faderift | You'll fight and you'll make it through

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You'll fight and you'll make it through

WHO: Hermione and OPEN!
WHAT: Catch-all for the month (let me know if you'd like a particular starter)
WHEN: Wintermarch, going into Guardian if need be
WHERE: Throughout Skyhold
NOTES: Feel free to assume prior minor CR between them, especially if your character would have taken/taught any classes involving magic or Thedosian history/culture. I'm willing to handwave more major previous CR if that would make the thread move along more easily, but we can hash out those details either via PM or on plurk (

StarryOblivion).

Archery range

To her credit, Hermione was trying.

Her magic still wasn't coming along as seamlessly as she would hope, and so she'd bitten the bullet and decided that she'd need to learn other ways of defending herself, since she couldn't rightfully stay within the confines of Skyhold forever. Most weapons were too large or heavy for an untrained person of smaller stature, and the ones that weren't would force her to get much closer to an enemy than she would want to, especially if bloodshed was going to be involved. Given all that, archery seemed the best bet. She could stay a safe distance from most of the fighting and also run with her weapon without it tripping her up or throwing off her balance. And besides, she'd used a bow and arrow before.

Once.

For fun.

And she hadn't been very good.

Which explained why she'd raised the bow before the arrow was properly nocked, resulting in the arrow unexpectedly flying loose with an almost comical twang! and a gasp from the startled young witch. She widened her eyes as she instinctively looked around, hoping that no one had seen that, before realizing that she should be more concerned with where the arrow had gone and fervently hoping it hadn't managed to somehow hit someone.

Perhaps she should stay away from weapons for a while?

Training Grounds

She'd made it quite clear to anyone who offered to spar with her that she didn't know the first thing about fighting without any sort of magic, but even so, Hermione wasn't really going to leave anything to chance. She'd been tortured before, and while no physical injury could match what had been done to her, she still wasn't a big fan of pain and was in no hurry to subject herself to any injuries that may require more than a quick visit to the healing tents.

Long hair pulled back into a bun and wearing as much light armor as she could get away with without hindering her movement, Hermione always stood stiffly as she eyed her opponent, looking for weaknesses. She was small and fairly fast, so if she could assess her situation before the match even started, she could try to use that to her advantage and end things as quickly as possible. Still, she was here to learn, and one didn't learn without asking questions, so there was no shortage of those as she awkwardly went through the motions each and every time.

"Is my stance all right? Where should my hands be while I'm defending myself? You're not going to actually hit me hard, are you? I don't fancy a broken nose, and I'm not looking to hurt you. You know I'm only looking to defend myself, don't you? You'll stop if I ask you to, won't you? What should I be doing with my feet?"

On and on it went, and if she couldn't get herself used to any kind of bare-handed combat, Hermione was just going to have to get her hands on her own staff and start practicing a different sort of sparring, assuming that her mage friends wouldn't mind showing her how to use a staff in a less traditional sort of way.

The Baths

While she always did what she could to keep herself clean, Hermione had managed to avoid the baths for an extended period of time. It was easy enough when making water was one of the only spells she could still reliably do, and she'd been forced to get used to limited hygiene during the year she'd spent on the run. But now that she was actually involved in regular physical activity, she couldn't really make do with a quick wash or a mostly-clothed dip in the bath.

Though it always seemed like most of the people she would see down there relished their time in the water, Hermione had never exactly enjoyed communal baths. Still, she did happen to go down there while it was mostly empty, and there was no rule saying she had to be completely nude to get herself clean. She was a grown woman, and if she wanted to sit in a bath with her underwear on, she was surely entitled to it.

Besides, the hot water felt good on her sore muscles (she was getting muscles now; when did that happen?), and so it was easier for her to relax than she might have thought otherwise. So long as no one tried to engage her in conversation while their privates were less-than-private, she could almost enjoy soaking in there for a bit.

Library

The drawback to not having your own small, private, contained bath was that you couldn't read in the tub, and despite her newer hobbies, reading will always be Hermione's first love. While she might not be as much of a fixture in the library as she used to be upon her initial arrival, anyone looking for her could simply hang about the vicinity long enough and she would find her way back there before too long. These days, she mostly read for the various classes she was taking, but she still found the time to read one of the "lighter" books available in Skyhold's library. Sometimes, these books were written with a very marked biased, and whoever might be sitting close enough to the young rifter might be drawn into a heated discussion over said bias. It was all right, though; she usually kept her voice down, given that it was a library.

