Completed Angry at the Wood

[Kirsi Winterflame]

Timestamp: 88th of Summer, 513AV, 17th Bell For a moment, Kirsi thought her attack had succeeded; Jorin's thrust had been parried, he was wide open to her counter and she would have sworn it was her moment. Until Jorin did something unexpected, lunging in toward her. With her feet and staff already committed, she had little opportunity to change direction to meet the new threat. Still, doing nothing was sure to end with Jorin the victor of this round. Hrmph. Not if she could in any way help it. Kirsi scrambled backward; it was inelegant, and ineffective. Instead of a full-body tackle, however, Jorin's attack hit her across the midsection. The dual impact of Jorin and, shortly after, the ground, knocked the breath out of her. She felt her staff connect with something, but in the fall, couldn't tell what it might have been. "Oof!" She lay there, sprawled on the ground, and tried to catch her breath. It was inevitable, she supposed. In a battle of any kind, against anyone, she was bound to hit the dirt first. Luckily for Kirsi, she and Jorin had not been attacking each other all-out. Dragging a deep breath into her lungs, Kirsi glared at Jorin in mock-anger, though the violet in her eyes gave her away. "Dirty trick, sir. I wish I'd thought of it," she managed a grin, but still hadn't recovered the breath for a laugh. "I'm not sure I could have pulled it off, though." The quarterstaff was a weapon fit for people of all sizes, but certain moves just required more bulk than she had. It was one of the reasons she felt no qualms about using less-than-honorable techniques herself. Her philosophy had always been: if it works, do it.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Summer, Day 88, 513 AV

Jorin's little tackle seemed to do the trick ... sort of. While it certainly prevented whatever maneuver Kirsi had been planning, it also meant that all sorts of unpredictable events occured, one after another. In his mind, Jorin had imagined the move would cause them both to tumble to the ground, where he'd use his superior size, leverage, and position to pin Kirsi to the ground.

Instead, Kirsi had jumped back, her staff now at an awkward angle. Jorin had been wrong; Kirsi's staff had struck neither his chest nor his head, instead going wild and hitting him squarely in the shoulder. Jorin winced slightly; while he was fairly certain nothing had broken, it stung quite a bit. She'd caught him right across the upper arm, and he was pretty sure it was probably bruised there. Ah well, it was still less painful than what he experienced at the Sasaran.

Also, what would've been a full-body tackle instead resulted in a rather awkward lower-body tackle that only really worked because Kirsi was off-balance already. When they both landed on the ground, Jorin found himself lying face-down, with his right arm around Kirsi's waist.

"Dirty trick, sir. I wish I'd thought of it," Kirsi grinned at him, and Jorin grinned back, but not before extricating himself from an otherwise potentially damning-looking situation. It wasn't that he'd expected anyone to necessarily find them there, it was more the principle of the thing. He'd learned at the beach that sometimes, you just needed to think about these things.

"I'm not sure I could have pulled it off, though." she continued, and Jorin shrugged.

"Eh, maybe you could!" he shot back. "I mean, the tackle I ended up actually using mainly worked by momentum and leverage, not weight and power. I mean, a lower-body tackle like that theoretically should work on anyone!"

Jorin paused for a moment, then offered Kirsi a hand up.

"So that move you were going to use, the first one, how do you do that?" he asked. "I can show you the horizontal buttstroke in return," he offered, it being one of the only moves he actually knew and could perform reliably, and that only because he was told, forced really, to practice it repeatedly over the last few weeks.

[Kirsi Winterflame]

