Closed Setting Sights Pt. II [Dravite]

[Akasja]

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20th of Winter
Early afternoon

The weight of the newly purchased spear and shield felt exhilirating in Akasja's hands. She had not had new things to call her own in some time, and these she imagined she would use well. As Dravite prepared himself to instruct further, Akasja's gaze lingered on her shield. It was sturdy, well-made, and light enough not to be a burden on her arm. Would she only be able to use it if she were fighting? Akasja wondered what sort of man or beast she could possibly run into that would necessitate using the shield -and when that might happen. Or how. Quickly, Akasja forced these thoughts from her mind. With her new equipment and Dravite's generous guidance, she would certainly be prepared to face any dangers.

Akasja placed her shield on the cold ground some yards away from her and then returned to stand across from Dravite, holding her spear as he instructed. She carefully let the spear rest upon her index finger, sliding it back and forth until she found the point where it could balance there without being touched. That was where she needed to grip it. Dravite lined himself up and faced the log, positioning his body so that his dominant arm would cast the spear forward. Akasja copied his form, making sure to keep a short distance between them. She watched as Dravite hurled his spear. Everything about him was sure and steady. The spear landed firmly in the ground, just slightly beyond the log.
"When hunt, no run, scare beast," Dravite explained after he had watched his spear fly. "Sneak, stand still, throw spear."
Akasja knew this was true. Recalling her initial contact with Shahar Dawnwhisper, she remembered how much work it had been to catch the fleeing goat. If it hadn't been for both the Drykas man and the jackal to unintentionally herd that goat, Akasja would have had even more running and jumping to do. Exerting that much energy was not always smart if the reward of food was not promised.

Mimicking Dravite's posture once again, Akasja prepared to throw her own spear. She had it gripped exactly where it needed to be. Her left arm and leg out in front, Akasja recoiled her right arm and focused on the log ahead. Although her positioning felt right, her aim was crooked. As she threw the spear forward, she knew it would not hit its intended mark. The weapon hurtled toward the log but landed adjacent to it, sticking out of the ground somewhat loosely and crookedly.
Akasja grumbled, her brow furrowing. "I try again," she insisted, and walked to grab her spear from the earth. She wanted it to stick into the ground like Dravite's had. Even if she missed the log, the spear had to land firmly.

Akasja returned to her former spot and repositioned her body. She held the spear at its balance point and focused on the log ahead. Akasja glanced once at Dravite to make sure he approved of her form so far. When he had thrown his spear, it had seemed like he had used his left arm to aim somewhat. Akasja tried this method, using her arm to create an invisible line between her and the log. That is where she wanted her spear to travel. On an exhale, Akasja threw her weapon forward. The spear soared through the air with a wooshing sound. Within seconds, the steel tip had burrowed into the ground just to the right of the log. It hadn't quite hit the mark, but Akasja had been more confident with her throw this time. The spear was not loose at all.
Akasja smiled a little to herself, glad she had improved from her first throw. She looked over at Dravite somewhat sheepishly. "I need practice," she said. "But I like this spear. I will learn."

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[Dravite]

Akasja's throw was not bad, and second a vast improvement on that; she seemed a quick study and Dravite was impressed by her focus and willingness to learn the new weapon. He too took a second turn at throwing, this time not in an attempt to hit the log, but to test his strength, hurtling the spear over-head, throwing all his power into the shot. The spear travelled twice the distance his first shot did and the man had to wonder at the kind of distance he might be able to get with a lighter, spear weapon, like the javelin.

He took off on foot to retrieve both spears, running the distance there and back to keep his muscles warmed up. Upon his return, the horse lord agreed that Akasja was doing well and that more practice would only see her improve. He offered the woman her weapon, sharp end first and fixed his shield against his left arm before spinning his spear so that the dull end pointed forwards. "Practice," he encouraged as if to suggest the two of them partake in a duel.

Playfully, he reached out with his weapon and struck the face if woman's shield with the blunt end of his weapon before showing her where to hold the spear to counter the weight being at the tail end of them now. Dravite smiled mischievously then as he moved to circle the woman, keeping her on her toes. He raised his spear arm to position his hold high, the more intimidating of the two poses he felt, and stepped forwards in a mock lunge, only to parry backwards again.
"Shield high," he encouraged, "protect soft parts," he told the woman, striking quickly to show where she had left herself open to his attack, the end of his spear caressing her right side lightly before being drawn away again.

After that Dravite gave Akasja a chance to strike, holding his shield up in an attempt to block her move or even throw his shield arm out to one side as the woman's spear struck, trying to send her off balance and open her up to a second attack, "light feet," he pointed with his gaze, "dance," the watchman smirked, and he was as he said, light on his feet, until it came time for Akasja to attack again, when he would plant his feet and brace for impact before countering her move with another attack.

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[Akasja]

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Akasja shielded her eyes from the sun as she watched Dravite's spear soar forward. The man was indeed impressive. There was a pang in her gut as she yearned to be as skilled as he. One day soon, she thought, she would have no problem doing what he did with seeming ease. It would require intensive practice, but she was willing to put forth that effort.

