Mature: Desert Moon

[Emora Deen]

"Yes," she replied, rubbing the muscles in her arm. "I don't know what size I used before... Maybe I should start with a small one?"

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad coughed as he thought of the huge broadsword her mother had left her. "Why not try the one you're used to first. We can go down a size if it proves troublesome, but I think you'll find your muscles remember the weight. The bow you just used is such a high gauge that most men never move up to it."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele laughed. "Really?" She was feeling pretty proud of herself then, and feeling like she could handle something larger. "Okay. I'll try the one I'm used too." She flexed her arm, excited to see the type of sword she normally used.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad disappeared into the armory, and came back out with a large broadsword, and another slightly smaller and thinner.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele reached out for the thinner one, assuming the sleek one was more feminine and designed for her. It looked like a good sword for a woman. "I'll go easy on you."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad switched the blades and slipped the broadsword into her hand. "I'm afraid you'll probably have to," he smirked. "I'm left handed." He gripped the weapon in his off hand and felt out its balance, leaving his bandaged hand at his side.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele took the heavy sword, admiring the blade and the handle. She lifted it. "What sort of woman wields something like this?" she asked him curiously. She tried to imagine what she looked like from the perspective of another, with this huge sword. She wondered how the world saw her. Was she intimidating or silly looking.

[Soran Nightblade]

"An amazing, beautiful woman," Vlad said, meeting her eyes. "A strong commander in battle, a graceful swordsman in combat, a role model for other Maidens of the court." He held out his right hand to show her his grip. "Like this." He raised his left hand and placed it just below his right, cringing as his wounds shifted under the movement. "Knuckles together, solid." He raised and lowered the sword in a slow motion descending strike.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele did as he instructed, but hesitated clanging her sword against his when she noticed his bandaged hand. "I forgot. No, we shouldn't fight with your hand like that. We can just practice movements though. Maybe footwork?" Tenele danced around with the sword, smiling as she did a little twirl.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad raised his head proudly. "I'm fine. I fight one handed. I just wanted to show you the two-hand grip." He put his left hand back at his side. "Actually, I don't use a sword much at all. That said, footwork is still important."

He stood beside her, mirroring her stance. "Put your dominant foot back, other foot forward. Your weight stays on the back leg, ready to dodge or strafe to the other foot as needed." He demonstrated a few backward dodges, and then some strafes, and finally a few lunges. "Practice a lunge followed by a dodge." He jumped forward, struck out with his sword, and then dodged back into place. "It should be quick as blinking, never with your weight on the front foot.

[Emora Deen]

"Quick as blinking," Tenele repeated. She practiced it five times in a row, but never got as fast as that. She was still too hesitant in her confidence for what she was capable of. "If you don't fight wit ha sword, what do you fight with?" she asked, but then remembered the way he'd ripped that man apart the other day and decided she didn't need an answer.

"Seems more messy the way you do it," she admitted. "But, I guess no less effective." Tenele practiced a few more lunge and dodges. "If I were myself, with my memories. That man and his crazy wife wouldn't have gotten very far. Would they? They knew it too. They knew who I was and took advantage of it. It was a thrill to them." Tenele got a little more violent and a lot more faster with her movements.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad dropped his gaze. "No. You'd have made short work of them. But you couldn't have known. I should have stayed closer to you, knowing you weren't yourself."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele shrugged. "Its okay," she sighed, keeping up the rhythm. "It doesn't matter. It happened. Can't dwell on it. I figure when my memories come back the ones of that day will just meld in with muck of everything else I know. Maybe nightmares will go with them too."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad's attention piqued at the mention of nightmares. He didn't want her to know he'd been nearby while she slept. "You're having trouble sleeping?" he asked. "Is it something you want to talk about?"

[Emora Deen]

Tenele frowned. She grew very quiet, bottling up. The room grew silent, save the sound of her feet sliding across the floor. "I had the most awful dreams," she murmured, stopping her practice. She placed the tip of her sword against the stone floor. "Two days of bad memories doesn't leave much information for good thoughts. I slept better with you holding my hand than I did in a pillow fort. I cuddled with Tenara towards morning and slept better, thankfully."