5 Vhalar 707
"Boring, isn't it? Watching everyone else leave and being stuck here with the ship."
Tahei jumped as the thoughts of exploring port fled from his mind. Six months and he'd been confined to the ship that entire time. At each new city, he could only watch in wonder as his family descended down the gangplank carrying crates of goods to sell while he was forbidden from leaving. He'd dreamed about setting sail and exploring foreign ports, seeing the world, and doing all sorts of exciting things. Instead, it was early mornings, late nights, hard labor, and mind numbing boredom. If he ran, would anyone stop him?
"Tell you what, kid, how about I show you something mum would never allow? Just between the two of us, we can bend the rules a bit. Besides, it'll pass the time."
The older Biqaj, Whiro, leaned against the shrouds and looked out at the bustling city and port. He clasped one hand on Tahei's shoulder and grinned devilishly. He'd been Tahei's age once and knew full well the appeal of rebellion. Tahei lit up at the thought of doing something his family wouldn't approve of. That sense of danger, the thrill of being disobedient.
"What did you have in mind?"
Ideas raced through the boy's head. Leaving the ship? Stealing? Making out with girls? Maybe they could take one of the boats out and explore more of the harbor. The possibilities felt endless. He watched his cousin slip below deck, and the anticipation only grew. Rappel off the side of the ship like vagabonds, have a food fight, maybe Whiro smuggled some rare and dangerous animal on board. Instead, the young man reappeared holding a couple of wooden swords shaped like cutlasses. He handed one off to Tahei before taking a few steps back.
"Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, left foot slightly ahead, and hold the sword up like this. That's a basic guard stance."
Tahei tried to mimic his cousin amid feeling disappointed that this wasn't at all what he was expecting. No grand adventure, just playing with wooden swords. He shifted his foot forward and held up the sword in front of him and defending his right shoulder
"I thought we were going to do something fun. What are we doing anyway?"
"I'm teaching you how to fight and defend yourself. Mum doesn't think you should learn this stuff, but we might be attacked by pirates. It doesn't hurt to practice. Now, step forward and swing the sword down diagonally, right to left."
The motion felt strange to the boy as he tried to swing the sword down. Even the relatively light wood felt ready to snap his arm in two, and he struggled to imagine how much harder a real sword would be. The weight of metal on metal instead of the relatively light pine wood.
"Here's something that'll be easier for you. From the basic guard position, raise the sword over your head."
Tahei watched his cousin with mild skepticism. Surely there was more to it than that. He raised the sword over his head in hesitant mimicry, and judging from Whiro's approving smile, that was the whole action.
"That's it?"
At this, Whiro couldn't help but laugh. He insisted on repeating the motion a few more times just to let the uncertainty fall away, but it took no time at all for Tahei to be able to bring the sword up in a single confident motion.
"See? Easy. You've got it. The next two are basically the same but reversed. Step forward with your right foot, brace with the left. Swing the sword down right to left. You should end with the sword by your left leg. Also, try it the other way. Step forward, brace, and this time, swing down and left to right. Like this."
The older Biqaj made it all look so easy. Effortlessly swinging the sword to guard the legs, the tip of the wooden blade hovering in front of the forward foot. The boy's attempts were far less elegant. A few times he lost balance trying to swing and step at the same time. The coordination was the most difficult particularly when he stepped too far forward and swung the sword against his leg. There were several moments of hopping and cursing in pain, and the boy felt sure that he had broken his leg. Within a few bits, however, the pain had mostly subsided, and Tahei reluctantly resumed practicing.
"It feels weird. But, okay."
"Think you're ready to put it all together?"
Despite a weak protest, Whiro plowed on with his lesson.
"I'll call out my attacks and you defend with either one, two, three, or four. One, two, three, and four."
Whiro demonstrated the four guard positions as he counted off. And without a moment to lose, he launched into a series of attacks. For the boy, the only reasonable response was flailing the sword in a desperate effort not to be smashed into a pulp by his cousin. But, there was a recognizable pattern in the attacks. With each set, Tahei parried the attacks with more accuracy and speed. The first two guard positions were easy enough, but swinging the sword down to block continued to prove problematic. A few solid hits to his shins was enough to develop the habit of hopping backwards instead of stepping forward. His balance was off, and his swings lacked precision. Not getting hit was more a product of being out of range than properly parrying.
"Stop jumping back like that. Sure, it makes you harder to hit, but it also makes it harder for you to defend. Try again."
He tried. The boy really tried to not move, but the instinct to avoid getting hit was greater than his resolve to stay put. The dull clack of wood on wood continued for a few more rounds until Whiro let his sword fall to his side. His expression was tight, and the boy feared that he had made some grave error. Sword fighting was hard, harder even than sailing. At least that was mostly teamwork. He tried to practice the four guards again, and it was easy so long as no one was swinging at him.
"You're still moving backwards. Here, go stand with your back to the mast. Yeah, right there. Again."
