Kingsley Family/Alyssa/The Dance

This scene details a training match between Alyssa and her friend and companion Isana Everlight. The story ran from 11/23/2019 to 12/5/2019

Kingsley

11/23/2019

Alyssa tapped the wooden blade idly against the floor. Dressed in simple trousers and a loose white shirt, her hair in a tightly woven braid, she practiced her strikes alone as she waited for her partner to arrive for their training session.

Step, step, strike, pirouette strike. "Again girl!" The master of arms shouted in her head.

Alyssa closed her eyes, letting her instincts take over. Step, lunge, pirouette, strike. She danced the blade dance, her wooden sword whirling around as she twirled and lunged, a graceful step back as she parried an invisible blow.

Suddenly she heard a step onto the wooden floor of the training room; instantly she twirled around, pointing the wooden blade at the entrant. Upon realizing who it was she smiled naturally at Isana, tucking the wooden blade under her arm and giving her a stiff, respectful bow.

"My Lady." She said warmly to the other woman

Everlight

11/23/2019

Isana strode hurriedly into the training grounds, buttoning her padded vest as she went, training blade and gloves tucked under one arm and her face guard under the other. The morning had flown by, and she was afraid she'd kept her training partner waiting.

Her suspicions were confirmed by the lithe figure dancing swordplay in the training room. Alyssa was dressed simply in pants and tunic yet seemed a work of art: her movement alone was enough to capture and hold one's gaze. Perfect balance, tension and fluidity, rhythmic motion, eyes closed to feel the patterns. Isana watched for several moments, appreciating her friend's skill with the blade. The she realized she was staring, cringed a little, and took a step onto the wooden floor.

A sudden spin brought Alyssa's wooden training blade to point at Isana's throat. Isana straightened in reaction pulling back her chin, wide-eyed. Alyssa's face warmed into a genuine smile as they caught eyes and she was instantly at ease, bowing her greeting, "My Lady."

Isana's head spun a bit from the change of speed from morning rush to the short reverie of watching the dance, and then to instant defense. She shook her head and gave a short chuckle. "Haha, good day to you, my Lady. Apologies for my lateness. And thank you for the invitation! How are you this day?"

Kingsley

11/23/2019

Alyssa considered the question, knowing there was much to be weary from, but Isana was here now and that should be her focus today. She sighed with a sweet smile and tender weariness: "Better now, My Lady." Her smile faded to her usual stony expression. "We should begin, the room is scheduled for use after us."

She took Isana's hand and led her to the center of the room where she had already placed the other wooden sword in the floor. She picked up the wooden blade and released Isana's hand, before holding the training sword out to her.

"We'll be discussing overrun today my lady." Alyssa began as the other accepted the wooden sword, now holding her own sword in hand. "This is one of the best strategies to use against an opponent so it is important to learn how to defend it It will provide the advantage more often than not. If you are ready my lady, I will demonstrate it. Defend as best you can. Are you ready?". She asked, a hint of challenge in her voice and a fire melting the chilly blue of her eyes.

Everlight

11/23/2019

Isana swung and flicked the wooden blade a few times to check its heft as Alyssa spoke. The weight was balanced well enough, and she nodded once.

"...Defend as best you can. Are you ready?" Alyssa asked, the hint of challenge clear in the younger woman's voice.

Isana's eyes narrowed to focused slits. She couldn't suppress the tight-lipped smile as she lowered into a neutral fighter's stance, sword in tierce, muscles taut. "Ready to be trounced and learn something from it, dear Imperatrix. Awaiting your lead," she replied. Her brother's words came to mind, and she lifted her heels for quick motion; "Light on your toes, leadfoot!"

A split second later she was glad of Elios' words. Alyssa sprang at her lightning-fast in a ballestra move, covering the distance between them instantly. Isana beat aside the attack, but was denied a riposte as Alyssa was at her again, braid flying behind. Parry, feint-parry, attack-parry-attack, and abruptly the Imperatrix's training blade had made an opening and found Isana's ribs, a direct hit.

"Touch!" she conceded, breathing hard. "Wow, 'lyssa, that's overwhelming. How did you do that?"

