Teaching a Squire... [Jade]

by **Ball** on February 1st, 2017, 10:34 pm

"My Speaking"

My Thoughts

50th of Winter 516

Ball stood by the racks of weapons, his fox terrier sat statue like right beside him. It was still hard for Ball to wrap his nexus around the whole concept of him being a Knight, but last night as he was getting ready to sleep the Pycon was slide a slip of parchment with a name on it and a brief note, he was to meet them here in the Training Grounds. It was his first squire. Ball turned his eye up at the rack to his left, hung within were a number of swords, the one of his left hung a variety of blunt weaponry: hammers and the likes. His mount twitched with energy and Ball made a note to take a the time to train the dog to be more calm, Maybe I should get him running more often. The Pycon sighed and shook his head for a second.

Returning his gaze back towards the stairs that lead down away from the Grounds the Pycon remembered when he came up those stairs as a squire. It seemed like so long ago, but really it was only a year that has passed since he was a squire. Jade Laken... He knew just by name alone he was expecting a female, but that was it. Today was going to be the first of many long days here in the grounds the former squire was sure of it. When he was given the slip of paper the night before Ball took a tick to scribble a response before he sent it back. He had a single request...

She was to come unarmed, there was a reason for that. To learn how to fight is to learn how to fight with one's body. A weapon's use is only as good as the user's ability to fight without. Ball was a prime example of that thought, he was a master in fighting with his body, but his ability to weaponry was paltry. Most squires were able to beat the Pycon easily with weapons, but he was able to trounce even the most well trained knight with just his hands. That didn't mean that Ball wasn't going to instruct her in the use of weaponry, but he was going to leave an open mind and train alongside her.

Ball recalled his days as a squire and how he learned so much when he sparred against his peers: The Squirrel and Staring Pycon. Garland and Faircroft. They all were instrumental in his advancement in skills. Ball felt he learned more when he worked on the same level as the others, and that partly influenced how he felt as a knight he wasn't going to do well as a Patron and sponsoring a squire in their pursuit of Knighthood.

This is going to be a learning curve for all involved. Ball sighed and glanced around at the other squires and their patrons. They were all humanoids, fighting in plate with shield and a variety of weapons.

Credit :

by **Jade Laken** on February 13th, 2017, 2:48 am

Jade worked to get Dina ready nervous about the day. She had finally come clean to Ferrin about signing up with the knights. All the blonde had been waiting on was the decision on who her patron would be during her training. After most of the season the girl finally found out that her patron would be a new knight named Ball. Confused the woman had looked at Ferrin confused as he read the letter the night before about her patron wanting her to come to the pit unarmed. Everything in her screamed that it was a trap but the official seal of the knights caused her to push that feeling down and out of her mind at the moment.

Walking to the door she made sure to grab her key and made sure that Dina had plenty of stuff packed to keep her entertained for the evening. She walked out the door taking the small child's hand and bidding farewell to the inn owner. Jade planned on discussing the apartment and Dina when they got off for the afternoon, but first she needed to see if her patron had any idea what would need to be done. She also had to figure out a main weapon and possible armor. Shaking her head the blonde tried to push her fears and worries down. What if this had all been a mistake? What if she can't cut it under her patron? There was so much that could go wrong and the unknown of her job was what scared her.

Dina skipped ahead of her while humming happily. The young woman was happy that her adopted child had transitioned well. The small human had been coming with Jade to the Windmount Stables and helping with the horses. Now the pair was on the way to the training arena for squires and Knights a like. Boots clicked on the cobblestone street as they head towards the outskirts of town. Buildings had began to thin out around them; Jade had only found the building one time before. Looking down at the paper, the blonde looked at the writing confused before asking Dina to go over the directions once more. It was slowly becoming more and more prominent that her childhood was changing from normal to a hindrance. The soft small voice read out the directions while Jade looked around making sure they were going the right way. It would be embarrassing to tell her patron that she was late because she could not read.

