Rule 1

Rule 1
Summary: The long discussed training of the Mother Superior begins with Chosen Thomas taking the first lesson, and getting an added student in the course of it and the prospect of a new Chosen.
Date: 7 July 2013
Related: None
Players:
Mouse Thomas Tylon 

Laketown - Temple Gardens
A simple stone path leads out into the garden of the Temple of Four. Several trees offer shade along with small stone benches for people to rest and enjoy the peace and fresh air of the garden. Though by far the offerings are more practical with the many herbs and vegetable patches that exist within the flowers and bushes that exist. A close look by one knowledgeable in the area, would notice that most of the flower and bushes themselves have purpose beyond scenery. Near the back of the garden is a small orchard with various fruit bearing trees : apple, pear, peach, and cherry.

Of the many paths that branch out in the garden, one can be seen leading over to an area that has been setup for the purpose of weapons and combat training for the Chosen of the Temple. Targets and practice dummies are arranged in several places along with open spaces for those more inclined for working in pairs.

Sun Jul 07, 1329

It had to begin some day and today seemed to be that day…the training of the Mother Superior. It was not something that happened frequently at all, a priest or priestess showing up in the training area at least with the actual purpoe to train. Usually there was only someone on hand to handle injuries. So it i more than a few looks that get sent Tylon's way when she heads out that way with dirk in hand to take up that first lesson. Though some of the looks could certainly have something to do with the fact she does wear those training leathers and not the usual volumes of material that make up her robes. It seems she does have a form that hides beneathe all of that material! Who knew! A brief pause is made at the edge of the training area as green eyes scan it.

Standing there, in his work attire, a smiles comes to Thomas as he spots Tylon making her way to the training grounds. An appreciative look, from head to toe before he notices that that other trainees have fallen silent. He turns, they of course have turned their attentions to the Mother Superior as well. A frown "Did some one say stop?" And the trainees, looking abashed get back to their own as Thomas grins and makes his way to meet Tylon. "Well, this is a, a change." He looks at the dirk and shakes his head "First, wooden ones, then the real thing."

Catching that she seems to have served as a mild distraction, a slightly amused smile coming to hear the trainees being questioned. Catching Thomas' location Tylon does step to meet him part way. Inclining her head to him,"It seemed more appropiate, Brother. Even if just training, I did not think the robes were the best choice." A glance down to the dirk before giving a nod,"I had not figured, but I also did not wish for my first lesson to begin with a lecture about how I forgot the weapon that was dispensed to me." Her hands drifting slightly,"But I am here for my lesson, Brother and as promised, I will listen and do a you tell me."

With a chuckle Thomas nods "Already learning. We will have you training in your robes but," he looks her over again "This will do. I want you able to move in your normal clothes. To get used to it. But till you learn the right steps, and I do enjoy it, we will keep you like this." He smiles as he picks two wooden dirks before turning back. He hands her one "Now, though it is smaller than a sword you still hold it as a sword. Like this." And he demonstrates and then nods to Tylon "You do it."

"I am sure I will manage well enough in my robes, I am more used to them. I just assumed that these would be more appropriate for the occasion," smiling a touch as she adds more softly,"And yes, I did think you might enjoy it a little. " Tylon moving to appropriately stow the real dirk as Thomas picks up the wooden ones. Her fingers curling about the handle when it is handed to her. "Yes, I have seen it used some before, it seemed really just a smaller sword, for closer distances." Eyes following along as demonstrates the proper way to hold it, shifting her hand to imitate when he nods her way to do so.

When the gardens double as a practice field, most of the Acolytes remain inside - there's not many garden chores that can be done successfully without getting in the way of the racket. For one so bold as Mouse, however, there need not be an excuse to get closer to the action. The young girl slips from the Temple and along the inner wall, fairly invisible to those whose attention is on their practice. Gradually she sidles up nearer to Thomas and Tylon, watching in silence and keeping well out of their way.

His eyes says all there needs to be said but he says "Oh, I do, I really do." Then as she talks "They are swords. Not like my greatsword but a sword all the same. Some use it as a second weapon when they use a one handed sword." Thomas nods his head "And you want to grip it like a lover's hand. Firm yet gentle all the same." Again he shows her how he holds it and then turns straight on. "YOu will always look at here," taking a step his free hand beings to point out where on her, then thinks better of it and points directly in the middle of his own chest "Right here. Eyes can lie and trick you. YOu will learn to trust your side vision with the practice, but watch here." Looking down to his legs then to her's he takes a breath before he looks to his own once again "Knees slightly flexed, shift your weight on the balls of your feet." Again he demonstrates. The stance is natural to him. as natural as standing it would seem.
Even with the distraction of Tylon in leather clothes, Thomas does notice the arrival of another. A cut of his eyes before he leans a bit forward to Tylon "You have an audience, it would seem." Followed by the slightest of nods in the direction of Mouse.

