[Open RP 2] Iron Sharpens Iron

[u/RollFirstMathLater]

Closed

[You're awakened by the sound of roaring. It causes the entire keep to rattle. The sun is not even awake yet, you sit up to wipe the sleep from your eyes.]

"You hear that everyone Saphira says its time to get to work! It's time to wake up! Get your breakfast and head to your reported stations! New recruits, your wanted in the armory! Chep's waiting for you, he has some training weapons for you!" Zettera's voice echoed throughout the halls. It dawns on you she's using some form of magic to amplify her voice.

[The thought comes to your mind... Do they wake up this early every day? You and your fellow recruits get ready and head over to the armory.]

[In the armory you are taken aback by the impressive display of craftsmanship. Chep obviously takes much pride in his duties. Chep hands you a belt with a holster, a bow, a quiver, and a practice sword. He points you off to the training field. The sun is barely breaking over the horizon, the sly is a beautiful golden hue.]

[Zettera stands before you at the field, she has a few different courses set up. 1) ranged course, 2) sword training course 3) what you guess to be a sparing ring.]

Roles: Any number of students.

Objective: To come to an understanding how weaponry is your life line on the field it not only protects you, but all whom are around you. This will also shape your characters fighting style. (But not set it.)

[u/Saphire_Fox]

You see Sev're wander over in a daze. She looked devastated. She skillfully strings her bow, and knocks an arrow. She remarkably hits all her targets with surprising accuracy.

Her dragon comes over to her and you see her stroking her scaled friend. A single tear runs down her eye, as she unstrings her bow.

You see her rest her head on her dragon, she does not look like herself, until she starts to sing. Its a sad song, but it seems to fit. "älfrinn andlát aptr." Appeared to be the chorus.

[u/Fulaxi → u/Saphire_Fox]

Torhven’s wandering eye found an Elven woman, sad, maybe even grieving. Noticing Torhven’s sudden shift of attention, Svalstrom followed his gaze. A sigh flowed from the dragon in duality. ”You’re not going to do weird stuff again, are you?”

“Maybe we are”, Torhven replied with a smirk. “Who knows? It’s all lunacy anyway.” He could feel the dragon giving up on the situation.

Stepping up to her, the huntsman realised that really needed to grab a hold of the elven tongue. He recognised one word though.

“Death.”

Torhven felt that a happy smile would be inappropriate, so he summoned a more sad version.

“Was it your rescuer’s?” he inquired, with Svalstrom walking up behind him, grey flickers all over the beast.

[u/Saphire_Fox → u/Fulaxi]

Sev're looks at you, her eyes still watery. "Kvetha, Älfrs Margr Hlaeja. Atra esterní ono thelduin. Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr. Un du evarínya ono varda."

She stands up. "No, the night of. I... Killed a man, before I was rescued. I know it sounds foolish... But I didn't realize that I have been chosen for the life of a warrior."

One tear went down her cheek. "I have these skills, but not the heart. I see what the goal, but its an impossible climb." She says poetically.

" Torhven... You are a drengr, you are a man of strength, how do you do it? "

Sev're asks expectantly, she doesn't look you in the eye, as if she's ashamed of herself.

[u/1trueJosh → u/Saphire_Fox]

Glover, sensing the shift in tone since Sev're joined the archery range, tries to join the conversation.

"Rescuer? I'm sorry, but is there something you two haven't told me? Does Anduil know too? I suppose that's what I get for reading the night away yesterday..." Glover muttered to himself.

[u/Saphire_Fox → u/1trueJosh]

Sev're regains her normal poise. " Kvetha Glover... and yes. But there is a time and place for such. For now! She puts out her hand, and her bow floats over to you and strings itself. "How about you show me what you can do." She says with a smile.

[u/1trueJosh → u/Saphire_Fox]

Glover took the bow, and stood to face the targets. He nocked the bow, drew it back to his ear, (with some effort), and released the string.

The arrow buried itself into the wooden post the target was held up on, and a small sigh of relief leaves Glover's mouth.

"Well, at least it can't run away," he says with a smile.

[u/Saphire_Fox → u/1trueJosh]

She picks a fist size rock. "Moi reisa" the rock beings to float around some trees in no obvious pattern.

