Tiny Soldier ((Braythe, Jamie, open))

[Cross]

"Lord Braythe?" Vicky scurried down the stairs from the forge room, searching for the Badgerlord. He hadn't been in his usual place, working on a weapon or reading, and she really didn't know where else would be a good place to find him. Was he in the Mess Hall?

The mouse arrived in the massive room, spotting a few hares popping in for a between-sessions snack, but no badger. Where was he? He couldn't be in the infirmary, because she'd just come from there. And he hadn't been in the dorm hallways, unless he was visiting one of the soldiers or officers and she had missed him.

"Lord Braythe?" she tried again, trotting down an new hallway. Where did this corridor lead? Figures, she'd been here a little over a week and she still hadn't been everywhere in the gigantic fortress. She had a hard enough time getting from the forge room to the Mess. The flights of stairs were endless!

She came to a big oaken door left halfway ajar. The sounds of hares fighting and weapons clanging against each other emanated from the opening. She peeked in and discovered a training hall. Hares sparred in twos and threes here and there. Weapons were held on racks along the walls, obviously for the soldiers to use for practice.

The tattooed mouse was frozen in awe for a few seconds before coming to. She found no Braythe here, but in one corner ring, she spotted Lieutenant Sersea. A brief smile crossed her features at the sight of the hare. She knew he'd been itching to get back into training for awhile, now. Her interest piqued, the little white mouse slipped inside, finding a seat on some low, wide bleachers carved into the stone floor and walls.

Perhaps Lord Braythe might show up in here sometime? He wasn't anywhere else. She hadn't checked outside, but she could do that in a minute. Roseleaf had mentioned something about Vicky learning to fight. The mouse at least wanted to observe how it was done before learning, and this was the perfect opportunity.

[Tracy]

Things were finally getting back to normal for the young lieutenant, and he couldn't be happier about it. Jamie was back in his regiment uniform for the first time since winter. More importantly, he finally had his saber back in his paws. The past two seasons had been a series of milestones for the hare: being able to sit up for longer than a minute, keeping down a full meal, standing, walking, getting out of the infirmary, exercising. But none of these accomplishments felt quite as exhilarating as finally having his weapon back in his grasp.

When he first picked his blade back up, he spent awhile on his own, testing his balance and dexterity, not wanting to make a fool of himself down in the training compound. Even he was surprised how rapidly it all came back to him. Before long, Jamie hunted down his stepfather and asked him for a spar. It felt right, going back to the hare who had first introduced him to swordfighting as a child

He had his balance, dexterity, and certainly skill there, but his stamina was gone. After only an hour sparring with his stepfather, Jamie was done for the rest of the day. That had been frustrating. Once upon a time, Jamie was teaching a group of cadets on top of half a dozen private lessons a day without losing a step. But he had to remind himself to take his victories where he could get them; things would be back as they should before he knew it.

For the next few days, Jamie was down in the training compound. He didn't have a class of his own yet, of course, but that was not going to stop him working with cadets. So that's where he was today, crossing swords with a fresh recruit, doling out advice and criticism as if he hadn't taken a single day off. He didn't notice anyone was watching, or at least didn't acknowledge it. Several passersby had stopped around the past few days, both well-wishers, and those with coy remarks in regards to some rumors about Jamie being in a relationship. He'd known, after that little debacle in the infirmary several days ago that this would happen. It was okay. But he ignored all spectators now, focused, and more than a little tired of gossiping.

[nikki]

Heartsease was a spearbeast; she loved the weapon and was rather comfortable with it after several years of working with her squirrel mentor.

Heartsease was not a swordbeast; the weapon was alien, lighter than her spear but with the weight distributed in a closer way she found uncomfortable.

Still, overspecialization could be crippling. A spear was much more diffucult to use in an enclosed space; knowing how to use a good shortsword would serve the rabbitmaid well. Of course, this 'shortsword' was made for a hare, and was thus a bit large in her paws, but it would do for now.

