Completed In Between

[Wynn Argall]

2nd day of Summer, 514 AV

"Wynn, do you hate the Drykas?" Ser Normit's tone was, as ever, calm and steady. His dark eyes more doors than windows as the slight curve of his lip allowed some of his amusement to show throw his stoic visage. Their discussion had moved from simple matters of the land to each of the squire's opinions regarding the Drykas. Both Linnae and Tareesa had had very strong - and differing - opinions regarding the race, which left Wynn as a sort of social tie-breaker. Ser Normit was not a cruel man by any standard, but he did seem to have a propensity to put Wynn into difficult situations, both social and physical at times.

Swallowing the bread he'd been nibbling on during Linnae's heated argument in favor of both the Drykas people and their culture, Wynn cleared his throat in preparation to reply. "Well I-" Tareesa quickly cut in, her voice quiet but forceful. "You're not fond of those wildmen either, are you, Wynn?" She had a sticky sweet sort of lilt to her words that always made them seem almost poisonous. Wynn blinked, turning his gaze from Ser Normit's raised brows to Tareesa's expectant smile. He really didn't particularly think anything about the Drykas. They were... More earthy, perhaps, but Wynn wasn't sure what really made them all that different other than the fact that they simply were.

Linnae, not about to let Tareesa win over her only potential ally, rolled her eyes. "Wynn isn't a mindless animal, Tareesa. You can't just entice him over to your side with sunshine and smiles." Linnae, unlike Tareesa, had very few sweet or quiet propensities at all. If anything, she was the embodiment of raw power. Her voice seemed to never lower below a quiet yell and never fell into the seductive tones common for women who used their birthright wiles. "Besides, he clearly appreciates the Drykas for the proud and noble race that they are." Her comment was followed by a very solid slap to his shoulder blade. The action was so sudden and forceful it knocked the bread right out of his hand and onto the floor with a forlorn, crispy crunch. Wynn gazed down at the bread with a slight frown which Tareesa picked up on quite quickly.

"Here, Wynn, you can have mine." Her elegant hand extended with a calculated fluidity to brush against the exposed skin of his arm before placing her portion of bread dangerously close towards his inner thigh. Blushing a bright red, Wynn nodded his thanks at Tareesa before his slightly shaky hand cautiously moved the bread from his lap to his mouth, crunching into it to further avoid having to say anything. Tareesa smirked over at Linnae who let out another exasperated sigh. "Wynn, I'm sorry I knocked your bread down, but you know how passionate I get about these sort of things!" Through a mouthful of bread, Wynn offered her a happy, "S'ok!"

Tareesa then proceeded to make a comment regarding Linnae's passion lacking in the only place where it mattered, which inevitably erupted into Linnae making passes at Tareesa questionable promiscuity and Tareesa insisting Linnae was so cold not even the most desperate man would touch her. The first time this had happened, Wynn had been so distraught he couldn't speak to either of the girls for several days. After several hundred more arguments that rivaled the heat of the current, Wynn had learned to just wait it out alongside his Sponser. The two of them sat quietly, passively eating their bread until the girls were both panting out of breath. During the respite, Ser Normit took the opportunity to readdress Wynn. "So?"

Wynn swallowed his bread again, glancing to Linnae then Tareesa. Neither of the girls seemed particularly inclined to come to his rescue this time. "I think..." He paused. It was not uncommon for him to start a sentence and take a short break directly after as his brain tried to muddle through all the information available to him. His tongue tapped against the top of his mouth as he thought, stopping once he'd come to a conclusion. "I think I really don't know enough about the Drykas to say whether I hate them or I don't hate them." Ser Normit raised a brow, though the rest of his face remained immobile. "I'm not sure I even know what a Drykas is, to be honest." He offered a little shrug, getting more into the flow of things. "Aside from their tattoos, they just seem a lot like humans to me. And..." Another pause as his eyes flicked down to the ground. After a few ticks, his bright grey eyes once more met Ser Normit's dark ones. "And humans are just humans, right? There's too many for me to just say I hate them all, because..." Here, Wynn trailed off. He didn't really know why he couldn't hate them all, other than the fact that he simply couldn't. Now that he thought about it again, he wasn't entirely sure where he was going with what he was saying. Blinking several times in hopes it might make his unknown point more evident, Linnae stepped in for the assist.

