12th Bell - 1st Day of Fall, 517AV - Warstorm Pavilion
"Wondered when he'd show up..."
Cre'ran looked away from the squad training before him and followed Acele's gaze until it fell on... ah, yes. He'd been wondering the same thing, at odd points over the last few seasons. Whenever he heard a new story, or overheard some gossip among the trainees, about the walahk with the scars who was handy with a blade. Or three. Or his bare hands.
No, even better with his bare hands, wasn't it?
"Maybe he thinks he's ready for the real thing," he said with a light smile, turning away from the new face, back to his students, where his attention was truly needed. "Tired of beginners and hobbyists, perhaps?"
Acele snorted and hawked a gob to her side. Curious how one so delightfully feminine in appearance could be so stunningly male when the mood took her. The grizzled master of the War Storm just smiled a little broader, amused and proud in equal measure. Acele wasn't one to hate, but prejudice... she had a dram of it in her. Mainly concerning outsiders, walahks, those who Endrykas had to support even though they weren't of Zulrav's people.
No matter how many times I remind her that no-one is supported by the Moving City. You either pull your weight, or you get left behind... or worse.
"I'll see what he wants."
"That's obvious enough," Cre'ran said as she started to walk away, having eyed the display of curved, sharpened steel on the man's body the moment he spotted him. "Real questions are how, when and with whom."
Another grunt. But no spitting, at least.
Konrad knew whom he was looking for. Learning up on what he was walking into had kept him alive for years back in Sunberth; this was little different, other than the fact he probably wasn't running the risk of getting killed. Well... most likely, anyway. Of all the clans, he knew these Diamond wankers took their training very seriously.
Girl, huge sword, knives, looks fine... ah, here we go.
"Greetings," he said, a model of Pavi politeness as he signed the word as well. "I am Hansel. I have come to-"
"Train. Yeah, I figured that much."
Hmm. Not a good start. The sharp tone, the half-scowl, the arms crossed across her chest... the woman was clearly not happy to see him. Although that could have just been her nature: you didn't become undisputed Champion of Sword twelve years in a row by being soft, or easy, or trusting. Konrad's gaze flickered to the massive sodding hunk of steel strapped to her back, almost as long as she was. It was practically an executioner's sword, it was so big, but if the rumors were true, she could wield it with as much grace and precision as a rapier.
Knew I should have stopped by and watched a few times.
"What does it cost to train here?" He plowed on, determined not to let her suspicious visage dampen his spirits. "I have coin, if that's what-"
"Don't cost coin to train here," Acele said, cutting him off yet again but no, no, he wouldn't get angry. Wouldn't help the situation and besides, she could slice him up neat as deer meat if he got short with her. "But we don't take it easy on anyone. You get petched up or break anything in the lessons, it's on you. You bugger off because you can't take the pace, don't bother coming back."
"Sounds good to me."
He smiled. Almost a smirk. He hoped she could see just how close it was to that... and judging by the way her glower hardened just a fraction more, she did. She snorted and cleared out her mouth on the ground... but it wasn't in front of him, an obvious insult. More a sort of vague gesture of contempt to outsiders in general.
Konrad shrugged internally. If she thought he'd take offence at being hated and distrusted, she clearly had no idea whom she was dealing with.
In fairness, no-one here does. Not really.
"C'mon, then..."
Despite her sour words, she wasn't about to turn away a man wanting to learn, and Konrad followed her. Musing on the "real" Konrad, as it were. The sellsword and reaver and ganger who'd slain dozens back home in Sunberth. Men, women, children... he was never picky. Coin was coin, and he was a man that had expenses. All his life people had looked on him with fear, disgust, or hatred. Rarely had that varied, but that man...
Sometimes he thought he'd died with Three Eyes, out in the grasslands beyond Kenash. That the man who awoke in the Pridesun pavilion was some vestige of himself that had itself been extinguished decades ago, by his father, by his scars, by his life and just by that stinking, shykey city in general.
"You're looking to train with that kopis, right?"
"Yes," Konrad said after a moment, broken out of his wonderings and then quietly impressed she actually knew what it was called. Most didn't, but then again, she was Champion of Sword. If that person couldn't know their blades, then... "And my kukri."
She stopped and turned, in front of a whirl of sweating, grunting, half-clad, sword-wielding Drykas. A miasma of training that for a moment took Konrad back decades to the Trainging Grounds of the Sun's Birth, probably the most militant syndicate in Sunberth. Oh, they were still a gang, when you got down to it, but being founded by exiled Syliran Knights certainly gave them a more... disciplined edge.
Like, for example, having their own training program. Matching armor. Horsemen trained beyond the city walls, pike formations, fortifications in their territory.
