Closed When Fists Fly (Ashka)

[Samuel Longwell]

46th Summer 517

Samuel had begun to find a rhythm with his day to day life among the Drykas. He would turn up at the Warstorm Pavillion and he would teach those that were sent to him in either bow or blade. Sometimes Drykas would come just to test his abilities, wanting to match themselves against a knight of Syliras. None but a Tavehk of The Watch had managed to overcome him in swordplay among the challengers, but the knight knew that the Champions completely outstripped him in terms of ability. So while they taught those skilled with a weapon, Samuel was left with those who were more inexperienced. Which often meant younger students. The tall man had had enough of adolescent Drykas thinking they could surpass him in a spar, ignoring his instruction in their drive to defeat him. Such rivalry could be useful in a lesson, but only if it was correctly channelled. So far Samuel had struggled to make progress with the more difficult students, the language barrier often making his job more complicated.

Today, however, was to be something different. Samuel had been told he would be teaching a young woman to fight without a weapon. The swordsman suspected it was a test, to see whether he could teach skills he was not so proficient at. He did not mind, it would be a good experience for him. Not to mention the fact that he could brush up on his own ability while doing so. The Knights did not explicitly teach squires much unarmed combat, focusing on more lethal forms of fighting. However Samuel had been disarmed too often to doubt the effectiveness of knowing how to fight barehanded, planning for the worst was an important part of battle.

In preparation for the lesson, Samuel decided he would warm up with a simple exercise with a sword. It would get his heart pumping, but also keep the boredom from keeping in while he waited for his student to arrive. Picking up a training blade he stepped over to a dummy. But he paused, realising it might be better to practice the very thing he was about to teach instead. So he placed the longsword down and stepped up once more to the training dummy. Samuel raised his fists, then swung his right arm in a wide arc.

His leather gauntlet struck the hard wood of the dummy with a thump, eliciting a grunt of pain from the large man. He swung again, a low blow with his left hand. He winced as his wrist bent slightly in the wrong direction as his hand made contact. Stepping back, Samuel shook his left hand with a grimace. Not a good start, he thought. Next he kicked, lashing out wildly with his right foot. He made glancing contact, just managing to regain his balance before he fell. Stepping forward once more, he drove his fist into the wood. For the next few chimes the large man focused on striking the dummy with consistent force. The stationary target made his job easier, but his lack of experience meant that some of his blows were ineffective at best. But he kept on working at it, wanting to be as ready as he possibly could for the lesson ahead.

Many thanks to Prophet for the box code.

[Ashka Windrunner]

As Ashka rode her way to the Warstorm Pavilion, a nervous apprehension increasingly grew in her stomach. The previous day, she had asked Cre'ran for fighting lessons – a skill she had promised herself to learn long ago – but the arrangement the man had made had left her feeling a little uncertain. She was to be taught by a non-Drykas, a foreigner arrived in Endrykas at the start of this season. Of course, like Cre'ran had explained, he was not just any stranger; the man was part of an group called the Syliran Knights, and the mention of this name had been enough for the Champions to trust him with the teaching of young Drykas. Ashka didn't know much about the Knights, she had merely heard the name mentionned a few times before, when the Drykas people came to trade with Syliras; but she recalled quite vividly the last time she had been training with a walahk. He had been harsh on her, or at the very least more aggressive than she had ever seen for someone teaching a novice.

And so as the pair arrived at the Pavilion at a slow trot, the redhead kept wondering if she had made a clever choice by accepting to spar with another foreigner, although after all she believed Cre'ran was no incompetent fool and hoped she could trust his judgement. Leaning back on her stallion, the girl brought her mount to a stop. She lifted a leg over his shoulders, in front of her, and slided down along his flank.
"Back soon," she whispered to the Strider while stroking the soft skin around his nose. The stallion neighed what seemed to be a goodbye, and both parted, one towards the greenest patch of grass available, the other towards a training session she had begun to worry about.

Ashka approached the Champion of all Champions and, with a formal greeting, enquired about her lesson.
"Where is my teacher, Cre'ran ?"
The Diamond Clan warrior eyed her briefly from head to toe, examining her appearance and equipment. She didn't own anything too fancy, nor would have wore it for a combat training, so her garments were simple and practical. After a tick, it seemed her simple linen trousers and ramie shirt were decent enough to allow her on the training grounds.
"By the training dummies" he answered with a nod in their directions, before turning back to his own business. The girl thanked him and made her way to the area she had been indicated. Once there, spotting her future instructor was easy : he stood out clearly against the crowd.

