Closed Fist to fist (Zydrunas)

[Aldhran]

24th of winter As usual Aldhran had followed his patron bertrund to the training grounds. If they were on schedule today would be one of the day's that he would be focusing purely on unarmed combat again. He didn't know what berturnd was thinking. But he barely had picked up a shield and his axe. He only had been drilling how to punch and kick both in and out armor and learned more about the order and how to ride a horse. Day in day out. Now aldheran knew he wasn't supposed to be disappointed about this. But he had thought he would be learning how to fight in full armor with his weapons. Not constantly being schooled and learning the non exiting stuff first. “Well today is your lucky day. I heard of a squire whose knight was still somewhere else. So I offered him some lessons in unarmed combat. I figured that you could use a sparring partner that was just as clueless as you are.” Aldhran took the comment in stride. Compaired to his patron he still was very clueless on how to fight in general. “Yeah I could use that.” He said with a large grin on his face. Finally no more getting his arse handed to him by his patron in spars. Finally no more endless drills in unarmed combat. Finally he had a chance to fight on an even level with somebody else. “You sure do, He should be here any moment.” His patron said simpely as they arrived at the same training ground Aldhran had his first trainings at. A rather large but simple mat tucked away in a corner somewhere. “You sure he can find us here? It's rather out of the way.” Aldhran spoke up. “Well if he doesn't then I know that I'll have to inform his patron to work on his sense of direction.” his patron just joked.

[Zydrunas]

Cold, that was Zydrunas felt. He was not sure if he had ever felt so cold before in his life, but this was beginning to borderline on being simply ridiculous. He was shuddering again within his dormitory room, blankets brought up around his shoulders and cocooning himself within the wools until at last he was comfortable. His clothing from home - it seemed - was growing more and more unsuitable by the passing tick. Light linens good for keeping cool, not staying warm. Blearily rubbing at his eyes, he forced the stiffening joints into movement and the blood to trickle around his body.

There was a begrudging to having to leave his bundle of warmth, but he pushed himself for now - he did not have a choice in the matter. Clawing out he wrapped the layers tightly around himself and marched on out into the cold, eyes facing forwards and his brow furrowing into a line - a sleepy determination pushing him forward into the winter. And it was in such an addled state that he dragged himself up and in the direction of the training grounds, a site that he no doubt would have appreciated more in should he be more awake.

With his pinched features he shuffled in, hugging his arms as he searched for the knight that had beckoned him; another 'Ser' who was distinctly loud of voice Zydrunas remembered. The name however escaped him for the moment, but his gaze did not escape that massive beard. He ogled at it, his chin burrowing down beneath his scarf as he blinked at it dumbfound. The Iyvess gave a step over, shuffling ever in before stopping a few feet away and peering intently from beneath his brow. Clearing his throat he spoke up, those foreign tones juddering from his throat.

"Hallo S-S-Sser?" He had to almost spit it out, his nostrils flaring above the scarf. His feet stamped against the floor, his toes wriggling within his boots, "Zyd-run-ass, reporting for... training?" The golden orbs gave a flicker back and forth, trying to gain a reading between the supposed patron and whoever the additional was - another squire? He shuffled his feet about, standing to attention in mimicry to what he had seen the knights do, "I heard you needed a punching bag that could flail blindly back, Sst-er?" Clearing his throat, he pushed down the urge to let his teeth chatter with several very vigorous nods, "Ready for it and whatever you may throw my way. I think."

[Aldhran]

Aldhran looked as a man all wrapped up in layer's of clothing and a thick scarf. Stuttering out his words of common. He wasn't sure if it was from the cold or because the man didn't speak common as his birth language, but either way he was understandable and that was more then enough for Aldhran. “Good to hear that Zydrunas!” His patron said with enthusiasm. “And don't worry about the flailing part at the end of this little spar both of you hobble away with some extra knowledge beaten into you.” Aldhran didn't even blink at the way his patron was joking around. His patron slapped Aldhran on the shoulder. “This is my squire, he probably is only slightly better off then you in that area. So don't worry to much.” Aldhran just offered a smile. “Nice meeting ya.” “Lets just start with the two of you just going at each other for a few chimes to see what exactly I need to focus on for a bit.” Aldhran took that as his time to step on the mat, kept his eye on Zydrunas as he mentally reviewed the things he had learned on how to punch and kick. He just hoped it was enough to not make a fool of himself. “Aren't you going to take the scarf off?” Aldhran asked. It was just begging to be grabbed during their flailing contest and he would end up choking him for a while by accident.

[Zydrunas]

Zydrunas gave a blink, wondering briefly where the man managed to summon up so much gusto in the cold weather, before inevitably once more falling upon the thick layer of beard. It wriggled with every word, the hairs quivering to that loud voice almost as if on command. He reasoned, after a long time staring at it with his chilled mind, that it must have been the source of his energy - or at the least an amplifier of it. The eyes rolled and looked over to the squire, a slowed blink before the Dhani rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. The lad had smiled, was that prompt that he should smile back or perhaps something else? He gave a smile, cheeks lifting above his scarf - before dipping back down behind that chilled expression, "And to you too."

