Glow
Punmaker Extrordinare
It was early morning. Hazel had decided to get a head start on her bow practice. She stood in the empty training room staring at the targets in front of her. She did okay with the first couple of hours after she had gotten the bow, but she wanted to do better. She wished she had remembered to bring her iPod and portable speakers with her. Some music while she practiced would have been nice. With a fluid motion she took an arrow out and nocked it. Taking a deep breath, she drew the arrow back and let it fly; watching it sail towards the target. The arrow struck just a little to the left of the bulls eye. "Nice." she said to herself, as she pulled out another arrow.
*Victor wandered into the training room with the intent of cleaning it some only to find Hazel already there practicing. He sat back quietly and watched, not wanting to break her concentration or scare her. She was a natural with with the weapon from what he could tell.
Taking another shot, the landed not too far from the bulls-eye. "That was a great shot, m'lady."
Hazel spun at the sound of Victor's voice. She grinned when she saw him. "Hey, Victor. Thanks! I didn't think it would be this easy." She looked away. Eyrth's transformation still bothered her. More than she would have liked. "Hey, so um, are there any other things that happen to me after the Forge? Besides, you know," she held up the bow.
*Victor smiled at her broad grin, but suddenly she looked troubled. He walked into the room, keeping his back straight as he could, and came to her side. " What will happen is...you'll become a great Guardian archer," he replied, giving her an encouraging smile, "Are you worried about what will happen out in the field?"
"A little," she replied with a half smile. "I haven't done any fighting. None of my family where in the military." She let a out a bit of a laugh. "I'm not sure how I'll be able to defend myself against anything magical."
*The soldier nodded in understanding. When he first joined the Black Guard, he had worried the same things. They took him in though, trained him, and even taught him to read.
"You just need some basics to practice is all, they eventually become instinct," Victor smiled, "I can show you some things if you'd like."
Hazel brightened. "Really? I would love that! Thank you." It felt better knowing that she had someone to show her the ropes. "So, what do I do?"
*Victor grinned at Hazel, catching some of her enthusiasm. "Of course!"
The young soldier motioned for her to follow him over to a dueling platform near the back of the training room "A few basics that can help don't really even involve your weapon. I can show you some of those."
He stepped up into the training platform and offered his free hand to her. "Have you ever been in a fight before?"
"Not really." Hazel said, taking his hand. My brother's wrestled a lot though. "I had to pull them apart once when it got a little out of hand."
*He pulled her onto the platform and then let go of her hand before stepping back. "I had brothers too. Five of them actually. We caused a fair bit of trouble for my mum," he chuckled. His eyes grew distant for just a moment, and his smile shrank some, as he remembered his brothers. He'd give anything to see them again. Even if it was for just one last brawl. Blinking a few times, he looked back to hazel and came back to the moment. It was easy to do with her.
"Alright, fighting. Let's see you make a fist, yeah?"
Hazel felt a pang of sadness for Victor. She couldn't imagine losing her siblings. She didn't ask him about it. There where some memories best left undisturbed. She clenched her hand. "Like this?"
*Victor looked over her fist and shook his head, with a small smile. "Ah, you're asking for a broken thumb this way." He reached up and adjusted her thumb to be further down from her knuckles, noticing how rough his hands were compared to hers. "Like this," he nodded, then, he tapped her middle knuckle lightly with his own thumb, "Always hit with the flat of this finger. It will keep you from hurting your wrist. Keep your wrist strong."
Stepping back from her, he held up his free palm like a target. "Alright, Miss Hazel. Show me what you can do."
Hazel squared up like a boxer and glared at Victor's palm. She studied it for a moment, then let her wrist fly; connecting it to Victor's palm with a smack. "How was that?" She grinned.
*Victor caught her fist in his palm with a gentle squeeze and grinned. "Good hit! You can get more power into though if you change just a few things with your follow through. He let go of her hand and came around to the side, tapping her shoulder. "May I?"
"Um, yeah sure." Hazle replied. Unsure of what he was going to do.
*He put a hand on her shoulder and turned her some, letting her feel the movement, before pushing her back to the start position. "Rather than just the power of your arm, use your whole body. There's devastating power behind a strike using your body weight."
Then he stepped back and held up his palm again with a nod. "Try again, this time using that same motion. Follow through with your entire body."
Hazel nodded. She narrowed her eyes again, and glared at his fist. Putting her body through the motion that Victor had shown her she let her fist fly in to his palm.