Timestamp: 88th of Summer, 513AV, 17th Bell The trees were sort of pretty from this angle, anyway, Kirsi thought, before sitting up. Each breath she drew came easier and hurt less, and after less than a chime, she was back in fine? fighting form. "...the tackle I ended up actually using mainly worked by momentum and leverage..." Jorin was explaining, as he helped her to her feet. But despite what Jorin claimed, Kirsi doubted she would be able to gain enough momentum or leverage to knock down an Akalak. It might be scientifically possible, she didn't know, but she wasn't going to hold her breath waiting for it to happen. "So that move you were going to use, the first one, how do you do that?" Ahhh. Kirsi smirked a bit at his request. She remembered showing her cousins that move, only after she had finished using it on them. "That one's fun," she grinned. The fun part was usually the look of surprise on your sparring partner's face, staring up at you from the ground. "It really relies on surprise, leverage, and the other person believing that you won't fight dirty. In other words, you can usually only use it on someone one time." More's the pity. "Attack me, then," she invited, standing in a casual low-guard position. "Stop at the extent of your attack, and I'll walk you through the steps. I'm not sure this has a name, or any place in formal training," she admitted. Kirsi brought her staff up to block Jorin's thrust again, stepping forward into the motion. "You block, that's basic enough, and step in - you want to be very close," she said, turning her body so that she faced away from Jorin. "Once you're here," she stepped back with her left foot, hooking it around Jorin's left ankle, "you want to catch your opponent's foot and pull it out from under him - hard enough to at least unbalance him. Then a sharp elbow here," she tapped his ribs with her elbow, demonstrating. "I suppose, depending on your target, you might actually have to use a shoulder and some more force. But I've found that usually if I pull their foot out from under them while I elbow them in the gut, it at least buys me a few seconds for another attack." She stepped away from Jorin, smiling. "It's a pretty basic move; my Grandfather taught it to me when I was little. I'll admit, I've never tried it in anything more than sparring matches."

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Summer, Day 88, 513 AV

Jorin smiled as Kirsi explained the maneuver. It was certainly a devious trick; it had been sheer luck that he'd jumped back when she'd attempted it. Kirsi was very good at explaining things; Jorin mused that she'd make an excellent tutor or teacher, if she so chose. Her direction was quite clear, and he could see how such a move would be quite surprising to the uninitiated.

Jorin smiled when Kirsi finished, mentioning that the move was taught to her by her grandfather. "Well, it's certainly an interesting move, Kirsi," he admitted.

"I will confess, when you tried to use it on me, I had no idea what was happening. I believe my thought process was: Kirsi wants to get close. That's good enough reason to stay away." Jorin grinned.

"OK, I promised to show you the horizontal buttstroke," Jorin said, face growing more serious as he came forward to face Kirsi.

"The horizontal buttstroke is just one of a series of maneuvers involving the butt-end of the staff, or the end of the staff currently facing away from the oppoent," he began, voice unconsciously taking on the steely, lecturing tones of his father. "In total they're all called 'buttstrokes' of one form or another, and despite their snicker-worthy name, they can be very dangerous if used correctly. A buttstroke's greatest advantage is that you can combine them with just about anything. You yourself saw that earlier when you combined it with your parry." Jorin grinned again, and gave Krisi a playful wink.

"The horizontal buttstroke is perhaps the most common of all of them. It involves driving the butt-end of the staff into the opponent's face or neck, by using a point nearing a third the way up the staff as a pivot point. While it is the elbow that helps drive the quarterstaff, you never use just your arms."

Jorin came up from behind Kirsi, adjusting her stance a bit so that she was holding the quarterstaff diagonally across her chest.

"OK, so you see this position; this is a basic position for when a buttstroke might be appropriate, although really like I said you can go into one from just about any position. So you lift your non-dominant hand up the shaft of the weapon ..."

Jorin took Kirsi's hand and move it a bit up the shaft of her staff.

"Thus creating the pivot. Then you push forward with your left leg. This is very important. The power of the buttstroke isn't in your arms, Kirsi, it's in your legs. You must use the power of your entire body, not just your upper body."

Jorin remembered that one from many painful lessons in the Sasaran.

"Because it's a short pivot, the buttstroke is very fast. Done at full speed it's nearly impossible to dodge, or even see coming, especially if the opponent isn't expecting it. More so because the buttstroke can come from anywhere. That's not to say it's invincible, but its sheer versatility means you can call on it under almost any circumstances."

Yet another lesson he'd learned the hard way. Jorin still remembered his bruised ribs from when a fellow quarterstaff user had used the surprise buttstroke on his chest. Repeatedly.

"Unfortunately, I haven't yet gotten to a level of skill where I can reliably do the buttstroke the way the master could," Jorin confessed. "Having watched better fighters than me, I'm aware the buttstroke does not have to be horizontal. It can come from below, above, even behind. Like I said, possibly one of the most versatile moves out there."

Jorin released Kirsi's arms after his little demonstration. Deciding to change the topic slightly, he turned to her and asked, "So did your grandfather teach you to carve as well?"