“Okay looks like we aren't far,” Jade stated while standing up right from the crouch.

It only took another ten chimes to finally make it. Hurrying into the building, she looked around the arena for the right pathway to the main pit. Dina ran along side her with a smile trying to keep up with the blonde's much longer legs. She stopped a knight going by which way to go into the pits. Finally the two walked down into the dirt floor area with all the weapons that people were training with.

“Which one will be training you?” Dina asked looking up at Jade.

“I don't know yet dear,” the woman answered seeing everyone paired up at the moment.

"The Ways of the Drykas."

by **Ball** on February 25th, 2017, 7:25 pm

"My Speaking"

My Thoughts

Ball was told briefly that his squire had a child, so when Jade and Dina showed up at the grounds Ball was pretty sure that was his pupil. He motioned at a page and pointed at the girl, he didn't really need to say anything to the page seeing as the page strolled over to the mother and daughter and told them that the knight they were looking for was over by the racks. Remember Ball, today you are going to have them decide on weapons, but they will not train with them. Remember that. Remember that a knight should be able to fight without their weapons. He gulped clearly nervous with being the... teacher in this situation. It was a new experience for the Pycon.

When Jade and Dina was close he nodded, “I am Ser Ball. You will call me Ser or Ser Ball. Unlike the rest of the squires here you will be deciding on the weapons you will want to train with and I will see what can be done to train you in them. It is my job to do what I can to prepare you for the future as a Knight and a member of the Order.” Ball paused only long enough for Jade to understand what he spoke.

“It is obvious I am much shorter than you are, but don't think you have an upper hand on me. We will learn things together, you will learn with fellow squires and with my fellow knights. You will train on your own. You will sleep in the dorms with other squires, you will learn and teach your fellow squires. One day you will need to depend on them.” Ball nodded and pointed at the two racks on either side of him.

“Today you will pick weapons you feel you want to be trained in. I will train you in what you want if they are viable and work, other things I will train you in because I deem them important. Choice from the racks a single melee weapon.” Ball smiled and stepped a few steps past Dina and Jade and then turned so he could watch the mother.

“We will have to speak with the Chaperons about watching your little one when you train.” Ball commented, realizing it was a dangerous place to bring a child, the training grounds. Running a hand over his face he sighed Will she be able to handle the trials and tribulations of squire hood with a child to depend on her? I ought to see how squire Garland handles it. Or his patron, she might shed some light on that. Ball made a mental note to do just that.

“Remember, I call the training times, and we don't have all day.”

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by **Jade Laken** on March 18th, 2017, 7:05 pm

Jade looked when a young boy not much older than Dina walked over to them. She had not been one to judge, but he seemed oddly young to be the knight they were looking for. Once he explained that her patron was by the weapon racks and pointed them in the right direction, Jade was glad that her first thoughts were right. It seemed the young one was only there to bring the knights and squires what they needed while training. Making her way through the crowd Dina easily kept up with the young mother. Looking around the girl at first missed the short knight; his voice startled the woman causing her to look down at her teacher. She listened intently as he laid down the rules that was to be followed while learning under him. When he paused and looked at the young mother for her understanding; she was slightly intimidated by him.

“I understand Ser,” Jade stated remembering how to address him at the moment.

He continued on about how the pair would be learning things together as well as teaching each other. Confusion graced the blonde's features at the mention of teaching other squires. Surely there were squires that knew more than she. Her thoughts drifted to Ferrin who had a hard time riding his horse without falling off, but that was the only way she could think to teach the other squires. Listening the blond woman turned her attention to the weapons before her. There were different sizes, shapes, and ranges to chose from. Making a face the girl walked closer trying to decide what would fit her the best. She had never used more than a couple of daggers and her bow which had all been left at her home. Dina made a face at the small man when he spoke of her being taken away from Jade.

“NO! I'm not leaving mommy!” Dina growled at the small creature suddenly hugging her leg.