*This time there was a loud pop as her fist connected with his palm. He grabbed her hand, only to let go of it in order to shake off the stinging her punch had left behind. "Ow. Good hit!" He grinned.
Hazel's eye's widened and she backed off a little. "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry! I didn't break anything did I?" She felt like an idiot. Why did I hit so hard?
*"No! No, I'm fine. See?" Victor stepped towards her showing his hand to her. There was a red mark in the middle of his palm but otherwise he was unhurt. His eyes met Hazel's and he smiled. "Not hurt. Though I pity the monster that tries fighting you, Miss. Hazel."
Hazel looked down and bushed a little. "Aw come on I'm not that good." Though secretly she was pleased. She always wanted to learn how to through a good punch.
*"Hey, a Black Guardsman never lies," Victor replied with a little chuckle. The soldier leaned to the left and pulled his dagger from its sheath on his hip. Flipping the dagger with practiced fingers, he offered the pommel and hilt to Hazel with a small smile. "You should learn some knife work as well."
Hazel took the dagger. "Ah, shouldn't we be using dull blades?"
*"I'm only going to show you a few key uses so you can use the practice dummies," he smiled gently, as he started adjusting her grip. He moved her fingers around the handle and showed her how using her thumb could give extra strength to her grip.
"Now, for the most effective strike you want to aim for the belly or just above at the liver," he instructed, "Both will cause your opponent to bleed out quickly and a disabling pain."
With each area he spoke of, he guided the point of the dagger over each, being careful not to get to close. "Do you see?"
Hazel blanched a little but nodded. "Belly and liver, lots of blood, got it."
Victor noticed her discomfort at the idea. Even though it was still a grizzly thing to do to someone, it was important she knew how to protect herself. Especially, because while Lady would be there watching over them, he wanted to be there protecting too. He slipped a calloused hand over hers and gave it a comforting squeeze over the dagger before letting go. "I want you to keep this dagger with you when you go out into the field. I've kept it sharp and even though its not a magicked blade, it will serve you well."
"Thank you," Hazel said; turning the dagger over on her hands. "I really appreciate you teaching me all this. It'll be nice going out there somewhat prepared."
"If I could, I would go you," Victor blurted out. He was entirely serious in his words even if they did make him panic a little. "Er- everyone, of course."
"I know," she said. "I'll be fine. Now that I've got some self defense under my belt." She grinned, holstering the knife.
He grinned, admiring her spirit. "Yes, Miss. Hazel. I think you will do wonderfully."
*credits to aryamajor
*Victor wandered into the training room with the intent of cleaning it some only to find Hazel already there practicing. He sat back quietly and watched, not wanting to break her concentration or scare her. She was a natural with with the weapon from what he could tell.
Taking another shot, the landed not too far from the bulls-eye. "That was a great shot, m'lady."
Hazel spun at the sound of Victor's voice. She grinned when she saw him. "Hey, Victor. Thanks! I didn't think it would be this easy." She looked away. Eyrth's transformation still bothered her. More than she would have liked. "Hey, so um, are there any other things that happen to me after the Forge? Besides, you know," she held up the bow.
*Victor smiled at her broad grin, but suddenly she looked troubled. He walked into the room, keeping his back straight as he could, and came to her side. " What will happen is...you'll become a great Guardian archer," he replied, giving her an encouraging smile, "Are you worried about what will happen out in the field?"
"A little," she replied with a half smile. "I haven't done any fighting. None of my family where in the military." She let a out a bit of a laugh. "I'm not sure how I'll be able to defend myself against anything magical."
*The soldier nodded in understanding. When he first joined the Black Guard, he had worried the same things. They took him in though, trained him, and even taught him to read.
"You just need some basics to practice is all, they eventually become instinct," Victor smiled, "I can show you some things if you'd like."
Hazel brightened. "Really? I would love that! Thank you." It felt better knowing that she had someone to show her the ropes. "So, what do I do?"
*Victor grinned at Hazel, catching some of her enthusiasm. "Of course!"
The young soldier motioned for her to follow him over to a dueling platform near the back of the training room "A few basics that can help don't really even involve your weapon. I can show you some of those."
He stepped up into the training platform and offered his free hand to her. "Have you ever been in a fight before?"
"Not really." Hazel said, taking his hand. My brother's wrestled a lot though. "I had to pull them apart once when it got a little out of hand."
