Trainees who had once studied under the former Mistress of Trainees now challenged her to gain rank and proper training. Lyv did not care how well someone was skilled, she would test them as well as test her own skills. She enjoyed teaching, but was not one to have many mentees of her own, rather she waited for trainees or young guards to ask for her a spar. With all this extra training, her katana made for a serious opponent these days as Lyv worked hard on improving her skills. With every spar and in her regular training sessions she felt her balance and grip on the blade improve. She had worked with different warriors, from different paths and tried to study their moves as she went. From trainees to guards, to even the odd bar brawl, Lyv tried to study their moves and learn from them, even from their mistakes. Today, she was ready to find herself a real challenge and she figured that going for the gold, really did mean just that.

 

Her deep blue shirt had no sleeves to free up her arm movement and as it was late afternoon in the end of summer, there was a nice temperature and some sun out that gave her a nice tan and some extra energy she could probably use very well today. She headed over to the Master at Arms’ office and found him sitting behind his desk, calmly reading over something and not looking up until she had coughed and knocked on the half open door twice. “Bryon, sir, I would like to challenge you to a spar,” she said and studied his face for a reaction. It was certainly a daring challenge coming from her, but she felt she had enough experience to at least have a good chance of finishing on her feet. Maybe not as the victor, but still standing. Waiting for him to except her challenge, she became a bit uneasy and wondered if she was truly ready for this, or was she too daring and overstepping her own boundaries now.

 

Lyv Tylin

Master of PoW

Training for GM

Bryon studied the latest report on stock with in the armory. Everything was as it should be even with the coming of a war or so it was rumored anyway. Bryon hardly held any stock in the Dragon Reborn, he only made sure he and the rest of the yard were prepared for the day the Last Battle would come, if it came in their life time. Bryon had no false hopes, nor any real care one way or the other, it would happen when it did and they would be ready no matter what.

 

A knock at his door roused him from his dire thoughts of the Last Battle. He smiled after her realized the young red-head was asking for a challenge. "Real blades or lathes?" he asked as he stood up from him desk.

 

"Blades."

 

Bryon nodded, few men and women actually trained with blades or even sparred with them, it was a test of their skill to use a blade and fight for their life but not actually draw blood, or rather make the killing blow.

 

Bryon grabbed his sword harness that lay on his guest chair. The twin scimitar were then strapped to his back. His mace never left his side as it was easy enough to sit in a chair with it at his hip, but leaning against the blades was hardly comfortable for any period of time. "Lead the way lass."

 

Bryon

And so it was to begin, the Master at Arms had accepted her challenge and Lyv quickly stroked the back of her hand over her forehead before heading out and readying herself. The tiny sweat drops were not just caused by the lingering sun that burned over their heads, but she could not let that bother her now. They chose a training ground a little further away from the mess hall, somewhere near the ground where the Greens were often teaching their battle weaves. Today, none were training and they had a clear view of the remains of their morning’s lessons. Lyv’s eyes shunned away from the trolloc stuffed dolls and focused on the arena she was about to step in.

 

Memories of passed training washed over her as she calmed herself to start the spar. How long had it been since Reikan was Master at Arms? Too long, she had missed him, deep in her heart she knew that she did even though she would not openly admit it. After all, he had always been her boss and she preferred fighting a Grand Master she had not fought in other areas than with her katana and quarterstaff today. Borac could have been a great challenge as well, but she was at least glad to still have him around from time to time to train with. This MAA however, he was a lot more stern than his predecessors, of so he came off to Lyv who realized she had not studied him often enough to be fully confident now. She had seen Bryon work with guards in training and had admired the way he handled the very different weapons he used all as if they were to him like feathers on the wind. Now, she was to face those feathers and her courage suddenly dropped below zero. “How am I ever going to win this,” she muttered to herself as they both took some time to stretch and warm up.

 

A soft voice in the back of her head reminded her that it was her own choice to do this today, but it was also a choice to face your fears when they appeared. By choice or by chance, she would have to face up to the challenge she put before Bryon and she would do her best. Silently thanking her sister who still lingered somewhere between her fear and her hopes she readied herself for the spar. Guard stance and then a few simple moves to warm her muscles and focus her concentration. Opening herself to the spring she used her fear and anxiety and channeled it into the Spring, using it to fuel herself, instead of letting it hold her back. Her blade moved quickly as he appeared and they set off for their spar. First she attacked and he fended her off easily, she then circled around him and let the blade swing in the air a few times, costing her energy and gaining little. Then an attack on his upper leg which struck with the side of her katana. Lyv’s second weapon, her quarterstaff lay to rest on the side of the ring and she wished she had strapped it on now, maybe later on she could reach for it but now she needed the agility of moving without anything strapped to her back and hindering her from retreating with easy steps.

