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 Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 6:42 pm
Valyrr reveled in being able to enjoy his meal without feeling on the brink of expiration from exhaustion or pain. Which was not to say he was not in pain or tired, but it was better - so much better - than he had felt in his weeks since coming to train as a warrior. Or in the ten years before, for that matter. He was still far behind his class in many respects, but his body was remembering what it was supposed to do, especially during weapons practice, and he was struck less and less by his classmates' attacks. His instructors had begun to take note of the skill which lay beneath his poor physical condition.
By chance he looked up across the mess hall, between the heads and shoulders of his class- and agemates, to where the female students sat together. They looked more prickly. Well, he knew females were more prickly, but they looked like the competition between them was more lethal. A friend jostled him purposefully to bring his attention back to the conversation at hand, which was on the topic of which instructors were the worst. He apologized for his inattention and involved himself once more in the conversation.
The conversation shifted to girls. His classmates and agemates were cocky, bragging about who had expressed an interest in them, and who they would like to have take an interest in them. The name Shrilyn came up several times, with the addendum that she was obsessive and impossible. He couldn't match it to a face. That was hardly surprising: he knew none of the female students at all. He had not taken much notice of them. His affections were given elsewhere. Still, he was a little curious. Her name sounded so like his sister's.
"Which one is Shrilyn?" he murmured to Zar, seated to his right.
The son of House Zaumtor replied in an undertone, "She's the one with the creamy hair and amber eyes. The one who's staring at you."
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:07 pm
Indeed, the second daughter of Auvryani was staring at the male from her seat with the other archers. Dark amber eyes looked him over though no real thoughts entered mind. The other archers were talking about their recent class and bragging of their own skill to one another. Frankly Shrilyn found it distasteful to brag. One's skills could always be bettered, training never ended. At least that was so in her eyes. Most knew not to bring up the subject with the female who would venomantly defend her opinion by pointing out every flaw the person had done that day. An eye for flaws, thats what everyone said she had.
So why was she staring at this male? The cream haired woman's brain had yet to think of a reason other than she had noticed his great attempts to better himself amoung the male warriors. She had seen the scars, both those given during training and those he recieved from his failed fights. He didn't seem to cocky about his ability, merely he wanted to better himself. No nobler cause than that. Perhaps it was because she had yet to see a flaw in him. Flaws were not physical. And his training showed he already saw the weaknesses in his style, therefore it was not a flaw. So what was his flaw?
"Attempting to seek the perfect male, Shrilyn?" a smirking axe-wielder asked from another table. The archers at her table laughed rather cruely at the joke but Shri simply ignored them. Anger was not something she gave into easily, for it clouded her vision. That would only lead to a missed shot. She glanced at the other female, breaking her stare at Val to simply gaze at her. A hint of malice glazed those amber stones.
"No Lindyn. Though with all the sneaking around at night it seems to be your favorite pastime instead of training." The venom in her voice was almost palpable.
The other female glared as anger filled her eyes and others started to give them space. But the sound of a Matron clearing her throat put a quick end to what could have amounted to a big fight. Archers did not wield all the strength of their more hand-to-hand sisters, but they were fast and knew where all the death spots were on the body. Fights with archers were always over quick but delt the most damage. The female glared daggers at Shrilyn but went back to eating with her companions.
With that annoyance gone Shrilyn went back to staring at Val. She didn't care if he saw or if he liked it or not. He was interesting to her so she wished to know more about him.
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:53 pm
"Val," Zar said, keeping his voice in an undertone, "Not to criticise, because I'm sure you know what you're doing, but I don't think it'd be a good idea to have sustained contact with her. I've met her on several memorable occasions."
"Why do you say 'memorable' as though it was not a good memory?" Val asked, and then teased, "Surely you were not made to feel anything less than godly? I wonder you don't describe it as traumatic."
He referred to the fact that Sornzar Zaumtor was practically perfect. He rarely received corrections from his instructors, according to all reports from those in his classes, and he was actually being considered to train with the female students, to afford him the best quality instruction. Zar usually ignored what was said about him with the casual air of one who has always been the subject of much comment, but he would occasionally evince amusement. Among the things which amused him were tales of his romantic escapades. According to rumour, he'd bedded half the females training at this school, and was working his way through the other half.
"Aren't you the funny one? I think I liked you better when you were intimidated by me," Zar muttered. "Let's just say she has an eye for detail. A critical eye for detail."