When Dravite returned to Akasja with both spears in hand, he was quick to encourage her to practice more. Akasja grasped her weapon carefully, watching Dravite to see what he was going for. The man held the handle of his spear out and had his shield at the ready. This would be another duel. Akasja thought she would perhaps be better at this than at spear-throwing, except for being unused to the length of the spear as her weapon.

Dravite struck out suddenly against Akasja's shield, and Akasja recoiled slightly with the weight. Quickly she regained her fighting stance and adjusted her grip on her spear as Dravite showed her. She watched as the man looked at her slyly and began to move around her. Akasja followed his path, keeping her guard up and her weapon grasped as he circled. She began to tip-toe closer to him as she continued to turn, not wanting to be taken advantage of.

When Dravite lunged for her, Akasja held her shield up against the oncoming blow. Dravite instead stepped back again, then corrected her shield position. He was quick to show her how she had not been totally protected, letting his spear handle graze her body before he recoiled it. This was difficult for Akasja, but her frustration fueled her to work harder, to be more accurate, and to try to be faster.

Her opportunity came to strike. Akasja started with her spear low and jabbed forward with it, aiming for Dravite's midsection. Her first strike was easily deflected. Akasja stepped back and sideways, then thrust forward with her spear again. Dravite's shield swiped Akasja's arm to the side, opening the right side of her body to attack. Akasja attemped an immediate block, turning her body away from Dravite and tensing her left arm so that her shield protected her.
"Light feet," Dravite reminded her. "Dance." The man's expression was playful, and Akasja couldn't help but smile in return. She was familiar with dancing.

The next few moves were a bit rough, but Akasja wanted Dravite to have to work hard, too. She wanted him to know that she would be a formidable opponent. Akasja tried to move more swiftly while not compromising accuracy. She kept her feet in motion, dodging one of Dravite's strikes by skipping back and to the side, just out of his reach. But Dravite was calculated, and he was not making this duel easy for Akasja. She grinned, appreciating his efforts and his jovial attitude. He was tough. Fighting him was challenging, but nevertheless a delight.

After a little back and forth, Akasja could see how Dravite was able to move, attack, brace for impact, then attack again. She had to have swift feet and a swift mind. When Dravite lunged for her again, Akasja attempted to parry. With her spear, she moved to deflect Dravite's attack, then raised her shield slightly to both block and distract his gaze. If he did not react in time, Akasja would be able to lunge forward and press her spear end against Dravite's exposed side. If he was ready, nevertheless, Dravite would have to work quickly to push Akasja away from him.
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[Dravite]

He was an experienced spearman, but even an expert was open to the odd mistake every now and then, his only advantage was trying to notice and correct his mistakes before the novice could take advantage of them. Their spears were long, perfect for ranged fighting, and backing out now would not win him any points. Instead, Dravite lunged forwards and slammed into Akasja, their shields clashing with a great, thunderous crashing sound. The watchman had thrown his strength behind the blow, which would throw Akasja backwards if she had not braced for impact or wasn't light enough on her feet to parry backwards under the force of the blow.

If she went down his spear end would follow her, looming over the woman like a hang-rope, fate signed, sealed, and delivered. However, if the woman managed to step back without any harm and recover, she still might land a strike on him yet.

He had been impressed by the way the woman was already using her spear to block or deflect his attacks, and as their weapons continued to clash throughout the exercise, Akasja only seemed to grow in confidence. The horse lords movements that had once been slow and calculated, were starting to speed up, with the woman shortening the gap between reaction times, giving him less and less time to respond between her attacks. Before he knew it, Dravite's skin shone with a light gleam of sweat, and his knotted hair stuck to the back of his neck uncomfortably.

It was late afternoon before the lesson came to an end and Dravite managed to master a new move that saw him push Akasja's spear aside, opening her up for another bombardment with his shield, which used right, seemed to be a weapon in itself. He was happy to start to realise what it took to block an attack appropriately, being new to the use of a shield, and could picture himself using it a lot more from now on.

After Akasja had made another move, Dravite raised his spear arm playfully as if to say he was giving in and then slumped forwards to catch his breath. After setting his things aside and stretching his limbs to stitch his fingers behind his head in a relaxing position, Dravite watched Akasja for a spell, "Akasja teach Dravite something," the man spoke up in Common, his hands making the Pavi signs for teach, trade, and knowledge, such being the ways of the Drykas people. In Endrykas a lot of families and pavilions worked on a bartering system, where goods or knowledge were exchanged for something, in this case, Dravite only expected something for his time, a story, a song, the history of a distant land; something that made him richer spiritually than he had been before the day began.

"Akasja share," he smiled, "story of home."

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[Akasja]

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There was a surprising moment of success as Akasja thrust her spear's end forward. Dravite did not move to block her the way he could have had he been slightly more prepared for her attack, and Akasja was briefly sure that she had it in for him. But the man was prepared, however, to make up for his mistake. Akasja felt Dravite's weight suddenly bash into her, sending her backwards. The Chaktawe scrambled to stay on her toes. This worked enough that she did not fall to the cold earth beneath her, but she was driven into a low crouch by Dravite's push. Instinctively, Akasja shielded herself with her left arm. Even as she did so, Dravite's spear appeared overhead, barely intercepted by Akasja's shield. If they had truly been dueling, she would have been in a terrible position, but still might have been able to attack his leg.

