freedom_is_grey: (Chasind travel)
Ysalwen Surana, Warden-Commander of Ferelden ([personal profile] freedom_is_grey) wrote2018-04-02 09:22 pm

Sword practice!

Ysalwen makes her way out to a cleared patch of hard-packed dirt near the firing range, carrying two wooden practice blades and a bunch of padding.

Better safe than sorry for the early stages of sparring. (She remembers her own bruises very, very well).

Liranan is trotting next to her, loaded down with what might be two picnic baskets and several bottles of water. Healing poultices may be involved, too. Just in case. Then she settles herself against a nearby boulder, waiting for Hera.
for_everyone: (meeiloorun)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-03 01:44 am (UTC)(link)
Shortly after, Hera comes out from the back door of the bar. She moves quickly toward the firing range, first waving to Ysalwen, and then making her way to Liranan to pat his head, if the dog is amenable.

"I hope you weren't waiting long."
for_everyone: (smile)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-03 02:09 am (UTC)(link)
"That makes sense," Hera says, as she looks up from Liranan. "Now that I think about it, outside of this place I haven't been to anything like a designated training grounds in a while."

These days, any 'training area' for her crew tends to be made up on the fly. (And sometimes 'on the fly' is very literal.)
for_everyone: (talk to it right)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-03 02:48 am (UTC)(link)
"It's definitely adapted for a - broad clientele."

Hera glances at the line of targets in the shooting range. "But my world's a little like that, too."
for_everyone: (talk to it right)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-03 05:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"There are worlds beyond our galaxy that most haven't been to, and I'm sure ones even beyond that."

Maybe they could even be from the same one - though with Ysalwen's brand of magic, that seems unlikely.
for_everyone: (talk to it right)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-03 10:48 pm (UTC)(link)
"I've never really taken the time to think about it," Hera says, moving to help Ysalwen.

"There are plenty of stories of explorers that go out beyond Wild Space and never return, but there can be plenty of reasons for that."
for_everyone: (talk to it right)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-04 12:27 am (UTC)(link)
"A nicer thought than ending up in the middle of an uncharted star."

Which seems more likely.

With the baskets set aside, Hera returns to Liranan to take one of the practice swords, lifting it carefully to again grow used to its weight in her hand.
for_everyone: (talk to it right)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-04 01:09 am (UTC)(link)
"Or a blaster."

She wonders, briefly, if a lightsaber feels anything like this.
for_everyone: (talk to it right)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-04 02:11 am (UTC)(link)
"A few times, but not very much," Hera admits, turning her stance to something more like the one Ysalwen is taking.

"Things have gotten a little busier in my world."
for_everyone: (for everyone)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-04 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
"Sure."

Or at least, she knows what it's always meant to her. Hera turns her hand, shifting the weight of wooden blade so that it isn't held so tightly in her wrist. It's not so different from how she'd put her hands around a ship's controls.
for_everyone: (talk to it right)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-04 02:53 am (UTC)(link)
Hera shakes her head, indeed keeping her grasp on her blade when Ysalwen taps it.

"It's something new," she says. "The same way with the weight of it."
for_everyone: (talk to it right)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-04 10:36 pm (UTC)(link)
"I'm used to a few bruises," she says, easily enough. But bruises also weren't enough to justify using a medpac, so having the option is still welcome.

Hera considers for a moment, again feeling out the weight of the sword and trying to keep any tightness out of her stance and her wrists, before she lifts the sword into a downward strike, albeit anticipating Ysalwen's block.
for_everyone: (for everyone)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-04 11:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Hera lifts the wooden sword again, this time sweeping the blade into a sideways strike.

"Do you need to -"

How do you ask this? "- have magic, to make something like that?"
for_everyone: (forged by it)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-05 12:16 am (UTC)(link)
Hera lifts her blade to meet Ysalwen's.

"I wouldn't say no to more medical supplies."

Especially ones she could easily replace without spending too many credits.
for_everyone: (Default)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-05 12:40 am (UTC)(link)
"We have similar things in my world," Hera answers, moving her sword into a diagonal strike toward Ysalwen.

"But - well, we can't always afford what we might need."
for_everyone: (have hope)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-05 01:43 am (UTC)(link)
Hera takes a step back as Ysalwen pushes against her.

"The Empire likes to control as many of the sources of medical supplies as possible," she says. "Which can make getting a hold of them... difficult, sometimes."
for_everyone: (talk to it right)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-05 10:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Hera angles slightly from Ysalwen's advance, and moves to make another sideways strike.

"Sometimes we're lucky, and things turn out like that."
for_everyone: (have hope)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-05 11:43 pm (UTC)(link)
"It might be better if medicine were something that came easily in my world," she says, raising her sword again.

"It's usually easier to come by blasters and ammo packs."

On some worlds even a clean drink of water could be pricier than charging up your weapon.
for_everyone: (talk to it right)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-06 12:04 am (UTC)(link)
"I wouldn't want to be defenseless, either," Hera readily concedes, moving to meet Ysalwen's swing.

"But I also can't eat my blaster."
for_everyone: (have hope)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-06 12:20 am (UTC)(link)
"No."

Hera also hesitates a moment, not immediately moving to strike again. She doesn't return the smile, but eventually answers -

"I know."
for_everyone: (forged by it)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-06 12:56 am (UTC)(link)
Hera blinks up to Ysalwen, then begins to move her sword again.

"It's not easy to forget," she answers, quietly.
for_everyone: (have hope)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-06 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
She taps Ysalwen's sword, then lifts hers again, into another sideways strike.

"No. I wish it were - rarer."

In some ways, it feels like it's getting worse. And fewer people seem to know.
for_everyone: (talk to it right)

[personal profile] for_everyone 2018-04-06 01:41 am (UTC)(link)
Hera moves her blade away again.

And then asks, after a few more swings, "Am I ready to move a little faster?"