Power and Purpose

Diligent as ever, Fern was prompt to arrive shortly after his call had gone out. The gray-toned woman arrived with her sword just as Artorias was finishing gearing up some of their training dummies with thick leather padding around key critical zones, such as the chest, sides, and flanks. Today they would be practicing how to engage and take down opponents much more heavily armored, whether it was with actual armor or natural deposits of fat and fur protecting them. Fern commented on not expecting to have a lesson until after the wedding, to which Artorias gave a soft chuckle and turned away from the dummies to greet his apprentice. "Well, I think we could both use a break from all the hard work and stress planning a wedding takes," he replied, nodding his head toward the sword on her back. "Are you taking good care of your sword? We'll find out soon enough."

Artorias moved to the side of the ring and slipped his armor on, fastening the fitted straps to give the true simulation of being in combat. Once Fern had done the same, Artorias led her over to the padded dummies. "You've learned the fundamentals of sword fighting, practiced with holding and swinging your weapon. Now that you've got the basics, we're going to learn how to improve on them for specific combat scenarios." Artorias gestured with an azure paw to the dummies. "Our swords are sharp and deadly, like our fangs. But sometimes you will be facing an opponent that has more defenses than our swords can deal with alone. Take for instance an armored invader, or a bear bulking up for winter. Whether it's armor or protective layers of fat, knowing where and how to strike your opponent can be the difference between landing a fatal blow and wasting your energy and leaving you vulnerable."

Stepping over to the dummy, Artorias invited Fern to use a little bit of critical thinking. "Fighting with our swords is not much different than fighting with our claws and teeth. It requires precision and finesse. Look at your opponent. Can you tell me what parts of them seem vulnerable to you, and how we might try to strike or exploit them?" Amber eyes moved over the dummy that had its chest, sides, and rear almost entirely covered. Fern was a talented fighter, but the mark of a great warrior was being keen of mind as well as strength. Could she identify the weak spots and tell him how she'd go about fighting such a foe?

"Artorias"