[The Great Harbor] Always A Bigger Fish (Edreina)

[Razkar]

15th Day of Summer
The Great Harbor
11th Bell

The red-haired woman was not going down easy, that much the savage did understand. She snarled and slashed with her fists and the edge of her hands; she kicked and butted when he got close; she even snapped at him with her teeth. Though her blows rarely registered more than slightly above "annoying" to his hardened skin, her assailant had to admit...

She's shaping up nicely.

Razkar swayed back and to his side, letting Edreina's right hook sail past his head-

-immediately jabbing out with his left, using the momentum of his dodging twist to augment its speed, hand outstretched and knuckles lined up-

-stopping just before her throat.

"Hit hard there." He rasped as he paused, tapping his knuckles gently against her Adams Apple. "If you get chance. Crush where air goes. Crush blood in throat. Hard enough, can kill. If not... enemy not be thinking about you too hard. Be thinking more on not choke to death-"

He'd barely got the last word out before she smacked his arm away with her left forearm, lashing out with her foot for his groin. The Myrian grinned as he slid away, blow to his balls grazing his thigh instead. He grunted at the stinging pain but nodded all the same.

"Getting better. Faster, too."

They'd been sparring back and forth for a few chimes now, just part of his payment to the Svefra maiden for his lodgings aboard her modest but fine little vessel. The Goldengrotto had been his home for a while now, and he was used to its sway and roll, gentle though it was, moored in the Harbor. Employment as a sellsword with... whomever it really was paying his coin, was certainly solid work, but said gold would not be coming his way until the end of the season. In the meantime, food and equipment all needed to be paid for.

Lodging, too.

"Remember, not get too used to one limb." He said as they circled each other, Svefra exploding out with a trio of punches aimed at his head. He blocked two and avoided the third, swaying away. "Punch and arm? Aim high. But when aim high-"

Edreina lashed out again and Razkar jerked back, blow making her overreach, throwing off her footing-

-as both his hands snapped up, snagging her around the wrist and pulling her forwards-

-onto his knee that speared upward and caught her in the stomach.

The female grunted in pain as the limb hit home, doubling her over. Razkar quelled the empathy that welled in him, the sight of her in pain making his soul wince. But he did not relent, and twisted to the side, still holding her wrist-

-half throwing her to the deck of her ship. He circled her again as she-

"Good!"

-rolled on the deck, haphazardly and painfully, but not just going into a painful, undiscplined bundle. No, the female handled it well. She rolled twice until she hit the railing at the edge of her vessel, then hauled herself back to her feet, facing him, arms up.

The Myrian nodded, paying no heed to the steady trickle of merchants, laborors, sailors and other denizens of Syliras that passed by on the pier. His attention was best served with his friend, even though he could see many faces and eyes turned their way, muttering to one another.

Doubtless wondering why the poor barbarian would let the savage beat her so. Probably should watch out for knights. They do so love to dote over maidens.

"Footwork getting better, too." He said with a smile. Ah, and wasn't he so different from the brutal, unyielding persona he showed his other students when he trained them for gold in the Pit or elsewhere. The very epitome of the Myrian warrior, teaching them for gold and leaving them with not just wisdom, but bruises and blood on their lips, too. "Definitely one of my better students."

Razakr grunted and slapped his bare chest, making the inkwork covering his pectorals dance and ripple briefly. He spread his arms in naked challenge, smiling at the panting Svefra.

"Come again! Not time like now, mistress!"

[Edreina]

“Hit hard there, if you get chance. Crush where air goes. Crush blood in throat. Hard enough, can kill. If not... enemy not be thinking about you too hard. Be thinking more on not to choke to death,”

Edreina had almost gotten to the point that she no longer shuddered at Razkar's blunt descriptions. Almost. After the lesson was delivered, she threw herself back into the spar as she had been taught, swiping his pulled strike away with the hard edge of her forearm. Her body curved to the side as she struck out with her foot, aiming for his family jewels in an attack that was meant to give her an opportunity to get back out of the Myrian's range. When her toes connected with his thigh, she had to fight a look of surprise, whipping her foot back before he could catch her ankle – again – and pull her down to her knee.

“Getting better. Faster, too.”

