What Is a Week-end, ii. [Torin]

[Aurin]

Lake Udori
8 Frost 121

"I wanna learn to fight, too!" Timon asserted; Aurin could respect him for standing up for himself and what he wanted, and he did want to teach the boy how to take care of himself. It would be easier to start now when he was young than wait until he was grown as Torin had. But while on some level, he acknowledged responsibility for Timon because he was responsible for Torin, he tried to make a habit of supporting Torin's authority rather than undermining it. He could already feel Timon's calculating eyes upon him sometimes as the clever lad figured things out for himself. He didn't want the lad to disrespect his master, who had been so good to him, just to curry favor with Aurin himself even if Aurin was rather sure Torin wouldn't fight him if he ever exerted any sort of opinion.

While he ceded that topic to Torin, he shrugged out of his coat and laid it on a nearby boulder, peeling off his shirt and tossing it on top. There was enough of a clearing that they could safely spar; the dead grass and soft turf were enough of a cushion to keep landings from hurting too much. There weren't hidden stones to turn an ankle on. All in all, they could box or wrestle and injuries could be kept to a minimum.

He figured Timon could at least watch and then if Torin allowed, Aurin could teach him a few of the basics. He was skinny even for his age, so it wasn't outside the realm of possibility that bigger youths might try to assert themselves to his detriment. It was better to equip Timon to take care of himself than to get into legal trouble for killing anyone who laid a hand on him, child or otherwise. They might think his whole 'I'm a bad man' thing was just a schtick, but most people in Kalzasi hadn't seen him cornered or full of vengeance. They were luckier for that.

[Torin Kilvin]

Torin stood in a clearing near the beach with his mentor and his apprentice. It was mid-morning and Aurin had suggested they continue the sparring they had begun the last time they had visited the lake. Timon had not been with them that time, and was now requesting (demanding) to be allowed to learn too. Torin had taken Lady Kala's suggestion that the boy be given fencing lessons when Torin went for his polearm training, and he suspected that Timon often stayed longer when he was sent with a message to Cintamani Pavilion to have a quick lesson.

A season ago Torin might have worried that the boy was taking advantage of the kindness of his patron, but he was now working to accept that the twins truly enjoyed the company of the two young blond men they also employed. So, it wasn't like this would even be the first type of fighting Torin allowed Timon to learn. Looking over at Aurin, just to check that the fox-like man was onboard with the younger boy joining them, then nodded.

Shrugging out of his coat was as far as he went. Aurin might enjoy the punishing cold but Torin was a man who spent the majority of his waking time only a few feet from a forge and he didn't particularly enjoy the cold. Timon was still little and skinny, so Torin told him to keep his own coat and gloves on while they learned.

"You can learn to take a hit when you're bigger." Was Torin's only caveat, but Timon scoffed immediately, answering him with,

"I can take a hit, done that plenty. Need to know how to give one."

The older blond tried to not grow angry at the phantom of their old master, or whoever might have been laying their fists on the younger boy, shaking his limbs out in preparation for the mock fighting.

"Alright, bad man," He said, his voice sounding more serious than it usually did when he used the nickname, "Why don't you come at me for a bit and then tell me what I did wrong? Timon can watch for a bit and then we can go through the basics again together?"

[Aurin]

When Torin laid out his restrictions for Timon, Aurin nodded his understanding and his approval. He would do what he could for Timon, but he thought it was better that Torin be the one who was truly responsible for him, so he could grow up to be a good man who could take care of himself, not a warped soul corrupted by all that was wrong with Aurin. And Aurin didn't enjoy the cold, and was still acclimated to the warmer climate of more southerly places even after all this time. For him, it was something to be suffered and endured so he wouldn't be fazed by it when it came hunting for him.

At Torin's invitation, he smirked.

"Don't tempt me with a good time," he growled. But if he didn't mind Timon knowing that he and Torin did adult fun things together, he didn't want him to equate sex and violence. Later, when the boy was older, he might try to describe how they could overlap and how they should not, but today was not that day. Today, at least, he wouldn't distract Torin with his lust. It would probably be good for Torin and for him as well.

He dropped into a basic stance so Timon could see it. He didn't try to hide what he was doing, though, in reality, he used stealth and deception to his advantage as much as possible. Coming at Torin, he didn't go full speed, both because he didn't want to immediately overwhelm the man and because this was at least in part a demonstration for Timon and the eye needed training in order to see what was happening. In real-time, violence could be quite quick.

Based on Torin's reaction to his approach, he managed to grab him by a wrist, and he tried to grab him by the nape of the neck; the two points of contact would be a decent starting point for a grapple. He didn't bother to explain what he was doing to Timon. That would come later.

[Torin Kilvin]

Torin took up the stance he had been practicing for the use of his staff training. It wasn't intentional, he'd been putting himself into it in every spare moment for more than a month, so his body just fell into it. Since he didn't have as good a handle on his hand-to-hand fighting stance yet he let it stay, it was defensive at least. Aurin wasn't moving as quickly as he could, which might have been for Timon's benefit, but might as easily be for Torin's since he knew he would never be as fast as his fox-like mentor.

