[Training] store what you need

the devil you know is better than the ghost you don't

Noah found himself at the training grounds, again. He knew he needed to continue to hone his skills, and since the tundra left him empty handed and with no game today, this was what he chose to do. He sat on one of the benches of the sidelines, watching as a few guards practiced working with swords. He watched as they worked on their footwork, on their strikes, and on their blocks. Olsons had always been hunters, never guards, but still Noah's father instilled in his sons the importance of honing all survival skills, fighting included. Noah appreciated this about his father, and sought the training grounds out throughout his life, but within the last year he seemed to be spending more and more time here, working with fellow Halovians and strangers alike to sharpen his skills. Finally, the hunter stood, and strode towards the training ring, searching for a willing opponent.

so I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow

Noah Olson

MORGAN

the glacier

Now these days are feeling dark
We're struggling to figure out last year

Morgan's recent days had been filled with leadership responsibilities; organising, discussing, debating. Her days of training and pure guardsmanship were over (she really needed to appoint a new Captain, when she found one suitable) and she had become depressingly bureaucratic, her work now requiring she sit behind a desk rather than clasp a sword. Sometimes she caught herself staring longing out the window, her limbs missing the chance to move just as much as they once did.

When she finally had a little more spare time, the Voice's cure and the water from Frey's breath meaning there were less sick to deal with (and therefore less problems in the Citadel), she thought she might go out and make sure she hadn't lost any of those skills. Picking up her hammer, which had not seen much use in quite a while, she headed out to the training grounds.

"Noah." She greeted as she walked past him to stand before her councilman, looking him up and down. "Are you here to practice your fighting, too? I could do with a partner, if you dare to take me." A hint of a smile followed this, marking it as a joke: maybe Neron was rubbing off on her.

When the woman in the sky
keeps saying things that no one wants to hear

the devil you know is better than the ghost you don't

The search for a willing opponent did not take long. Their Warden strode towards him, and he instantly took notice of her. A broad smile broke over his body as she jested with him -- instantly, he felt more comfortable around her than he had before. "Well, I don't know how this will look on you -- the warden beating up one of her council." Noah couldn't help but laugh at his own words. It was a laugh that he missed laughing. It made his eyes crinkle and his arm go over his belly as the laugh shook it.

Though his words were in jest, as her's were, there was an ounce of truth to his statement. Noah knew who Morgan was, and before her mantle of Warden she spent years honing her body and her skills to protect this frozen world from foes. There was no doubt that this women held more combative skill than Noah. He hoped, in the moment that he prepared his body for her to strike, he could learn something from her.

{so sorry for the wait!}

so I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow

Noah Olson

MORGAN

the glacier

Now these days are feeling dark
We're struggling to figure out last year

"I shall have to make up some horrible offence you had committed." Morgan laughed, shook her head: "I promise to not injure you, if you promise the same. We can train without bloodshed or broken bones, I am sure." Her guards trained intensely under her watch every day, but had to keep themselves well for any actual threats; she would not be impressed if they returned each night with missing teeth and bruises.

She took a couple of steps back and drew her hammer, nodding for Noah to bring out whatever it was he was going to be fighting with (or to shift, if he intended to train his animal instincts). "I don't think I've seen you fight before. Come at me with what you know and I will assess the level you're at." Maybe that was condescending if it happened that Noah was a master of combat, but from what she knew that wasn't the case. Bracing herself, setting her feet firmly on the ground and getting her hands gripped around the handle of her hammer, Morgan waited for his approach.

When the woman in the sky
keeps saying things that no one wants to hear

the devil you know is better than the ghost you don't

Noah laughed with the Warden, and followed it with a nod of agreement. There was no necessity to the two of them beating each other senseless on this day. They had work to do, and honing skills were a part of it, but if that task left them useless then it was unwise to do so. And, to Noah's knowledge, there was no qualm between them. He thought he knew Morgan well enough -- even as surface level as he did know her -- that she would have trouble hiding such a thing in the dark if it existed.