Head shaved and beard kept long, his looks clearly spoke of a non-Drykas. His tall height and large build also said much about the Knighthood, and the life of training they were devoted to. Ashka wondered what could have pushed a Knight away from his land. The call of adventure ? A spiritual quest ? Or a darker secret he was running from ? Hopefully she would get the chance to ask about his homeland and the place they called Syliras, but first and foremost, the lesson.

Ashka walked up to the tall man, who was practicing his punches against a practice dummy. This looks painful, she thought as he drove his knuckles against the hard wood. But it was too late to turn back now. Clearing out her throat to make her presence notice, the girl introduced herself in a hesitant and Pavi-tinged common.

"Hello... I am Ashka. You are teacher ? We... Train, today ?"

[Samuel Longwell]

Samuel turned at the greeting, raising his hand in response and responding in Common. “Aye, that's me. I'm Samuel, nice to meet you lass.” He smiled generously as he spoke, hoping to set her at ease. Seeing the windmarks curling up her arms, and noting the accent that coloured her words he switched to her native tongue. “Yes, I am teacher.” he said, signing agreement. “We speak Pavi? I need to practise, good for teacher to speak good words in person's own language yes?”

He turned away from the young woman, moving over to where the practice armour was stored. He beckoned her to follow him, then started to pull out various pieces of leather armour. He himself was in his own armour, leather purposefully crafted to help him blend in within wooded areas. It was less useful on the plains of Endrykas, but was still good quality armour. The same could not be said for the armour he was pulling out for Ashka. It was well-worn, with some pieces in slight need of repair. Some items also gave off a strange smell, hopefully it was just sweat but Samuel wasn't entirely sure.

“You should wear this.” he said, turning back to the young woman and signing importance. “I know it's not that nice but it protect you from some hurt while fighting. This good, yes?” As he started to help her put the armour on he paused, realising that he didn't know what her skill level was. He signed unsure, then asked her. “You have fought before? I know you not great, but have any teacher before me?”

He made sure to keep the emotion from his hands, but Samuel was a little apprehensive about the lesson. He had taught several squires in the arts of war, but always in disciplines he was far better versed in. Shield, sword, shortbow. They were where his talents lay. Would he mess up and make a fool of himself in front of the Drykas? He hoped not, but he would be careful during the lesson not to mess up.

Once Ashka was fully kitted out in her armour, Samuel led her to an area a little distance from the training dummies. He stood facing her, several paces between them. He smiled, then lifted his arms up into a guard and let his right foot slide back slightly to support his weight. He had naturally gravitated into a similar stance he would use while fighting with his sword and shield. Defensive, ready to protect himself.

“We start now.” Samuel said. “You try to punch me, I see how you do. I will say when to stop. Don't worry about hurting me, I take hits well.” His eyes glittered with his words, a small smile hinting at his lips. His eyebrows bunched together slightly as he realised he didn't know how to sign the concept he wanted to. “How to sign that it is all good to attack?” His hands moved to show his curiosity as he looked expectantly at the Drykas woman he was about to teach.

Many thanks to Prophet for the box code.

[Ashka Windrunner]

Samuel, as was his name, answered her greeting with an honest smile that made most of her apprehension disappear. In addition to this, he then switched into Pavi, which surprised the Drykas considerably; not many foreigners knew how to use their language, and this man could even speak with signs ! She replied with her most polite smile, feeling her former prejudices about him vanish. "Yes, it is great that you speak Pavi," she responded, a little relieved to keep her rusty common to herself. "I can help if you want practice," she added, her hands shaping learn, words, more.

She then followed her new teacher to the armoury chest from which he pulled out an old leather armour, used by novices for fight practice. The pieces were padded to protect the wearer from blows, although the protection had worn thin over too many uses. He explained the importance of it and she nodded her understanding. Putting on the armour was an odd sensation for the Drykas girl, who was used to light fabrics and wool. The leather, although of good quality, was stiff with age, and a suspicious smell rising from some pieces of it did not bring extra comfort. Still she complied, and with his help she was soon all dressed up in dark brown hide.

While she got ready, he had stopped and signed an uncertainty; he inquired about her fighting experience. Fought before ? Any other teacher ? Ashka shook her head and let out a chuckle. "Never. Only some fighting with my brothers, when we were small," she explained, signing for novice in the same time. "But I am ready to learn ! I will work hard !" she added quickly. The Drykas was eager to discover this new discipline, and she hoped her lack of experience wouldn't discourage Samuel to train her. He seemed a commited teacher, helping her to get ready and asking questions about her experience. She had seen people being taught the 'sink or swim' way, and was thankful for his thoughtful manners.