Val could imagine an explosive situation developing between the two, based on criticisms she may have offered Zar. He was one of those males who did not simply bow his head and acquiesce. At least, not very often. Not unless he felt it in his best interest. He gazed speculatively at her, turning her name over in his mind. Shrilyn. He couldn't help but think that maybe it was some sort of sign. Except for the lingering doubt that Lloth would bother to waste any effort sending him signs. But Shri might, if she was alive. She probably would have been amused by the similarity between their names.
"Val?" Szor said, passing a hand in front of Val's eyes and snapping his fingers under his nose, making him jump as he startled him from his reverie. "Are you staying? I see others leaving. You may lose precious bath time."
"I'll let you have first shot," he replied. "You need it more. It's a wonder no one's complained yet about the smell radiating from your general area."
"Which includes you," was Szor's rejoinder.
Val's mouth worked as he tried to force it to come up with something clever to say in response, but simply moving one's mouth cannot conjure witticisms. At least, not in Val's case. Szor smirked, and was joined in this by Adin and Zar and the others from Val's classes who had gotten brave enough to join them during meals, though they usually deferred to the older students' opinions without argument, and were silent after being corrected or disagreed with.
"I'm not putting up with this abuse. My family believes in physical floggings, not emotional ones," he said with a good-natured scowl as he picked up his tray and went to dispose of its contents. He'd nearly eaten everything he'd been given.
On his way to the bin which served as a receptacle for refuse he cast another glance at Shrilyn, and then gave a mental shrug. She could make the first move, if moves were going to be made. That was the Drow way.
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:11 pm
The female watched as the males talked. She smirked inwardly as the one called Zar spoke with a disdain that included what she saw to be her name. Oh yes, she had pointed out his flaws too him. Mostly because of his showy nature with swords. He hadn't been very pleased. But she didn't really care. His attitude was unbefitting of a male though perhaps Lindyn would say otherwise.
Shrilyn stood up, collecting what remained on her plate. This was part of her punishment for the day. She had missed the middle of the target twice. So she would go without a normal portion of food. The other part was more training.
"Where are you going Shrilyn? You can't be done eating," one of her archer classmates looked at her half filled plate.
"I ate what I deserved. Now I go to practice so I can deserve more when my skills have improved." Her voice was curt and to the point. She was one of the few archers to continue training well after classes were over.
The others rolled their eyes and spoke of her obsession with perfection in everything but her own beauty. Shrilyn wasn't the most beautiful of the female warriors and frankly she didn't care. Beauty had nothing to do with skill. While she took care to be clean and neat as much as the instructors demanded, she took no extra care of herself. She was determined that her arrow could knock back any foe no matter what weapon they wielded.
Walking over to the receptacle she emptyed her plate. She glanced up at the male who stood there. "You actually ate this time. Usually you take but a bite. Not getting greedy are you?" As usual, she pointed out something that could be a flaw.
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:28 pm
Surprised that she actually had approached him, just as he'd been thinking about her doing so, Val replied, speaking without thinking his words through as thoroughly as he probably should. If what he said was not properly reverent and respectful, at least it wasn't insolent. Val was not one who could wear insolence well. Sornzar and Szorgos could look insolent very well, particularly Szorgos, who was an irreverent comedian much of the time, and could scowl beautifully with his yellow eyes.
"Not getting greedy," he agreed soberly. Then a hint of a smile touched at his lips, "Getting hungry. Had to happen eventually."
He realized suddenly that he was actually looking her in the eye and quickly dropped his gaze to her chin. It was not a gift to be tall. He had no idea how Adin managed not to look like he was always looking down on people, just because he had to look down to look at them. Val always felt like he gave the impression he was putting on airs and being condescending when he looked down at people. It made things particularly awkward when dealing with those of the feminine gender, who were used to looking down on males, and often took his height as a personal affront. Shri had found it amusing.
His eyes darted to the table where he had sat before. His friends had continued their conversation, used to his early desertions, and not given him a second glance. Perhaps he could take advantage of the extra time to get some extra training in, instead of another bath, which he knew he could probably use, but which could definitely wait. He actually had some energy, which was a thing practically unimaginable, as far as he was concerned, and he didn't want it to go to waste.
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:39 pm
"Hunger is something you can have power over. To conquer your own desires is a true step to being a powerful warrior." Her amber eyes glanced him over, taking a better look at him now that he was closer.
