Dara stood in clearing she had found. She found herself craving the feeling of her daggers in her hands and the sense of pride training gave her. It was the same pride learning something new in her languages gave her. And there was just something about spring, that renewed feeling. It was a feeling she never got when she traveled with her brother and Sal.
Not the time to think about them, she chastised herself. She set her bag down and pulled her daggers out of their sheaths. The metal gleamed from her's and Sal's restoration of them. Sal. There he was again. Stop! she firmly commanded.
She cleared her head and took the hilts of the dual bladed in her paws, gripping them tightly, then loosening it. The feeling was relaxing, like a pencil between the pads of her paws. She was going to start, but realized she has never practiced without a partner before. She cursed under her breath, and sat underneath and tree. The branches provided some shelter from the spring sun. Where is another wolf when you need them?
Aylu was in need of someone to spar with. He was getting out of shape and with his new rank he needed to be on top of his game. He didn't like to fight but if he was going to protect the pack he needed someone or something to practice with. He grabbed his staff and dagger and left his upstairs loft in the bookstore to find someone to spar with. He didn't have far to go when he noticed a woman, Dara if he remembered correctly.
Cilantro fluttered over to him and he smiled. It had been a while before he had seen his friend. He had found his way back to him and Aylu was happy he had found a family like he had.
He called to Dara before bounding over to her. "Hey. Are you busy right now? I need someone to spar with and you seemed like the perfect person to do so. I can teach you some of my ways if you want," he said with a smile
Dara saw Aylu bound toward her. There's that gorgeous wolf again, she thought to herself while listening to him speak. She laughed gently. Oh the irony.
"I'm not busy at all. I would love to spar with you." she said while standing and tossing one dagger in the air and catching the hilt when it came down.
"That was pure luck," she said honestly. I would love to learn something new. Always in the mood for a good challenge.
Aylu stepped forward and looked at Dara's daggers. They looked blunt and well used. "Mind if I sharpen them. The look a tad blunt. I can teach you better if they are sharp. Or would you like to learn how to use a staff? I personally know how to use a staff better," he said pulling off his staff and swinging it around to show her. It was extremely heavy, made from a full log that took him close to a month to carve from. He had learned how to carve from every wood but his staff was different.
He held it out for Dara, wondering if she was strong enough to even use his staff. If she wanted to learn how to fight he might as well teach her everything he knew how to use. He wished he had a short spear or a Cicada Wing Sword his master had taught him to use. She would have to learn with what they had but her daggers could be used in many different ways. He smiled at her softly, bowing to her some as he did without thinking. "Next time you throw up your dagger you will have confidence that you will catch it with ease and grace. It may take time and many cuts to your paws but your daggers will become your most deadliest weapon," he said pulling out his own dagger, tossing it up and catching it in midmotion by the tip and flinging it into a near by tree where it imbbeded its self some.
Dara looked at her daggers and frowned. I though I just sharpened these, but oh well. If you would like you could use my whetstone as well, she said with slight disappointment in her voice. It was in her own ignorance that she forgot to sharpen them, and her disappointment was in herself. "But, I would like to learn with both if you would. I would love to learn to use a staff some." There was an excitement in her voice that showed her youth.
She gently took the wooden staff and adjusted her grip from the weight of it. It was heavy but nothing she couldn't handle after being taught a little. She noticed his bow and thought nothing of it. Sal used to make her do the same. He would bow first and then she would have to before they could start training. It wasn't unusual for her. She bowed back slightly falling forward from the weight of the staff.
Dara watched his graceful move with his dagger and envied the skill he had. She wanted to know how to do that. She wanted that skill, strength, power, and grace. "Please, Aylu, teach me to use my daggers that well. Take me as an apprentice if that is what it takes. I want to learn that," Dara said. Her voice had a deadly seriousness to it. She wasn't kidding in offering dedication if he would agree to teach her.
Aylu smiled warmly as he took the daggers and got a good feel for them. They were dull and he pulled out a thin strip of leather and sat down, putting the leather in the crook of his leg and looping the other end in a stick he produced from his robes. He put the stick in the ground and ran the daggers over the leather, sharpening them till the were sharp enough to kill, to flay open skin with the smallest swipe. After he had put his leather and stick away he twirled the blades to get a good feel for them before turning and throwing one then the other as the hit right above his dagger.
"To master a staff you must have much patience and will. I will teach you but to teach you you would have to learn my ways and master qui gon or the practice of cleansing ones body and soul. You will have a training schedule and you will have to practice on your own when I am running my patrols. If you prove you are willing to learn and are able to focus then by the end of two weeks I will carve you your own staff. Are you willing to prove yourself worthy of being my apprentice?" he asked his voice dead serious.
The way he sharpened the knife was different then Dara had every seen. It was unusual to see but, it worked very well. He stood and Dara watched him throw her dagger into the tree right above his. his accuracy was deadly, and amazing.
The words flowed from his mouth with a deathly seriousness. She had never heard this tone in his voice. This was a something for her to take seriously. The only trouble she knew she would have is the focusing part. She was open to learning so the qui gon triggered her interest. Yes, I am. I want to prove to this to you and to learn. What did I just get myself into?
OOC: sorry about the shortness. Writer's block...
