Do angels need training?

[Oichi]

“Ok here we go”, spoke Oichi as she set up an old sign post in the middle of an open field. The maiden made her way back to her horse. She mounted the massive steed with a bit of difficulty, and raised her lance.

“Here we go”, spoke Oichi as she sent her horse into a gallop. With her eye on the prize she extended her lance. A loud bang filled the air as her spear hit the wood. The only problem was that it hit the wrong spot. A mark was made at the edge of the sign rather than the center.

“Curses”, shouted Oichi as she turned her horse around for another strike. Once again she missed her mark. Not giving up she circled around for a third time.

[Iadra Zobek]

It had been... how many times now Setanta? Three? Three times that this girl atop her steed struck at the sign in the midst of nowhere, and each time she had less then succeeded. However she was trying most spectacularly, and to be fair there was little else of note happening in the area. She had thought that Bern was perhaps the land in which her brother dwelled, the last letter she received from him was from the stoic country, but she has found neither hide nor hair of him. It was enough to try her patience, but she knew better. She knew that wherever he was, she'd find him one day. Her father too. They'd be a big family again, just like she remembered, like before Kraft...

For now, however, she entertained herself watching the woman try to ride upon her horse. Standing at the side of the road nearest the field, her large wolfhound standing next to her and watching the flurry of movement. The squire was holding a lance in her hands, she appeared to be quite a novice in it however. Iadra has seen many people use a lance in her travels, but she seemed to have little idea how it was supposed to be done. To be fair neither did the Bishop, she just could notice that what the horserider was doing was incorrect.

[Oichi]

Dang it not again”, shouted Oichi as she missed her mark for a seventh time. It was starting to get frustrating. Still she persisted. Oichi needed to learn how to use her lance properly in battle. The last time she fought she nearly got her father killed because of her lack of skill. For a moment she stopped riding and thought back to a joust she witnessed earlier. She remembered how the riders rode with their spears up in the air.

“Alright again”, shouted Oichi as she circled around for another go. This time she held her spear straight up and brought it down as she came closer to the target. A loud bang roared in the air as the maiden hit the target again, but this time there was something different. The mark on the wood was still off, but it was closer. Close enough to mean that she would have actually hit her opponent. “Alright Oichi that is what I am talking about”, shouted the maiden as she celebrated from the top of her horse.

[Iadra Zobek]

After seven tries, she appears to have succeeded. Good for her. Iadra clapped her hands from the sidelines, a smile on her face. "Very deft strike, you are improving." She complimented the girl she didn't even know, her voice raised to carry across the field but still retaining a soft and delicate quality. A proper lady knew how to make her presence known without resorting to shouting, after all. Iadra knew not why in particular she had stopped, the diversion wasn't one that was particularly engrossing nor was it anything she herself was vested in. Perhaps the concept of a woman training to become a better fighter grabbed at her specifically because of her life, she could sympathize with it.

Or perhaps it wasn't anything as formal or emotional as that, and she simply was without a source of entertainment so she took to watching the woman try and joust with her lance? She had watched jousting matches back in her youth, before she was sent to the church, and they were great sources of fun. It was one of the few times her whole family got together, her father and her brother with her. Sometimes her brother would even participate, but he was always more comfortable on his own two feet. "You have quite a talent." She added, knowing that positive reinforcement is always a good thing.

[Oichi]

Oichi heard the voice and turned around. She had not notice the woman there and was caught off guard. The way she spoke told her that she had been watching her the whole time. A blush soon crossed the maidens face as the embarrassment started to set in. “You were watching me”, she spoke in a surprised tone. “Wow I must have looked such a fool”, spoke Oichi, but her voice was not high enough to be heard across the field. Still however the maiden had complemented her and manners dictated that she thank her for it.

“Umm, thank you”, spoke Oichi in an elevated tone. “I was just practicing my lance fighting skill. I really did not know that anyone else was out here. My name is Oichi by the way”, spoke the maiden.

[Iadra Zobek]

Iadra covered her mouth as if she was gasping. "I apologize." Iadra spoke up properly as she began to tentatively walk closer to the blushing girl. In her right hand was a healing staff, her other was hanging daintily at her side as she glided through the field with measured even steps. "I do hope I'm not intruding, I was simply passing through and you caught my attention." She came closer, her hound following her with energy to spare. She stood not too close, but none too far from the woman upon her steed. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Iadra Zobek, a simple traveler." She was once a bishop of Elmine, but she had left that life. While she would always be it in her heart, she traveled her own path now. Sometimes that path lead nowhere, like now.

