Rapier Training (Jamie, open)

[Esme]

Ana stepped into the Training Hall, glancing around nervously.
She had been told to turn up here every day for lessons, despite
the fact that she could already handle a rapier, and doubted that
her sword work could get any better.

She stepped further into the light, and the scars around her ankles
were immediately highlighted. A nearby leveret stared at them until
she carefully stepped behind a nearby weapons rack, effectively
hiding them from the other hare's sight. He continued staring, though,
and she fidgeted nervously.

She wondered how long Jamie would be. She had been told to wait for
him here, so here she was, despite the glares and comments that were
already being directed her way about how cripples shouldn't come into
the Training Hall. She ignored them and stayed where she was.

It wasn't them she was here to have lessons with, after all.

[Tracy]

Jamie had only been back at Salamandastron for a few days now, after an assignment to Redwall which kept him away from the mountain for almost two months. It had been a simple enough task, though a trying journey home through the brunt of winter. He'd enjoyed a few days off since he'd been home, but now was getting back into his routine.

Since he'd left, many of his trainees had moved up or had been assigned to some other superior, as expected. So as Jamie glanced down at his docket for the day, most of the names for his private lessons were recruits he'd never worked with. New trainees were fun, but also made for an exhausting day. He was definitely looking forward to his group lesson after breakfast though, a talented group of young Patrollers that he'd been unwilling to relinquish to another officer. A sergeant had taken command of them in his absence, but today they were his again.

