Rise Up, Ting Ting, Like Glitter And Gold

Artorias' strike went unrewarded, slicing through the air as Fern ducked his predictable strike. Good. If she'd gotten walloped by that one, he'd have to rethink teaching her the basics of fighting altogether. But what Art hadn't been expecting was for Fern to transition her dodge into an attack, as her wooden sword suddenly swung around to make contact with his right leg right at the joint. The sword hit a nerve, and Artorias felt all of the strength leave his leg, sending him toppling to the side and losing his balance and momentum. Amber eyes shot open wide in shock, and before he could recover, Fern was striking at his side again with the sword, catching him right below the ribs as he was off balance and taking him completely off his feet. The world spun for a moment, and then Artorias felt his body make contact with the soft sand of the training ring. Beside him, Fern had fallen as well, taken down with him no doubt, but she was already recovering.

It was at that moment that Artorias realized he'd lost hold of his sword when he fell. It was lying next to him, but as soon as he rolled to snatch it up to defend himself from his opponent, Fern was on top of him and pressing the end of the training blade to his throat. There was nothing left for him to do other than admit defeat. "Hold!" Artorias called, announcing the end of the exercise. A proud grin crept its way over his face while he rolled to his feet, shaking the sand from his dark coat while Fern thanked him profusely and praised him as a great teacher. A soft chuckle slipped from the larger wolf and he shook his head. "Well done, Fern. But don't thank me just yet. We've still got a long way for you to go, but you'll get there with patience and dedication and hard work." Artorias scooped up his sword and tossed it out of the ring before turning to Fern again with a surprised look in his eyes. "I don't let wolves win. You earned that win, Fern. You moved well, struck a good blow, and caught me off balance. Don't diminish your efforts." Sure, it had mostly come down to a lucky shot and good timing that Fern had gotten, but it was still a win, and sometimes the outcome of a battle came down to sheer dumb luck.

"You'll train with me out here every morning at dawn until you've got the basics down," he told Fern, detailing out the training regiment he had planned for her while he gathered up their supplies and assisted her in removing the training armor. "When you're not training with me, I want you to carry that sword with you at all times. It will help you get used to having the weight as part of you while you go through your normal routines. Practice these basic movements I've shown you today whenever you can. When you're ready, we'll move you on to more advanced techniques and combos." With their training gear gathered up—save for the wooden sword that he left with Fern—Artorias began to head back towards the castle. "Oh, and Fern," he said, casting one more glance back at her with a kind yet stern look in his eyes. "Every master started as a beginner. Remember that, and don't be hard on yourself for making a mistake. So long as you learn, you've never failed." With their training done for the day, Artorias made his way back towards the armory to stow their gear. Fern had shown a great aptitude for sword fighting today. She would make an excellent swordswoman someday.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Argent"