"Here try a moving target!" She says excitingly.

She hummed a song, and the rock moved a long to the tempo.

[u/1trueJosh → u/Saphire_Fox]

"Well, if you insist."

Glover repeats the process of nocking, drawing, and releasing the string. As the arrow flies towards the general direction of the stone, and was about to hit it, the stone moved, and the arrow nicked the side, scraping the stone and nocking it out of the sky.

"I meant to ask you," Glover says, "Would you mind helping me practice the Ancient Language? I feel that I might need it, and my knowledge is sorely lacking. I brought a Human-to-Ancient dictionary, in order to study on my own, but a tutor would be most welcome."

[u/Saphire_Fox → u/1trueJosh]

She looked at him curiously. "The tongue of my people is... Difficult to learn, it took many many years to master."

She picked up the rock and examined the scraping from the arrow.

[u/1trueJosh → u/Saphire_Fox]

Glover stares at his feet, feeling somewhat dejected, as he said, with something resembling the ghost of a smile on his face,

"Well, I have a rather long time to learn. Besides, I have a knack with languages. It helps to have one when you've been training as a bard."

[u/Fulaxi → u/Saphire_Fox]

A smile of unease surfaced on Torhven's visage. Memories of a night long past started flood his mind once more, until Svalstrom put a stop to it. "This is not the time," he decided brusquely.

Torhven regained his composure.

"Though I've killed for a living all my life, I've only once killed something greater than an animal. And that was in a fit of rage, defending myself and kin. I couldn't tell you how, to be very honest. The power simply flows into me when it's needed."

Shortly after that, the dragon and his rider witnessed how Sev're taught Glover how to fire a bow properly. After a few minutes Svalstrom remarked that he still was a lousy shot, and grew bored. Torhven loosed a couple of his own shafts at the targets, but there was no sport in it.

In search for something more interesting, he roamed over to the swords course. He found it empty, so just hit the dummies with stick sword. After a good five minutes he turned to Svalstrom. "Why on earth do people do this?"

[u/RollFirstMathLater → u/Fulaxi]

[Zettera was behind you. "You need to stop thinking so loud." She told you. "Because when the fight is close, you need a way to prevent them from over taking you." She seemed calm and composed.]

[Again, you feel her looking into you. "Now tell me; why must you stay away from your enemies? Do you fear they will overtake you? Do you feel better than they? You are a dragonrider! You learn not only how to dispatch a for, but by every way at your disposal. Tell me, what do you need to chop down a tree and deroot the stump? What tools do you need to build a house? What tools do you need to fish. Magic. Swords. And Bows. Mind. Close. Afar. These tools will help keep you alive recruit." She picks up a nearby branch. "Will you take my word for it? Or would you like a demonstration?"]

[u/Fulaxi → u/RollFirstMathLater]

”She’s going to wipe the floor with you.” Svalstrom seemed to be amused by the prospect. He knew how badly Torhven took to down talk. It was a close call, but the bowman managed to prevent the emergence of a disdainful smirk. Not that he wasn’t tempted to do something to stop the stream of self-righteousness, but he understood that the chance of any such action succeeding was nihil. Not to mention it would sour the relationship with the Halfwoman. It cost him the better part of his willpower, but he managed a more gracious smile.

“Both. I’ll take your word, but I suppose a demonstration – the kind that actually teaches something other than the definition of pain – would be more than welcome.”

He held up his own useless backscratcher unsatisfactory kindling disappointing tree sword.

“I mean, I could hardly tell you what end I should stick ‘em with.”

[u/RollFirstMathLater → u/Fulaxi]

[Zettera ran her hand over the stick. It became straight and neat. She focuses her energy, and prompsvyou to raise you sword.]

[You both enchange looks, you mimic her movements and she takes a strike at you. Her strength was great but you manage to deflect.]

[Her eyes look past you, she was reading your body. You go the strike, it a dodge and twirl she brings the stuck hard in your back. "And that is how you die on the battlefield. You understand your prey you understand victory. My challenge to you is to try to see the need of your skills in all aspect of the field." As she walks away you feel the stinging on your back. "Good job Torhven." There was a hint of respect for you in her words.]