Before he headed down to breakfast, sea-green eyes glanced once more over the agenda, noting the name of the private lesson right after lunch, Anastasia Greeneye. The name was familiar, but he couldn't immediately think why. Brushing it aside, he took one last glance in the mirror before going down to the messhall.

~~~~~

After lunch, the young lieutenant got himself cleaned up before heading back to the training hall. It was a bit crowded, typical for this time of day. He couldn't wait until the weather warmed up a bit and lessons could be taken outside. Walking into the training hall, he glanced around, and as his eyes set upon the young haremaid hiding behind a rack, he realized why her name was familiar. This was the haremaid that had shown up as Roseleaf's assistant. From what he'd heard, this particular maid wasn't a soldier, so he was a bit surprised to find her in the training hall, and on his list of trainees.

It didn't matter. Her name was down on the schedule, and she'd shown up. So now he'd do anything he could to help her. Apparently for starters, that was to get her out from behind the rack of weapons.

Before he walked over and introduced himself, his gaze landed on a young leveret who was staring wide-eyed at Anastasia. Jamie recognized the impudent youngster; he had a twin sister who was a regular student of Jamie's mother. Clearing his throat, he took the leveret by the shoulder and steered him to the door. "You aren't supposed t'be in the training hall. And don't you have a history lesson starting in a few minutes?"

The leveret jumped, startled to be caught by Jamie. "Oh um sorry. Um. Yessah. History...bye!"

Jamie watched the leveret leave, then turned around, back to his new trainee. "Anastasia?" he queried, holding a paw out in greeting. "Lieutenant Jamie Sersea."

[Esme]

Ana looked up at him, feeling the relief that the leveret was gone. Deciding to take the chance, she stepped out from behind the weapons rack, despite knowing that everyone in the room would now be able to see her ankles.
Managing a small smile, she accepted the paw. 'Yes, sah, I'm Anastasia. I prefer Ana, though.'

She shuffled her footpaws, trying to stay upright as she did. She was notoriously clumsy-until, that is, she picked up a blade. She loved to use a rapier, and she suspected that that was why she had been signed up for private lessons. After all, her teachers had said that they wouldn't give up on her just because of her scars. Which was definitely more than she could say for some of the hares in here.

Her ears burned as one of the more nasty comments reached her ears. 'Wot's a gal like that doin' with scars like those? You'd think she'd have the decency to at least hide them!'

She whirled, yanking away from Jamie, who had been nice to her, admittedly, but she knew that unless something was done the comments wouldn't stop.

'Just try saying that to me face, Sah, I dare ye! My scars were given to me by vermin when I was just a child, and I'll not hide somethin' that made me who I am just because they disgust cads like you!' She was trembling with anger and hurt, her brown and green eyes flashing.

In her anger, her footpaws got tangled up, and she went flying, landing hard on her front. She was back up again instantly, however, and was met by silence all around. She glared at the other hares there, unsure of what to do now she had confronted them.

Several of the hares, she noticed, refused to meet her gaze, and she knew then that they must have been one the ones to make the comments that had been tormenting her.

[Tracy]

Jamie hadn't been paying enough attention to the rest of the hares in the hall to notice what any of them were saying, or that any of them were being unduly unkind to the haremaid. However, Ana was clearly distracted, so he glanced in the direction she was looking and heard the comment as well. The lieutenant was about to say something – perhaps a bit more civilly, but equally as guilt-inspiring – when his new trainee went on a tirade.

The officer kept firmly out of it, letting Ana yell at the other hares. He didn't back her up, but he didn't attempt to stop her either. He was hardly about to stop a young hare from righteously sticking up for herself. When she stopped yelling, however, and tripped, he automatically moved to help her back up, but was immediately rebuffed by her quick recovery. Well, that was probably for the best.

Keeping quiet, he looked a couple times between the admonished hares and Ana, still not intervening or offering any input. Jamie had no idea what the haremaid's relationships with others was like here, but clearly the ones in this hall were not her best of friends. She probably did not make friends easily, judging by the very limited interaction he'd had thus far with her. First, she was timidly hiding behind a weapon rack, then only a moment later was dressing down practically a whole room full of training soldiers. Hopefully these drastic mood changes weren't something he was going to be fielding throughout their training sessions. Teenaged haremaids could be real trials.

Finally, when it had been too quiet for too long, he cleared his throat. "Ana, look at me. Don't bother over them anymore. We have work t'do. Beasts who talk about others are insecure with themselves. I'm here t'help you, they're not. So are you ready?"

He nodded down at her rapier. "How much experience do you have with that?"

[Esme]

Ana gave one last glare, and then tried to relax, taking a few deep breaths before turning back to Jamie.

'I'm sorry, Sah, I didn't mean t'lose control like that. Aye, I have some experience with it-the Sarge that took me in after I was rescued from the vermin that gave me these scars made sure of it.'

She unbuckled the rapier from her side and offered it to him to inspect. 'He taught me to always keep it in as good a condition as possible, too, and how t'go abou'doin' it as well. Twas also him that signed me up for th'group lessons at the Leveret School.'