The redhead fought a blush of pride at her instructor's rare words of praise. The pupil was not truly getting faster – at least not in her own opinion – she was merely hesitating less. She no longer worried about hurting the iron-skinned warrior. It still took an instant or two for her mind to decide what attack to carry out, how best to block his attacks, but she did not slow her arm nor did she attempt to soften the measly blows that she did manage to land. He bruised her often enough, why should she pull her punches when she got the chance to return the favor?

”Remember not get too used to one limb.”

Blue eyes spotting the most minute opening, freckled fists burst forward as she layed out two quick jabs with her right arm, waiting for him to remove one of his barriers as he blocked the attack before swinging with her more powerful left arm, watching as he had to lean back in order to avoid it. Was worth a try, she thought with a small twitch of her lips. She smiled less the more that she sparred with Razkar, settling into a more focused form of herself. Blood-lust no longer clouded her vision each time he struck her and told her exactly what she had done wrong. Her mind no longer saw it as teasing but the brutal instructions that this Myrian offered. This was the best way to learn; embarrassment tended to bash away mistakes just as easily as pain. And Edreina had both to work with each time she made a mistake.

Her fourth attempt at striking the Myrian was no exception. He saw it coming and was able to dodge it in such a way that Edreina lost her balance as the explosive momentum continued to drag her slender form ahead. The fear that settled into her stomach as Razkar captured her wrist and yanked her forward was beaten into pain by a copper colored knee. Breath left her and she fought the urge to retch. With hands still on her wrist, Edreina was flung to the side, landing painfully upon her shoulder. Weeks ago, Edreina would have rested upon the ground for a few moments, would have let the pain subside. But instead Edreina used the toss to gain ground away from her teacher, rolling until she hit the railing at the side of the ship and using it to regain her footing.

The hotter she got, the more the ocean seemed intent upon gaining hold of her. The faint traces of sweat were masked by a generous coating of condensation upon the redhead's willowy figure, making her slick. She silently wished that she would have put her hair in a braid instead of just up as the loose strands clung to her face, annoying and distracting her each time she turned or dodged out of the way.

”Footwork getting better, too.”

The Myrian's smile summoned a grin from the student, followed by a playful lunge. The retreat made an instant after the lunge was, however, quite serious. Each time she and Razkar sparred, Edreina found herself becoming more aware of the unconscious signals Razkar would give an instant before his attack; a rolling of the shoulder before a jab, an adjustment of his foot before a kick from the other. It was a dance, and the two were slowly becoming effective partners. Perhaps, one day, years from now, the two could fight in earnest, his strength and reach against her speed and flexibility.

“Definitely one of my better students.”

This time, Edreina not only flushed a pleased shade of pink but straightened her weary stance at least slightly. Smirking lightly, she nodded at her instructor, not trusting her ability to form a coherent statement as her breathing was still a bit quickened by the surge of adrenaline that came with pain.

”Come again! Not time like now, mistress.”

Just when she began to consider herself capable of at least slight self control, Edreina found her attention, once more, drawn to Razkar's body. He's doing it on purpose, something in her whispered, causing her to snap out of the brief lapse in focus with a shake of her mane. Having him sleep on her ship had been easy enough; she only occasionally admired him while he slept. But when he did things like that, the redhead's mind danced to undisclosed locations.

“Ass...” She muttered, before tossing herself at him. As she approached, arm pulled back slightly to give him a clue of how she would strike, his open arms came close at the last minute, likely attempting to ensnare her once more. But Edreina was ready this time. She arched backwards so that his arms went over her before turning and ending up at his side. Two quick jabs were aimed at his ribs with her right arm as she turned to the side, pulling her left arm back at the same time for what could be a devastating blow to the kidneys if it managed to land directly instead of being dodged or glancing off of him. Using the momentum from that attack, she turned, back touching his for an instant as she ended up on his other side.

She was far too close for comfort, so she dropped to the deck, swinging her knee at the back of Razkar's before scrambling backwards and away in an attempt to reach her feet before Razkar could launch upon her. He came at her before she was ready, causing her to lean backwards in a hustled dodge that sent her off balance. But she would not hit the deck again without a fight. Rallying herself as she felt herself tip just a bit too far for stance to be regained, Edreina cocked up her foot in a flashing strike at the Myrian's jaw before bringing it back. The other foot followed as she back pedaled in an attempt to regain footing, sending her crashing back against the railing again.

