[closed post: shadow and bone]

[ravkanwitch]

Nina is back in the library but with a different task in mind today. She has a couple books on weaponry spread out on the table in front of her this time and she's flipping through them idly, glancing at some designs. Weapons have never been her forte; who needs them when all you need to do is think and squeeze a hand and be able to incapacitate a man that way? But death - death is more fickle than life. She can't just defend herself with the concept of death, especially in a place that seems to lack it. No bodies to control, no graves with secrets to collect. She needs something more substantial.

And yet, it's a slow process. She finds herself distracted, thinking about the day of visitors. Seeing Kaz Brekker in the flesh again. Liu Mingyan. Speaking with Baghra about the Darkling. She's thinking about the long, long life that must have led to lead him to who he is now. She's not necessarily sad, just -- pensive. Lost in thought.

Comments

[timebethine]

Laertes has been dealing with his own visitor by distracting himself from the thought whenever it arises--and therefore, he's very grateful to see Nina in the library, because she offers a fine distraction indeed. "Nina, hallo!" he calls. "Wouldst thou like to practice fencing with me?"

[ravkanwitch]

"Laertes!" She says, perking up upon seeing him. "You're just the person I was thinking about trying to find, actually."

[timebethine]

"For thy blade?"

[ravkanwitch]

"Yes," she slides one of the books over for him to look at. "I had a visitor who reminded me that ...well, that I can take care of myself. But also lectured me for not being more prepared in case I face something strong than those undead. I think it's about time to start working on it. I will taking you up on fencing, too."

[timebethine]

"Ere we make thee a blade, first we'll need some idea of what kind of blade suits thee best," says Laertes. "There are several in a room downstairs, and I have mine own--I'll not tempt thee with Sagramore's blade, though, unless mine proves too light for thee. His is a monster to wield."

[ravkanwitch]

"Do you want to go look with me?" Nina asks, eagerly. "I had basic weapons training back in Ravka-- but we only worked with leftover weapons that the First Army didn't need."

[timebethine]

"I'd like nothing better," says Laertes, and offers his hand to lead her to the practice room.

[ravkanwitch]

Nina takes his hand, ready to follow. "Lead the way!"

[timebethine]

Then, with only a brief detour to retrieve his own sword from his room, Laertes takes her down to the long practice room with its mirrored walls and its racks of swords.

Of late, Laertes has been using this room more for dancing than for fencing, and it feels a little eerie to draw his rapier here--as though he has brought violence into a place of peace. A ridiculous thought; this place arose, he thinks, in part from his desire to have a place to spar. Dancing came after. He shakes off his nerves and offers his blade to Nina hilt-first. "This is a rapier," he says. "It hath a cutting edge, but it's meant as a thrusting weapon. The style of fencing that I practice emphasizes touches with the tip of the blade, but I know others that emphasize the cutting edge. Try it, and see how thou likest to wield it."

[ravkanwitch]

Nina takes the rapier, holding it a little too tightly at first but then her grip loosens and becomes more natural. She holds it out in front of her. "It feels so light," she says, sounding surprised. She's never been much of a runner or an athletic type -- but her upper body strength is better than she thinks it is mostly due to the arm movements required to use her abilities.

[timebethine]

"It is--a foil's even lighter, with less of an edge." He retrieves a foil from the rack and idly tests its grip; this one has a pistol grip that feels deeply unnatural in his hand, but he appreciates the feeling of security it offers. It occurs to him that Nina, more used to firing pistols, might find it comfortable. "Try this one; I'll trade thee. See whether it pleases thee."

[ravkanwitch]

She hands the rapier in her hand over to him, taking the foil instead. "It is lighter." Uncertain of how to hold the pistol grip at first, she turns it in her hand for a moment before figuring it out. "I think either of these might suit me better than a sword."

[timebethine]

"Wouldst care to try a few passes?" Laertes sheathes his rapier and takes down a foil with a straight French grip. He sketches a theatrical, flourishing salute, eyes gleaming with mischief.

[ravkanwitch]

Nina hesitates for a brief second (she is desperately out of practice of even her basic skills) but she's never shied away from a challenge before. "You'll have to re-teach me a little... but sure," she says.

