Reven Heath ☼ Winter, Day 5, 513 A.V.
How docile the world appeared to be while the morning sun crept up over the horizon. Every second the scenery was painted with new color, fading from a dark blue to mild purple, pink to a deep orange before finally, radiant gold shined brightly across the grasslands outside of Riverfall. There was an array of color splashed across puffy, cream clouds with golden linings from the sun. Across the field, it looked dark and somehow in the delight of the morning's light, ominous and threatening. The trees were bare of life and stood spaced out, which blended together to form the Fringe Forest further off in the distance. Around their roots stood tall grass the waved simultaneously with the wind, in rhythm with the unpredictable breeze.
This is where Reven found herself. Gazing out onto the grasslands with a look of veneration as the sun rose to greet her good morning. Bathed in its warmth, Reven could hardly feel the sun against her skin as the winter breeze against her flesh chilled her to the bone. She'd just returned from her run across the area and made sure to mark and leave her scent on the parameters of her territory. It was small, circling near the Sanctuary and encompassed hardly a third of the hunting area. Marking this space was significant to her however, because it defined the space she could be her entire self. This habit was something recently inducted into her everyday routine and was quickly becoming a favorite part of her day. It was another way to relieve the stress of study and work, an opportunity to let loose with her instincts and roam freely even if for only a few moments. When the lights would glow behind her eyelids and shift her into her animal, her perfection, it would wash through her as such an intense, liberating emotion.
And she would run for hours... If she could.
Reven stepped cautiously over to where she kept her pack and weapons hidden and brushed away the small amount of snow and grass. Taking some of the soggy snow, the Kelvic squeezed her lips closed before rubbing it onto her cheeks, scrubbing away the blood and dirt. Showing the same concern for her hands, Reven scrubbed enough of the maroon color from her skin till it was merely a tint against her tanned pigment before reaching into her bag to clothe herself. On her little adventures, sometimes a small animal would catch itself on her path, in her gaze and before long, in her mouth. The Kelvic cat felt no remorse as she promptly ripped apart the morsels and ate them. Survival of the fittest. That's how she saw it.
Picking up and bow and quiver of arrows, Reven slung her backpack around her shoulder and started her way back into Riverfall. It was a two mile journey to the city, a short distance in comparison to the amount of time it takes to walk through the city itself, but nonetheless, it was still a walk. Reven knew better than to walk alone on the Kabrin road, especially during the early morning hours. She stayed off on the left, close to dirt and grass and possible hiding spot. Often, her hazel eyes would flicker about, especially when the gusts rattled tree branches nearby.
The dangers were quite real. The markings on her body were proof of that.
Eyes resting on the city in the distance, it wasn't long before Reven came upon the main gates and their stupendous architecture. It was baffling the art work and craftsmanship put into the stone that represented Riverfall. Even the daunting sun, especially in the summer time, only added to the breathtaking glory that made up Riverfall. It was a magnificent place to call home.
The sound of chatter, wind gusts, and water filled the air even before Reven spotted any Riverians. It was an average morning in the city and for it being winter, if there wasn't snow on the ground, there dozens of feet walking about it. She never liked coming into the city and, if she had her way, would have preferred moving to a place like the Sanctuary. It was a quiet place, close to the city but still far enough away from the bustling air that enveloped the city. Neither could she take the noise nor the amount of eyes lingering over her as she walked past.
Reven understood on a level why the men of this city were seemingly desperate to find a woman to gawk over. There were hardly any around and that was quite noticeable. Even so, prolonged gazes and openly staring at her was uncomfortable. Not only that, but it triggered an undying need inside of her to accept and entertain the idea that most of those men had. Mutaldi explained the best she could about Reven's nature. What she is and the need she has for a bond. It was true that she enjoyed pleasing others but not on the level of sacrificing her own dignity and freedom. Aimlessly, she battled with her emotions, day to day, but there was no end to it. No resolution could be made to please her heavy mind so she would bury it away in the books she read. Better not to think about it. But that was no longer an option for her...
Making her way down the stair case to the middle tier, Reven proceeded through an alleyway before venturing onto the small bridge leading to a tall, stone building. Godiva, one of many havens to insure homelessness is never a problem in this prosperous city. Not only was it a comfortable, warm place to reside in, but it housed one of the best teachers the Kelvic feline ever met.
Mos'rila was a kind woman with very soft age lines around her face, hinting toward her age, and brown hair tied up in a tight bun. Reven knew better than to underestimate her inviting features. Even if her body was thin, her arms still displayed rigid, toned muscles underneath the woman's skin. Reven could see her now, donning a simple shirt and pants, pushing away furniture within the room to make space for our practice. It wasn't anything intense, but still enough to risk items being broken.
