justcog
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Main: Stanwick the Repentant
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Post by justcog on Jan 31, 2022 18:00:19 GMT -5
(Anyone can hop in, doesn't matter how many!)
**The afternoon was pleasant to say the least. Just after lunch, the sun was out with only a handful of puffy clouds decorating the sky. A faint breeze shifted the grass beneath the weasel's feet, as well as the branches far above in the trees. The Abbey pond was lively with a few fish splashing about, and dibbuns roamed freely amongst the grounds, chattering and giggling to their heart's content. One would think it to be a perfect day, especially since most everyone was just finishing their chores! However, one certain individual couldn't be any more disappointed; Stanwick. Yes, the weasel was restless; sure, collecting firewood and chopping it all in two was fun for some time, but it made the weasel think back to... not so simple times. Here in the Abbey, everything was calm and collected, some would dare say even perfect!.. so where did a warrior like himself fit in? Always angsty to fight, to prove his worth to whoever might be watching, hoping for a challenge! Yet such a thing never came. He even felt the Abbey itself frowned upon such a thing; sure, they worshipped Martin the Warrior, but as far as Stanwick could tell, no one seemed to be trying to live to his legacy!**
**Such thoughts continued to roam freely in the weasel's mind as he stood outside. He had moved towards the back of the Abbey, somewhere he hoped dibbuns or Abbots wouldn't show up; he had said he changed, and to be fair, he had! At least a little bit. Blood of a warrior never ran thin. Wearing his full garb of chainmail and helm, the weasel would spar only with his shadow, large round shield in his left hand and his Ulfberht sword in his right. Even for those who may not enjoy the company of weapons, it was still something to catch the eye. While not ornate, engravings of runes ran along the fuller of the blade, as well as the crossguard. Even if usually doing chores, Stanwick took great care in maintaining his blade. Saw it as a reflection of himself really; sheathed away for days at a time, yet every once in a while it would be revealed, even if only to himself.**
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Post by Madeline on Feb 5, 2022 17:53:57 GMT -5
**Here behind the Abbey, between the North wall and the Abbey building itself, was a small section of grass that had been staked out and filled with hay bales and training dummies of various kinds. While it was true that the Abbey was filled mostly with peace-loving beasts who knew naught of fighting and warfare, some did understand the necessity of having trained fighters amongst them. Some of the Warriors who used this area lived in the Abbey year-'round, while others were from the surrounding countryside and used the training yard only when they were visiting. Why no one had directed the weasel back here is a mystery; perhaps they were too afraid he'd revert back to his old ways once he started training. Ridiculous, but to be expected when faced with prejudice.
**A young wildcat, almost an adult, but not quite, was currently sparring alone with a wooden training dummy and a weighted wooden sword. Her clothes were simple, obviously former habits of the Order: brown pants and a green tunic, with a leather sword belt around her waist. Her boots were well-fitted. A real sword in a scabbard was leaning up against a hay bale nearby as the cat swung at the dummy, which had arms, complete with wooden sword and shield, that spun around. This cat was none other than Madeline -- quiet, shy, reserved, who even though she laughed freely, always seemed to carry a small sadness around her, almost as if she carried a heavy secret. No one in the Abbey knew what it was, for she had told nobeast, not in the entire time she had lived here. She had been rescued as a little kitten, and had been sad and scared for most of her life.
