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[Marcus Gray-Dawn]

As Marcus walked through the tightly wound paths weaved between the various tents and Pavilions of the traveling city of Endrykas with the young woman in tow. He couldn't help but wonder how this strange turn of events would end. He would help this woman the best he could, but he wondered why this young woman was so set on increasing her ability with a sword. Many Drykas prefer weapons that could be used in hunting as well as combat. Not that Drykas didn't use swords as well, it was just not as common. Marcus knew that he would have to be patient with this girl since she claimed to have no prior training. Surprisingly Marcus had never trained anyone before, he was eager to face the new challenge. "Marcus Gray-Dawn son of the Diamond Clan, and don't worry. If you can raise a sword I can teach you to use it." They finally emerged from the city of tents and Marcus continued to walk until he was a decent distance from it. Once he had done so he turned to face the young woman and looked at her, decided how they should proceed. If she really lacked any training, then they would have to start at the most basic of training. Marcus didn't mind though, he would lead her down the warrior path. Even though she didn't hail from the warriors within the Diamond Clan, she still had a Drykas spirit. "This spot shall do. Now show me how you handle your blade."

[Mihiya Darkmane]

She felt relieved as he reassured her. His words gave her confidence that she could probably manage to learn something from the old man. She fingered the hilt of the sword, feeling a combination of anticipation and dread well up in her as she thought about actually wielding it. Someone offering to help her made her feel a surge of relief too. Marcus, for he had introduced himself and this made her happy. Knowing the name of an acquaintance was helpful, especially when trying to address someone. She took a deep breath as he told her to show him how she held a sword.

"Um..well...okay," she murmured as she unsheathed her sword and held it awkwardly in her right hand. The sword was heavy in her hand, she was unaccustomed to its weight and she wasn't quite sure if she could hold the sword which would make it impossible, no doubt for him to teach her. She hoisted it slightly, noting that the sword's point was drooping as she tried to move it. Oh this would be fun.

"I don't know much about...swords, but um, I really appreciate this. It's very hard to find a swordsman in Endrykas who is willing to teach. Most people prefer their bows and other weapons they can hunt with. A sword...a sword is not that, but useful nonetheless." The sword was beginning to make her shoulder swore and she was beginning to feel her anticipation replaced with dread.

[Marcus Gray-Dawn]

Marcus brought his hand to his face and shook his head before looking back at the girl. She could barely hold her weapon as she stood there clinging to it as the it dipped and swayed in front of her. He would clearly have his work cut out for him if this girl was to become a competent swordsman anytime soon. Marcus hid his frustration though, for he knew it was not the girl's fault for her lack of training. She was right afterall, swordsmen in Endrykas are far to none and even fewer are willing to teach a youngling. Marcus approached the girl and using the end off his pipe raised the tip of her sword up. "The secret to wielding any sword if balance, something you clearly lack. The sword feels heavy im sure, but you can counteract the weight with the balance of your body." Marcus then took the pipe and swatted at the inside of her thighs to get her to spread her feet to shoulder width apart, he then grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back to make her stand up strait. "There, im sure the weight is still pulling down on you but the strain has greatly decreased hasn't it?" He placed the pipe back into his lips and let out a white cloud of smoke as he glared at the young girl.

[Mihiya Darkmane]

She stood as he directed, keeping her legs farther apart and found that it was immediately easier to hold the sword, and kept it aloft rather well. She made a note in her mind, always stand properly for it seemed that a good stance was at the bottom of being a good sword fighter. She nodded at his question, finding that she didn't want to say to much lest she set him off and he refused to teach her any further.

"Okay," she said as she kept the sword aloft, "I think I have this. So whenever I fight, I have to make sure I stand like this and keep my balance right? Is there a way I can strengthen my body so that this sword doesn't feel quite as awkward?" She paused for a moment as she waited for the response. Her new mentor seemed eager to teach her and this gave her hope that she would soon be able to hold her own in a sword fight.

But she soon squashed those thoughts.

No doubt sword fighting was like everything, something that would require time and dedication as well as practice. Mihiya was stubbornly determined to know how to how to swordfight. Therefore, every bit of practice she had to put into it would be completely, and 100% worth it. This was something she needed to do, she decided. And she would do it.

Because she wasn't a quitter.