 

Lyv

Let the games begin...*whimper*

Bryon twinged as his leg was struck. The woman was seeing the openings he was leaving and he decided it was no longer a test to see if she could see. He should never have doubted her progress.

 

Bryon tightened his stance and left little room for he blade to strike again, however hard she try. His dual scimatars whirlled together and were brought down with enough force to make the young redhead step back with the force, though her katana did not give way to the might of the blow. Bryon spun around quickly trying modify an Arc of the Moon to the action he'd taken. He was easily blocked but Bryon brought his second sword in lower at the waste, he managed a hit but not enough to win the spar. If it had been lower it might have gutted her if this were not a spar, but it was and it was hardly fatal.

 

Bryon enjoyed these tests with real blades, it was a test of skill in the sword as well as in anger management. A true warrior would not let his anger fight his battles, and more often than not make them lose due to blindness.

 

Bryon

Lyv jumped back and heaved as the back end of the scimitar hit her in the chest, she caught her breath and doubled over as pain struck. No, this was not a spar like she had with trainees nor was it a fight to the death but it was still an intense fight between two skilled guards. Lyv was on the losing end of this battle though and she knew it, which did little good for her concentration and stance. She was stubborn though and thought of her training, thought of the men and women who had helped her get this far and how she would not be cornered in an instant by a better trained Grand Master.

 

Another strike on her arm and then she caught herself and struck back, no such luck, where she had been confident in the beginning she now realized that Bryon had tested her skill before using that knowledge to fight her. Lyv smiled weakly, she was not ready to give up yet but she could feel her arm hurting and a soft trickle of blood ran down to her wrist. It was only a minor cut, but it could bring her off balance if she paid too much heed to it. Bryon let her catch a breath and then they were back, dancing and clashing swords in mid air, forgetting all about the world that moved around them. Lyv got in a strike that clashed hard over her head on his crossed scimitar and felt the blow in her arms, then quickly retreated to defend herself from an incoming blow. Why did she think she was ready for this, why now?

 

Lyv

Bryon could tell that she was getting disheartened. He wasn't sure how to give her the inspiration she needed but he wasn't about to let her have it easy either. Perhaps words of encouragement. "Don't doubt yourself, Lyv."

 

Maybe it would be enough of a dose of reality to make her fight, he could see her hopes dimming and hoped she'd pick it up. It would be an aweful shame for her to beat her self in this.

 

Bryon kept on attacking and she was defending well, he hardly got in a hit, but he did get a few. She was trying hard and he could see that she was strong of mind and of soul. Her heart just needed some encouragement. Sometimes it seemed the the fighting arena's were too small, he pushed Lyv to the edge and had to back off in order to give them room to dance. Bryon tried not to over compensate to improve Lyv's moral, but he wasn't going to let her win, but she needed to beleive in herself before she'd every beat him.

 

Bryon

If there ever was a moment to shine, this was not it. Lyv felt defeat creep up on her and could not find a way out, no matter how hard she tried. A move forward was fended off easily and then she was brought back and her opponent had to move himself back to allow her room to strike, but he fended her off again. This time she formed a swirl around him and focused on the Spring, her surroundings became a blur and her katana moved faster than her hands could keep up with.

 

She stepped back to take a breath and decided to change weapons, Lyv placed her katana in the sheath and then put it against the fence of the training ground. She took a quick sip from her water skin and then nodded at Bryon to start moving again. He had hardly lost a drip of sweat it seemed and Lyv tried to focus on the Spring and not on her wet shirt that clung to her back. She could feel pain in her legs and arms and moved into a move where her quarterstaff went right for Bryon’s behind. He turned and pushed her back, using her force to smack her own weapon into her side. It hurt and Lyv gasped for breath, but the slight opening was good enough for her. Today the quarterstaff worked better for her and she used that strength to keep moving her attacks. Bryon did not let down but Lyv could tell that his style changed and she wondered if he saw the change in her as well.

