He was pleased to hear the confidence in his friend's voice, though he wished she had chosen a different topic to be confident on. Reading, for instance, or calculus. He was coming dangerously close to liking Ludo after what he had learned about the masked god's past, but that didn't mean he was going to let his guard down around them. Mortal they might once have been, but they were driven now by impulses and rules no mortal could truly understand. Thinking that they operated on the same ties of logic and loyalty as the mayfly creatures that flitted over the surface of Caido on two legs and swollen egos was a mistake with consequences Remi now knew, and he feared Maea would learn.
But it was her lesson, not his, and it was far too late to change what had been done. He simply inclined his head in acceptance and moved on with the lesson at hand, which he at least could help with.
He moved alongside her at first, then as she grew more confident in the steps and shifts of body weight he turned his attention to gentle correction and adjustment. "An excellent beginning," he said in satisfaction after she had mastered the basic angle and shown she could repeat it on her own without further need of his input. "Try to practice that every day when you can. If you find yourself waiting or between tasks, or taking your farm animals out into the fields. The diamond is a tool to help you visualize your angles, but you can draw a W as well. Begin working out into larger areas, combining two diamonds, and then four, so that you begin to see many directions you can go with that simple step."
Her question earned a chuckle, blue eyes twinkling in delight as Jigano grinned at her eagerness. "Before we finish the lesson, though for now it will just be to test the weight for you. If you're serious about continuing lessons we'll wait for a dry day and cut you a branch we can whittle into a practice sword until a metal one can be forged for you, once you know what your preferred length is."Somehow he didn't think the master smith who helped him with his charms would be pleased to make a weapon, but perhaps Caiside...
"Now that you have begun to work with your feet you will also need to learn accuracy," he said, tone growing solemn. With her eyesight it would be more difficult but not, he hoped, impossible. When in doubt, aim for the center of mass, after all. He took up his piece of chalk again and made a mark on the wall near the fireplace, checking with Maea until it was large enough for her to see clearly. "The broom might not be the noblest of weapons," he acknowledged with a grin as he carefully unbound the bristles from the oldest besom that had been left behind after the Hall's initial cleaning. Its handle was short - but then, so was Maea, and he handed it to her before positioning her far enough away from the wall that she would have to lunge-step at full extension to touch the tip of the broom to the spot he had marked. "But it can still sweep a foe off their feet, in a well-trained hand!" He winked at her and hefted his own broom with its bristles still intact. He was willing to sacrifice the twiggy old besom to their training, but not the softer-bristled and far more efficient tool they usually used for cleaning up. "Hold the wood firmly, but don't squeeze - let the pressure rest in your last two fingers," he showed her as he explained. "Curl your fingers around, like so, with your knuckles facing down and rest your index finger along the length of it - this will be your guide. Ah - don't cock your wrist like that, your arm should be flat from elbow to the tip of the index finger, like so." Once he was satisfied with her ability to hold the broom stick he demonstrated the diagonal step they had been practicing, but this time with the point of his broom lightly touching the center of the mark before he pulled back in retreat; one slow step forward, then returning to his starting position. "Now, you try. Move as slowly as you can while you get used to splitting your attention three ways," he suggested, moving out of her way. "Your feet, your grip, and your target."
But it was her lesson, not his, and it was far too late to change what had been done. He simply inclined his head in acceptance and moved on with the lesson at hand, which he at least could help with.
He moved alongside her at first, then as she grew more confident in the steps and shifts of body weight he turned his attention to gentle correction and adjustment. "An excellent beginning," he said in satisfaction after she had mastered the basic angle and shown she could repeat it on her own without further need of his input. "Try to practice that every day when you can. If you find yourself waiting or between tasks, or taking your farm animals out into the fields. The diamond is a tool to help you visualize your angles, but you can draw a W as well. Begin working out into larger areas, combining two diamonds, and then four, so that you begin to see many directions you can go with that simple step."
Her question earned a chuckle, blue eyes twinkling in delight as Jigano grinned at her eagerness. "Before we finish the lesson, though for now it will just be to test the weight for you. If you're serious about continuing lessons we'll wait for a dry day and cut you a branch we can whittle into a practice sword until a metal one can be forged for you, once you know what your preferred length is."Somehow he didn't think the master smith who helped him with his charms would be pleased to make a weapon, but perhaps Caiside...
"Now that you have begun to work with your feet you will also need to learn accuracy," he said, tone growing solemn. With her eyesight it would be more difficult but not, he hoped, impossible. When in doubt, aim for the center of mass, after all. He took up his piece of chalk again and made a mark on the wall near the fireplace, checking with Maea until it was large enough for her to see clearly. "The broom might not be the noblest of weapons," he acknowledged with a grin as he carefully unbound the bristles from the oldest besom that had been left behind after the Hall's initial cleaning. Its handle was short - but then, so was Maea, and he handed it to her before positioning her far enough away from the wall that she would have to lunge-step at full extension to touch the tip of the broom to the spot he had marked. "But it can still sweep a foe off their feet, in a well-trained hand!" He winked at her and hefted his own broom with its bristles still intact. He was willing to sacrifice the twiggy old besom to their training, but not the softer-bristled and far more efficient tool they usually used for cleaning up. "Hold the wood firmly, but don't squeeze - let the pressure rest in your last two fingers," he showed her as he explained. "Curl your fingers around, like so, with your knuckles facing down and rest your index finger along the length of it - this will be your guide. Ah - don't cock your wrist like that, your arm should be flat from elbow to the tip of the index finger, like so." Once he was satisfied with her ability to hold the broom stick he demonstrated the diagonal step they had been practicing, but this time with the point of his broom lightly touching the center of the mark before he pulled back in retreat; one slow step forward, then returning to his starting position. "Now, you try. Move as slowly as you can while you get used to splitting your attention three ways," he suggested, moving out of her way. "Your feet, your grip, and your target."
