"One page after another . . ."
3rd Saun, 717
The Fist of Aedirn
The Fist of Aedirn
Sighing, she pushed the door open and stepped through the threshold.
The exterior door connected to the main training room, a wide space devoid of any sort of furniture in its center. A half dozen pairs of students were scattered across the room, each running through various exercises and exhibitions with one another while two Lotharro who appeared to be instructors moved from group to group. On the far end of the room, seated beside a sliding door, sat a man Silv assumed to be Koda, the head instructor of the dojo. His gaze danced around the room, roving about in similar fashion as his subordinates. Silv noted that with each rotation the instructor would halt before the master and listen to the advice he offered to pass onto particular students regarding their performance. It was, as far as she could tell, a well-oiled machine, and part of her couldn’t help but feel like she was going to be a wrench. She was, noticing immediately, the only woman in the room.
One the two instructors noticed Silv at the door and peeled away from his circuit to greet her. Little silver bells danced in the two braids of his auburn beard as he stepped up to her. They were of the same height, but she still couldn’t help but feeling dwarfed. If he was surprised to any part of her appearance—gender or race—he gave no visible sign. He did greet her in common, though, which revealed a hint of his assumptions of her. “Are you here to train?”
“Yes,” Silv replied in fluent Haltunga, “I wish to begin my study of Krenn Maii.”
The Lotharro nodded. His next statement, also spoken in the Lotharan tongue, was the only indication that he noted Silv’s revelation. “You pay after the session is over,” he said, looking over his shoulder. “All the other students are paired off, so you’ll work with me. Probably for the best since its your first time.”
“What makes you think this is my first time?” she asked, a silver eyebrow ascending into an arch.
“Because, lass,” he said bluntly, looking her up and down. “I would’ve remembered you. We all would’ve.” He turned away and stepped further into the room. “Follow me.”
With a huff of indignation, she did. Her training, and the pursuit of the lingering questions, was about to begin.
Ledger
-10 gn for two-breaking training session