The Light Works In Mysterious Ways


 * Light's Watch Training Room


 * ''A stone-walled room, about ten yards long and ten yards wide, reserved for training in a variety of combat arts. The ceiling above is perforated with gaps that allow in rain, snow, chill wind and sunlight, allowing for the opportunity to train in less than optimum conditions. Facilities include archery targets, hay-stuffed burlap sword effigees and an iron barrel attached with ropes to spring-wired pylons to create a simulated horse.

A chilly night outside it is, but Lucius Nepos sits on a stool away from the section of the room which lets the elements in. He appears to be finishing carving himself a wooden shortsword. It looks heavy.

Varal walks into the training room removing his cloak and baldric and throwing them aside. He begins stretching out before noticing that he is not alone. "Carving swords now, Lucius," he says with some amusement, though he's not too stupid to know the purpose for the wooden sword.

"In a manner of speaking, m'lord." Lucius says, lifting the obsidian dagger he was using for the finishing touches up and blowing saw dust off of it. "But it's ready. Training sword." The man lifts his left forearm and slips the dagger back away under the vambrace into a hidden sheath, rendering it once more invisible. "Weighs twice as much as a regular sword. Handy to practice with. I've a double weight shield, too, that I carry with."

Varal continues stretching, looking about. "Well, I have been practicing hand to hand, but I can find a practice sword if you would prefer to be armed, Lucius. I could use a good foe."

"It's up to you. I can go either way, m'lord. I don't mind fighting with my hands, and I don't mind fighting armed." Lucius offers a shrug and a smile. "If we're to fight unarmed, we should still do so armoured. It's more realistic to fighting on the battlefield."

"I would have it no other way. Most people prefer not to wear armor, but that prevent me from working on my ability to exploit unprotected regions," Varal replies. "I have been practicing from some manuals on Shining Hand that I obtained, but I cannot claim to be very good at it, yet."

"So..." Lucius trails off, looking up from his carved oak short sword and smacking it twice on his greave, "Armed, or unarmed?" He finishes the question a moment later, rising.

Varal rolls his neck and stretches his back while opening and closing his fists several times. More than one thing pops. "Unarmed to start, and then we'll see how we feel, eh?"

"So are you going to fighting me in leather armour? Leather armour is for fools." Lucius says, amusedly. "Leather armour does nothing to protect against the slash of a Wildling's claws, you know, m'lord."

"Oh, I know. I know that very, very well," Varal replies with a wry grin. "But, well, I have gotten used to it, and it is comfortable. Also, I strike quite the figure in it. I am considering getting myself some ringmail or scalemail for battles. But, also, I have a tendency to skulk around. Not as many things flash or are shiny on leather - and it does give some protection against bandits."

"Suit yourself, m'lord. I reckon you're the only noble who's not content with something solid besides the Lord Darkwater, maybe. I'd suggest if you like lighter armour to go with ringmail. Scale is denser, less flexible and heavier." Lucius unclips his belt from his waist and puts it down on the stool where he had sat but a moment ago, fastening his helmet to his head. He stretches out, briefly. "I fight with the hand to hand technique they taught to us in the Blades. I'll try to pull my punches for you, m'lord." He winks at Varal, dipping his head after. A grin is likewise present on his features. The man gets into a combat stance, keeping his centre of gravity low and watching the nobleman carefully as he walks into the sparring 'ring'.

"If I got scale, I would get argentite. I have heard it is lighter," Varal responds, slowly beginning to circle the soldier. "But, Lucius, heavy armor impedes my greatest ability - speed. I put some wildlings to shame." A boast given with a smirk, that. After another moment's hesitation, he strikes - a wild swing at Lucius face meant to be blocked and test the water.

Lucius Nepos doesn't bother with blocking Varal's swing. Instead he recoils backwards, the noble's fist flying a couple of inches away from the soldier's face. "Very quick." He notes. Even now he doesn't attack. "Try again." His tone is even and he resets his position.

Varal smirks, taking a few steps backward to regain his balance. "If you insist." He darts in quickly again, feinting a left hook before kicking a Lucius' knee - the blow fast but soft. Normally he would be trying to damage the joint, but no reason to cripple a man in employ.

Difficult to cripple a man in armour with hand, but possible nonetheless - there is the definite sound of impact as Lucius's attempt to pull back is too slow and Varal's boot clicks on the top of his greave. "Aha! There we go." Lucius is apparently pleased. What a strange little man he is. Strange or not, he lowers his frame and plants his feet. This serves as a sort of 'springing point' from which he pushes off and attempts to tackle Varal very low - at the lower legs. His arms open up to wrap around.

The Mikin steps to the side, and Lucius' fingers brush against the leather armor. Varal attempts to place a hand on Lucius' back to give him a push, while sticking out a leg to trip up the ex-Blade. While a childish move, getting an opponent on the ground can give a great advantage.

