Training Montage?

[twiststheblade]

Outside by the lake, barefoot, gritty soil between her toes. She barely notices, except in a vague way, noting that the traction is good. Eyes closed. Each movement gradual, controlled. Graceful, almost balletic. The total muscle control moving so slowly and yet precisely requires would only be appreciated by a few.

With each iteration she speeds up. Faster and faster each time, until her form is blurred.

There is only one set of footprints.

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[the_lioness]

Through the bar and out the back door, Alanna strides purposefully towards her favorite training ground, down by her tree. It's like stepping out into a new world after the dry air of the bar; the fresh spring breeze lifts her hair off the back of her neck and sends it dancing to the side, tangling it hopelessly. She doesn't care.

She can breathe here.

A whirl of motion catches her eye as she crosses the expanse of grass. Pausing nearby, she rests her hand on the hilt of her sword and watches. There's a trace of envy in her gaze, a remorseful look that she won't be able to move like that for a while yet, but the admiration is unmistakable.

[twiststheblade]

Eventually, of course, everything must come to an end. Miho holds the last pose, statue still, until somewhat regretfully she must move when the tension says now is the time to move. She lowers her arms and relaxes. A little.

[the_lioness]

Flicking her tongue along her lower lip, Alanna takes a step closer and lightly kicks the dirt with the toe of her boot. She makes her presence known, but says nothing for the moment. It's never good to break a fighter's concentration. Still, she offers a small smile.

She unbuckles her sword, propping it against a tree. After a few stretches, she starts her Shang warm-up. Like the movements she had just seen, she focuses on moving fluidly in a solitary dance.

[twiststheblade]

Stretches, whilst a vital part of any workout, take up far less of Miho's mind. Virtually none, in fact, leaving her free to watch the other woman. Eventually, she finishes her stretching routine with a side split. She stays in position and leans forward, elbows in the dirt, watching. Her inner things had seems a mite tight, so it was worth giving them a little extra help.

She can't help but wonder what martial art this is - not one she recognises, certainly. Elements are familiar, they always are. But something seems a little. . . off.

[the_lioness]

Alanna would argue that it's not the Shang that seems off, but her instead. Leg extended, she holds a position with intense concentration, grunting in frustration when sweat beads across her forehead. She moves slowly, carefully, making every move count. In a discipline that so relies on speed, it's odd to go about practicing quite this way, but she's working on control.

Kick, spin, crouch down, punch. She focuses, feeling each muscle work, and there's something almost feral about her smile.

Warm up complete, she rolls her shoulders and draws her blade with one smooth motion. Only then does she look at Miho.

"Hullo."

[twiststheblade]

Miho would beg to differ - it's very obvious, after all, that the other woman knows exactly what it is she wants to do, even if her body seems a little reluctant to obey her.

Elbows off the ground, hands down instead. Extend arms, lean foward, rise up - legs straight. Rise upright. Only when she is standing does she return the greeting, although she had grinned in friendly fashion before she stood.

"Hi."

[the_lioness]

Gripping the sword firmly in her right hand, Alanna swings it in an arc at her side. She smiles lazily, studying the other woman.

"That was very impressive," she says, quiet and firm.

[twiststheblade]

Miho blinks.

"Not really. My kicks are way too low. Well. Actually, my legs are about four inches too short. . . But there you go."

Her grin in return is easy and disarming.

[the_lioness]

Alanna laughs, eyes sparkling with genuine amusement.

"As I pull myself up to my full height, it should be clear that I absolutely relate to problems of that sort." She bows, keeping her gaze level. "And I reserve the right to be impressed."

[twiststheblade]

"Thank, you, then." Sometimes you just have to accept a compliment

It should perhaps at this point be noted that Miho's eyes flicked exactly once to the sword at Alanna's side. Now, however, she allows them to drift back.

"Nice blade."

[the_lioness]

"Thank you," she replies.

Her fingers open and then close again on the hilt. Almost superstitiously, she brings her hand up and kisses the blade, just under a series of intricately carved swirls.

"This one was made by fairies. I've found that one gets interesting gifts if one stays here long enough."

[twiststheblade]

An eyebrow raises. Not long ago, someone saying that would have earned a long stare, and careful avoidance. Now, just a nod.

"I'll bet."

Miho smiles, a little sadly.

"I don't have my blades, right now. But I think you'd appreciate them."

[the_lioness]

That touch of sadness does not go unnoticed, and Alanna chews thoughtfully on her lip.

"You don't? I'm sorry to hear that." A pause. "I lost my sword once. It's never a good feeling."

A longer pause this time, long enough for her to execute the first move of a practice drill.

"I have several if you'd like to borrow one."

[twiststheblade]

Miho smiles, still a little sad.

"Thank you. But I have bokken for practise," she nods to the edge of the clear patch she'd been practising, where there area pair of bokken with her jacket, "and other weapons for defence. Using another sword would just feel," she shrugs, "wrong."

[the_lioness]

"Aye, I understand. It still feels wrong to wield any sword but Lightning."

Sighing, she rests the tip of the blade on her boot.

"I'm Alanna."

[twiststheblade]

"Miho," with a slightly wicked grin.

"We have a friend in common, and I kinda want to know what lies she's been telling about me."

[the_lioness]

"We do?" She sounds intrigued, flashing a crooked smile. "Now that you mention it, I do believe I have heard your name before."

[twiststheblade]

"Yup," says Miho, smirking. "A certain irritating blonde."

Although, for all her snarkiness, there's a distinctly, dare we say it, soppy look to her smirk now.

[the_lioness]

Mentally composing a list of all the blondes she knows, Alanna quirks an eyebrow and taps her finger against her lips.