Cornered.

Damnit.

Blue eyes darted about as she sought an escape route, but she took too long. A hulking Myrian quickly cut off any chance of getting away. Her only chance was to beat the Myrian back just far enough for her to regain full use of the deck instead of this minute space into which she had been crammed. Yeah, right...

Taking a sharp but deep breath, Edreina took a risk, hoping that it would at least get her a bit more respect than it would have had she simply stood there and accepted the pain and humiliation of her mistake. She brought up her knee, first, aiming it at his groin before jerking it back mid-swing, giving her the momentum to swing her left fist at him from the side. She moved in closer to the Myrian, giving him less room to swing and hopefully shocking him enough that he would hesitate in grabbing her just long enough-

She reared back with all of her might and aimed a sharp left hook at his midsection. If it worked, she would perhaps gain just enough time to get away. If not... well... A pair of Falyndar pythons would make their way around her slim ribcage and crush in another lesson.

[Razkar]

She's learning. And not just the moves...

Razkar grinned as Edreina flew at him from her corner like an animal unwilling to go down without a fight. Something else he had tried to drum into her: your enemy will never have you at his mercy, because he will have none. He will have you on his chopping block.

So get off it no matter what.

Her knee jerked up and his left hand slammed down, open-palmed, to knock it away-

-but it was a feint, and he grunted in approval, anticipating the fist that came from her left and swinging round with his right, snapping his fingers around her wrist and jerking it away-

But she didn't pause, didn't freeze. Edreina came closer, face grim but eyes burning, denying him any wriggle room by getting close. Even in the midst of their struggles the scent of her hair and the sweat on her body sent an unwelcome but delicious tremor through him, flesh going flush against his as she closed-

Focus!

-and ripped her hand from his grip and slammed a left hook into his side, right into his kidneys.

Razkar grunted in mingled pain and surprise, body twisting away as she struck, lithe female form already sliding away-

-his right foot jerked out as she did, and she went staggering over his foot, a childish move given proper use in a real fight, unbalancing her, confusing her already battered body-

-all the better for when he swung his left hand up and across at the side of her head. Not his fist, but his fingers cupped so when it struck across her ear-

The Svefra yelped and staggered damn-near halfway across the deck, eardrum battered and whining in her ear from the compressed air battered into it. One hand pressed to it, she panted and regained her balance, glaring at the smiling Myrian walking back towards her. He massaged his kidney and even through the smile she could see the wince of pain in his eyes... but it was one of savage approval, not anger.

"Get close and deny my arms? Very good. But you up game, so I up game. How is ear?"

He expected some outraged yell or shriek, to see her mane of red hair flying like a den of enraged snakes as she flew at him... but she was learning. Those bright, beautiful eyes just narrowed at the jibe and she shook her hands and feet free of their tremor. A moment later, she cracked her head to the side... and she came at him without anger blinding her eyes.

"Good girl."

Razkar leaped forward to meet her.

[Edreina]