"So what you're sayin' is you're basically neutral about the whole thing?" She shrugged, flicking him a cocky grin. "Typical Wynn." Tareesa uttered a soft chuckle, patting him on the shoulder. "I thought you had a good response, Wynn." It was much more patronizing that reassuring, but when it came to Tareesa, it was best to just interpret what she said in the best of light. Ser Normit, however, didn't seem displeased in the least. In fact, he offered Wynn one of his rare smiles. Ser Normit's face simply wasn't constructed for smiling. When his lips curved upwards, so did his eyebrows, making the whole thing appear much more maniacal than it should have been. A slight shudder of tingling excitement trickled down Wynn's spine (though it was tinged with a hint of abhorrence) at having answered something in a pleasing manner.

Instead of saying anything regarding Wynn's response, Ser Normit simply nodded. "That should be enough for today. I expect each of you to reflect on what we discussed here today." A bit disappointed, Wynn nodded alongside the girls. "Oh and Wynn, Ser Titus said he won't be able to supervise your training today." The feeling of disappointment suddenly lifted at Ser Normit's message. Titus Maximus was, perhaps, one of the most intimidating people he'd ever met. While he was not his official combat instructor, Wynn had made the mistake of asking him to supervise some of his personal training. Upon hearing Wynn had started using a great-axe, Ser Titus seemed to think that meant it was only practice until Wynn was strong enough to wield a great-hammer like his own. Much to Wynn's dismay, Ser Titus had thus attended many more than the "some" Wynn had initially hoped for. While his visits almost always were useful, Wynn wasn't incredibly fond of being yelled at for a full bell and a half. Letting his relief show, Ser Normit raised a cautionary finger. "You do know he takes great pride and pleasure in helping the squires?" Wynn nodded sheepishly. "Good. Do not take his charity for granted. He's a a very good knight and an even better warrior. He has a lot to teach you if you'll listen."

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[Wynn Argall]

DATE

They had all parted ways, Tareesa and Linnae had headed off towards the library to find support for their arguments while Ser Nomit disappeared to where ever it was he went. Wynn had headed to the training grounds, his axe in tow, to practice for the day. He wasn't especially good with the axe, but it suited him much better than a sword. Of course, it was so large and heavy he couldn't use a shield, but Ser Normit still sent Wynn out for shield training with the other knights. He said axes were all fine a good, but a knight should at least learn the fundamentals of sword and shield. Thus, Wynn split his arms training into mentored sword and shield practice and private (and observed) axe practice.

As it stood, his axe was heavy enough that it didn't take a whole lot of effort to slash something with a downward strike, but he had a long ways to go before he mastered the momentum of the weapon well enough to deal consecutive blows. Having no shield while wielding the axe, he had had to learn how to parry alongside how to strike, as there was no other sort of protection available to him short of glancing blows bouncing off his gauntlets or tottering away in his plate mail. Today, however, Wynn was wearing his simple britches and shirt. It was more of a form training day than a strength training one, and while many of his peers had assured him it was best to just get both done with at the same time, Wynn preferred to feel the warm summer breeze against his skin, rather than gasping for it from beneath his oven of a suit.

Slipping through the maze that was the training grounds, Wynn headed to the forested area, his favorite spot. Something about the gentle rustling of the leafs as the wind passed through served to calm both his mind and his body. He'd been told time and time again that practice in a peaceful setting wasn't nearly as useful as the stress and chaos that would prepare him for actual combat. So, during the majority of his training, Wynn forced himself to fight on the hills, broken cobblestone, and out in the rain when there was any. Today, however, there was no Titus nor any available weaponmasters, which meant he had the little copse to himself. Or so he'd thought until he heard the familiar grunts of a friend.

"Abathur?" Wynn called out as he rounded the final corner to behold his childhood friend practice his swordsmanship. The man before him had a portly face, large wide set eyes, and a rounded nose, giving him the appearance of a child. His frame, however, was much less substantial than his face, a mass of mostly muscle and skin. In the season he'd spent as a knight, Abathur had thrown himself into his training to prove to himself and the others that he was just as capable a knight as any. He turned, placing the sword over his shoulder like a fishing pole. Wynn!

