Swordplay

[Drache]

The dragoness grinned somewhat wistfully at that. "Monetary value? You misssunderssstand me. It'sss true that I love giftsss and trading, treasure and trinketsss and things of value. How could I not? But all of this," she made an expansive gesture, referring to the sparring lesson, their long chats, spending time with him, "I want sssomething that not even giftsss and gold can buy."

There was something in her tone that made it clear she wasn't talking about luring him to her bed. Well, maybe not -just- that.

"I'd be a a sssplendid benefactor I should think," she murmured, glancing around the inside of her little waiting chamber, rambling somewhat herself.

She was brought back by his query, seeming unconcerned that he had packed the kit away without trying it out. "In a few days. I know you will be feeling the ache tomorrow ssso no sssooner than the day after. And don't try to deny it," she grinned, heading off that line of comments, "if you don't hurt tomorrow then I'm not doing my job!" Snort.

[Raven]

"There's things that cannot be bought?" There'd be teasing in the tone and some curiosity. So far as he had seen, there was nothing that could not be purchased by gold and favour. The bard was highly cynical for one who went about spouting and singing heroic tales. "I've no doubt about that. You've certainly the appreciation and the coin to make it worth while."

"No doubt." There'd be no arguement from Descant about that, whether it'd hold true or not. He wasn't the sort to argue needlessly. A few days worked for him as well. Getting up so early and, well, being stuck with some sort of schedule would be hard for him to maintain for any decent length of time. "Works for me. I've got my instrument practice to keep up as well. Books to read. Music to write..."

[Drache]

The dragoness frequently felt that she had failed to make herself clear when she talked to Des. Apparently this was one of those times. So she shrugged her wings. "Of courssse there are. Friendship is one."

She raised a brow at his agreement but said nothing more in that regard. If there was an offer there it remained unsaid.

Her horns nodded as he listed the other tasks he had for himself. "You know where to find me. Shall I show you out?"

[Raven]

"I don't know about that, I've met quite a few people who've proclaimed an everlasting friendship...so long as I kept buying them drinks." A grin, but he'd nod at her words. "I jest, obviously there is things that can never be purchased by coin." If there'd be an offer there, he'd certainly missed it. He had been having much too fun of a time to be concerned with -work-.

"I do indeed." A couple more pieces of food would be popped into his mouth and chewed down before he'd unravel himself from the chair. "Probably an idea. We can always meet at the Dagger for some drinks."

[Drache]

The half-dragon offered her arm to the bard and if he took it when he stood, she would fold her wings around him in a quick hug, her tail coiling loosely around his ankle. It was good that he missed the offer, because as she thought about it longer she decided she probably wouldn't like that kind of arrangement, at least not with -this- bard.

"Drinksss, yess. But only if you're buying, friend," she laughed.

The way out of her lair would seem much quicker than the way in, and they'd part ways in short order.

[Drache]

211/7/23

It was nearly ten days from the first lesson, far longer than Drache would have liked for a continuation. But with everything going on it seemed as though she was just going to have to make do. She had more faith in Des than to think a long break would be damaging to his education. He seemed sincere enough to make it work.

This time she had simply settled on a day to meet with Des and waited for him, sunning herself lazily in the clearing with a book in her claws and her sword and studded armour nearby. It wasn't quite as hot as it was last time, with thick clouds occasionally rolling across the face of the sun. The flat space she had selected for them to train on had been further modified. In fact, it had been systematically scorched down to the dirt, which was now hard-packed and crunchy, offering a better footing. By the number of footprints across it it seemed that Des was not the only one Drache was sparring with here.

The tower nearby was starting to look even better, much of the rubble cleared away and the windows now fitted with glass. It had doors now too, and it looked as though someone was in the process of repairing the more crumbled of the stones in the walls.

True to her word, the area had been increasingly fortified with abjurations. A person could occasionally see some of them shimmering in the air like gossamer spiderwebs. There were better spells against undead, such as making the place a Hallowed site. But Drache had zero access to that kind of power.

[Raven]

Despite his many misadventures in the time between, he'd not forgotten and would soon make his appearance. Dressed in muted grays for today's exchange rather than the black of his last visit. Sabre in it's scabbard and satchel over his shoulder. It wouldn't take long before he was at their arranged sparring area, whistling all the way.

The bard was ever in a good mood and it'd be rather unfortunate that to offer her proper greeting he'd need to stop his music. "'lo there, Drache. I'm not late am I?" A gloved hand to partially shade his face as he'd peer up towards the sun. The fact that she was waiting for him made him feel late whether he was or not.

[Drache]

Drache heard the Bard coming from a fair ways off, but that didn't stop her from continuing to read for a little longer, flipping through her book as her feral gaze unlocked the secrets on the fragile pages. The sun chose a convenient moment to cast a lancing ray of light over her ruby scales and lingered for a few moments before a cloud cast her back into a rusty crimson. She glanced up and beamed at him as he called out to her.

"Greetings, Des. I should think that you are. -Obviousssly- I'm mightily presssed for time," she joked, picking herself up from the grass and stretching her wings, the epitome of relaxation destroyed. Privately she had begun to resign herself to the fact that she'd always be waiting for him, and not just for sword-swinging lessons. In spite of the roguish flirting he lavished on her when they were together, she suspected that others held his interest far too tight for there to be room for her.

But no matter, at least she had him for the lessons. There were better bladedancers around Myrken than she so the fact that he had come back here was meaningful.