[Kirsi Winterflame]

Timestamp: 88th of Summer, 513AV, 17th Bell "I believe my thought process was: Kirsi wants to get close. That's good enough reason to stay away." "I think that's a fair enough thought process," she replied, laughing. "As I said, I don't know if it would work in a real life-or-death situation. We mostly just played at fighting as children; theory didn't enter the picture at all back then. I think our families just gave us sticks and let us beat on each other so that we would stay out of their way." But it was said without malice. Kirsi had enjoyed her childhood and her memories of her early years in Avanthal were mostly pleasant ones. "OK, I promised to show you the horizontal buttstroke," Jorin was saying. His voice had taken on a more authoritative tone, and Kirsi glanced at him, curious. For a moment, she suspected it was for dramatic effect - Jorin was fond of dramatic effect - but there were no accompanying gestures or mannerisms. The more he spoke, the more she suspected he had no idea he was doing it. When he gave her a grin and a wink, she was convinced: the stern voice was completely at odds with the fun-loving mannerisms. She couldn't help but wonder who was responsible for that influence. With effort, she pushed her curiosity aside and devoted her attention to the lesson at hand. Riverfall required weapons competency before they would grant citizenship, and Kirsi knew she needed any instruction she could get at this point. "While it is the elbow that helps drive the quarterstaff, you never use just your arms." Jorin moved behind her, making minor adjustments to her stance and weapon position. Properly positioned, Kirsi could feel the balance of the move, as opposed to her earlier, untutored attempt. There was more power in reserve, and she could feel how the attack would flow. "Having watched better fighters than me, I'm aware the buttstroke does not have to be horizontal. It can come from below, above, even behind." Kirsi slowly swung out with the staff as Jorin moved away. The motion felt much smoother, and more controlled than it had earlier. She closed her eyes and thought hard about all the minor details in the stance; the hand positions, the feet, the staff itself. It was a move she intended to practice again, and hopefully learn to expand on. She knew there were weapons trainers within Riverfall, but had yet to seek any formal training with them. When she did, she hoped to have at least a reasonable foundation with which to start. "Well, that certainly feels better than when I tried it a bit ago. Sorry about that, by the way. When I fell, I lost control of my staff for a moment," Kirsi offered him an apologetic smile. Her ill-temper had been quite literally beaten out of her system, and now she mostly felt tired. The rigors of the day were catching up to her arms; despite its malleable form, pummeling the clay had been tiresome in its own right, and then the tree, and then Jorin... But it was a productive kind of tired, and Kirsi welcomed it. When Jorin asked about her grandfather, Kirsi nodded. She leaned her staff against the tree she had been battering earlier, and sat on the ground at its base. In an impish move, she made her own little flourish, offering Jorin a seat on the ground with her before answering. "Yes, he did. I'm of the Winterflame Hold; that proabaly means nothing to you, but to make it simple: there are a total of seven Holds. Each Hold is responsible for different areas of production in the city. The Winterflame Hold is responsible, largely, for food production. Growing and harvesting crops, cooking, vinting... But those things did not hold my interest. At all," she stressed, chuckling. "Grandfather saw that. Everyone saw that. And when I was 10, he began to really teach me to carve, as an art form and not simply a novel amusement." Talking about her grandfather made her miss him; the dull ache of homesickness swelled in her chest. To combat her sudden onset of melancholy, she smiled brightly. Gray eyes turned to meet Jorin's, as she spoke, "The rest, as they say, is history." "But what about you? Where did you pick up your interest in the quarterstaff?"

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Summer, Day 88, 513 AV

Jorin grinned as he accepted Kirsi's invitation to sit. It was interesting, learing about Avanthal. He'd never been there, but he heard it was a winter wonderland, a place of beauty among ice and snow. He'd certainly have to visit someday, if he could.

"But what about you? Where did you pick up your interest in the quarterstaff?"

Jorin shrugged lightly.

"Honestly? I don't even like fighting," Jorin admitted. "But, well, Mizahar is a dangerous place. And not being able to protect yourself is foolhardy. Now, that doesn't guarantee anything, of course. But I'd rather say I'd tried."

Jorin sighed. "Besides, there's someone I want to protect now. She was hurt recently ..." Jorin's jaw tightened. "If I can prevent that from happening again, even once, then it'll have all been worth it."

He shrugged, and grinned once more. "Actually, when I first started out it was before I'd even met Rinya. I had been fairly recently kicked from my troupe - did I ever tell you about that? - and I had just been kicked out of yet another tavern." Jorin threw Kirsi a conspiratorial smirk.

