84th of Frost, 119th of Steel
The Trail to Freedom, Part III
"Do you feel like you understand what we've discussed so far?"
"I think so, yes."
"We will continue to review these basic principles as you progress, to keep them fresh in your mind. It's important to develop the skills involved to make you an overall better swordsman."
"Woman."
"What?"
"Swordswoman. Not swordsman." Her father threw his head back and laughed in delight.
"My mistake, dear one. You are correct--swordswoman." His eyes twinkled with mirth and she smiled at him, feeling her cheeks flush. Dear one. The term of endearment and her father's praise made butterflies alight in her belly.
"What's next?" Leliana inquired as she hefted her blade, eager to please but also to learn. "Will you show me how to block properly?"
"I may have rushed ahead yesterday when I wanted you to try to parry my blade. We need to discuss my mistake."
"Mistake?" He nodded.
"Yes--You see, a parry or a block should only be used as your last line of defense. It is an incredibly dangerous maneuver. The only reason you would have to do so is that you were too slow to evade an attack outright, or your opponent is very close. They are best incorporated into a layer of defenses. A combination of footwork, slipping, or ducking the attacks and having a parry in place as your last resort is the best method. The easiest way to save your life is to not be there at all when the strike comes."
"If you want to survive, you are better off seizing the offensive than waiting for the right time to counter-attack. Alas, no matter how skilled you are on the offense, at some point you will have to take some defensive action, of which there are essentially five defensive stances." He showed her each one as he named them off and she copied his movements slowly. "Over your head, up high and to the left or right, and down low to the left or right. Very straightforward, but not consistently effective."
"So I'm supposed to take every opportunity to attack, but also run?"
"It's not that simple. You should try to take initiative in a fight as much as possible, but inevitably you will face someone stronger or faster than you--or strong and faster. Even someone with lesser skill can have a stroke of luck. You could stumble, become distracted, or just make a bad move. In every scenario, you have to be on your guard, keep your feet moving, and always remember the principles."
"Be confident but also cautious?"
"Yes, good. What else?"
"I should make sure I remain calm and don't become predictable."
"Excellent. Are you ready for some practice?" Leliana smiled and her father took up position across from her. "Feet shoulder's width apart--good, yes. Bend at the knees a bit. Make sure you're ready to shift your weight from one side or the other. Try to move lightly on the balls of your feet. Circle around me, test out your footing. Don't take your eyes off of me though. Stay focused."
She followed his instructions as they were relayed. Hefting her blade and taking up the appropriate stance with his guidance, Lily paced to the left, then feinted and changed directions. Arangyl followed her carefully, his sword poised at the ready.
"Don't think too hard. Do what feels right to you. Now--!" His sword came down from diagonally from the right. The half-breed lept backward, stumbling slightly as she jerked out of the way and the tip of his blade passed her face. Leliana steadied herself and resumed her stance. "You stomp around like a horse. Stay up on your feet. Be light!" He swung again, coming straight down and she jumped to the side, trying to maintain better balance on the balls of her feet.
Arangyl came at her once more, striking forward with the tip of his blade. She jumped backward, arching her back and curving her belly away from the weapon's reach. Lily quickly righted herself and launched into a counterattack, mimicking his diagonal slash from before but from the opposite direction. He side-stepped it easily, but she kept going, pressing forward and slowly circling, testing each direction to see what felt the most comfortable versus the most awkward.
They went on like this for some time, exchanging attacks, dancing around each other. He barked orders occasionally, correcting her when she grew sloppy or thoughtless but awarding praise when it was warranted. It seemed like very little time had passed before he called for her to stop, but when she looked up at the sky she noticed the sun had moved considerably across the sky. It must have been a few hours at least. The half-breed was drenched in sweat but she'd been riding a high of adrenaline. Her muscles trembled, each breath came heavy, and her clothes stuck to her in all the wrong places.
"You did well, but that is enough for today. We will continue tomorrow. For now, you need to rest and drink. How do you feel?"
"My arms feel heavy."
"You will get used to it. The sword's weight can be awkward at first. It suits you though. I think you will take to it quickly. Come, let's sit down."
The two of them wandered back to camp and sat down by the warm coals. Her father added fuel and began tending to the flames, coaxing them back to life.
"We will stay here for the day. I don't want to push you too hard this early. You need to keep up your strength for the journey."
"Are you sure we shouldn't keep moving?" Her father shook his head and held up a hand in a placating gesture.
