arnyn]

Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr

"Noooo," she shook her head. "A few minutes won't do much. But I'm one who's all about the offensive." A grin. "Honestly, you might not want to pay as much attention to every word I say as you would to Arnyn's." Kaylin leaned forward, eyes twinkling. "I bet she's all serious when she trains you. Full of sage advice." She straightened. "Me? Not one for the wisdom."

"I'm more of a learn through experience kind of instructor," she stated. "So, to answer your question - yeaaaaaah." The last word was said with heavy emphasis. "You will definitely need your armour." She laughed. "Chop chop," she urged him to hurry. "Before you're the one who's getting chopped."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor

Trastion grinned as Kaylin asked about Arnyn's training sessions being all serious and full of 'sage advice'. He said nothing to contradict that idea as he finished oiling the blade of his sword. "I'm not very familiar with leather armor," He admitted. "I've been trying to take care of it as best I can, going from stuff different people have said to do. And they seem to know what they're talking about.." He shrugged slightly. "Anyway." He considered Kaylin's answer to the question about whether he needed armor. He frowned slightly at the newly cleaned armor, then at himself, and nodded. Armor it was then.

"Alright." He smiled, having an idea. He made sure his sheath wasn't muddy before sliding the sword into it, laid it aside, then hopped up. "Be right back." He grinned and went into the supply shed again. Taking off his muddy gambeson, he laid it over a part of railing. Thankfully, his regular clothes underneath hadn't gotten much mud on them. Finding an old, worn gambeson in the supply shed, he figured it'd be a bit hotter, but at least it was clean, aside from dust and sweat from previous people borrowing it. He shook it out before putting it on, then back out to don his armor again. "There. Better?" He smiled at Kaylin as he tightened the buckles on his bracer.

[Arnyn]

Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr

She raised an eyebrow when Trastion said he'd be right back. But once Kaylin realized what he was doing, she grinned. "Yes, better," she agreed, before gesturing at his now sheathed sword again. "Arnyn fights with a longsword mostly," she began, diving right in. "So your training with her was longsword on longsword." Kaylin drew her shortsword and hit the blade against her shield. "Today, something different."

Unlike Arnyn, Kaylin didn't ask about any prior experience or existing skill. She didn't bother with blunted practice weapons, either. She simply moved to the center of the practice area, and waited for Trastion.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor

"Right," Trastion nodded as she spoke about Arnyn using long sword, and his training with her. He nodded again as the hyandaner mentioned that today would be different. To be expected, since he was pretty sure Kaylin used a short sword. But what he wasn't expecting was to be using their actual weapons today. In training. His eyes widened slightly as Kaylin moved to the center of the sparring ring.

Getting over his surprise after a moment, he moved slowly toward her, feeling very glad for all the training so far with Arnyn. This wasn't a time to be playing at being inexperienced. "So.. big sis," He offered a slightly nervous grin, purposely reminding her of their pretend sibling-hood. "You aren't going to actually kill me, are you?"

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr

He looked nervous. A hint of a disquieting smile pulled at the corners of Kaylin's lips as she seemed to ignore his reference to the fact they liked each other and were becoming friends if they were not already. Alas, she denied him peace of mind or reassurance, as her reply came in a level tone - not something Trastion would be used to. Not from her.

"Not if Arnyn's been doing her job right."

Kaylin moved forward fast, her shield up and ready for defense, her shortsword positioned for the attack. When she came within range of Trastion's longsword, she slashed from her upper right to her lower left. It was, however, a faint.
If Tras were to parry or block her move with his sword, she would unceremoniously bash her shield against his longer blade, allowing her to step inside of his sword's reach... where he would find it much more difficult to maneuver his longer weapon. A problem that Kaylin, given her shorter blade, would not be facing.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor

"Not if Arnyn's been doing her job right."

The way Kaylin had smiled and replied, confirmed to Trastion that yes, they were definitely about to practice with actual weapons. Sharp weapons. He'd never done that before, not even back home with his brother and stepbrother. While he had been in some actual fights before, it wasn't the same as practicing against a friend. What if they messed up? Accidents could totally happen, and he wasn't so sure of his own control. But it seemed he had no control over this, so he merely nodded and tried to tell himself they'd be fine. And careful.