Her bracelet glinted on her wrist, and her eyes quickly traveled to it. Not missing a beat, she quickly unclasped it and placed it inside the pocket she's stitched into her uniform specially, deftly doing up the button so it wouldn't fall out.

She returned her gaze to Jamie before continuing. 'It was my teachers there that signed me up for private lessons, Sah. They thought that with enough practice, I could be as good as the Sarge that gave me my first lessons.'

[Tracy]

Jamie took the offered rapier, turning it over a couple times. He was a saber-wielder himself, but he had plenty of trainees who favored rapiers, particularly the females. It was a good choice for many of them, given it was a one-pawed weapon, built more for speed and agility than brute strength. After having witnessed this haremaid trip over her own feet (and having heard enough to know that this wasn't an isolated incident) he had his doubts that this was the right weapon choice for her. Jamie also knew enough, however, to reserve his judgment until after he'd worked with her.

He gave the light sword a twirl in his paws, presenting it back to Ana by the hilt. "Very well. Let me get an idea where I'm starting with you, wot?"

The lieutenant stepped back from the haremaid, drawing his own saber from his hip. Eyes fixed on the younger haremaid, he watched every move she made. He wasn't just waiting to see how she defended or attacked, he was studying how she prepared, how she stood, how wary she was.

"Ready?" Jamie asked, a question he wouldn't always ask in later training sessions. Giving the young haremaid a moment to prepare, he moved forward in an under-handed slash at her left side.

[Esme]

Ana accepted her rapier back and settled into her usual fighting stance, relaxed and fluid, letting her sword balance her out instead of trying to stand upright.

When he slashed at her side, she quickly parried it and jumped to the side, landing lightly on footpaws that were usually awkward and clumsy. She loved to use her rapier-it was one of the few times when her clumsiness disappeared completely.

She didn't attack, however. Instead, she stayed cautious, staying back and circling the older, more experienced hare, trying to get a feel for the way he fought with his heavier sabre. It was an impressive weapon, but she didn't let it distract her, other than to keep an eye on the tip.

That one strike he had made had already told her that he didn't telegraph his attacks, and that, more than anything else, told her that he was a master of his blade. She would have to be more careful than she usually was. Keeping an eye on the tip of his blade, as well as his eyes, might give her an idea of what he was planning.

[Tracy]

Jamie's eyes followed the haremaid as she circled about, but he himself moved as little as he could get away with. Bent, he kept his weapon nearly parallel to the ground, only shifting marginally to keep his torso side-facing his opponent. The young lieutenant waited a few moments, giving her an opportunity to go on the offensive, an opportunity she seemed unwilling to take.

The officer wasn't an evasive sword-fighter; he had the skill and strength to win quickly in the offensive. But he didn't mind fine-tuning the tactics of defensive fighters. He was surprised how lightly Ana moved on her feet and how much more confidence she instantly had with her rapier in her paw. He mused on what she might be like if she just walked about everywhere with her sword. She'd make quite the exciting infirmary assistant, in any case.

As she circled about diagonally to him again, he turned counter to her, swinging his saber in an upward arc as he spun quickly about. Ana would have to react quickly on the defensive. He was curious to see if she took the opportunity to go on the offensive, or if her concentration would be to keep her balance and avoid him.

[Esme]

Ana saw the strike, and whirled with it, her blade pushing his away from her, but not properly blocking it, sending it into thin air instead.

She skipped away, quickly processing what she'd learned so far. Offensive fighter, doesn't move around much. He uses a heavier sword, too... What was it Sarge always said...? That's it! Use his strength against him!

Not hesitating now, she lunged in with her blade, using its lightness and speed to the best advantage she could. She made a quick feint at his footpaws, and switched the direction of her strike at the last moment, aiming for his chest instead, hoping that he would block her blade in time.

For starters, she didn't want to have to explain to Roseleaf about why she'd injured the Lieutenant that had been assessing her. She could already see how that conversation would go, and knew she would much rather avoid it if she could.

[Tracy]

Jamie's attacks seemed like they could easily hit the haremaid, as if he wasn't really holding back his swings. Anyone with a bit more experience fencing with the hare would know how careful he was being though. So although his hits were close and tough, he was always in control of exactly when and where he was hitting, and he wouldn't hurt his trainee. At least not seriously.

In that vein, he was also not going to allow himself to be injured in a training session. While Ana might be thinking how she would explain harming the lieutenant, Jamie knew it was far more incumbent on him that everyone escape unscathed. If he knew what Ana was thinking, he'd have to laugh, and assure her that, if it ever came down to it, he would be the one with a lot of explaining to do. And a very injured pride to mend.

But Jamie blocked her hits easily. Quickly turning the saber down to block her swipe at his ankles, the two swords didn't even make contact before Ana altered her position and hit toward his chest. Standing side-facing as he was, it was a simple thing for Jamie to pull his saber up vertically to deflect the hit. He stepped back in the same movement, which left an opening between himself and his trainee the moment he tipped away her light rapier.

