Training Day (Talen)

[Faylon Kwanda]

9th of Fall, 511AV [Near Denval in a field of tall grass the sun shown down on this early fall day. The weather was neither warm nor cool but somewhere in between at the moment as though the last lingering afterthought of Summer still remained. Fresh air cleansed the mind and kept the senses alert as a light breeze played across the grass causing it to flow in one direction and then back in the other whenever the wind let up even momentarily. Denval could be clearly seen from this vantage point off to one side of a pathway leading towards the Road. Workers travelled the route often and it wasn’t unheard of for it to get traffic at all times of the day, there were some small trees nearby too that could offer a bit of shade if it was required.] [Shirtless. Faylon was down on his stomach, left leg crossed back over his right, doing push ups in the grass. He was a firm believer in keeping his body fit and ready as though it were a tightly coiled spring ready to snap in any direction at a moment’s notice. Push ups could be done normally or in any manner of variables that included crossing one leg over the other as was being done now or even on an incline if you had something to rest your legs on. Pumping his arms up and down though Faylon would do three sets as he was now, fifteen repetitions each, he wanted to keep it light today but get a bit of blood pumping through his system before Talen arrived.] [Both men had arranged to train with one another today, a bit of a sparring match, Faylon had no illusions that Talen was likely a superior swordsman to him but the only way to get to at least a competent level was for him to train and he could do that easier with the best help available to him. As far as he knew Talen was a member of the town watch which meant he must have been skilled with the sword, and probably other weapons, it was a tradition in Denval for most youths to learn how to wield a weapon but as a member of the watch a bit more was almost certainly expected.] [Pumping himself up and down in quick succession Faylon would finally climb back onto his feet when he had completed the last of his push ups. Light on his feet he’d shake his hands, rolling his wrists, and roll his shoulders backwards to help his body limber up and then he started backing off towards where he’d left his tunic and sword.] [Reaching for his tunic first he’d thrown it on over his head and let it slide down to cover the rest of his body. Next he’d gather his sword which was still in its scabbard and, taking the sheath in his left hand, unsheathe it when the hilt was in his right palm. The Longsword wasn’t particularly spectacular but it felt good in his hand and he felt it moved with the motions of his arm easily enough when he made a few practice strokes with from the right to left and then back again in a slow reversal of the previous strokes. Nothing to complex.] [Nearby he’d also left a flask of water which he’d moved for once he’d completed the strokes with his sword a few times over. Burying the sword into the soil he’d bend down and take the flask, uncorking it, before drinking slowly and looking out across the land while waiting for Talen. He was alone in the field of grass until then.]

[Talen Stirling]

A figure appeared on the green background and quickly grew in size as Talen approached the place they had agreed to meet. Unlike Faylon, he wasn't shirtless, or lightly clad at all. No, he was approaching wearing his own leather armour, carrying another in his arms as well as a pair of wooden practice swords weight-fitted with stone. He had borrowed it all from the barracks of The Watch, to be returned in pristine condition later or he'd be in serious trouble with his superiors. One couldn't practice swordsmanship without being properly armed and dressed for it. Training with sharp weapons might give a more authentic feeling, but no wise person would do so. Mistakes happened, especially when fatigue and weariness made your reactions slower and your swings heavier. Talen smiled at Faylon as he approached, he'd been looking forward to having a training partner for a while. Even if he was not a match for him in swordplay it would still be better than practicing on his own. With all that had happened in the last season, the murders, the magic and all the chaos his wish to get stronger had grown as quickly as the pressure that he had been faced with. "I brought something for us to work with. What'd you wanna begin with, the sword or the fist?"

