Fall 35, 512 AV Talya returned to the clearing the following day, to meet with the image for a training session once more. The skies were brighter then, not as dark as the day before, as the rain clouds had rolled out of the soft blue sea above them. Parting to reveal not only the sun, but several fluffy white clouds. The slowly dying grass was still damp however, from the rain fall, and began to seep through the suede of her boots as she walked through the clearing, awaiting the arrival of the image of her training companion. Luckily, Talya wasn't left to wait for long, as he arrived soon after, and squared off with her. At which point, Talya decided to try something she should have done perhaps, days before. She took a deep breath in through her nose, and out through her mouth, and allowed her eyes to fixate on the image's form. The paleness of his skin. The light of his eyes; the shape of his nose and its shadowed contours. The way his body filled out his clothes- his simple blue tunic, and trousers. His black suede boots, the cloak he wore over everything to help keep him warm now that the autumnal season had hit. Another breath, and she imagined that a misty vapor enshrouded him. Undulating wildly like a tumultuous sea. It was black in nature, and seemed to glitter softly. It smelled faintly of sweat, his aura, and it sounded like the clanking of metal, she pictured. This only seemed add to the mystery that enshrouded the image of her companion. For there was something about darkness that always withheld secrets. As her chest began to rise and fall more rapidly, and her eyes widened marginally, taking on more of a far off look, Talya considered what his imagined aura could mean. She supposed that the sweat indicated that the man worked hard, that, or he had exhausted himself getting to the clearing, and had already worked up a sweat. The sounds she imagined she heard emanating from the aura, which prickled against her eardrums were harder to figure out however. She thought perhaps, that it indicated his fighting nature- how he always tried so hard at everything. How determined the image had been to beat her in battle, for example. Or it could be something simpler, like the fact that the image knew how to use a weapon. A blade specifically, a dagger at least, although she supposed there could always be more that he was hiding from her. The second thought that came to mind, was that the "aura" was indicating that the image worked with weapons, not just played with them. She supposed he could have been a blacksmith, and the sounds she heard were of him hammering away at metal with his hammer on an anvil. But as she thought about the image again, she realized that this was unlikely, as he was never covered in soot or smoke, and his hands seemed as though they hadn't seen much in the way of hard work. Not to mention the fact that he didn't smell at all of a forge, simply because she hadn't wanted him to. Of course, the image could have cleaned up before he came to meet her every day, but she thought this unlikely, and that the smell would still cling to him. Talya shook her head lightly as she felt something bat her right, upper arm. Instantly, the "aura" fell; the imagined aura that had crept closer, with her scarcely noticing as she thought. "You ok?" the image asked, as Talya blinked a few times, as a wave of exhaustion washed over her, and her "magic" went to sleep. She nodded. "Sorry, got distracted," she muttered, as the image took a few steps back, and she smiled sheepishly as she retrieved her blade. Holding the hilt tightly in her right hand, before easing into a start position. Her feet about a foot apart, toes pointed ahead. Feet on the same line as one another, with none leading. Chest exposed to onslaught, eyes trained ahead. Both arms held at her side, with the dagger in the reverse grip position. "Ready now," she called, as the image watched her, before sinking into a similar position- the difference being that he held his own blade in a forward grip. "Ok," the image called, as Talya ran forward, and pulled her right arm out to the side, as though she were preparing to swipe it inward when she came within striking distance. Seeing this, the image twisted to block a bit ahead of time, but Talya tricked him. She threw her body on the floor, and skid across the grass on her knees, past him, swiping at his exposed leg as she did so. Her knees hurt from the experience, grew sore, as they absorbed a grass stain, and she sprang to her feet, as the image bat the back of her left shoulder with his weapon. (The full attack, the full brunt force), missing as she danced away from him and turned to face him. "Not bad," the image commented. "Thanks," she said, as the image ran at her. |