Dancing in the Mind (Asha)

[Zandelia]

Spring 82nd, 512 AV - Just Outside the Cages


Zandelia’s body had begun to heal itself after the vicious bruising it had been given during its journey to the Spires, her muscles aches fading and the skin of her rump returning to a more natural color also. She was in a strange surrounding now, her senses trying to attune themselves to an environment similar, yet still vastly different, to their usual knowledge. It was a difficult task she found before her, to try and sense the non-sensed in a strange habitat. She liked to cultivate knowledge, to learn and adapt wherever possible – however she was beginning to wonder if she could adapt at all to the city of wood, leaves and nature. She had travelled in her life, to places both near and far in relation to Sunberth, however forests were a new oddity to her mind. As she wandered the cages, completing her rounds before signing off and leaving her post, she tried to put it all into organized perspective.

Foliage where there were walls, canopy where there were shadows and animals where there were…animals. Just like home, yet not. I hope my skills serve us well enough here as in Sunberth, or else some might not be making it back she mused to herself as she nodded to the relief and made her way from the cages and towards an open area she had come to love. She had no illusions as to her impact and its slightness, however whatever edge she could provide she planned on doing so.

“I think it’s time to scout out where we go from here, soon too” she mumbled as she finally found herself out in a cleared space some hundred paces from the edge of the cages, her body tired but her mind requiring stimulus and clarity.

Throwing her hood back she breathed in the cold, vegetative air of the Spires into her lungs and let it out slowly through her parted lips. She did not remove her clothing, nor her gear, her reasoning that she might need them at any point – not to mention that getting used to carrying it in the frigid environment would help acclimatize her to their burdens. If she unburdened herself she wanted it to give her a burst of speed rather than nothing, and carrying the weight around constantly to build her endurance was the only way. Still, even in the cold she could feel small beads of sweat cover her body in several places. She blotted such considerations from her mind and closed her eyes, breathing deeply into her abdomen as she set about her daily meditative, yet strangely practical, exercises. They had begun as unarmed training but had transmogrified into something altogether more mystical over time.

“Relaxing, deadly training” she whispered as she brought her legs into the basic stance for the beginning of her forms, her heels touching and her body vertical and relaxed, arms by her sides and palms opened.

From her prone potion she let her breathing subside into slow, methodical inhalations and exhalations. She had worked at if for some time, breathing deeply into her abdomen rather than into her chest, relaxing her boy and stilling her mind, before she stepped out to her left and let her stance become shoulder’s width apart now. She stayed there for a few more minutes, her mind complete blackness, before stepping her right foot backwards and bending her knees into a defensive stance. Her hands came up into their usual places, her left guarding in front and her right just above her hip, fists loosely curled.

Breathe deeply, exhale and inhale once for each movement, slow and smooth will be my body, strong and methodical she let the thought gently creep into her skull and populate the emptiness slightly.

She set about moving from position to position in slow, careful motions that she found helped to build both correct posture and fluid movements, both useful tool in her arsenal. She started with a slow jab forwards with her forwards hand – a feint – before bringing her right leg around in a horizontal roundhouse kick, pausing when fully extended to test her balance. This followed into a slow turn of the leg to provide room for a thrusting, forwards kick with the same leg before dropping forwards – her initial stance now reversed. An upwards blocking motion to stop an imaginary attack with her right arm led into a smooth pivot to deliver a left-handed strike into the conjured being’s ribs. Turning now, she brought her right elbow across to shatter the first opponent’s jaw as she also smoothly turned to her left, left foot forwards once more. A series of strikes as she stepped lightly forwards followed, each movement slow and methodical, ending with a downwards block that swept away a strike to her side and left her second opponent open for a side kick to the solar plexus, the edge of her boot easily cracking bone.

always dancing to silence… came the unbidden thought as she kept up the movement still, breathing regular and deep into her abdomen, motions controlled and delicate almost.

She knew not if anyone was watching, did not overly care in her trance-like state. The only thing that mattered, that filled her world, were the forms.