As Kaylin was moving swiftly toward him, Trastion hastily drew his sword, eyes widening slightly at the fact she wasn't even giving him a moment to prepare. Having no more time to think, he let his instinct take over as he dodged her attack, sliding toward his left to avoid her weapon, while swinging his sword up so as to catch her sword on the inner edge, attempting to knock it downward and away from Kaylin, to knock her weapon off in the same direction it had already been traveling, only more forcefully.

His move should then place him to the side and slightly behind her, and as he followed through with an attack of his own, he tried to move quickly before she would have a chance to stop him. With his sword now pointed partially away from Kaylin, he brought his arm downward to attack her shoulder or collar/neck area with the pommel of his sword, since she was a bit too close for him to maneuver the blade for a better attack. Plus, he still felt unsure about using the sharp blade against her.

[Pele Alarion]

Captain Pele Alarion
Sparring with Abrazimir and Trastion
@Rillewen , @Lantaelen

"Use your advantages, Trastion! If I were not fine, I'd call for a stop," Pele urged in agreement with Abrazimir's words, her blue eyes narrowed slightly in a challenge. It was difficult to keep her ground when beset by these two, and she hated feeling vulnerable; however, it was good to train in all sorts of situations not only ones where she felt absolutely in charge.

When the Recruit came at her with his axe, it seemed to Pele that the attack was too slow for a proper one, and as his weapon made contact with hers, she understood his intentions and just barely managed to slide her blade back to escape the trap. The Captain adjusted the grip on the hilt and the angle of the sword to bring it in a horizontal cutting motions towards where she had seen Abrazimir with the corner of her eye while attempting to get back to her feet at the same time.

She would have more chances when standing up since kneeling limited her ability to manoeuvre; however, her current movement of turning towards Abrazimir would leave her quite open to further attacks from Trastion. Yet, she took the chances, in case he would fail to use the presented opening quickly enough.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr

Her slash had been mid-movement, her right foot forward, when he hooked his sword and pulled her forward while bringing his own up and moving. Her momentum carried her sword further down, Trastion's pull caused her to take an extra step forward with her left foot in order to maintain her heavily planted balance.

He was off to her right, slightly behind her, she knew before she saw where he was. Even as she was leaning forward still, she looked over her shoulder and started pivoting toward him. The sight of the pommel coming down toward her neck had her cursing mentally. She had no time for words.

Kaylin raised her right shoulder and arm to protect her neck and head from the attack, from a taller opponent besides. Her pauldron would take the brunt of it, were the strike to land - unless he managed to redirect its course this late in the game.
Resigned to taking the hit, her arm and shortsword moved up along with her shoulder, and as she was unwilling to sacrifice the protection her shoulder armor would provide for her neck and face, her subsequent attack came vertically as her arm continued the movement and she finished the pivot, intending to barrel onward and forward now with her left foot taking a step forward as the vertical upward attack finished its course.

This was where she wanted to remain. At perfect range for her shortsword, but too close for Trastion to be able to use his longsword to its full potential.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor

Kaylin recovered much swifter than he expected, and while Trastion had thought for a second that his attack had caught her by surprise, he was the one actually caught off guard, when she actually managed to pivot swiftly around, seeming to be only slightly affected by his blocking move. The pommel of his sword, aimed to strike into her shoulder/collar area, actually grazed her pauldron and slid off so that the momentum carried his arm toward his left, away from Kaylin as she pivoted, and crossing over him. He caught a quick flash of her sword as it was slashing upward, aimed for his now-exposed right side.

In a hasty, desperate attempt to block her attack, he tried to twist back around and swing his blade up in an attempt to knock her oncoming blade aside, but wasn't quite nimble enough to manage it, and his foot didn't move far enough to prevent him from losing his balance. As a result, Trastion ended up falling to the sand. However, he did manage to avoid Kaylin's slash, due to falling. And, thankfully, did not hit his head. He'd really hate to get another concussion, after all.

Thinking fast, he raised his sword, from his new position on the ground, so that it pointed upward at her and would hopefully at least hinder her from immediately finishing him off, while he hastily tried to get up again. All the while, trying very hard to not let her get any closer, realizing that if she got close enough, he'd have a very difficult time defending himself. With that thought in mind, he kept his blade pointed toward her, giving a few jabs in her direction if she tried to make a move, as if fending off a vicious wolf. He realized now it had been a mistake to move closer to her, even though it had seemed at the time like it would be getting out of danger, to move behind her. Not so.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr

She grinned when he fell. And she allowed him to get up. Sure, they were using real weapons. Sure, she wasn't holding much back. But it was still training.