Tahei moved until his back was pressed up against the mast and held his sword up defensively. Without the ability to keep jumping back, the boy felt increased need to protect his already bruised shins. He tried to focus, really. Watching the preparation for each attack and then trying to respond in kind. And it worked, to an extent. He met most of the attacks with a parry, though his cousin's height and strength often left the blades closer to his face than was comfortable. Even if it was wood, the little Biqaj had no intention to explaining a broken nose to his aunt. As the wooden sword collided with his thigh, the boy lurched sideways dropping his sword. There was no emotion from his cousin, just a blank expression and the motion to get back up. This wasn't so much fun anymore, but Tahei was reluctant to say anything through the pricking pain.
"Better. A few more rounds for good measure, but this time, I won't call them out."
As he tired, the boy's form only worsened. Without being able to predict, that steady one-two-three-four still drumming along in his head, more blows found their mark. Shoulders, ribs, legs, it felt like no part of him would be spared the onslaught of his cousin's blows. Being able to parry felt more like luck than skill, and he weakly battered away a blow meant for his head. Some day they'd be even. Some day, Tahei wouldn't be the only one with aching bruises. His eyes narrowed with determination to at least block half the attacks. Not that it was an easy feat, and it was only the second guard position he could do without feeling like his hand would fall off.
"Harder, isn't it? Let's try a few more times. And remember, use the motion to guide my blade away from you. You'll use less energy that way."
Tahei nodded grimly. At the next sudden attack, he tried continuing the motion rather than stopping it, deflecting the blade into his raised arm. Ok, so this wasn't as straight forward as it sounded. The guiding motion hurt his arm less than absorbing all that force, but it was by no means an easy task to remember on top of watching his cousin, minding his posture, and blocking the random attacks. His thighs and shins took a particularly harsh beating, and Tahei's knees felt weak. They'd been at this for how long? A break? It felt like all day, and he wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep for trials. After yet another particularly hard swing to the same spot on his shin that had received more than its fair share of blows, the boy dropped his sword in defeat.
"Ow! Ow! Can we stop now? My legs hurt."
"Just a few more bits and then we'll stop. Work past the pain. It's a good lesson in general, not just for fighting."
The boy groaned and reluctantly picked up his sword. He winced as the sword struck his already bruised thigh. And yet, the swings came more naturally. As his cousin swept low, Tahei's arm automatically moved to swipe it away, the earlier feeling of snapping his wrist all but gone. It was easier to follow through with the motion of blocking overhead attacks pushing the sword from his body. And while he lacked the finesse of having the swords meet at the middle of his blade, it was a solid start. By the time Whiro called for a stop, Tahei was panting and felt his arm shaking badly. But soon, the rest of his family would be back, and then he'd have to find some way to explain being sore and bruised. But for now, he wanted nothing more than to collapse in his hammock and sleep.
"Boring, isn't it? Watching everyone else leave and being stuck here with the ship."
Tahei jumped as the thoughts of exploring port fled from his mind. Six months and he'd been confined to the ship that entire time. At each new city, he could only watch in wonder as his family descended down the gangplank carrying crates of goods to sell while he was forbidden from leaving. He'd dreamed about setting sail and exploring foreign ports, seeing the world, and doing all sorts of exciting things. Instead, it was early mornings, late nights, hard labor, and mind numbing boredom. If he ran, would anyone stop him?
"Tell you what, kid, how about I show you something mum would never allow? Just between the two of us, we can bend the rules a bit. Besides, it'll pass the time."
The older Biqaj, Whiro, leaned against the shrouds and looked out at the bustling city and port. He clasped one hand on Tahei's shoulder and grinned devilishly. He'd been Tahei's age once and knew full well the appeal of rebellion. Tahei lit up at the thought of doing something his family wouldn't approve of. That sense of danger, the thrill of being disobedient.
"What did you have in mind?"
Ideas raced through the boy's head. Leaving the ship? Stealing? Making out with girls? Maybe they could take one of the boats out and explore more of the harbor. The possibilities felt endless. He watched his cousin slip below deck, and the anticipation only grew. Rappel off the side of the ship like vagabonds, have a food fight, maybe Whiro smuggled some rare and dangerous animal on board. Instead, the young man reappeared holding a couple of wooden swords shaped like cutlasses. He handed one off to Tahei before taking a few steps back.
"Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, left foot slightly ahead, and hold the sword up like this. That's a basic guard stance."
Tahei tried to mimic his cousin amid feeling disappointed that this wasn't at all what he was expecting. No grand adventure, just playing with wooden swords. He shifted his foot forward and held up the sword in front of him and defending his right shoulder
"I thought we were going to do something fun. What are we doing anyway?"
"I'm teaching you how to fight and defend yourself. Mum doesn't think you should learn this stuff, but we might be attacked by pirates. It doesn't hurt to practice. Now, step forward and swing the sword down diagonally, right to left."
The motion felt strange to the boy as he tried to swing the sword down. Even the relatively light wood felt ready to snap his arm in two, and he struggled to imagine how much harder a real sword would be. The weight of metal on metal instead of the relatively light pine wood.
"Here's something that'll be easier for you. From the basic guard position, raise the sword over your head."
Tahei watched his cousin with mild skepticism. Surely there was more to it than that. He raised the sword over his head in hesitant mimicry, and judging from Whiro's approving smile, that was the whole action.
"That's it?"