"Then I shall wear them until my trainer instructs me otherwise, Brother," simply giving a nod of her head as she falls silent to listen to swords purpose. Though one of Tylon's eyebrow raises a little at the advise on how the sword is ot be held. A few comments certainly seem to come to mind with how she presses her lips together for a moment, she did say she would cede control to him in the training ring and so does not interupt the lesson already. Readjusting her grip on the practice weapon as it is shwon again, and then looking as he begins to point were to look. And yes, amusement touches her eyes when Thomas changes just who's form he'll point out things upon. "YEs, the eyes can be made to lie," lightly agreeing before Tylon moves to shift as he directs. Giving a little more bend to her knees as she shifts her weight more to the balls of her feet, whichyes, for once she is wearing shoes! "Like this?"

Without even glancing in the direction of Mouse, Tylon gives a slight nod to Thomas,"It is Acolyte Nettle, I do not believe you and she have yet met. She is one who preffers the solittude the gardens afford." Speaking up just slightly,"Good day again, Daughter." Though Tylon does keep her attention to the lesson at hand, it is her firt, she wouldn't want to get yelled at by not paying attention.

Watching the two of them interact elicits no significant response from the younger woman, although she does appear to be watching closely. The use of her name causes the faintest of crinkles at the bridge of her nose, soon smoothed away. "Please do not allow me to distract you, Mother Superior," she replies. "I am only curious, being a poor bladeswoman myself."

"Then it will be some time before he tells you not to," replies Thomas about her clothes. He sees the reaction of his comment about how to hold it as well the amusement where he was going to show where to watch he just sighs then mumbles "This is going to be tougher than I thought." He nods when she asks if she is standing right "Yes, but be relaxed." After a deep breath he takes his stance again. about to say more he holds his tongue and listens about Nettle he turns and faces the young lass "Poor swordsman then, get a practice dirk and join us."

"If you find it to great a challenge, Brother, I am certain Sister Aloyna would be content to cover the lessons in full," offering simply, even if Tylon's eye contian a touch of amusement. Glancing down at herself a little when she is told to be relaxed, she didn't know she wasn't. But since she was told to relax, she takes a breathe and allows herself to loosen up a little more. Keeping lightly balanced upon the balls of her feet. A slight smile had as she notes,"I do not find you a distraction, Daughter, nor do I believe I am the one distracted today." Giving a small nod to Thomas's words,"Yes, please join us, if you wish."

When Thomas gives her instructions to find a practice blade, Mouse does not wait to see whether Tylon approves of his decision. She sets about locating said object with a swiftness and readiness not usually seen by the likes of the Temple Priestess, and when she returns a moment later she undertakes for herself the task of emulating the stance he had demontrated.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Thomas=swords Vs Tylon=reaction
< Thomas: Great Success Tylon: Success
< Net Result: Thomas wins - Solid Victory

As Tylon speaks to Nettle he quickly lunges with his wooden dirk. The point just stops as it makes contact with the belly of Tylon. He grins "Never, ever let any distraction take your attention to from your foe. Rule 1."
With a statisfied smile he nods to Mouse "YOu heard what I have said so far so let me see you stand and hold your weapon correctly."

<FS3> Mouse rolls Alertness: Good Success.

Thomas may seem some amusementin Tylon's eyes with how quickly Mouse takes to responding to his permission to join them, prior to Tylons own agreement. Lightly noting,"She is yet undecided in what her path is to be. Perhaps a few lessons would aid her in the matter."

The quick lunge does take Tylon off guard, though she is not completely without reaction to the attack. A slight step taken in retreat, but by far not quick nor far enough as Thomas' blade yet makes contact with the leather over her belly. "Of course, rule 1, keep attention upon the foe. "

A barely perceptible nod is Mouse's response to Tylon's next instructions. She watches the exchange between him and the Temple Priestess with a shrewd and unsmiling gaze, studying his movements with the same intensity with which she had listened to him before. At his word, she demonstrates that she had indeed been paying close attention: a firm but gentle grip on the dummy dirk, knees faintly bent, her weight resting comfortably on the balls of her feet. She inhales deeply and silently, falling still. Watching.