She curtsied lightly. "It is a pleasure to meet you Oichi." She rose up once more and smiled at the young maiden. "I was simply being reminded of when I used to watch knights joust back when I was a young girl, if it is not too much of a bother I would like to continue watching. It is nostalgic, and I wish to rest my weary feet from a long day's journey. I promise, I shall be quiet."

[Oichi]

“Oh you watching is not a bother”, spoke Oichi as she raised her hands in defense. “I was just surprised that someone was there. By the way you said you watched some jousting matches right. In truth I have only seen one, and that was when I was seven. Me and my mother visited one that was being held in a nearby town. Well to make a long story short I wanted to know if you could tell me if I was doing anything wrong. Being a healer and all you might not know all the techniques, but I figured you would have seen them enough to tell that my form is wrong.” Oichi had no idea that the woman standing before her was a bishop. She had saw the staff and immediately a healer came to mind.

[Iadra Zobek]

"A healer... Yes..." That was a fair assumption, and truthfully she did heal. There was no need to bring her martial skills into the picture at the time, her mace weighed heavily in her pouch, along with her magical tome of Shine. Accompanied by all sorts of items and materials useful for traveling on the road, of course. Though one could only eat so much jerky before growing sick of the meal all together. "I have seen quite many jousting matches in my youth. With my father and brother, we would visit the capital at least once a year." Warm fuzzy memories, all she had left of her family. She would change that one day, for sure.

"I cannot say I know too terribly much, but I can try to aide you the best that I am able." She could ride a horse, but she always rode sidesaddle, unlike how one fights from atop a stallion. She looked at the pink haired maiden atop her horse, how she held the lance in her hand, honestly she wasn't really the one to ask for this. However she would help the best that she is able, and that was all she could do correct? Elmine says that we should all take care of one another, and to help like we wished to be helped. "I am no means an expert, but I feel that your previous action was closest to the form you seek. Try to stay focused upon your target, and don't lunge. You're trying to strike while riding at high speeds, allow the horse to put the force behind your blow and try to focus on aiming it to hit correctly. At least, that is how I feel it's supposed to be done."

[Oichi]

“Right”, spoke Oichi as she took in everything the maiden had said. She grabbed hold of the rains on her horse and made a circle around the post. She held the spear up like last time and charged forward at full speed. This time she brought the lance down a bit later and sopped lunging forward. The lance hit the post letting out another loud bang. The mark was on the money. For the first time Oichi had hit the center perfectly.

“I got it”, shouted the maiden as she raised her lance in triumph. Succeeding was a good feeling. Still however she knew she had a long way to go before she would be ready to fight. The maiden took her emotions back under control and turned around for another try.

[Iadra Zobek]

"Congratulations." Iadra clapped her hands together gently, a soft round of applause. "I'm happy to be of help." The lunging forward causes her to lose the momentum built up while riding the horse, in a stationary battle you must strike out but if you're attempting to strike as you come around upon a horse, you use the forward force created by the galloping horse. At least that's how she always understood it, she wasn't trained in the art of spears but it made enough sense to her. She'd have to ask someone who knew properly for things like form and tips and such, but Iadra was glad she could at least help a small bit.

Iadra followed Oichi upon her horse as she prepared to come around again. She had another idea she felt she should share instead. "After you finish how about you take a small break? I haven't much to offer, but I'm glad to share it with another traveler." She had a satchel slung around her shoulder, it was heaving with the weight of things inside, but there was a small amount of food that was relatively fresh and mostly edible. She wasn't keen on hunting animals, but Setanta was. He was a hunting dog, after all, she would have to go some time soon if she couldn't find a town nearby. That reminded her... "While I have your attention, is there perchance a town nearby? I don't know the area too well in honesty, I'm not from here."