The hand closed tightly around his wrist and then the back of his neck, which he had to remind himself was an attack and not simply another new form of caress. Forcing himself into the mindset to protect himself he tried to remember the lessons. His reach was a bit longer, his pure strength greater, but he was slower. Gripping the arm that held his wrist in one hand and the one on his neck in the one that was held he dropped to one knee and attempted to flip Aurin up over his back. The redhead would almost certainly not allow it, but it was the first thing that came to his mind. In the few fights he'd gotten into once his adult body had started to flesh out he'd relied on instinct and overpowering his opponent. Aurin was too smart, and beyond that, too well trained, to allow such simple tactics, but Torin was also beginning to implement the things his multiple teachers were trying to instill.

If, somehow, he managed to throw his current teacher they could go over with Timon how to avoid being thrown by a stronger enemy. It would be good for Torin to learn that too. He didn't run into people who were physically stronger than he was very often but there were plenty of magically strong creatures in and around Kalzasi.

[Aurin]

While Aurin had spent a fair amount of time fighting, there were things he had drilled into him or had been drilled into him by others, and then there were the things that were reactions to unique situations. Today, he improvised. He had a sense of how Torin was reacting to his grapple, and instead of countering it, he tried to use Torin's strength as his own. He let him flip him over his back, but used what strength he added to the maneuver to land on his feet. It was a gamble, and his left foot came down a great deal harder than he wanted it to, which made him wince. He would walk it off, though, and hope it wasn't an injury. Or he would dunk it into the cold, cold water of Lake Udori and splint it if he had fucked up utterly.

But despite not sticking the landing perfectly, he still had a hold of Torin. The wrist had been released, but now he had him by the throat from behind and he quickly stepped in close and tightened the grip into a headlock. He tucked his chin close to Torin's neck so he couldn't break his nose with the back of his head.

If this had been a real fight, his legs would have come up to grapple as well, and he would be jamming his knife between Torin's ribs as many times as he could before the man could react, but he didn't let himself fall into that scary survivalist mode. It would get ugly. In his peripheral vision, he could see Timon's wide eyes as he watched. The flip had been flashy, he supposed, though he wouldn't have attempted it without Torin's strength and for the element of surprise. He wasn't much of an acrobat, and he was generally economical with his energy in a fight. But using Torin's energy was different.

This wasn't a real fight, but rather a spar. He consolidated his headlock and waited to see how Torin would react.

[Torin Kilvin]

In a moment that didn't register immediately Torin was in a tight headlock, his breath restrained but not cut off entirely. In a real fight, of course, he would now be suffocating. The ideas of what to do that came into his head were immediately rejected because they would hurt Aurin, and it was an effort to force them back up. Torin was supposed to be trying to both learn how to fight and survive.

First, he tried to hook Aurin's legs to trip but, but the clever man was too clever on his feet to allow that, so, after a moment of hesitation that he knew he needed to get over he squared his stance and drove his tight fist into the other man's ribs, once, then again, harder. It wasn't as hard as he could punch, he doubted he could use his full strength unless he had the adrenaline and protective instinct that being in danger brought. He had been able to use it on the men he and Aurelio had fought in the High Hopes, breaking bones and sending men flying back over furniture. But this was Aurin and Torin would rather learn and lose than break anything on him.

To one side Timon began to make little motions and expressions as one might at a sparring match like those held at the High Hopes. Torin tried not to let himself become distracted by it, hoping that the boy would not begin to cheer or become excited enough that Torin could not longer take the sparring seriously.

When he had landed several additional punches without any noticeable change in the pressure about his throat he lowered his center of gravity and, aiming for the set of middling size trees ten feet away he bull rushed them both, scidding over the ground toward them intending to slam Aurin hard enough to jar him into releasing.

[Aurin]

It made him proud to feel Torin writhing within his grip, slippery as a fish, until they were face to face. It was also alarming, especially once Torin was barreling them toward a tree or a boulder or something that he couldn't see. Up close like this, he had lost the advantage of reach and speed was largely outmatched by sheer power. He fought the surge of panic within him, knowing it would lead to undue violence to protect himself. It was one thing to take a few hits so Torin would know what it felt like; it was quite another to hold on calmly while blindly rushing toward impact.

There were several strategies that ran through his head before he selected one that wouldn't harm his lover. Releasing his hold, he readjusted it, taking Torin by the chin and a hank of hair and twisting his head around. He didn't seek to break anything with a sharp movement, but rather to force his gaze away from his target, disrupting his charge long enough that Aurin could break free and retaliate more carefully.