[Faylon Kwanda]

[As he drank from his Faylon would eventually recognize a figure growing in size as it approached from a distance, it was Talen, as he drew nearer Faylon would recognize the leather armor that he carried as well as the two wooden swords that he had with him. Good idea; Faylon didn’t think about it at the time but one wrong move with a real weapon could have serious repercussions for both men. He’d reach for the Longsword he’d buried in the ground and pull it free before moving back over to sheath it again once he’d taken it in his hand.] [He returned Talen’s smile as the man drew near and then, after listening to what he said, Faylon would have replied...”Good to you my friend. Yes, I see that.”...his eyes wandered over the leather armor and the wooden swords before he continued...”Let’s start with the sword.”...this was one area that Faylon needed to improve. He had no desire to become a professional swordsman but it would be nice to reach a level of competence that he could be on par with a soldier with. Talen would be perfect for giving him the bruises he’d surely obtain on the way.] [A lot had been happening in Denval lately so it paid to be ready. Moving towards Talen, Faylon would reach out to take one of the swords from him as well as the extra set of leather armor that he’d brought with him. When he had the items he’d set the sword down by himself and take the armor, loosening the bindings on the side as he did, before sliding it over his torso and lacing the binds once more. It would probably be a snug fit seeing as how Faylon was known to dress a little more freely but he’d wear it without any complaints.] [Looking towards Talen then he’d have said...”Any pointers for a beginner?”...while reaching down to pick up the wooden sword by the hilt with his right hand. Weighing the sword he’d roll his wrist several times to get a better feel for it then before making a practice stroke to the left and then back to his right.]

[Talen Stirling]

"Allright.. Fair enough." He handed Faylon the weapons, and waited in contemplative silence as he got dressed and ready. He'd spent a while yesterday considering how to teach Faylon something, and figured that he'd simply try to do it the same way he'd been taught. First the basics, how to stand, move and what the basics of combat where. Practice the moves slowly, then trying to actually use them in a fight after knowing how to do it. He knew alot about swordsmanship, but passing on that knowledge was hard. Especially because so much of it was more simply doing it than knowing how and why. There came a point where it was just becoming habit and memory instead of active knowledge. This would probably do him some good as well. "Yeah, firstoff we'd best get a recap of the basics though. Pick up your own longsword." Talen put down the second wooden sword in his arms and drew his longsword carefully. The steel shone brightly as always, except for the relatively numerous places where the surface of the blade was notched from fighting. "So yeah. The first thing we'll do is work on the basic stances and strokes. Even if you already know them, I start every morning by working my way through these." He looked over at Faylon with a grin, then back to the blade. "Follow me." He'd have this command told to him by his trainers, and to be the one speaking it felt strange. Never having taught anyone he was really doing his best to do what he remembered. He took up a basic stance, holding the sword in two hands around his midsection pointing upwards. Spreading his legs in a steady stance, he would check to see if Faylon followed correctly. Assuming he did, Talen continued his introduction. "There are three things we need to learn as a swordsman." He halted a half second, remembering how he had been introduced to the basics by example and by being made to do each thing on his own under his father's watchful eyes. He'd been ordered to count the three on his at the time chubby little fingers, that after a few months of practice had callouses on them. "Attacks." Talen raised the blade and did a X-shaped slash into midair, one that would have cut deep into an opponents shoulder. "Guards." With that word he leant forward, raised the blade and forcibly met an imaginary attack from the same angles that he had made one. The movements were brief, and the distance from his original poise short. "And Footwork!" With that, he sidestepped away from Faylon and slashed upwards to the side, his feet moving short individual distances to keep his balance. "If you master all three, you'll win." He grinned, and paused for a moment before continuing his introduction. He loved his work, and even though he was no professional teacher and could mostly do so by example he was doing his best.

[Faylon Kwanda]