"We've made good progress so far. Not only that but don't forget they would have to have the ability to track us through a portal. Not an easy task by any stretch of the word. Put your worries at ease for now." He smiled at her then, eyes crinkling at the corners. "I won't let anything happen to you. You are my daughter--more precious to me than you could ever imagine." She felt her cheeks grow hot and self-consciously looked at the fire.
"I'm sorry--"
"You have nothing to be sorry for. Don't apologize."
"I'm sor--I mean--I trust you. I'll do as you ask. If you think we're safe, then we must be safe." She paused for a moment, considering her thoughts. "Can I ask you something?"
"Always."
"Well, I guess it's less of a question and more of a request." Her father was patiently silent, letting her continue at her own pace. "I'd like to know more about our family and where we come from. And you--I want to learn more about you. You haven't told me much."
"I owe you an apology it seems. I've been so consumed with getting you to safety that I've neglected so many important matters."
"No! No! I owe you everything for what you've done. You saved me--you freed me." Lily felt a tightening in her throat. "I have to admit I've been overwhelmed by it all that I didn't want to prod too much, but you say we're going to be here all day, I guess it would be a good time to start."
"Where would you like me to begin? There's so much we could discuss. What do you know of your people--of the Siltori?" It was easy to assume that her education had been considerably lacking given her prior circumstances. As much as it pained her, she knew very little of any real substance. Hodge had made sure of that. He had made sure she knew what she was, and why he considered so valuable, but beyond that there was nothing.
"Other than what you've told me... not much."
"There's no shame in that," Arangyl said with conviction. He meant it. It made her feel a little better, but only just.
"I know the Siltori mainly live in Sil-Elaine now, which borders Daravin. They used to be powerful rulers before humans rebelled and overthrew them. Things got better until the Sundering, and since then I guess I'm not so sure. Some people are prejudiced still, but I haven't experienced much of that myself."
Her father was quiet for a long moment, watching the flames and working his jaw. When he finally spoke, she was surprised by just how incredibly sad his voice sounded.
"I wish the history I'm to teach you was kinder than what's reality. Our people have a dark past and an even darker present. I must ask you, dear one--" He finally looked at her, serious and solemn. "--have you heard of the Court of Dusk?"
The Trail to Freedom, Part III
"Do you feel like you understand what we've discussed so far?"
"I think so, yes."
"We will continue to review these basic principles as you progress, to keep them fresh in your mind. It's important to develop the skills involved to make you an overall better swordsman."
"Woman."
"What?"
"Swordswoman. Not swordsman." Her father threw his head back and laughed in delight.
"My mistake, dear one. You are correct--swordswoman." His eyes twinkled with mirth and she smiled at him, feeling her cheeks flush. Dear one. The term of endearment and her father's praise made butterflies alight in her belly.
"What's next?" Leliana inquired as she hefted her blade, eager to please but also to learn. "Will you show me how to block properly?"
"I may have rushed ahead yesterday when I wanted you to try to parry my blade. We need to discuss my mistake."
"Mistake?" He nodded.
"Yes--You see, a parry or a block should only be used as your last line of defense. It is an incredibly dangerous maneuver. The only reason you would have to do so is that you were too slow to evade an attack outright, or your opponent is very close. They are best incorporated into a layer of defenses. A combination of footwork, slipping, or ducking the attacks and having a parry in place as your last resort is the best method. The easiest way to save your life is to not be there at all when the strike comes."
"If you want to survive, you are better off seizing the offensive than waiting for the right time to counter-attack. Alas, no matter how skilled you are on the offense, at some point you will have to take some defensive action, of which there are essentially five defensive stances." He showed her each one as he named them off and she copied his movements slowly. "Over your head, up high and to the left or right, and down low to the left or right. Very straightforward, but not consistently effective."
"So I'm supposed to take every opportunity to attack, but also run?"
"It's not that simple. You should try to take initiative in a fight as much as possible, but inevitably you will face someone stronger or faster than you--or strong and faster. Even someone with lesser skill can have a stroke of luck. You could stumble, become distracted, or just make a bad move. In every scenario, you have to be on your guard, keep your feet moving, and always remember the principles."
"Be confident but also cautious?"
"Yes, good. What else?"
"I should make sure I remain calm and don't become predictable."
