Closed Training with a new friend? (Garland)

[Jade Laken]

10th Winter, AV 515

Jade walked around the city looking around as her companion walked behind her. The breeze blew Jade's hair to the right of her face as she moved the hair from her face to behind her. She did not bother to put her hair up looking around at the builds. Jade had not bothered to put her hair up as she walked around the city looking at the height of the buildings. She quickly moves faster hearing men behind her; Jade had become far more nervous lately about strange men being around her. Jade sees a building up ahead or what once was a building; she walks up to the ring and looked around.

"Where am I?" Jade asked looking around at all the different weapons to train with. Jade gently touched the tip of a spiked mace and jerks her hand back out of reflex before she realized that the spikes were dull. She walked around and found a table of daggers. Jade picked up a dagger gently holding the blade up to the sun watching the sunlight shine off the blade as it was pristine clean.

"So amazing," She said not noticing the young boy who had walked into the training room.

[Garland]

Garland walked into the training area.The wind was starting to bite, but it was still warm enough to stay outside and do some exercise. Garland had been a regular in the pits since he was able to hold a sword. This place had plenty of regular faces.

As he walked deeper into the area, he couldn't but notice something out of place. There have been a few people who had wandered in here by mistake. He went over to a girl that looked too... small? No that's not the word that would describe her, she looked too innocent to be here.

"Excuse me? Hello?" Garland walked up behind her and gave a small bow. "I'm Garland, squire to Sera Catherine, I was wondering what you were doing here? This isn't exactly a place for people like you." He said, though now that he thought about it, what he said seemed quite rude. "I mean, it could be a little dangerous here. I didn't mean anything by what I said."

"Well, if you're wondering where you are, then you'd like to know that you're in Antinous Fighting Pit, it's a place where the people not in the knighthood train in weapons and spar with each other." He said and pointed to the people a few paces away. "Most people here are good fighters but don't want to commit to the knighthood or were discharged."

"May I ask what your name is, ma'am?" Garland said and watched the area, she didn't seem like the kind to just walk in here, maybe she was being followed and walked here to hide? Maybe she's just lost, but it was still strange for her to walk here.

[Jade Laken]

Jade yelped some when the boy spoke behind her. She dropped the dagger almost hitting her own foot. Jade quickly turned seeing the young boy that had began to question her.

"My name? It is Jade laken. I am new to Syliras," She said and ignored when he said she did not belong here.

Jade was used to most not thinking she belonged anywhere she went so Jade tended to ignore most people. She knew before he corrected himself that the boy had meant no harm by what he had said to her when he saw her holding a dagger.

"No, I suppose I don't look like I belong here," Jade said with a shrug.

"I felt eyes on me and once I entered I couldn't help but look around at all the weapons. I am from Endrykas and we don't carry many weapons on us but to send out to trade with other cities around Mizahar," Jade said looking at the young boy before her still.

"You need not bow I am no royalty by any means," Jade said beginning to feel uncomfortable when him bowing to her as if she were some kind of royal figure in front of him.

Jade was happy to know that she had not walked in to an area she was not supposed to be in her haste to lose any who may have been following her.

[Garland]

"Sorry, I'm just a very courteous person when I want to be." He said, though he remembers several times he ended up getting into brawls for 'disrespecting' people.

"Jade, a very pretty name. My name is Garland, a pleasure to meet you." He said and shook her hand. "And I welcome you to Syliras, I hope you're finding this city to your liking."

He picked up a dagger from the table and examined it. "Yes, the weapons here are well-kept, but they are blunted so it wouldn't kill someone when people spar. Though it can still kill, it would be a little difficult to actually break skin with these weapons."

"Do you want a little tour around the Training Pit?" He offered and walked off, showing her where is where and what was what. "Welcome to Anthonius Fighter's Pit, the proprietor is Ser Gerard Anthonius, he was an ex-squire who had a bit of trouble with authority, and decided to start up the pit to train people who aren't in the knighthood to defend themselves."

He paused and wondered if she was interested in learning how to defend herself. She did say she felt eyes on her, the city was more or less safe with the knighthood and such, but there are times where people pass through the knight's watch.

"Would you like to learn how to protect yourself? I can teach you a bit, free of charge, or if you want a more experience trainer, you can ask Ser Gerard, but he does charge."

[Jade Laken]

Jade followed the man as he showed the young girl around the training pit. She looked at him as he spoke.

"I would love to learn to fight better," Jade said looking at the boy who showed her around.

Jade took out a long sword and gently ran her fingers over the blade understanding the need for it to be blunted but such actions still bothered her.

"I may just be paranoid after getting into a small scrap with some drinks at the Rearing Stallions Tavern," Jade said with a small chuckle looking nervous.

She turned her attention to the boy once more as the two talked, "I would owe you much if you would teach me how to better hold a long sword. I can hold a dagger well enough that if I needed to protect myself, I can't without any hesitation."

Jade said turning her attention back to the - what she assumed was a - young squire in training to learn more about the city.

"If I am not bothering you with questions would you mind if I asked, 'am I right in assuming that you are a squire yourself?" Jade was curious about if the Knights of Syliras were anything close to the Watch back home in Endrykas though she doubts Garland had been to Syliras much if at all.

