Sensei

Aylin was a spunky spitfire of a fae, and she reminded Artorias very much of himself when he got his paws on his first blade. It brought an amused smile to the aging Aegis' face. He was flattered by her admiration of him and of Ulric's praises that inspired her to be like him in the first place. He would have to make sure he was always worthy of that admiration and that accolade. Their lesson began, and almost immediately Artorias could see Ulric's lessons in her stances, in the way she moved. It brought back flashes of memories of when he trained with the Adravendi, and it made him smile wistfully. Aylin's moves were basic, amateur, but they showed promise and enough polish to tell him that she had been practicing them for a long time. Good; it meant he was working with someone with passion.

When Aylin asked how her demonstration was, Artorias gave an approving nod of his head. "Not bad given you're pretty much self taught! You've got a good grip on the hilt, a confident swing and follow through. You just need a little more finesse and honing on the in-between from start to finish." Artorias stepped closer to Aylin, gesturing to her sword. "May I...?" When the young swordsman handed her weapon to him, Artorias carefully picked up the blade in his paws, holding it with reverence as he inspected it from tip to pommel. He studied the detailing, the edging of the blade, measured the weight and balance of it. Then he wrapped his jaws around the grip and hefted it up. It was a bit heavier than his sword—one of the nicer perks of Carpathian steel—but it was well balanced and didn't feel cumbersome in his grasp.

Stepping back to put some space between them, Artorias took an experimental swing of the sword, arcing it through the air with grace. The blade was a silver blur as the veteran swordsman swung it back and forth, turning it to and fro in his jaws to create magnificent arcs, parries, and swings, the sword almost whistling as it carved through the air. Back and forth, back and forth he swung the sword, testing every facet of the weapon. He twirled the blade, catching it in his teeth again, and then moved back over to Aylin to return her sword to her. "This is a fine blade," complimented the Aegis with an approving smile. "It could use a bit of honing, but it's well made and well cared for." Once Aylin had taken her sword back, Artorias tilted his head and asked, "Does it have a name?"

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