Manly Men

Alister Callow · 08-06-2012, 03:39 PM

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Word Count :: Big thanks to Bria for salvaging this post!!

“Oh,” uttered Alister, shocked by Jiva’s passionate response. The laughter died out in his eyes and he lowered his head, ears folding back. “I’m so sorry, I had no idea.” The hybrid exhaled and raked his fingers through his stylishly disheveled brunette mane. His hazel eyes were on the ground beneath him, his tail, still. He felt simply awful. “No permanent damage, I hope?” He asked, his voice had become quiet, the joviality gone. The Callow man stood very still, his brows knitted. He cursed himself inwardly, gazing absently at his red/brown toes. The times were grim indeed, men and women getting attacked along the road. He could not insert himself into their conflict, not without consequence for himself, or others. “I will at that.” He agreed. His hand came to rest on his sword hilt casually. “Who is it that’s attacking you?” He found himself asking. If he crossed paths with this person and a fight ensued…that couldn’t really by considered interfering, could it? It’s not like he would be planning to, but…if on the off chance he met them, he would not stay his blade.

His ears perked at the word, healer. “A healer, you say? Good to know.” He wasn’t quite sure he should ever place his life in the young man’s hands. Jiva didn’t seem to care for the hybrid too much, but Alister knew how much of a pain he could be, so didn’t quite blame him. His smart mouth had earned him a beating or two…or fifty, more likely in his childhood, and he was like to receive even more as a man.

Jiva gazed at the knife as if he hardly knew of its existence, causing Alister to quirk a brow, but he pulled it out quickly enough. “Oh, right.” He said surprised. He turned to his satchel, opening the clasp and had to lean into the thing to finally find what he was searching for. A thin belt from which hung another, smaller, and decidedly more slender sheath he withdrew. He buckled it around his hip just above his other belt, turning it so the sheath was on the opposite side of his longsword’s. He slid a dagger from its sheath and strode back to the man. It was a simple thing, the hilt unadorned and with a leather grip. Alister rarely used it for combat, himself, but he knew enough to give him a lesson or two. “Your pack will appreciate it, trust me.” He said in reply, it certainly never hurt to know a little more about battle, or how to defend yourself, but in Jiva’s case it was necessary.

“So uh, right, fighting with a knife isn‘t like fighting with other weapons.” He took his own in his palm, contemplating it. “It can’t reach as far as a sword or staff, meaning you have to get close to your opponent…really close.” He looked back at Jiva, adding. “…it’s uh…usually used as a secondary defense.” He furrowed his brows a moment trying to recall his lessons. “Best used for sneaking up behind your target, or thrusting.” His voice was a bit distant as he took the words from memory. He took the hilt in his hand and angled the blade downwards, between forming a paralell with the ground and pointing towards it, doing this more for himself than for Jiva. When he had the angle right he indicated for the Jiva to do the same. “Try holding it like this, reverse your grip, feels kinda strange, I know, but it’ll put more force behind the thrust, you‘ll cut quite a bit deeper that way.” He watched patiently for the other man to adjust his grip, careful to note the angle at which he held it, and
to ensure he’d not lost the man.

Photo courtesy of Temari 09

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