A broad smile clearly is on Thomas as Tylon takes a step back. "And if you step back I can just follow. I am right handed, move to my right, your left like this," still standing straight on Tylon he crosses one foot over the other to move sideways. "Move to my right so then I have to turn to get another good strike." Thomas then looks to Mouse and nods his approval "YOu have spent time on the street, no mistaking that stance. Ready to bolt either direction should it be needed, am I right?" What, did Thomas take his eyes off Tylon?

Green eyes follow the move that Thomas shows her, Tylon mimicing it along. Her foot crossing along the other and causing her to sidestep along. Still working to keep her balance as first instructed, balnced more to the balls of her feet, heels just slightly off the ground in the movement. And she is supposed to be learning, and showing that she is learning. And he did take his eyes off of her as his attention goes towards Mouse with the demonstratoin the Acolyte does for him. A step taken, a mimic of the lunge he had done, simply seeking to poke him with the wooden word in turn.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Tylon=Reaction Vs Thomas=reaction
< Tylon: Success Thomas: Success
< Net Result: DRAW

"I have lived in the Temple my whole life," is Mouse's reply to Thomas. His actual question is left entirely unaddressed in favour of her clinically factual statement. As the Chosen turns to her from Tylon, Mouse seems to brace herself slightly, but does not look at Tylon to see if the Priestess will take the opportunity to strike - her eyes are focused on Thomas' solar plexus.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Thomas=Swords Vs Mouse=Swords
< Thomas: Great Success Mouse: Good Success
< Net Result: Thomas wins - Solid Victory

Tylon's dirk gets to his side just as his own strikes her practice blade. A chuckle "Very good, Mother Superior. Very good." He gives her a wink and a nod of approval before speaking to Nettle "I see, your whole life. Never left it to see what else was out there did you." His tone is one of sarcassim, not stinging just his own way of stating a fact. Then that quickly the large man moves, his dirk slices at the mid section of the lass and then carries himself between the two and gives a friendly swat of the flat of the blade on Tylon's rear.

"So sayeth the Chosen. We can't all be seven foot tall and four foot broad and thus sally forth to our liking, Brother." Ooh, the rodent bristles right back at the hint of sarcasm from Thomas. Apparently he touched a nerve. Regardless, she does not allow herself to lose control of her body; she shows good reflexes in her reaction to his successful swipe at her and, quite fluidly, returns a jab in similar manner when his focus and sword are both on Tylon's hindquarters.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Mouse=swords Vs Thomas=swords
< Mouse: Good Success Thomas: Good Success
< Net Result: DRAW

A very slight incline of her head is given to acknowledge the compliment,"I can learn, Brother." It might not have been a full success, but she did manage to at least show rule #1 was learned. Lightly stepping back as the lesson proceeds and he turns the attack upon the acolyte, but there is a slight jump when there is that 'finishing' move that he does upon her rear. And Alyona was worried about groping! A look is sent after him.

But then Tylon is noting to Mouse,"Stature has nothing to do with it, taking oppurtunites does. I was given on to the Temple younger than you, and was twelve when I took to my first field training as an Acolyte, taken up to the Coriars skirmishes. " It is simply a calm fact stated by the Mother Superior.

The clack of wood on wood is met as Nettle strikes and Thomas meets her blade with his. "Quick too! I am impressed." He smiles to Tylon "I think we could have found another Chosen." Back to Nettle he shrugs "You have not met my Lieutenant yet have you? She stands no higher than this," he holds his hand out just over five feet "And weigh next to nothing. Yet to meet her in a fight she would take most anyone." When the look from Tylon is given he just shrugs innocently "Should never turn your back to your foe." Never mind he was the one that moved behind her.

"How fortunate for you to have had such opportunities," Mouse retorts Tylonwards. Then, to Thomas, with a nod of acknowledgement for the compliment: "I would like to improve my ability in that respect," she says simply. At his next words, she makes a small sound halfway between a laugh and a scoff. "Yes, Mother Superior. One must always be wary of those errant battlefield spankings."

"It is not to late, Sister Alyona was well upon the bath to Priestess when her path was pulled eslewhere, it did displease a few," that is putting it mildly really. "It would however, extend you training," this noted to Mouse," which I believe might not be entirely to your liking. And you know well enough, field training is avaliable to any who wish for it."

