Edge of faith [OPEN]

[Ashstripe]

((*Shrugs* Say...Five more posts? Maybe less if we start getting sketchy on our posting.))

Kenzie's eyes narrowed in a look of disapproval, Elicia's wasn't a wrong decision per Se, it just wasn't the most favourable. Then again, it was better than recklessly attacking an opponent without a plan, no matter how unprepared they may or may not be for a reprisal.

'She's lastin' rather well..' The Colonel mused to herself, usually fights would be over by now, with the Private collapsed in a heap in front of all of their comrades - then again, Kenzie wasn't actively trying to defeat Elicia - this was more about teaching than anything else.

Mentally, she shrugged, the enemy would rarely refuse such an invitation to attack an open defence and so neither would she - she would just show her that relenting was almost as bad as recklessly attacking.

She pushed forward once more, swinging her sabre in a wild and erratic fashion, she would cut down in a diagonal slice then horizontally, then an upper-slash - more of her slashes rent air than anything else, but the manoeuvre was for intimidation more than anything.

[Elicia]

//Ah. Maybe sooner rather than later-although I have quite looked forward to these posts during school.... My posting may become sketchy, and I apologize. I'll keep going, though, until you want to stop the fight.//
Elicia looked at Kenzie with almost a look of horror before she caught her senses. Diagonal, across, verticle... the blows were random and not particularly aimed at the Private, but they were fast and they flew off of the ends of a real blade. They flicked all around her, threatening to cut and tear the tunic she had kept so neat and clean, the fine hair all over her body, silky but tough, the long ears that swayed with each step backwards.

Eli was almost sweating. The Colonel's blows came fast and hard, again and again, striking nothing but air but coming dangerously close to their target. So, then you could think of it as retreating. Let's do that. She was retreating, yes, but not surrendering. Elicia was trying to find a pattern in the wild blows, something that made the Colonel predicable. Habits are weaknesses, me gel. Get rid of them, do what they bloody well don't expect, and ye'll do just fine in yore life! An old lesson...back to her now, out of all these years. Ironic? Maybe. Sad? A little. Odd? Completely.

True, she was backing up. True, that could be considered running. However, Eli watched Kenzie's paws for a hint of a sign-a twitch, an upraised paw, preparations beforehand for the next strike. She tried to tell what attack the Colonel would use when, but could only distinguish the upper-slashes from the complex patterns woven into the air. Eli took a breath-she would need it-and watched the paws again. When she saw the now-familiar movements that lead to an upper-slash, the Private tried to knock it off, as they both had done before, both, once at a tie, had gone to Kenzie's side.

[Ashstripe]

((Quite alright, we can start wrapping it up then.))

Although Kenzie would never admit it - she was thrown off balance. For that brief glimmer of a second, her rhythm had been interrupted and she was vulnerable to a well placed attack. Thankfully Elicia seemed to had only intended to parry her attack more than anything else.

And she would never admit that Elicia had succeeded.

What was actually a stumble was quickly disguised into a few bounced paces away from her target, her eyes remained neutral and a fraction smaller than they were before.

"Readin' my movements, aren't we?" Kenzie gave a smug smile of approval, "Lesson learned m'dear, lesson learned."

The small hare shrunk further into a battle stance of her own, crouching at the knees and pointing her blade forward like a spear from her cheek - it was an odd stance, something not widely practised in the Long Patrol.

The Private had learned something. Her intentions had been fulfilled. Now it was Kenzie's turn to learn something.

Just how far could Elicia be pushed before she broke?

"Now then, letsee wot else you have been keepin' from me." Kenzie said dryly, a hint of expectancy was in her eyes as she mentally stepped up her attacks a notch.

[Elicia]

"Now then, letsee wot else you have been keepin' from me."
Elicia's mouth formed a grim line as the Colonel began weaving her sword faster, and faster, blow by blow, strength and speed, it grew and advanced upon the Private. It was like the flurry of feathers after you have scared the pigeons away from your crumbs. It was confusing, and hard to see through, but you kept pushing onwards.