The two met half way, clasping arms and exchanging smiles. "I haven't seen you in at least a season! How have you been?" Always warm and open, Abathur had a strange pronunciation of the Common tongue. It wasn't an accent exactly, but more of an over enunciation that made everything seem a bit more dramatic. "Are Tareesa and Linnae treating you well?" Wynn nodded, grinning at his genuine concern. "Good. If they were not I was going to have to go have some words with the two of them. Authority and all that." He gave Wynn a sly wink. "And how goes your training?"

Wynn unstrapped the axe from his back, grasping it in both hands and giving it a few good swings. "Well then, fancy a spar?" Frowning, Wynn tilted his head in question, leaning against the handle of the axe as the head dug into the ground. "Oh! Not with our weapons, I meant wrestling." His voice bounced with laughter as he moved to sheathe the sword. Sparring with wooden weapons was painful enough. Wynn wasn't about to try besting a knight with his massive axe he could barely wield, he had power but not enough technique to keep up with the speed of a sword. He and Abathur had spent many hours rolling around in the dirt with the intention of getting stronger, though in the past it had usually resulted in the two of them dirtier than mud and sore for their next day. Grinning and nodding his approval, Wynn lay aside his axe next to where Abathur had just placed his own weapon.

"Alright. Three pins sound fair?" Wynn nodded, swinging his arms back and fourth to loosen up some. Together they knelt down, each placing a hand on the other's shoulder and the other on the waist. "Ready?" "...Set!" Go! Instantly Wynn was surprised by the sheer amount of strength he felt from his friend. Within a few ticks, Abathur had him writhing beneath his now substantial weight. Sputtering out a laugh, Wynn pushed back against Abathur's body, trying to dislodge himself from beneath him.

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[Wynn Argall]

DATE

Unwilling to just give up the first point, Wynn wiggled about until he was able to squeeze his arms between his chest and Abathur's, the bony joints causing enough discomfort to loosen Abathur's grip to where he was able to escape. Panting, Wynn blinked back at his grinning comrade. "You're... Much stronger." To which Abathur only laughed before lunging at him again. This time, Wynn tried to move with the force of the impact, but he was too slow, and only managed to get himself back on the ground, though this time a bit winded. In a few more moments, Abathur had him pinned to the ground while he struggled against him, shaking his head in disbelief. It seemed all the training Abathur had thrown himself into had done a world of good.

"Fantastic!" Out of breath, Wynn lay on the ground for a short while to regain his breath while he gazed up at Abathur with admiration. "You really are a knight now, aren't you?" Though warm, Wynn's tone was slightly tinged with disappointment. It wasn't that he wished Abathur to be the exact same person he'd been in the winter, but Wynn couldn't help but feel a bit down knowing his friend had surpassed him to such an extent. Plopping down beside Wynn, Abathur grinned, looking up into the afternoon sky with a happy sigh. "I am." He knocked Wynn's shoulder with a light punch. "And so will you." There wasn't a shred of pity in his voice. The words were exactly as they sounded: a simple statement.

Sitting up, Wynn wrapped his arms around his legs and gazed up towards the direction where Abathur was watching. "Soon." Abathur nodded. "Soon." They sat like that for a few chimes, gazing up into the light blue abyss. The breeze that passed over them held in it the heady scent of grass and earth, being so high up from the bowels of the castle allowed for air that didn't have a heavy dose of offal or oil in it. As quickly as their silent vigil started, Abathur pushed Wynn over, signaling another round. "Three points, yeah?" Wynn laughed, rolling to his feet only to teeter for a moment before regaining balance. Letting his lips set into a more determined line, Wynn decided to take the offensive.

He lunged at Abathur, connecting his shoulder with Abathur's midriff, but was quickly thrown off balance as Abathur twisted into the strike, sending Wynn sprawling behind him. Licking his lips, Wynn rounded on him once more, this time aiming even lower. Taking the opportunity for what it was, Abathur let Wynn close in enough to grab onto his waste and forcefully twist him to the ground. Surprised, but not completely out of the fight yet, Wynn pressed hard against the arm that Abathur had managed to trap under Wynn's weight. Wrapping his legs around Abathur's, Wynn shoved at the other man's shoulder in an attempt to knock him off balance. Instead, as Wynn's arm shot towards Abathur's shoulder, his hand never made a connection. Abathur rolled out of the way, allowing Wynn's momentum to carry him over onto Abathur's chest.