[Asha]

Asha paced slowly around the cages. She felt sympathy for the Jamoura locked behind the bars and liked to drop by and provide some polite conversation to entertain them. She was heartened by the words she had heard, many were getting close to attaining their former mental capacities and would be released soon. It made her heart glad to see so many Jamoura recover and rejoin their people, though some seemed to have some lasting effects that only time could erase. Asha walked mindfully, placing one foot in front of the other with her hands gently clasped behind her back. To simply walk and feel the cool air around her was pleasant enough to satisfy the Jamoura female. After the tragedy of the djed fog she better understood what it meant to enjoy life’s simple pleasures.

Rounding a corner she spotted a female human performing a series of strange motions. She looked as though she were trying to fight some sort of enemy. Asha gazed around the area but no one could be seen. Perhaps the human was merely exercising, or doing something unique to her culture. Her curiosity appropriately whetted, Asha strode forward toward the human, thick black feet padding quietly across the grass. She stopped a few feet from the human, taking in her rhythmic gestures. The human had her eyes closed and didn’t seem to be paying attention to her surroundings. Asha knew the polite thing would be to leave the human to her own doings, as she was clearly quite involved in her movements. But Asha’s curiosity overwhelmed her and she had to say something. She cleared her throat a moment to reveal her presence to the human.

“What are you doing?” Asha painted a pleasant smile on her face to let the human know she had interrupted her in good will. These humans about never seemed to enjoy questions as much as the Jamoura she had grown up with, and friendliness always seemed to be the best approach. “Pardon me for interrupting you, but I noticed your movements and I’m quite intrigued as to what this all is. Is this some sort of ritualistic dance unique to your people?”

[Zandelia]

As Zandelia continued through the motions she could feel her mind quieten, her senses enhance and her brain begin its natural process towards cataloguing and analyzing all that she had learnt of the Spires and its residents since the beginnings of her journey to the cold and endangered region. The motions of her arms and legs took upon themselves a secondary consideration now, the moves learnt so well now as to be mechanical and natural enough to do without much concentration. Instead she concentrated upon the world around her, its inter-connectedness and her place within it. It was a useful method she had found that allowed herself to fluidly – almost – get herself into the right perspective for the mental challenges her line of work demanded.

One and all, connected together. A web so fine that sometimes the patterns are not easily seen. Cause and effect, motive and action, all come under its yoke she thought as she finally thought she was ready to begin the real task. It was then, unfortunately, that she found herself interrupted by an unknown entity creeping into her self-contained area of space.

“What are you doing?”

“Pardon me for interrupting you, but I noticed your movements and I’m quite intrigued as to what this all is. Is this some sort of ritualistic dance unique to your people?”

Her calm sanctuary had been pushed upon, giving a little before collapsing around her in shards of irony. She sighed and let her mind reach its usually cynical and conscious self, her body stopping its motions as she opened her eyes and turned her head in the direction of the voice. As she had suspected it was a Jamoura, though female in gender if she was any judge of the species – and she was not arrogant enough to even begin to pretend that she was. There was a smile upon her lips that spoke of honest curiosity, a novel idea for Zandelia whose life was spent in more sordid curiosity. She turned her body now, facing the creature as she tilted her head and let her emerald green gaze observe it in as much detail as was possible. She seemed relaxed to Zandelia, fully at ease with her interruption in many ways. There was a holding back that she could not quite discern the reasoning for, however she was not one to leave courage unrewarded – for that is what she had shown in her questioning.

That is not to say that I will not answer in riddles to see how truly knowledgeable this Jamoura is she told herself internally as she let a small smile creep to her own lips now.

“You could say that, you could say that indeed,” she spoke back with a chuckle, “it’s a dance that keeps me alive where I come from. Sunberth is filled with many...obstacles” she ended her response as she placed her hands upon her hips and tilted them to the side a little in thought.