She reached down to catch up her armour and started buckling it on. Ironically, her bare scales could have stopped a blade better than the leather, but the garment was useful for keeping off grime and securing her bust, which was just large enough to have the annoying habit of getting in the way.

"Actually I was jussst enjoying a book about ssspelltrapsss. There was an amusing sssidebar about an enchanted flute that I think you would enjoy." She fastened her Falchion to her hip and drew the blade to protect the keen edge with a cantrip before sliding it back in the scabbard.

"And I had a favour to asssk before we get ssstarted. It concccerns your work however, rather than your charming persssonality and irresissstable good looks." She grinned at him as she delivered the compliment, only partly joking. But her tone suggested she'd wouldn't mind if he wanted to skip to the bashings before discussing -work- things.

She flexed one set of black talons and then the other, swaying gently back and forth before making her way to the improved practice ring.

[Raven]

"Spelltraps? An enchanted flute?" Pack would be shrugged off and his overcoat would be placed over the top. At her mention of requiring his 'work', she'd get his full attention. "That doesn't make sense. The vast majority of my work requires my charming personality and irresistable good looks." A quick grin, but it'd fade. If she wanted to talk shop they most well get it over and done with.

"What did you require?" That said, he didn't expect the topic of work to last overly long. Sabre would be unsheathed and swung about experimentally in one hand and then the other. It'd appear that the bard had taken his last lesson to heart, the blade had been kept in excellent condition and his stance was exactly as she had instructed it to be.

[Drache]

"Indeed, apparently it was bewitched to do rather rude things to those who tried to play it." Perhaps the Bard might not find that as amusing as she did.

She chuckled in response to his grin. "My apologies, handsssome Bard. But for the moment I was more interesssted in your knowledge about musical inssstruments. I have one that needs repairing. And it'sss not sssomething I -require- of you," she sniffed, snapping her teeth.

Despite it being unable to play such a thing, the fact that the large piano appeared to be broken seemed to rankle her. He was right that it didn't promise to be a terribly long conversation. She could see from where she stood that he had taken the time to care for his sabre and was therefor drawing her own blade again.

[Raven]

There'd definitely be a frown at that. Even -he- had some things he held sacred in life. Messing with instruments was a big no-no. "Sounds terrible, I can't imagine why you'd unleash something like that upon the world."

"Ahh. Something that hardly ever seems to come up." Repairing one was definitely within his realm of expertise but who asked a bard to do that sort of thing? Myrken was clearly lacking something more than a decent musical instrument shop! "You want me to find someone to repair it? Or do you want me to repair it?"

Oh well, it was likely something that could wait till after they had their day's sparring. He'd come all this way to learn, he most well sink his teeth into the experience once more.

[Drache]

Drache chuckled at his reaction. "I thought it was quite funny, an interesssting way for performers to keep people from tampering with their property." Such a thing was always of interest to those who were concerned with material possessions, half-dragon hoarders apparently among them.

"It is a piano. Very old. Part of my sssire's hoard. Kira has managed to repair sssome of it, but I wont let her touch the inssside." She hesitated, conflicted. "I...would prefer you, but it means coming into my hoard chamber. And I wouldn't want to take up too much of your time."

Leaving it at that, she moved to face him and bowed with a little dip of her wings. Upon rising, her body tensed and she thrust at him, her blade flashing towards his naval, commencing their lesson without further ado.

[Raven]

"There are far easier ways to ensure that one does not cause mischief with one's belongings." Considering how -expensive- his mandora was, he'd obviously found some way to keep it safe. Especially considering that until he did he carried the thing around and cradled it like a newborn.

"A piano? Mmm." Well, he could understand why you wouldn't want someone messing around inside of one. "I wouldn't have the tools to do it right away. Not if you want the job done properly. Plus replacement parts..." Maybe he should just open a music store all of his own...except that meant putting down some sort of roots. That was anathema for one such as he.


Not that he'd be able to really give it much thought before she'd be lunging at him. A neat deflection of her blade away to the side and then he'd step back and be ready once more. She'd not taught him to attack or counter-attack yet, after all and he doubted that she'd appreciate him doing something unexpected and potentially hazardous.

[Drache]

As the two weapons collided, the dragoness let the spell of protection spread to the other weapon, ensuring that after the end of this lesson Des wouldn't have to slave away tending to the scores and nicks in the keen edge. Later on when they were sparring fiercely, such spells wouldn't even hold up, but that would come later.

It seemed as though today she was going to push him harder than before. Her slashes came quicker and with less flourish in between than their first lesson, forcing him to react more quickly and to keep himself ready between parries. She paused briefly every so often to either switch her blade to the other hand or bid him to do the same, before continuing on. Sometimes her eyes followed the course of his arm, sometimes they strayed lower, evidently watching where he was putting his weight. Sometimes they simply watched his face. She occasionally spoke up, not interrupting the flow of traded blows.

"You're lifting too much with your arm, use your back."

"That was too far to the ssside."

And others.

Eventually she stepped back, the point of her blade falling to hover towards the ground, halting things so she could speak. "Today I want you to ssstart using your feet."

[Raven]

Descant was either a good student, or a frustrating one. He'd do exactly as bid, over and over. Fixing whatever she pointed out, following the motions she had already taught him. There'd be no sign of any weariness. Much the same as last time. Being a bard it was rather expected that he was capable of performing for many an hour.

How he managed to stay fit, when he apparently did very little to keep himself that way and only seemed to indulge in wine and the barest of food would be anyone's guess. At that halting, he'd merely nod and let the tip of his sword drop so that he might listen attentively.