And so he does - Lucius is fast, but not fast enough. His move, mistimed by less than half a second, means that he is at the mercy of Varal's light push and trip, which does indeed put him on the ground. So now he's on his stomach. Rolling over quickly, he attempts to sweep one of his legs to make Varal fall down as well.

Varal showboats a little, jumping over Lucius' leg. He scoots to the side, lining up a kick at Lucius' face - and launches his foot at the Blade. Again, if it lands it won't do damage.

And land it does - Lucius has either been underestimating Varal's ability this whole fight, or otherwise is having a very unlucky night, as the noble's kick taps his rather prominent nose. He grimaces, and instead of getting up or trying to trip Varal, he simply tries to kick his leg out with a forceful push of the boot.

Varal jumps over Lucius' leg a second time, smirking. He moves to put his foot on Lucius' neck without a word.

This time Lucius is able to roll out of the way. He does this popping back up into an upright position again, the back of his segmented armour covered with mulch that is used to soften blows on the training floor. He springs forward to grab Varal's right arm at the joint between the forearm and elbow.

Varal's arm is not where Lucius expects it to be, and the Mikin bounces back a couple of steps. "Thought I had you there for a second," he states. "Want to switch to weapons yet? Doesn't matter if you soften blows, you know, if they won't land," the Mikin chides.

"I do admit you're quick. But the same thing applies for you, right?" Lucius says, slowing down. "It's up to you. I didn't think you were quite as fast as you are. You're an excellent fighter."

Varal laughs softly. "Thank you. Most people underestimate me, though, which is just as well, as far as I am concerned. They are more scared of my giant longsword than *me*. That's the fool's errand, though. Frankly, I would not want to fight you if I were limping." He moves to find a practice sword. "Get your shield. Let us see how you do when you fight how you want to fight."

"I've not lost a hand to hand fight in years, m'lord. Rather surprising for me to lose one now, eh? Good, though. I'll pick up on your technique." Lucius moves to go and grab his heavy wicker shield and a wooden pole with a faux head. He looks past Varal, towards one of the targets. Taking a few steps, the man tosses the pole at it and then grabs his sword to move at a slower pace into the sparring area. The shield is large, of the 'tower' type which covers much of his body when in front of it. It is also curved, and Nepos carries it from the top. This enables him to put his whole body into using the shield.

"Nice throw," Varal mutters, waving around the large practice sword. He takes a low guard. "I am not as strong as many soldiers, especially since I have strayed from heavy armor. Just means I have to go for joints, weak spots, use your momentum against you. But, yes, not as many people fight like I do, and most were Scourges - the sort that you didn't have to fight. When you have claws, it is a different style."

"That's the best idea anyways. Using brute force to fight is stupid, a waste of energy. Fair fight is a fallacy. There are no fair fights in reality - going for anything that will make the combat easier is the best idea." Lucius appears to agree, holding his shield in front of him and his sword to the side. Again, as in the first fight, he waits for Varal to make the first move.

"That is the only problem I have with sparring. In a normal fight, I prefer to poke eyes, maim, incapacitate, and break bones in any way possible. I have to behave here, as injuring you accomplishes very, very little." He goes in with a probing strike, trying to hammer at Lucius' shield - testing his arm strength, stamina, and how quick he is with the defensive barrier.

The shield moves forward solidly to meet with Varal's strike, causing it to glance off to the side of the curved, wicker training item. It doesn't make much noise, really. Then he brings his sword to chop down on Varal's shoulder, though there is not much weight in the blow.

The chop is executed with surprising skill, but Varal is no longer there. He strikes again at Lucius' shield side, but this time goes for the calf - seeing how well the ex-Blade can lower the shield.

Lucius Nepos is apparently having a terrible night tonight, as it is unlikely at this point that he is underestimating Varal's combat abilities. The shield comes down in time, but not in the right place - Varal's sword touches the back of his lower leg and he grimaces. "Light ain't with me tonight, m'lord." He concedes. Maybe he's under the weather. He pulls his sword arm back to go for his traditional strike - that is, a thrust. This one goes for Varal's thigh.

The wooden sword rubs against the leather protecting Varal's thigh as the Mikin barely sidesteps in time. "And why would the Light side with you, over me, Lucius?" the Mikin notes with a jovial tone, poking fun at the freelander. He thrusts with the sword, attempting to bypass the shield.

"Because I'm Lucius Nepos." Lucius offers, bashing aside Varal's long sword with the flank of his shield. Instead of striking with his sword, now, Nepos tried to tap Varal in the face with the centre of the wicker shield. It's unlikely it will hurt if it hits, but were this a real shield with a boss in the middle then it most certainly would.

The shield barely misses the Mikin's face, and Varal tries to capitalize by kicking Lucius in the back of the kneecap. "I am Varal bloody Mikin, the Light's chosen bastard, Nepos. Then again, the Light works in mysterious ways, so maybe you are the favorite."

Somehow, someway, Lucius Nepos is able to bring his shield back down from somewhere near Varal's face to where his leg is, 'chopping' it away so to speak and then withdrawing. "See?" He grins. The withdrawal is temporary, as he again goes for a thrust to the thigh.

