Mirian looked back to her teacher for confirmation of her form, and was rewarded with a smile and praising words.
Aliara changed her stance and demonstrated another movement, one that was a cut rather than a stab. Diagonal, across an opponent’s body from one shoulder to the opposite him. Mirian narrowed her eyes and focused on conjuring a phantom semblance of something to hit, or at least something she could imagine hitting.
A breath.
Her movements were a bit quicker and less controlled than Aliara’s, but the sword looked like it successfully went where she wanted it to. Exhaling, Mirian tried again, this time across the opposite side. Shoulder to hip. Across the chest and stomach, which she knew from experience were places with plenty of blood to spill.
A few more cuts and Mirian let the tip of the sword come to rest on the earth at her feet, turning back to her mentor for whatever it was that came next. She found Aliara… stretching? Her hands were at her back and she was bending, somewhat similar to a movement Mirian would make when she got out of bed in the morning.
The thief tilted her head. “What are you doing?”
But the answer presented itself in the woman’s next words. She’d have to stretch?
“Why?”
Regardless of the answer, Mirian did her best to mimic Aliara’s movements. She put her hands on her back and arched her spine, and was pleasantly surprised by a few cracks.
Aliara changed her stance and demonstrated another movement, one that was a cut rather than a stab. Diagonal, across an opponent’s body from one shoulder to the opposite him. Mirian narrowed her eyes and focused on conjuring a phantom semblance of something to hit, or at least something she could imagine hitting.
A breath.
Her movements were a bit quicker and less controlled than Aliara’s, but the sword looked like it successfully went where she wanted it to. Exhaling, Mirian tried again, this time across the opposite side. Shoulder to hip. Across the chest and stomach, which she knew from experience were places with plenty of blood to spill.
A few more cuts and Mirian let the tip of the sword come to rest on the earth at her feet, turning back to her mentor for whatever it was that came next. She found Aliara… stretching? Her hands were at her back and she was bending, somewhat similar to a movement Mirian would make when she got out of bed in the morning.
The thief tilted her head. “What are you doing?”
But the answer presented itself in the woman’s next words. She’d have to stretch?
“Why?”
Regardless of the answer, Mirian did her best to mimic Aliara’s movements. She put her hands on her back and arched her spine, and was pleasantly surprised by a few cracks.