*He pulled her onto the platform and then let go of her hand before stepping back. "I had brothers too. Five of them actually. We caused a fair bit of trouble for my mum," he chuckled. His eyes grew distant for just a moment, and his smile shrank some, as he remembered his brothers. He'd give anything to see them again. Even if it was for just one last brawl. Blinking a few times, he looked back to hazel and came back to the moment. It was easy to do with her.
"Alright, fighting. Let's see you make a fist, yeah?"
Hazel felt a pang of sadness for Victor. She couldn't imagine losing her siblings. She didn't ask him about it. There where some memories best left undisturbed. She clenched her hand. "Like this?"
*Victor looked over her fist and shook his head, with a small smile. "Ah, you're asking for a broken thumb this way." He reached up and adjusted her thumb to be further down from her knuckles, noticing how rough his hands were compared to hers. "Like this," he nodded, then, he tapped her middle knuckle lightly with his own thumb, "Always hit with the flat of this finger. It will keep you from hurting your wrist. Keep your wrist strong."
Stepping back from her, he held up his free palm like a target. "Alright, Miss Hazel. Show me what you can do."
Hazel squared up like a boxer and glared at Victor's palm. She studied it for a moment, then let her wrist fly; connecting it to Victor's palm with a smack. "How was that?" She grinned.
*Victor caught her fist in his palm with a gentle squeeze and grinned. "Good hit! You can get more power into though if you change just a few things with your follow through. He let go of her hand and came around to the side, tapping her shoulder. "May I?"
"Um, yeah sure." Hazle replied. Unsure of what he was going to do.
*He put a hand on her shoulder and turned her some, letting her feel the movement, before pushing her back to the start position. "Rather than just the power of your arm, use your whole body. There's devastating power behind a strike using your body weight."
Then he stepped back and held up his palm again with a nod. "Try again, this time using that same motion. Follow through with your entire body."
Hazel nodded. She narrowed her eyes again, and glared at his fist. Putting her body through the motion that Victor had shown her she let her fist fly in to his palm.
*This time there was a loud pop as her fist connected with his palm. He grabbed her hand, only to let go of it in order to shake off the stinging her punch had left behind. "Ow. Good hit!" He grinned.
Hazel's eye's widened and she backed off a little. "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry! I didn't break anything did I?" She felt like an idiot. Why did I hit so hard?
*"No! No, I'm fine. See?" Victor stepped towards her showing his hand to her. There was a red mark in the middle of his palm but otherwise he was unhurt. His eyes met Hazel's and he smiled. "Not hurt. Though I pity the monster that tries fighting you, Miss. Hazel."
Hazel looked down and bushed a little. "Aw come on I'm not that good." Though secretly she was pleased. She always wanted to learn how to through a good punch.
*"Hey, a Black Guardsman never lies," Victor replied with a little chuckle. The soldier leaned to the left and pulled his dagger from its sheath on his hip. Flipping the dagger with practiced fingers, he offered the pommel and hilt to Hazel with a small smile. "You should learn some knife work as well."
Hazel took the dagger. "Ah, shouldn't we be using dull blades?"
*"I'm only going to show you a few key uses so you can use the practice dummies," he smiled gently, as he started adjusting her grip. He moved her fingers around the handle and showed her how using her thumb could give extra strength to her grip.
"Now, for the most effective strike you want to aim for the belly or just above at the liver," he instructed, "Both will cause your opponent to bleed out quickly and a disabling pain."
With each area he spoke of, he guided the point of the dagger over each, being careful not to get to close. "Do you see?"
Hazel blanched a little but nodded. "Belly and liver, lots of blood, got it."
Victor noticed her discomfort at the idea. Even though it was still a grizzly thing to do to someone, it was important she knew how to protect herself. Especially, because while Lady would be there watching over them, he wanted to be there protecting too. He slipped a calloused hand over hers and gave it a comforting squeeze over the dagger before letting go. "I want you to keep this dagger with you when you go out into the field. I've kept it sharp and even though its not a magicked blade, it will serve you well."
"Thank you," Hazel said; turning the dagger over on her hands. "I really appreciate you teaching me all this. It'll be nice going out there somewhat prepared."
"If I could, I would go you," Victor blurted out. He was entirely serious in his words even if they did make him panic a little. "Er- everyone, of course."
"I know," she said. "I'll be fine. Now that I've got some self defense under my belt." She grinned, holstering the knife.
He grinned, admiring her spirit. "Yes, Miss. Hazel. I think you will do wonderfully."
*credits to aryamajor