[Windmount Stables] A Drykas by any other name (Open)

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"Stay calm, be firm. He won't start trotting unless you nudge him with your heels." There were a couple of other signals, of course, but Horse was smart enough to recognize a novice rider, and he was going easy on the big man.

Sam listened to what Jaeden said about his job prospect and filed it away for later use. If Jaeden did get a job, then it was possible he could help Sam get more work, which would be helpful if he ended up sticking around for a while.

"Try turning him and when you're ready, stop him and dismount. I think that's good for one day."

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden gave a slow nod as he began turning the horse a couple of times with the reigns as he lightly pulled them from side to side. A slow nod was then given as he pulled back on them, bringing the horse to a stop. He then put his full weight along one of the stirrups, lifting his other leg to swing it over and dismount. In his inexperience, however, Jaeden's foot brought the other stirrup up while lifting his leg, and instead of lowering it, Jaeden shook his foot slightly to kick it off. When he did so, his heal caught the side of the horse, causing it to suddenly trot forward. Jaeden, in his semi-awkward stance of mid dismount, suddenly fell backwards, slamming his body along the ground as he let out another "Oof," and was once again staring up at the clouds, this time while begin dragged slowly. "Oh, nice."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"Horse!" he called crossly, and Horse returned, nonplussed, to whuffle Jaeden's hair.

Sam offered Jaeden a hand again.

"I hope this doesn't mean you're going to pound me into the dirt when it's my turn," he said glumly, unstrapping his scimitar from the saddle.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden slowly rose, pushing his hand along the ground as he did so to make sure his own weight wasn't pulling Sam to the ground. He slowly rubbed his head, winching slightly before giving a slight shake of the head itself. He then looked to Sam, giving out a slow chuckle. "What?" Jaeden said with a slight frown. "Of course not, I've had worse then just a small fall happen to me. Especially during training." Jaeden then gave a light smack along the back of Sam's head as if to forcefully dismiss any further thought of such before taking a couple of steps back, grasping his own long sword. "We're going to take this slowly," Jaeden then said as he let the tip of his sword fall to the ground, his hand resting along the hilt. "As I'm still somewhat of a novice myself, and we don't have wooden practice swords, it's best not to have high speed swings so we can avoid any serious injury."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sam just grinned, unsheathing his scimitar and holding onto the scabbard; the way he had been taught long ago, a scabbard could be used to block and to bludgeon if one was skillful. He had been skillful for a seven year old, and then there had been an eight year hiatus until he had stolen Horse and most of his equipment. Luckily one of his master's guests had had a scimitar, similar to what he was used to.

"Well, our swords are a little different, so I guess we will just learn from experience, then."

He was lean and lithe, and his reach was almost as long as Jaeden's, but the curve in his sword worked especially well from horseback, and his style on food would require a more liquid movement. But this was good, a chance to really practice.

"So..."

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden gave a small smirk, raising his sword as he slowly circled with Sam. "Decent footwork, a good stance. Not many openings that I can see," Jaeden said as he raised his blade, slowly lowering it towards Sam as he raised his own to block. "Of course, I'm also still somewhat a novice. Good though, you're using the flat of your blade to block instead of the edge. You've had prior teaching." Jaeden slowly drew his blade back before giving a slow thrusting motion forwards with the tip of the blade. "Using the edge, after all, causes the blade to go dull and makes it more susceptible to cracks and breaks," Jaeden explained as he continued to go through slow moving motions of sword play with Sam.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

If Sam had hoped for a master teacher, he was disappointed, but Jaeden was definitely better than he was. He couldn't be sure where the blame lay, but he knew he had doubled in size since he had been any kind of warrior. Memories of the Sea of Grass were banished, though. His grandfather the Ankal and all the other warriors of the pavilion would have been angry if he had not at least learned that one needed to empty the mind while fighting, otherwise one got in one's own way. And then one died.

"It's easier on horseback," he said, but it was more an observation than a complaint. Now his youthful energy was coming into focus. While horses came effortlessly, this required discipline.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden slowly gave a nod as he slowly parried and blocked incoming attacks that Sam delivered in their practiced pace, before returning attacks so that he could do the same. "Easier as it may be, there may come times where you will not always be on horseback, so one should learn a familiarity with both," Jaeden replied before slowly backing up. He looked to Sam for a moment as he quirked a brow. "You should likely start training your body, gaining a little more mass," Jaeden then suggested, tapping his chest. "Sword fights will also tend to have a little grappling involved when duelers get close enough to grab at their opponents wrists."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"Well, of course," he agreed to the necessity of fighting on foot. It had happened to him before, at least.

They were blade-dancing at about three quarters speed now, and his body was remembering old forms from so long ago. He tried to focus on his body and the conversation rather than let old memories rise up and overtake him. He would be strong. He had to be; there was nobody left to watch his back and hold him up.

"I've never been able to put on any weight," he said. "Never enough food." He grinned despite the piteous state in which he had often lived. He ate enough now, but his stomach had accustomed itself to less.

[Jaeden Kincade]

"There's always plenty of food to be found in the forest or streams if you can't buy it with coin," Jaeden explained noticing the speed had increased. "Slow it down, we don't need one of us losing a finger or something due to things becoming a little to energetic." "Anyways," Jaeden then continued as a couple of mock thrusts were issued as Sam parried them all. "The worse season for hunting will be the winter of course, as most animals will go into their deep sleep. So it's best to use whatever coin you have for food during that time, and hunt for the rest during the other seasons."