"Don't try poetry in Akalak taverns," he warned her with a smile. "They don't appreciate it. Anyway, I figured maybe I should learn a weapon, so that next time, maybe they couldn't just bodily throw me out. Or at least I could make it less easy for them. But blades don't interest me. So ... brutal. Bloody. I wanted something that had no edge, no point. That meant a staff."

Jorin sprang up, grabbing his branch, and glanced at Kirsi. "So there I was, on the beach, and I see a branch!"

Jorin sprang back, dramatically waving the branch at an invisible foe. "So I picked it up and started swinging it!" Jorin swung the branch a few times to emphasize. Then he laughed.

"Actually, my swinging was a lot more wild than that. I had no training whatsoever, I didn't know what I was doing. A Drykas woman showed up, but she wasn't interested in teaching me, but then I met a most fascinating person!"

Jorin leaned against his branch as he described her. "She was an Otani I later found out. She was a daughter of Laviku, apparently, which is amazing! I'd never even heard of the Otani before. Her name was Uleru, and after the Drykas woman left, she helped me 'train'. Well, if you could really even call it training."

Jorin laughed. He seized his makeshift staff, getting into the forward stance. "I ... borrowed this stance from that Drykas woman I mentioned earlier, but I didn't know a thing about the staff beyond that. So Uleru kept using her magic to upend me," Jorin explained, and here he took a dramatic swan dive, landing on his stomach, with a soft "Oof!".

Gonna have to work on falling, Jorin thought to himself as he was momentarily stunned. While he was physically fit, technically, Jorin knew that acrobatics was a weakness of his. It was why combat scenes were rarely given to him. He mentally shrugged. Something to work on, he supposed.

Picking himself back up, Jorin dusted himself off and continued. "Well, that dive I took was pretty much what it was like," he said, picking the stick back up. "I got a lot of bruises that day," Jorin chuckled, "but I still think it was well worth it. I learned about a people I'd never even heard of before, I met a new friend, and I realized I needed real training if I was ever to use the staff in any real way. So I signed up at the Kendoka Sasaran."

Jorin plopped down again next to Kirsi. Despite his exertions he did not appear out of breath. Once again he thanked the long bells of being onstage; you dealt with exhaustion or it dealt with you.

"You seemed ... angry earlier," Jorin observed, almost carefully. He didn't know if this was a subject Kirsi wanted to bring up. With Rinya, their bond meant he'd know if she didn't want to continue a subject, and Jorin supposed he had become a little spoiled by that. Still, he was curious.

"Did something happen?" he asked at last.

[Kirsi Winterflame]