[According to a lot of men more skilled then either of them the basics were the best place to start when teaching or at least that was what Faylon had heard so Talen probably had the right idea. After he had the armour secured correctly he’d listen as Talen told him that they’d be recapping the basics and with a nod Faylon would put down the practice wooden sword as directed and take his own longsword again. Unsheathing his sword with his right hand Faylon would notice the distinct but subtle differences between his blade and the one that was Talen’s for instance his steel might have shone similar to that which Talen was holding now but it didn’t come with all the notches that the man teaching had on his sword. An obvious sign of the difference in both their experiences.] [Nodding his head though Faylon would say...”Basic stances and strokes. Got it.”...it made perfect sense to do what Talen was saying and as the man told Faylon to follow him he would nod once again and observe how Talen moved. He waited, briefly, as Talen began to assume the ready stance and when Faylon saw how naturally he did it he tried to mimic that. It came off a little more rigid then when Talen did it though. Even so Faylon took the ready stance with his Longsword held in both hands, right over the left for him, over the midsection with point aiming upwards. His feet were planted and about shoulder width apart and set firmly into the ground and his shoulders were straight as he strove to mirror Talen himself.] [He was interested. Three things that you need to learn to become a swordsman? That made it sound simple but Faylon knew that it couldn’t be so. Mastering the three things that Talen was about to tell him could likely take a lifetime or more.] [When Talen said Attacks and then showed Faylon what he meant the man would do likewise. He raised his Longsword so that it was level with his chest instead of his midsection and made two slashes that would have formed an X in the air. One right to left and the other left to right. The attack would have cleaved into an enemies shoulder just as Talen’s would have.] [Next came Defence; Faylon raised his Longsword to catch the same imaginary attacks he had been shown. Angling the Longsword slightly to one side and then the other depending on which attack he was blocking so that he could catch it on the slant of the sword. His movements brief like Talen’s.] [When it came to the final point that a swordsman must master, footwork, Faylon would find he’d planted his feet a bit to stiffly and when he moved to sidestep his actions came a bit more jerky but he still completed them and was able to make an upwards slash of his own just as Talen had. Granted his movements probably didn’t seem quite as natural as Talens.] [Noticing Talen grinning when he told Faylon that if he could master all three he would win Faylon would smile and reply...”Makes perfect sense to me.”...then he would go quiet but not for long as several questions came to mind as well which he’d ask. “Do the three points stay the same for all swords? What I mean is do the attacks and defences change depending on what type of sword you use?”...he didn’t know if his questions were coming off as completely correct so he tried to think of an example before continuing...”We’re using the Longsword. I guess slashing would be its greatest strength when we attack but if our sword was different, say a Short Sword, would our attack be different as well?”...it seemed as good a question as any to ask seeing as how Faylon himself had only ever learned the basics of the Longsword and nothing else.] [Talen might not have been a professional teacher but Faylon would be listening to him, observing him, like he was one. He could tell how much pride Talen had in his work which made him even more eager to learn from the man. Faylon reset his Longsword to the starting position at his midsection with tip aimed upwards and waited for his next instructions.]

[Talen Stirling]

Talen spent a moment considering how he would go about this. One by one wouldn't give the full impression of how to fight, but perhaps if he explained and showed how to combine what he would teach in the end Faylon would remember and find it useful. Yeah, that seemed logical. As did Faylon's questions, which were answered after a moment of hesitation. "The basic concept stay the same. The way you perform and the execution of it differs widely." It was always the same with those three goals of effort. The way they worked could just be extremely different from weapon to weapon. A man with a spear still had Attacks, Guards, and footwork. Just of a different kind is all. Faylon's second question was met with a second of silence as Talen raised his blade in that same standard position as in the beginning and answered slowly as he moved to highlight what he was talking about. "You are correct. Cutting is better with longswords than stabbing." He made a fast diagonal cut by moving his elbow, and resumed position. "The reason for this is balance and footwork. When you stab, you extend your own and the sword's balance point much too far. It is easy to hit it out of the way, and even if you strike a glancing blow that ends up next to your opponents means that you have no way to draw back and defend." He showed what he meant by making a stab into mid-air, pretending the blade was struck off to the side. It was clear that if an opponent had been in front of him he would be completely open. Talen resumed a stable stance and elaborated. "Shortswords are different. They're shorter, and the weight and balance closer to yourself. Therefore you can stab with them, it doesn't expose you as much... At rare times you may stab with a longsword, if your enemy is very close to you, for example." He gave an example by making a stab with his arm behind him, thrusting the tip of the blade into the air close to him. "But let's start out with attacks now. There are three forms of attacks with the edge. Shoulder and arm. Elbow and lower arm. And finally wrist cuts." After naming each of the three, he gave an example of the various attacks. Shoulder cuts were those with the most force, using the full length of your arm to move the blade. Elbow cuts originated from the elbow and the lower arm. The wrist cut was made by simply moving his wrist to move the blade. "Cuts from the shoulder are the strongest, but also the slowest. Cuts from the wrist are the fastest, but also the weakest. Elbow cuts are a middle ground. Which type of attack you wish to use depends on the strength and ability of your opponent." He stopped himself, before he started to elaborate on how hard counters soft, and more technical things. For now, all that mattered were the basics. Even though this was all dead serious, he was enjoying himself. "There are eight basic cuts." He paused, and took up the base position that he worked from. "If you imagine an X placed upon a cross, each end of those lines represent an angle of attack." He stepped forth, and cut eight lines as precisely as he could, using only elbow cuts. To each their own favourite, and it was the most reliable to teach someone new. "Try it out. Cut as forcefully yet controlled as you can, and remember to keep your balance steady." He stepped away to watch Faylon, and think about how he'd continue the teaching. So far it was very basic and simple, making all of what he knew work together was the real challenge.