Eli was the same. If a blow was too sharp, too quick to block, she would step back. If she could, she would try to parry or block the attacks that had a chance of injuring her seriously if they had contact with her body. She planned out her defense-but then it left her offense severely lacking.

A lunge-too slow to get by. A slice-too wide, there was too much chance of a block. A diagonal-upwards, maybe, would work. The only problem was that the upwards diagonal was her worst move out of the basics. She could try it...but it would be a great risk to her. Now or never, me old gel! She thought, as she left the defensive position. Now, now, now while the Colonel has a chance of missing it! But why this attack, out of all others? Kenzie has no weaknesses-does she? Questions plagued her mind as the young hare maid tried to focus.

Stop it! Elicia silenced her thoughts with one command. Now, now! She almost chanted, caught up in the frenzy and the speed of the battle. She took one step to the left, one to the right, so that her footpaws were spread out to brace her. Then, she swung her saber upwards from Kenzie's right hip towards her left shoulder. Her hands wobbled just a faint amount at the strain of the challenge, but she kept going.

[Ashstripe]

The once loosely flowing and almost graceful flurry of attacks immediately came to a grinding halt as every muscle in Kenzie's body tensed in preparation to move in any direction; she noticed the swing shortly after it came to exist and she had precious few moments to react. Her thoughts whirled through her head like a maelstrom, all possibilities considered and cast aside, the Private was either a fast learner or a very good liar.

Kenzie would be proud of either trait.

Her eyes narrowed, declaring her intentions and focus as her legs tensed and her arms loosened. It was a clean swing, nothing too difficult to dodge as long as she could disrupt the momentum easily enough.

Kenzie's body twisted, her shoulders rotating counter to her hips as the hare's feet strafed to the left by a fraction and twisted the rest of her body so that her side now met Elicia. Using the combined momentum of her hips and her counter-rotation of her shoulders, she brought her sword in a rounded arc to knock the swing off it's course - she didn't care if it was still followed through, just as long as she was out of the way.

"Lesson Four, Private. No plan ever survives contact with the enemy." She announced once more, in a neutral tone of voice whilst observing the results of her attempted parry.

[Elicia]

Elicia saw the Colonel dodge her attack and step back so that they touched. She felt the momentum from her attempted attack carry her a few steps forward. Her paws felt clumsy-she had attacked again, and again her opponent had dodged it without a second thought. Plus, Colonel Conzett was still spouting her lessons! They were to distract her, she decided, and she wasn't going to let them! Eli paused for a second after her unintended advance.

Eli turned red with shame. How many times had the officer had this battle with different privates? How many had done so much better than her? She had always taken great pride in her speed and strength..but now, against a real foe, she was weak and her attacks were so slow that none had made contact. On Kenzie's attacks, however, she had bluffed and improvised wildly. There were no textbook moves in her battle plan, merely reaction and a bit of luck. Her saber flew in no graceful arcs, no swift slices. It jabbed and tried to bite, but ended up causing no harm to Kenzie.

She had seen the dodge and the parry that happened so quickly...but did not believe. The gel keeps dodgin' my attacks! Wot now, eh? Elicia stood for a second. Then, suddenly realizing her position, the Private spun around as quickly as she could. She had left her back fully exposed to the Colonel while she was thinking, and she turned bright red when she saw the Colonel's face.

[Ashstripe]

((Bah, I'm torn between making Kenzie actually take a hit or stay in her character. Since a Colonel is leagues above a Private >.>. I think I'll start drawing a conclusion to our little fight.))

"Tsk." Came a short and sharp reply, Kenzie shook her head disapprovingly at the one mistake that seemed to dispel a fight filled with advancements and approvals. That one word said everything she would need to say, or want.

She took a few more paces back, seeming to grow more and more disinterested in the fight as every minute passed. As if she had extracted all the entertainment value she could possible have from beating down a much more inexperienced fighter. Though she would never admit it, this fight was primarily for Elicia's benefit than hers. There were no shortage of overconfident Privates that could use a good clap about the ears and a dose of the harsh truth of reality.