The clang of metal-on-metal made her paws hum, but she bore it, ears back and eyes a bit narrowed in concentration as she braced. At their relative sizes it was no good pushing back unless she could catch Lieutenant Sersea off-balance, which was absolutely not going to happen; instead, she attempted the same kind of twisting disarm she would use if an opponent's weapon was caught on the lugs of her spear.

Clumsy.

The redistribution of weight and Heartsease's own inexperience caused a problem; instead of disarming the hare, the twist managed to allow his weapon to slip past hers. The rabbit gasped and skipped to one side, eyes widening; how had that gone wrong? She was certain the lieutenant would tell her, but if she could figure it out before hand it would be an accomplishment, right?

The white mouse caught her eye, and she flicked an ear toward her in greeting and acknowledgement; her eyes, however, remained dutifully focused on Lieutenant Sersea. Aware of your surroundings but eyes on your opponent - that was right, right?

She couldn't determine how that should have gone with a sword, so instead she asked the hare directly.

"Sorry, sir. I keep thinking of spear maneuvers; how do I do it properly?"

Respectful, but she perked her ears, still bobbed on tip-paw in readiness. Eager? Oh yes.

[.:Fawn:.]

A long, wide, stretch of darkness falling across the floor in front of Victiore signaled Braythe's arrival. The Badger Lord stood behind her, marveling for a minute as to how she appeared even smaller seated, before the sudden lack of light overhead drew her attention to him. "Mornin'." Greeted the badger, his eyes straying from the little satin mouse up to Lieutenant Sersea. With the soldier now returning (albeit slowly) to his duties before the injury, Braythe had taken it upon himself to come down and check up on the hare's condition. While it was true that he could always ask Roseleaf how Jamie was doing, Braythe didn't want to miss a chance to see the young Lieutenant in action.

Watching Sersea instruct and offer constructive criticism to a young recruit, Braythe was suddenly reminded of where he'd learned how to first use a weapon. Alright, admittedly the first real 'weapon' he ever used, were his teeth and claws...but he didn't need to learn that from anyone. The first weapon he'd ever used was a sword that was much too small for him; it had belonged to a ferret he'd killed in his pursuit of Rurik the Savage, and even with no formal training, Braythe had been quite formiddable. Forced to teach himself what worked and didn't work with a sword/spear/bow/etc, the badger's photographic memory had served him very very well. Though his stance was off and his techniques were downright primitive, they were so subpar that he had to take an entire crash-course on every weapon imaginable when he'd first arrived here. That was all fine and well for Braythe, considering his love of weaponry in it's many, many forms, but he DID have a bit of difficulty finding somebeast to spar with. There was always that slight concern in the back of his mind that he'd accidentally lop off a hare's ears with one good swing of his war-axe, and that wouldn't look very good, now would it?

Putting these thoughts aside, Braythe sat down on the floor beside Vicky, cross-legged, with his huge paws to support him as he leaned back comfortably, watching everything with intent bronze eyes. "Lookin' to learn a few things?" Inquired the badger, glancing down at little Victiore with obvious curiosity. "I didn't think you were the fightin' type, Vic. Lieutenant Sersea ain't bad with a blade though, I'd ask 'im for lessons."
Unable to outright say 'I think you should learn how to use a weapon, considering your very fragile and I worry about your safety', Braythe tried his best to converse with her casually, all the while being supportive of the idea of her learning proper swordsmanship (but was willing to make it an order if he had to) -- he'd been meaning to ask her about it, actually.

Braythe had always wondered how Victiore had defended herself against vermin and all kinds of villainous types. Did she run? Climb a tree? What on earth did the sweet but meek little satin mouse do in the face of danger?

[Cross]

"Mornin'."

Vicky jumped in surprise as the badger came up behind her. She craned her neck back to look up at him, eyes wide. For such a big creature, he could sure be quiet! "Oh, Lord Braythe!" she exclaimed, trying, and failing, to regain composure. "Uh, good morning to you, too, sir." Great seasons, he'd startled her!

