Closed Sicker Than A Dog

[Ricky Maze]

Put down again, though that didn't mean Ricky's lesson was done. Wrenmae had much ti say to the guard, much that made an impact on his own perspective as he listened. Ricky had much to learn starting with this session here, and though his mind may feel groggy he still grasped the concept of Wren's words. "If I were to beat 'em, I've to strike first then..." Those words weren't entirely harsh but still bold in their cold truth, any form of a threat can be eliminated should he be the one to take care of it first. Ricky swallowed hard as he thought about this, ignoring the taste of his own blood as he wondered what all happened that made Wrenmae to be so dark. The way he spoke he had to have a violent past that he somehow regretted, although Ricky failed to see how the man suffered so much. There was more to Wrenmae than just mystery, there were secrets deeply buried. Though it wasn't obvious to know right away, Ricky could tell something about Wren was withdrawn, something he preferred not to share with the world. "I'll not forget that anytime soon." He faintly quirked as he touched the corner of his lip, he had to admit the punch he took was quite a wake up call. If not the whole spar anyway. "Tell me this Wren," Ricky looked down to the floor as he sat on the bed, "How should I find the courage to lead others, should I ever lose it in the future?" He inquired to Wrenmae curiously, eyes shot up to the man as he stood over by the doorway.

[Wrenmae]

The hypnotist paused, hand on the doorway and turned back to Ricky. A frown pulled at the right of his face, but it vanished shortly after he made eye contact with the Waveguard. It was replaced by a small smile. Wren breathed from his nose in an audible sigh.

"There is no such thing as courage." He said to Ricky, "Courage is only what men invent to measure each other's mettle. You want to know what form courage takes?" He raised an eyebrow and then brought his fist around to his chest, tapping it against his heart. "It's will and duty, Ricky. Courage is just the measure of your commitment to a cause. Do you fight the thief in the alley? " He put his fist against his chest again, "Only if you need to retrieve those goods for a citizen, or if you need to bring that man to justice. You fight slavers if you wish to free slaves, you protect loved ones because you have to. A rabid dog fights because it must, because it has no other purpose...but a guard dog fights only when what is important is threatened. If you ever draw your sword, Ricky, make sure it is guided by a sense of duty...not anger, not jealousy, not fear. Make sure you want to fight the fight, make sure you must...otherwise you're no more than a rabid dog."

He opened the door, pausing in the threshold for just a moment and offering the young Waveguard a smile.

"You'll know when the time comes. Don't stress and don't overthink it. You're a good man, Ricky, a good soldier. One day I hope to call you a good leader, but you'll be the master of that."

Stepping out into the cold Zeltivan air, he shook himself a bit and called back as the door closed.

"Get well soon, Ricky. You have a lot of work to do...and I refuse to be disappointed by a man with such potential."

[Ricky Maze]

"Will and duty..." Ricky's thoughts didn't exactly mix with the words Wrenmae chose, but they however made much more sense compared to Ricky's own idea. Through belief Ricky always thought courage to be what made one braver, stronger after they conquered whatever they feared. Yet now these ideals seemed to fall into questioning, and in short Ricky could only look to the man as he left for the outside. "Fight the fight because I want to and.must." It hurt inside of course when he thought of dog in general, but Odis was by far no mere rabid dog in his final bell. A fine guard dog he made even though he was nothing more than a beloved companion, in his final moments he no doubt risked everything only because he loved Ricky to no end. After Wrenmae left and said the last of his words, Ricky only sat there with wonder. His mind throbbed with the same headache from earlier as he couldn't seemingly focus on one simple thought. A leader, potential, disappointment, good soldier. All of these were things he hadn't the ability to think on, in short he just looked to his sword which laid on the wooden floor. Then laid out on his back with hands over his face, a exhausted sigh followed as he gave in. It was better to rest and recover now, then worry about preparing for what everyone had planned for him.

[Abstract]

Ricky

Skills

+ Storytelling - 1
+ Weapon: Longsword - 1
+ Investigation - 1

Lores

+ Sick of being sick
+ Fighting while sick
+ Courage is the measurement of a man's commitment

Other:

N/A

Wrenmae

Skills

+ Investigation - 1
+ Rhetoric - 1
+ Teaching - 1
+ Weapon: Rapier - 1
+ Observation - 1
+ Philosophy - 1

Lores

+ Ricky's opinions on guarding Zeltiva

Other:

N/A

Notes

This was confusing, since Wren reacted to a lot of this Ricky did, but Ricky didn't describe them in his posts... confusing me. I didn't give you points for that, since you didn't talk about it yourself. Sorry!

If you have any questions, comments or concerns about this grade, please PM me and we can work it out!