Timestamp: 88th of Summer, 513AV Kirsi nodded; Jorin's reasons were sensible, if not original. Kirsi had to admit that if Riverfall didn't require competency in some form of combat or other, she would not be pursuing it herself. But to gain Kuvan status and truly be a citizen in her chosen home, she had no choice, uninterested as she might be. "Besides, there's someone I want to protect now," Jorin's face tightened as he spoke, eyes hardening for a moment. It was a dramatic, but unfeigned expression, and Kirsi studied the difference. This was a far cry from the laughing, happy Jorin she was used to seeing. Who had gotten hurt? Rinya? If so - how? Kirsi remembered the other woman - after a rocky start, she had been instrumental in helping both Jorin and Kirsi begin to swim. Though she certainly wouldn't own to being friends with the Kelvic, at least not yet, she wished her no harm. Almost before her eyes, Jorin's face transformed, harsh lines fading and that customary grin stretching across his mouth. She could tell the actor had made an effort to lighten the mood, as he launched into a spirited reenactment of his first training session. Clearly he was in his element; with words and wild gestures he made the story come alive. Kirsi laughed and applauded appreciatively at his climactic swan dive, wincing only slightly at the impact - it looked realistically painful. "...I still think it was well worth it. I learned about a people I'd never even heard of before, I met a new friend, and I realized I needed real training if I was ever to use the staff in any real way. So I signed up at the Kendoka Sasaran." "Not to mention," Kirsi added with a chuckle, "you got an entertaining story to retell. Actually, you say you met Uleru? I've had the pleasure, also - I imagine a training session with her could probably provide you with enough material for an entire stage play!" Kirsi grinned; the Otani was a singular creature. Kirsi was fascinated by her connection to Laviku and her very existence. She had not had a chance yet to ask all the questions that had blossomed from her meeting with the woman. "You seemed ... angry earlier. Did something happen?" The tentative question brought a sheepish grin to Kirsi's face, and violet eyes swirled with yellow; now that she had worked off her temper, she found it a bit embarrassing. "Yes. But no, not really," she chuckled. "Work was rough on me today." Intending to leave it at that, she stopped. But, considering how Jorin had just told her three stories in one, she felt she owed him a better effort. "I work at the Terra Cottage - have you been? Garob, the owner, is a wonderful artist. But he works in clay. And I work in wood. So, aside from a few carved clay pieces, I haven't been much more than a shopkeeper for him," it was said matter-of-factly. Honestly. The longer she worked there, the less sure she was that the job was a good fit for her skills. Garob had never hinted that he was unhappy with her work, but she often found herself wondering if he wouldn't have preferred someone with no artistic skill at all over someone who couldn't seem to work with clay. "But I've been making a nuisance of myself asking for a chance to get more involved with the crafting aspect of the business. Well, today - Garob let me try," she shrugged, not looking forward to the next detail. "It was a pure disaster. Unmitigated failure. Complete and utter disappointment. And every other possible way you could phrase it." Despite the unpleasant memory, she grinned. "It was really awful, and I was so upset. I'd been so confident, see? If I could carve wood, then surely I could make a lump of clay look pretty. But its completely different. When I finally managed to get a design down, I rolled the petching thing over and ruined it. You can roll wood onto its side and no harm done - wet clay? No," she informed Jorin with a chuckle. "In the end, after working at it with no success for bells and bells. And bells. I flattened the whole mess out, carved a face onto it and left. I'm sure Garob is laughing at me, even now." 'Sad' story told, Kirsi gestured to the tree Jorin had seen her attacking earlier. "And this poor, long-suffering tree just ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time." Hearing her story aloud, Kirsi couldn't help but notice the similarities to her first carving experience. Confident to a fault, the younger Kirsi had been sure she would be an expert in no time. She'd tossed the petching wood away, though, when it had refused to be what she wanted. Patience has never been your strongest point, she thought dryly.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Summer, Day 88, 513 AV

Jorin nodded understandingly as Kirsi explained what'd happened earlier that day. Being new to any sort of work was difficult; there were nuances that no one but a master could teach. Jorin had the luxury of being an understudy for five years before rising to the position of actor, and he still got it wrong. In fact ...

"I think it'll just take time, Kirsi," he assured her. "I can't pretend to know anything of clay or wood, but I'm sure you will pick it up quickly! You're a very intelligent person you know."

Jorin didn't say that like it was a compliment, or some sort of cheesy pick-up line. Instead, he spoke it like it was an undeniable, mathematical statement of fact, such as one and one make two. The sky was blue. Kirsi was intelligent.

"You know, when I first started acting, it was a disaster," Jorin confessed, throwing Krisi a conspiratorial grin. Launching to his feet again, he threw his arm out dramatically, head thrown back.

"It was about a year ago now. It was the last show in Syliras, before we were going to head out across the Kabrin to Riverfall." Jorin picked up his stick and leaned on it a bit.

"Anyhow, the stage master comes up to me and says, 'Jorin, I been thinking. If you're interested, we might have a spot for you as the third lead. You know he's been having back problems lately, we might have to bump him down to only design work.' Well of course, you can imagine my response." Jorin grinned excitedly, as he remembered that glorious day. His first time as a real actor!

"So there I was. I'd been an understudy five years and I was about to have the biggest break of my life. I walk out onto the stage and ... I forgot my lines." Jorin stood there, face frozen in a mask of horror and shock, before dropping the act to give a self-deprecating smile to Kirsi.

"I was so scared at that moment. You have no idea! It was like every line of that play was flying out of my head. All these audience members watching and I was going to flub it completely! So I had to come up with something."

Jorin suddenly sprang forth, his eyes gleaming and arms spread.

"Oh wonders of the skies on high
That gleams upon this sodden earth
Where rogues fall and knights die
Crimson blood for ruby lives worth

Upon our wooden stage tonight
An act of treason most dear
A war to wage, a battle to fight
Of words as well as sword and spear

And so without further delay
We give you this, our humble play."

Jorin's hands dropped, as he gave a low bow, gathering his cape about his chest and sweeping his free hand horizontally across. Then he stood and smiled.

"I'd made up the prologue whole cloth. None of that was in the script. I don't think the audience even knew. But the stage master was furious."