Wildcard!

Choose your own adventure!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Good, then you're very likely to survive. Living through a battle is just as much about thinking quickly and often simply improvising in the moment as anything... If you can think quickly on your feet, you'll make it. Experience helps, too."

Not that it's necessarily a good thing that there's so many enemies out there to bring down, so many fights yet ahead for them all. Still, the way he sees it, there are always going to be people or creatures out there to fight. There will always be darkspawn to deal with. A Grey Warden's work is never done.

Hermione grimaces just slightly in response. "I never said anything about being able to think quickly while on my feet," she admits, hating what she sees as her biggest weakness. "When I think, I usually require a few books and some parchment to work out an idea and perhaps a cup of tea to settle my nerves. Improvising, while not impossible, is far from my strong suit."

Granted, she's been forced to get better at it over the years, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's her preference, or that it ever will be.

That's definitely the opposite of Kain, who's trained all this time to think fast on his feet. He can't help but think of Inessa, though, when she mentions needing a few books on hand. That sounds about right for her, too. "Not everyone is naturally used to that sort of thing, admittedly. Just... try not to overthink when in the heat of the moment... your intuition may surprise you."

"The trouble with that," Hermione muses, "is that it's hard to replicate 'the heat of the moment' in a training scenario. I'm fairly confident you wouldn't mean me actual harm in the middle of a lesson." Of course, she doesn't know Kain all that well, so she could be entirely wrong, but she likes to believe she isn't.

That really can be a problem, he understands that. Sometimes he forgets what it was like, starting out in his own training. But he's seen this sort of thing in new recruits too. "You're right, of course. The idea of training is to get the motions into your head well enough through repetition... then when the real moment of need arises, you're able to just act. It takes a lot of time and patience to get to that point..."

"I can't really be expected to memorize a dance and then simply make up my own steps when the time comes," she points out dryly. "I suppose I shouldn't expect more than a basic overview from whatever I may or may not learn here, unless you have other ideas."

"But when you have it so committed to memory, you won't have to think... just act, you'll unconsciously know what to do. It becomes embedded in your mind. And it's far better than a mere dance." He steps back, taking out his two-handed sword to demonstrate some of his moves, slashing and stabbing at the air. Well... ok, maybe it does resemble dancing. He'd often noticed the similarity between the two.

"All you'd need are a couple of good basic moves to take your enemy by surprise... and something light weight to carry. Perhaps daggers wouldn't be such a bad idea, as we spoke of earlier? The rogues train extensively in such weaponry."

Hermione likes having to think, and she isn't particularly fond of the idea of being in a situation where that might work to her disadvantage. Of course, she doesn't bother saying that; she's been in enough of her share of fights to know that Kain is right. The only reason she's even still alive is because she'd manage to improvise her way out of more than a few tight spots.

Still, she can't help looking at Kain's demonstration of swordplay a little skeptically, hoping he doesn't expect her to be able to do anything of that sort. She's a fast learner, but she never had been particularly physically adept.

"I'd been practicing with archery lately, but that's more in the hopes that there would always be some distance between myself and the fighting. I've seen often enough what happens to archers who aren't prepared for a close attack. I... doubt I'll ever quite reach your level, but I'd at least like to be one of the ones who isn't left unprepared."

"And that's all you'll need... just enough skill to keep yourself alive. I've trained in the sword since I was a boy, it took a long time to learn all of this. But even the basics..." He glances at her thoughtfully, considering what she's said so far, the way she seems to prefer to fight. "The bow may suit you very well, all things considered. Of course, you'll still want to spend a lot of time with target practice..."

Anything will take a great deal of time to even learn some basics on.

"I think I might need to know more than just enough to keep myself alive, considering that that would vary depending upon my opponent's skill level," Hermione points out. "Even as I am now, I can probably survive against a random bandit on the road, perhaps even a pair of bandits. But against someone of, say, your skill level?"