She was glad when he sat down because then she didn't have to look up quite so far. Offering a friendly smile, the little mouse situated herself once more, pushing up the overlong sleeves of her uniform. Her eyes followed Braythe's as he looked over at Sersea. The recruit the lieutenant was sparring with looked surprisingly a lot more like a rabbit than a hare, actually. Hadn't Cordin mentioned something about rabbits?

"Lookin' to learn a few things?" Inquired the badger, glancing down at little Victiore with obvious curiosity. "I didn't think you were the fightin' type, Vic. Lieutenant Sersea ain't bad with a blade though, I'd ask 'im for lessons."

Vicky's green eyes turned back to Braythe, a sheepish blush on her face as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Mizz Roseleaf suggested it," she replied. "I'm not really . . . interested in learning, but, um, sh-she thinks it'll help." She looked back over at Jamie and the rabbit, wondering what it was like to be so skilled with a weapon. The tattooed mouse could think of several instances in the past two years when knowing how to use a weapon would have been quite beneficial to her.

"But, uh, yes, Lieutenant Sersea is very good," she agreed. Vicky flicked her ears back. She would make a fool of herself trying to learn combat skills, but in a place like this, it was required, even for the staff, probably. But she liked Jamie well enough, so she was sure she wouldn't regret asking him to show her a few techniques.

[Tracy]

Jamie had only ever trained hares at Salamandastron, though he had given lessons to other creatures in some of his brief travels. He had never crossed swords with a rabbit, though. He wasn't sure if he'd ever even had a real conversation with a rabbit before. They were a scarce find out in the open, even at Redwall. But it didn't matter. The lieutenant would train anyone. He didn't care if the Long Patrol became populated by otters, mice, squirrels, hedgehogs, moles or even rabbits. If they showed the same spirit, tenacity and skill as his fellow hares, what difference did it make?

The soldier stopped the sparring momentarily, holding his saber down at an angle. "Stop tryin' to disarm me jus' now. You're new with a blade, y'need to concentrate on defensive techniques first. Take the offensive strikes when they're offered t'you. If the opportunity t'disarm me comes up, you'll know it."

Jamie took a large step toward the rabbit. "Tighten up your stance an' hold your ground. You put an extra two feet b'tween us without even realizing what you were doin'. Remember with a sword, your fighting range is much shorter than with a spear. Stay close an' you'll have a lot more control." He took his paw and gently nudged her left shoulder back. "Stand sideways and jostle your weight forward an' backward from me, instead of side t'side. It'll make your responses quicker an' help your balance."

Sheathing his blade, he moved around Heartsease to check her grip on her weapon. Only then did he notice Lord Braythe had entered the training compound, and the little healer mouse was perched next to him. Nodding a quick acknowledgement to the pair, he returned his attention to the young rabbitmaid. He turned her grasp just slightly on the hilt of the sword so her curled fingers lined up with the flat of the blade.

Pivoting back around to stand in front of her, he drew his saber. "Again?"

[nikki]

"Stop tryin' to disarm me jus' now. You're new with a blade, y'need to concentrate on defensive techniques first. Take the offensive strikes when they're offered t'you. If the opportunity t'disarm me comes up, you'll know it."

"Yes, Lieutenant." That made sense, of course; disarming was a more complicated procedure than basic defense and offense, and complicated tactics would not end well if she didn't have a handle on the weapon's very different weight and balance.

"Tighten up your stance an' hold your ground. You put an extra two feet b'tween us without even realizing what you were doin'. Remember with a sword, your fighting range is much shorter than with a spear. Stay close an' you'll have a lot more control."

That made the youngster blush to the eartips; she hadn't realized she had been moving back. It was ingrained, after all; the spear kept her opponents at distance, and she could strike whichever way they moved, see the directions they chose, and put the reach and versatility of the weapon to use.

Overspecialization was crippling, though. And she wanted to learn.

She listened to the rest of his speech, nodding as she moved into position.

"Still using my off-paw to balance movement like I've seen some of the others do?" Truth be told, she was not certain what to do with her left paw when it wasn't occupied by a spear haft; it felt awkward. "Or tuck behind my back? I've seen both ways... which should I do?"

