Completed Against All Odds (Alevadra Druva)

[Ryia Brock]

Time stamp: 6th of Winter 513 AV


The cold front approaching the city was much stronger than it had been in the past, and they were feeling the chills in the start of the season that normally didn't appear until well into the middle. Dawn had just arrived, bringing an end to another cold night with many more to come. Ryia shivered as she trekked through the training ground, shield on one arm and a long sword gripped tightly in the opposite hand. The young squire had left her dorm earlier than she normally got up, leaving her older sister still sleeping in her bed.

Ryia didn't feel strong, she felt weak and wanted to prove that she could do it. The shadow of her elder sister Helena, hovered above her as a fixed reminder of what she was expected to become. The teenager had a long road in front of her, and there were no easy ways to go about it. Helena was strong, smart, and a dedicated Knight who finished her quest before she reached the age of 20. Their father and mother were so proud of her, and now they expected the same from Ryia and her older sister Dimia.

The youngest squire had no idea how her sister wasn't bothered by the weight they carried, but Dimia didn't seemed to be as worried. She was also dedicated to the order, but she didn't seem as rushed as Ryia felt. Or just didn't show it. The young woman was classy, and didn't wear her emotions on her sleeves the way Ryia did.

The air around the training grounds were fiercely cold, most likely because it was stationed on the top of a tall building, instead of on the ground or inside the castle city. Still shivering, the squire moved across the grounds to find the closest dummy to practice on. Bright, green eyes moved over the statue, noting all the nics and grooves that had been hacked into it over the years. Ryia had already made her choice, and if the others could become, then so could she.

Looking down at her arm, she adjusted the shield so that it was better weighted towards the middle of her arm to keep a better balance with it. She raised the long sword and pointed it at the place where she wanted to strike. It seemed like a good idea, find a place to strike, focus on it and deliver. There was more to learning to use a sword, but for now she would just wing it. Ryia took a step back, turned her shield arm towards the dummy, her body positioned to line up with it, and she swayed around, bringing her arm in a curved and sliced at the chest of the dummy.

[Alevadra Druva]

There was a sort of piece, honing ones skills on their own. A personal conversation between body, mind and spirit that aided in the act of practice. The body would respond to the mind and the spirit would encourage, corrections would be spoken between the various parts and the practice would endure. There was a peace for Alevadra, standing in the training grounds that cold, winter morn; it was quiet as she strung her mothers bow and paced around a few of the targets, finding a good vantage point to challenge her skills. Thinly soled boots crunched over the rocky soil of the grounds, frozen from the cold that had befallen Syliras. Alevadra had dressed warmly, a woolen tunic and linen surcoat, all drab grays. Her legs were covered in worn, suede pants and one hand was shoved in a glove while the other was left exposed in order to properly shoot the bow. A breeze rushed past Ale, her nearly black, short hair waving about wildly, exposing red ears. She’d been out for a while yet, after tending to Lyris she’d gone up to the training grounds. Ale was trying to compensate for wind and hit the targets—of course, it wasn’t going as well as she would have wanted. Aiming, she let loose an arrow and the breeze pushed it, letting to soar past one of the targets, not even remotely close to hitting the hay-stuffed object. “Damnit.” She was getting frustrated, for the past hour she’d been working at it, but the sudden shifts in wind and the cold had made it so the knight had only hit the target all of twice. Were the wind to have been a bit less, Alevadra would have had a better ratio. With a short sigh of resignation for the time being, Ale lowered her bow and unstrung it, moving to huddle away from the wind and take a short break. A few others were coming up to the training grounds, it would be a quiet day—which was always nice, it allowed grievous mistakes to be made without ridicule. So Ale leaned against some bales of hay, hiding away from the wind and trying desperately to defrost her ears. A Brock walked in, and moved about for her own training. Alevadra watched her—she was small, meek looking. Quite like Ale when she was a squire—surprisingly. While vigorously rubbing her ears, the knight watched the squire practice with a shield. Ah… She wasn’t holding it in a very good way, Ale could see where she’d need to strike and then—opening. The young woman struck out at the dumb, landing a hit. The knight watched silently for a moment before making her presence—and observation of the young Squire—known. “Hey, Brock,” Ale didn’t know the woman’s first name, so she addressed her by the last. She moved forward, long confident strides, until she stood next to the woman. Ale wasn’t particularly imposing based on stature, but her face and eyes showed the test of time. A slight smile rested on her lips, as if an olive branch. “Do you want some help with that?” She motioned towards the shield. [color]” If you lean your shoulder forward, you’ll be able to block better, here,”[/color] Ale moved the shield, angling it slightly. “That’ll work better, because if your oppent hits on the outside… You’re much less likely to open up on the inside around your chest, see?” She nudged the outer edge of the shield. “What’s your name?”