And - she thought she had made her point.

"Don't panic, Trastion," she said, still grinning, unable to resist taking a sudden step forward to see if he would jump. "Let's try that again." Stepping back a few paces, she assumed a balanced position, suitable for offense as well as defense. When Trastion had taken a stance of his own, Kaylin moved in again, focusing on using mostly her shortsword, aided by the shield for purely defensive moves.

The recruit played a smarter game, this time. He was trying to keep her at more of a distance, and even though she ignored a few small openings here and there, he was in truth doing well at keeping her at bay. Had he picked up on the fact that he shouldn't let her get too close? If he had, he was putting his training with Arnyn to good use.

Pleased, Kaylin decided to change her approach a little. Rather than focusing on using her sword as her main combat tool, she blocked one of his sword strikes with her shield - overhead. And she tried to rush into his guard by pushing the shield - and his longsword - upward, while she moved forward under it all. Shortsword at the ready. Their height difference was an additional advantage in such a move. With his longsword entangled, what would he do now to stop her shorter blade in time?

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor

Relieved that she was allowing him to get up without pressing the issue attack. He lowered his sword then, and stood up again. "Right," He began, then quickly raised his sword again when she made a move toward him again, as if she wasn't going to give him any warning before launching into another attack. Seeing that she was only teasing with the move, he relaxed again and rolled his eyes, but smiled slightly. "Haha."

He took a slow breath, nodding as the Hyandaner said not to panic. He was more ready this time, having his sword already drawn. When she came at him again, he did his best to keep her from getting as close, and found that he had a bit more success. Still, the thought that they had sharp weapons made him feel a bit nervous, and he was trying to be extra careful about both of their blades.

And just as he was starting to feel like he was doing alright, she suddenly made a move that he didn't expect, and found her shield slamming against his sword, both pushed upward. Thinking swiftly, he pivoted to his right to avoid her stab, with his sword arm still raised and sort of rolling off her shield with his movement. As soon as he was clear of her attack, he moved back to create more distance between them again, and immediately followed up with a low slash aimed for her legs.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr

"Good, Trastion!" she exclaimed as he moved sideways, evading her attack, after which he immediately created more distance between them again. He swiftly returned with an attack of his own - as he should!

Kaylin dropped her shield arm and bent her legs to catch his longsword, but instead of backing off right away, she pushed forward, keeping her shield against his blade as she quickly stepped in toward him, straightening as she did so and slashing almost horizontally from her right to her left. Toward Trastion's right side, which was now left fully open to attack.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor

Trastion couldn't help a little grin, when he heard her say 'good!'. But almost before he had a chance to enjoy it, she was moving into a new attack. He had no time to think of anything but repositioning his sword hastily into a block, bringing the hilt swiftly upward while the blade pointed downward, aimed to catch hers on the edge of his blade. Assuming he managed to do so, he would then attempt to push both blades away from him, and toward her, half-hoping the move might knock her off balance, though he somewhat doubted it would be that easy.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr

The block was deftly done in the sense that he found a way around her shield to do it, but he'd needed to be fast and he wasn't in the right position to put much force behind his attempted push.

Especially not, because... well. Kaylin barrelled forward, not stopping her momentum toward him. Instead of Trastion knocking her off balance, she was the one to push him into a backward fall. She slapped his sword away with her shield and put her boot down on it to trap it between the boot and the ground. Her eyes narrowed at him as she took a beat, before a quirky grin mastered her features. "Aaaaaaaand - dead. Well." She stepped back again, freeing his sword and dropping herself down to sit on the ground next to him. "Not bad for a recruit," she grinned at him. "But if I'm to call you my little brother, it's only right you don't embarrass yourself with a sword." Laughing, she gestured around the practicing area with her sword. "You could move more, though. You're not limited to a square foot or two, you know."