"Excellent. Are you ready for some practice?" Leliana smiled and her father took up position across from her. "Feet shoulder's width apart--good, yes. Bend at the knees a bit. Make sure you're ready to shift your weight from one side or the other. Try to move lightly on the balls of your feet. Circle around me, test out your footing. Don't take your eyes off of me though. Stay focused."
She followed his instructions as they were relayed. Hefting her blade and taking up the appropriate stance with his guidance, Lily paced to the left, then feinted and changed directions. Arangyl followed her carefully, his sword poised at the ready.
"Don't think too hard. Do what feels right to you. Now--!" His sword came down from diagonally from the right. The half-breed lept backward, stumbling slightly as she jerked out of the way and the tip of his blade passed her face. Leliana steadied herself and resumed her stance. "You stomp around like a horse. Stay up on your feet. Be light!" He swung again, coming straight down and she jumped to the side, trying to maintain better balance on the balls of her feet.
Arangyl came at her once more, striking forward with the tip of his blade. She jumped backward, arching her back and curving her belly away from the weapon's reach. Lily quickly righted herself and launched into a counterattack, mimicking his diagonal slash from before but from the opposite direction. He side-stepped it easily, but she kept going, pressing forward and slowly circling, testing each direction to see what felt the most comfortable versus the most awkward.
They went on like this for some time, exchanging attacks, dancing around each other. He barked orders occasionally, correcting her when she grew sloppy or thoughtless but awarding praise when it was warranted. It seemed like very little time had passed before he called for her to stop, but when she looked up at the sky she noticed the sun had moved considerably across the sky. It must have been a few hours at least. The half-breed was drenched in sweat but she'd been riding a high of adrenaline. Her muscles trembled, each breath came heavy, and her clothes stuck to her in all the wrong places.
"You did well, but that is enough for today. We will continue tomorrow. For now, you need to rest and drink. How do you feel?"
"My arms feel heavy."
"You will get used to it. The sword's weight can be awkward at first. It suits you though. I think you will take to it quickly. Come, let's sit down."
The two of them wandered back to camp and sat down by the warm coals. Her father added fuel and began tending to the flames, coaxing them back to life.
"We will stay here for the day. I don't want to push you too hard this early. You need to keep up your strength for the journey."
"Are you sure we shouldn't keep moving?" Her father shook his head and held up a hand in a placating gesture.
"We've made good progress so far. Not only that but don't forget they would have to have the ability to track us through a portal. Not an easy task by any stretch of the word. Put your worries at ease for now." He smiled at her then, eyes crinkling at the corners. "I won't let anything happen to you. You are my daughter--more precious to me than you could ever imagine." She felt her cheeks grow hot and self-consciously looked at the fire.
"I'm sorry--"
"You have nothing to be sorry for. Don't apologize."
"I'm sor--I mean--I trust you. I'll do as you ask. If you think we're safe, then we must be safe." She paused for a moment, considering her thoughts. "Can I ask you something?"
"Always."
"Well, I guess it's less of a question and more of a request." Her father was patiently silent, letting her continue at her own pace. "I'd like to know more about our family and where we come from. And you--I want to learn more about you. You haven't told me much."
"I owe you an apology it seems. I've been so consumed with getting you to safety that I've neglected so many important matters."
"No! No! I owe you everything for what you've done. You saved me--you freed me." Lily felt a tightening in her throat. "I have to admit I've been overwhelmed by it all that I didn't want to prod too much, but you say we're going to be here all day, I guess it would be a good time to start."
"Where would you like me to begin? There's so much we could discuss. What do you know of your people--of the Siltori?" It was easy to assume that her education had been considerably lacking given her prior circumstances. As much as it pained her, she knew very little of any real substance. Hodge had made sure of that. He had made sure she knew what she was, and why he considered so valuable, but beyond that there was nothing.
"Other than what you've told me... not much."
"There's no shame in that," Arangyl said with conviction. He meant it. It made her feel a little better, but only just.
"I know the Siltori mainly live in Sil-Elaine now, which borders Daravin. They used to be powerful rulers before humans rebelled and overthrew them. Things got better until the Sundering, and since then I guess I'm not so sure. Some people are prejudiced still, but I haven't experienced much of that myself."
Her father was quiet for a long moment, watching the flames and working his jaw. When he finally spoke, she was surprised by just how incredibly sad his voice sounded.
"I wish the history I'm to teach you was kinder than what's reality. Our people have a dark past and an even darker present. I must ask you, dear one--" He finally looked at her, serious and solemn. "--have you heard of the Court of Dusk?"