It was as if Razkar had forced a screaming banshee into her ear with his cuffing blow. Its high pitched whining was obtrusive and distracting. But even more so was the way that she seemed to suddenly be tilting too far to one side. Silently attributing it to the roll of the deck, the Svefra attempted to right herself which only sent her fumbling further across the deck, horribly disoriented. Breath sounding too harsh in her suddenly quieting ears, Edreina shook her head, mane flying like a single tongue of flame. Her blue eyes narrowed, attempting to pierce the Myrian from a distance. "Get close and deny my arms? Very good. But you up game, so I up game. How is ear?" Last season, the quip would have fanned Edreina's anger into a blinding rage that consumed her to the point that she would have attacked without pause, without thinking of her strategy or of what the consequences could be. But now, Edriena's eyes only narrowed fractionally, just for a tick, just long enough for her annoyance to have a voice. Without taking her eyes off of her opponent, Edreina rolled her neck, cracking it pleasurably. The instant that motion was complete, Edreina flashed into motion, rushing her opponent. When he moved to meet her, moving at full tilt, Edreina dropped suddenly, scrabbling forward across the deck so that she could slam her shoulder into the front of the Myrian's knees. It was a bold move that would probably only be rewarded with a bruised shoulder tomorrow. She hit the deck and rolled away before scrambling back to her feet. He came at her in an unsuspecting flurry of quick blows that Edreina had trouble deflecting with her forearms and palms, one block going awry as it glanced off of her arm and ended up catching her in the corner of the jaw, sending her backpedaling with a pained whimper as her head cracked to the side and vision was blocked with black splotches. Idiot... The student shook her head, ridding it of an instant of disorientation, then launched herself back at the master. She swiped upwards with her elbows, ducking his retaliation and aiming a few sharp jabs at his midsection. Pulling her arms back into a blocking stance, she jerked her knee upwards and to the right, aiming at his side. She back pedaled again, moving out of his range. She had quickly found that fighting was easiest when she removed emotion, focusing only on her own body and how it could move. Fighting was the one time that Edreina was not seen smiling, grinning, laughing. She settled into a cool demeanor that was pure movement, pure action and reaction. Perhaps that was what was helping her progress so steadily; her earlier embarrassment and annoyances would quickly spiral out of control if indulged even slightly. She was safer simply keeping emotion out of the exercise, seeing it as a simple chance to learn more, become better. Despite how hard Razkar made that every time his billyclub fists slammed into Edreina's soft, freckled flesh...

[Razkar]

The Myrian staggered as much from surprise as the impact from that lithe body crashing against his legs, but stayed on his feet, chuckling softly when Edreina swept back to her own.

"Daring!" He said with a smile, flexing his bruised knee. "But in fight, if you go for enemy's legs, use arms. Drag them down. Get on top of them. Then fight belong to you."

She didn't respond, face still that mask of grim determination as he darted forwards, arms aiming right and lefts, but not at full force. Edreina was learning, and creative, but she still needed to learn the basics, and evading, blocking and parrying punches was a huge part of that. Five times his fist struck out and only once did he strike her, pale forearms redirecting or blocking most-

-but not the one that sneaked past her guard and cracked against her jaw.

Razkar winced slightly as he reeled backwards, head thunking against the railing... but with a shake of her red hair she was back. He nodded his approval. Goddess, she really was coming along. He knew the aching, ungodly pain of a head blw, how it pounded oike hammer in your head and threw off your balance. But she was learning, as I said before. Not just blows and moves and fancy footwork.

"Good. Learn to work with pain. Try and ignore and make worse. But accept pain, easier to go through it."

Now Edreina came in close, low, height difference meaning he had to lower his guard, and the two fast elbows hammered into his ribs. Razkar gritted his teeth and tolerated those two before jerked his left elbow down hard, smashing it down on her right forearm and driving her back-

-but not her knee as it swung up and across-

Now the Myrian yelped in surprised pain, lowered arm blocking the knee from striking his side but instead knocking the unprepared limb hard into him. A shock of agony rippled up his left arm and blinded him for that crucial moment in the aftermath-

-and in that time, she'd backpedaled away, regrouped, guard back up...

A low, pleasurable chuckle, and Razkar made a show of massaging his side as they circled.

"Mistress Edri... you do make surprise..."

He waited for her mouth to open... but it didn't. Not giving him any opening at all, the Svefra just watched him like a predator through a halo of wild red hair, waiting... waiting...

Don't keep a lady waiting.

The Myrian burst forward and decided to give her a challenge. He came forward them sidestepped to her left, right arm snapping out in a short jab for her side-

-then pulling back as his left arm swung out in a haymaker, presumably his real blow, the the jab that was a feint-

-until his left left lashed out and he kicked her under her right kneecap, hobbling her-

-right arm jerking out, palm facing her, slamming straight into her stomach, open-handed blow no less painful when combined with him bursting forward in one long step.

The Myrian smiled as his opponent reeled, feeling his pace rush and gnosis caress the back of his neck with its heat. Battle was battle, after all. Contest was contest, a pitting of flesh and blood and ending in victory or defeat. Myri would watch, as she always did... even now.

"Learn to watch shoulders. Hips." He said as she finally righted herself, shuffling his shoulders and slapping his pelvis. "That is where punch and kick come from. Look close and can see muscle go hard, get ready for blow. See that, give you warning."