[Garland]

Garland gave a soft smile, trying to show that he wasn't really all that intimidating. "Why yes, I am a squire of Syliras. Squire of Sera Catherine Ashe, at your service." He would have bowed but he had already done that, and it might seem weird to bow several times.

He motioned over to a training dummy on the far corner of the area, there weren't a lot of people there mostly because this was an area used for the newer or younger fighters to test out weapons and practice.

"You said something about being in a brawl?" He rubbed his chin and thought that he should probably bring her in for disturbing the peace... Then again, there's a brawl every other week in Syliras, when the Sverfa traders come, and it's probably resolved by the other knights anyway.

"Swords aren't really all that useful in a brawl, better to have a dagger for that." He said, but it was her decision to use whatever weapon she wanted. "Would you please show me what you know? So I know where to begin."

Garland went over to the weapons rack and picked up a sword and a dagger, he needed to be ready to train her with whatever weapons she chose. Though he's not very good with a dagger, he knows enough to harm.

"A bit of a foreword before you start." He said and held up a dagger. "It's probably common knowledge but I feel like I should still tell you. The dagger is used for quick strikes in critical areas, like the neck, heart or other exposed areas."

He sheathed the dagger and then pulled out the sword. "Depending the sword, it could specialize in defense or offense, but usually not in close quarters. The sword is best used in open combat, a longsword is a fairly balanced brand, you can parry well with it and attack fairly far, the downside to the longer reach and better ability to parry is the weight. It's much more unwieldy than a dagger."

[Jade Laken]

"That probably sounds bad huh?" Jade asked realizing how bad using the world brawl had sounded to the soon to be knight.

"I wasn't in a huge fist on fist fight. I had stopped at one of the inns to get food and when I was leaving a drunk guy inside grabbed my arm and yanked me on to his lap," Jade said explaining not wanting him to think she was a bad influence by any means.

Jade looks at the weapons and draws a long sword not expecting the weight and almost chops her foot off dropping it. Yelping the startled girl jumps back quickly moving her toes out of the way. The young girl nervously laughs gently scratching the back of her head.

"Sorry, I have never used a sword like this one before. The most I have used is a small now dull dagger that I use in emergencies," Jade said with a nervous chuckle looking at him gently.

She kneels down and picks up the sword once more tensing her muscles in her arm making it easier to pick up the blade and turning to the young boy once more.

[Garland]

He stifled a little laugh when he saw her drop the sword like she had been spooked by a mouse. He picked up another sword from the weapons rack and handed it over to Jade.

The sword itself was much shorter than the longsword Jade was using, and much lighter. It's just a few inches longer than a standard dagger. "Try this instead, this is much lighter and I think it might suit you better."

Garland then turned to the training dummy in front of them. He raised up his sword and quickly slashed at the dummy, making the wood and straw man shake with the impact.

He pulled back the weapon and looked at the dummy. "Swinging wildly would just waste your energy. Aim for weak spots, here-" He placed the sword on the dummy's neck. "-here-" He then moved the sword under the dummy's armpit. "-or here." He then placed the sword between the dummy's legs. "Of course of they're wearing armor, but if they aren't go for the easier targets."

He then pointed to below the chest, aiming at the stomach. "The stomach is unprotected, unlike the chest where if you're unlucky, a bone might block a what would have been a fatal stab."

He moved to the side and motioned Jade forward. "Show me what you can do, I'll correct you when you're finished. If that's alright with you." He watched her attack the dummy, marking down what she did right and what she did wrong.

[Jade Laken]

Jade smiles and puts the long sword up and takes the smaller sword from him. Jade followed the young man before her and watched him when he slashed at the target dummy. She was curious about how he managed to cut across the dummy with so little visible effort. Soon he had moved and allowed Jade to take a turn showing him what she was able to do.

"Like this?" Jade asked looking back to Garland after raising her hands much like he had done and sliced across the dummy.

Jade was knocked back some by the force of the attack and the resistance of the dummy. The girl narrowed her eyes and took a wider stance before slicing again. The wild strike missed the chest, but surprisingly enough slashed across the neck of the dummy. She turned to look back at him in order to see if she had done everything correctly.

“Sorry I am not usually so,” Jade stopped trying to think of the right word to describe her previous actions just now.

The young blond hair girl looked at the younger male wanting to understand his world as she did with all she considered friends. Though that was not a stretch for the young woman seeing as the Drykas were known to be very sociable to each other.

[Garland]

Garland gave a hearty laugh, not ridiculing her, but it was quite a sight to see her fumble around with the sword. He smiled and helped her hold the sword properly.

"You gotta build up your upper-body strength some of these days." He smiled and held the sword Jade was holding, moving her hands where she should hold the blade. "A shortsword is usually used with only one hand, here."

He let go and set up a stance, his legs were apart and one was a bit more forward than the other foot. "You must keep a balance and remember to move fast if you plan on using a shortsword or other quick weapons."

He motion for her to attack again, he wanted her to get better, she seemed like a nice girl and he wouldn't want her to get hurt when there are no knights around. "Attack again, try to get use to the weight of the sword and the grip."

The city itself is relatively safe, even at night, but sometimes there are a few drunks that get into brawls or some other trouble where she would need to defend herself when there aren't any knights around.

He wondered if maybe she should start with a bit of strength training, rather than jumping straight into weapon usage. "You're new to the city, correct? How are you finding the city so far."