closed.

[heorte]

WHO: ellis + athessa
WHAT: attempted stabbing
WHEN: right after the jungle, probably solace. whenever athessa's schedule allows.
WHERE: training yard
NOTES: n/a

Marcoulf has been a good teacher. Ellis cannot keep up with him, does not assume he ever will, but it doesn't mean Marcoulf hasn't taught him plenty of how to fight with a dagger.

It does mean that Ellis isn't entirely outmatched in the training yard when Athessa steps into the ring, but he can't keep up with her either. It's more difficult, in some ways. She's small and slight and quick. He'd fare better if this were the kind of fight where he was trying to hit her with a mace instead of counter her with a set of daggers but—

"Yield," he says, as Athessa's dagger whips towards his throat. "That's three times, I think you've sufficiently bested me."

It's good-humored. He's learning. And better to be bested in the training ring than on the field, where Athessa pulls her blows instead of pushing her dagger through his throat.

Comments

[sulahnan]

"No," she agrees, "But there's not much we can do about it. She's either gotta learn to use the fear, or suppress it, and I don't know much of anything about how to teach that."

Kidnappings? In this organization? It's more likely than you think.

"I'd just like to stave off her having to learn the hard way, ya know?"

[heorte]

It's a sweet sentiment, and one Ellis doesn't really know what to do with. He doesn't believe it's possible, but is not what he tries often to accomplish with Wysteria?

"That is kind," he says, at last. "I hope you manage it."

He can be sincere, even if it feels hopeless.

"We can try this again next month, see if I can manage to land at least one blow."

[sulahnan]

"It's a date," she says, grinning so he knows she's joking. "But if you manage to beat me I'll foot the bill for your own set of daggers."

She thinks that'd be a more amenable prize than buying him a drink or dinner, even though it'll amount to more coin spent.