Timestamp: Summer 30, 515 AV Talya was within the courtyard just in front of the University. Or at least, she thought it was in front of the University, as she hadn't quite learned the names of all the buildings yet. In any case, she found herself situated on a large, rectangular stretch of grass, which several of the city's citizens seemed to frequent. As, she saw quite a number of people sitting around the area, some simply talking, others sunbathing, some snacking on things they had stored in their packs, and others yet, performing other mundane tasks. But such could not be said of Talya. For in this space, situated directly beneath the clear blue sky, with its light smattering of fluffy white clouds, behind which the sun poked out periodically, she saw only a large open space. A vast training ground for her to practice the use of her dagger, and even, perhaps her magic if she chose to sheath the blade and study the multitude of people that she now found to be all around her. But not now. For now, Talya would dance with her dagger. It had been awhile since she held it. Since she had had it within her hand. The wire hilt pressing lightly into her palm, while the blade glinted lightly within the sun's rays. The sheath, still strapped to her thigh, hidden, entirely out of view. She took a deep breath as she brought it forward, and turned it over a few times, marveling in how the metal had been laid just as much as she was allowing herself but a moment to reacquaint herself with its weight. Its balance, not only in blade, but between that and tang. That and the hilt. With another deep breath, in through her nose and out through her mouth, Talya finally pulled the blade back, returning her arm to her side. In another heart beat, she had assumed a basic, starting position. An initial, lightly defensive, lightly offensive, stance. Her right foot was positioned about a fourteen inches in front of the left. It was pointed to the north, the space directly ahead of her, while the left was pointed to the left side of her body, so that together, they formed a roughly ninety degree angle with one another. Her upper body was turned toward the left side, so that she only presented parts of her hip and the right side of her body to her invisible opponent. Her left hand, the one devoid of the dagger, had been tucked neatly behind her back, as one might find a fencer doing. Although this, she found, often felt awkward to her, and it would likely slip to her side in the midst of battle. Her right arm was cocked; bent at the elbow, and held so that her hand was about a foot in front of her and level with her upper breast. The dagger was held firmly, but not too tightly where her skin blanched between her enclosed fingers; her fist. The blade turned backward, so that it rested lightly against the skin of her arm, the point by her elbow. Tal took a final deep breath, preparing herself for the first of her practice strikes, before she slid her right foot forward, as she pulled her right arm out and to her side, before sweeping it back in so that the blade followed an inward arc, as though to slash across the chest, or throat. She then swept her right foot around in a half circle, twisting her body as she kept her arm out and let the blade twist with her. Follow her as she stepped forward with the right again, and then the left. Pulling the blade in, before thrusting it out in an awkward jab, which she knew wouldn't serve her well in battle. Talya sighed, as she breathed again, and pulled back. Retracting body and arm as the sun blazed on her skin; adding darker shadowed hues to what already was. Although, it lightened the jet of her hair in slight; caused it to shimmer as much as her skin would have in the middle of the night. |