 

Lyv

Overly self-confident

She switched weapons and she started out much stronger now. It was different to fight against a quarterstaff user as it had two ends much like a dual weilder like himself. She held her own better and he could see her confidence grow stronger as she made some progress against him.

 

But Bryon decided now was the time to push her limits, to test her defenses and push her into submission. It was time to make her work. Bryon started in with a modified Striking the Spark, bringing each sword down one at a time repeated with as much power as he could muster. It was a test of endurance, would he have to give or would she, who was first, only time would tell.

 

Bryon

 

OOC: You've covered your req so we can go on as long as you'd like.

OOC: Thanks!

 

Lyv felt that her opponent put more pressure on the fight, he had been holding back and she could not help but bite her lip and worry. What did this mean for her chances, not to win but simply to make it out in one piece? She kept slashing the quarterstaff, first left, then right, first one hand then the other and constantly used the full length of her weapon and both sides to gain on Bryon.

 

At one point she thought she had a point over him as Bryon bent through his knees and allowed Lyv a full blow on his shoulder, but he caught onto her quarterstaff as soon as it was lifted, his face was a blur as Lyv flung back a few feet and landed hard, her lower back bruised and her hands working to find the ground so she could push herself back up. This was an unexpected turn of events where for a moment she had been in a clear upper move and then found herself on her back in the mud. She got back on her feet and took a few moments to catch her breath when Bryon’s blade crossed the quarterstaff that lay loosely in her hands. “Giving up?” he breathed and she grunted through the pain and said, “Not at all, just getting ready for round two,” at which he moved back and allowed her to take her stance.

 

She was not sure if he grinned or shook his head, but he was concentrated and ready for her, that was made clear by the swift movements of his hands in trying to disarm her from the quarterstaff. It would end the moment he got her disarmed as Lyv had no other weapons on her and could not fight a man with dual blades with her bare hands. She kept pushing through and moved her quarterstaff in defensive and offensive moves to form a short line of attack and defense that cost her a lot of energy.

 

Lyv

Bryon shook his head. At least she had the will power to prove her self wrong. But it was getting clear that she was tiring and he knew he was as well. But he let her proceed, this was after all her match not his. It was her test and now it seemed he was a mere pawn in her testing her own self.

 

Bryon let her attack then attacked himself. Her staff and his dual blades bit into one another. Jarring their bones and blackening their bodies where they managed to hit. He was far less injured than she was, but then, what did you expect when the master and student collided. He smiled, and waited for her to make that one fatal mistake that everyone did eventually. Bryon waited for that opening that would in a real battle end her life. He was a patient man, and it would be her undoing in the end.

 

There was nothing left but time, Bryon waited, saw the moment at hand and quickly disarmed the quarterstaff with one swift kick to her left knee and hes scimtar came down at her neck just inches away.

 

OOC: Let me know if you want this changed... we can make it go longer, it doesn't matter tome.

 

Bryon

Beaten and defeated, Lyv was not ready to give up. She knew she had lost this game of spars as Bryon kept getting back and was parrying every move she made. What was it about this man that made her come back every time he struck her down. She felt the pain in her knee from his strike and small drops of blood moved down the corner of her mouth from where her face had met his elbow. Not his fault, in fact she had moved in to close in on him when he had struck at her and landed his elbow on her chin. That would give quite a nice bruise later, she moved back a bit and watched as Bryon caught his breath and renewed his stance. Yes, he was less fit than when they began but he still clearly had the upper hand over Lyv. She moved in again and tried to strike when he parried and flung her back three steps. Stopping to grab her arm, Lyv winced at the pain, it was not broken but it would not do well in another spar this same week.

 

“I give up,” she finally admitted and laid her quarterstaff on the ground in front of her. She did not like to give up, not until she had broken at least a few bones whether they were her own or her opponents but it was no use trying to win this situation. She was not strong enough, yet to defeat him. Nor did she use the right tactics she now realized. She had to get to know Bryon’s fighting style better before even believing in victory. “Can I buy you a drink? I’m not a sore loser,” Lyv said and grinned lightly, feeling her lip swell as she spoke. That drink better come with some iced water or she would be in trouble later. They agreed to meet up for a drink later in Tar Valon and wash up now, Lyv was not the only one tired and sweating after this spar it seemed.

 

OOC: if you like, we can do some social RP in TV to talk about the spar and how it went? Make it an open thing. Let me know, no rush!

 

Lyv Tylin

OOC: If you would like to. I'm up for it. Just point me in the right direction.

 

Mat