A gasp came from Timon, who hadn't seen his master and his master's lover fight before. Not like this. He hadn't seen them do other things either, things that elicited strikingly similar sounds. They waited until he was asleep in his room, and Aurin had grown accustomed to holding his hand over Torin's mouth or taking him outside. The last time they had come out camping, it had been just the two of them and they had been lovers more than fighters. But even as lawful as Kalzasi purported to be, violence was out there. One had only to ask Torin's fairy friend about his family, or Arry's minstrel whose hand might never mend. Timon would have to be ready.

[Torin Kilvin]

Torin had no idea what to do from that point. Standing with his head held, securely at an angle that would require him to damage himself if he wanted to break out of it, he blinked and tried to think. If it had been someone else, someone intending him actual harm he likely would have flailed. His size and strength might have been enough that the mindless action could save him, depending on his opponent, but as it was...

After a moment he relaxed the tension in his body and said,

"I don't know what to do." The admission wasn't hard, he was supposed to be learning after all. "I could punch you more, I suppose, but the angle is bad and you're farther away."

His hands were free so he tried, without any power behind the movements, to see if he could hit Aurin in the face. It was awkward and he could only partly see his target. The redhead would be able to see it coming and dodge easily. When the attempt proved pointless he said,

"Yeah, no idea. I'm sorry."

Aurin might let him go and show him some things that would break such a hold, or he might keep the blacksmith held and explain it, letting him feel his way out so he'd know it later.

Timon was suggesting things like, 'Stomp on his feet!', and 'Kick him!', which Torin could see might appear feasible from the outside, but his balance was too low and awkward to be able to get his feet into play without risking falling. Falling wasn't always bad in a fight but if Aurin didn't let go of him as he fell Torin would be in a truly bad spot, basically helpless. The fighting tension was out of his body and, aside from the somewhat uncomfortable angle of his neck, Torin might have liked the helplessness of Aurin holding him thus.

[Aurin]

When the fight went out of Torin and he admitted defeat, Aurin relaxed his grip, hands coming down to give his neck a bit of a rub so he wouldn't get tense and sore. Then he gave him a patronizing pat on the cheek, but his smirk was more of a smile and it was warm, in any case.

"I think you might have kept going and still run me into a tree or something. Blind isn't best, but sometimes you have to take risks. But you pulled some tricky shit." Then he grinned.

Aurin stretched his neck to the side until it popped, then to the other side, which didn't give him the satisfaction. He looked to Timon, who was clearly too excited to sit still much longer. Someone had told him that one never really learned something as completely as when one had to teach it to someone else, and he had certainly had to go over a lot of basic things he hadn't thought about in years when it came time to train Torin. Perhaps it would be best to start training Timon now, let him get his energy out, and have Torin help teach it so Torin would start to understand it all on another level as well.

Though a great deal of it depended on repetition, teaching the muscles what to do so they did it without thought.

"All right, kid, on your feet. Show us what you've got." A foxfire show of teeth might have been amused or threatening, but it didn't stop Timon, who bounced to his feet and scurried over. Soon enough he would start having growth spurts that would render his body awkward to him, so all this might help with the transition toward manhood. There were years yet, though he had grown up more than some boys his age due to circumstance. At least they were giving him some semblance of a boyhood, his work not overly taxing, his belly full and needs met.

[Torin Kilvin]

When Aurin allowed, Torin stood back upright. Trying not to be distracted he listened, nodding, grinning back at the compliment.

"I thought you were going to sthmath Aurin into the treeth!" Timon was excited enough that he was forgetting to suppress his lisp. Torin flushed, not sure why he was doing so,

"I was going to try. Too bad he's too tricking for me." He shrugged and then stepped out of the impromptu circle of trees they were using as their sparring ground as the younger blond took his place.

What followed was half play, half fighting for a few minutes and Timon darted around like a rabbit, trying to get behind Aurin and even managing it a few times. Once there he was so enlightened he seemed to forget to attack, except once, when he'd jumped at him in a move that was obviously learned from wrestling his cousins or other similarly aged children. Torin couldn't help it, he laughed, kindly but heartily, which only seemed to make Timon prouder of his daring feat.

When some of the youngest one's energy was released, enough that he could properly pay attention, the elder two stood in a line and began to show him the basics together. Timon could follow along, having Torin demonstrate for his eyes while Aurin corrected his attempts to imitate. The correction went to Torin too now and then, and the older two men demonstrated how the stance and moves fit together into a fight, in slow motion and then faster, which helped Torin a great deal. He knew he had raw power, but getting his body used to actually performing the actions against another person, comfortable with them, was something he lacked.

When they were all sweating and tired enough that both the blonds were thinking Aurin's decision to remove his shirt might have been a wiser one, they tramped their way back towards their camp where a thick fish stew had been bubbling for hours. Timon ran ahead, exclaiming that he had forgotten to add the herbs, leaving the older two with a more leisurely stroll.

It was quiet for a moment before Torin, slipping an arm around the redhead's waist, leaned close and spoke quietly against his ear,

"Do you want to meet me on the rock over the lake again tonight?" The vulpine grin and possessive touch he got in answer were more than enough.