The shield block is truly impressive, but Lucius' swordsmanship is not as its best. However, the Mikin seems to move towards Nepos, leaping upwards. He is, however, too slow. The sword hits his calf as he leaps over Nepos, coming down in a roll and regaining balance. "Bollocks. Perhaps I am not as light-blessed as I thought," he mutters, raising the sword into a high guard.

"Eh? Trying to use your power? Well, I wouldn't imagine you to be as schooled as in fighting. You've not had much time to practice, m'lord." Lucius swings around to slash at the Mikin's chest.

Varal spins away from Lucius' sword with minimal effort. "Aye. And now would be the time to practice, I think. Though, maybe with some of the more junior members of the Torchbearers if they get cocky. Similar skill levels." He swings his sword back at Lucius' torso, a blow that could bruise.

Lucius Nepos knocks Varal's sword blow away a thundering smash from his own - surprisingly, this does nothing to the oak of the training sword, a testament to the strength of the wood used most likely. He lowers his weapon now. "I think I'm about done for now, m'lord. I'm going to be testing each of the individuals in the coming days. To see where they really should serve in the line of combat."

Varal nods, taking a couple of steps back. "Feels good to work up a real sweat with someone who I know is good," the Mikin responds with a grin. "We were about even. I cannot use a shield, so I am not that useful in a line. Skirmishing, flanking, or just general melee - though - I should hold my own. Just need room to maneuver."

"That's what I definitely saw. Maybe in a battle you, m'lord, should take charge of the irregulars? That would make the most sense, yes? The line infantry I served as, and I know what they're good for and how to best deploy them. You're more of an irregular fighter, which is just as useful." Lucius answers, tossing the heavy sword and shield out of the sparring ring and moving to go grab a waterskin off of his belt. He offers it first to Varal. "Of course, being adaptable to any situation is important. The skirmishers may need to fight in a line, so to speak. And the close order soldiers will need to fight in looser formation, too, individually, sometimes. It simply depends on the situation. Adaptability is what wins battles."

"I guess I could fit into a line if needed, but I would be forced to use a dagger. Nothing that stabbity on me, which is what lines thrive on," Varal states. "But, I can be adaptable. I am decent on a horse, too."

"Depends on how packed the line is. One doesn't need to use a longsword solely by swinging it. It's very much a weapon capable of thrusting. Besides, as long as slashes and chops are not done so by swinging swords and are kept careful, they can be done within a tighter formation. Minutae, in any case. Something you don't know until you're out there fighting." Lucius can't help but laugh. "I'm alright on a horse, I suppose. I don't like it, though. I feel uncomfortable fighting atop a horse. Moving on one and bringing it to the battle? Absolutely. Fighting on one? No. You can't take and hold ground on a horse. You're not stable, and once you're stopped it's easy to be unhorsed or killed, and certainly surrounded. Not easy to defend yourself."

"Actually, I am decent with a polearm, so I could work that way in formation. I am thinking about grabbing myself a glaive - fits with my style of fighting, for the most part," Varal states. "But can be used in a spear hedge, too, even though it is a bit short."

"Aye, it can. Glaives are nasty weapons indeed. You could pick a halberd up too, arguably. I'm not allowed to use them, but you are, and they're devastating. I suspect that using polearms, shorter spears in the front and longer half-pikes, glaives and such in the back will be hard to beat. But we'll only realize this when we see it in action." Lucius states, sitting down on his stool and drinking from his waterskin.

"Aye, it should be. And will make leaping wildlings think twice. While they would do damage, they do less damage when they land impaled. And, I'm sure that the spears will make them think twice about sacrificing themselves," Varal muses. "Plus, spearmen can throw some spears, which should be rough on the first wave."

"Aye. And we must think against bandits, as well. These formations are inherently flexible, and can be defensive or very offensive, depending on our needs." Lucius pauses for a bit, reattaching his belt and grabbing his actual shield which is covered in leather so as not to let its seraphite glow leak out at the nighttime. "Well, I've set up the guard rotations for the night, m'lord. Would you join me for a drink in Light's Reach?"

"I cannot claim to have anything better to do. I would not mind a drink," Varal replies, moving to the side of the room to collect his baldric and cloak.

"I go armoured. With the Empire in the state it's in these days, and these acarit creatures, whatever they are, swooping down and gathering people up for their ghoulish sacrifices, it would silly to do elsewise." Lucius says, gathering his own wolfskin cloak.

"Lucky, then, that you have the luxury of wearing it," Varal replies. "I would not mind if one made a pass at me, though. Give me the opportunity to remove one from our skies. But, well, the Watch provide some stability - but the wildlings grow daring and the shadow ever stronger. I only hope that banditry, at least, is not what it once was."

"Better to go armed and ready that to expect the Light to take care, I've found, m'lord. The Light works mysteriously." Lucius echoes Varal's earlier statement and lets the nobleman lead.

"That it does," Varal replies. "Shall we be off?"

Lucius Nepos nods in agreement.