He watched as she pulled her hammer and he felt a pang run across his chest. Watching her use the weapon with such ease reminded him of Weaver and her scythe. He didn't realize how the grief would bubble without warning for the woman. The wound his parents left in his chest was mostly scar tissue -- but it seemed that Weaver's was still healing. He shook it from him mentally, and reached out to the spear he had used before. It was true -- he was no master in combat. He understood how to fight to stay alive. His skills were gritty and as tenacious as the Fangs, but it was not an art form. He lacked refinement. While some other men might be offended by such a statement from their Warden, Noah was not. Of all the things he was, his humility was true. He knew this woman was stronger, faster, and more skilled than he was.

He hoped he could learn something.

Once he had his spear, he set to work. Moving towards the woman, he quickly jutted an end of the spear towards her by curling it up and out -- hoping to keep himself out of the reaching distance of her hammer.

so I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow

Noah Olson

MORGAN

the glacier

Now these days are feeling dark
We're struggling to figure out last year

Morgan did not notice Noah's grief, taking any stricken look on the man's face as fear that she would harm him; perhaps her assurances had not been enough, but she truly had no intentions to send him from the training grounds with any serious wounds.

Regardless, Noah did still make the first move, surging forward with his spear; Morgan admired the boldness of the attack, though took note that he didn't seem willing to get close to her; while it was smart, it spoke to an anxiousness that an opponent could easily use. She intended to hop back and swing at the tip of his spear with her hammer, knock him off balance, but it didn't quite go as planned; as she stepped backwards her foot caught an unexpected rock and she fell, a grunt of frustration and pain leaving her as she landed on her side and thigh.

"Getting too used to office work." She mumbled as she got up and dusted herself off, then raised her hammer again, ready for another attack by Noah; even with her fall, his spear had not come close enough to do any damage.

---
Morgan rolled a 2. >_>

When the woman in the sky
keeps saying things that no one wants to hear

the devil you know is better than the ghost you don't

What happened as he struck out at the Warden surprised him. Her hammer swung at his spear, but did not connect. He watched as the woman stumbled as if it all happened in slow motion. He stopped his forward advance as she hit the ground, and merely blinked. He did not know how to respond -- if this were Korbin, or even Weaver, sprawled out before him, he would have started laughing his ass off. He would have laughed until tears streamed down his face.

but he would never do such a thing to her, not even when she joked at her own expense.

So he waited. He watched. He kept his face neutral and tried to compose himself internally once more. She regained her balance and composure, and left him with the opportunity to start their spar again. He swallowed, and moved once more. This time, he advanced closer to the Warden as he intended before. He tried to jab his spear out towards her, aiming for her feet. Perhaps he could push her back enough to make her stumble again.

so I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow

Noah Olson

MORGAN

the glacier

Now these days are feeling dark
We're struggling to figure out last year

Maybe Noah wasn't going to laugh, but as Morgan took in his shocked, blinking face, she couldn't help her own laugh leaving her lips. "I'm not a God. I fall over just like anybody else sometimes, and it's alright for you to smile." She grinned, lightly shaking her head before readying herself again; she never wanted to be above anyone else, never wanted to put on airs about being better than anyone else living in the Citadel.

The next time he came forward she was ready. This time she dodged the attack well, jumping to the side and bringing her hammer down on the ground; perhaps at first it would look like she missed, but Noah would find he couldn't raise his spear, Morgan pressing her hammer down over it as she aimed a kick towards his chest; not to hurt, but to push him back away from his weapon.

When the woman in the sky
keeps saying things that no one wants to hear

the devil you know is better than the ghost you don't

The hunter did not have time to react to what Morgan said. However, the comments after did make her feel more human to him -- her fallible nature more tangible. He hadn't really realized before how she looked to him subconsciously, but apparently, she was a cold mountain of power and less of a woman. It was an interesting realization, but now he did not have the time to dissect it in his mind. The Warden was moving, and she was fierce.

He watched as her hammer swung down and tried to pull back his own weapon, but he could not. Her foot was suddenly airborne and he let his grip drop from his spear. He heard it clang and clatter against the ground but he was only focused on moving backward. Her attack was exactly what she wanted it to be: he moved backward, released his spear, and was slightly off balance.