Letting out a small yelp of surprise the mother fought to keep herself up right and not tumbling all over the young girl. Finally catching herself the girl looked down to see the child holding on tightly. Sighing she managed to right herself without falling backwards on to her tail end. Rolling her eyes the woman wiggled some to where she could walk or rather limp to the weapons knowing Dina was not coming off till he agreed to let her stay. Going back to the rack a small thin sword caught her eye. Bouncing on one leg leaving the currently held down leg in the same spot, the woman managed to use her height and long arms to get the blade from its place.

“What is this?” Jade asked showing the small teacher ignoring Dina.

"The Ways of the Drykas."

by **Ball** on March 22nd, 2017, 11:47 pm

"My Speaking"

My Thoughts

Ball watched quietly as his squire took her time to step forward and examine the weapons. Her expression told the knight she was not well versed in weaponry, something he knew a thing or two about. Unlike some of the squires he was accustomed to training with he had a pretty limited weapon knowledge. It was always more and more obvious to Ball that he needed to work on a larger variety of weapons. When she picked up the slender blade known as a rapier Ball smiled, “Excellent choice for attacking a person in something like chain or a variety if armors worn by our enemies. It is called a rapier. That specific style is designed for stabbing between the links and gaps found in armor. It has little purpose for slashing. There is a different design I can find out where to procure one for you, it has a thinner flatter blade similar to a longer dagger it is quite effective in stabbing but it has some slashing capabilities.” Ball nodded, he had some experience with the use of a rapier.

He watched though as the young child clung to her mother, crying out that she wasn't going to leave her – not ever. Ball frowned, the flood of emotions from the past cascaded through his nexus, briefly seizing hold of his thoughts before fleeting off to whatever stored them away from his thoughts and dreams. “Young one. Come here and sit down before me. I have a story. For both of you.” The knight motioned for both mother and daughter to come close and settle on the grass before him, the rack towering behind them like a wall.

“I am no stranger to the fear you are having young lady. Being alone – being left alone – is not a feeling any child should have to dwell upon and worry about. I too had to deal with that very situation some moons ago.” Ball paused, not sure how to exactly go forward but it was something he felt was needed to do.“I never knew my parents. Pycons do not have families in the same sense as you larger races do. Our lives are dictated by adventures and curiosity for the majority of my brethren. I was found by a knight, a large blue man. He took me in, trained me as I am going to train your mother little one. She will be trained to defend and protect. To be sure that you are forever safe from harm. That big man became my first patron.”

Ball paused, a brief recall of the scarecrow came to mind and just as quick it was gone. “Upon a ship I remember not wanting to lose the man, he took me in and gave me a sense of family and well-being. In a way you could say he was my father. I told him such. That I didn't want to lose him, that the loss would be too much to bear. I did lose him though. In the heat of combat I had lost sight of the large blue man... I thought he had fallen overboard. I spent years wishing he would return...” Ball sighed, reaching into his chest the Pycon ruffled around his being before grasping hold of the frayed and worn object he was searching for. Retracting his hand out from his body grasped between his fingers was a thin strip of fabric, tattered and fading the once deep blue strip of tunic held memories for the Pycon he would never forget.

Holding it up he motioned for the girl's hand, waiting calmly, “He gave this to me as a way to remember him. Before we embarked by ship. He told him if anything did happen to his well-being that I carry on as a squire, become a knight and never forget him. I kept my promise, as tough as that was for me. I want you to have this. To remember my words I will speak to you now. Your mother will never leave you. She will train and she will do what she must as a squire and hopefully a knight in the future, but she will never leave you. I promise you that.” Ball held up the fabric and with the girl's hand was stretched out he reach forward and slide the fabric into her hand. “On my whole soul and being I promise you little that your mother will never leave your side. I won't let her. You needn't worry, you so full of life – being a child.” Ball looked at Jade, it was clear from his face that he meant every word he just spoke.