A curse hissed from Akasja's mouth as she made eye contact with Dravite from below. Even with her chance to attack, overall the Drykas had trumped her move. Akasja grinned in defeat, impressed by the warrior, and stood up fully, relaxing her arms. It wasn't that she hadn't expected that outcome, but Akasja needed to know what she had to do to escape such a scenario. She would have to study her weaknesses in order to improve them.

Without much pause, Dravite drew Akasja back into training. They continued on for some time, Akasja repeating the specific moves that seemed to bring her either success or great failure. She wanted to understand why certain moves failed. As they trained, Akasja became more and more familiar with what she had to do to keep Dravite's spear from touching her side, her arm, her hand. Gradually, Akasja saw that she was able to anticipate some of Dravite's more common attacks and block them more efficiently. It wasn't perfect, but it was a solid start.

By the end of the afternoon, Akasja and Dravite both had lessened the intensity of their attacks and defenses. Tired mentally and physically, Akasja was pleased when Dravite showed the same exhaustion. She dropped her spear and shield to the ground, then set her hands upon her hips, letting her breaths come back to normal and body temperature decrease. It wasn't long before Akasja settled the wolf cloak back upon her shoulders, preventing herself from growing too cold in the dying warmth of the winter day.

Dravite had gathered his things once again, but he didn't seem quite ready to head back to the city. Akasja sat herself down upon the log that they had used for target practice, relieving her legs and back for a while. She let her mind relax as she stared off into the horizon. Dravite soon made his way over to her, his voice breaking her spell.
"Akasja teach Dravite something."
Akasja watched his hands. They made shapes that Akasja had seen before and vaguely knew the meanings of. Trade made the most sense to her immediately. Yes, that was a sign she knew and a significance she understood. He wanted an exchange for his efforts. Akasja had already planned to give him something. She stood again, recalling her gift, and headed over to her pack to fetch the Acklar bark.
But the warrior wanted something beyond a physical payment. "Akasja share...story of home."

Akasja couldn't stop a smile from spreading across her face. Her eyes seemed to twinkle. Dravite's request was not that unheard of, but the warmth Akasja felt flooding her was unexpected. Akasja pulled the small satchel from her bag and brought it over to Dravite. This she would do first.
"This Acklar tree," Akasja explained. "I find...before...with Pearl. It help with head pain. But...it also poison if person have too much." Sick, poison. Akasja's eyes met with Dravite's briefly as she smiled slyly. "I think, good idea: put Acklar on spear, put Acklar on dagger, on arrows. Kill like snake." Spear, dagger, poison.

After handing the satchel to Dravite, Akasja walked back over to the log where she had been sitting. There was enough room for Dravite, too, if he wanted to join her there. The ground was far colder.
"I tell you story, you want," Akasja said. "Story of my home.

"For Chaktawe, every family have spirits to help them. All Chaktawe have spirits, but not all Chaktawe know spirits. When Chaktawe are certain age...before adult...we not with family no more. We..." Akasja looked at Dravite and gave the sign for gone. She tried to explain further, "Only for short time. Alone. We go to find spirits. Or maybe...spirits find us. We go to know what we have to do for our families, our people. Then, we go home."
Akasja looked out over the vast sea of grass that surrounded them. Home was far away, but it was out there. And the spirits that she knew were always with her.
"I find a spirit. It find me. When I...fifteen. It with me always. I walk long time, alone. I have only my dagger, I have little other things. One day, no more food with me." Tired, hungry, afraid. "I need to know what I can do for my people. One morning, I see bird, alone." Injury, pain. "It no can fly. I think, I can eat bird. I walk to bird, it no move. It see me, no move. I try touch bird...and it go in my hand." Friend, appreciation. "I think, I no can eat bird. I help it. And not long time, bird can fly."

Akasja stopped herself then. She had never really told this story before and wasn't sure why she had chosen it out of all of the ones she could have chosen. She wondered what Dravite was thinking so far. She decided to finish the story, at least for his sake, but would do so without too many details. It seemed a bit too much to fully disclose just yet.
"Bird was spirit. Bird tell me where is water and food for me. Bird help me. I go home, and I know what I need to do for my people." Staring off into the distance dreamily, Akasja smiled to herself. "My family very happy." With a deep sigh, Akasja looked back at Dravite. Her expression was calm and sincere. "It is why I go to...Endrykas: to know more. To help my people."

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[Prophet]

I really enjoy your writing, Akasja. Enjoy the rewards.

 

Characters Name

XP

• Observation: +3
• Weapon – Spear: +2
• Weapon – Shield: +2
• Socialization: +2
• Storytelling: +1
• Herbalism: +1

Lores

• Spear: Find the balance
• Dueling requires light feet
• Shield: An extension of the body