The pair walked to an open area near the training dummies and, to her surprise, Samuel moved into a fighting stance, hands held high and feet steady under him. Her eyes widened in perplexity – was she expected to fight, now ? And against a trained soldier ? But her teacher quickly clarified the situation. Try to punch me. He wanted to see what she was capable of.
"Well... I'm not sure of how to do it but... I'll try my best." The uncertainty in her voice came from a practically nonexistent knowledge of martial disciplines, however she would follow his instructions eargerly. "I'm almost certain I cannot hurt you," she added with a shy grin.

She shifted her body into a stance which, although poorly, mirrored that of her teacher. She turned her body slightly sideway, feet a little more than shoulder-length apart, and rose her hands made into fists. An other question came up, for a Pavi sign. She lowered her makeshift guard and considered it, then her hands made an attempt at shaping the new concept.
"Do you mean... ready ?"

oocLet me know if I should add the moment when she tries to punch

[Samuel Longwell]

When Ashka said she would help him practise his Pavi, Samuel signed his thanks respectfully. Once his grasp of the language improved he hoped that he would not stand out as much in the tent city. The fact that he didn't have a strider could not be helped, but perhaps on foot he would eventually be able to blend in once he could speak like a Drykas.

His student looked slightly worried when he raised his fists to her, but Samuel's instructions seemed to calm her down. She had listened attentively to all he said, which brought a smile to the grizzled warrior's face. Ashka was proving to be an eager student, which allowed him to put his knowledge across in a coherent manner. It brought out the best in him, meaning that the student could get the most out of the lesson. On the other hand, when he found himself stuck teaching those uninterested in what he had to say, he could easily get flustered and trip over his words. Or worse, lose his temper.

“Yes, that is good sign.” Samuel replied, copying Ashka's motions as best he could. He was glad that his grandparent's had insisted he learn the non-verbal elements of their native tongue as a young child. He had often complained that it was too difficult, that it was silly trying to speak with their hands and not their mouths. But they had persevered in teaching him, and it had already been a vital part of his interactions since arriving in Endrykas. It would have been significantly more difficult to learn from scratch as an adult.

One more the teacher gratefully shaped his thanks non-verbally, nodding his head in gratitude to the young woman. She seemed happy to help, even when he was meant to be teaching her. The irony of the moment was not lost on him, he had learnt more from her so far than he had taught her. Best get on with it then, the large man thought to himself. Shaking his head, he returned to his previous stance, taking a half step back to stabilise himself properly and raising his arms so that his forearms would protect the sides of his head. His fingers closed together, forming clenched fists.

“Best way to learn is to try.” Samuel said simply, “Come, it is time to begin. Hit me, I am ready.” His final words were accompanied by the new sign he had just been taught, shaping ready to his student. The corner of his mouth curled up slightly. He had learnt from her, now it was time to teach. He waited calmly, ready for her approach. He expected she would be cautious at first, it was likely that she was intimidated by the size difference between the two. But size wasn't the only factor in a fight, anyone who'd met a pycon knight could attest to that.

Many thanks to Prophet for the box code.

[Ashka Windrunner]

Samuel proved to be much more approachable than her last foreign teacher, and the Drykas woman was grateful for it. When he manifested his interest in learning more Pavi with her, the redhead rejoiced silently in thinking about a future opportunity to ask him about Syliras and the places he'd seen in the world. A travelling knight from the biggest city in the world would certainly have great stories to tell.

He mimicked her gesture without difficulty, and signed a thank you to the Drykas. Ashka's shy expression widened into an admirative smile; her teacher was better acquainted with Drykas culture than she expected, and she felt herself relax a little more.

Samuel then moved back into his fighting stance; time to get back to training. The instruction came again, simple and clear. He was ready and waiting for her to attack, or at the least make an attempt. Ashka observed his position as best as she could; he reminded her of her brother Caith, but in a more disciplined and controlled way. The memory of the twin always winning over her in brawls and children's fights rekindled her eagerness to learn; she longed to prove him she wasn't the vulnerable and defenseless child he believe her little sister was.

The woman nodded, signed a understanding, and shifted her feet apart again, body facing her opponent. Like him, she rose her arms to her head with her hands clenched into fragile, uncertain fists. She eyed him once more, briefly, from head to toe. The man was a giant, compared to her lean build. The Drykas' body was trained for the tasks of her daily life, riding, hunting, building a camp and the like, its muscles slender and long, but not big and bulky like those of a fighter. She knew she wouldn't deal him any damage.