“Next season I would like to take you and your daughter out to the Outpost Squire Jade. If you have a boyfriend or husband or what have you bring them a long. Consider this an invitation for a future lesson.”

Credit :

by **Jade Laken** on March 29th, 2017, 11:28 pm

Jade turned to the small man when he spoke highly of the weaponry. Blue eyes shifted back to the blade while holding it up some to Syna's light. A slight gleam of it cut across the young woman's face as the child pouted at the time person. A small sound of confusion made the mother look down at her gently. With a smile and a nod the young girl let go of her leg and followed him. The young Drykas put the rapier back on the rack while following as he spoke of some kind of story. Curiosity was truly the young woman's downfall as she sat down listening to the man closely. Dina sat right beside her mother with one leg touching her knee as if afraid that she would disappear into thin air. The pair were stunned and mystified that pycon's would leave their young alone from a very early age. The little girl looked at the stranger, that called himself Jade's Patron, sadly when he spoke of losing the only man he had seen as a father. She could not bear the thought of losing her mother Jade or her father Ferrin. Even if they were a broken family trying to heal, she felt at home with them. A small hand reached out to him when he motioned for it. Dina felt self conscious as it took several chimes for the pycon to find what he was searching for.

Jade looked on amazed at how well he had done with calming Dina down. It had taken the new parents several days with the child to learn what worked and what made things worse. She was not worried about what the young man was searching for to give the child. The blonde was just worried how the little one would take it. The woman wanted to just scoop up the little man and hug him, but reframed figuring that would earn her a hit on the head and a very angry patron. Dina took the material and held it gently. The child did not want to damage it any more than it already had been by time. Looking up big eyes trained on the pycon that promised her mother would return to her no matter what. Feeling a little better, she agreed to go sit up in the stands surrounding the training area. The young mother kissed the child's cheek and ushered her to where she would be able to watch them with no problem.

“I'm impressed Ser. Not many can talk Dina down from hysteria. Even her father and I still have trouble calming her down sometimes,” Jade stated turning back to the little one, “Dina, Ferrin, and I would love to join you at the Outpost next season.”

Jade walked back over to the rack and drew the Rapier once more before walking over to him. Deciding this would be her blade, the woman acknowledged it out loud for her trainer to hear. She wanted to know from him that this weapon would not be a mistake.

“Ready when you are,” Jade said with a nod.

"The Ways of the Drykas."

by **Ball** on April 28th, 2017, 12:42 am

"My Speaking"

My Thoughts

Ball smiled and stood as Dina moved back to the stands, his eye watched her settle down as he directed a majority of his attention back to his pupil. “That is a fine weapon. Slender and well poised for a lady of your stature. Thin enough to slid safely away from little hands that might find the metal a bit... Alluring. I own a rapier myself. Not as tall of course.” He nodded and smiled.

“I don't understand children much honestly. I am still one myself in all manners of speaking. Only being four years myself. But age is nothing when it comes to understanding that fear. She loves you dearly. And the lost of a loved one is no laughing matter. I can understand her fear and love. I was only speaking from experience, nothing more. Maybe that was all she needed?” Ball shrugged.

“Yes, we can start. Let's start with the basics at this moment in time. Hold the weapon in your dominant hand and point the weapon's tip up and away from you in front of your body your elbow bent slightly. This is the stance you will use to protect your upper body, sword held in front acts as a deterrent for your opponent to attack you from your front. Now, move the foot opposite of your dominant hand forward so that the toes of your foot settles just below the bend of your elbow and bend the knee slightly. This is the forward drive and stability point of your strikes. Remember that this weapon. You are going to feel unprotected in the rear, but in here that is not the problem. Out beyond the walls it could be. We will cover how to defend yourself in the future.” Ball nodded.

“Now hold that position while I take a look. Corrections will undoubtedly be given.” Once Jade was in the position as requested Ball took his sweet time walking around her slowly, looking at her feet, at her knees, at her arms and elbows. At her gaze and the quivering of her muscles. The stance holding was not a short time frame at all... Not quite a chime, but fairly close. It would show Ball determination and the endurance needed to handle the next weeks and seasons of training that were going to come before her.

