Closed Blood, Mud... What's the difference?

[Jasmine Stormblood]

10th Summer 516 A.V.

Jasmine stretched waking up long before the Syna had. Sitting up Haven growled at the flap to the tent, the woman crawled over to the flap and peered out hearing a roar of thunder. Moving back and securing her flap the blonde got prepped for the day, which would include her sparring match with Azmere. Excitement coursed through the blonde's veins as she thought about the handsome drykas. Any woman would be lucky to have him on her arm or her be on his arm rather. Though surprisingly enough the scaring on his face is what turned many a woman off. Jasmine thought the injury was nothing more than a reminder of the past, nothing to be upset over by any means. Grabbing her black pants the woman slipped them on before grabbing some binding. Once back up right again the woman bound her chest. Binding the chest was always a good way to take a target away from her opponent. Pulling on her boots the woman slipped one of the daggers into her boot.

It was becoming more and more of a habit. The blonde's first instinct was to pack on as much hidden gear as possible. Years of fighting with her father got her at least used to the idea of attacking another either for sport or for money. Lacing up both boots she slipped out pulling her hair into a low bun so he would not be able to grab it and lead her. Surely though Azmere was much better at fighting. At least Jasmine was fairly certain that at least some level of combat skill was necessary for being a Watch member. Slowing way down the woman slinked to her ankals tent before peering in. Looking around she spotted Grey and got his attention with some food. Allowing him to eat of the way Jasmine took a few steps inside. Almost all of the pavilion was up but Azmere. Slipping inside the woman spotted the man and smirked. Slinking over she threw one leg over his waist and sat down keeping much of her weight off him. Leaning close to his ear the woman smirked.

"Ooooohhh Azmere, it is time to get up," She said gently almost like a lover forcing her laughter down.

[Azmere]

Azmere was sleeping peacefully. His body was sprawled out on his back and he was covered by a thick fur blanket made of several wolf hides that he had killed a few seasons back. It wasn’t long before he was aware that someone was in his tent. The extra weight on his bed was a good indicator as was the way this person’s body weighed down his blanket and restricted his movement. The watchman woke fully as a presence of his surroundings allowed him to feel a body hovering above his own. His first thought went to defense but then he realized that Grey was only familiar with a few people so his fear slipped away. When the soft voice touched his ear from a breathy wind, the almost electric feel created in the space between caused his eyes to pop open. The contrasting gaze pierced the playful stare of Jasmine whom the ankal had promised to train today. Despite his reservations about personal space, the archer figured that he could start now.

Ticks after her words broke the stillness of his tent, he remained motionless. Without warning, his arms shot up so that he could grab her sides with his hands. At the same time, Azmere bent his knees and drew his feet until the soles were flat on the pad. The archer had his base established and bridged his hips straight up using his shoulders as a pivot point. Once his legs extended and his torso reached its maximum height, he would twist using the muscles in his core as well as his arms in an effort to throw the woman down on her back. The motion would also give him momentum to slide his left leg out and under the other. It gave him enough to room to attempt the reversal of what she had done though there would be subtle differences. If Azmere’s actions all sequenced successfully, he would be above Jasmine who would be on her back. His arms would be on either side of her but her legs would still astride his waist. The ankal slept naked but the blanket stayed between their bodies. Azmere, ever the task master, paid no heed and instead focused on the lesson. Once things settled, the ankal would insist on wasting no time to begin the rest of the training. “Playtime’s over. Now go wait outside.”

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine giggled when he grabbed her sides. She was extremely ticklish on her sides and feet. Though the woman was not too worried about it. The sudden shift in position caused her to gasp and land on her back grunting some. Still giggling lightly the woman looked up at him as her blonde tresses ended up sprawled all over the place. Finally able to calm down some when he spoke of play time the lady smirked up at him.

“Ooooh so this is play time for you. Well I can't wait to see what business is like. Though you will have to get up first,” She said playfully yet her eyes spoke of something more serious and slightly mysterious.

Once he had moved enough for her to get up the woman threw one leg over to the other side and got up. Smirking the woman licked his cheek before turning and walking out. Stopping at the flap to his tent she peered over her shoulder with a smile.

“See ya soon,” Jasmine walked out making sure he watched her hips before the flap closed.

Her heart raced hoping she had not completely pissed him off. Walking over to Chaser the stallion looked at the woman as it to ask was she stupid. Making a face the woman patted his neck the blonde thought of the axe from Deathspark. Quickly closing the space to her tent she ducked in and found it before sitting down.