Confused, Wynn hesitated long enough for Abathur to quickly wrap his arms around him and roll him onto his back. Another couple ticks of struggling and Abathur had a second point. By then, both had a shimmer of sweat on their foreheads and breathing came a bit fast. "Better!" Wynn hadn't expected his wrestling mach to feel much like training, but at the moment it was suspiciously close to coaching. Ulterior motives aside, Wynn was just happy to get to spend some time with his friend. Grinning, he threw himself at Abathur the moment he stood up to let him stand. The result was a very stunned Abathur on his back with a triumphant Wynn straddling on top. "If you are planning on playing dirty..." His hands quickly turned into wiggling claws that burrowed themselves into Wynn's sides. The resulting explosion of laughter from both parties left Wynn breathlessly choking and Abathur relentlessly tickling.

"Ah, I needed that." Abathur, the great bully, leaned back onto Wynn's hips while Wynn gasped for much needed air between the lingering chuckles. "Everything is a lot... Different without you." Abathur's gaiety had faded into a more serious tone. Wynn blinked away the few tears that had found their way out of the corners of his eyes during his bought of mirth, an uncomprehending frown that mirrored Abathur's forming on his face. "It is not all that bad..." Abathur offered a smile tinged with sadness. "I am... Respected more. Though..." He shrugged. "A lot more is expected of me, of course."

Wynn nodded, wiping some sweat from his brow as he wiggled slightly under the weight of his friend. "I just-" Feeling the movement beneath him, Abathur seemed to realize he still held Wynn beneath his weight. Chuckling an apology, he re-situated himself beside rather than on top of Wynn. "I just miss you is all." Wynn gave Abathur a solid frown then. "I miss you too."

For a few beats, neither said anything. They just looked at each other, grey eyes matching green. The two of them had been through a lot and all of it together. Now, they'd reached a point in their lives where their individual struggles were just that: individual. It was a strange feeling to be so alone after having fostered such a strong support base. Wynn had figured Abathur would be much better off on his own, but it seemed that he had been struggling just as much as ever, only now neither had the other. "I do not want to rush you. You know that." Wynn shook his head, his frown fading some. "No. It's good. You should, and I will. I will soon."

Abathur nodded, his face lifting into a soft smile. The two helped each other to their feet, each brushing off the dust from his respective person. For a moment, Abathur appeared to want to say something, but whatever it was was lost to Abathur's name being shouted across the way. Shaking his head, Abathur gave Wynn a sheepish grin. "Guess I have to leave now." He gave Wynn a pat on the shoulder before gathering up his weapon. "Soon then." With that he headed out of the copse and back across the maze of rooms. As Wynn watched him leave, he felt a burning sensation in his stomach. Up until now, he'd been taking everything too easy, assuming it would all come to him eventually. When he and Abathur had been together, they tackled every task as if it were the single more important mission of their lives. Now that Abathur was gone, Wynn had all the more reason to throw himself into his training. He'd just been too focused on the fact that his friend had surpassed him to work on surpassing himself.

Rolling his shoulders some, Wynn knelt down and picked up the axe, grunting as he swung it over his shoulder. Gripping it with both hands, he drew it into a ready stance: knees bent, axe balanced on the soft part of his shoulder. The only way he was going to catch up was through harder work, and he wasn't about to waste any more time.

___

[Wynn Argall]

___

He started with downward slashes, using the weight of the weapon to let it fall more than swinging it with all his strength. One of the very first lessons Ser Titus had given him was the weight of the weapon was there for a reason. Forcing it to do something more than it was intended to do was not only foolish but a quick way to get injured as well. As the blade swung down, Wynn took a step forward, lunging and letting the weight transfer from his arms into his knees as the weapon arced through the air. Smashing down into the rugged grass of the copse, Wynn shifted into a squat, lifting the axe out of the ground by stepping back with his other foot, keeping the weight in his legs. The second thing he'd learned from Ser Titus was lifting with the back was an even faster way to get injured. Wynn wasn't afraid of injury as much as he was afraid of losing progress, thus when a weaponmaster or knight gave him advice on form and technique, Wynn listened and did his best to apply.