There was a glint in her eyes, as she prepared for another attack an-

"Weeeell~! Isn't this a jolly surprise! N'e'r figured Kenzie'd start training again! Wot wot!" A grinning hare stood in the doorway to the Training Hall, standing a good height above Kenzie and fitting the typical mould of a hare - lean and lanky.

Kenzie closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Counting to ten silently whilst she sheathed her weapon, "Captain Chuffachop, I do believe I instructed you to file that report an-"

"Bah, pish'n'tush! His Lordship is readin' it o'er an-" His eyes wandered over to Elicia, "Well, isn't this pleasant!" Breeze exclaimed with a grin that stretched more of his face than he had, "Wot's th' name of today's victim then, eh?"

[Elicia]

((OK! Whatever you want!))
Elicia shook. She had done so well thus far, she had attacked and parried and had lasted far longer than she ever had thought she would-and then it was gone with one word. All of the approvals and subtle compliments from the Colonel dissolved into pain. The improvised attacks that had nearly worked, they were forgotten. The miraculous dodges from dangerous attacks, they were thrown to the wind with that one word from Kenzie.

Her paw loosened on her saber hilt as she placed it into her black belt. Her body ached, her head pounded, and everything hurt. Was this the reward she got? A tisk and a dismissal for bruises and shame? She had tried her hardest, she really had, but she was no good against Kenzie. Her sword felt heavy in its familiar spot by her side, and her big brown eyes were wide.

She stood to attention and saluted the Captain when he entered even though the motions taxed her beaten muscles. "The name's Elicia Pittney, sah! Private of the Lo-Long Patrol!" The Captain's cheery personality didn't cheer her up at all.

Eli was disappointed. No, that wasn't a good word for it. She was devastated. If she had done that badly in a fight, then she wasn't meant to be in the Long Patrol, surrounded by perilous beasts. She must have been at the bottom of the lists of recruits, barely scraping her way into the standings. A little tear made it's way down her cheek at she stood as straight and tall as her broken pride would let her.

[Ashstripe]

Breeze's smile was uncompromising, as he surveyed the damage that Kenzie had done. Today was a particularly touchy day for her and the Private was unfortunate enough to catch some of the overspill - in her better moods, Kenzie was almost merciful.

But in her bad moods, she was downright murderous.

Casually, seeing it as a common occurrence, he rested an arm on Kenzie's head, ruffling her fur and shifting a portion of his weight to the petite Colonel and ignoring her various signals and silent threats.

He quirked an eyebrow at the tears that started to form at the Private's eyes, "Now, now! If yore going to cry, I'm going to cry and liddle Kenzie is gonna have a right laugh! Wot wot!" He gave his best and most winning smile that he felt he could muster,

"And besides, look on the bright side! Your not dead!"

Kenzie glared daggers at her would-be subordinate, her day was taking a nose-dive and her mood was going to follow, "Captain!" She barked, "This is simply inadequate! First the Private displays the level of...Teaching that you give! And now your insubordination!?" Her responses were snappy and her eyes were filled with anger - the Colonel rarely lost her cool, but when she did, she didn't hold back.

"And Private Elicia Pittney!" Her brow furrowed, as if she was going to berate the Private until she wilted into the floor, "Y'left so many blinkin' openings! Yore attacks are flamin' slower than the Captain on parade and y'barely managed to lay a hit on me!" She snapped, disregarding the blow that had clipped her fur and sparked her temper.

Shoving Breeze off, she began to storm out of the room, her medals clinking with every step, but just before she reached the door, she left one final message, "And y'just might make Private 1st Class by next Winter." She called over her shoulder.