Heartsease stood still as the lieutentant adjusted her grip, her gaze following his as he looked toward the badger and the mouse. Odd pair they made, but they seemed comfortable together... she smiled without thinking, imitating Jamie's nod.

Oh - the new grip position did feel better! Her smile widened, eyes alight; so much easier to grip the hilt now, and the oddly concentrated weight didn't feel nearly so burdensome! She nodded eagerly at Jamie's invitation to come forward again, feeling less awkward even with that slight adjustment.

"Yes sir!"

She bobbed forward to meet him, black-tipped ears flicking back to keep them from harm's way - long habit, that. The rabbit was still a bit uncertain and awkward with this new weapon, but there was an eagerness to please and to learn.

[.:Fawn:.]

"Mizz Roseleaf suggested it," she replied. "I'm not really . . . interested in learning, but, um, sh-she thinks it'll help." She looked back over at Jamie and the rabbit, wondering what it was like to be so skilled with a weapon.

Alright, it was no secret that Braythe and Roseleaf didn't always see eye-to-eye, but on this rare occasion, the healer and the Badger Lord were actually in agreement on something. At the comment about Lieutenant Sersea, however, Braythe perked up, his attention immediately back on the hare as he corrected heartsease Whitefoot on her offensive manouevers.

Standing up, Braythe gestured for Victiore to do the same, and, after watching Jamie correct the little rabbitmaid, the Badger Lord raised his voice loud enough so that it carried over to the training pair.

"Lieutenant Sersea, c'mere for a moment." Sure he still needed to work on his...manners, but at least he'd remembered to call Jamie by his title. Braythe, who was always excellent on names (not necessarily on pronouncing them, but he could at least remember who you were), it was addressing authority as such that he had a bit of...trouble with. Though Braythe was technically at the top of the pyramid in Salamandastron, he tended to forget that the hares beneath him preferred to be addressed by their hard-earned titles. He couldn't very well address Brigadier Thymes as Harold, despite it being his first name, now could he?

"You're goin' to show Vicky here a crash-course on fighting. Don't leave anything out, treat her like you do Heartsease over there -- just like you would a new recruit." After addressing Jamie, Braythe gave Victiore what he thought was an encouraging pat on the back. "Don't worry, yer in good paws with Sersea."

[Cross]

"You're goin' to show Vicky here a crash-course on fighting. Don't leave anything out, treat her like you do Heartsease over there -- just like you would a new recruit." After addressing Jamie, Braythe gave Victiore what he thought was an encouraging pat on the back. "Don't worry, yer in good paws with Sersea."

Vicky's eyes went wide again. "W-what?" she exclaimed, nearly falling flat on her face as Braythe 'patted' her on the back. "I-I didn't . . . I can't . . . S-sir, I couldn't interrupt Ja--Lieutenant Sersea!" She looked over at the rabbit recruit Jamie was sparring with. It looked like the rabbit was having some trouble with a blade. Vicky didn't want to cut the lesson short. That would be rude!

The little mouse felt her face got hot, and she took a step back up the bleachers. "B-besides, I'm . . . just not dressed for-for fighting," she went on. What a lame excuse. But it was halfway true. Her infirmary uniform was at least two sizes too large for her. And she felt quite put on the spot by Braythe's yelling across the training hall. Anyway, she would only embarrass herself further by trying to learn how to use a weapon.

[Tracy]

"…Or tuck behind my back? I've seen both ways... which should I do?"

"There's not a cut-an'-dry approach to it, it depends on your fightin' style. Although if you plan t'keep on with swords at all, I'd suggest you go on for two-pawed swords anyhow. Startin' out with the one-pawed sword is fine, but I'll think you'd be surprised how much control y'have with the power of a two-pawed sword. Plus, you're a spearbeast, yes? You'll feel comfortable with it faster'n most."

Jamie watched her carefully, and saw how instantly comfortable she felt when he'd adjusted her grip. He was eager to see the difference it made for her, and was pleased to see how willing she was to jump straight back into sparring. He only wished he could summon up as much energy. But he nodded and held his blade aloft, about to strike, when a voice cut through the training hall, staying his paw.

