milliways_bar | Out by the lake: Elaine's sword lesson

A faint smile and nod to Archie. "I know." Quietly.

Its easy for her to remember motions and movements- she picks up dances like nothing. Taking this motions and putting them in a situation where they'd have to change at an instant? Will yet to be seen.

Thus said, Svava follows Alanna's drill.

He follows the drill, noting the slight variations. He's not being distracted by the fact that he's got two beautiful women near him moving gracefully with bladed weapons. Alas for his maleness.

"It is good to be practicing again. I think, Lady Alanna, that with Svava's blade, the relative smallness can be used to her advantage, it can most likely be maneuvered far quicker than great swords and the like."

He realizes that Alanna's probably thought of this long ago, but he's thinking out loud, trying to remember different techniques.

I'm glad, Archie. *She smiles at his insight.* True. Perhaps we should see how well it holds up against your blade? If you will please cross swords and prepare to face off... *Alanna sheathes her own blade and watches them intently.* Try to utilize the first drill, and attack and defend as you see fit. Move slowly at first if it suits you.

A blink, looking at Alanna, then a slow, careful nod, glancing at Archie. Svava takes a deep breath.

"First drill for the sparring, alright." She walks over to Archie, and gives him a wan smile and nod, moving the sword up to a guard position.

He nods slowly, blade at the ready. He's trying not to think of Alanna scrutinizing his every move, even though he knows that that is exactly what he had wanted her to do.

He looks steadily at Svava, his opponent.

"Attacking is always better than defending, move into my defense. Your weapon is smaller, quicker than mine, try to get close enough that I don't have enough room to block."

He glances back at Alanna for approval of his advice.

Couldn't have said it better myself, Archie. Svava, your greatest strengths are your speed and agility. Keep moving, look for him to make a mistake and strike quickly. Don't jab.

*Nodding, Alanna motions for them to begin.*

And they're both telling her to attack Archie. So, any fears and reservations get pushed away- 'best at dealing', Yamino said.

Attack. Get in quick, keep it fast. At least there wasn't anything Archie could do to hurt her.

Svava nods to them both, blade up- and a fast step in, following the footsteps of the earlier drill Alanna went over with her and Elaine. Seax blade up, flashing. Feint right high, then move back for a slash down.

Left arm and hand back for balance- no, no runes here, remember that.

"Good"

Sabre up and around, knocking her blade aside. Follow through, turn, and sweep up to shoulder level. He knows his blade can't hurt her, and the lesson taught by letting him through her guard will have a far greater impact than letting her win.

He hopes she'll understand why.

Get upset for getting hit with a blade? Archie didn't see her fly back from getting whapped by Faith, did he? There's a frown at getting hit, but that's more out of surprise and at herself for it happening. A step back to regroup-

Turn, strike, slash, dodge. Keep in close, she's smaller.

He finds himself stepping back to keep his longer blade in play, she's taking the advice to heart he notes with approval.

A block and a twisting swipe that comes perilously close to laying her arm open (if he were using a blade that could harm her), but she catches it just in time.

He's still got a pleased, approving look on his face.

A faint frown, but the slash is blocked. That is what she needs to learn- the weapons at Ragnarok will be like her own, and she must learn to block them.
She must.

Svava steps in closer, blade flashing, and ringing when it strikes his. Back along the foot work of the drill Alanna just taught them. Forward, side, forwards, back- that part's like dancing, and is almost too easy. Wide eyes watching Archie's every move, serious, studious.

Archie steps back again, and the footing isn't good. There's a side step to adjust, and Svava's blade slips past his saber.

He's not blocking.

Wider eyes, and she quickly pulls back, trying to stop--

But not before the tip of the seax blade slices through his shirt and nicks his flesh.

Archie spins away, irritated at himself for letting his missed footing let her past his defense. His blade is still at the ready as he touches the spot where his shirt was torn.

He is startled when his fingers come away wet with blood.