She shrugged. "When you have a long blade and your opponent has a short one and is worth their salt, they'll try to get close to you." She turned the point of her blade in his direction then. "Your job, is to prevent that from happening." She lightly tapped one of his boots. "Footwork, Tras. When I moved forward, you were supposed to move backward. Every - single - time. Hasn't Arnyn covered that with you, yet?" Raising an eyebrow, Kaylin waited for his response.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor

He was on his back before he quite knew what happened. Instinctively, he tried to lift his sword up, but found that Kaylin had her boot trapping it against the ground. He sighed. "Yeah, yeah." He agreed with her diagnosis, a bit disappointed that he had not done so well. He'd definitely be dead if it was a real fight. He was glad though, to hear her laughing after the comment about him not embarrasing himself with a sword. Just teasing. He was glad for that, and smiled as he found his way back onto his feet. The good mood was infectious.

"Yeah, of course she has. But.. it's easier said than done," he pointed out with a little shrug. "Especially with someone as fast as you are." he added. "I was trying to keep you away... Although I admit, I did get a bit.. frantic, near the end, if that's the right word." he frowned, trying to think if there was a better one, before giving up on that. "Like I couldn't think quick enough, I guess. And.. alright, yeah, I may have not thought about how much space we have, that I could have used." He realized, looking around. Yeah, he hadn't really made full use of all the room in the sparring ring.

Glancing over to where he'd left his gear, he thought it might be time to get a drink from his canteen. The gambeson he was wearing was thicker and hotter than what he'd been wearing normally, and he didn't want to get too dehydrated. "Mind if we take a water break?"

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr

She grinned at him. "Complimenting my speed won't make me any slower on our next go," she poked at him. Then she shrugged, confident in her own skills. "But thanks anyway. Fast is kind of the point. Every good fighter who isn't bulky like Rome or Mourgan is fast, Tras. Or we wouldn't be very good. And since I, of course, possess a rare talent -" a wide grin "- I can see why your mentor chose me to teach you a thing or two." The feigned arrogance was obvious, and came off rather funny. "I think she's probably just as fast as I am, though." Kaylin sighed. "I should really ask to spar with her sometime," she mused, before jumping right back to her previous train of thought. "Maybe she is trying not to overwhelm you or something." Another grin as she looked at Trastion. "I, however, have no such qualms."

She waved her hand. "Yeah, yeah, go drink something." She lay down fully, ignoring the dust and dirt on the stamped earth of the practice area. "I'll think of a few more ways to knock you into the dirt for when you're ready to have your ass handed to you again."

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor

"Haha," Trastion mock-laughed, with a bit of real amusement mixed in, as Kaylin said she was going to think about new ways to knock him in the dirt. In fact, most of what she'd just said was pretty funny. "I think Hattie's got you beat, to be honest." He smirked as he went to grab his canteen and took a long, but slow drink. The water wasn't cold, but it wasn't hot, either. He paused, then took another drink before hanging the leather strap for the canteen over one of the fence posts surrounding the sparring ring, and moved back toward the center.

"That might be interesting to see," He mentioned, in reply to something she'd said a moment ago. "You and Arnyn sparring? If that happens, don't forget to invite me to watch." He grinned. He had no idea what he might expect from something like that, but somehow suspected the lieutenant would quite surprise Kaylin, and that would be rather amusing to witness. Then again, if Kaylin somehow managed to win, that too would be something he'd have to see with his own eyes to believe. "Ready when you are." He added, in case she hadn't realized.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr

Hattie! She smiled, closing her eyes while she was lying there, completely relaxed. "Give me some time," she promised, as if claiming she would soon knock Hattie off the leaderboard. One eye popped open at the sky when he said he wanted to watch if she ever sparred with Arnyn. "Well, I'm sure it would be a good show," she allowed. "Perhaps we might be persuaded to suffer your presence..." When he said he was ready, she propped herself up on her elbows to locate him in the center of the practice area. "If you can earn it," she grinned mischievously.

Kaylin pushed herself into a crouch. "Okay," she began, the tone of her voice still chummy as she lay down sword and shield before straightening. "You can hold you sword if you want, but I'd appreciate you not using it just now. I made a point of putting down my weapons to show you I'm not playing a trick and you needn't worry about a sharp blade at your throat. Now! All I want you to do, is move your feet and maintain your balance whenever I move in toward you." She raised her hands innocently. "No weapons for me." Shaking them comically, she shot him a wide grin as she took up position about a yard and a half away from him.

She moved her right foot forward and raised an eyebrow, as if chiding him already. When he slid his left foot backward, she nodded. "Yes, just like that." She went slow at first, as if teaching a child, until she sped up a bit and started incorporating more circular movement, as if she were trying to flank him. She proceeded to increase the speed, again and again - until Trastion would either mess up or call a halt to their little dance.