The hunter retaliated as he tried to balance himself. He thought quickly but wasn't sure if he would be able to do it. He had never tried. But, if he were going to look like an idiot trying, now was a pretty good time. He swung his whole head down, and willed from within himself that the rack he sprouted as a reindeer sprout now from his human head. They did, to his surprise, and a grin wrapped over his features. He took a step towards Morgan, swinging the antlers again as he tried to grapple for his spear.

so I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow

Noah Olson

MORGAN

the glacier

Now these days are feeling dark
We're struggling to figure out last year

Her foot connected and knocked Noah back as intended and Morgan drew it back, lifting her hammer and kicking the spear across the grounds some distance away. She was about to lift her hammer and call it done when Noah surprised her by the sudden growth of antlers on his head. Without time to stare she tried to take it in stride, now on the defence instead of the attack - he was more prepared for battle than she had thought.

"Good." She said with a proud smirk and tried to consider how she would deal with the antlers swinging towards her now. Maybe it was best to try and not take them on at all, but let Noah be his own downfall; she took a few more steps back (thankfully staying upright this time) then to the side, hoping he might continue with the momentum of his swinging and lose his balance.

When the woman in the sky
keeps saying things that no one wants to hear

the devil you know is better than the ghost you don't

He swung his antlers and moved forward, grappling down for his spear. Morgan moved back and the hunter's grin stayed. Not only was he glad his attack was useful, but also that he received a compliment from the Warden. Her simple use of the word good was enough to spark some pride in Noah's chest -- maybe he knew more than he thought. While he might not be a seasoned warrior, his instinct to survive, and his time balanced between the tundra and this training ground throughout his life served him well.

He lifted his head and tried to regain his balance, his fingers curling around the spear he had recovered. The antlers that had sprouted so quickly disappeared just as and the hunter watched as Morgan continued her backward retreat. Noah lifted his eyes briefly and watched how close she was coming to the wall. He followed her, moving forward as swift as his legs would carry him. He turned some, carefully, and brought his spear up in a mighty swing, hoping to keep her retreating backward and knock into the hard, cold stone.

so I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow

Noah Olson

MORGAN

the glacier

Now these days are feeling dark
We're struggling to figure out last year

Morgan had focused her attention on keeping Noah moving, hoping he might stumble or his momentum would keep him going past her and down; it was probably this that stopped her from realised he was backing her into the wall before her shoulders were touching the cold stone. Her eyebrows raised but she knew better than to look back, keeping her eyes on Noah and quickly raising her hammer in two hands so the bar was across his chest.

As hard as she could, with a shout, Morgan would push him away, hoping to make him at least stumble so she could use the opportunity to escape his trap and come to his side, going to hit him in the side with her hammer (lightly, but enough he would feel the edge of it).

When the woman in the sky
keeps saying things that no one wants to hear

the devil you know is better than the ghost you don't

Noah's attitude from hoping he could learn something shifted into confidence that he did know some things. He did still think, however, he had a lot learn. But at least he could hold his own. He backed the woman up to the wall and felt a small wave of victory roll over him. It was, however, celebration too soon. He should have known -- predators backed into a corner will always attack. She struck at him swiftly, pushing him back with a force that made him tumble over his own feet. He scrambled for balance but with his hands clasped around his spear he had a harder time.

The hunter did not fall, but he nearly did. He dropped his spear and it cracked against the stone floor. He continued to scramble, but now that he had his hands he could push off the ground. He tried to maneuver himself away from the Warden, but he was too slow in all of his scrambling. Her hammer moved and he felt it collide with his ribcage as he stood up. He pulled back and hissed some, almost instinctually, and covered the spot. Surely, with skin so close to bone, it would bruise.

He backed away some, lifting a hand gently towards the Warden. "Good match?" He questioned, and eyebrow lifting.

so I sit and the scan the frequencies, watch the falling snow

Noah Olson

MORGAN

the glacier

Now these days are feeling dark
We're struggling to figure out last year

Her hit met it's mark; the ribs were indeed a delicate place to hit, but Morgan had tried to be gentle enough that Noah would be able to forget about the pain within a couple of days. Had they been in a real fight, it would have been much worse. That he wanted to stop after that didn't come as too much of a surprise and she nodded, reaching to take his hand and shake it.

"Good match. You did well." She had done worse than expected, on the other hand; maybe all the office and admin work of being Warden was getting to her. That thought didn't sit well and Morgan resolved she'd have to come out and practice more - maybe with Noah, if he wanted to continue to improve his skills.

When the woman in the sky
keeps saying things that no one wants to hear