His smile became something... curiously intimate. So long since a fierce and beautiful female had fought him with such passion, such control and taking his blows without falling apart-

The smile twitched as Razkar realized he was noticing her beauty, and whatever hesitation showed on his face, Edreina saw it, and capitalized.

That'll teach you, boy...

[Edreina]

"Mistress Edri... you do make surprise..." In the whirl of movement, her hair had come undone completely, leaving a curtain of flame that constantly threatened to blind Edreina. She stood nearly motionless, save for the uncontrollable tremors that ran through her frame, the only sign of yet boundless energy that drove her. Blue eyes narrowed as she watched the Myrian, searching for any sort of sign of attack. When he surged forward, she found herself becoming lost in the flurry of motion, overwhelmed as he stacked the attacks atop one another until she could do nothing but lash out and attempt to deflect one and duck beneath the other. The preoccupation of her darting blue eyes allowed a sharp kick to slip past her notice and send a shooting pain through her knee up into her femur as it was jarred, sending her stumbling back a half step as it threatened to give out in shock. And then the Myrian's palm collide with Edreina's taut abdomen. Her breath was forced from her as she reeled backwards, shocked by the force behind the impact. She groaned low, then shook her head. Pain is only an instant. Knowledge is a lifetime... Righting herself, rolling her shoulders, Edreina prepared to face Razkar once again. "Learn to watch shoulders. Hips... That is where punch and kick come from. Look close and can see muscle go hard, get ready for blow. See that, give you warning." There was no stopping the blush that flooded Edreina's cheeks as her bright azure gaze was drawn down towards Razkar's hips. In fact, part of her stopped listening after the gesture. Fearing being caught staring, the red head's eyes snapped up quickly, just quickly enough to register the shift in the Myrian's smile. Well... it registered with her body despite the lengths to which she went to keep it from ensnaring her attention and, through that, the bulk of her thoughts. And yet there it was. The way that her lower lip was suddenly captured between her teeth and her blue eyes seemed to boil like a hot spring relayed the state of mind that- She groaned inwardly, shaking her head and ridding it of any thought beside that of fighting Razkar. Well mostly. Glancing up, she noticed a twitch at the corner of her mouth. He knows what he's doing... A glare seized her face for an instant before she was able to regain composure. She took a deep breath, limbs stilling as she channeled her abundant energy. In a flurry of fiery hair and flashing eyes, Edreina lunged forwards, left arm swinging out wide. But it took too long, Razkar retaliated before she could land the blow, forcing the student to duck below the master's arm. Crouched, she sent out two sharp jabs at his abdomen before hopping backwards, out of his range. His footwork was better. Reach was better. Strength was better... How could she overcome this... Edreina's first instinct was the one that she - perhaps foolishly - acted upon. Get him on the ground, in close, with no room to swing, and he she might be able to somehow gain the upper hand. With a sharp shout, meant to throw him off, Edreina charged her opponent once more, arm raised as if to strike him. At the last moment, she used his tutelage against him. The woman dropped into a crouch and used the raised arm to ensnare the Myrian's legs and attempt to pull them out from under him. She was able to lift him just slightly - Gods he's heavy! - and then pull backwards, sending them to the deck in a fumble of arms and legs. It was so ridiculous and absolutely useless that Edreina could do naught but shake her head and chuckle at her own idiocy. She paused her attack, looking up at Razkar with, for the first time since they began fighting, an ornery grin. "Now what would I do?"

[Razkar]

Well, that worked out brilliantly, didn't it?

Razkar as growing to hate whatever facet of his mind that came up with those damn internal monologues. Probably because they were usually right, too. The Svefra came on quick but in her speed she sacrificed her form, her left arm too high, too obvious-

-Razkar stepped back and swayed away from the punch, snapping out a right cross to her temple-

-but she ducked. She actually ducked! Razkar's pride was shattered a moment later by the two meaty thunks against his ribs, short, sharp blows that made his ribcage rattle and before he could send a knee or a foot her way as punishment, Edreina had danced away from him.

The Myrian smiled softly at her, but there was menace, playful as it was, in that baring of teeth. She was improving, getting tougher, but that only meant he could fight harder... and he intended to.