She spoke her mind without thinking as it was her own view on life as well as her mother's view. Anything you could control, control it! Even if it was your own body, if it could be something you had power over it gave you more power. She said nothing of him looking her in the eye, he hardly seemed the type to do so on purpose and his height gave him a disadvantage. The other archers would no doubt take offense to his glance and attempt to have him punished. But Shrilyn hardly saw the point in punishing him for the way Lloth made him. There had to be a point to his height as well as his advanced age for this school.
Once she placed her plate in the appropriate pile for cleaning, she went to the are they kept their belongings. From it she picked up her forearm guards, strapping them on and testing their quality. She should oil them the next time she was in the leather house. Next she retrieved her only pride and joy, her bow and arrows. They were not the kind used by the training school but ones she had fashioned herself both at home and while at the school. A younger brother had sent supplies at her request.
"I take it your dear friend Zar was not fond of my suggestions to him. From the looks of it he did not seem pleased I looked at you." While she talked her fingers automatically ran over her bow to check for splintering or cracks in the fine dark wood it was made of. They deftly felt the strong cord for frays her any hint of overuse. All obvious signs of a true archer.
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:29 pm
Valyrr found hiimself following Shrilyn as she retrieved her belongings, sensing that she had yet more to say to him. It was unlikely she had bothered to speak to him solely to discuss his eating habits. Though, to be perfectly fair, it had been unusual that she had even noticed his eating habits. It was below the attention of everyone, how he ate, though his friends noticed because they were greedy little monsters with bottomless pits for stomachs, and therefore only too happy to finish what he didn't. Even Szor, Adin, and Zar were known to pilfer his unfinished meals, and they were his age, and so in no particularly need of extra nourishment. They were not, after all, going to grow any larger, unless they built up their muscles or got fat.
His gaze slid over the weapons she collected. The bow explained the development of the muscles in her arms and back, which he had taken note of as he followed her. It was beginning to become habit to study others and try to determine what their weapon of choice was. His instructors were quite insistant that he and his classmates learn to quantify their opponents before any fight began, so they could fight with their heads, and not just their bodies. Any moron, they were told regularly, can swing a sword or punch someone, and possibly die if their opponent was better, faster, or stronger. The purpose of this school was to see to it that a fighter could survive a fight with someone better, faster, or stronger as necessary until the pupils reached a level where no one was better, faster, or stronger. That required fighting with one's mind as well.
He felt vindicated when she said more.
"Sornzar Zaumtor thinks, says, and does mostly as he pleases," Valyrr said diffidently. "He is the best in his class, and he is better than many in classes above his, in terms of raw talent. He has some reason to be prideful."
He watched her fingers move over her weapon, a bow he knew was not standard equipment for this school. At least, not for the male students. They were given quality weapons to train with, but not that level of quality. That bow had obviously been custom-made for Shrilyn, and she clearly cared for it. He knew little enough about archery, but he assumed she fletched her own arrows, too. If one was to know a craft, one had to know it thoroughly. According to his agemates, he would be made to learn how to make most of the weapons he would be using while training. What he made, he got to keep, and he would have to re-make it until he got it right, he'd been told. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.
"At any rate, it doesn't really matter what he thinks of your actions, does it?" he speculated. "You're free to look as you choose, and I believe the majority of his complaint was that I might be getting in over my head in having dealings with you. He was probably correct."
What he did not way, because it would not be very politick, and he did not think she had noticed him for that reason, was that she could look all she liked, but he would not return an admiring gaze, for he would not be disloyal to she he considered his heart's mistress, even before his matron-aunt, and even, he sometimes felt, before the Spider Goddess, Herself. The point, however, was moot. He was almost certain her attention was not given in a romantic, or even simply lustful way. He did not realize, because he had no experience, that his behavior could be considered flirtatious, if one chose to look at it that way.
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 3:09 pm
"He may be best in his class but that hardly excuses him from showing off. Warriors are to kill opponants, not entertain them." She said this with a bit more contempt in her voice. One of the things she hated the most was showing off on the training ground. It was a place to improve your abilities; not to get a laugh out of your classmates. She was well known for admonishing younger females if they started messing around or trying to do tricks with their weapons. Perhaps that was why Shrilyn had so few, if any, friends. She didn't mess around at all, she did not joke with the other females, and she most certainly did not flirt like they did.
She saw him examine her weapon of choice, her children as she called them. Handmade and lethal they were impressive weapons. Then she listend to him speak of Zar's advice to the male that he avoid Shrilyn least he get in over his head. What that meant she wasn't sure but she speculated he didn't want Val to hear more complaints about him. Perhaps he would start seeing them too. She laughed softly to herself and pushed a cream colored lock behind her black ear.