He took the brief opening, jolting forward with a straight jab toward her middle.

[Esme]

Ana tried to jump backwards, and managed the jump itself, only to have her ankles buckle under her weight. She went down hard, her sword spinning across the floor away from her as she stayed where she was, trying to catch her breath.

Her ears had turned bright red from embarrassment-of all the things to happen, and in front of an officer, too! She carefully sat up, and inspected the room to make sure no-one had been hurt by her sword. She sighed in relief when she saw that everyone was fine, and pushed herself up onto her paws.

'I'm sorry, Sah. I forget sometimes, that my ankles can't bear my weight like another hare's would. Sarge Onestrike always said that that was one of the things I needed t'work on the most, wot.'

She stood awkwardly, staring at the floor, waiting. Any other officer would have her ears for medal ribbons, but he'd been nice to her, nicer than most in the mountain, at least. Perhaps he would be different. At least she knew now that he could easily ward off her attacks.

[Tracy]

Jamie had been wondering if and when the haremaid would finally go down. He hadn't necessarily wanted her to, but he needed to figure out her limits. He assumed it would happen somewhere between her clumsiness and her weak ankles, but it didn't seem like her clumsiness had even been a factor during the duel.

"Are you all right?" he asked. She'd gone down hard, but she would have to get used to that if she was going to continue sword-training with the Long Patrol. Every trainee had their weakness, and lessons with the regiment were meant to be hard. He offered her a paw up, immediately noticing how she'd transitioned back into that shrinking violet. Ana would have to learn to take these little disappointments in stride and learn from them, rather than let them defeat her.

He listened to her brief explanation about her ankles, but didn't immediately respond. Sheathing his saber, he walked over to where her rapier had skidded. Using his footpaw, he kicked it up, catching it by the hilt. Walking back over, he turned the light sword about in his paws for a few moments, waiting to see if the younger haremaid had anything else to say, but she only stared uncomfortably at the ground.

"If you exercise and run as much as you can, you'll see that problem fixed b'fore you know it," he finally replied. It wasn't a coincidence his advice was the same she'd been given by Roseleaf. "In fact, instead of your fighting lessons, every other scheduled session, you'll spend the time running, instead. Hopefully you can't find excuses not to, then."

Turning down the point of the rapier, he handed it to Ana again. "I'm not sure why you're so glum. If I couldn't disarm you in our first lesson, I'd be a pretty rotten trainer," he said with a laugh. "You'll do fine."

[Esme]

Ana stared up at him, wide-eyed with shock. Even her teachers in the Leveret School had been harsh with her over her clumsiness, so to receive kindness instead was completely unexpected.

The thought of the running daunted her, because she knew she'd be all over the place, but if it could make her a better fighter, then she would do it, and gladly, too.

'I'm fine, Sah. It just took me by surprise, is all.' Her gaze grew determined. 'I'll do that, Sah, and gladly, too.' Her gaze flickered to the hares that had been so harsh earlier. 'Not just so I can fight better, but t'prove even a hare like me can fight, and fight well, too.'

She accepted her rapier from him, a smile starting to tug at her lips, the first that day. 'Between you and Roseleaf, Sah, I don't think I have much of a choice. Perhaps... perhaps it's time I did start tryin' to run again. Last time didn't end too well.'

[Tracy]

Jamie smiled. "Well, if for some reason you don't listen t'me, you should definitely listen to Roseleaf. Smart haremaid, believe me, gel knows what she's talking about." The young lieutenant couldn't mask the fondness in his tone, so he didn't attempt to. The infirmary-keeper could –and had- brought beasts back from the brink of death. She could definitely help a young haremaid strengthen her ankles enough to fight, of that he had no doubt. It definitely depended on the younger maid's commitment to her regimen, and her confidence that she could get better.

He looked around for a moment, also taking in the young hares that had given his trainee such a hard time earlier. "Y'might might to think what it is that changes when you're dueling. You seem more secure when you're holding your rapier, and you're easier on your feet. Mayhap you can figure out what does that, an' be able to hold on to it throughout the day."

The officer stretched his arms a bit, already feeling the ache of the day's training. It had been awhile since he spent his whole day sword-fighting. He enjoyed the feeling, but it would take a few days for his body to readjust to his training schedule. "And Ana," he went on. "I'm not so very good at gettin' myself t'run either. So if you're havin' trouble finding the motivation t'go, come find me. We'll both go."

[Esme]

Ana smiled. 'I appreciate that, Sah. It can be difficult, especially when others watch and cheer when you fall on your scut.'

She turned her back on the hares that had been talking, and looked up at him as she pulled her bracelet out of its pocket and slipped it back on. 'And I only have the confidence with my blade because of Sarge Onestrike, Sah. After I learned t'walk again, he took me in. First day he had me in th'training ring, learning how t'hold a sword.'

Her smile was happy as she thought on the Sergeant that had brought her up. 'He was another that wouldn't take no for an answer, Sah, just like Roseleaf. I'll do everythin' I can to capture that feelin'. I'm sure Roseleaf at least would appreciate it. No more wooden bowls bein' broken, then.'