[Marcus Gray-Dawn]

Marcus was half way surprised the girl had managed to get down the basic stance as fast as she did, but he was also relieved that she was a fast learner. He let his eyes scan her body as he slowly walked around her. Every detail, every bead of sweat he noted as he evaluated he stance. She was a fast learner, but she had a long way to go still and she still could barely hold a sword. "Good, this is the basic stance used in most forms of sword combat, however unless you are training it is completely useless. He let his words sink in a moment before continuing to speak. "Don't fret though, this is perfect for you to adjust to the weight of your sword. To do this you will repeat the three basic attacks for a sword over and over until you can wield your blade with ease. It won't greatly increase your strength, but your body will make it's own adjustments as you train." Marcus took a few steps away from the girl and let a thick cloud of smoke envelop the immediate area. He threw back his cloak and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword before tightly grasping it and drawing it from it's sheath. A hissing sound was made and the finely sharpened metal was pulled into the daylight, and Marcus then held it to his side as he looked upon the girl. "Now watch closely as I demonstrate." Marcus took the sword and sliced directly up and down. He wielding the giant sword easily with one hand as he continued slicing left to right. HE then ended with forcefully stabbing the blade forward with so much intensity the grass below it moved. 'No copy as I did, and then repeat the motions."

[Mihiya Darkmane]

She made a mental note as he informed her of the three basic attacks used to increase her strength. Before he noted that he would demonstrate, she was desperately hoping that he would, because she had very little knowledge of what these basic attacks could be. She bit her lip as he told her not to fret, and waited. When he told her to watch closely, she kept her dark eyes pinned on him.

The movements were remarkably graceful, for killing tactics, she noted as she watched him. The old man moved with a fluid grace that could only have come from years of practice. She knew her own movements would be awkward, and no doubt would make her feel quite shameful in comparison. Still, she braced herself to do as he directed, keeping in mind the way the movements had looked as he performed them.

Awkwardly, and quite slowly, she began the upward movement, and then sliced down. Her wrist gave off a twinge of pain as she shifted to cut the blade from left to right, feeling her balance give and stumbling a bit to reclaim it. The sword the man wielded was so much larger than hers and it seemed he handled it quite a bit better as well. Then she tried to jab the sword into the dirt, finding that the ground did not yield as easily as she assumed and having her sword merely bury a bit of the point into the ground. When she finished, she was panting.

"I do these every day?" she asked, when she had reclaimed her breath, "And they will make me better?"

[Arundel]

Juniper automatically broke into an easy canter as she climbed to the crest of the grassy hill. Arundel's hips moved with her rocking motion, and she almost didn't need to hold onto the Yvas buckled to the mare's withers in front of her. Almost. At the top of the knoll, she shifted her weight back. "Whoa," she murmured, bracing herself on the handles of her tack as Juniper lurched to a quick stop. It was enough to make an unsuspecting rider flip right over a horse's shoulders, but she was so used to her mare's habits. She ran her fingers through the Seme's blonde mane, and nudged her flanks, urging her into the slow descent to the city ahead.

Arundel could relax now, after having to put forth some effort staying on the mare's back at a gallop a few chimes ago. Her fingers tapped an incessant beat on her thighs, something her eldest brother had come up with a few days ago on his flute. A bell of thorough exercise was enough for Juniper today, she'd worked up a good sweat, and after getting cooled down when they reached the Pavilion, she could be turned out with the rest of the horses. Arundel hooked her left leg up and over one of the handles of her Yvas, allowing her sit crooked like she enjoyed when their speed was nothing more than a brisk walk.

The mare, like most Cyphrus horses, was skilled at picking her way through the thick, uneven grasses, so it was a pretty smooth ride most of the time. A little absently, she chewed on her thumb nail, nibbling it down to the distal edge as the tents grew closer. Arundel frowned down at her fingers, noticing how they were all much the same. Chewed up and unfiled. She should probably work on them when she got back. It was mostly by chance that she even saw the man and woman standing out in the waving grasses near the city, wielding... weapons? A fight? Quickly and clumsily, she yanked her foot from atop Juniper's withers, grabbed the handles in front of her, and firmly nudged the mare's flanks.