[Oichi]

“Umm sure”, spoke Oichi after she finish hitting the mark. The final blow knocked the post out of the ground ending the training whether she wanted to or not. Still Oichi was a bit tired. She had not too long ago taken up fighting with the lance. Her arms were still not as strong as others. She rode her horse up to the maiden and dismounted. When she asked her about the town Oichi nodded. “Sure there is a town”, she spoke as she pointed down the road. “It is a bit ways down the road thought. Since you are sharing some food I might as well share my horse. I could give you a lift there so you don’t have to walk. “

[Iadra Zobek]

While Oichi was ending her training, Iadra was getting prepared for... lunch it appeared going on the height of the sun in the sky. She reached into her sack, pulling out a relatively thin cloth and laying it on the earth. It wasn't large, but it was enough for her to lay the food upon with worry about it getting dirty. Almost instinctively Setanta began hopping and bounding and yapping happily, and she could only chuckle as the full grown hound behaved like a puppy. He was only three or so years old, but he was larger then almost any dog she's ever seen before. Even his mother would have been dwarfed by his size, it was a shame that she died so young. This breed of dogs weren't known for long life spans, which was a sad truth, but it made all the time they spent together more special. Oh look at her, getting all wishy washy, she dove into her sack and handed the large wolfhound a strip of jerky that it began to hungrily devour.

By the time Oichi had walked up, it was almost like Iadra had put together a picnic. There wasn't a whole lot of food, but what there was was presented amicably. Some apples she had picked that morning, some tack, some jerky, some hard cheese, a canteen that was about half full by this point, all of it was arranged delicately across the sheet. "So there is a town?" She responded when Oichi spoke up as she dismounted and neared. "That's grand." She smiled.

"If you're offering, it would be rude of me if I refuse." She closed her eyes and nodded. "You needn't repay me though, I offer you my food with no ill intentions. Elmine says to always aide one another, to help like you wish to be helped."

[Oichi]

“I guess I too am to following Elmine”, spoke Oichi. “I would want someone to give me a ride to town as well.” The maiden took a seat near the food and began to eat in a refined manner, or she tried too at least. She had noticed her partners refine movements and tried to copy them. Refinement was not her cup of tea, but she liked the way it look so she put forth the effort.

“So miss Iadra what are you doing out here. It is not a place usually traveled by travelers.

[Iadra Zobek]

She noticed the woman trying to mimic her movements and covered her mouth as she lightly giggled. "Don't worry Oichi, just be yourself." She tried to assure the squire, Iadra knew she didn't act exactly like most other people. She never would assume the same from other people however, as many did not have the upbringing she had. She was raised to be a delicate proper lady, a noblewoman to be wed to some lord or duke and live the rest of her days in good company and safety. Her father and brother didn't want her to be involved in whatever dangerous things they were dragged in to... If only it could have stayed that way. Curse Kraft.

"I'm traveling, searching for my brother. His name is Gabriel, Gabriel Zobek. I had received a letter from Bern, but it's several months old... Still I came in search to see if I could find any trace of him." His letter spoke of great instability in Bern, of a conflict. It was woefully vague though, probably not to worry her. Still it felt like Bern was no longer a safe place, perhaps he left? In which case... what is she to do? "How has things been in Bern as of late?" She asked innocently, bringing the apple to her mouth and biting with small bites. She wouldn't speak with her mouth full, but some light conversation never hurt anyone.

[Oichi]

“Bern”, spoke Oichi as she took a deep breath. “Well Bern has not been the best place to live for a while. I mean I love my motherland, but there is a lot of things going on that do not bold well. To start of f there is news of a dragon ripping through villages. Then there is there is the rebellion that turns many areas into war zones. The bandits have returned and with a vengeance. Many of them have been raiding towns and burning villages. There has been sightings of zombies and whisperes of necromancers. There is also a group of slavers prowling many towns trying to snatch up beautiful women. You should watch out for them by the way. They almost got me at one point. If it was not for my father they would have.” Oichi paused for a moment before she continued. “Not to mention this new guy that suddenly appeared. It is a man called the Orange Plague.” Oichi stopped for a moment. This bit of news was closer to her than any of the others. “He, he infested an entire town with a disease. From what we heard from the healers it is a disease from the western isles. The city he hit was whipped out completely. Before he left he burned the houses to the ground and took what he could carry.”

Oichi stopped and took a deep breath. She needed a moment after that splat. “To make a long story short Bern is in chaos right now. Hopefully your brother would have left.”