[Faylon Kwanda]

[Everything made very clear sense when Talen explained it. He might not realize it himself but the practical approach he took to teaching the blade was something that Faylon appreciated as indicated by a constant nod of his head while Talen continued to explain things to him. Nodding as he did Faylon also never took his eyes off Talen as he didn’t want to miss anything and was worried that to look away for even a moment might have shorted himself the full extent of what the man was trying to exhibit to him when he answered his questions.] [When Talen told Faylon that when you stabbed with the Longsword it became too easy to deflect the attack he seemed to understand perfectly and would be heard remarking...”Yes, I see what you mean Talen. That does make sense and seeing the length of the sword you put yourself at real risk of overextending and off balancing yourself if you make even the smallest mistake.”...as he said that Faylon was also making a mental note not to attempt the tactic unless it was necessary. One thing he also made certain to commit to memory was how Talen pointedly said stabbing with the Longsword could work but only if your opponent was very close to you when you made such an attack. It made sense when he saw Talen executing the manoeuvre as an example too.] [Listening as Talen described the three attacks to him Faylon would turn his head so that he could look at his arm. Shoulder and arm. Elbow and lower arm. Wrist cuts. Judging by the weight of the Longsword in his hand Faylon was already starting to think that a wrist cut would be the weakest due to a lack of momentum though if he knew anything it was that one didn’t have to be powerful if you could land it enough time, or in the right places, to take an opponent down. Watching as Talen described the three forms of attacks then while demonstrating them as well Faylon would wait until he was finished for a chance to do likewise.] [Beginning with a Shoulder and Arm after Talen had indicated that he should try it out himself Faylon would raise his Longsword, still held right hand over the left, over his shoulder and swing it downwards from his right shoulder to his left his across his torso. It was the heaviest blow to be sure and Faylon saw what Talen had meant when he actually had to take a step, moving his right foot ahead of the left and placing his weight on it, to avoid unbalancing himself as the blow came down. “Shoulder and Arm.”...he said before continuing...”You’d probably use this on a slower opponent or a tired one. I can see how it is the most powerful; I think I could kill an unarmoured man with one blow if I struck him as such.”...then, finished, he would reset his stance and begin the next attack.] [Next was Elbow and lower arm. Faylon had actually let his hilt go with his left hand and now held it only with the right for this attack. He felt the added weight in his hand and on his wrist. Without bringing his Longsword to high though Faylon would chop it downwards relying mostly on the momentum of his elbow to aid the blow. He needed to step into the blow same as the last again but to a much lesser extent. When that was done he would lift his sword again, planting his weight on his right foot as he did so, and this time swing it from right to left at height with his midsection finding that if he planted himself first he could also recover much faster. “Elbow and lower arm.”...just as he had named the last before giving his opinion on it...”It seems a pretty decent and disabling blow. Not as fatiguing as when you swing your sword full bore every time. I like it.”...he nodded thinking that preformed correctly this might actually be the most effective technique.] [All that remained was the Wrist Cut. Though faster and less deadly this seemed to be something that was a bit more difficult to master however Faylon felt he had a decent grasp on the basics of what needed to be done. Taking the Longsword in both hands again Faylon would begin to make small attacks, rotating his wrists and arms as he did so to bring the Longsword to his right or left respectively, aimed to strike the side of the body, arm or leg rather than cut across it. His movements were a bit jerky but still faster than the rest even if Talen himself could complete all the same techniques much more easily and smoothly. When he finished this time though Faylon said nothing.] [Stepping backwards he would pivot on his foot so that he could come around to face Talen again before taking a breath and saying...”Eight basic cuts. Three basic attacks. That’s about twenty-four different combinations.”...a bit of mathematics there though he may have miscalculated...”Is it the same for defence Talen? Different combinations for blocking and deflecting I mean. I think now after trying everything as you specified that the wrist cut would actually be the most widely used attack in a man’s repertoire. Do you think that’s right?”...Faylon had questions and from seeing his skills thus far he believed that Talen had the answers. He waited to hear everything that the man would tell him and to see what the next lesson in swordplay would be.]