She jumped forward, twisting around to follow her rider's shift in weight, and surging toward their destination at a brisk canter when Arundel leveled out, steering her straight toward the fighting pair with her leg cues. She leaned forward imperceptibly, compensating for the momentum so she didn't lost her balance. Once she was more or less comfortable with her seat, she reached down and released the knot holding one of her short spears to her Yvas. She almost dropped it, but managed to snatch it up before it was lost in the grass behind them. Arundel cantered Juniper in a wide arc around the two, then pulled her in close before she had her stop.

But within mere ticks, she realized this wasn't an out of hand situation. It seemed the rather unruly, older looking man, obvious Drykas, was instructing the younger, pretty dark haired girl. She looked at the spear clutched in the fingers of her right hand, then back at the two of them a few yards away. Well, this is awkward. "Everything alright?" Everything was alright, at least it seemed, but there was no harm asking. And it made her feel less silly. "I saw you over here, armed. I thought something was going on," she tried to explain, but trailed off. Now she felt silly all over again.

[Marcus Gray-Dawn]

"Yes, everyday all day. The only way to increase your strength and ability is through rigorous training." Marcus wondered how she would react to his statement. She obviously should have known that she would have to train everyday, what was the point in trying to advance in skill if you weren't willing to put in the time and effort. Marcus didn't react in an aggressive manner though, he simply told her the truth as plain as he could. He knew that being angry or mean to the girl would only make her nervous and hinder her training, so Marcus tried to restrain himself. "Every day you train is a day you improve. In a week you will be three times as strong as you are now." Of course that wasn't necessarily true. She could train everyday for a year, but unless she has the natural talent for it she will never improve. Marcus had been pre-occupied by his student when he heard a clamor come from behind him. Looking back he saw a beautiful woman that seemed to be having a good deal of trouble. When she yelled out at Marcus asking them if everything was ok a chuckle escaped his lips. "Yes stranger we are fine! Are you?"

[Mihiya Darkmane]

Mihiya nodded as Marcus explained she would have to work at her sword all the time. This came as no surprise, for if she did not work at it, how could she expect to get better? She was determined to get better in swordplay, however, and so she would work as he told her. Perhaps she would never master, but some skill was better than none, and Marcus was a good teacher. She felt a surge of confidence as he told her that if she trained every day and she did it for a long period of time she would get better. This was a relief, a huge one. Hopefully Marcus would teach her more things.

Mihiya's thoughts were interrupted by the woman who had galloped into their clearing. She was holding aloft a spear, and for a moment Mihiya imagined they were in some sort of danger. When she realized that the woman thought that she and Marcus were fighting, a smile broke out on her face. She examined the woman who appeared to be Drykas. The strange thing was that she rode a Seme mare and not a Strider. Perhaps she had no bonded? The woman seemed older than her and the idea that she had not yet bonded was strange, but it was known to happen. A darker thought settled in her mind, her Strider could have been killed as well. She had known it to happen.

"We are fine," she added as Marcus addressed the other woman. Perhaps she would like to join in? Maybe she would be willing to teach Mihiya too? Or maybe she would like to learn. Either way, Mihiya would welcome her if she desired to stay. She had been outcast by others often enough to know that it was quite painful to be rejected and she had no intention of doing so.

"Are there other exercises I should do?" Mihiya asked Marcus, her mind returning to the lesson, hoping it wouldn't be called off on account of the intrusion. She wanted to continue learning, and hoped that the older man would be willing to teach her.

[Arundel]

She paused a moment, looking between the two of them. Arundel adjusted her seat on Juniper's back before she started again. "Well, yes I'm alright. I hope I wasn't interrupting anything?" But it seemed she was interrupting something, though hopefully it wasn't too important. Must be a training session, she concluded, with the mention of some exercises. The two of them had swords, and it was obvious which was the most experienced. The older man held his with such an easy confidence, while the girl seemed far less so. Everyone had to start somewhere.

Arundel urged her mare a little closer, stopping her a few yards away. "You're practicing swordplay, I take it?" Hopefully not a false observation. She didn't need a reason to be even more embarrassed over her interruption. Arundel had never been a fan of using swords. She was fond of archery and throwing spears, preferring to keep a distance and being able to take out targets before the danger of proximity was an issue. Clean and short were the best sort of fights in her eyes. Not bloody, tiring, and drawn out. Plus they could just be so blasted cumbersome.