Mos'rila spoke up before Reven had a chance to greet her. "You're late." The woman pulled back from the furniture she had shoved into the corner and dusted her palms off, casually approaching the younger female.
There was no excuse she could give to explain herself. She was late. An apology reflected in her eyes as Reven grimaced slightly. Mos'rila still looked as if she was waiting for an answer.
"I lost track of time, I'm really sorry Mos'rila." Reven felt awkward, very awkward. Shame was slowly making itself evident in her demeanor and before long, she began to ideally shift back and forth on her feet.
Mos'rila pushed her eyebrows up and smiled, playful amusement plastered on her face. "I'm sure you did, Reven. Go wash the blood off your face and then we'll get started." Mos'rila pointed in the direction of the washroom with her left hand, swinging her right arm in gentle circles, flexing the muscles, stretching them. "You may want to change. Those clothes look like they're about to fall off."
Reven complied, quickly following her mentor's direction. She scowled at herself for her failed attempted at cleaning up after breakfast and made quick work of the blood stains. A moment later, she returned with only her loose-fitted undergarment, concealing her breasts, and her brown pants. "This is all I have." She responded, approaching the human woman.
"It'll do! Let's get started."
Reven sauntered over to Mos'rila who stood on a plush rug near the center of the room. It wasn't much of a cushion but it beat having nothing but the stone floor to land on. Mos'rila gestured to the young Kelvic, beckoning her to follow the stretches the older one presented. "Watch, then do."
The woman raised her arms, as if stretching, pushing her hands into the air while standing on the balls of her feet. She made a point of exhaling her breath before slowly moving her arms down to her stomach, her sides, bending over slowly so that every muscle rippled and stretched, pushing down to touch her toes before pushing her knees back. Reven watched silently as Mos'rila bent her knees slowly, curling in on her legs and stretching her back. She exhaled again, the proceeded to come out of the curl and push her body back up till her arms were raised once more and she was on her toes.
"It's a very good focusing exercise as well. Now you do it. Go slow and breath. Focus on holding your balance and keep your breathing even."
Reven breathed in and pushed up in the same manner that her teacher had, only she didn't look as steady as Mos'rila. Wobbling on the balls of her feet, Reven remained the for a good moment but could not last too long. 'Ouch..!' Quickly, she rushed through the stretch, bringing her hands to her sides before bending her legs and curling. Coming back up, she stretched hard then relaxed, looking to Mos'rila.
"Well," Mos'rila had her arms folded over her chest," It could have been worse. You'll have to work on the stretch more. Sit on the floor, lets do your legs first."
For the next 15 minutes, the two worked on simple stretch exercises involving stretching legs, arms, back, and abdomen. Some of them involved using the wall to push against, most of the were with another person involved. Near the end of the stretch, Reven felt looser than water. "Shyke! How did stretching become so hard?"
"Do you use it in your day to day life? Do you practice it at all?" Mos'rila questioned but from the look on her face and Reven's otherwise graceless display of movement compared to her teacher, the woman already knew the answer.
"Come on, Kiddo." With a hand extended to help the young woman up, Mos'rila pulled her to her feet.
"Alright, for our next exercise we're going to practice ways to disorient your opponent. One way is to cup your hand like this..." She held her hand up, curved and stiff. "... and aim for the ear. It will create a kind of boom that will disorientate them and give you a small opening for an attack. Now, I want you to cup your hand and hit me." The older woman balanced herself on her feet, preparing herself.
Reven raised a brow. "Full force?"
"Is that not what you do when you hit someone?" Mos'rila bent her legs slightly and put her arms up. "Come on, Reven. Hit me!"
The young kelvic was not prepared for this exercise and felt highly uneasy about consciously doing harm to her teacher. Reven furrowed her brow and buried those emotions, preparing herself as well. She cupped her hand and swung... It was sad that her hand stopped so short, even more so that she found herself on her back, staring up at the older woman with a dazed expression.
"Uhh..." The air had left her lungs. Reven was fighting to remember how to breathe. "...What..?"
"And that is how you counter attack. Never, ever assume that your opponent won't know you're coming. Always be prepared to defend yourself in every way."
Reven coughed, grabbing her breath and rubbing her head, an ache beginning to form. "This is punishment for being late, isn't it?"
Mos'rila laughed. "Up, up. We've got more work to do."