Credit :

by **Jade Laken** on August 4th, 2017, 3:39 am

Jade took a deep breath and got ready to get into stance. She spotted Dina up in the stands with her bag that had all her toys and color page. Looking down at her patron again as he spoke of the weapon feeling strange when in the proper position. The blonde tried to picture the shape her body would be in, but it was rather difficult for her to do. Raising the blade, she just slightly bent her arm. Nodding the woman slid her left foot forward and had to hold herself up right as it threw her a little off balance the first time. Waving her arms the girl managed to stay up and raise the rapier again. Everything in her said to stand with her feet shoulder with apart instead of the awkward position, she was currently in. Unsure what to do with her left hand, the woman took hold of the blade with two hands instead of just one. At least until the little man told her what to do next. Some clinking caught her attention, turning her head some the girl saw a squire and knight running up and down the stairs.

“What are they doing?” Jade asked and turned to look at him.

The young mother looked back to him; it had not dawned on her that her arm had fallen while watching the movements. Her short attention span was also going to be hard to work through with so much going on around the pair. She wanted to just sit down and watch everything that was going on around her, even though the woman knew nothing about what any one was doing. Jade barely knew what Ball had told her to do. Yelping the woman lost her balance and ended up on her backside instead of standing up straight. A flush crossed the girl's face as a could of other squires turned and began to whisper around her. Slowly standing up the woman dusted off her pants and rubbed her tail end with a groan.

“Sorry, it's hard for me to focus,” Jade explained.

The Drykas' heart dropped seeing him take out a strange piece of paper. The woman hopped he did not ask her to read or was regretting getting stuck with her. A soft gulp could be heard if one was listening hard enough. The look from him caused her to instantly try to get in the fighting stance again. Though she almost fell over again making herself look like a bigger idiot than before.

"The Ways of the Drykas."

by **Ball** on August 13th, 2017, 7:14 pm

"My Speaking"

My Thoughts

Ball walked around her, for never having picked up the rapier before the knight saw that she had a relatively good base, it just needed some work with holding, her sword arm slumped down and he made a mental note of that before he moved forward, It was clear she was going to have to settle the sword down soon, it wasn't exactly a heavy weapon, it was the position she was having to hold it in. Not being use to the stance would cause that issue. Her feet needed a bit of shifting, the one in front was a bit too far forward, he nudged it back, tapping it with his foot to give Jade the indication to move it back some until it was in the correct place. Ball left that foot and went back to examining her stance.

The knight looked up when his squire spoke after hearing the clinking that took her away from her task at hand. He smirked, having seen it so many times in the past, “Either training or a lesson in punishment. That there is running the stairs wearing plate. A hellish task for even most of the seasoned knights.” Looking back at his squire he pointed at her arm, “Back to it. Sword up. You are doing well. 'Specially for someone untrained in the weapon.” Yet when she fell Ball frowned.

There was nothing he could do to prevent that Ball just knew he was going to have to work with her. “Up up. Come on now. You can focus, the sound of your surroundings is important to take note of, but you cannot let all your attention to go to it. Let's take a break now though. Place the sword down and sit on the ground.” It would not do Ball any good to have his squire falling flat on her face.

Once Jade was sitted Ball looked at her, “This isn't easy for either of us. You are my first squire. I have not been a knight that long and to be honest, the other knights think of my methods as a bit... Unorthodox and highly dangerous. I won't sugar coat things for you. The stuff we are going now at this moment is tame in comparison to what I will be putting you through. You want your family protected you will have that. Trust me.” Ball had no doubt in his mind that he wasn't going to get her ready to protect her family at all costs.

“Let's call it for today. Go home, get some rest. Maybe stop at the Soothing Waters and get yourself a massage.”

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Closed Teaching a Squire... [Jade]