Glancing past to the mat, he forced his stiffening legs into movement, pacing his way over to stand at the edge and peering sheepishly down upon it, "Beaten, wonderful. Do mind my left cheek, it be my only good feature." His attention shifted again, this time up to the thoughtful expression of the other squire, "You done it before then? Punching and kicking?" He paused for a moment, fingers lacing around the top of the scarf at the mention at it, "But if I take it off, my neck will get cold. Cold be thing I do not get on with. But..." he sighed, and unravelled it, the fingers folding it up neatly and placing it down at the mat edge, "I know the logic on removing it and halting a potential hazard." He pulled at the beads that were wrapped around his wrist then, thumbing at the cool stones before carefully placing them down on top of the fabric - safe and away from harm.

Standing straight he shook himself out, a vigorous shaking of limbs to warm them up and into life his steps turning more into stamps as he got the blood flowing. His gaze however had returned to the squire, even in the midst of gentle stretching and movement - be it acrobatics, training or otherwise, he knew the importance of performing a warm up to avoid strain upon the body, "Your name, I did not catch it. You have one, no?"

Rolling his shoulders back he continued his pacing, lips twitching as he counted them out. He gave a turn of the head to the left, followed back around to the right, before swinging his arms up and across. The muscles tensed, an ease out in the stretch as he tried to remember the limits of his body and found his mind failing, "How long have you been here? Doing? Training?" He gave a blink, smiled quickly and brought himself to a sway upon the spot - an attempt to keep the blood pumping and the chill at bay, "I have only re-scently gotten underway. But you... fit in here?"

[Aldhran]

The man he was going to spar against seemed to be a talker. More subdued then bertrund. You could hear him coming from a mile away if he was talking. But questions and words just continued to come out of his mouth. Statements that he was cold and questions mostly. “Ah, yes I do have one, my name is Aldhran.” He stepped on the mat himself. “I haven't been doing this for a full season yet. So I can't do more then flailing around myself.” He might be selling himself slightly short here. But he never actually fought with somebody before. So might just go with the worst case scenario. “Leave the rest of the chit chat till the break boy's. Syna isn't going to wait for you two.” His patron interjected with a big grin on his face as he pointed towards the sun hidden behind the clouds. “Ah yes.” Aldhran got his head back to what he was supposed to do. Fight. He didn't have the faintest clue on how to do anything defensive with unarmed combat. So he just went the things he knew. Punching and kicking. He quickly stepped closer towards zydrunas and did exactly as his teacher had drilled into him. Keep the wrist straight, thumb outside of the fist, knucles first and followed through. The punch itself went off without a hitch, but aldhran was standing slightly to far away for it to hit him, about the length of a fist away. So focused he had been on trying to get the punch right that he forgot to aim it right. So Aldhran just tried again as he took a step closer and again and again. He didn't bother much in the way of aiming and just went with quantity over quality. If he threw a hundred punches eventually one would have to it wouldn't it?

[Zydrunas]

Zydrunas was still swaying, fingers flexing and wriggling as he tried to ease the body out into motion and keep it from stiffening up once more in the cold. Feet stamped, the rock back and forth upon his toes as he steadied himself, his eyes facing forwards and attempting to keep up with the events. Least that was before the patron interjected their conversation and pushed them onwards into actual sparing. Something quickened within the Iyvess, his jaw setting into a line and the hands rising defensively.

There was a delayed jerk back when the first punch came at him, eyes widening down to the clenched fist. Barely a flicker of notice, he watched the more experienced step right in, dominating the opportunity when it came. It was retaliation that his hands swatted in front of him, splayed fingers swiping at the air as he took the leaning step back from what was coming at him. Another flurry, the skimming of the knuckles that inevitably struck true against him. His right shoulder went back, arms raising up higher and before his face as he tried to continue his stepping back - and found he was quickly running out of space. Retaliation was needed it seemed.

It was less of a punch and more of a thrust. One hand clapped over the other, his form twisting side on. Teeth gritted, and it was shoulder first that he went to press against him, knock him back and away with pure brunt force. Least that was his intention, make the other back off and away - give him that needed breathing space in which to act upon. From there he pulled back his right shoulder, fist with it as muscles coiled for a punch. He swung, full momentum behind him and sent him veering off to the side, feet staggering to maintain his balance. Of course, he was now left wide open in his stumbling, limbs flailing as he finally managed to regain himself. He pivoted sharply, hands snapping in and up once more defensively as he returned his gaze to what was before him. Fingers wriggled, expression ever changing as he looked for an opening - and found none. He grimaced, and so coiling his fist into a ball he swung blindly once more.

[Sayana]

Aldhran Comments : If you come back, PM me and I’ll happily award you grades. Zydrunas Skills: Skill EXP Endurance +3 Observation +3 Rhetoric +1 Socialization +1 Acrobatics +2 Tactics +1 Unarmed Combat +1 Lores: Location: Antinous Training Grounds Stretching to warm up limbs from the cold Aldhran: Squire Unarmed combat: Protecting one's face Unarmed combat: Basic punch Shield Points: Shield Points Earned Reason +1 Training Total: +1 Shield Point Comments : Too bad this thread didn’t get very far, but I still awarded what I could. At one point Zydrunas’s use of precise and articulate words jarred me out of the scene (since he only speaks basic common) but I think you were still getting used to Zyd’s speech and mannerisms and I haven’t noticed it in other threads. Just thought I’d point it out since you mentioned you were looking for feedback. Don't forget to edit/delete your grade request in the grade request thread. However, make sure to keep the link so that the DS can review graded threads with ease. If you have any questions or concerns about your grade please feel free to send me a message (like really, I’m all ears if you feel like I missed something). Enjoy.