“Your people intrigue me Jamoura,” she stated for want of a more fitting name for now, “you seem to question everything you can, so much so that you disturb me to ask me what I am doing! Bold indeed, and boldness demands rewards” she continued, considering, weighing her words.

“You shall have my name then for your act, Zandelia Sansom it is,” she told the creature, “and the...dance...can be used by anyone with a mind to do so. Would you care to try?” she asked, wondering if the creature would show further boldness fitting of reimbursement.

Though what I could gain from her, perhaps, holds more weight than she realizes. I need to understand these Jamoura and their thinking. To succeed where others fails one must discern their minds, after all she mused to herself as she awaited the response of assumed further curiosity.

[Asha]

Asha took in Zandelia’s face as she turned towards her. The woman smiled as she spoke, her words vague and cryptic. Asha’s brow rose inquisitively, the woman appeared to be playing some sort of game with her. A game of words was a delicious game indeed, and Asha was more than willing to play. The woman had a trickster quality about her, and certainly seemed bold. One had to be bold to engage in a game of words and wits with a Jamoura. Asha’s smile broadened and she crossed her arms before her chest. She leaned back gently, her solid right leg supporting her weight. It was a comfortable position for wit and banter, the opportunity for such unfolding before her.

“It keeps you alive you say? Well then your dance must be combative, certainly, the most intriguing dances are the deadly kind. Though I must admit this is the first time I have been privileged enough to witness one first hand.” Asha’s words were slow and deliberate, each unfolding into the next. Her mind moved quickly to form her thoughts into sounds and meet the woman’s challenge of wit. “All Jamoura know the price and prize of questions. After all, knowledge is life and questions feed it. Without questions and curiosity, knowledge and therefore life dies away. I am sorry to have disturbed you, truly, but I was only feeding my life.”

The opportunity to engage with this trickster woman was welcome respite from the hardships of dealing with the aftermath of the fog. It had been far too long since Asha had smiled in earnest and taken time simply to talk light-heartedly. In the midst of disaster one often forgot that life still contained enjoyment and vibrancy. The offer of learning was amenable to Asha. Normally, she would turn down the offer to learn combative practices but the fog had taught her the importance of a well-rounded education. And besides, the offer to learn from such a droll teacher made the opportunity even more enticing. “And I must thank you for the reward of your name, Zandelia. I shall give mine freely, it is Asha. And since we speak of rewards, what sort must I give in exchange for a lesson may I ask? I do sorely love to learn, but I must ensure I am equal to the price. Perhaps a lesson for a lesson? Is there anything I may teach you in return? I do not mean to brag, but it is few who understand the reward of a teacher and well learnt lesson as well as a Jamoura, and so I wish only to repay your generous offer in kind.”

[Zandelia]

oocSorry it took so long!


“Well then, well met Asha,” Zandelia responded with a warm tone, seeking to try and exploit the ease of the mood for her own benefit, “I have not had much opportunity to meet or learn of your kind truth be told, so the greatest gift you could give me would be information” she told the female Jamoura with a smile, her innate conscience being sadly lacking in the fact that she always wished to profit from an exchange.

And if I can use such information for the betterment of the Crimson Edge and this city then all the better she thought, wondering if Asha had ever really experienced the human baseness f a born and bred Sunberthian before.

“The weight of the rewards usually depends upon the relevance of the lesson though, so I shall let you decide how much you wish to tell me and what you wish to instruct me upon. In all honesty whatever you could tell me might help in the reclamation and our group’s capturing…” she let the words hang there for a few moments for consideration of the Jamoura’s intellect, wondering if it would drive her to tell Zandelia as much as was possible.

She took a few more moments to assess the Jamoura’s physicality too, wondering if what she wished to learn could be made applicable to a creature whom – for all intents and purposes – seemed to be built for power and not grace, at least upon two legs in her eye. Zandelia fancied that she could impart the movements upon Asha with relative ease, however he general application might end up proving to be a little more troublesome. Still, she knew more than most how appearances could deceive those of too much presumption and so was willing to try. At the very least it would give her the opportunity t study how their kind moved and dissect any possible weaknesses. She tilted her head at that thought, wondering when such shrewd calculation had become second-nature and not able to find a specific date at all.