Beyond the first two lessons, Wynn didn't have much else in his toolbox. There had been countless bits of advice here and there, but they faded from his mind like dusty cobwebs swept aside by a gust of wind. Still, the first two were more than enough for him to practice for the day. Wynn made a mental note to ask Ser Titus for more help the next time he came to watch. A mental note he repeated to himself with each swing and each lift of the weapon in his hands. After only a few swings, Wynn had started sweating again under the heat of the afternoon sun. His breath came in quick gasps and left in grunts as the axe rose and fell. The weight of the weapon had begun to affect his legs and arms, filling the muscles with a burning throb.

Ten total swings of the axe left Wynn a bit out of breath and wobbly legged. Carefully and gently setting the axe down to lean against one of the marked up trees that dotted the training ground, Wynn moved down into a push up position, hands slightly wider that shoulder width, back sloped straight in relation to his heels. Breathing out, Wynn lowered himself down to the ground, hitting his chin before pushing himself back up to the original position. His left arm had been the dominate limb in the swing and was shaking slightly more than his right. Ignoring it, Wynn lowered himself to the ground once more. About nine repetitions later and Wynn was rolled onto his back, panting heavily. Not willing to quite just yet, he tucked his heels next to his buttocks and used his abs to pull his torso up to his knees before slowly lowering himself to the ground. The motion was repeated again for a total of twenty times.

Lying with his face to the sky, Wynn panted. They weren't very good numbers, but they were all he could manage at this point. The axe required both technique and strength to master, two things he was in the process of mastering but still had a long way to go. The strength conditioning wasn't finished, of course, and Wynn struggled to his feet, a determined knit in his brow. Separating his feet, letting them point slightly outward, Wynn bent his knees, keeping his rear extended out and his knees over his toes. Slowly rising up, Wynn repeated the exercise, feeling the muscles in his legs begin to burn with the stress of the movement. Fifteen squats later and Wynn was back on the ground with his hands pressed into the dirt. Ten more push-ups, though these were a bit slower than the first and his chin only brushed the ground.

His face was now covered in sweat, dripping into the grassy dirt below him. Rolling onto his back, Wynn started onto his sit-ups. Twenty repetitions of those, though his chest was a small distance from his knees in the upright position rather than pressed against them. Up into the squats, Wynn took his time, shaking but keeping good form. His legs were as - if not more - important as his arms for wielding his massive weapon. Just doing a couple strength exercises wasn't going to cut it. Panting now, Wynn knelt down to do his final round of exercises, cutting each one in half but taking just as much time as before to complete them. By the time he finished his final squat, Wynn's legs were shaking so much he could barely press himself back into a regular standing position. Blinking sweat out of his eyes, Wynn used the backs of his hands to try to wipe the perspiration from his skin and onto the lower hem of his shirt.

He felt a bit queasy from the exertion. Leaning against another tree, Wynn let his eyes close as he tried to calm his breathing with slower, deeper breaths. It felt like his lungs just weren't getting any oxygen despite his massive gulps of the air. They rattled about inside of him like brittle little moth wings. His stomach, however, seemed to think the air was supposed to go to it. It churned and gurgled, threatening to release its contents up and out into the unwanted air. In time, the nausea passed, letting Wynn lift his head from his bent over position to see Linnae standing against one of the walls that partitioned the training ground from the the others.

___

[Wynn Argall]

___

"I didn't mean to bother you." Wynn could tell she had, in fact, meant to bother him but not in a malicious sort of manner. Shaking his head that it was no problem, Wynn extended a sweaty hand, gesturing she could join him on the grass as he slid to sit with his back against the trunk of the tree. "Thanks." She slid down next to him, huffing out a sigh. How's the trainin'? Wynn gave her a happy, but tired grin. "That's good." Her voice was distant and uninterested, so Wynn let his head rest back against the bark, waiting for her to tell him what was going on.

They say in silence for a few chimes with only Wynn's heavy breathing slowing to a less audible pitch. Linnae cleared her throat, and Wynn opened an eye to let her know he was listening. "Do you think I'm pretty, Wynn?" She asked the question without looking at him, her mouth pressed into a thin, frustrated line that made her words sound strained. Blinking in surprise, Wynn frowned. Unable to answer right away, as was often the way with Wynn, he pushed himself up into a more upright potion, pulling his knees to his chin so he could rest his head as he appraised the girl in front of him. She wasn't unattractive, but Wynn had spent enough time with her to get to know the abrasive and brash sort of person that was underneath her deceptively innocent looking face. Did that make her un-pretty?