“If I had been stronger, faster, a better fighter would things have turned out differently?” Jasmine asked not aware that someone was listening.

[Azmere]

Azmere furrowed his brow at Jasmine’s words and expressions. He was far from knowledgeable in the ways and thought processes of women. She was quite pretty and the ankal couldn’t fault someone for being playful but as he searched her fae he felt like this was something else. He just hadn’t a clue what that something entailed. His ponderance of these things was diverted when he realized his heart was beating a little faster than it should even in the circumstance of being surprised. This caused him to sink away from her a bit. He twitched both on his cheek and down his spine as she licked his cheek. “What the-“ His eyes, the gold and blue with rainbow starbursts, went wide in shock and wonder. Dogs do that and this was common knowledge but why would a woman do that to a man? More proof (as if it was needed) that Azmere knew nothing about the fairer sex.

When she got up to leave, he noticed a larger sway in her walk. Did she always walk like that? A sudden thought made his brow crease. She snuck in without setting Grey off with even a growl or a quick huff. Azmere snapped his fingers twice very loudly with clarity. Shortly after, Grey trotted in oblivious to what had happened and licked his chops. Azmere just shook his head. “Clever girl.” The big hand scratched the canine between the ears. Bribed by a good looking women with food; better men have failed that test for sure. The ankal got dressed in leather breeches and his weapons. He wore no shirt and no armor because, well, it was hot outside.

The man walked out of his tent and began the quick stroll away from their pavilion into the open grass at the end of the Diamond spoke. When he reached the open field, he turned and removed his quiver, club and bow. He set them on the ground and began to stretch. The archer spread his feet past shoulder width and lifted his arms above his head until his hands could clasp. He bent at his side and leaned over until his arms were nearly parallel to the ground. After a ten count, he straightened and bent to the other side for the same amount of time. After this, he leaned to the right keeping his left leg straight but bending his right one at the knee. He placed his palms on the ground in front of him and pushed out on his right leg. He could feel the muscles stretching out while he counted to ten and then reversed his body to stretch the left leg. Azmere crawled forward into a plank and adjusted his arms out about a foot from his sides. He then did pushups going slowly so that he could focus on maintaining a straight body and rigid core muscles. This also allowed him to flex his pectorals and triceps with each up thrust. After thirty pushups, he brought his feet underneath him and stood straight.

His posture reflected his fitness and the ankal turned to find his trainee. Once Azmere met her gaze he signed for her to get her bow. He dipped and grasped Vihar and a single arrow. He notched, drew and aimed up in the air. His draw was a little past three-quarters. Without much care for aim, he released and watched it arc into the air and then come down about seventy yards from where he was standing. “Jasmine, shoot my arrow.” Azmere set Vihar back on the ground with his other gear and moved aside to watch. He had heard from some of the hunters that she was getting better but most of them only commented on her figure.

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine shook off the feeling. Standing up she got the axe strapped to her side and grabbed her quiver. Tying it to her side as well the blonde picked up her bow. Walking out of the tent she went to where the pair would be training. Looking around girl finally spotted the man and flushed watching him. To say she was not interested in him was a complete and total lie. The woman had been attracted to him from the beginning, even before she knew him well. Standing back a ways blue orbs watched the male as he flexed doing his push ups. Walking over the woman raised her bow and walked over. Jazmine watched as he shot the arrow, soon it lands about 70 yards out. Taking a deep breath the woman walked up before him.

"Okay," Jasmine said.

The blonde took her stance though it was wider than it should have been. Notching the arrow she held her arm straight. Raising the bow Jasmine stared down the shaft of her arrow before raising it just a little. The woman drew all the way back to her cheek, releasing half her breath before firing. The arrow whizzed through the air as his had done, yet it arched too soon and landed at about 50 yards away. Lowering the bow the girl growled with a slight glare knowing she could do far better. Raising a hand she notched one more arrow, pulling it back once more and aimed higher. Taking a deep breath the woman released half once more before firing. It arched just short of where his had as it stuck into the ground at 60 yards. His voice caught her attention, making the blonde turn to look at him. The scar caught her eye as it reminded her of what he had gone through.

