[closed post: I have been made to protect you]

[ravkanwitch]

Nina had told Lan Wangji that she was searching for more purpose in her life – and then they found her sword together. The timing was perfect. Her sword is perfect. The blade is straight and double-edged, narrower at the base, similar to some of the Fjerdan weaponry she has seen before. That association doesn't bother her as much as she thought it would. She could use some Fjerdan ruthlessness; sometimes she does wonder if she would be able to kill Jarl Brum if he ever came as a visitor, as she and Luo Binghe had discussed. The hilt and the scabbard, though, is where the sword truly shines. Both are made of a creamy white-colored bone - though of what animal (human included) is uncertain - and carved in a darker color with intricate designs of waves, wind, electricity, and other elemental ornamentation. She notes that it seems to be everything Grisha can control through the Small Sciences. The sword is currently sheathed in its scabbard and it thrills her that she can sense it near her, an almost comforting presence.

She's carrying it as she searches for a certain someone. There are many skilled swordspeople at the mansion but there is only one person she wants to learn from.

Comments

[ravkanwitch]

"Exactly. I didn't mind fighting the undead, but I think I realized that with bigger enemies, bone shards aren't enough." She rather enjoyed the battle, honestly, despite her dismay that she couldn't actually control the undead.

[sagramore]

"All right. Given the nature of thy Science, I think we'll have two parts to training -- the first part is going to be getting thee used to using the sword normally, the way I might, and the second part will be manipulating it as thou dost and how that might aid thee in a fight. --Or, I'm getting ahead of myself, hast thou another teacher for that? Needst thou one?"

[ravkanwitch]

"Lan Wangji told me he could teach me some cultivation techniques," Nina muses. "We're not sure if it would work with my sword, but we could try and adapt it."

[sagramore]

"I think we could definitely work out some interesting things."

[ravkanwitch]

"Should we start with the basics now?" Nina asks, excited. She's realized that learning from someone more skilled than her is something she's been missing. It gives her purpose, makes her focus more.

[sagramore]

"Absolutely. Let's go down to the training yard."

[ravkanwitch]

Nina takes the sword and sheathes it again, ready to head out. She really needs to find some sort of belt for it -- perhaps Kade could make one? "Did Dionysus ever talk to Grantaire, by the way?" She asks, as they walk.

[sagramore]

"I'm not sure. I haven't asked yet -- but he said he would."

[ravkanwitch]

"I feel more confident in his follow through than many of the other people here," Nina says brightly.

[sagramore]

A mildly suspicious look. "Is this about me?"

[ravkanwitch]

Nina laughs. "No, actually, but now that you mention it..."

[sagramore]

"It hits close to home, doesn't it?"

[ravkanwitch]

"It's like the old Ravkan proverb says, Those with wandering thoughts have a well-travelled spirit," Nina tells him solemnly as they arrive at the training grounds, then flashes him a small grin to let him know she's just joking around with him.

[sagramore]

"I think well-travelled is putting it mildly."

[ravkanwitch]

"Your worldly brain," Nina amends.

[sagramore]

He laughs. "All right. Draw thy sword and let me see thy stance."

[ravkanwitch]

Nina draws the sword and sets the scabbard over to the side, out of the way, for now. As seen with Lan Wangji, she does have a good amount of upper body strength from practicing the Small Sciences -- but the angle of the sword is all wrong and she's struggling to remember half of a fencing stance that Laertes taught her.

[sagramore]

"May I?" Sagramore asks as he comes over to move her hands into the right position, and then to nudge her feet. "One in front of the other, a straight line."

[ravkanwitch]

Nina looks down at her hands, trying to both see and remember where to place them. "This feels much better," she comments.

[sagramore]

"It should feel comfortable, aye. This is thy starting point; it should feel right to return to it when thou art not attacking or retreating."

[ravkanwitch]

"Alright," Nina says. "We also have to ground ourselves when using our abilities, so it's a little like that."

[sagramore]

"Perfect, thou hast a basis. Thy starting stance should feel natural, but make it easy for thee to push off with thy back foot to lunge forward, like this," dropping into a loose, easy stance from which he pushes off, forward, with his outstretched sword like an extension if his arm. "Or push off with thy front foot to fall back."

[ravkanwitch]

Nina can be extremely distracted and overly exuberant at times -- but just like with Lan Wangji, whenever she is trying to absorb information, she stills and focuses. She first imitates Sagramore's forward push half-heartedly, trying to get a sense of the movement before committing to it. The second time, she attempts it with the sword fully stretched before her. "Like that?"

[sagramore]

"Good! Thou shouldst practice that -- we can practice it together -- until it feels easy, until thou canst move without thought."

[ravkanwitch]

Nina performs the move one more time to get the hang of it, then nods. "Got it. What next?"