[Lantaelen]

@Pele Alarion @Rillewen

Abrazimir Dimaethor
Sparring with Trastion Leithor & Pele Alarion, Training Grounds

Abrazimir could scarce conceal the smile that spread on his lips, beholding Trastion in the middle of the fight trying to display some chivalry and virtue. The young Recruit had a good heart, that was certain. And Abrazimir thanked the stars that young man wouldn’t have to lose that part of him in foul, honourless combat with orcs like before. Still, this was a sparring match, and a brief hesitation as to offer an opponent a hand to help them up could spell the difference between triumph and defeat. The Recruit also needed to be a soldier and know when to be virtuous, and when not to be.

The Captain explained it though. She was a veteran, she knew when it was too much for herself or not enough. The two engaged in a duel and Abrazimir was making his flanking maneuver, a handful of heartbeats away from reeling his weapon and making a triumphant stroke against his opponent. But Pele turned just in time to meet his attack, choosing to fend him off rather than continue to meet Trastion’s assaults.

So Abrazimir met the challenge, launching a series of axe swings at Pele’s sword, hoping to keep her attention focused so much on himself that the young Recruit might make the masterstroke to conclude the match, even if it meant Abrazimir might overextend himself. He was taller than the Captain and used that to his advantage, once more trying to bowl her over with sheer strength and brutality behind his one-armed axe swings. Make your move, Recruit...

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor

Raising an eyebrow, Trastion smiled at the challenge presented. If he could earn it, huh? "And what if I don't?" He asked. "If I happen to show up, are you going to blindfold me and tie me up so I can't watch?" He asked, teasing back at her. "Or lock me in my dorm, so I can't come down to the training grounds that day?" He smirked playfully. He knew she was only teasing, and it was fun to return the teasing.

When Kaylin got up and set her sword and shield down, Trastion watched with slight puzzlement. What..? But soon after, she explained her intention. He tilted his head thoughtfully, and nodded. Interesting method, he thought, and reminded him a bit of some of his lessons years ago, back home. He laid his sword down next to hers, deciding to play it safe rather than sorry. "I do know a bit about moving around and all that, keeping away from the opponent," He wanted to let her know, as they began. "I just never sparred with anyone not using the same weapon as myself, so.. it was just.. I don't know. I didn't think properly, I guess." He explained, feeling a bit frustrated with himself for having forgotten important stuff like that. While he spoke, he was moving his own feet with every step she made. Without their weapons in hand, it was far easier to focus on footwork, and after a while he began to feel reminded of the dreary dancing lessons his mother had insisted on him having.

But it wasn't the same, either. Once he felt as if he'd gotten back in the hang of it somewhat, he imagined a sword in her hand, and it made it a lot easier to not think of it like dancing. As she began to move around to the right in an attempt to get around him, he circled quickly in the same direction that she was moving. Then switched his direction as fast as he could whenever he saw her switching feet, trying his best to keep up with her and not mess up. Whenever she moved in, he moved back, sometimes having to leap back if she moved very quickly, as if she were about to slash at him with an imaginary sword.

After a while he was breathing a little harder, and he could feel the sweat drenching into the gambeson. It almost felt like he was wearing a padded coat in the middle of summer, which did not help with the heat factor at all. After spending a few minutes constantly shifting forward and back, circling around at different speeds, his calves were feeling tired, and he couldn't help thinking about water. But he was determined not to give up too soon, and seem like a wimp. Trying to keep focused despite the sweat running into his eyes, he occasionally wiped away what he could, through the gap in the face of the helmet, but he could feel more running down the sides of his face, and around his neck, and forehead, where he couldn't reach because of the helmet.

[Rillewen]

@Pele Alarion @Lantaelen

Recruit Trastion Leithor
(Sparring with Pele and Abrazimir - some point before Midsummer)

With a small nod in answer to Pele's words, Trastion tried not to allow himself to feel too much guilt about attacking her. His attempt at hooking her sword with his ax failed, as she simply pulled away and avoided his ax. Now, what? He was running out of ideas on what to do with an ax. Slash? Hack? Chop? But how? He swiftly tried to consider the angles that were open to him, while Pele turned her slashes toward Abrazimir. Who, in turn, seemed intent on chopping the woman to pieces, Trastion thought with slight amazement.

