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 Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 4:53 am
 Lissa danced around on the spot, darting from side to side, avoiding imaginary blows. She stood facing a tree, a large target painted on its trunk. Lowering her head, she ran forward and struck at the trunk with her horn, a downward slash. After stepping back, she eyed her damage, only to slump down. She'd completely missed the target - by miles.
Lissa lay down on the ground, resting her head on her front legs and sighing. Sweat glistened on her coat and she breathed heavily with exhaustion. At this rate she would never be able to defend those she loved. Perhaps she really was weak and hopeless.
Shaking her head, she stood up, banishing those thoughts from her mind. She wasn't going to give up. Not after everything she's done and worked for. Jogging on the spot, Lissa began to move quickly again, avoiding those imaginary blows once more.
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Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 6:07 am
 Edward leisurely walked at his own pace, this winter was much more bearable that the last, less ice. Less snow. Less accidents. His feathers gently stroked the air as he walked on, during the winter season he always took along some sort of blanket but not this time. He was feeling that maybe some people can handle themselves this winter.
Stepping our through the shrubbery a pink-purple are came into view, hoping around. He tilted his antlers a little, he hoped she wasn't hopping mad...and then he realised she was shadow boxing. Maybe she needed a sparing partner. Maybe not. He just continued to watch.
The stallion smiled and began to walk into view so as not to scare her by creeping up behind her. He watched her dive forward and miss her target and start to dodge again.
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Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 8:03 am
Vasilissa stopped, eyed the stalion and quickly stepped back, putting distance between them. While he looked nice enough she had come to know all too well that looks could be deceiving. She realised that he had probably seen her practicing. That wasn't good. Not only did she look like a fool but if he was a foe he would know her weaknesses - that being everything.
Eyes darting around, she tried to look for an escape route. Stupidly, she'd forgotten the first thing she ever learned. Always have an escape route. Unless she wanted to get tangled in some terribly thorny bushes, she appeared to be stuck. It seemed as though she was going to have to talk her way out of this.
Straightening her shoulders and standing proud, Lissa tilted her head ever so slightly to the side, eyes blinking with curiosity. "Can I help you?"
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Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 8:29 am
Eddie felt a little bad for startling the mare, she looked at him strangely as if he was bad guy. He watched her eyes dart around the space they were in, and he wondered what she was looking for. "What are you looking at?" He blinked, looked around and then back to her blankly.
He shook his head softly,"probably not, for I don't need any help with anything at this moment in time. That's the question I usually ask." He found it funny that he for once was being asked that question when he so often asked many other soquili the same thing. He paused for a little while,"but thank you. I...I ...I'm sorry if I was intruding on anything, I just walked in son you practicing. I don't see many others practice and it's interesting to watch another when I practice a little like yourself."
Edward took a pacing backwards step to make her feel as if she had the upper hand because that seemed to be what she liked from first impressions. "I'm sorry my lady. My name's Edward and I was just passing through."
He tilted his antlers at her to give her a gracious bow,"I do hope you can forgive me watching you has been...quite enjoyable and it does make me happy to see other people sparring too."
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Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 1:39 am
Lissa shook her head. "Thought I heard a rabbit in the bushes." A lie. But if he was hungry he might chase that rather than her. As his speaking progressed, Lissa began to relax with each word. It became apparent that he wasn't going to be eating her for dinner. She flung her braid fro around her neck, letting it fall straight. Breathing still heavy, her eyes shifted to the target on the tree - a target that she'd missed more times than she could count.
She shivered ever so lightly, the warmth from her exercising slowly surrending to let the chill of winter take over. "I'm not sure you could call it sparring. Not when I'm on my own and I'm so terrible." She chuckled softly at her own hopelessness. "I'm Vasilissa. It's nice to meet you, Edward. Even if I've made a fool of myself."
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Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 2:34 am
Edward found her lie flattering as he was light on his feet, but he didn't want to do any creeping because that'd be...well...creepy. "Oh interesting. I thought a lot of them might've started to hibernate, I think it's only the ones in the mountains who stay up all year round, they don't mind the snow."
"At this time of year a persons only downfall is slipping on ice at the wrong times or hypothermia", he smiled warmly,"well practice is practice. I started from faunhood or foal hood as you might call it. Doesn't mean I was any good straight away, you've probably been doing this a good while too." Edward pinged the snow off of a tree branch,"you know embarrassment isn't always an option if you can either learn to laugh at yourself or keep a dignified stoneface. And no to me you have't made a fool of yourself. It's a matter of practice, if you fall or fail, pick yourself up and try again." He walked over to the tree bark she'd been aiming at.
"It's nice to meet you Vasilissa. You know, I'd hate being on the receiving end of that horn on yours. One sharp spike, see my antlers", he tilted his head down, "it's much harder to get that sort of result, yeah sure they could bash you and push you around give a few cuts and bruises but they aren't designed to impale anyone." He spoke kindly to make her feel better but not in an obvious insulting or patronising way, to him, many soquili were his equal.
Usually Eddie was too shy to speak but when it came to something he knew a little about he'd gladly share if wanted. He knew the biggest dangers for both of them but the only way to live on is to learn how to deal with it.
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Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2012 10:00 pm
Lissa smiled at his compliments. She bowed her head in thanks and dusted the bark from her horn on her leg. Standing tall once more, her eyes came to rest upon the target. Not a single strike had landed on the painted area. She always missed. If this was a real fight, she'd be dead a thousand times over. If this was a real fight, those she loved would perish.
Lissa's body tensed at the thought, her hooves digging into the ground. For a moment, her demeanor changed from happy to cautious - her features turning stony. She had to try harder - work harder at bettering her skills (what little she had).
Shaking her head, her features shifted back to their usual cheeriness and she smiled at Edward. "I've been at this for a while without any improvements. Though, in my defense, I've only got books to learn from, which is a difficult thing to do."
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 10:59 am
"Try again, you might get lucky. Those with less practise either do really terrible or get really lucky." Edward guessed that she might be shy to try in front of him and maybe worse if he went first. His antlers weren't really that sharp but because he had many points he could push things around or hit multiple targets.
She reminded him of his younger self, just a little. But to get to a good stage you'd need time and it wasn't exactly a smooth road. He quirked at brow as he watched her looking quite tense. He beamed at her,"I can lend a hoof...or my antlers if you'd like. "
He knew he was a mere stranger but so were many of his sparing partners to him at the time, they spared until they were no longer strangers to each other.
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 7:14 am
Lissa nodded at his suggestion to try again and readied herself, getting in the stance she'd seen in the books she'd read, head down and horn aimed for the target. She launched herself forward and struck at the tree, stepping back to have a look. She almost jumped with excitement. She'd actually hit the target! Albeit on the outermost circle, but it was an improvement none the less. Perhaps this wasn't so pointless after all.
Turning to Edward she grinned proudly. "If you're willing to teach, I'm willing to learn. Though perhaps we could leave the sparring til I've learnt a bit more. I think I've done enough foolish things." She laughed, sweetly this time instead of bitterly. She was improving and that gave her hope. Knowing that someone was willing to help her, despite how hopeless she had seemed gave her strength to keep going.
If a stranger believed in her why shouldn't she believe in herself?
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