**The wildcat parried and danced around the dummy, lithe and graceful, just like any other member of her species. Her black striped gray fur ruffled in the faint breeze, and her tail kept her balance perfectly as she batted away the sword and leapt back to avoid the shield. Then she had to stand and wait for the dummy to finish spinning around so it was facing her again. Not the most efficient way of training, but apparently all she had at the moment since the training yard was empty otherwise. She was so focused on her task that she didn't even notice the weasel approaching.**
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justcog
Active Dibbun
Posts: 63
Main: Stanwick the Repentant
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Post by justcog on Feb 6, 2022 21:31:51 GMT -5
**Yes, perhaps the Abbot and other abbey-dwellers were afraid that Stanwick would return to his more bloodthirsty ways. After all when he first arrived, he DID have foul intentions. Yes, that must have been why they failed to mention the training grounds between the northern-most wall and the Abbey itself. However, the knowledge of such a place would soon come to light! Once Stanwick had finished his shadow sparring, he considered heading back into the Abbey to return his gear to his room. No, he should wait a bit longer until most of the creatures were out and about. Certainly would be frowned upon to walk inside in his full garb! So where did the weasel opt to hide himself? Near the Northern wall! He hadn't seen much foot traffic that way, and now he could finally see why; training grounds.**
**Why did no-beast tell him about this spot? This would have been FAR better than sparring with only his own shadow! There was even another beast here! So, as casually as an armored weasel could, Stanwick approached the training grounds, sword in sheathe on his hip and his large round shield in hand. He squinted as he approached, his helm covering not only his head and face, but his neck as well with the attached aventail. It was a little hard to see out of, but considering the protection it gave? It was well worth it in the weasel's mind. Digressing, Stanwick's gaze would soon settle on the wildcat, studying her movements. She moved quick, had great footwork. Makings of a fine fighter. Of course, she seemingly lacked experience as far as he could tell... of course he was still gathering information on her. So the weasel would sit himself down on one of the haybales near the edge of the arena, keeping his garb on for the time being with his shield resting against his legs. He wondered if the wildcat would notice him or not... that was if she ever took a break.**
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Post by Madeline on Feb 7, 2022 14:16:00 GMT -5
**The dummy turned after taking another beating from Madeline; this time, not only did she hit the sword with her own, she also smacked the shield, then ducked under the sword arm as it whirled by. And waited for it to face her again. The wildcat sighed. This would be easier if she had a real fighting partner. She shook her head, stepping back from the dummy and heading over to where her sword rested on the side of the training yard opposite where the weasel was sitting. Picking up a canteen, Madeline took a deep drink, then sighed again. Turning around, she went to sit...only to discover she was being watched.** "Ah!" **She screamed, dropping her canteen and lifting her sword before she had time to think.
**After a moment, she sat down on the hay bale beside her sword, glaring at the weasel (whom she really ought to have heard coming since he was literally wearing armour).** "Thanks for sneaking up on me." **The wildcat didn't usually have a temper, but sometimes fear comes out that way. Today appeared to be one her rare grumpy days.**
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justcog
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Posts: 63
Main: Stanwick the Repentant
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Post by justcog on Feb 7, 2022 20:06:51 GMT -5
**Not only good footwork, but good reactions too. Of course reacting to a dummy which could only swing at one angle was easy. Still, the wildcat had peaked the weasel's interest. As the weasel spectated, he would remove his sword and scabbard from his belt, leaning it up against the bale of hay he currently was sitting on; didn't want to ruin his blade smacking wood. He was pretty good at removing edge damage, had learned from plenty of experience... didn't mean he liked it however. From there Stanwick would rise to his feet, just in time to startle Madeline. His eyes tracked her canteen as it fell onto the grass, then shifting to her sword as she raised it at him. She wouldn't see it, but his grip instinctively tightened on his shield; it was reflex really. Even if Madeline was far out of reach, better to be prepared!**
"My apologies," **He started as he began to make his way to the rack of wooden weapons, grabbing a wooden sword of his own**
"Though I must say, you should be more aware of your surroundings." **He said. Perhaps he was a bit rude in his delivery, but it WAS important advice**
"Often times, it's not just you and your opponent on the field, and even if it is? You need to be looking out for environmental hazards. Loose ground, a jutting root; any of those can spell death if you lose your footing." **He stated before looking downwards as if to further accentuate his point. Sure enough, there was a small rock near the weasel's foot, one he would then kick in Madeline's direction. It wouldn't reach that far obviously, but the point had been made**
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Post by Madeline on Feb 8, 2022 15:44:36 GMT -5
**The wildcat's gaze tracked the pebble as it rolled her way, stopping well away from her feet. She sighed.** "...You're right. I know that. I've just never been outside the Abbey, and the ground here is smooth. I've never had a need to, and I just get so focused..." **She picked up her canteen and took another drink.** "I don't think we've met, although I've seen you around. I'm Madeline." **Her smile was friendly, quite different from the frustration she had just a moment ago.
**She watches him grab a wooden sword, trying to not get too excited.** "Did you come out here to train? The dummies are really helpful, but the hay bales are sometimes more satisfying."