At last, she gave a try. The redhead threw a fist forward, her right hand, the upper part of her body following into the motion. She aimed for the man's barrel-like chest, which came about as high as her face with the size difference. She held some of her energy back, not wanting to break her knuckles against his armour, but her momentum dragged her and she took a step forward. Despite the motion not being properly controlled, she hoped to reach the stomach of her teacher. As her arm extended and her body moved forward, the novice silently wondered if she really had chosen the best approach against an opponent double her size.

[Samuel Longwell]

The large warrior waited calmly as Ashka cautiously raised her fists. He willed her on silently, ready for her to strike. He could understand how his height could be intimidating, but the Drykas woman would need to overcome her unease if she was to learn from him. The strike finally came, her right hand flying forwards in a simple punch. Samuel made no move to stop it, wanting her to get a feel for how it felt to strike him. It would also help him gauge her physical capabilities. He exhaled sharply as her fist connected, air driven out of his lungs by the impact. Although she was shorter than he by a fair margin, Ashka had a wiry strength. But her blow had left her exposed so he stepped in and threw his own strike. His open palm shot out at her side, aiming to push her back rather than cause any damage. He then stepped back, signing his approval and nodding.

“A good start.” Samuel said. “Remember when you fight that other person want to attack also. You stopped defending, so I can hit more easily. After you punch, pull back arm ready to block.” The warrior demonstrated, throwing a mock punch then returning to his guard position. Then he did the same with his other arm, snapping out a quick jab then bringing it back to the side of his face. “But we have not talked about blocking yet, maybe we do that now.”

He stepped forwards, slowly moving his right fist towards her as if throwing a punch in slow-motion. With his left hand he guided her arm up. He placed her forearm against his punching arm, then guided it to the side so that his fist missed her face. He repeated the motion, this time taking her other arm and showing her how to deflect the his blow. Once Samuel had shown her the moves, he knew she would have to try them out. The best way to learn a new technique was to use it, and that was exactly what the warrior was going to have her do.

“This is good to practice.” Samuel said, “You watch my hits, not let me get you. I move slowly at first, but once you start to get better I will start moving faster. This good no?” His hands curled up, questioning. “We start now, you ready?”

Once Ashka gave her assent, Samuel began his attack. True to his word, his combination was slow and controlled. A small step forward, his right hand extending in a smooth motion towards her face. He stepped around her to the left, testing to see if she would turn to face him. Then a jab with his left hand, still at a speed he was confident that she could deflect. He continued with several more strikes, one after another. Even if any did get past Ashka's guard, they would not hurt. The large man was making sure not to put any real force behind his blows, at the moment he was still getting a read on her ability. Better to start slow and increase the pace once he knew she could handle it.

Many thanks to Prophet for the box code.

[Ashka Windrunner]

The Drykas' knuckles met the leather armour with a thud which surprised the girl, as she had not realise he would let her strike. The contact felt... Odd. Ashka wasn't used to throw punches (or attempt to) and have her target allow it so calmly; usually her brothers countered her blows with disarming efficiency. But she only had the time to be aware of this small success before being pushed back, her teacher having taken the opportunity of her lack of defences to send her to her previous position with a thrust of the hand.

Ashka stepped back, arms dropping to the side, and listened attentively to his explanation. She should have kept her guard up instead of focusing only on the attack. She signed her understanding to Samuel before watching him demonstrate his words: his fist was sent forward before returning to his previous stance, both arms guarding the sides of his face. Ashka nodded and memorised his posture, how the arms, curved at the elbows, protected the jaw and forehead. She lifted her own limbs and tried to find the right posture, mirroring his. The teacher then mentionned blocking, and she smiled a little. Keen to learn, her hands shaped as enthusiasm sparkled in her eyes.

He moved his fists into a mock-punch, slowly so the Drykas had time to proceed it coming, and she let him guide her hands into the position to adopt as to block an attack. It was similar to keeping the guard up, the main difference (again, Samuel directed her hands for the movement) being that she had to divert the blow aside by pushing the fist with her forearm.

After the instructions, came the practice. The words of her instructor put the Drykas woman at ease: his method of increasing the difficulty slowly, step by step, was very reassuring for the novice fighter. She had worried about the man before meeting him, but now knew that he was not like some of those arrogant, narcissistic trainers who cared less about their students than about the show they could make out of humiliating them.

"Understood, I watch and block, ready," she echoed to his query, her hands rising against to find their place around her head. Her whole body shifted into the approximative fighting stance she knew, and the girl braced herself for his attack.