"Lieutenant Sersea, c'mere for a moment."

Attempting to hide his annoyance, he turned slowly to see Lord Braythe hailing him. Jamie hesitated. If it had been any other beast he would've continued right on with the lesson without a word. The young lieutenant was extremely easy-going, but he took his training sessions very seriously. Making light of his lessons not only wasted his own time, but the young cadets whom he was trying so very hard to mold. However, being beckoned over by the Badger Lord was not something to be snubbed, so he passed Heartsease an apologetic glance. "Sorry, m'gel," he murmured, sheathing his saber.

The soldier jogged over to the badger. Stopping before the enormous Patrol leader, he threw a salute. "M'lord."

"You're goin' to show Vicky here a crash-course on fighting. Don't leave anything out, treat her like you do Heartsease over there -- just like you would a new recruit."

Well, I would've FINISHED a lesson with a new recruit. Jamie considered mentioning this to Lord Braythe, in perhaps a somewhat more polite fashion, but as his eyes strayed to the blushing, stuttering mousemaid, his resolve withered. Turning from the badger, he regarded Vicky with lifted eyebrows. What was she afraid of?

"I remember Roseleaf sayin' you should have some sparrin' lessons, an' if I recall, y'said you had a knife?" Jamie started, his tone friendly, conversational. "I was thinkin' on it some later, an' I don't know that I would feel comfortable with your first lessons bein' on such a short blade. Y'need to be able to defend yourself with a bit more space. I understand your hesitance with a proper sword as well, but I think I know somethin' that would work jus' fine for you. What d'ya say?"

[nikki]

"Two-pawed?"

Heartsease's thoughts immediately went to the huge greatsword she'd seen in the paws of the huge Color Sergeant Saxifrage; she stifled a giggle at the mental image of herself weilding a sowrd larger than she was. Still, it stood to reason there would be a scaled-down version.

"That's true - I'm not sure what to do with the off-paw, honestly. But it'll come I suppose!"

"Lieutenant Sersea, c'mere for a moment."

She blinked in surprise at the Badger Lord's interruption, looking toward him when her instructer did. The rabbit nodded in response to his apology, sheathing her own porrowed blade as she curiously watched him approach.

"You're goin' to show Vicky here a crash-course on fighting. Don't leave anything out, treat her like you do Heartsease over there -- just like you would a new recruit."

She blinked, ears dropping in disappointment. Now? In the middle of her lesson?

And like a new recruit indeed - Braythe probably didn't take her seriously as a recruit if he was going to pull Lieutenant Sersea away mid-lesson to instruct the mouse.

Then again, the mouse seemed to have no experience, and Heartsease was at least trained with a spear. She sighed, turning to the practice dummies. Practice a little on her own, maybe spar another cadet, and see if the Lieutentant would pick the lesson up later.

Brightening at the idea of a spar, she looked around for someone likely. Maybe Cordin would be about soon, and she could work with her spear!

[.:Fawn:.]

With Lieutenant Sersea and Victiore engaged in a conversation, Braythe was a bit bored. Glancing around with half-lided eyes -- only half listening to Vicky and Jamie -- his attention fell to the disappointed rabbitmaid only a few feet away.
Oops.

Nice job, he'd gone and interrupted her training time with Sersea so the hare could work with Victiore instead. Right, Braythe was not very good at instructing cadets how to fight -- certainly not with a sword -- he was always unsure what to teach them, considering their differences. But a sword was a sword...the basics had to be the same for everybeast, right?

"Heartsease Whitefoot," called the gruff badger, looking around for a shield or a sword to hold. He found both, and while they were a bit too small for him, they would do in a pinch. "C'mere for a minute -- bring yer sword." It was the best way he knew how to make the situation better by letting her practice on something a little better than a straw dummy in the corner -- the Badger Lord himself.