"In over your head. Apparently the amorous Zar thinks I have affection for you. Which is hardly the case. I've seen you practice, you work hard. I am merely curious about you." She started to talk out toward the training range, where the big and small targets were set. They even had moving targets that popped up out of no where to teach them surprise attacks and speed.
The wind was slightly to the west, some of the lights had been put out so it was darker than usual. Shri took all this information in before reaching behind her back. From her quiver she pulled a solid black arrow. The feathers were as black as the wood, making it almost impossible to see in the darkness. The only thing easily seen was the glint of the sharp serated head. Knocking the arrow she aimed at the farthest target, almost incased in darkness.
Her breathing slowed slightly, her amber eyes darkned as they took in the target, then....she released. It flew with a silence that only the deadly arrow could have then struck the target dead center. She lowered her bow and looked to the male. "So, are you in over your head yet?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:35 pm
Val shrugged noncomittally. He was would concede that a warrior was supposed to defeat his opponent, but he saw no reason why a person couldn't amuse himself and others if he could also defeat his opponent. He kept this view to himself, though. Shrilyn's position on the matter was very clear, and he was not in the habit of disagreeing with people, particularly not females. She did have a point, too. Showing off served very little purpose except amusement, but he enjoyed watching when Zar performed his tricks. He knew Zar only showed off because he wanted people to remember him in the future, after he completed his training, but that was part of a secret Zar had shared with him, which he would never divulge to anyone else.
"If my family hadn't made certain I'd grow up to have no ego, I'd say my ego is badly bruised," he muttered.
He watched her send a bolt shooting beyond the range of his vision into the inky darkness at the far end of the shooting range as he considered how he should respond to her question, and how he felt about having been noticed at all. He wasn't aware he had done anything particularly noteworthy. All he did was work hard, as she'd said, but everyone worked hard. Even Zar worked hard. He just made it look easy.
Choosing his words carefully, he replied, "I think, if you're curious about me, then I am in way over my head. What do you want to know?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 7:17 pm
"Hmm. What do I want to know?" She suddenly spun around, her cream colored hair not even having much time to move with her. Her slender frame turned on a dime as her body took up it's position without even a command from her brain. The creamy locks blocked part of her face as an arrow appeared almost out of no where. She fired the projectile just as quickly at a target directly behind them. It hit dead center once, this time in full view. The soft looking hair finally fell back into place as she looked at the male next to her.
"There are many things I want to know. But not all questions can be answered by words." She removed two arrows from her quiver, knocked them both and sent them flying at two hanging rings. Both when straight through their respective ring and landed with a thud on the wood behind them.
"As a warrior, I am sure you understand my meaning. So grab a bow, and let me see if you can answer my questions. Unless you don't think they are worth answering." Shrilyn knew not many picked up the bow. Most of the larger males thought it to be a sissy weapon, only for those afraid to fight. But she thought different. An arrow, on it's own, was a weak feeble weapon. It would never stand up to a hit along it's slender body. The tip was merely a point, cabalbe of giving you a nasty scratch or p***k your finger. Hardly a fear inspiring weapon.
But linked with a bow and the righ thands, the arrow was the swiftest killer of any weapon save maybe a dagger. When unleashed with the power of it's bow and guided by the eye of it's archer, the arrow could pierce flesh, wood, even metal if you did it right. No longer was the slender wood and bladed tip a weak and defensless thing. It was a death giver as it tore deep into the body, destroying bone and flesh alike. And the arrow was a malicious killer. Hardly one to kill the moment of being stuck, the arrow loved to reveal in the pain it brought to it's victim. It bathed in their blood, their screams were like music, and the final beat of their heart was their horn of triumph.
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 7:44 pm
"I believe I do," he said softly, moving to find a practice bow.
He did a quick, cursory examination of the bow he picked. It was meant to be used by a female, he knew, based on its size. It was too large to be a bow like a male archer would use. Too long. It was also more slender than a male's bow, allowing for less muscle mass. Regardless, the bows made for males would have suited him even more poorly. Shorter, stouter, harder to string and draw. He was not much of an archer. He went to the drawer where bowstrings were kept and pulled out one of an appropriate length, and then strung the bow, looping the leather over one end, and then using his foot to keep it pressed against the ground while he bent the bow to slip the leather loop over the polar end. Then he picked up some of the practice arrows, making sure they were long enough for the bow he'd selected. As ready as he could be, he drew the bow a few times to full tautness and determined that it would serve. It would have to.