Still never got much further than the river, though, he reminded himself, a vestige of that old Daggerhand killer chuckling with black pride. Shiny and sharp they were, but they didn't have much cunning to them.
"You mean at the same time, right?"
"Yes," Konrad said again, hazarding a faint smirk. At least she caught on quick. "I'm good with the little one, even better with the big one, but both at same time? Need to practice that."
"Aye, well... come to the right place, didn't you?"
She didn't wait for an answer, and Konrad didn't press for one. Petch her and her bloody attitude: as long as he got a real, living person to spar with, he was happy. He'd been making do with amateurs and neophytes for too long, and the only mortal scrapes he'd seen had been with starving beasts of the grasslands. Nothing of real substance, real challenge, like he could find every day week in Sunberth.
One thing about that place: it learned you quick how to fight.
"Corvun? You've had enough time resting, back on your feet, boy."
Boy he may have been, but he was still bigger and broader than the girl. He lurched upright as Acele approached, wooden bastard sword in his hand. She pointed at the racks to one side without looking at Konrad, bedecked with all sorts of training weapons.
He took the hint and scuttled over, replacing sharpened steel with slightly-heavier wood, instead. He hefted the kopis and kukri counterfeits, and nodded with an impressed purse of his lips. Almost the same balance, and they were beat up as all shyke, too. They kept their value, and... gods, they actually looked like they'd been carved.
"You'll be with Corvun today," Acele said, not waiting, not looking, speaking her will and orders to the air and trusting Konrad to listen to it. Or just not caring if he didn't. "He had an early session but sprained his ankle. Now he's ready to go again, aren't you?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Which Konrad heard as "it still hurts like shyke but I'm about to naysay you". Still, it didn't matter. The woman gave them both a brief nod and pointed to an open spot on the training field. The two men took up positions and she left them to it, dozens of other budding warriors to supervise.
Corvun, light-haired and with a cleft in his chin, eyed the walahk for a moment, swishing his sword gently through the air. Konrad noticed him getting used to his stance again, working around his... left leg. That's where the sprain was.
"Heard about you," the boy said, injecting a little surliness into his voice now he wasn't around his All-Powerful Champion. "Meant to be pretty tough."
"I have not heard about you," Konrad shot back with a crooked smile. "Let's see if the same is true, hmm?"
To his credit, the boy smirked. Then the immortal dance began, and Konrad smirked right back.
Cre'ran looked away from the squad training before him and followed Acele's gaze until it fell on... ah, yes. He'd been wondering the same thing, at odd points over the last few seasons. Whenever he heard a new story, or overheard some gossip among the trainees, about the walahk with the scars who was handy with a blade. Or three. Or his bare hands.
No, even better with his bare hands, wasn't it?
"Maybe he thinks he's ready for the real thing," he said with a light smile, turning away from the new face, back to his students, where his attention was truly needed. "Tired of beginners and hobbyists, perhaps?"
Acele snorted and hawked a gob to her side. Curious how one so delightfully feminine in appearance could be so stunningly male when the mood took her. The grizzled master of the War Storm just smiled a little broader, amused and proud in equal measure. Acele wasn't one to hate, but prejudice... she had a dram of it in her. Mainly concerning outsiders, walahks, those who Endrykas had to support even though they weren't of Zulrav's people.
No matter how many times I remind her that no-one is supported by the Moving City. You either pull your weight, or you get left behind... or worse.
"I'll see what he wants."
"That's obvious enough," Cre'ran said as she started to walk away, having eyed the display of curved, sharpened steel on the man's body the moment he spotted him. "Real questions are how, when and with whom."
Another grunt. But no spitting, at least.
Konrad knew whom he was looking for. Learning up on what he was walking into had kept him alive for years back in Sunberth; this was little different, other than the fact he probably wasn't running the risk of getting killed. Well... most likely, anyway. Of all the clans, he knew these Diamond wankers took their training very seriously.
Girl, huge sword, knives, looks fine... ah, here we go.
"Greetings," he said, a model of Pavi politeness as he signed the word as well. "I am Hansel. I have come to-"
"Train. Yeah, I figured that much."
Hmm. Not a good start. The sharp tone, the half-scowl, the arms crossed across her chest... the woman was clearly not happy to see him. Although that could have just been her nature: you didn't become undisputed Champion of Sword twelve years in a row by being soft, or easy, or trusting. Konrad's gaze flickered to the massive sodding hunk of steel strapped to her back, almost as long as she was. It was practically an executioner's sword, it was so big, but if the rumors were true, she could wield it with as much grace and precision as a rapier.
Knew I should have stopped by and watched a few times.
