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

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.*

Svava almost wails. "But it wasn't an enemy, it was you!" Which is why she's making a fuss over this. Attention right now at trying to pull his shirt off- she has it down almost off his right arm, but its caught up on Archie's left shoulder still. A worried tug on it, then looking back up at Archie and then Alanna.

Finally, she notes the wound and the scar. Svava bites her lip, and looks back to trying to get the cuff of the sleeve down and off.

He finally notices that his shirt's halfway off and feebly attempts to recover it from Svava. His voice is reduced to a whisper, pleading, heavy with shame.

"No..."

As her half turns, his back is seen to be cris-crossed with lash marks. Some are thin white lines, very old and well healed. Others are newer, deeper, still shiny and pink though still old themselves. He's almost forgotten about those.

Goddess. *Alanna grits her teeth and looks at Archie with solemn eyes. After a moment, she simply nods and looks to Svava to make sure she's alright.*

Svava? Do you want to heal him or shall I?

Archie's facing her, she hasn't seen his back. Svava's looking up at Archie, puzzled and concered, letting him take his shirt back. She reaches up to brush her hand against his cheek.

"Ég ást þú. "

She drops her hand down to rest on his, clenched on his shirt.

"Let me heal it?"

It's her voice that does it, he's got tears in his eyes now and he hates it. He shies away from her touch, finally pulling abruptly from both girls grasps.

"Just... Please, no. You shouldn't have to."

He turns, finally giving Svava the full view of his back, and grabs his jacket and waistcoat from the branch they had been deposited earlier.

With a muttered apology, he makes his escape, hurriedly pulling his crumpled and bloodstained shirt back on as he goes.

Patrons of the bar might notice a rather upset, half-dressed sailor storming through the bar in a few moments, but probably not. He's heading towards his room (http://www.livejournal.com/users/prone_to_panic/2107.html).

Wide-eyed, watching Archie storm off. Svava bites her lip, and looks at Alanna.

There's something murmured that might be an apology or plea- and she's running off to follow Archie.

*Alanna stares after them both with equally wide eyes.*

Gods... *Sighing, she retrieves both their swords and the rest of hers before heading back inside.*

Out by the lake: Elaine's sword lesson

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