"I will try to answer your questions, to the best of my ability," he said, sticking two arrows into the sawdust ground point-first within easy reach and readying the third to be fired on command.
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 7:53 pm
Shri watched Val select his weapon carefully. This was her first question. How did he handle a suddenly new situation? She doubted he had expected a female to speak to him then tell him to practice with her. She suspected she would get a few looks from the other archers for this behavior but she didn't particularly care. But for now she just observed him.
He took note of it's size. It was a female's bow but it would do at the moment. Males were not normall archers anyway. He strung it well then choose a few arrows to match his bow then returned to her. He choose the weapon best for the situation even if it wasn't the best for him. He took care to make sure his weapon worked properly and had the right projectiles. Obviously he cared enough about this to take it seriously, even if it was practice.
"Very good. Now, choose any target, aim and fire." This was her second question.
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:06 pm
Had he been practicing with any of his friends, Val would have groaned at the instructions which followed. He could put an arrow more or less where it was supposed to go, but that was the extent of his abilities. He never aimed for limbs or heads when he shot at body targets, preferring to aim for the torso, which was a larger area and much easier to hit. That wasn't usually the explanation he gave if asked about it. Usually he pointed out that most vital organs were located on the torso, and so it made the likelihood of hitting something useful much higher.
There were body targets on the training ground, but they were mostly too far from his current position for him to shoot with any accuracy. He'd be able to hit the target, or more likely clip it, but it would not be a killing, or even maiming strike. Instead he swung the bow up in a practiced movement, fitting the arrow at the same time and sighted along the shaft at a nearer target, perhaps seventy paces from where he stood. He stood, poised and ready to release the bolt, for several moments, mentally checking his stance (feet wide apart and body parallel to the bow), his arm position (left arm fully extended, right arm drawing the feathered end of the arrow back to the farther corner of his mouth), and his hand position (left hand holding the bow loosely, putting most of the stress on his palm and not gripping the bow tightly, right hand firmly gripping the arrow).
With a mental sigh, he released the arrow. He didn't need to watch it to know that it had not hit the center of the target, but had probably landed in one of the circles near the center, perhaps the second one, but he did check upon hearing the soft thud which meant it had, at least, struck the target. His guess had been correct, the second ring, nearer the center than the outside, but not much. He lowered the bow and shrugged.
"I'm a poor archer," he admitted frankly.
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Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:52 pm
Amber eyes watched as the male made ready and the fired at an easily hittable target. That was normal, most males aimed for that. More precise shots were meant for archers like herself. They could pin a drow to the wall with their clothes or deliever a barage of arrows straight through limbs. Then all that was left to do was enjoy their slow painful death unless you decided to end it early. She smirked softly as he spoke of his skill.
"I expected that. I know how much you practice with it. But I wasn't looking to see your skill." She went over his movements in her mind before she spoke again. "You take your time when doing something. For, even if you are not proficient, you want to do it as well as you can. But you predict your failure far too quickly, even before you've done the action. Which means you've done something very bad, that you knew was bad, before and always expect reprimand. You also are quick to dismiss yourself without seeing the possibilty of improvement. Which says whatever you did, you are resigned to whatever fate meets you."
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Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 8:12 pm
Val was surprised to find that Shrilyn had been assessing anything other than his abilities in archery. Her assessment was accurate, to a point. He did not feel he had done anything bad, so much as he had done something forbidden. There was a difference. Not all which is forbidden is bad, after all. And naturally he would expect to be reprimanded. He was a male, and he was in training. Each on its own would indicate a need for correction and chastisement, but together it became inevitable that he would be found lacking and told to improve.
As for resignation...he was resigned. It was part of being a male in the Underdark. Those who shake up the status quo find themselves in unpleasant situations. He had learned that already. Not that he would change a thing if he could do it all over again, except he might kill his cousin before she got a chance to snitch. He wouldn't relish it, because he took no particular joy in killing, but he could do it. He had killed before, and for Shri he would do so again without hesitation. It was a good thing she was going to be the next matron of Baen'duis, he thought to himself.
He imagined it was probably very incisive, too, when she turned it on herself and used it to find flaws in her own psyche, as he was almost certain she did. He guessed it was how she always managed to figure out the right thing to say to make people want to curl up and whimper after she'd finished correcting them. That kind of skill at reading people probably was not a comfortable one to possess, he concluded, but it would be interesting to know how she had developed it. Clearly there was an element of studying people
Aloud he said, "Your observations are very astute, though a little off. If I may ask, how did you learn to do that? It's a very interesting skill."
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