When the rabbit made her way over to him, Braythe's sword arm rested down by his side, while his shield-arm rose in a defensive stance. "While Lieutenant Sersea's a bit busy, what's say we do a bit of practicin', aye? He suggested a two-pawed sword, din't he? Go'n'get one offa that rack over there. It might suit yah much better. C'mon now, don't be shy, I promise not ter cleave ye in half." While it was meant as a joke, the gleam in Braythe's eyes might've suggested that there were some truth to his words.
Hah. Once a savage, always a savage, eh?

((xD I hope Jamie isn't too annoyed that he took over the lesson. lol. Braythe has this habit of stepping on more toes than he means to, especially when he tries to FIX his mistakes.))

[Cross]

"I remember Roseleaf sayin' you should have some sparrin' lessons, an' if I recall, y'said you had a knife?" Jamie started, his tone friendly, conversational. "I was thinkin' on it some later, an' I don't know that I would feel comfortable with your first lessons bein' on such a short blade. Y'need to be able to defend yourself with a bit more space. I understand your hesitance with a proper sword as well, but I think I know somethin' that would work jus' fine for you. What d'ya say?"

"I-I . . ." Vicky didn't really know what to say. Braythe had dragged Jamie away from a training session so the lieutenant could teach her, a mouse with no experience whatsoever, how to properly use a weapon. The little mouse blushed with a sudden feeling of guilt. Oh, Autumn's Ghost . . .

"You--thank you, Jamie," she murmured finally, her greens eyes darting to one side. "I-I'd be honored to learn, but, um, I don't . . . I've never . . . y-you didn't have to interrupt your session for me." She fidgeted shyly with the overlong sleeves of her uniform. "I'm sorry . . ." Biting her lip, she rubbed the back of her neck, suddenly self-conscious. Winter's Ice, she would look like a fool in this hall full of fighting hares. Her, the only mouse among the soldiers.

But Roseleaf would nag her to no end if she didn't take this opportunity that had been practically handed to her on a silver platter. And Braythe would just drag her right back down here again and again until she learned something. How had she made so many friends in less than two weeks? Well, even if they didn't count themselves as her friends, they were at least focusing much of their attention on her. From Roseleaf, that was somewhat expected, since Vicky was her apprentice. But from Braythe . . . it seemed almost odd. A gigantic badger so interested in a tiny little mouse? At least he was trying to be helpful . . .

"W-what did you, um, have in mind?" she asked softly, finally able to look Jamie in the eyes.

[Tracy]

Jamie only stood there, watching the little mouse stutter awkwardly through the encounter. If she was going to be so apprehensive, this lesson was going to be way more difficult than it needed to be. Was there anything that would make her carry herself with a bit more confidence around here?

"I-I'd be honored to learn, but, um, I don't . . . I've never . . . y-you didn't have to interrupt your session for me."

"Oh, except I did," Jamie chuckled, with a wry glance over at the badger who'd brought his training session to an abrupt end. "Don't worry about it, m'gel. Over here," he beckoned, walking over to a wall with some practice blades pegged onto it. The lieutenant picked up a few, one at a time, turning them over in his paws. "Y'should keep in mind, these are all worn practice blades. If y'found something that works fairly well for you, y'could get your paws on a similar blade that's perfect for you."

Eventually, he took three blades off the wall: two dirks and a long dagger. He handed one of the dirks to her. "Try these, tell me which feels more comfortable." Jamie already had it in his mind which one would be the best choice; although the mousemaid would probably want the dagger for being the smallest, the longer dirk had a thinner hilt and a longer guard. It would fit in her smaller paws better and provide more protection.

As Vicky tested the blades, his sea-green eyes briefly strayed back to where the Badger Lord had wandered off to. He gave a small grimace when he saw he'd taken up his lesson with Heartsease. Well, at least the rabbitmaid's training session wasn't completely abandoned.

[nikki]

"Heartsease Whitefoot," called the gruff badger, looking around for a shield or a sword to hold. He found both, and while they were a bit too small for him, they would do in a pinch. "C'mere for a minute -- bring yer sword."

Heartsease stopped when the badger called her - so suddenly that same white footpaw was raised in midstep - looking over at Braythe. At the invitation the rabbit hurried over; how could she refuse?