"What does it cost to train here?" He plowed on, determined not to let her suspicious visage dampen his spirits. "I have coin, if that's what-"
"Don't cost coin to train here," Acele said, cutting him off yet again but no, no, he wouldn't get angry. Wouldn't help the situation and besides, she could slice him up neat as deer meat if he got short with her. "But we don't take it easy on anyone. You get petched up or break anything in the lessons, it's on you. You bugger off because you can't take the pace, don't bother coming back."
"Sounds good to me."
He smiled. Almost a smirk. He hoped she could see just how close it was to that... and judging by the way her glower hardened just a fraction more, she did. She snorted and cleared out her mouth on the ground... but it wasn't in front of him, an obvious insult. More a sort of vague gesture of contempt to outsiders in general.
Konrad shrugged internally. If she thought he'd take offence at being hated and distrusted, she clearly had no idea whom she was dealing with.
In fairness, no-one here does. Not really.
"C'mon, then..."
Despite her sour words, she wasn't about to turn away a man wanting to learn, and Konrad followed her. Musing on the "real" Konrad, as it were. The sellsword and reaver and ganger who'd slain dozens back home in Sunberth. Men, women, children... he was never picky. Coin was coin, and he was a man that had expenses. All his life people had looked on him with fear, disgust, or hatred. Rarely had that varied, but that man...
Sometimes he thought he'd died with Three Eyes, out in the grasslands beyond Kenash. That the man who awoke in the Pridesun pavilion was some vestige of himself that had itself been extinguished decades ago, by his father, by his scars, by his life and just by that stinking, shykey city in general.
"You're looking to train with that kopis, right?"
"Yes," Konrad said after a moment, broken out of his wonderings and then quietly impressed she actually knew what it was called. Most didn't, but then again, she was Champion of Sword. If that person couldn't know their blades, then... "And my kukri."
She stopped and turned, in front of a whirl of sweating, grunting, half-clad, sword-wielding Drykas. A miasma of training that for a moment took Konrad back decades to the Trainging Grounds of the Sun's Birth, probably the most militant syndicate in Sunberth. Oh, they were still a gang, when you got down to it, but being founded by exiled Syliran Knights certainly gave them a more... disciplined edge.
Like, for example, having their own training program. Matching armor. Horsemen trained beyond the city walls, pike formations, fortifications in their territory.
Still never got much further than the river, though, he reminded himself, a vestige of that old Daggerhand killer chuckling with black pride. Shiny and sharp they were, but they didn't have much cunning to them.
"You mean at the same time, right?"
"Yes," Konrad said again, hazarding a faint smirk. At least she caught on quick. "I'm good with the little one, even better with the big one, but both at same time? Need to practice that."
"Aye, well... come to the right place, didn't you?"
She didn't wait for an answer, and Konrad didn't press for one. Petch her and her bloody attitude: as long as he got a real, living person to spar with, he was happy. He'd been making do with amateurs and neophytes for too long, and the only mortal scrapes he'd seen had been with starving beasts of the grasslands. Nothing of real substance, real challenge, like he could find every day week in Sunberth.
One thing about that place: it learned you quick how to fight.
"Corvun? You've had enough time resting, back on your feet, boy."
Boy he may have been, but he was still bigger and broader than the girl. He lurched upright as Acele approached, wooden bastard sword in his hand. She pointed at the racks to one side without looking at Konrad, bedecked with all sorts of training weapons.
He took the hint and scuttled over, replacing sharpened steel with slightly-heavier wood, instead. He hefted the kopis and kukri counterfeits, and nodded with an impressed purse of his lips. Almost the same balance, and they were beat up as all shyke, too. They kept their value, and... gods, they actually looked like they'd been carved.
"You'll be with Corvun today," Acele said, not waiting, not looking, speaking her will and orders to the air and trusting Konrad to listen to it. Or just not caring if he didn't. "He had an early session but sprained his ankle. Now he's ready to go again, aren't you?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Which Konrad heard as "it still hurts like shyke but I'm about to naysay you". Still, it didn't matter. The woman gave them both a brief nod and pointed to an open spot on the training field. The two men took up positions and she left them to it, dozens of other budding warriors to supervise.
Corvun, light-haired and with a cleft in his chin, eyed the walahk for a moment, swishing his sword gently through the air. Konrad noticed him getting used to his stance again, working around his... left leg. That's where the sprain was.
"Heard about you," the boy said, injecting a little surliness into his voice now he wasn't around his All-Powerful Champion. "Meant to be pretty tough."
"I have not heard about you," Konrad shot back with a crooked smile. "Let's see if the same is true, hmm?"
To his credit, the boy smirked. Then the immortal dance began, and Konrad smirked right back.