"Nice done," he said genially, stalking closer and already plotting a kick-elbow combo, "But-"

He got no further before she exploded towards him, arm swinging high, his left jerking up to stop her, right ready for a punch to her guts-

-and then she was gone. Well, kind of.

Edreina ducked low, almost to the deck of the ship and Razkar felt the cool, soft limb snaked around one of his legs. His eyes widened as he saw what would happen, but before her could snap a knee out to her head-

-she pulled. With everything she had, apparently, and at that angle, it was enough.

With a curse and a shout in his native tongue the sky vanished to the Myrian's eyes and the deck came up to greet him. But his body reacted well, arms shooting down to stop his fall before his face coul impact, Edreina underneath him.

Very... very noticeably underneath him.

"Now what would I do?"

Wasn't that the question? A list of possibilities that had little to do with combat training flashed through Razkar's mind, but since she was keeping her focus on business, he at least had to do the same. His eyes softened for an instant, then flickered up and down her.

Going from hot and uncontrolled to cold, clinical and experienced in a blink.

"From here? But arms around neck." Her eyes widened a fraction and his lips quirked for a moment. "Legs around hips." Another fraction and Razkar smiled... but not in the way she thought. "Use hand to pull head back from back of neck, and bite throat out."

The Myrian shrugged, not an easy thing to do when you're nearly lying on top of a female, and flashed her a grin with his twin rows of sharpened teeth.

"Why you think I have these?"

Razkar rolled off her and back to his feet in one fluid motion, imagining cold, cold water slathering everything south of his waist... and prayed his body would listen.

[Edreina]

"From here? But arms around neck. Legs around hips. Use hand to pull head back from back of neck, and bite throat out." It all seemed so logical to Edreina. She expected him to say something like, "break nose into skull" or "crush where breath goes"... But "bite throat out"? Her blue eyes became troubled and she fought the churning bile in her stomach as she reflexively remembered the taste of blood. Her mind was filled with images of flashing teeth, rent skin, and deep red blood flowing out, filling her throat... choking her... She swallowed hard automatically, breath hitching. "Why you think I have these?" Sitting up, she snorted at her naivety. Culture... personal preference... But deep down she had always been kidding herself. Everything about the Myrian before her screamed of death and of pain, whether his own or that of another... Without realizing it, the red head had brought her knees up to her chest as she silently considered her capacity for killing. Her lust for knowledge from the Myrian was mellowed by her fear, her trepidation. Edreina had no doubt that she could take a life. She was smart, crafty, and relatively proficient for the scant amount of time to which she had devoted practicing this visceral art. But would she? When... if the time came? She glanced up at Razkar, embarrassed by her weakness but unable to change it. Did he ever pity those he killed? Ever hesitate? You hesitate, you die. The silent words sent a shiver up her bare spine. ...and bite throat out... Her tongue skimmed the keen edge of her upper teeth automatically at the thought. Her heart beat quickened with... anticipation? Even more terrifying to Edreina than the thought of the killing itself was the realization that there was some dark and long-hidden part of her that would relish the final defeat of an enemy, bask in its final gaze. Killing is just another part of life... Sometimes it is good and just, and sometimes it is done with malicious thought, simply out of pride. I will never kill unless there is no other option available to me... So lost in her thoughts was the woman that she had forgotten the spar, the lessons, and even Razkar's immediate presence until he made a move back into her field of vision. Her eyes darted up but it was not the same woman that had been staring calculatingly at an enemy earlier. In her place was wide-eyed innocence, the blue-eyed gaze of a child who had just realized the depth of the evils of this world.

[Razkar]

When Razkar looked down again, still grinning savagely from his last lesson, he remembered why he cared so for this barbarian girl. There was such... purity, in those blue eyes. But not the kind he saw in women of his own people; that fierce and ruthless determination that always hinted at bending the world around them to their will, that martial pride that overrode everything else.

In Edreina's eyes, he saw a girl who had never bloodied her hands, never taken a life... and felt that she was better for it.

The grin wavered and finally fell, Razkar sighing as he took stock of this shift in the dynamic. Ripping someone's throat out... such a simple thing in his world. He could do it; hells, he had done it, and very effectively. In the merciless whirl of battle, it was as natural and instinctive to him as breathing... but for her?