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justcog
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Posts: 63
Main: Stanwick the Repentant
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Post by justcog on Feb 9, 2022 19:39:47 GMT -5
**As the wildcat explained her negligence of her surroundings, Stanwick would slowly swing the wooden blade back and forth, getting a feel for the weight and balance. It was actually very well crafted for a training weapon, he could only hope it was sturdy too. As Madeline introduced herself, Stanwick would look away from the wooden sword and to the wildcat**
"It's... a pleasure to meet you, Madeline." **He said, somewhat stumbling over his words when he initially started speaking. Almost sounded like he originally planned to say something else, but he held his tongue this time. Madeline may or may not have heard the rumors about the weasel; a warrior from the north, originally here to bring harm! He certainly looked the part, though with the way he spoke, either he was changing for the better, or hiding his old nature under a façade**
"I'm Stanwick. You may have heard of me around the Abbey." **He continued before shifting his attention to one of the dummies in front of him. From there, he would take a somewhat odd looking stance; his feet were planted firm, no issues there. His hands however were the weird part; instead of having only his shield extended forward, he had both hands in front of him together! He moved slow, just to practice form, and with that it began to make sense; whichever angle he put his shield to, his sword would cut along with it, essentially attacking and defending himself at the same time, and from an angle where the opponent wouldn't be able to block if they only had one weapon!**
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Post by Madeline on Feb 22, 2022 16:08:34 GMT -5
**Madeline had heard of the rumours, but, as a so-called "vermin" herself, she always made sure to argue with the gossipers, pointing out that if the Abbot and the Elders were letting Stanwick stay in the Abbey, he must not be as evil as those who were spreading rumours accused him of being. But she didn't let him know that.** "It's nice to meet you, too, Stanwick." **As she watched him begin his warm up, her green eyes widened. The Warriors who had been training her were mostly focusing on making sure the wildcat would be able to hold her own and not die if she ever got into a fight. However, they hadn't yet been able to teach her about the various forms of fighting, or even all the ways an opponent might fight back. Watching the weasel, the young cat suddenly felt very small and inexperienced. There was still so much she had to learn. Madeline sat quietly, not interrupting his concentration.**
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justcog
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Posts: 63
Main: Stanwick the Repentant
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Post by justcog on Feb 23, 2022 19:14:19 GMT -5
**There was some truth to the rumors, otherwise they wouldn't have ever started! Stanwick WAS an evil vermin!.. was. He was much more docile now, doing his best to be on good behavior. Of course that never stopped his natural want to fight and spar. Digressing, as Madeline mentioned that it was nice meeting him too, she'd be met with a short hum of affirmation from the weasel as he continued his little routine. After only a few moments of watching, it became obvious what the weasel was doing; his grip was loose on his shield, allowing it to rotate freely in his grasp and his sword would simply follow suit in whatever direction the shield went**
"So, how long have you been sparring for? You have great footwork." **The weasel said, complimenting her as he took a new stance. It was worth noting he was under the impression that the wildcat had sparred before, which she may have rather limited experience in. He put his right foot forward along with his right hand, exposing himself fully to the dummy. From there? He would raise his blade to a high horizontal guard, only to then slowly circle as if it had been hit and retaliate with a cut to the dummy's head and chest while taking a small step to the side. It was another simple maneuver, likely one Madeline had done as well; a block into a strike, truly simple.**
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Post by Madeline on Mar 7, 2022 15:20:41 GMT -5
(OOC: I am going with a season is a season, so she's been sparring for 2 and a half years. IDK how y'all do ages here; on the Redwall MUCK, a lot of people do the 1 season is 2 years of growth sort of thing, although I tend to not age my chars until I want to. BIC)
**Madeline's gaze followed the weasel's every movement as she tried to commit his motions into memory. I need to start learning how to use a shield, she thought to herself ruefully. She was quite good with her sword, although she was always quick to comment on the mistakes she'd made. But she had so much else she needed to learn.
**His compliment surprised the wildcat, and she blushed slightly.** "Oh, uh, thank you. I've been learning since I was old enough...about 10 seasons or so." **So she had started when most of the others her age here in Redwall became Novices in the Order.** "I practice every day after I'm done with my chores. I want to be able to protect beasts from those who want to hurt them." **The young cat did recognize the simple move the weasel was doing; she did it a lot. What she didn't tell him is that she also wanted to find her war creating, power-hungry sister and stop her before she hurt Madeline's new home. That was the true reason behind the wildcat's determination to master the fighting arts. But of course nobeast knew that.**
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justcog
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Posts: 63
Main: Stanwick the Repentant
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Post by justcog on Mar 8, 2022 18:57:07 GMT -5
**Stanwick would be happy to mentor the wildcat and teach her shield defense, it wasn't very hard to learn!.. she'd need to ask of course, but Stanwick would be glad to share his knowledge. Too many beasts here were concerned with peace; what would happen when war broke out and they were ill prepared? Stanwick almost shuddered at the thought, remembering the raids he had done back in his homeland. Those people knew how to fight and they were still picked off with relative ease. He abruptly shook his head, forcing himself back to reality as he payed close attention to Madeline's words**
"10 seasons? How has the dummy here not bored you to death yet?" **Stanwick questioned, returning to a more casual stance as he turned to face Madeline. Even if standing in a mostly relaxed position, his weapons and garb still gave him a somewhat intimidating presence despite his attempt to seem approachable**
"I practice every day after I'm done with my chores. I want to be able to protect beasts from those who want to hurt them."