[Talen Stirling]

Talen touched his forehead with his off-hand, thinking to himself how he'd explain this properly... Faylon was getting the wrong idea, and he was afraid he'd end up leaving with a handicap rather than an advantage. "No.. You're getting it all wrong. These are not rules, and it is not math where you can count the way's to do it. There is not a definitive number of angles or ways to attack, although there are types. Same goes for defence. As for wrist cuts, it's hard to actually kill someone using them offensively. You have to be extremely precise and get alot of force to kill a man with it." It was for pantsies, he thought to himself but didn't voice it. That'd be bad teaching. Besides, one could hardly call Jarl a pantsy. He was a master, and that with a Rapier. "Defending is not the same. Basically, what you do in defence is prevent his attack, of course, and create an opening for your own." He took up the same position as before, and then started illustrating as he talked. "You meet your opponents blade, but the way you face it depends on what kind of a defence you're making. Hard, or soft." He took a breath and let the words echo, then continued. "A hard defence, block and counter means that you meet his blade with force. For example, if he attacks with a wrist cut from the top left it is easy to step into the blow and shove his blow out of the way, leaving an opening. Hard counters soft." He illustrated as he spoke, stepping forward to meet the blow with steady footing and after parrying making a vicious elbow-cut down into his imaginary opponent. "When you parry a blow hard, you step into it. That way you meet it while it's gathering speed and force, and you can hold it. A hard blow can also be met this way. It is generally the safest way to do it. Try it out."

OOCLooks like this could take a while. I've read up on it, and with the way I'm going about it, it looks like Faylon's gonna get time to learn alot!

[Faylon Kwanda]