[Azmere]

The ankal watched the form of the young woman as she drew and fired her shots. It was off a bit and there were some slight adjustments that instantly caught his eye. He was not much for teaching but he had accepted the fact that, as ankal, he would most likely be doing a lot of it. He left his gear upon the ground and moved towards her. “Notch and draw again but don’t fire.” Azmere stood just behind her but clear of contact so that Jasmine could prep a third shot without any hindrance. Once the blonde had done what he had asked, he cast his gaze up and down her body checking her stance. Her feet were too far apart and she had a strange angle to her arms. Speaking in terms of archery, that was about all he could see that needed corrected. Azmere found his cheeks warming as he studied the bright-eyes woman. She was a fit little number and the ankal took a moment to close his eyes and refocus.

When the gold and blue gaze was freed from its eyelids, it was all business. Azmere took a step forward so that his chest pressed against her back. His right arm went under her right arm and his left hand traced a finger down her left arm to her wrist. Glancing down, he used his left foot to push her left boot in a bit. “Try to keep your feet the same distance as your shoulders.” One adjustment down. The archer leaned his face in against hers placing his right cheek against her soft hair and skin. It tickled a little bit and the man felt his cheeks warming up again but Azmere needed to do it to look down her arm. Jasmine had her arm skewed in an acute manner. It was an honest mistake. Very few people started out with the proper form. Using his arms to guide hers, Azmere gently pulled her left arm out by her wrist. At the same time, his right forearm lifted up and pulled back on her right arm. “Make your arms as straight as you can. If you hold this line”, his hands ran inward from their places upon her wrist and elbow, “all you have to do is point at your target.” The motion put a slight amount of pressure between their bodies but more importantly, it made a straight line from Jasmine’s left wrist, up her arm, over both shoulders and then down to her right elbow.

Like anyone being moved about, the ankal’s student became slightly rigid. One of the greatest tools in an archer’s quiver was serenity. Even in battle, one had to relax. ”You have to let the weapon do its job. It won’t work if you try and force it.” Asmodeus voice rang in the mind of his grandson. Azmere took half a step back and left Jasmine holding her bow in the stance that he had molded. He placed a hand on each of her shoulders and then moved them slightly inward. He gave a few squeezes along the muscles that ran from her neck to her shoulders then allowed his fingers to run up and down alongside her spine. “Relax.” His fingers continued to dance against her shirt. It wasn’t his intention to tickle her but to break the stiffness he could see in her posture. “Take a deep breath as you find your target then release the arrow as you exhale.” Azmere stepped completely back from her with two large strides and watched. The other bonus which he had not explained was that with her new arm positions, she had a longer draw which would mean more power.

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine grabbed the third arrow and notched it. Pulling back the girl raised her arms and took aim again. A slight flush appeared when the archer pressed up against her. She was not used to any physical contact that did not end in her getting injured in some way. The girls eyes cut down to where he gently touched her on the wrist watching closely. She went slightly rigid when he began moving her around. Everything in the woman told her to draw her dagger from her boot, yet she knew it would do no good. Azmere would have the upper hand from the beginning of the fight in this position. 'Feet the same distance as my shoulders,' Jasmine thought glancing down. The feel of his cheek against hers made the blonde take a deep breath to calm her nerves. Blue orbs flicked to the side gazing at the man against her. Anyone who saw the pair would get a good laugh at how the two acted around each other.

Letting him move her arms the girl was able to pull back farther. Watching his hands till they could no longer be seen the girl closed her eyes. Taking deep breathes she listened to the man as he told her to relax. Forcing her body to listen the girl tried to calm down as the man ran his hands up and down her spin. Taking a final deep breath when he moved back she took aim and raised up pulling as far back as possible. Breathing out she fired the arrow and watched as it hit right beside his arrow. With a smile she turned to look at Azmere so happy.

“Again?” She asked still smiling excited to at least have gotten right beside his previously shot arrow.

[Azmere]

Azmere stood and watched the shot then eyed the instant improvement. He smirked and turned to face the blonde. His hands, devoid of a weapon mimicked the actions as he spoke. First, he answered her question. “Yes, again, but…” His body went into action. He kept his feet planted which reflected her own stance then twisted at his waist towards his back. He pretended like he was holding a bow. “Notch while facing away.” His hands began to simulate the motions while he rose up to a normal position much like the one he had been in while the archer observed Jasmine. “Draw as you rotate towards your target.” Once more, his body did exactly as his words conveyed. “Line up to fire so that when you reach here…” His body had settled into the firing position that he had used to lay out her target arrow and the one Jasmine had used to fire both shots. “You can fire.” He signed a few things after this. No delay. Instant.