“However, I hear that the Jamoura are very learned about things such as meditation and the like, so if you could help impart some mental strength upon me for the dark watches of the night then I would prove to be most grateful to you indeed” she finished in her final attempt to bargain a price for information she saw to be of little value in the grand scheme of things – especially in a peace-loving city.

Zandelia proceeded to take up a position alongside Asha, a few paces away but easily enough to be seen and analyzed for her movements and gestures. Teaching was not something that came naturally to her, but rather it was something she had been forced to adopt out of practicality over the last season or so. She had never seen herself as a light-handed mistress, more often than not finding it easy to force the knowledge into another’s mind in an almost brutally physical way. However, she knew when a different approach would be needed and thus decided to try something new on this occasion. She merely hoped that it would prove to be done well enough to be found worthy of repetition. She pushed her feet together in the beginning moves of her ‘dance’, her heels touching and feet splayed out to form a right angle when the whole picture was considered.

“This is the first position, where one takes the time to breathe deeply and focus the mind. The practice I do is one of martial quality, for fighting and defending oneself against enemies. However, it is also useful for bringing calm and peace to the body and spirit – something that is sorely lacking in my own dingy city. So, take a few breaths and we can thus begin,” she stated simply, a small command indeed, “and feel free to talk as we move or else you may become bored” she jested gently as she looked forwards an waited for the Jamoura to follow her lead.

[Asha]

Asha listened to Zandelia’s words silently, a soft smile on her thin, black lips. The woman asked for knowledge in return for her lesson, a proposal that warmed Asha’s heart. Knowledge was one area in which she was most selfless in handing out. It was wonderful to meet another person who also believed in the value of knowledge as a currency. Any man or beast that traded in knowledge was a rich being indeed, or so Asha believed. Her desire to see the goodness in the woman before her masked any hint of suspicion the woman might have aroused. To Asha, Zandelia’s offer of a lesson for a lesson appeared well-intentioned and honest. As intelligent as the Jamoura was, she was sadly ignorant of the hearts of humans. It was not that Asha was unfamiliar with the concepts of deceit and ulterior motives, but she wanted to believe the best of the hairless beings that so intrigued her. She wanted to hold the humans to the same lofty standards as the collectivist Jamoura and stubbornly ignored any signs that may have shown the humans to be otherwise.

“I would be more than happy to instruct you on the nature of the Jamoura. If we are to all get along together in this world we must understand each other, after all. You shall have to let me know if there are specifics that interest you or I am afraid I shall blather about whatever comes to my mind concerning my people. And I would be most pleased to teach you meditation. I think the traditional form will be most beneficial to you on your nightly watches.” Asha’s words were bright and laughing, bubbling up from an innocent and eager heart. She watched patiently as Zandelia took up a position near her, noting her movements with a sharp eye. Her thoughts quieted themselves as she prepared for a lesson, the lighthearted expression she wore shifting into serious. She did not take the notion of formal lessons lightly, and her entire being changed to fit the new atmosphere. Asha had been taught all her life that it was imperative to respect a teacher, and one way was taking their lessons as seriously as hunger and thirst. The woman moved her feet into the beginning position and Asha moved to do the same. Closing the distance between her legs she gently touched her heels together. She swayed a moment as her body became unbalanced; it was not easy for such a broad creature to focus all of her weight and momentum into such a small area. Normally her feet were spread wide to balance her girth. Asha tightened her leg muscles to hold herself straight and firm, a bit of a challenge but not unmanageable. Finding her balance she shifted her feet so that there was distance between her sets of toes, mimicking the right angle that Zandelia made with her own small feet.