Shaking her head, Hermione does acknowledge that the bow would be easiest for her to eventually master, but she's never been one to content herself with simply a single mastery. "Living targets have an annoying tendency of trying to close the distance. What I need is something to keep myself breathing when they do manage it. Sleight of hand with a dagger, clever footwork, anything to keep their blade or spells far enough away to give me time enough to escape."

"They do indeed. Perhaps a close range weapon in addition to a longer-range one, then. The rogues tend to be skilled at daggers as well as bows." She definitely isn't likely to be one for a huge two-handed weapon, but he can see her taking on one or the other of those choices. "They also do well with stealth and subterfuge, seeming to even become invisible. There are techniques they can do even without the use of magic."

He tends to be more of a direct confrontation type, himself, but he knows enough about combat in general to be aware of what those fighters can do. It's always worth having them on one's side in a battle, after all.

Hermione isn't entirely sure that any fighting style that might be attributed to "rogues" would be one that would entirely suit her, but if nothing else, she isn't going to let nomenclature cloud her judgement. "I'm not sure how one would learn stealth if it doesn't come naturally - taking classes on creeping up on people sounds like a prank waiting to happen." And she's certainly not the pranking sort, nor does she really appreciate being pranked.

"Would you be able to show me how to use a dagger, then, or should I ask after one of these 'rogues' for that sort of help?"

"I promise you, it's for serious purposes, such as scouting or ambushing an enemy. I don't think I could recommend a skill that was solely used for pranks." That's not something he exactly holds in high regard himself either. Especially if he's the target.

Kain shakes his head. "I'd recommend a rogue for that training. I could provide you a good opponent to practice against, of course... but my speciality is with the sword." He wouldn't know the finer points of knife-fighting, even if he'd likely be able to more or less get by if he had to. But since she'd face a variety of opponents out there... well... training against someone with another fighting style would be useful.

Hermione nods at Kain's response. She hadn't exactly taken him for the pranking sort, but getting confirmation on that front was reassuring, if nothing else.

"Can you interchange between a lighter blade and a two-handed one?" she asks when he explains that his specialty is his swordsmanship. "I'd imagine those would be two very different fighting styles, as one would allow you to be able to hold a shield while the other seems geared almost exclusively towards offense rather than defense."

"Yes, actually, that's something I've the capability of doing, even if I favor and have a little more skill in the two-handed blade. But, the sword and shield style has a lot of potential their its way, as well. A shield can also be used offensively to bash your enemies if you're especially skilled with it."

He prefers having a long weapon with more reach, and just the overall feel of larger swords... but shields have their potential.

"I guess my preferred fighting style as a Reaver lends itself more to a very offensive style of fighting rather than defense. You might say... it's advantageous for me to take a few hits out there."

She gives him a look at the mention of being able to bash one's enemies with a shield. While Hermione understands the logic behind the comment and the necessity for such a thing, it still says quite a lot to her about the nature of Kain's fighting background if the first thing he says about a defensive tool is that it can also be used as a weapon.

"A Reaver?" she asks instead, not wanting him to think he's being judged (particularly when there's absolutely no reason for her to judge him for being trained to keep himself alive). "Is that a particular school of fighting? Like a rogue"

Kain nods. He certainly has a more offensive style when it comes to battle, and it's everything to do with his chosen specialty.

"Sort of. There are three major fighting styles here... warriors, rogues, and mages. Each of these fighting classes may choose to specialize further. You have to start out learning the basics of your fighting class, first, and specializations take further training beyond that. A warrior might become a Templar... a Champion... a Reaver... Each of these grants you additional skills. Same for specializations in the other classes. We reavers turn pain into power."

"It can't be as rigid as all that though, can it?" Hermione asks. "After all, technically, most here would call me a mage, but there's nothing preventing me from learning to fight without magic. And I can just as easily train with a rogue as I can with you, assuming there aren't any sort of specific abilities inherent to any of those classes that can't be copied by someone just beginning to learn. They're just different styles."

Pausing for a moment, she frowns just slightly as she brings up, "Though I don't see anything particularly stylized about turning pain into power. Pain is the body's way of telling us there's something wrong, and so we either slow down while in pain or else we use adrenaline to fight even harder to bring us closer to the end of the fight."