[Ryia Brock]

Ryia hated striking at hard surfaced items, it always caused the sword in her hand to vibrate. It was almost like a sting and would bruise her palms if she squeezed too hard. Her strikes were lighter and seemed to make better contact when she spared with another. Attacking this dummy, felt a lot like chopping wood, and she could feel the burn all the way up her arms and throughout her torso. Breathing in, the young squire held her shield arm up, as if in defense, her eyes marking a point on the dummy that she wanted to attack.

Clank

The Long sword slashed into the shoulder area on the left side of the dummy and left a small nix. Her eyes brighten at the sight of it, and she could see how her aim was getting better. Not only that, but the blade stuck now, where in the past it had simply bounced off due to the angle and lack of strength. But she seemed to have gotten it now, and her strikes would be stronger from this point, or so she hoped. Ryia was just about to attempt another swing, when a voice rang out and broke her concentration.

They called her by name, which meant they knew her, and she was glad to hear 'Brock' instead of the favored 'baby Brock' others called her. Ryia turned to see a woman walking towards her. She was a small woman, and for a moment she thought it was another squire. However, as the woman's features came into view she could tell that she was older. There was something else that stood out about the woman, the way she walked and the confidence that beamed off her.

She was a Knight.

Ryia sucked in a breath and slowly released it. The teenager was busted, and caught red handed in her wrong doing. She knew the rules, and that squires were always supposed to train in full plate armor. She wasn't trying to be trouble, but she still wasn't used to wearing it, and it took time to get dressed. The noise would have probably woke her older sister as well, which would have ruined her chance of training as she wanted too. "Good morning to you Sera."

There was no way that she could hide it, she was dressed in a grey tunic, with a pair of black tights underneath and tall boots on her feet. She wore a red scarf around her neck and her tanned cloak draped from her slender shoulders. The girl was dressed as a commoner, and the only armor she carried were the weapons in her gloved hands. Ryia also worried that the woman would tell Helena. If she knew who she was, and she was just a squire, the Knight had to know Helena, it wasn't possible that she didn't.

Then the surprise came, the Knight smiled at her and offered to help her with her training. Ryia was so shocked that she just stood there for a moment, as if she was still waiting for the hammer to drop. "Oh, oh yes. Thank you." Ryia listened to the words of the Knight, and she couldn't help but to see the huge difference between the way that Helena taught her. It wasn't that she didn't like her sister, she was just very strict. "I'm Ryia. Pray Sera, do forgive my appearance. I wasn't trying to be a burden, I was just excited to get an early start. I have no excuse."

[Alevadra Druva]