Seeing that she'd turned her attention toward the knight, Trastion found that she was now open to whatever sort of attack he might like to try. Was that intentional? He wondered, but didn't stop to put too much thought into it. Swinging the ax in a backhanded stroke, he aimed for her side, then followed through with a chopping type of blow aimed toward the back of her knee, and if he was able to attempt a third strike, he would swing toward the shoulder or neck, all the while glad that they were using blunted weapons. Still, he was trying to be wary of causing any actual injuries, and if it looked as if she wasn't going to manage to block something in time, he'd try to stop short of making contact with the weapon. Because he knew, that could hurt and leave quite a bruise even if it wasn't sharp.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr

"Good!" she exclaimed. She, for one, was glad she generally refused a helmet. While much more dangerous in the field (as a matter of fact, she had suffered a lot of backlash for it back in the army), it did allow for better visuals and, most of all, less heat. Kaylin was also sweating, but she wasn't melting into a puddle like Trastion was. Pro's and cons, she always used to say to her fellow soldiers. To her ranking officers, she had nodded dutifully. It was often easier to nod and smile and then have your way in silence, rather than loudly refuse. The helmet had always been dragged along, but rarely put to actual use. And as a ranger, the helmet was no longer part of the standard equipment. The need for pretense had, thus, evaporated.

"Now - try to look less at my feet and more at my torso, and at my shoulders. If I am using a weapon, you won't be looking at my feet, Tras!" Unexpectedly, she took a swing at him with her fist as she moved one foot forward. Trying to make the point that there would be a tell as to which foot she would be putting forward, and how he could step back in response to her swing in accordance with her own footwork, without having to actually look at her boots.

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor

While he had not meant to be looking down at her feet, Trastion realized that his gaze had gravitated downward, watching which foot she'd have forward, which would tell him which direction she would be circling. He quickly brought his attention back up, just in time to see her swinging at him. Hastily, he ducked and pivoted to one side, moving a bit further away. "Trying to knock me out?" He laughed, imagining how awkward that would have been to explain.

Remembering to keep his gaze from dropping to her feet again, he tried to keep watching her to get a feel for when she might throw something else, whether a punch, or even a kick. He had no idea what to expect next from the redhead. She was certainly very unpredictable, he thought with amusement. He was starting to think he should take the helmet off, at least until they resumed using swords. The heat was making it intolerable, so he started trying to work on undoing the chin strap while he kept moving, trying to keep out of Kaylin's reach. At least the sun had hidden behind some clouds, but the air still felt humid, which didn't help the temperature all that much.

[Arnyn]

@Rillewen

Hyandaner Kaylin Maethyr

She laughed at his question. "I'm trying to teach you," she corrected him with a big smile. "If I happen to knock you out in the process, that's just a bonus." She laughed again. "A good story for some campfire during your first campaign, or something."

"Okay," she concluded finally. "You might want to stop messing with that chin strap, little brother." She stopped advancing on him and moved to the side to take a long swig of her own water. Then she picked up her sword and shield again, just as small drops of rain started falling from the sky. "Time to add some steel to the dance again. Also. Enough of me chasing you around. Now I want you to crowd me. By that, I mean: you attack me, you force me back. And keep me at a distance so I can't get too close for the reach of your longsword. Yeah?"

She tapped her shield with her shortsword. "Come on. Show me your offence!"

[Rillewen]

@Arnyn

Recruit Trastion Leithor

"Aw." Trastion dropped his hands away from the helmet, a bit disappointed not to have a brief reprieve from its heat. But he definitely didn't think it would be smart to go without it, as he really didn't want to get his head slashed open or something. But when he saw Kaylin going to get a drink, he happily copied her, grabbing his canteen from the post.

As drops of rain began to fall, he looked upward and let some of them fall on his face, trying to let the raindrops wash away the sweat. It wasn't much yet, but hopefully soon, it might be more. He looked back down at Kaylin, surprised to hear her next instructions. He was now to attack her? He put down his canteen after another quick drink, then went over and picked up his sword. "You aren't the least bit worried that I might accidentally cut you or something?" He asked, glancing at her a bit skeptically. "If you fail to block something, that's on you, big sis." He smirked a bit teasingly.

That said, he grinned and swung at her, trying to keep doing as she had said about keeping her at a distance, forcing her back, and not looking at her feet.