Linnae turned to look at him, her dark brown eyes had a hard, serious glean to them. She'd given him enough time to think about it. "I think you're pretty." It wasn't a lie, so his voice remained a friendly bounce. She was pretty just a little scary along with it. Linnae didn't seem particularly appeased by his answer. Not knowing at else to say, Wynn just stared back at her, waiting for her to tell him what was wrong like she usually did. "No, I meant..." She let out an exasperated huff of air, rolling her eyes. "Look never mind." Wynn gazed back at her, his brow knit in concern and confusion. "You wouldn't understand anyway. It's not you're fault." She reached out at patted him on the head like a dog. "You're just good ol' Wynn." She sounded a bit sad when she said it, but the frustration and anger she'd been projecting before was gone.

Not sure if he'd done much to help her get out of the funk, Wynn smiled back and nodded. He was Wynn indeed. Jumping to her feet, Linnae extended a hand, pulling Wynn up to join her. "Greataxe, huh?" Wynn nodded. "Well, don't just stand there. Let's spar." Linnae unstrapped the shield from her back and drew her sword. Wynn stared wide eyed at Linnae, but she remained insistent until he picked up his own weapon. "Great! Don't worry about hurtin' me or anythin'. I'll use the flat of my sword to boot. Come at me!"

___

[Wynn Argall]

___

Despite the grandiose size of his weapon, Wynn was painfully aware of two very unfortunate circumstances in Linnae's favor. The first was she was naturally faster and more lithe than he might ever be. The second was his axe moved in a predictable and slow arc, as he had only managed to get a handle on the downward slash and recoil. Despite these things, Wynn also knew he had to spar with Linnae. If he didn't, he would going home with several flat-of-the-blade bruises inflicted regardless of his defense or not. Deciding he might be able to avoid at least a few of his future tender spots, Wynn tensed his legs and struck, swinging his axe down in a slicing arc aimed right in the middle of Linnae's head.

She let out a small grunt as she side stepped, keeping her shield aimed toward the blade of his axe in case it might be closer than she foresaw. Feeling the weapon shake in his hands as it met the ground, Wynn regripped the pole, hoisting it back into the air. As he did so, Linnae darted in, slapping his right side with her sword making a solid smack. Wincing, Wynn rounded on her once more, swinging the axe in a lazy sweep. It was more of a reaction than any sort of technique he'd been working on, and as such, the force of the swing was more than he bargained for, carrying him with it as it barreled harmlessly past Linnae's amused smile.

Stumbling in a fight against his body to keep his balance, Wynn felt another slap smack him on the left shoulder blade. It wasn't nearly as painful as the first, but there was enough force behind it to send him tumbling onto the ground. As he fell, Wynn pushed the axe away from him, keeping the sharp end on the ground and throwing the pole a little distance away so as not to further injure himself on it. Smashing into the ground with a solid thud, Wynn groaned. Already his side was aching from where he'd been struck, and he'd managed to catch himself with a combination of his face and chest, as his arms had been too busy casting away the axe.

Linnae let out a little snort of laughter, stooping down to pat him on the head. "That actually wasn't as bad as I was thinkin' it mighta been." While the words were patronizing, there was a hint of astonishment that made Wynn feel rather proud of his attempts at playing axeman. Pushing himself up to sit back on his heels, Wynn reached over to grab the axe once more, pulling it over to him and resting the haft in his lap, letting it run off into the air on its diagonal to the ground. "What? You're not done are ya?" Linnae rose back to her feet, shaking her head. "And here I thought we were supposed to be sparrin'!"

Grumbling as he rose, Wynn gripped the haft of the axe tighter, bouncing it onto his shoulder before using his legs to push the axe up and over in another downward strike. This time, however, Wynn aimed for where he figured Linnae would dodge. Close enough to the mark, the blade whipped downwards, slamming into her shield and being deflected to the ground. The force of the blow, however, knocked her off balance, giving Wynn enough time to hoist the weapon back onto his shoulder with a grin. "Oh, don't think you're hot stuff now, Wynn Argall." Regaining her stance, Linnae lifted a finger from her sword to wiggle it in reprimand at her sparring partner. "Let's just see if you can do that again, huh?"