[Elicia]

Elicia shuddered as the Colonel raged about her fighting. "Marm..." She whispered. "I'm a new recruit. I've been the Patrol for less than four seasons." Her jaw trembled, and her fists were hard balls. "I've never fought a battle, marm. I've left th' mountain on only one occasion, and I've jolly well never fought against any bloomin' officah." She wiped her eyes and sniffed. "There's no way I would've come close to ye, marm." Eli was trying desperately not to cry in front of two officers at once, but she had tried hard to beat the Colonel. She didn't think that she deserved this berating. The Colonel's last words about being a 1st Class made her choke on the suppressed tears. She wasn't worthy of that, not after this...and she was sure that Colonel Conzett was being sarcastic.

The salty tears fell down her face. She couldn't stop them, and she didn't even try. Turning away from Breeze, the private walked back to the far wall and slumped down against it. She sighed, and wiped her eyes again. Elicia studied her paws where the tears had touched them. They were shiny, but Eli could still see the lines, the little imperfections that she couldn't get rid of, no matter how hard she tried. Those little imperfections... symbolized her loss to Kenzie. Each one was a mistake that she had made, and each one increased her feelings of guilt. She put her head in her paws and cried openly.

"Don't, sah." Elicia stammered out between sobs. "Ye don't have to come over or anythin'. I shouldn't be in the Patrol." Crying, she shook her head. "After that...I might a well just leave and become a blinkin' civilian, sah. I'm not worth the trouble. The Colonel beat me so badly, and she was in a bloody rage when I cut some of her fur off wi' one of my strikes..." Tears hit the floor and formed a little puddle, no bigger than a few drops, but a puddle all the same.

[Ashstripe]

Kenzie would have none of her excuses, she was out the door and off to murder whomever was unfortunate enough to cross her path before Elicia's words even reached her ears. Leaving just the Captain and the Private in the room.

Breeze was unphased and unaffected. His smile still remaining as broad and cheerful as ever, as if this entire incident was not unfolding before him - he was deaf to the whole ordeal.

"Shouldn't be in th' Patrol? Bah! I'd be worried if Kenzie wasn't gettin' angry at you!" Breeze strode over in five long strides to where the Private was sobbing, he slowly pat her shoulder with a reassuring paw, "And now then, I think survivin' an encounter with that roarin' beast ought to deserve a commendation! Wot wot!" He said with an all knowing-grin.

He crouched down beside her so they were in eye-level as his eyes and features crinkled up in pure delight, as he held a clenched paw in front of her.

"Now then, in recognition of your efforts - I've decided to give you a medal." His paw unfolded in front of Elicia's eyes, giving way to reveal a small silver acorn in-between two leaves, there was a deep blue ribbon bound to the small piece of silver and wrapped neatly through a loop.

Breeze winked, "Think of it as a commendation from the Colonel, wot?"

[Elicia]

Elicia looked up at Breeze, tears still falling. He came over to her, and she almost smiled through her tears when he started talking. "I didn't mean to, sah. I was coming in t'practice, an' she was standin' there. Next thing I knew she was trying t'kill me! I didn't start it or anythin'!"

He was so nice to everyone in the mountain-so why did Kenzie dislike him so much? Breeze hadn't done anything, and he was better with the recruits that anyone else. Kenzie was sharp with them and earned their respect but not their full loyalty and confidence. They couldn't connect to the Colonel, but Eli knew that her friends and any other recruit would have gone to Breeze if they needed help for anything.

Eli's eyes widened as Breeze opened his paw and showed her the little acorn. "Sah, I can't take that! It's too...too.." She shook her head. "Sah! I'm only a recruit, wot! Are you sure?" She was bewildered and surprised. She didn't know what to think at all-it was just too sudden for her. First the fight, then the failure, the interruption, the shame. And now..now this? She didn't understand it at all. Surely the officer beside her couldn't be serious. It was just too...too unexpected. Elicia touched the silver acorn with one paw reverently, then looked back at the Captain for permission. "Sah, you don't understand! I nearly hit the Colonel! My saber cut some of her fur off, sah, her fur!"

[Ashstripe]

The Captain's grin faded for a brief glimmer of a second into disbelief, he had stolen the medal off of Kenzie's tunic as a gesture of good-will and encouragement to the Private; but actually cutting her fur?