The first one came slow and steady, as promised, and Ashka pushed it aside with her left forearm like he had shown her. Her gaze narrowed on his fists, focused. When he moved aside, she shifted as well, her feet at the back sliding upon the ground to twist her body towards him, and when the other blow came, she was in position to counter it. The Drykas felt her confidence grow a little, encouraged by her successful blocks. She kept her eyes fixed on him and kept circling around when he did, and in the next chimes managed to stop all of her blows but one, bringing her hands back to face-level after every time she countered. The spark in her eyes shone brighter with each block, and soon as the training carried on the Drykas was reacting much more swiftly to his blows, the excitement of the training growing on her.

[Samuel Longwell]

Ashka had listened well, so when Samuel's strikes started she moved as instructed. His fists were pushed aside, the Drykas' guard staying firm as he tested her. She slipped up only once, failing to bring herself back to her starting position before his next blow came. As the exercise continued, he could tell that her excitement was growing. She moved quickly, managing to block all of the remaining strikes. He lifted his hand for her to stop, and nodded approvingly.

“Now we will mixing it up slightly. I will move slightly faster, as you are handling this speed well. But be careful, I will not be letting you block easily. Maybe I punch low, maybe I pretend to punch. These things may distract or confuse, but stay calm and keep blocking.” His hands shaped his encouragement, then they were lifted back up into a guard position. Ashka had shown that she could handle blocking, now it was time to see if she could do so in a more varied task.

As soon as she was ready Samuel lunged forwards with a shout, seeking to unnerve her. He threw a punch, faster than any of his previous attempts. There was still not all his force behind it, seeking only to rap his knuckles against her leather armour. Hoping to keep her off balance, he pressed forwards, throwing two more careful jabs as he advanced. Then he stopped, letting her get her balance and return to the guard position before he started once more.

The large man threw his next punch more slowly than before, moving more at the speed of the first exercise. But as the Drykas blocked, he opened his clenched fist to try and grab her arm and pull her to the side. As he did so his other fist came forward to hopefully capitalise on the distraction. He hadn't warned her about any of the tactics he was trying, but that had been intentional. He knew well that in real life fights didn't follow strict rules, so a fighter needed to be ready to react to the unexpected. Samuel took a step back, take several deep breaths to fill his lungs.

“This is harder no?” he said, “But it is supposed to be.” His hands shaped reassurance as he continued, “A sure way to lose a fight is to only block. Either with fists or with blade. One person constant attacking means they are never in danger. So you must mix in attacks too, make them worry about their blocking too. Make sense?”

Many thanks to Prophet for the box code.

[Ashka Windrunner]

Ashka stopped the practice at Samuel's command and listened to the new instructions carefully. The tall man was now to change his techniques, to bring more variety into the fight. He explained the goal of the exercise simply and clearly, and Ash nodded and signed her understanding, though she knew this next exercise would prove more difficult than the previous one. Following his encouragement, the redhead smiled and drew her hands back into a guard around her face.
"I'm ready," she said, the enthusiasm in her voice now mixed with a hint of wariness. She expected the tall man to use some more subtle moves and punches quite soon, as he said he would not let her block easily.

The shout surely startled her. Ashka expected a diversion, a false punch, but Samuel charged at her with a loud cry and a swift fist that found its way to her armour without any opposition. Now obvious to both of them, the Drykas had not been ready for this. Samuel's knuckles hit the hard leather and Ashka gasped, from the surprise more than actual pain. Acting by reflex, she clenched her arms closer to herself and stepped back, driven off by his attack. But the man did not stop there; two hits followed the first one and Ashka could only take more steps backwards as she endured the blows. When he finally gave her space, she was panting and her heart raced from the confusion caused by the attack. It took the girl a couple of chimes to gain control of her breath again and bring her fists back into the guarding position.

Samuel's next attack came slow, and for a very brief moment Ashka believed he was offering her an easy opportunity after the beating she took. Of course she was mistaken. As soon as she raised her arms to block, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her aside, taking advantage of her lack of anticipation and delayed reaction. The girl lost her equilibrium under his force and stumbled forward with a gasp, dropping her guard as she stretched her arms to stop her momentum and find her balance. She realised a little late her error when a clenched fist came crashing against her ribs with controlled but certain strength. The Drykas let out a groan and took a step back, instinctively raising a hand to the place her ribcage had been hit. She asked Samuel for a pause, breathing time, and stood there with her shoulders hunched for a few ticks.

"I was not ready for that," she finally spoke, the corners of her lips stretching into a hint of a grin. Her hands shaped her surprise and she paid attention to her new teacher's following explanation. "Harder, yes" she nodded, need practice. "I understand. Does it mean I should try attacking now ?" Mix, defense and attack.