Ale nodded calmly to Riya at her greeting. While some knights were exceptionally strict on the “wear your armor while training” bit, Ale wasn’t in charge of a squire, so she could calmly remind, but she wasn’t about to go about chasing the pups and throwing armor at them. Ale looked over the girl, unstringing her bow quickly before setting it aside. After her little impromptu lesson, Ryia thanked Alevadra and introduced herself. Ah, Ryia, wasn’t she Helena’s squire? She could imagine how difficult that was, family and all. While Ale’s patron had been like family, having been her father’s squire, he wasn’t actually family. And dealing with Patrick wasn’t the worst, he was much like Alevadra, very relaxed with obnoxiously high expectations. “Ryia, you are not my squire, and so, I shall not chastise you. Though, it would be wise to leave within a bell before any other knights show up.” Ale looked over the small girl, she was still young, still learning a great deal, but she was picking up on it. “We have a few chimes, though, come,” Alevadra moved, slipping off the archery glove and setting it aside with her unstring bow and quiver of arrows. From the practice weapons, Ale plucked up an old, beaten up shield and wooden sword. “Practicing against dummies is only so beneficial, the real learning comes when you have to fight someone.” Ale wasn’t in her fullplate—she’d just wanted some archery practice before meandering down to tend to her horse and then go on to her duty for the day—Guard duty in Stormhold. “Get a wooden sword so you don’t hack my arm off.” Her voice was rather serious, detached, she was in education mode, in fight mode. “Now, I’m not going to come at you. That’s too intimidating. You’ll panic. I panicked, my patron knight panicked when he was learning, you always panic when you’re learning. Don’t be scared of the pain, let any pain come later, all that should be on your mind is the knights code, your duty to Syliras.” The wooden shield Ale held was covered in knicks and scratches, the once pleasantly painted shield was a shadow of its former self was lifted. Her body shifted with ease into a new position—a defensive one. Her left arm held the shield, her left foot was forward, knee bent with just the tips of her toes visible beyond the edge of her knee from Sera Druva’s perspective. Her shoulders were twisted, her left leaning forward to brace for impact with the shield, her right was slightly back, her elbows tucked in as the sword was raised. Her right leg was back behind her and also slightly bent. “This is an ideal defensive position for a young woman your size. You’re small, nothing to be ashamed of in that, you’re hard to knock over if you keep low like this.” She nodded to her legs, bent slightly, Ale was no more than 4’6” in this defensive position with her legs bent. “Now, Squire Ryia. Assume an offensive stance, I want to see it. A strong stance is the first block to a solid foundation in fighting.”

[Ryia Brock]

Ryia sighed softly and smiled at the Knight. For a short moment she was sure that she was in for it. Even if the Knight hadn't punished her, telling her patron was punishment enough. She could already imagine it, having to wear her plate armor for a full day and night, and sleeping in it. That was a burden all it's own, and if she couldn't get a bath in after the day of training, she would have to go to bed sticky and gross. It was a harsh punishment, but she could see her eldest sister viewing it as a good way of breaking her into the armor.

The teenager was likely being too dramatic, and Helena's punishment probably wouldn't be as harsh as she thought. "Thank you Sera. It won't happen again." She meant her words and wouldn't lie about it. The one time that she had chanced it, she was caught before she had been training for half a bell. The Knights really were everywhere, and at all times it seemed.

Ryia followed as she was told, and her green eyes did widen just a bit when the woman picked up a sword and shield. Training with Helena and Dimia was one thing, they were family, people she had known all of her life. This Knight was unfamiliar, and she didn't have a guess at her fighting style. Of course it was something that one had to learn, and would face again and again during battle, she just hoped she was ready.

She listened while the Knight spoke and placed her long sword on the table in front of her and took up a replica to use. The weight was about the same, but there was something more comforting about wielding a wooden blade, or at least less dangerous. The Knight's words held true to the young squire and she had already been on her way to panic just before the woman spoke of it. I can do this...it's just another spar.

Watching the woman form her stance, Ryia tried to mimic it. She moved her shield arm forward, positioning her body behind it and bend her left leg to hold her stance. She mimicked the stance as best she could, making sure to look at the woman's body and then to her own to see that they matched up. "If I may Sera? I didn't catch your name." she asked just before she was told to take an offensive stance. Ryia straighten her shoulders, leaving her shield arm and left leg planted where they were and bent right leg in the opposite direction, with her sword lifted outward and just above her right hip.

"I'm ready. Shall I attack first?" Ryia wasn't the type to jump first, such actions had been drilled into her mind ad reckless. However in this situation it seemed like the Knight wanted her to attack first, and so she did. Ryia released a quick breath as she tried to lead with her shield. Fingers curling around the wooden handle of the sword and she struck first with a jab.