"All the more reason to find someone other than this haystack. If someone intends to cause harm, they surly won't simply stand around an' wait for you to attack 'em." **He said to her. It was odd, he seemed rather passionate about the subject of sparring and defense, and even more weird that he had delved back into his normal accent for a moment. With a huff, the weasel would close his eyes, collecting himself before he got too out of hand before opening them once more and pointing to Madeline's wooden sword with his own**
"I haven't sparred in a long while, and I'm sure only whacking on a dummy gets boring after a while. Would you care for a few spars with me?" **He questioned, letting his arm drop back down by his side as he awaited a response**
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Post by Madeline on Mar 21, 2022 13:48:40 GMT -5
"There's usually some Warriors here. They live here, but right now they're off helping the Guosim and the river otters with a dam. They train me when they're here, though, as do other fighters when they visit," **Madeline explained. So she usually wasn't just fighting dummies and haystacks.
**She didn't seem very intimidated, either. The young wildcat actually appeared quite at ease around the weasel. Madeline was around fighters a lot. She also could remember the raids and slavery her old family had done. Talking to an armoured weasel holding a wooden sword wasn't anything new to her.
**However, when he offered to spar with her, she froze with surprise. She could hardly believe it!** "You...uh, yeah, yeah, I'd...that'd be great!" **The wildcat lithely leapt to her feet, grabbing her wooden sword and making sure her canteen and steel sword weren't going to fall over. Then she hesitated. "I, um, I've never learned how to use a shield. I can barely fight against beasts who have shields..."
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justcog
Active Dibbun
Posts: 63
Main: Stanwick the Repentant
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Post by justcog on Mar 21, 2022 21:49:24 GMT -5
"Really, more warriors?" **Stanwick questioned with a tilt of his head. More warriors here? Maybe he just wasn't looking in the right places, but he hadn't seen any other than himself and now Madeline. He'd have to look into this, meet more people of his caliber! Digressing, as Madeline agreed to spar with him, the weasel would smirk, rolling his shoulders idly as Madeline got herself set up. As she mused over combat with shields, the weasel would scoff slightly**
"Well that's kind of the point of them, isn't it? To make things harder for the opponent." **He replied to her, tapping the flat of his wooden blade against the side of his shield like a drum, as if already goading her to attack**
"Tell you what, we'll go a few rounds with the shield, sometimes you'll have it, sometimes I will, and sometimes we'll leave it entirely. Fair?" **The weasel questioned, kicking his legs out slightly for a swift stretch before anything else happened**
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Post by Madeline on Mar 24, 2022 20:28:45 GMT -5
**Madeline nodded.** "Yeah, a few. Not enough live in Redwall to defend us if we get attacked, but there are a few, nonetheless." **The cat was unaware that she had just touched on a secret fear that the weasel had been worrying about. However, her comment revealed that she, too, was concerned about it. In fact, she often thought about what would happen to her beloved home should her sister attack. The weasel and the wildcat were alike in more ways than they realized.
"Aye, that sounds more than fair," she conceded to his offer of taking turns with the shield. Madeline suddenly leapt forward, swinging her wooden sword in a feint to his shield side, then towards his sword side, aiming for his leg! He did say that enemies wouldn't just stand around and wait for one to attack, so why not attack without warning in this spar? She kept light on her feet, her stance keeping her prepared to leap either way she might need to. Her striped tail swished back and forth to keep her balance.**
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justcog
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Posts: 63
Main: Stanwick the Repentant
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Post by justcog on Mar 25, 2022 10:37:38 GMT -5
**Yes, not having enough warriors was indeed a fear of the weasel; had he known such information before originally arriving into these lands, he could have conquered Redwall!.. or maybe that was just wishful thinking. Regardless, Stanwick would be sure to try and convince more of the Abbey-dwellers to get into swordsmanship. It was a useful skill after all!**
"Very we-" **He started, only to cut himself off as Madeline lunged forward! Such speed, such ferocity!.. such stupidity. She fell right for the weasel's trap! Yes, he had been stretching his leg, yet also using it as bait for the wildcat! During her original lunch Stanwick would present his shield only forward, not caring which direction her attack came from. Why did such a thing matter? When her blade went low for his leg, all he needed to do was take a half step back and plunge his shield into the dirt atop of her blade, hoping to pin it! Granted the weapons were wood, not metal; might be able to slide it out from beneath the shield if she was fast enough! After all, wood didn't bind like metal did**
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