This was going to be another good day, Sahra just knew it when she emerged to the Yards from the Barracks. She now shared a room with Sana but uncommonly he had woke up earlier than she today. The explanation was her very first night shift. It had been quite boring and uneventful and she had been partnered with Master Quiet Guy. By the end of the shift even her chattering had been quieted by his monosyllable answers. But even that didn't matter. She was a Tower Guard and there was a shine to the job to her even though it had been just routine so far. And soon she would go to her first mission in the crimson cloak, a garment she hadn't been able to part herself from even when she had been off duty.

 

She stroke the fabric lovingly and made the cloak swing as she swaggered toward Sana. He paused in his forms and she gave him a throughout smooch. His reply was satisfyingly ardent but it bothered her a bit that he glanced around when they pulled apart, as if worried of who had seen. Admittedly, she was still a bit concerned too that the Mistress of Trainees would descend down on them, but it was allowed now. And they hadn't done anything forbidden while she had still been his mentee.

 

"Mmm. Morning, love. Have you eaten lunch yet? What...?" Her smile turned into a frown as she picked the amused smirk on Sana's face.

 

"Uhm... just... well, Aran is back. And..." He was clearly holding back laughter which earned him a poke on ribs. "Ouch. I didn't know that purple looked so dashing on you. But then I haven't seen you clad lately."

 

Perfect! Granpa was back. That was going to be so much fun. Sahra waggled her eyebrows suggestively at Sana when the other thing that he had said dawned on her. "Smartass. Wait. Purple? I'm not wearing..." She had to check nonetheless and when she looked down upon her clothing, she let out a wordless shriek of rage.

 

Oh, she knew exactly what had happened and where to find the culprit. Storming off toward a distinctive tree on the Yard, she could make out a form snoozing underneath. Her foot itched to land on his side but at least she knew how to welcome people nicely back home. Or then not because she was so barking angry.

 

"You are a real bastard, Aran! Is this your idea of congratulations?! Give it back now!"

 

Sahra Covenry

Hasn't lost an ounce of that temper

To his credit, as far as Aran was concerned, he was able to keep the smirk off his face as Sahra proceeded to scream at him.  In fact, he even managed a look of surprise as he looked up at her.  Raging to the point that she was verging on inarticulate, her face was of a similar tint to the cloak she was wearing about her shoulders.  It was at that point that he couldn't hold it in any further, indeed, he fell on his side laughing as he slapped the ground.

 

The effect was far better than he had anticipated.  Sahra almost looked regal except for the fact that the purple was entirely incongruous in a place where only red cloaks were to be found.  That only served to infuriate Sahra further, which in turn made Aran laugh harder.  For a woman that had been so proud of her new red cloak and how it was the whole world and more besides, she was going to be a touch dismayed at what he was going to say as he managed to lever himself back up into a sitting position.

 

"What do you mean give it back?  You're wearing your own cloak are you not?  That cloak of yours is simply . . . dashing."  It was at that point that Aran saw Sahra go white then red once more, quite a quick transformation that nearly had him laughing once more.  Smirking openly now, Aran lolled his head back against Faith as he taunted.  "Looks like Sahra's got her cranky pants on, yes she does, ooooo."

 

Whatever was going to happen next, Aran was pretty sure it would be good for a laugh and more besides.

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

The scene was reminescent of her very first meeting with Aran in the Yards. He had been rude and obnoxious son of a bitch then, and nothing had changed over the years. He just knew Sahra better now and could get under her skin with even more ease. But then her self-control had gotten a tad better too, and she hadn't attacked him with fists and feet like she had as a Trainee. Her rational mind warned her that the difference between their skill levels still wasn't advantageous for her, not even close, but she had to do this. It would give her immense satisfaction to beat the apology out of him.

 

Cranky pants!? That was the absolute last bit. Huffing and puffing like an angry bison, Sahra charged to the closest weapon rack and snatched loose two training weapons. She would show him purple and blue looking back to him from the bloody mirror through two swollen and painful black eyes. Her face was a mask of determination when she marched back to him. She threw the lathe to his face and was disappointed when he caught it before it connected.

 

"Defend yourself", she growled and lunged an attack at him even before he was on his feet. That was called fair evening of the playing field.

 

Sahra Covenry

Forgetting her spiffy rank for a moment

Catching the lathe as it hurtled towards him, Aran didn't have time to get to his feet as Sahra charged at him and he didn't bother as he simply rolled to the side.  Using that motion to get to his feet even as he brought the lathe up before him to catch the first blow, Aran knew exactly what this was going to be like.  Sahra wouldn't hold back, he knew that much, and he wouldn't have wanted her to anyway.  Even if her purpose was to dash his brains out on the grass underfoot.

 

Barely catching the next attack, Aran kept moving back and to the sides, trying to avoid her lathe as much as possible.  It would serve to frustrate her more than anything else if he refused to let her engage him completely, dodging and parrying and trying to slow down the combat when she wanted to intensify it.  All the while he had a big grin plastered on his face, another thing he knew would well and truly encourage her to continue chucking her mental fit.

 

Having said that, a few words couldn't hurt.