[Alevadra Druva]

“I’m sure it won’t. Which is why I’m not reaming you for it.” Ale nodded slightly. She’d been slick, only Patrick had caught her out of her armor and after a stern warning, Ale was much more mindful of her armor. It wasn’t comfortable, especially at a young age, but, it was easier to get use to the bulky stuff as a child than once you’re full grown. The Druva was so used to her armor that it was almost like a second skin now, the weight didn’t even bother her. Ah, how silly. Ale hadn’t introduced herself. Not that everyone needed to know who she was, it wasn’t like she went around and shoved her name down everyone else’s throats. “Druva.” She smirked, another knight family. “Sera Alevadra Druva.” She had worked to distance herself from her father, Victor Druva, 2nd wing of Black Company. He was high standing, and Ale was still a whelp compared to him. Expectations were high, she preferred to keep that under wraps. Brown eyes watched as Ryia mimicked the positioning for the defensive. “Perfect, keep most of your weight on the front leg, the back is mostly for balance and to dig into the ground if needed. Just because Ryia was small, didn’t mean she wouldn’t be able to defend herself competently. The multi-hued hair of the Druva bobbed as she nodded. “Yes, go ahead Ryia.” Her face seemed to hardened, eyes becoming intense upon Ryia’s form as she moved, taking in any slight shifts in her appendages. Ale was to defend, and in order to properly defend, one needed to know where the attacks were coming from and if there was to be an opening. Leading with the shield, it was a defensive offense, as many squires started out. When in armor, one could take a few hits before serious damage would happen—of course, Ryia was lacking armor, and any hit would hurt, even if Ale wasn’t trying. Her eyes flicked to the sword hand as it moved to jab. A loud scraping could be heard as Ale pushed forward her shield and opened up Ryia’s arm. With a slight tap, the tip of Alevadra’s sword would touch the young woman’s elbow. “Again, keep your elbow tucked in. If anything happens to that you won’t even be able to lift your sword.”

[Ryia Brock]

Ryia nodded when the Knight gave her name, unsure if she was expected to speak again, or if she should say anything at all. The name Druva was very well known in the city, and Ryia felt a bit embarrassed that she hadn't known this Knight's name. She was probably wrong, but with such things, she couldn't be sure. Though the Knight herself didn't seem angry that she didn't recognize her, which led her to think she may have been wrong.

Still having another of the Knight's main families with her made it less awkward and more so at the same time. There may have been a feeling of some misplaced kinsmen-ship, but that too made her want to prove herself worth her own name. With the introductions out of the way, Ryia was ready to begin. She had attempted the fighting pose, and Alevadra had given her the ok to continue.

Her first move had been weak, and the Knight had pointed out her flaw instantly. The young squire looked to her arm and tucked it in close to her body as she had been instructed. Alevadra was still holding the defense which meant it was her turn to strike again. She didn't have powerful strikes like her sister, and so far had relied on her quickness to get her strike in first before her opponent could land theirs.

This time she didn't lead with her shield, and instead held it steady above her bent knee. Ryia turned her upper body half way as she brought her long sword around for an vertical slash. She with drew the swing, shield still held up as her body turned back around. The teenager would attack again, changing up her pattern to swing them thrust at the end.

[Alevadra Druva]

The next move was a good one, the wooden sword the young Brock carried slashed down towards Ale. Had she been out of sorts, or even a little distracted, she likely would have been wacked fairly hard by the squire. Luckily, Sera Druva dodged her head to the left, avoiding the blow and lifted her shield, letting the blade slam into the edge of the shield. There was force there, and had Ryia had a bit more force behind her attack it would have pushed down her shield enough to make solid impact with the top of her shoulder—And that, would have left a bruise. Luckily for Ale, the attack wasn’t strong enough—but, she intended to help Ryia find that power and push it forward for a solid, powerful hit. A few small splinters broke off the shield and Ale let out an exuberant, excited “Yes! Just like that Ryia! You just need to get some more power behind you. Here, put down the shield.” Ale dropped her own shield and relaxed her form, moving to stand beside Ryia. “Alright, you have to put your all behind your strikes, otherwise they’ll easily be dismissed by armor let alone a shield.” Ale stood in a offensive position, placing her hand upon her stomach. “It all comes from your middle and,” She patted her left thigh. “Your legs. You’re slightly bent, as you strike,” Ale moved slowly so Ryia could see the change, lifting her body and straightening her legs upwards and forward, swinging her wooden sword through the air. “Lift yourself, forward and upward, quickly—if you go to slow, you lack power and you leave yourself open. After your strike, return to the bent position as fast as you possibly can,” The Druva motioned towards some of the dummies. “Come on, lets try it out, see if we can make a little thing like you have a punch to fear.” Ale winked, walking over to a small grouping of dummies before demonstrating once more. This time she was quick, her sword out and slamming into the dummy with a loud crack. “Erk.” Ale’s face twisted as she looked at the sword after the impact, it looked alright, so her attention moved to the dummy. “Ah, see, cracked the wooden base,” Ale let out a small laugh. “Oops. Well, lets see what you can do, Brock,” She smiled, motioning for the young blonde to give it her best shot.