At this, Whiro couldn't help but laugh. He insisted on repeating the motion a few more times just to let the uncertainty fall away, but it took no time at all for Tahei to be able to bring the sword up in a single confident motion.
"See? Easy. You've got it. The next two are basically the same but reversed. Step forward with your right foot, brace with the left. Swing the sword down right to left. You should end with the sword by your left leg. Also, try it the other way. Step forward, brace, and this time, swing down and left to right. Like this."
The older Biqaj made it all look so easy. Effortlessly swinging the sword to guard the legs, the tip of the wooden blade hovering in front of the forward foot. The boy's attempts were far less elegant. A few times he lost balance trying to swing and step at the same time. The coordination was the most difficult particularly when he stepped too far forward and swung the sword against his leg. There were several moments of hopping and cursing in pain, and the boy felt sure that he had broken his leg. Within a few bits, however, the pain had mostly subsided, and Tahei reluctantly resumed practicing.
"It feels weird. But, okay."
"Think you're ready to put it all together?"
Despite a weak protest, Whiro plowed on with his lesson.
"I'll call out my attacks and you defend with either one, two, three, or four. One, two, three, and four."
Whiro demonstrated the four guard positions as he counted off. And without a moment to lose, he launched into a series of attacks. For the boy, the only reasonable response was flailing the sword in a desperate effort not to be smashed into a pulp by his cousin. But, there was a recognizable pattern in the attacks. With each set, Tahei parried the attacks with more accuracy and speed. The first two guard positions were easy enough, but swinging the sword down to block continued to prove problematic. A few solid hits to his shins was enough to develop the habit of hopping backwards instead of stepping forward. His balance was off, and his swings lacked precision. Not getting hit was more a product of being out of range than properly parrying.
"Stop jumping back like that. Sure, it makes you harder to hit, but it also makes it harder for you to defend. Try again."
He tried. The boy really tried to not move, but the instinct to avoid getting hit was greater than his resolve to stay put. The dull clack of wood on wood continued for a few more rounds until Whiro let his sword fall to his side. His expression was tight, and the boy feared that he had made some grave error. Sword fighting was hard, harder even than sailing. At least that was mostly teamwork. He tried to practice the four guards again, and it was easy so long as no one was swinging at him.
"You're still moving backwards. Here, go stand with your back to the mast. Yeah, right there. Again."
Tahei moved until his back was pressed up against the mast and held his sword up defensively. Without the ability to keep jumping back, the boy felt increased need to protect his already bruised shins. He tried to focus, really. Watching the preparation for each attack and then trying to respond in kind. And it worked, to an extent. He met most of the attacks with a parry, though his cousin's height and strength often left the blades closer to his face than was comfortable. Even if it was wood, the little Biqaj had no intention to explaining a broken nose to his aunt. As the wooden sword collided with his thigh, the boy lurched sideways dropping his sword. There was no emotion from his cousin, just a blank expression and the motion to get back up. This wasn't so much fun anymore, but Tahei was reluctant to say anything through the pricking pain.
"Better. A few more rounds for good measure, but this time, I won't call them out."
As he tired, the boy's form only worsened. Without being able to predict, that steady one-two-three-four still drumming along in his head, more blows found their mark. Shoulders, ribs, legs, it felt like no part of him would be spared the onslaught of his cousin's blows. Being able to parry felt more like luck than skill, and he weakly battered away a blow meant for his head. Some day they'd be even. Some day, Tahei wouldn't be the only one with aching bruises. His eyes narrowed with determination to at least block half the attacks. Not that it was an easy feat, and it was only the second guard position he could do without feeling like his hand would fall off.
"Harder, isn't it? Let's try a few more times. And remember, use the motion to guide my blade away from you. You'll use less energy that way."
Tahei nodded grimly. At the next sudden attack, he tried continuing the motion rather than stopping it, deflecting the blade into his raised arm. Ok, so this wasn't as straight forward as it sounded. The guiding motion hurt his arm less than absorbing all that force, but it was by no means an easy task to remember on top of watching his cousin, minding his posture, and blocking the random attacks. His thighs and shins took a particularly harsh beating, and Tahei's knees felt weak. They'd been at this for how long? A break? It felt like all day, and he wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep for trials. After yet another particularly hard swing to the same spot on his shin that had received more than its fair share of blows, the boy dropped his sword in defeat.
"Ow! Ow! Can we stop now? My legs hurt."
"Just a few more bits and then we'll stop. Work past the pain. It's a good lesson in general, not just for fighting."
The boy groaned and reluctantly picked up his sword. He winced as the sword struck his already bruised thigh. And yet, the swings came more naturally. As his cousin swept low, Tahei's arm automatically moved to swipe it away, the earlier feeling of snapping his wrist all but gone. It was easier to follow through with the motion of blocking overhead attacks pushing the sword from his body. And while he lacked the finesse of having the swords meet at the middle of his blade, it was a solid start. By the time Whiro called for a stop, Tahei was panting and felt his arm shaking badly. But soon, the rest of his family would be back, and then he'd have to find some way to explain being sore and bruised. But for now, he wanted nothing more than to collapse in his hammock and sleep.