Kingsley

11/24/2019

Alyssa smiled slightly at the praise. "Practice dear lady. And you speak truely,it can be a bit difficult to deal with. It is called overrun after all!" She explained with a confident tone. "Now, to defend. First you need to be in the proper stance. There are two proper ones. Defensive and Quick Moves. We'll start with the latter, like this." She turned to the side to give her training partner a better view of her defensive posture. She took a step forward and leaned slightly onto the balls of her right foot, knees bent slightly, her sword in position to block. "You need to be light and quick on your feet to defeat this strategy." She watched as Isana imitated her perfectly. Alyssa nodded approvingly as she continued. "Now. When I come at you, don't parry. I'll be too quick for you to riposte. Instead..." She paused and twirled around to her left bringing her sword around to strike her invisible foe. "Dodge and strike instead."

She smiled as she watched Isana practice the twirling strike, her dark hair shining in the sunlight from the window above them, a look of determination on her face. A true knight Alyssa thought as she watched the other, her smile quickly dropping when she realized she was staring. "Ah." She muttered returning from her thoughts. "How about we try it for real?"

They tapped their blades beginning the spar, and Alyssa rushed forward into Isana's space.

Everlight

11/30/2019

Feeling the thrill she did when learning something new, Isana focused hard on the new information, letting the room and the day fall away. Only the motions existed. Feel each muscle. Extend through the blade. Balance. Remember breaths. Light feet. Extend, spin, find the attack. Tight guard. Again.

The Quick Moves technique Alyssa demonstrated felt similar to her brother's own style. Fast and aggressive without being brutal. It would take more practice, but... within reach.

She finished another set, hearing Alyssa speak. She glanced up from her focus to see the Imperatrix lunge at her. Full offensive!

Motions fresh in her feet, Isana followed the pattern she had been shown. Twist, no riposte, dodge and attack! Stay light. Stay light. Dodge and attack!

They rounded the training room twice before Alyssa again scored the first hit. Indirect this time, outside of the arm on a guard that was getting sloppy as Isana's muscles burned. Better than a lethal blow... Isana thought, congratulating herself on the small improvement. She blinked to bring Alyssa's face into focus and noted the Imperatrix's expression held a hint of satisfaction--not quite a smile, but warmth.

"Good! That felt good." Isana understated, still feeling the thrill of combat and her muscles learning to move in new ways. She had noted her bubbly enthusiasm often seemed too much for the Imperatrix, making her close down and dismiss... and was trying to hold it back a bit. It was hard. Especially when she was this energized.

"What was the Defensive move you mentioned? Is it this sort of stance?" Isana pressed, taking up the blade again to demonstrate, shoulder and bicep burning in protest. She flipped her dark braid back over her left shoulder and moved to a sidelong stance, minimizing her target toward Alyssa, feet set wider as though she were on a horse for relatively quick mobility in any direction, and blade pointed more directly at her training attacker. "Small target, keep the distance, like this?"

Kingsley

12/1/2019

Yes, exactly." Alyssa smiled proudly. "You are a natural swordswoman my lady. Though..."

She took a step towards her and put her hand on the blade, tiling it parallel to the ground and then angled sligthly. "In the absence of a shield, you must use your sword as a shield. Other hand here." She said tapping the grip just below Isana's sword hand. "The attacks will be coming fast and strong, you will need all the power you can muster to block them." Isana followed her instruction.

"Now. Keep your eyes on mine. See where I'm looking. That's where my blows will land." Isana nodded and Alyssa continued. "When I strike, move your sword to block the blow then with all your power push back against it. That will catch your opponent off guard. "Good. Ready dear lady?" Isana nodded.

Alyssa took a deep breath and raised her own blade. She dashed forward and swung her blade around toward Isana's side. Isana slid her blade slightly to block the blow and shoved back, knocking Alyssa's hand back. Unexpectedly, she took a lunge forward to strike at Alyssa. Aly's eyes widened as the blade came near her but she sidestepped it just in time the wooden sword dashing across her loose white shirt. Clever as you are brave my lady. She thought, impressed with the other lady.

She spun around and took a step towards her partner her strike coming quickly again at the woman's shoulder. Isana blocked this blow too with a hearty clack and pushed her blade back but Alyssa held this time, their wooden swords locked. Suddenly Aly took a quick long step back, bringing her sword with her as Isana stumbled forward still pushing her strength against a blade that was no longer there. Alyssa smacked the sword downwards and stepped close into Isana's space, only a few inches from her, sliding her sword upwards to Isana's throat.