Dashing directly at him, Linnae made for a quick swipe to the side. Unable to swing his axe fast enough, Wynn stumbled backwards, the bottom of the axe swinging up to meet the blade with a sharp clang as the two weapons bounced off of each other in a parry. Blinking in surprise, Wynn regained his balance but was too preoccupied by his accidental block to react to Linnae continuing to move behind him and slam her sword into his thigh. Letting out a yelp, Wynn swung the axe again in a downwards, diagonal stroke. The momentum was similar to his straight, downwards slash, so he only had to take a few steps forward to accommodate the shift in balance.

Lithely jumping out of the way, Linnae grinned back at him. Not willing to lose just yet, Wynn let the swing continue until the axe was resting on his shoulder once more - though not until after the haft slammed into the soft part of his shoulder. Wincing at unexpected weight of the axe as it settled, Wynn dashed forward as he slashed again, this time putting a little more power behind it, subsequently making the strike that much faster. Unable to get out of the way in time, Linnae was only able to raise her shield before the blade slammed into the metal, again being deflected to the ground but not before leaving a hefty dent. Letting out a gasp of surprise and pain, Linnae unstrapped the shield, letting it fall to the ground as she shook out her arm. "Good hit!" Though it seemed the jar to her appendage wasn't the greatest thing to ever happen to her, Linnae seemed legitimately astonished that Wynn had managed to land a respectable hit.

"Looks like you're learnin' somethin' from Ser Maximus after all, huh?" She laughed then, apparently considering the idea of Wynn being able to learn from such a man a subject of humor. Wynn smiled right along with her, wholeheartedly agreeing that Ser Maximus did not seem like the type to exert enough patience to get to Wynn. Still shaking her arm a little, Linnae used her other to slap Wynn on the back - on the same shoulder she'd delivered a bruise to just a few moments before. Biting down to keep from yelling out in pain, Wynn gave a slightly teary-eyed smile back to Linnae's camaraderie.

Before either could say much more, the sticky sweet sing-song that belonged to Tareesa floated over the grove. "There you are, Wynn." She slipped through the opening to the rest of the training grounds like a cat, sauntering over the grassy dirt with a bored smile that shifted to a disdainful frown as she rolled her eyes over to Linnae. "Oh. You're here too, hm?" Linnae replied by sticking out her tongue and making a crude gesture in Tareesa's direction. "Ser Normit said we're to return to his quarters for another discussion."

Wynn nodded, and Linnae let out an exasperated huff. "But we were just gettin' started! Wynn even got a good hit in on me!" The compliment was followed by a friendly - though forceful - elbow to Wynn's tender ribs which elicited a muted groan. Tareesa smiled, her eyes dripping with disdain. "Yes, well I think Wynn has had enough for today." By then, Tareesa had entered the usual distance for conversation. She extended a hand to gently fix Wynn's disheveled hair, ""He's looking a bit worse for wear, don't you think?"

Linnae let out a frustrated grumble of expletives before nodding her agreement and gathering up her things. Wynn backed away from Tareesa, his smile faded into an uncertain curve of his lips. Strapping the axe to his back, Wynn nodded that he was ready. The three of them headed back into the castle walls for their debriefing with Ser Normit. As they scrambled and hiked over the various different training areas, despite the aching everything in his body, Wynn felt rather accomplished. His fire to becoming a knight had been both rekindled and set to blaze by the chance meeting with Abathur, and even Linnae had been almost impressed with his new-found resolve. While knighthood wasn't nearly as close as he would have liked, soon was becoming more and more of a possibility.

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[Radiant]

Wynn :

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Observation	+3 XP
Socialization	+2 XP
Rhetoric	+2 XP
Philosophy	+1 XP
Weapon: Great Axe	+4 XP
Wrestling	+2 XP
Unarmed Combat	+1 XP
Endurance	+4 XP
Body Building	+3 XP

Lores

Lore Earned

Normit Brock: My Patron Knight

Titus Maximus: Syliran Sergent Knight

Tareesa: Squire

Linnae: Squire

Abathur: Childhood Friend And Knight

Location: Antinous Training Grounds

Wrestling: Pinning Technique

Great Axe: Using The Weight To My Advantage

Great Axe: Basing Swings And Slashes

Loots

+7 Shield Points

Notes :

What an amazing solo, Wynn! I love your the way your writing flows! Good job!

Enjoy your grades!

P.S: Oh, make sure to keep your own Shield Points tracker in your CS.

My radiance is not bright enough?

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, beam me a PM and we can work it out.