"And of course, Brother Thomas, part of rule 1, not doubt." A slight smile to actually heard something close to a laugh slip from the Acolyte, it is a rare thing. Tylon notes,"Yes, I am learning much out of thise leason. I admit, I hadn't recalled battlefield spankings being quite frequent issues, but obviously, I was wrong."

Thomas puts his hands on his hips as he looks to Mouse "The path of a Chosen is a tough one. Not only shall you have to be devout you shall have to back that up with skills you yet can only dream of. Every day you would be in training. The Training of the Four and the training of the Chosen." He sizes up the lass "Small as you are I am sure you can slip into and out of places with out being seen? Honed on the streets that you hadn't visited? A very useful trait if one has the ability." He looks to Tylon "What say you, Mother, can you give up an acolyte and grant the mantel of a Chosen?" Then he turns to Nettle "And you, do you think you can tackle the chores, the training and the discipline of becoming a Chosen?"

Gray eyes widen as Thomas rounds on her with his words. Mouse is actually so caught off-guard that she takes a half-step back, her eyes flickering between Thomas and Tylon. Long fingers flexing around the practice dirk in her hand, weight shifting once again to the balls of her feet, the young girl looks in solemn silence up at Thomas after his question is posed, brow furrowed as though she is turning his words over and over again in her mind. Finally: "I do."

A few step are taken back by Tylon, allowing Thomas that focus upon Mouse as he speaks of being a Chosen, offers that path to the almost Priestess. Tylon gives a slight nod,"You know well enough Brother, that I beleive it is always their choice to chose the path they feel the Guardians call to them. If she wishes…" A slight nod to Mouse when the young woman does so give word of what she wishes. " Then it will be so, she may switch from an Acolyte of the Covenant to one of the Chosen. However, she has mised out on much training, her skills lacking because of it. She will have to prove herself worthy as any other before the Oath can be taken. And…" Tylon's gaze turning toward Mouse," that would mean your training will extend past your eighteeth birthday that draws near. As neither will permit an Oath to be taken if a person is not prepared for it, no matter the age they have reached."

<FS3> Thomas rolls Marksmanship: Success.

Brows rise as it is pointed out that much training has been missed. "To be a Chosen one has to be as devout as a Priestess and be as well trained as any Knight in the lands. One has to be willing to put their life second to that of a Temple Priest or Priestess. Knowing and be living that the Four shall protect you always. Mother Superior is correct, but we can double up your training, which leaves little time for sleep, and yet you shall miss being a Chosen on your eighteenth birthday, but not by much I fear." Then he raises one hand "The one golden rule, we have, the Four and the Temple comes first. That and we never lie." A warning perhaps? Then he turns and the dirk he has been holding is let loose and it flips end over end till it buries it's self into a bail of hay. He smiles, then looks between Mother and Acolyte "So you are willing to travel this path? Do not choose lightly, for once you begin you can not back out. Ever. Else the Chosen shall come hunt for you."

"I am not afraid of hard work." That statement seems to be, for Mouse, enough of a reply. She is quiet for a time, shifting her focus from Thomas only when he drives his dirk into the haybale. "Rash decisions are not sanctioned by Stilltha," she says at last, her tone cool as she regards both Priestess and Chosen with calm eyes, "so I will give my answer when next we meet, Brother Thomas." Gentle, but firm.

It was a thing that had to be pointed out, the paths to Priestess is far different to the path to Chosen. Tylon allowing Thomas to make the point, the Chosen do have a hard path to tred. Eyes flicker after the dirk as it goes into the hay, lightly noting,"Certainly a lesson all it's own." But Tylon nods with some sense of approval with what words are eventually said upon the matter, simply noting,"Another path opens for you to chose from."

Looking back to Thomas,"I do fear time has grown short and I must return to my own duties. I do thank you for the lesson, Brother and look foreward to the next. Though I do hope you will join me later for tea." Giving a small incline of her head ot both before returning the practice weapon to it's rightful place and withdrawing to return to the temple.

Thomas smiles at Nettle "Then till next we meet, I shall expect your answer. It is a path that once taken who knows where it will lead." He nods his head to the young lass and turns to Tylon "As do I, perhaps I can walk with you?" But already he has moved to her side, reach to head back to the Temple it's self.

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