"Oh of course, it's not so terribly rigid. You can pick up any weapon you'd like and learn it. But it takes a great deal of time and effort to learn something more specialized, which is why it helps to start out with a lot of experience in one area of combat." He definitely couldn't pick up some of those crazier rogue skills, even if he'd probably do ok if a dagger was all he had access to. "And of course, not just anyone can become a mage. You either have that talent or you don't."

He know how the reaver thing looks to outsiders, even some here in Thedas see it as an unnecessarily dangerous skill. He wouldn't have it any other way, though. "Ah, but we have... a little more to it. The way we train, and the process we undergo to become a reaver changes us... makes us able to channel that pain in ways others can't. We can also draw strength from our foes, the more they're hit."

The more Kain talks about reavers, the less Hermione likes the sound of the whole thing. It sounds positively masochistic, with a fair bit of sadism thrown in as well if they supposedly draw power from the pain of their enemies. She knows she shouldn't judge, since Kain himself seems decent enough, but it still makes her uncomfortable.

"At around what age do most fighters begin their training?" she asks, trying to get her mind off the grim subject. "It sounds as though most must start fairly young if they want to get close to any sort of specialization." Especially given the generally lower life expectancy in Thedas compared to what she's used to.

He's so used to his way of fighting that he hasn't considered how it might sound to an outsider, especially one not accustomed to Thedas' fighting styles. Perhaps it is a bit darker than most skills. He hadn't even gotten to the dragon blood drinking part. But that's probably better off not brought up.

"Most non-mage fighters begin basic training as soon as they can hold a practice sword. I've trained since I was a boy. You learn the basics when younger, then get into the more serious skills as you grow... Mages begin their practice as soon as their power manifests. Usually that's quite a young age too." But not too young to be dragged away from home, according to the Circles. That's one of the things he'd always disagreed with, when it came to those practices, separating families like that.

Hermione is much better off not knowing that there are those who drink dragon blood in Skyhold. It bothers her enough to know that her own wand's core is composed of dragon heartstring. If not for the fact that they're as patently terrifying in Thedas as they are in her world, she'd begin feeling sorry for the poor beasts.

"When you begin practicing, do you stay with your families and go to a special sort of school? Or is it... like the mages?" She's a bit uncomfortable asking that, since she does feel a personal bond when it comes to mages, but she's already familiar with the fact that young mage children had been forced from their families. Cassandra had expressed confusion early on over how Hermione could have been "permitted" to go back and visit her parents whenever she wanted, especially without finishing her studies or experiencing a Harrowing.

He does catch that uncertain tone. By now he knows that their practice of Circles is... pretty unusual for rifters. He has yet to meet any from worlds with similar precautions toward magic. Though he gathers that magic still has its dangers, anywhere.

"There tend to be more options for warriors to stay with their families. Of course, eventually one might need to seek more specialized training, so it's typical to go elsewhere later on in life... one may join the Templars, for instance. But it's fully possible to simply find an individual trainer and learn that way."

Magic is little different from a sword or even something as simple as a baseball bat: if one doesn't lean how to use it the right way, someone is going to get hurt. The extent of that pain depends largely on the person's common sense and intent, and so people should be properly trained before picking it up and attempting to strike blindly with it. The people of Thedas haven't seemed to quite pick up on that just yet.

"For warriors," she notes. "And, I imagine, for rogues as well." She doesn't need to mention that the only ones who seemed to have been left without options had been the mages, since that isn't a debate she needs or wants to start. Still, no matter how well she understands how dangerous magic can be in Thedas, she can't help feeling a little resentful at the idea that, had she been born here, she would have been forced from her family and tossed into a Circle without a word.

"Yes, for rogues as well. I won't deny that some of us just have more choices based on what we're born as." Whether it's being a mage or not, or even whether or not one is of a certain race... the place that one is born in can make quite the difference there. But it's a lot to get into, and he knows better than to overwhelm rifters with Thedas' difficulties. "It's changed, though, or very well could. With the Circles dissolved, who knows where things may go from here... it all depends on who becomes Divine and what they choose to do in the future." It's not something he's personally invested in, though he has enough mages he's close to, to at least want something better for them.

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