No wonder Kenzie nearly killed Elicia.

His grin returned and slowly widened into audacious laughter, loud roaring laughter, a sound that he didn't attempt to muffle and didn't care who heard it and for what reasons, "Liddle Kenzie got clipped by a blinkin' Private?!" He clutched his sides and nearly fell to the floor in laughter until tears started to flow from his eyes.

After a few minutes of clutching his sides with the medal still wrapped in his paws, he eventually recomposed himself and wiped away a tear from his eye with a few remaining giggles, "Oho...Oh deary me. Now y'definitely earned it. 'Tis been seasons since Kenzie's been clipped by a Recruit - I still remember th' last one, poor chap didn't want to talk about it wot?"

He held out his paw once more and unfurled his grip on the medal, "Now then, I, Captain Breeze Chuffachop of the blinkin' 2nd Battalion and 7th Company, present to you, Private Elicia Pittney - th' Acorns of Bravery." He placed a paw to his chin and glanced to the ceiling in thought, "I think Kenzie earned these in a fight against some Foxes or Reptiles...Just don't go tellin' 'er 'bout it eh? Wot?" Breeze winked with an all-knowing grin, he wasn't worried about Elicia's safety.

He was worried about his.

[Glavon]

(Um...if you don't mind and aren't ending this thread, could I join, I'm having trouble finding an active thread...if I can I'll be using Fang...)

[Elicia]

((YES! Go ahead-I think Eli will stay in here for a moment or two...)
She was nervous when a look of shock passed across Breeze's face. Eli thought that he would skin her, or something like that, for nearly hitting the Colonel. So she was immensely relieved when he burst out laughing and fell down on the floor.

Elicia couldn't help herself: she laughed. The Captain looked so ridiculous that she couldn't stop a few peals of laughter escaping through her tears. With one paw Eli wiped her eyes dry and took the medal from Breeze. She held it like a precious gem that might disappear any second. With every second she looked at it it became more of a prize and encouragement than something out of a dream.

"Oh, sah! Thank you!" The private felt the little silver acorn, the ribbon, everything. She knew..that it wasn't a medal that she had won herself, but, being a giddy hare maid, she treated it as such. She knew that she could never count it among her medals that she had earned-but her time in the Patrol had been less than one year, so any prize was cause to celebrate. Not, however, outside of her head. Nobeast could know about it. "Thank you, sah!"

With a sudden resolution Eli stood up. "I won't tell a soul Cap'n! I swear, and if anybeast finds out ye can my guts for garters, eh?" She pulled her saber out from it's place at her side and saluted him. "I'll keep practicin' so I can beat the old gel next time, sah. I won't let you down!" She felt more like a Long Patrol hare than ever before. She had done well in her fight...and maybe, just maybe, the Colonel had meant her comment about Elicia becoming 1st class by next winter. If she tried hard, she could.

[Ashstripe]

((Yep, the more the better. I can keep Breeze around.))

Breeze chuckled, wiping the stray tears from his eyes that had come with the laughter as he ruefully held his right side with a free paw. It had been a long time since anything had made him laugh so loudly and this had certainly made his day - and for that, he would've probably stolen Elicia a medal anyway.

He felt warm. A rising feeling of pride at having brought happiness to another. It was the least he could do in these trying times, in a new Long Patroller's world, nearly every officer seemed out to get them and seemed to enjoy seeing them break.

Contrary to the fact that they only tested their limits.

Breeze massaged the back of his neck in a show of minor embarrassment, "Easy now 'gel, y'not quite ready t' take on Kenzie for a while now. Wot wot?" He said with a touch of maturity, "'Tis a rare thin' watchin' 'er fight too! Before y'little spar, th' last time she fought was in the blinkin' war with the WARR 'orde."

Despite this, he knew 'easy now' wouldn't suffice. That medal meant the absolute world to the Private and he could see that. He had been in her shoes, once.