Jorin shrugged. "He said that while improvisation is, of course, useful for covering your mistakes, the whole point was not to make mistakes to begin with."

With a sigh, Jorin plopped back down next to Kirsi. "And that kind of attitude, apparently, was what got me kicked out eventually. But I learned from it, and now I act at the Amphitheater! So you see, it's about persistence."

Jorin smiled and looked up at the tree. "Garob seems like an interesting man," Jorin mused. "I might want to meet him at some point."

[Kirsi Winterflame]

Timestamp: 88th of Summer, 513AV "I think it'll just take time, Kirsi...But I'm sure you will pick it up quickly! You're a very intelligent person you know." Jorin's comment caught her off-guard; 'intelligent' wasn't something she attributed to herself. To Kirsi, 'intelligence' was something you attributed to scientists, wizards, teachers... Far more comfortable to her mind were terms like 'creative', 'friendly' - it was a small eye-opener to realize that other people might see her as more. But the way Jorin said it left no room for argument, no matter how justified she felt an argument may be. Luckily, she was spared the need to comment by a colorful retelling of what must have, at the time, been a very demoralizing experience for Jorin. She admired the way he was able to take his past mistakes and hardships and turn them into fodder for his artistic expression. It was a lesson she knew she could stand to learn. Too often she allowed difficulties - challenges, she corrected herself - to get her down. As had happened this afternoon. But he was wrong when he'd said she had no idea how scared he'd been. On a smaller scale, anyway. Kirsi could remember gatherings, story telling at the Hold, where she had experienced the same thing. Standing in front of her family and friends, mouth open and body poised to launch in a dramatic monologue... And a mind devoid of words. Unlike Jorin, she hadn't even had the benefit of improvisation. She'd stood there, red faced, embarrassed until the next storyteller stood to take her place. "And that kind of attitude, apparently," Jorin was saying, "was what got me kicked out eventually. But I learned from it, and now I act at the Amphitheater! So you see, it's about persistence." Kirsi smiled; it was a good point. With patience and persistence, she would get better at working with the clay. "I think that's what Garob has been trying to get through to me," she admittedly reluctantly. "I'm not a patient person when it comes to things like that.. If it can be mastered, I want to master it. Yesterday." With a self-depracating laugh, she waved a hand in dismissal of her earlier mood. "But I do feel better about it now." Beaming a smile at Jorin, for his timely arrival and lighthearted stories, "thank you." "Garob seems like an interesting man. I might want to meet him at some point." "Oh, he is," she nodded quickly. "He's Epharian. But you've probably met many Epharians in your travels?" It was a question, but rather than waiting for an answer, she continued to describe her employer. "He's a bit obsessed with his work; he's at the shop often, sculpting, decorating, rearranging, and chatting to everyone," she shook her head slowly. The man had seemingly boundless energy for his craft, and he often put her to shame beginning work before she made it downstairs and continuing after he'd sent her on her way at the end of the day. "He makes nearly everything you could think of from clay - he even has a display of jewelry at the counter."

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Summer, Day 88, 513 AV

"I'm not a patient person when it comes to things like that.. If it can be mastered, I want to master it. Yesterday," Kirsi explained, and Jorin grinned. He definately knew what that was like.

"But I do feel better about it now, thank you." Jorin just smiled back and inclined his head.

"I'll be here whenever you need me," he promised.

Jorin leaned forward in interest as Kirsi started to describe Garob. He flinched a bit when she mentioned he was Eypharian. Jorin only knew one other Eypharian, and Rosela didn't seem to like him very much. When she was done, he smiled.

"I shall have to visit some day," he commented, and then looked down at his branch. It had cracked in several places, and looked on the verge of collapse. Clearly, it was never designed to withstand the sort of punishment that even half-speed sparring put it through. Shrugged, he tossed it aside, and grinned sheepishly at Kirsi.

"Well, it wasn't going to stand up to much more anyway," he explained, nodding toward the stick. "Speaking of which, you carve, right? Interesting thing; I went to the Armory and they sell every sort of weapon there. Every blade, every spear, every sort of strange and exotic dagger or whatnot. Everything, except for simple, non-magical, wooden staves."

Jorin laughed at the irony. "Don't suppose I could convince you to make one for me?" he asked hopefully.

"Not for free, of course!" he hastily added. "Maybe I could swing by Garob's at some point, we could discuss the details?"