The Myrian settled down on his haunches in front of her, legs crossed. A strange, rueful smile twisted his lips again. Now he was more of the exotic stranger she knew him to be. Not just the reaver and warrior and killer; the storyteller and protector, teacher and... friend.

"It is not easy thing, teaching this." He said, voice coming out almost as a sigh. "Way I fight is... instinct. That is right word. You learn fast or other man kill you. You gouge eye, rip off ear, tear fingers, crush throat... but you do because you must. But... because you put you body in that place."

Razkar paused, wanting to see if she understood. He certainly didn't think Edreina was stupid, but... naive? Perhaps. Several times he had seen sellswords and toughs glance at her, weigh and measure her with her eyes as if trying her on for size, and with a growl and a snarl he had run them off.

But how was he different? Because he killed for his Goddess-Queen rather than mizas? Well, what was he doing now, acting as mercenary for a man whom he had no illusions was as amoral as any warlord.

"Perhaps better to work with blade." He said finally, getting back to his feet. "Easier, maybe. Different when you kill with hands. More... raw. Personal." Two feet of gleaming, beautiful metal was revealed to the sun and salty breeze as he unsheathed his gladius, studying it carefully. "Blade make... distance. Make easier. Bow better."

His eyes flickered to her, frowning gently. "You know to shoot bow? Can teach, too..."

[Edreina]

"It is not easy thing, teaching this. Way I fight is... instinct. That is right word. You learn fast or other man kill you. You gouge eye, rip off ear, tear fingers, crush throat... but you do because you must. But... because you put you body in that place." And suddenly, hearing it spoken so simply, Edreina felt the depth of her naivety. It was as if she lay at the bottom of the Suvan, surrounded and held down by it. Each time she spoke with Razkar, she swam towards the surface, realizing that this naivety, no matter how safe she felt in it, could be the death of her at any instant. A faint blush crept into her cheeks and she sighed to herself. In battle, you always had to make the first move, and the last. If you hesitated, your opponent would not. Better she rip out an opponent's throat than have her own torn away. Yes, talking about it made the theology of it seem so simple. Kill or be killed. That was the way of the world. Edreina glanced up at Razkar, then back down at herself. In that instant, he was teaching her so much more than how to fight. He was teaching her why she should kill. Exhaling once, Edreina nodded curtly to the Myrian, signalling that she understood this lesson. She rose to her feet with a quiet groan, feeling each place where Razkar's merciless assault had broken through her defenses. Joy. Once again, she would be a patchwork of violet skin. Gingerly, Edreina touched her jaw and then yanked back her hand with a hiss. Oh yeah, that one's gonna bruise right purty. She nearly giggled to herself, having become infatuated with the various accents of the mainlanders. "Perhaps better to work with blade. Easier, maybe. Different when you kill with hands. More... raw. Personal. Blade make... distance. Make easier. Bow better." His sudden rise snapped Edreina from her reverie and she smiled guiltily. Speaking of accents she loved to mimic... "You know to shoot bow? Can teach, too..." This time, she did snort - rather unattractively - before dissolving into laughter. This is why others often thought her mad. No matter what ill happening affected Edreina, whether product of thought or action, she would be over it within minutes. Dwelling in the past, or worrying over the future, did little good, as far as she was concerned. Better to enjoy each moment. "Sorry," she said through a grin, shaking her head at her mercurial behavior. "But think about that. I don't even know which end is up on a bow. Let alone how to shoot it!" She rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. What use would people on ships have for bows, anyway? "So. Shooting a bow. Yes, I think I would like to learn that," she nodded to herself, biting the inside of her cheek. "That way I can hunt and kill those... Oh what are they called..." She grimaced and mimed over her head with claws, that connected to her head at the thumb. "The little horses with the ho- deer!" She dropped the silly motion and then grinned, attempting to hide the blush that erupted at the realization of how silly she must have appeared. "Ahem. Anyway." Her grin became something playful and wicked. "Yes, Raz, you teach how shoot bow to idiot barbarian." Her mockery of him was really becoming something uncanny. The inflections were all there, now she just needed to gargle sand to get the grittiness. Something flashed across the Myrian's face and Edreina was suddenly wondering just how quickly she would be able to get to the edge and out swim him before retaliation came.