Gotta fight gotta strike...

[shorterinperson]

WHO: Alanna and anyone who wants to learn to fight
WHAT: Training
WHERE: The Training Field
WHEN: ALL THE TIME :|
WARNING(S): None

Sir Alanna's routine is stringent. She wakes before dawn to stretch for about an hour. Then she eats. Then she heads to the stable to feed and clean her horse. After that, she heads to the training field, where she stores duplicates of her favorite weapons as well as spares for anyone who might want to use them.

She starts with the sword, running through one-person 'sets', demonstrating for anyone who might be there so early in the day. Then she practices with her axe, then the knives, then finally the bow and arrow. By lunch time she's covered in sweat, but she doesn't bother to shower after her meal. She heads straight back to the field so begin proper lessons, whatever is called for that day.

This is her routine, every day, unless something horrible happens to set things awry. If the sun is shining, Alanna is training or caring for her horse.

Comments

[greatsquirrelhunter]

The sight of Alanna trading her sword for a knife like his made sit forward, fingers curling around the hilt of his knife.

Oh! He could do that!

With a grin, he bounded to his feet, wanting to try too.

[shorterinperson]

She pretended not to notice him for the most part, but couldn't suppress a small smile. She made sure to move a bit slower and make her movements clearer, so that he could copy them.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan drifted closer, being careful to follow Hawk's lessons and stay out of range of her knife. After a moment, he changed the way he was holding the knife, small body drawing itself down to be a smaller target.

[shorterinperson]

She watched him from the corner of her eye, noting the way he stood and how he held his knife. He had some experience, that much was clear. But everyone could use practice and discipline.

She moved into a second set, this one more focused on swiping and then defending.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan paused, watching her for a long moment before copying her actions. He was fast and sure on his feet, leaping back with his defensive moves while keeping securely on his feet.

[shorterinperson]

Seeing his speed, Alanna slowed down even more. It was important that he not miss anything because he was overeager. It could mean the difference between life and death in a fight against a more skilled opponent. Power could come later; discipline was first.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

While by no means an observant boy, Faolan was quite attuned to body language. He got the hint and slowed down, taking the time to place his feet and hold his arms very deliberately in the way that Alanna did.

[shorterinperson]

When he had the motions down, she broke from her stance to help him, moving his foot here, adjusting his arm there.

"You should practice at home, too," she commented, hoping it wasn't presumptuous of her.

"Until you can do this in your sleep."

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan looked at her in confusion. "Lying down when asleep," he answered.

[shorterinperson]

"Then you'll want to be prepared, now won't you?" she countered, not bothering to explain the figure of speech. He was probably paranoid enough anyway.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

"Yes," Faolan said with a decided nod. "Faolan protects."

[shorterinperson]

"The more you practice, the easier it will be." She positioned him properly and showed him the swiping move again.

"It's more important that you hit right than you hit hard. A well placed cut can kill an opponent. A poorly placed one does almost nothing."

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan listened hard and nodded. "Like grabbing rabbits wrong. Then they get away."

[shorterinperson]

"Exactly." She nodded, and showed him the motion once again.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan watched carefully and repeated it, looking up to Alanna for approval.

[shorterinperson]

She nodded her approval, once more adjusting his position and grip.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan beamed up at her, face lighting up with pleasure at approval. Making sure that his knife was safely away, he threw his arms around her in a giant hug.

[shorterinperson]

One moment she was smiling rather fondly down at the boy, and the next she was utterly stiff and in shock.

Shows of affection weren't something Alanna was used to.

When it became apparent that this was a real thing that was actually happening, she made herself relax and rested her arms on his shoulders.

Awkwardly.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

He beamed up at her, pleased for any response at all, and yipped happily.

[shorterinperson]

She sighed and grudgingly ruffled his hair. Kids. How was she supposed to deal with them?

"Would you like to try any other weapons?"

[greatsquirrelhunter]

"Faolan is small," he answered. "What can I use?"

[shorterinperson]

"Anything you can lift," she answered, but looked him up and down as she thought.

"A crossbow might suit you, until you're strong enough to string a longbow."

[greatsquirrelhunter]

"Hawk likes crossbows!" Faolan exclaimed happily, knife disappearing back into its sheath as he turned to the other weapons.

[shorterinperson]

She watched, arms crossed, amused. She could teach him to use any weapon he liked, really. It was just a matter of how long it took for him to build up the necessary muscles.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan thought about the things that Hawk had told him while making swords and teaching him to hunt. A knife and a bow and a crossbow could be used to hunt and to defend yourself, but a sword was only used to kill. Hawk didn't want Faolan to use one.

Instead, he turned to look at the bows and crossbows. He knew that the bows that were there we're way to big for him, and decided that he had to look for a child's bow later. For now, he picked up a crossbow, exploring the feeling of holding it.

The knife was good, because it was close to just having claws, but the crossbow was a definite weight in his arms, something that couldn't be anything but separate from him.