“I am a bit ungainly for these human movements, but the challenge will certainly serve me well, I think. I am afraid you are faced with a rather novice pupil when it comes to the art of physical movement. I have spent most of my life in pursuit of the knowledge to exercise the mind and now that the fog has shown me the error of ignoring my physical training I mean to fix that. I appreciate your willingness to train me. I have relied on the strength of the Hakh’Shatara for too long, I must learn to rely more on myself.” Asha stated simply in explanation for why she wanted to learn something that she so clearly was not built for. But perhaps after she learned this human’s routine she could adapt it for her own physical shape and size. Asha took Zandelia’s advice and breathed deeply three times as she felt her body adjust to her position.

[Zandelia]

“You are the only thing you can rely upon Asha,” Zandelia stated as she was centering herself for the movements, taking her own advice, “after all there is only you when it comes down to it. It is a harsh lesson, but a true one. You cannot trust anyone fully, only your own abilities” she finished as she exhaled slowly, exhausting her lung capacity.

“Now, copy what I do and we shall see whether such a practice is transferrable to one of your race. I will go slowly so you can learn the basic sequence. After that we can repeat it faster until it flows like water in a stream” she told the female Jamoura simply.

She pushed her left leg forwards until it formed a solid base, twisting her hips so that her torso faced to her right a little, her right foot moving to a perpendicular angle in relation to her left foot which was pointing forwards now. Her left arm came up so that it was in front of her, protecting her body from attack, as her left arm rested easily at her waist ready to strike any imaginary opponents. She stayed there for a few moments until Asha had managed to get the positioning right. It was important that she did as it was the basic stance from which all movements flowed and – ostensibly – flowed back into too. She nodded when Asha got it right, smiling at the success of the creature.

“This is the basic stance, one which forms the spine of all movements from here on out. Remember it well as it will repeat a number of times” she said softly.

From there she let her left hand strike out slowly, keeping it smooth yet easy enough to see and repeat for the Jamoura beside her. From there she brought her right leg around, balancing upon her left so that it was horizontal in a sideways kicking motion that she froze herself in for a few moments to help her partner process the movements. She did it in stages, first leaning her bodyweight forwards and bringing her knee out a little from her body – a cocked position some called it. From there she pivoted her momentum upon the balls of her left foot and brought her leg around, extending it as she went. Afterwards she let her right leg come in front of her, leg bent fully before thrusting it out with a snappy movement, letting it fall forwards as if scraping an opponent’s body, until it was upon the ground and her original stance had now been reversed.

“This part takes more balance than power, so it might take a few tries to get right but do not be discouraged. Ability is not measured in minutes” she spoke as she awaited Asha to repeat the movements correctly before moving onwards. That done, she moved onwards with her demonstrations.

She let her right arm flow upwards to deflect an attack, keeping her forearms slanted o that the force would more slip to her side than be fully absorbed, following up with a left jab solidly into the torso section of her phantom opponent. This was followed with a step forwards and a resounding forwards driven elbow into its jaw. The movements were hard to do slowly, she found, being used to quick attacks, but she tried as best as she could to keep it so that Asha could follow in her wake. She ended up facing to her left in relation to her starting position and decided that these movements were enough for Asha to assimilate for now.

“Now, that is enough for now I think. Best not to overload you until you have the basic movements smooth and perfect. I have seen this series of motions used to great effect many times, “she smiled secretly as she wondered if Asha knew in what way, “and will be enough for a basic section of the art. Now we just have to repeat it until you are comfortable” she finished as she let Asha take the lead from then on and merely corrected her where relevant.

oocSorry for the delay! Its basically just getting Asha used to the motions this post and then you can write Zand correcting her a bit after if you like. Feel free to use her as you will

[Asha]