[Ryia Brock]

This was more like it, she could swing her blade, connect and feel the movements of her opponent. It was different from training with a dummy post which held no give or sway. The sword also felt better in her hands and the vibration was leveled between her and the Knight across from her. Ryia smiled at the compliment and she felt good hearing it. Her father, nor Helena ever praised her so, at least not with such enthusiasm. She felt better about her swordsmanship now that someone already trained with it, told her that she was getting better. Looks like I'm not so bad with this.

Ryia placed her shield on the ground as she was told, then stood and watched as the woman came and stood beside her. The young squire watched the woman move, and slowly changed her stance to try and match the Knights and move as she did. Her instructions were clear, and the idea behind them were simple enough. The action of doing it was also simple, but to do it correctly is what separated her from her tutor. "I think I have it. Forward, upward, and strike fast."

Just when she thought she was getting the hang of the spar, the Knight Druva moved back to the practice dummies. Ryia followed and watched the demonstration, the Knight was quick, strong, and her mark was on target. In one swing she cracked the base easily. This was the kind of strength that she needed to develop in order to become a Knight. Moving closer, Ryia took on the stance that she had tried before and lifted her sword.

She focused on the center of the target and leaned forward with a slash towards the body. Her sword swept across the chest of the dummy without making a single mark. Ryia moved back into position, bent her legs then struck out again, this time keeping her arm straight as she thrust her sword forward into the chest of the dummy. The was a soft thud as the wooden sword pierced the outer layer of the wooden body and caused a small crack. I got it!

Ryia moved back into position a second time, bent her knees as she lifted her sword and lounged forward with a downward swing towards the dummy's shoulder. A louder clack echoed into the air and the wooden blade did stick into the nic that it made before she pulled away again. Ryia was finally getting it.

[Alevadra Druva]

It was a little thing. A small note of approval, but it was clear that wasn’t a terribly common thing for Ryia. Alevadra made a note of it, positive enforcement would be about as affective as sweets were with horses. Of course, horses were sneaky little buggers and when Ale had some sweets in her hand, Lyris would always nudge at her with her snout and lip her shoulder for one. The knight highly doubted any such actions could come from Ryia in an attempt to get more compliments. She was a quick learner, following eagerly as Alevadra directed. Quick and responsive, Ale liked that. Ryia’s first attempt fell flat, barely a hit, at worst, the person she’d be fighting might have a bruise—perhaps a scratch to buff out of their armor. “You can do it, Ryia, push up with your legs a bit faster,” The knight leaned back against some hay, her arms crossed over her chest as she observed the youth. A crack echoed through the training grounds and Ale smiled. “There you go, Brock,” The woman walked over and rested a hand on her shoulder. “You’re a fast learner, keep up like this and you’ll be besting Helena in no time.” The woman winked with a smirk before stepping away. Helena was not a knight Ale was particularly familiar with, but she guessed that Helena was not the soft and loving sort of knight. “How about a quick spar? You should probably get going within a few chimes, wouldn’t want to get caught like you are,” Alevadra moved to pick back up her shield and wooden sword. “Take what you learned and hit me, don’t worry, bruises are nothing, they’re as common as breathing.” The knight wasn’t concerned, if Ryia got past her defenses, a right reward would be a large welt and purple bruise like a visible mark of success. “Oh, one thing,” Alevadra moved away from the dummies into a cleared area. “Don’t tell your patron that I taught you that… Let her think you figured it out on your own.” She winked again with a vibrant grin that matched her wild hair. “I’d rather not get her wrath for teaching her squire out of armor and not punishing her.” A moment and Ale motion for Ryia to come for a quick spar.