A boom of thunder came from far off west. Azmere drew his eyes up and studied the horizon. Syna was up behind them but it seemed as if a herd of rainclouds were barreling over the steppes towards them. The ankal didn’t mind. They certainly had a bit of time though that could always change. Azmere returned his gaze back to his pavilion mate and prepared his mind to analyze her stance, form and subsequent shot. What came next was a flash to a time when life was far simpler.

Azmere was in pain from the freshly made scars. His mother was tending a boiling pot next to the fire. Asmodeus was gathering things to teach the young lad how to throw a spear. Lightning split the sky and it terrified the boy. Azmere watched his younger self run, shaking, to his mother. The storm must remind him of his bad experience. The woman patted her son but shooed him off to a stern faced man. The Stormwarden cracked a smile as the thunder boomed above him. “Come boy, you have nothing to fear from the Father of Storms.” The flashback faded but Azmere smiled softly as he recalled how his grandfather had played with him in every storm for the entire season until the boy grew out of his fear. Refocused, Azmeere narrowed his gaze at Jasmine; eager to critique her skills so that she can improve and grow. Afterall, an ankal is known best by the people in his pavilion.

[Jasmine Stormblood]

The blonde watched as he smirked at her. His request for her to watch caused the woman to turn fully watching him. Confusion crossed the girl's face when he spoke of turning away and notching her arrow. Had Azmere truly lost his mind? Jasmine did not know how fire while moving, the few times she had tried the woman had gotten lucky. Most of her practices had been without all the extra moving, though she knew somewhere in the back of her mind that was unrealistic. In battle or in hunting the blonde was often moving around trying to stay out of harms way. Though from the scars it was obviously not working out as well as she had hoped.

“Okay. I will try,” Jasmine said still a little nervous.

Gripping her bow the woman turned to the right and pulled an arrow from her quiver. With a great amount of difficulty the blonde finally stopped and took a deep breath. She allowed herself several chimes to collect herself. Her hands slowly stopped shaking becoming steady once more. New techniques seemed to cause the woman a great amount of anxiety. Still without opening her eyes Jasmine slowly lifted her right hand. Placing it on the end of her arrows, fingers slowly closed and captured one in its grasp. Pulling her arm up till the upper part was straight at the shoulder, she allowed the arrow to shift in her fingers. It went sideways as her forearm extended to the side.

Opening her eyes the blonde notched the arrow and took another deep breath. Starting a slow and steady transition to straight once more. All the while she pulled the arrow back into position. As her transition finished the blonde released. Wincing some the blonde instantly realized that she had not been straight enough. Her arrow arched at a distance far greater than anything the pair had shot already. The weapon stuck into the ground at least five yards behind Azmere's arrow. Wincing the girl turned to look to her teacher. She expected the same fury her previous ankal would have responded with, and this fear could be seen in her posture.

“I'm going to need a lot of practice,” Jasmine said with a guilty look on her face.

[Azmere]

Azmere stood and watch the actions of the woman. The young blonde was not so much a natural archer as she was a natural doer. Her motions were choppy and undisciplined but she had never done anything like this before. The techniques and styles developed by seasoned hunters and warriors come from bells upon bells of practice that generate muscle memory. It’s why an expert can fire several shots and have it appear it look as simple as breathing.

The contrasting gaze followed the shot until it landed beyond his own. Close was not bad for a beginner. No one could deny that Jasmine was strong especially after she loaded and fired such a shot. The ankal turned about and leveled his stare at the playful gal with the expectation of meeting a fiery gaze or stubborn look of defiance but he was surprised to find neither. His pupil was almost cringing in a slumped stance of defeat. Upon seeing this, Azmere set his bow aside and walked with purpose towards her. As the distance shrank, he made certain to ease his way closer to her. When he got within arm’s reach, he used the back of his fingers to gently lift her chin until their eyes met. With his almost signature half-smile, the man tried to impress as much light-hearted emotion into his face.

“Good shot. You can practice that on your own. Let’s move on to something else.” His hands signed good start and then bent into the sign for melee. Azmere dropped back into a balanced stance that was commonly used in wrestling. His eyes revealed a playful glint from the masked light of Syna. Azmere dropped his right leg back and tilted his shoulders then waved his hand at Jasmine as if beckoning her to attack. All the while, the sky darkened and the distant rumble of thunder announced a coming storm.