[Faylon didn’t like to be wrong but in this case it was beneficial that he learn from his mistakes sooner rather than later. Despite his realization of this his face still soured somewhat when Talen let him know that he was getting the wrong idea. However it was easy to see that Faylon was making certain mistakes, there were no set in stone rules in a fight only winners and losers on any given day, so he remained tight lipped and listened to everything that his teacher was telling him. It was so like being bestowed with knowledge from someone with a vast amount of experience as compared to your own and Faylon was receptive to it.] [Nodding his head he would finally say...”I didn’t think it would be easy for a Wrist cut to kill a man but what you say makes sense. Precision being key when you do make one looking for the kill.”...it was something he’d keep in mind seeing as how Faylon knew how to be precise with his hands, especially in a fight, but now needed to learn how to be likewise with a sword. He shared the same silent opinion as Talen though. In his own mind the harder, more brutal, attacks were better than those that came using finesse.] [Watching as Talen took a stance once more and began to tell him how the way you countered your opponents blade was dependant on the defence you were making it made sense to him. He’d nod his head once more to indicate that he followed while listening to Talen as he furthered his explanations and illustrated how to counter a soft blow with a hard defence. When Faylon saw him act out what he meant it made much more sense to him as well and he seemed to gain a better understanding. With all of his examples Talen did help make it easy to learn though.] [Everything Talen said seemed to garner an understanding nod in return. Faylon would even state at one point...”That makes sense. When you box it’s better to block a harder blow by stepping into it a bit before it gains momentum sometimes but that’s subjective and doesn’t always work.”...it wasn’t the same of course seeing as how the human body had a lot more give than a sword but the concept was somewhat similar. Regardless Faylon made the connection in what Talen was saying and he seemed to have some understanding of how it was done. On that note he would take a stance when Talen directed him to do so, so that he could try out what he was learning.] [With feet shoulder width apart and his Longsword held at his midsection, tip angled slightly ahead, Faylon would step in to meet an imaginary blow similar to how Talen had done it. Using his Longsword he would lift it higher to parry the soft blow aside and then make an elbow cut down into what would be the torso of his imaginary target. He did this several times always resetting his footing so that he could start fresh after completing the exercise. When he’d completed five repetitions he’d stop and step backwards before looking at Talen again while repositioning his Longsword at height with his midsection.] [Considering what Talen had told him about how it was safest to parry a hard blow before it gained momentum Faylon devised a tactic in his mind...”When you parry hard against a hard blow would you say it would be effective to use a wrist cut to follow up. What I mean is if you parry an opponent’s sword to the side do you think it would be effective to use a wrist cut to follow before he can recover relying on the speed of the blow and then stepping back out of it?”...it wouldn’t work against an armoured opponent likely but Faylon thought it might be successful against an unarmoured one.] [Illustrating what he meant as well Faylon take a stance before stepping into an imaginary opponents blow just as he had previously. He raised his Longsword and parried hard with hard before it could gain power and then he replaced the elbow cut with a wrist cut. Making the quicker attack while he adjusted his weight and moved backwards into the ready stance again as the wrist cut completed either in attack meant to strike the inside of his opponents arm or against his torso. After he had done this he’d look to Talen again and say...”Something like that. Especially if you’re uncertain whether a heavier but slower attack will land. It’s better to land a light blow and move back unscathed than to miss a heavier one isn’t it?”...the answered seemed like a yes to Faylon but he wasn’t so sure. Talen would likely know and tell him though.]

[Talen Stirling]

Talen grunted without words as he thought about a decent answer to Faylon's questions. It was difficult, explaining things he just did to someone else as though they were rules and with reasons for doing it. "Yes.. It usually would. That is called a counter. And indeed it is safer to land a light blow and escape unscathed, but often you can simply kill or cripple him." Talen paused, and collected his plan for a moment. No, now was not the time to teach him counters. That relied on more than simply a guard and an attack. Soon enough they could try it out, but for now there were other things that he needed to at least know about. "Before we continue with how to counter, let's return to soft guards." He walked a single step away and turned to Faylon resuming the standard poise he had shown him. "Strike a blow at me, from your top right towards bottom left as hard as you can. I want to show you something." Perhaps it would be more clear to Faylon this way. It was hard to illustrate a physical action without the force within it. When Faylon struck down, Talen raised his blade with the tip pointed left and backwards, letting the vicious blow slide left onto and across it and shoving it away. Faylon would consequently shift his weight and body towards the left, and Talen knee'd him in the side so he fell to the ground winded, bruised and probably confused. "That, is a soft counter. Using your opponents force against him." A vicious grin appeared on his youthful face, he remembered all too well the last time Jarl had shown him how having a bigger sword and hitting hard didn't mean anything. The bruises tended to make remembering easier. When Faylon recovered, Talen stepped away and proceeded to show him what had happened by acting Faylon's own part, and then his own. He raised the blade and swung it down, pretending to be thrown off-balance and freezing in the awkward position. "See how dead I am now?" He stepped back into the base position, and enacted the part of the one doing the soft guard. "The trick is not blocking, but deflecting the blow and moving your own body out of the way. If you are the one making the hard blow, do not let yourself be guided and never lose your control or balance." He stepped back then, and made an inviting gesture with his free hand. "Let's do it again, where you play my part... Except for the knee. You'll have to wait with that 'till we practice some fistfighting. He grinned and made the huge blow in slowmotion against Faylon, letting him try it out himself. OOCSorry for godmodding. I felt it was neccesary in order to be able to write it out. If you feel that Faylon would have acted differently or that it would not have happened the way it did, feel free to write that and we can just disregard what I wrote in the following lines. =)