Josie is hardly a friend, and Svava is definitely not irritating. Meg? No, she has regrettably not talked Meg in ages.

She thinks back to the movements she just witnessed and smacks her forehead lightly.

"Goldy! Sadly, I haven't seen her much as of late."

[twiststheblade]

Miho has the grace to look slightly guilty. Or, you know. Not.

"Sorry. I think we've been monopolising her slightly. You know. New job."

This is Miho's Innocent Face. Not to be confused with her innocent face, with which she could play poker.

[the_lioness]

"Ah, yes."

Predictably, Alanna blushes. It's rather at odds with her knowing smile.

"Just as long as everyone is enjoying themselves."

[twiststheblade]

Miho on the other hand does not blush, merely smirks more.

"Very much so."

[the_lioness]

"Well, then! Glad to hear it."

A small giggle escapes. She immediately schools her features, reminding herself that she is a knight, not a young girl.

It mostly works.

"She was teaching me to use a gun before I was injured. We were going to practice Shang together, but like I said, our paths haven't crossed."

[twiststheblade]

It's entirely possible Alanna doesn't know exactly what Miho is alluding to. It's also entirely possible that this is a Good Thing, so she just nods and smiles.

"Oh? Gun use doesn't take much strength," she corrects herself "wel,, it depends on the gun, but it doesn't have to. Shang. That's the martial art you were practising?"

[the_lioness]

"We don't have guns in my world, so it was more the unfamiliarity with the weapon than anything else. I'm a crack shot with a bow and arrow."

Alanna nods eagerly, proud of her training.

"Indeed. Shang warriors are renowned in Tortall. The Shang Dragon is a dear friend of mine and taught me as much as he could. He trains Goldy as well, bright and early twice a week."

[twiststheblade]

"Ah! Liam, right?"

Miho brightens, a lot.

"I really need to speak with him - I've promised to teach Goldy swordplay, but I don't want to interfere with his training."

[the_lioness]

"Liam Ironarm," she confirms. "I don't think he'll mind at all. He's an expert with a sword -- with most weapons, really -- but he's teaching her to use her body as a weapon."

Oh, the jokes that could be made.

[twiststheblade]

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind," she elaborates, "but without knowing what sort of disciplines he's teaching, I don't want to start teaching her principles that are radically different. I can adapt what I teach her to fit in with his style easily enough."

Oh, yes. Miho is being terribly restrained. Or, possibly, not.

"I don't know," with an impish grin. "She's pretty lethal already."

[the_lioness]

"Fair enough." Alanna nods. "I suppose she has to be in her line of work."

Smirk, smirk, smirk.

[twiststheblade]

A smirk? What is that? Oh yes. That would be the espression on both of their faces.

"You could say that."

[the_lioness]

"I think I just did," she laughs.

Still smiling, Alanna shifts her gaze towards the lake. Her eyes drift shut for a moment.

"Is it springtime where you are from, Miho?"

[twiststheblade]

"I suppose so." She looks around.

"But it's nothing like this. The city is dark and grey and eternally wet."

[the_lioness]

Alanna thinks of Corus' colorful marketplace, shining Temple District and spectacular city gates with a wistful smile. Even the Dove, dark and smoky though it may be, brings to mind memories of warmth.

Homesick as she is, dark, gray and eternally wet is the last way she would describe Corus.

Even in February.

"It's springtime in Corus, and I'm missing it. The king has ordered me to stay here for the foreseeable future."

At least until she can finish a fight without wheezing.

[twiststheblade]

"You won't miss it, though, will you? You'll get spring here and spring there, when you leave."

This seems sensible to Miho.

[the_lioness]

She gives Miho a considering look.

"I suppose you're right," she mumbles. "It's just that I could be perfectly happy here so long as I knew I could leave."

Restless, Alanna looks a bit trapped. She tightens her grip on the sword and finishes the drill she had started earlier.

"Do you train out here often?"

[twiststheblade]

Whilst Alanna was finishing the drill, Miho had crossed to her jacket, and picked up one of the bokken. Now, she hefts it idly, and nods.

"Most days."

[the_lioness]

"I used to train a few people here, but only a foolish fighter would boast of having nothing left to learn."

She grins, holding the last position.

"Certainly not a fighter attempting to retrain her muscles. Mind if I watch once or twice?"

[twiststheblade]

"Of course," Miho nods.

"We can spar some, if you like. Not full strength, if you don't think you're up to it. There's a lot to be learnt from half-speed combat though."

[the_lioness]

Always one to push herself, Alanna nods eagerly.

"Aye, I'd like that. It's been far too long since I heard the clang of steel on steel, even at half speed."

[twiststheblade]

Miho grins a little ferally. "Sounds like a plan to me. Although it'll have to be wood on wood, unless you have a spare sword with you?"

[the_lioness]

Alanna coughs.

"As it so happens, I do."

Looking around, she jogs to a tree a short distance away and grabs onto a low hanging branch. She swings herself up, slowly and carefully, and pulls something from a shadowed spot where two branches form a 'v.' On her way back, she pulls a sword from a simple black sheath and offers it to Miho.

"I have been a little on edge lately."

[twiststheblade]

Mih blinks a little, laughs a little, and takes the sword with a small bow.

"Thank you." Then she hefts it, trying it's weight and balance.

[the_lioness]

The sword is nothing fancy, but Alanna is a stickler for good balance. She tilts her head and smiles, nodding with approval as she hefts her own sword.

Assuming the guard stance, "shall we?"

[twiststheblade]

"We shall."

Miho bows once more, deeper this time, and takes up her own stance. Loose, relaxed, perfectly poised.

And proceeds to try Alanna's skill and, the balance of the sword.

She finds herself greatly enamoured of both.

(OOC: and wrap?)