Asha kept her eyes cemented to Zandelia’s movements, trying to note each twist and placement. She followed along carefully and slowly, moving her left leg forward solidly and twisting her hips and chest slightly to the right. She moved her right leg into the perpendicular position, feeling some awkwardness of limbs. Zandelia was asking for smoothness of movement from an ungainly creature but Asha accepted the challenge without complaint. It was certainly easier then touching her heels together had been, at least now she had more room to distribute her weight. Her left arm rose up by her chest and her right rested at her side. For a few moments she stood still, feeling her muscles shift as she became accustomed to the position. Asha let a small half smile come to her lips as Zandelia nodded her approval. She listened to Zandelia’s words with a nod of her own, memorizing the shape and flow of her black body. Asha tried to follow Zandelia’s movements as she made them, but often needed to wait for her to repeat them before she performed them correctly. Trying the movements too fast unbalanced the large creature and made her movements sloppy. Asha struck out her left hand gently, performing the movement a few times until her arm could perform the action smoothly. The next step was a little more difficult. Balancing on one leg would be tough, Asha knew, so she would have to take it slowly. She lifted her knee heavily and attempted to pivot her body around, but her movements were awkward and halting. As her body leaned forward and her leg gained height she teetered precariously but managed to avoid falling over. She could feel her muscles warming and stretching from the effort. Asha may have had natural strength a plenty but muscle coordination took practice, which she was lacking. Her knee lifted but she began to extend before she had reached the intended height so the overall effect was rather stiff. She tried to swing her leg around smoothly to the ground like Zandelia had but instead her foot more or less thudded roughly to the dirt. Asha took a deep breath and attempted the movement again. It was on her fourth try when she had some semblance of correctness. She was able to lift her knee and use her bodyweight to provide the momentum to swing around before extending her leg and sweeping it to the ground. She still couldn’t get quite a comparable leg height to Zandelia’s but her stiff, untrained hips simply would not allow it. Asha also felt her final leg sweep could use some improvement, but that would take training for such fine control of movement. Plus she had a feeling her hips just weren’t made for lifting her leg above her waist. Jamoura didn’t have a huge need for that sort of thing. “I don’t think it’s going to get any better than that. My body just isn’t honed enough. But I will work on it.” Asha said, acknowledging her shortcomings. Her eyes observed Zandelia performing the next step, a series of arm movements. Her right arm moved upward to imitate Zandelia’s deflection move and her left arm jabbed out smoothly. Now that was a physical movement more akin to her body shape and strengths. She bent her arm and drove her elbow towards the invisible target in the air she had picked out for herself before ending the routine. “Well, that was a bit of a challenge. You are a worthy teacher for a hairless being.” Asha said with a pleasant smile, her breath heavier than normal. Under Zandelia’s watchful eye, Asha practiced the routine several more times. She had the movements down rather smoothly except for the leg extension part. That bit had begun to irritate her with its difficulty. She still wasn’t sure if she was simply too stiff and unskilled or if her frame was truly not built for that stretching. Perhaps she would have to consult a Hahk’Shatara Jamoura and see if one of the skilled Spires warriors could accomplish such a feat. The taste of imperfection was bitter for Asha to accept but she simply could not force her leg any higher. Her father always told her that failure was essential for learning but she disliked that lesson severely. Perhaps she was too youthful yet to fully understand that lesson. “I suppose now that I have completed my lesson I will have to teach you yours. We agreed on meditation, did we not? Well I suppose we shall have to start with the basic form that all must learn before branching out into other types. Would you prefer to sit out here by the cages or somewhere a little quieter?” Asha asked, glancing at the cages behind them. She had completely forgotten their existence and now she felt some embarrassment as she realized all of their occupants had been watching their exercises. At least they had withheld any commentary.

[Cinna]

And the forest reveals.... Looks like Asha was getting a workout, and Zandelia was up to her usual tricks Asha : Skills: Observation +2 Unarmed Combat +2 Intelligence +1 Body Building +1 Lores: Unarmed Combat: The basic stance Unarmed Combat: Learning to hit and defend. Dancing Can Be Difficult Zandelia The Trickster Zandelia : Skills: Teaching +2 Unarmed Combat +2 Intelligence +1 Observation +1 Meditation +1 Lores: Asha: A Gentle Tutor Teaching the Tutor Note: When Zandelia returns and updates her CS she will then be allowed to add her rewards. If you have any questions or concerns about my grading then don't hesitate to PM me!