Perhaps she'd jumped to conclusions too soon.

"Yes, Lord Braythe?"

"While Lieutenant Sersea's a bit busy, what's say we do a bit of practicin', aye? He suggested a two-pawed sword, din't he? Go'n'get one offa that rack over there. It might suit yah much better. C'mon now, don't be shy, I promise not ter cleave ye in half."

"Yes sir!"

She gave a little salute, ears flicking smartly, before scurrying to exchange the one-pawed blade for the two-pawed. The rabbit adjusted her grip carefully, just as Lieutenant Sersea had shown her, and gave a few experimental swings to test paw positions. Hm, seemed to work well with her dominant paw below the guard and her off-paw grasping the pommel; she felt she had a decent amount of control that way. The weight distribution was more akin to her spear, though all out in front of her paws rather than evenly balanced; altogether, it was not unlike trying to use her spear to reach something beyond her normal range, though a bit shorter.

Interesting!

The rabbitmaid trotted back to Braythe with the blade, letting her ears drop back again as she took stance.

"I'll hold you to that, sir; I don't think I need to make a similar promise to you!" she replied almost gaily. Her voice had a rather unfortunate tendency to squeak when she was nervous or excited (she was both, due to Braythe himself as well as that gleam in his eyes), but she otherwise felt she was bearing up rather well.

Besides, this was an honor! The interruption to her lesson was disappointing, but this too was an opportunity too great to pass up. She moved forward, her own eyes bright with excitement.

[.:Fawn:.]

"I'll hold you to that, sir; I don't think I need to make a similar promise to you!" she replied almost gaily. Her voice had a rather unfortunate tendency to squeak when she was nervous or excited (she was both, due to Braythe himself as well as that gleam in his eyes), but she otherwise felt she was bearing up rather well.

Besides, this was an honor! The interruption to her lesson was disappointing, but this too was an opportunity too great to pass up. She moved forward, her own eyes bright with excitement.

Braythe's eyes darted once to Victiore and Jameson to see how the little satin mouse was fairing, but once he'd picked up the small sword in his overly large paws, Braythe the Savage was in the zone. Knowing better than to strike first -- he always had to let another creature strike first, so he could get a feel for their strength and just how hard he could swing back -- Braythe kept the round shield over the center of his body, eying the rabbitmaid with a battle glint in his eyes.
"Careful of yer footin', Whitefoot, this ain't a spear you're workin' with." Though she technically hadn't made an errors yet, the Badger Lord didn't want her to make a bad start by forgetting just what weapon it was in her paws.

Though he doubted Jamie had neglected to correct her stance, Braythe just wanted to be doubly sure. Unfortunately, sometimes a bad fighting stance or poor footwork could result in death if the other swordsbeast was better trained than you were. The very last thing the huge badger ever wanted to see was this bright-eyed, bushy-tailed rabbitmaid cut down due to lack of proper training. Keeping that in mind, Braythe forced himself to maintain a cool head. There was no reason to go all 'White Death' or 'Demon of the North' on Heartsease if this was just a practice sparring match. He could save his battle-fury for the vermin.

[Cross]

"Try these, tell me which feels more comfortable."

"Um, okay . . ." Vicky took the dirk, handling it carefully. It seemed so long compared to the little silver knife she was used to. But it wasn't so long that she felt too awkward holding it. She then tested the second weapon, and the third, but she liked the second dirk the best. The mouse felt ridiculous holding an actual blade in her paw (there was no way her little knife could be classified as a real weapon); she found comfort in the fact that she hadn't hurt herself or Jamie yet.

"I like this one," she said, paw gripping the hilt of the second dirk. She knew how to handle a knife fairly well. She'd survived two years of living alone somehow, right? The dirk didn't seem much different from her knife besides the length and design of the blade itself. At least she could hold it correctly.

((Short, sorry.))

[Tracy]

"Good choice." The young lieutenant seemed pleased with the little mouse's decision. He placed the long dagger back up on the wall, keeping the other dirk for himself. Jamie studied her grip on the weapon for a moment, holding his own dirk in the same fashion with a brief nod.