"I barely felt that. I didn't know I could still bleed..."

*Alanna leaps forward as Archie attempts to negotiate the poor footing. She feels herself wince as Svava's blade connects.*

Goddess! Archie... *She skids to a halt before them, eyes locked on the tear in his shirt.* Are you alright? Of course you can bleed... Alex bled. Ack, Archie. *She bites her lip.*

She's already pulling back, eyes wide. She at least doesn't drop her blade- good training? Its a controlled set down, really.

"Archie! I'm sorry. Gods..." Practice blades. Next time, practice blades- so the calm part of her mind mentions.

"I'm sorry!" Again, and Svava hurries over.

"Fine. I'm fine. It just... startled me. I've had worse, believe me."

He backs away a step, not wanting two females flailing at him at once, no matter how attractive or how good they are at healing.

"It's just a scratch I think."

Wasn't the fact that he's dead supposed to keep things like this from happening again?

Just a scratch? *Alanna chews on her lower lip and eyes the blood on his hand.* Are you sure? We can heal you.

Please?

The einherjar in Valhalla and Sesrunmir still bled, so its not much of a surprise or anything out of the ordinary to Svava.

"I should have been more careful. Watched what I was doing." Svava bites her lip, eyes wide. "Much more careful. Or practice blades." She trails off, voice faint.

"... Please, let either one of us heal it, Archie?"

"NO! It's fine, really..."

His eyes are still a little too wide, like a startled deer's. Only more blue.

"It's..."

He touches the wound again, and is surprised to once more find his fingers wet with his own blood.

"Oh. Still bleeding..."

Yes, still bleeding. *Alanna frowns and ignores Archie's protests. She reaches over and tugs gently on his shirt.* Archie, don't be stubborn. You have two healers before you. *She swears at the blood.*

"Still bleeding." A bit muttered, her own eyes wide. She rests her hand on one of Archie's arms for a moment, then gives him a faint nod, trying to be reassuring. "Please. We'll take care of it, and..." Forget sparring and go and do something else- "go back to practicing or something."

He looks at Svava and then his sabre, forgotten in his hand still.

"I'm fine. It wil heal."

Svava's got one arm, and he's not about to push Alanna away with a sword in his other hand. The women have him trapped between them.

*Alanna quirks an eyebrow at Svava as if to say "He's yours. I'm just here for support." Eyes steady, she forcibly removes the sword from his hand and tosses it aside.*

It will heal. Because we will heal it now. You're as bad as Jon. *She says this affectionately.*

"Jon who?" Idlely to Alanna, then nodding at her. Fluttering hands move to the buttons on Archie's shirt.

Svava actually isn't blushing. She's too worried. A glance up at Archie with wide eyes, and she bites her lip. "Should have been more careful. I'm sorry." Almost whispered.

Later- maybe- she'll blush at the memory of pulling his shirt open and trying to help Archie get it off.

For the moment, just for the moment, Archie's to preoccupied by the look on Svava's face to notice that she's actually taking his shirt off for him.

"NO. You did exactly what you were supposed to be doing. You wouldn't be making this much fuss over an enemy you stuck. You would simply move on to the next one."

He's still looking into her eyes, willing for her to understand as she starts to raise his shirt up. A flat stomach is revealed and the thin cut just at the base of his ribs on the left side. The bleeding is just beginning to slow.

This is not however, the most remarkable sight. That dubious honor would belong to the twisted scar just above it. It looks like what a bulet wound might look like if it had been opened farther in an attempt to remove the ball and then stitched clumsily back. The edges are ragged a bit, as if at some point the stitches might have torn through the skin due to some stress unwisely put upon them. Which is precisely what happened.

King Jonathan. He's my oldest friend...

*She trails off with a curse at the sight of Archie's scar. Taking a deep breath, she averts her eyes. Alanna knows something of scars, oh yes.*

Out by the lake: Elaine's sword lesson

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)