"Ah, Touch, my lady." She said after a moment of hesitation; suddenly conscious of the space. She lowered her blade and took a step back, placing her hands behind her back at ease. Her breaths were heavy from the continued bouts, she could feel her arm tiring from her relentless blows and beads of sweat beginning to form.

"Well fought my lady." She said with a nod

Everlight

12/4/2019

Watching Alyssa's eyes was more challenging than Isana had anticipated. They were bright blue intensity at close range. Focused and intent. Close combat is so different from ranged... The round was a blur. Heightened adrenaline showed Isana an opening that she nearly scored, then all at once she was rushed by Alyssa's powerful precision, and the wooden blade found her throat. "Ah, Touch, my lady." came Alyssa's voice softly a moment later. "Well fought my lady."

Nerves singing from exhilaration and the near-score on her opponent, Isana grinned at Alyssa over the point of the blade as Alyssa retreated. “Ahah, and what a touch!” she chuckled, then brightly, “That was an unexpected rush! The most exciting of training trouncings.” Isana shook out her sword arm a few times to loosen it, noting Alyssa had needed no such relief, or had the discipline not to show it.

She let her blade down until the tip rested on the wooden floor while they caught their breath a few moments. Sweat shone on both combatants. There was a satisfying warmth to both the room and the company, and Isana felt quite at ease even after being soundly bested several times. Alyssa still appeared tense somehow, though she stood in formal at-ease and in comfortable silence. Musing over the last few exchanges, a thought flickered to the front of Isana’s mind and she looked up to catch the Imperatrix’s bright blue eyes with her own darker ones.

“Milady… Alyssa… I know there is much propriety required in the realm and our roles.” Alyssa’s brows creased in slight question at this, and she inclined her head for Isana to continue.

“First and foremost you are my Imperatrix, and I your Knight, with all the respect and etiquette implicit therein. However... I also consider you to be a dear friend, and…” her gaze flicked to the floor--for strength or out of shyness is unclear--and lifted again, “…if it is acceptable to you, dear lady, please, just call me Isana.”

Kingsley

12/4/2019

Alyssa smiled warmly at the other's rare shyness, a strange delight at seeing a side of Isana perhaps few had seen. She took a tender step forward closing the gap between the two again. She took her hand reassuringly. "Of course dear Isana" she said softly. "And when it's you and I, Alyssa will do. Or... Aly." She decided. No one had called her that in a very long time, but for Isana she would allow it. She gave Isana's hand a gentle squeeze before letting go. "You are dear to me as well Isana." She returned to her at ease position, fiddling awkwardly with her fingers behind her back where the other could not see. She frowned, as she continued her thought. "Though among the army it would do to use my titles, it could be seen by others as insubordinate. I would not have you be chastised by the Duke or King. His Majesty is very particular about such things for instance. But..." she finished returning to her smile "for the two of us, I would wish for you to call me as you like, Isana."

She did an about face and took a few steps back before giving her wooden sword a twirl and turning back to face Isana with a smile, standing with simple poise. "Not getting tired are you?" she teased with a hint of challenge in her eye. "Though if you are we can stop a bit early. I still have some time today I set aside for you." She noted as she waited attentively for her reply.

Everlight

12/5/2019

Isana smiled with relief, warmth and acceptance radiating within like the sunlight that filled the training room. Her fingers tingled slightly where her friend had held them. She savoured the moment as a sliver of time: the sight of Alyssa’s warm and true smile, and the echoing memory of her words in Isana’s mind.

Alyssa twirled the practice blade and waited.

Er, she should probably respond, Isana thought abruptly through the daydream.

“Of course, proper etiquette when on official business and around his Revenant Majesty, I could do naught else, Lady Imperatrix.” Isana said with a military salute, all seriousness though her smile glowed. “And, thank you. You are very dear to me, more than I know words to say.” The shyness was hidden again under her brilliant happiness.

“Mm, as for tired?” Isana posed, “I am nearing that point, Aly,” the name felt strange and yet so comfortable on her tongue. “My arm is more used to launching arrows than swinging a sword, but not done just yet. Perhaps two more rounds to make the moves stick? Then I shall have to bow to fatigue else I’ll be weak as a kitten on the morrow!” As she spoke Isana raised her wooden blade and took up the Quick Moves stance she had been taught.

Alyssa nodded in satisfaction, reaching out to make one small tweak in the sword’s guard position. The two braided warrior women faced off across the training ring again, enjoying the dance.