"So, here's the thing with dirks," he started, giving his own blade a negligent little spin over his knuckles, lightly catching it into his palm again. Small blades were fun. "There's actually two ways t'wield one."

He nodded at her current grip. "The way you're holdin' it now is what I want you t'focus on just now. Wielding It like a short sword is best for defense. You can control your movement much easier and parry much faster. However…" Jamie turned the hilt over in his paws so the blade was point-down in his grasp. "Anybeast experienced with a dirk you'll see holdin' it this way." The hare turned his paw up so the point of the blade pointed straight forward.

"'S a thrustin' blade, like a dagger. The shorter blade mean's you're trustin' on your own force behind the weapon to do the damage rather than jus' the blade itself. If y'ever find yourself at the advantage in battle, y'need to use your blade this way for the greater effect. It's a double-edged blade, but you're lookin' to use the thrusting point, unlike with a single-edged blade." He briefly indicated the sheathed saber at his side to refer to a single-edged blade.

"Anyway." He deftly turned the hilt back around with a spin. "Over here, away from the wall," he said beckoning Vicky to a clear area in the compound.

"The firs' thing I want you an' anybeast t'learn, is how t'protect yourself with a weapon." Jamie made a motion with two fingers, indicating eye-contact between them. "Don't focus on my blade, keep your eyes on mine. Your peripheral vision will take care o' watchin' the blade, don't worry." As he said this, he swung the blade around a bit, but not at the mouse. "Keep focused on your opponent an' you'll be able to anticipate their movements. That'll come far more swiftly t'you than you'll realize. It's not so much a skill as it is nature."

Jamie briefly considered taking a swing to make his point about her peripheral vision, and to see if she had the reflexes to parry an unexpected thrust. He thought better of it though. Although he would have done it for any hare cadet of his, he was concerned he would frighten the mouse away from future lessons. If he managed to scare off a cadet, it was probably for the best, they didn't belong here. But this mouse healer was here to learn to defend herself, not to enlist with the Patrol.

"So how d'ya feel. Give it a try?"

[nikki]

"Careful of yer footin', Whitefoot, this ain't a spear you're workin' with."

"Yes sir!"

A slight shifting of footpaws - she was still getting into a 'sword' mentality rather than a 'spear' one - and then brown eyes locked on bronze, the rabbitmaid's expression alight with excitement. She had been taught long ago to focus on her opponent rather than his weapon, so that at least was easy enough. Braythe was large, so she had to be aware of all of his movements at all times - no easy task, but if she never tried she'd never succeed!

With that in mind, Heartsease gave a quick skip forwrd, taking an experimental swipe at the badger. She had at least also been taught to avoid grand, broad swings that would leave her open and unbalanced; instead, she attacked with quick, easily-recovered chops, balanced in a tip-pawed stance that would let her spring forward or back or to the side. Granted, she still had some spearbeast habits to attend to, including the moving too far back that Lieutenant Sersea had noticed, and was still unused to the new concentration of weight; she also needed to accustom herself to the different slashing manuevers a sword offered, and seemed reluctant to parry blows from the badger - the size and strength of her opponent made her more inclined to try to skip aside of blows.

But she had fundamentals and enthusiasm, and was more than willing to be shaped and corrected.

[.:Fawn:.]

Braythe instinctively raised his shield when Heartsease struck, but proceeded to look almost confused considering he'd hardly felt it at all. He'd heard it more than anything, a small 'thunk' as the sword swung down upon his shield, and was quick to counterattack, the small sword raising up to slash at her weak side. Considering he had a longer reach than the sword let on, Braythe slowed his movements down, giving her just enough time to duck or dodge or even raise her own sword to block him – anything to give her a few seconds to collect herself and react. His intention was to teach, not hurt, after all.

"I see yer tryin' to spring away when I attack, but just remember sometime's there's no room for all of that. Sometimes it's best just to use yer shield or your sword to block, otherwise yer might back into somebeast -- could be yer own comrade, and it could end badly fer both of you."

(( -Cringe- Sorry that's so short! Gah! ))