[timebethine]

"Easy passes first. See my blade approach, and guide it away from thee." He makes a slow, well-telegraphed thrust at her right shoulder, giving her ample time to see and block it.

[ravkanwitch]

Nina blocks it easily, sending it to her right, but her stance is slightly awkward. "How was that?"

[timebethine]

"Well done," he answers, grinning. "Thou didst well to shed the blow outside of thy body, rather than inward. Here, this will make that easier--mark how I hold myself, with my sword arm thrown forward and my off hand behind? For a light, thrusting weapon such as a foil or a rapier, this will make of thee a smaller target. Canst shed a blade to either side without increasing thy danger. It's also easier to advance and retreat." He demonstrates, shifting toward her and away with quick crabwise steps.

[ravkanwitch]

Nina copies him to the best of her abilities, turning her hand with the foil towards him and her other side away from him. She copies his steps as well.

“Like this? I suppose that also leaves my other hand more protected to do this—“ Still holding her foil up, with a twisting motion of her hand, the bone shards come out of where she has them on her person. It’s a little trickier to use her abilities with only one hand, but she manages it. “—and then if my blade is also made of bone, it… it won’t be easy to control, but it’d almost be like a dance.”

[timebethine]

"Ay, just as thou sayest--it is a dance," says Laertes, watching her bone shards float in their lethal array. "To fence for sport is not the same as to fight for one's life; there's a kind of conversation to it, as though thine opponent is not thy foe but thy partner. The most basic step of the dance is that of advance and retreat. Understand how to approach the opponent, or how to give ground, and the rest is just bladeplay." He moves to the center of the room and holds out his blade, ready. "Advance on me, and I'll retreat."

[ravkanwitch]

"I've-- I've never thought of it that way before. Using weapons as art, as a dance. For most of my life, I've put so much effort into protecting myself, it's the only way I could ever think of using a blade-- but maybe it's time to think a little differently." With this, Nina lets the bone shards fall to the ground, her expression growing more focused. "All right. Let me try." She advances on Laertes the way he showed her, blade out in front of her.

[timebethine]

It's clear that Nina has had combat training, albeit with different weapons. It's clear, too, that she's seen true danger--she moves with a certainty that speaks to her own willingness to defend her life at any cost. Laertes paces smoothly back, grinning all the while. (He wants her to see that this is good, that this is fun, that he is no enemy seeking her end.) "Good! Now we'll switch. When thou art ready, press thine advance again. Needst not tell me when; I'll see it, and answer." A little faster, now, he advances on her.

[ravkanwitch]

Nina moves backwards carefully, foil held in front of her, retreating with the form that he taught her. After a beat, she changes it up and begins advancing on him again. Her form still isn't the best but she does move with confidence.

[timebethine]

Laertes just smiles harder, telling her, "Good, good, there's promise in thy steps! Now--mark how thou holdest thy blade. It should be about of a level with thy heart, or perhaps a little lower, and square to the center of thee when thou standest to the side. Canst draw a cross with thy blade, and return to center?"

[ravkanwitch]

Nina's blade had been slightly off-center, so she re-centers it after drawing a cross, as he asks. "Like this?" She asks, holding the blade a bit lower and more centered.

[timebethine]

"There, that's as it should be. Now imagine thou art defending thyself from a blow--thou needst must parry to shed thine opponent's blade. Some fencers divide their parries into four quadrants, using that cross as a guide, and name eight parries--two to each, depending on the angle of the wrist. Needst not remember each of their numbers, nor perfectly capture their forms; I certainly don't." He grins. "This system of numbering came after my time, or else from somewhere I've never fenced, because I learned it from a book here. Take what I show thee as a place to begin, and not an ideal for which to strive. In a real bout, it may be needful to answer a blow lower or higher, further in or further out. Nonetheless, I'll walk thee through these eight, that thou mightst see several ways to defend thyself." Laertes makes his own cross in the air, then counts as he demonstrates: prime, seconde, tierce, quarte, quinte, sixte, septime, octave.