"Course now y'ain't so wet behind the ears." He added as he tugged on Elicia's ears with a smile, "If y'lucky, you'll be able to join us in the war! Wot wot!" He laughed loudly at his failed attempt at cynicism, he simply could not maintain that level of negativity.

[Elicia]

Elicia tried to curtail her excitement, but the adrenaline was flowing like poison, infecting her every move. She fidgeted, rubbing her paw on the very hilt of her saber. The private was TRYING to stay still...but it really wasn't working. She had so much energy, wanted to get up and go so badly-but she forced herself to stay in the room. Drumming her fingers, Eli looked around the room for something to do. Anything would have suited her. But, after her spar, she didn't find interest in anything else. It just seemed so...so ordinary.

Finally, Elicia sat down. She held her saber in her paw gingerly, and ran a breath of hot air over it. Then she rubbed it with the edge of her tunic, polishing it slightly. It wasn't as good as if she had actually taken time to do it, but now it looked presentable again. Running one paw over it lovingly, she caressed the sharp edge. It was reflecting her face, and Eli could see a bruise forming where she had hit the floor.

In fact, there were little bumps and scrapes all over her from her numerous falls. Elicia glanced over each one, then dismissed them as merely a bother. They didn't hurt-the adrenaline made sure of that!

[Ashstripe]

Apparently Breeze's eyes had followed the same tract, having looked past his thick cloud of optimism and catching a glimpse of the real world. His eyes widened slightly at just how bruised and cut the Private really was, despite the obvious implications of the situation, he was still shocked - Kenzie had been sparring with real weapons.

Elicia had better thank her lucky stars and whatever higher power there was in their world, Kenzie rarely sparred with real weapons for obvious reasons, unless she really wanted to make an example of someone. To leave them in pain and suffering in the Infirmary for a good season to think about what they had done to displease her to that extent.

With no more than a cluck of his tongue did Breeze reach for and grab Elicia's arm and hoist her up to her feet,

"By me Great Aunt Martha! Wot did liddle Kenzie d'to yer?!" He chided in a manner similar to a mother would a child, "Lookit that, bruises and bumps all over. Y'need patchin' up m'gel."

There was something in Breeze's voice that made it very clear that he wouldn't take no for an answer. The statement was soft, warm and inviting - but the underlying tone suggested a strong protective attitude.

[Elicia]

Elicia was taken by surprise when Breeze pulled her up from where she was sitting. "Sah, it's not that bad!" She tried to protest, but then she saw the officer's expression and gave up. There was no way he'd let her say no, even though the Private really wanted to. Standing upright and looking herself over, Eli realized that she was pretty banged up. Her head sort of pounded, and she was really tired. Her paw that held the saber was probably the worst off-it was red on the inside from rubbing on the hilt in the fight.

"Huh." Elicia sheathed her saber with a wince. "I guess I really am pretty beat up, wot!" She looked around, at the place she had just been sparring, where she had been sitting, where Kenzie had left her after she had lost the fight....Eli glanced over the entire room, as if reliving parts of the fight. Then, she looked back at Breeze.

"Who woulda thought, eh?"

[Ashstripe]

Breeze gave one of his rare incredulous looks, "Who woulda t'ought? M'dear, 'henever Kenzie is involved - somebeast is gonna get 'urt!" He chided as he examined a particularly nasty bump near Elicia's temple. It was quite swollen, a small bloated growth that told the story with enough details for Breeze, the Private and the floor probably got acquainted quite frequently during her bout with Kenzie.

"Now then! I'm sure there's stuff in th' Infirmary!" He tightened his grip on Elicia's arm with one paw and pointed - almost randomly - in a direction that one could only presume was the Infirmary. One could never be too sure with the spontaneous Captain; his plans and intentions only lasted a second after he revealed them.

"Come along then m'gel!" He gave a forceful tug and almost broke into a sprint through the exit that he had indicated, Breeze had made it quite clear that Elicia was going to follow his chosen path - regardless of the fact that it was the long way.