 

"You know . . .  You just really need to settle down, I was just trying to tell you that a woman should know her place."  Jumping back from a vicious swipe of her lathe, Aran caught the next couple of blows as he continued.  "Be honest, you know that women aren't meant to fight."  Another parry and sidestep as he grinned even wider. 

 

"Can't catch me!"

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

He refused to engage her and it frustrated Sahra to no end. Aran was bloody mocking her even more by refusing to give her a decent fight. He could trash her totally if he wanted to, they both knew it.  But instead he chose to avoid her and dance outside of her reach and blows. Both were ways to show superior skill and he had to really rub it home. The most infuriating thing was his constant smirk and the words that kept flowing off his lips. He really wanted to provoke her until she totally lost it. Or to see if she would.

 

Aran respected female soldiers and some of his best friends were women: Rosheen, Cairma, Lyssa... well, in her case something extra too. They were out of Sahra's league but one day she would be listed among them. It had been a sore spot that prior to the Yards, no one had believed in her and that she could really attain the cloak. She wasn't the flirty and useles slip of a girl she had been, and Aran had no right to suggest that she still was.

 

His newest jab made her redouble her efforts. Her concentration was fully on landing a hit and witty retorts were beyond her.

 

Sahra Covenry

Tower Guard

The new rage that Sahra engaged him with was going to be her undoing, now that Aran felt that the time was ready.  Slapping aside a blow that would have easily broken his shoulder, he caught her sword hand even as it dropped low and yanked her towards him even as he stepped to the side.  Off balance as she staggered forward from the force of his pull, he twisted her hand even as he smashed his lathe down on hers, sending the woman's lathe flying from her grip.

 

Not done by any means, Aran twisted her arm further until he had her hand behind her back and his lathe at her throat.  It had only taken a few swift movements to disarm her and leave her at his mercy, which was exactly what he had wanted.  She had not been able to land a single blow, had been left unable to defend herself and now she was going to learn exactly why he had done as he had as he spoke to her in a rather calm voice.

 

"What do we learn from this?  Hmmm?  Perhaps that one should never rush an opponent in anger?  Or that one should never let their pride be so easily twisted?"  Releasing her as he took the lathe away from her throat, Aran reached down and picked up her lathe even as she turned to him.  "You might have just become a Tower Guard, but you could be the Queen of Andor and still value such wisdom."

 

Tossing the pair of lathes to her, Aran added.  "Also, never commit to a useless action because it will only end badly.  As for your cloak, you'll find your crimson underneath your mattress."  Raising an eyebrow at the look on her face, Aran gathered that she wanted to say something.

 

"Yes?"

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

The tide of battle could turn in few eyeblinks, especially when your opponent was much better than you. Aran finally decided to end it and with embarrassing ease he disarmed her, broke her stance and balance and held her in a lock. He could easily break her arm or dislocate her shoulder if he wanted to, but Sahra knew that that wasn't the point of this lesson. She even knew that the lesson was about but she didn't bloody need that from Aran. He could just have been happy for her and heckle her for her stupidity and pride in a less frustrating manner. But no, he had decided to go for the hurt.

 

She was finally able to summon Spring and she breathed deeply, filling herself with the peace that came with the right mental state. She would not be greatful for the lesson because she refused to admit that it applied universally. Maybe the pride thing, but she knew only one person who could really get under her skin. And loosing her control to anger.... again, two people and one of them was already dead. She had made very certain of that. The bastard would never hurt anyone again.

 

So, he had slipped the cloak under her mattress while she had slept on it. Fairly impressive, but she should have expected it, as she had seen him perform even more difficult filchings in the past. Well, she wasn't going to go and get it. The cloak would come on only when it was needed. It wouldn't stop her from hearing about it but at least she wouldn't be constantly smirked at.

 

Unfastening the purple cloak, she dropped it on the ground. She was barely able to resist the temptation to stomp on it. "You didn't have to do that", was all that she said with a voice filled with conviction. "Was that supposed to be a favour? A bloody congratulations gift?" It was a statement, that's what it bloody was. She might have made it to the cloak, but she still wasn't good enough. Which was true, but he didn't have to be unkind about it.

 

Sahra Covenry

Tower Guard

Watching as a Sahra discarded her purple cloak with her motion fueled with contempt, Aran had to admit to himself that he'd known that this was an all too likely consequence.  She was still young after all, and young people were apt to be rather angry when they received a lesson they didn't want.  But, by virtue of being older, he knew better than her so he didn't feel particularly bad about it.  Well, that and by virtue of a lot of other things as well, but that was neither here nor there.

 

Of course, now she was expecting some sort of answer from him.  She probably wasn't going to get over it anytime soon, or maybe she would, her moods could swing more wildly than Braxton's flailing excuse for swordwork.  Well, perhaps that was unfair on Braxton, but the idea was still there.  She'd get over it sooner or later, and she might actually penetrate the meaning of the lesson which would mean the effort wasn't wasted.

 

Lifting a finger as Aran was about to answer, a dramatic pause held him in place before he leveled the finger at her as he spoke a single word.  "Yes."  A smile on his face, Aran simply turned around and began walking away.  She was left with forcing her anger down or letting it run riot, and either chasing him or devoting herself back to her own devices.  Regardless of her choice, it was exactly that.

 

Hers.

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard