Beginning With the Basics (Part 1)

Writers: Jelena, Leigh M-F.
Date Posted: 29th June 2016

Characters: Genna, A'kua
Description: Class is in session.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 6, day 2 of Turn 8
Notes: Part 1 of 2

Genna

Being a bronze weyrling had perks. So did being the friend of a goldrider. All A'kua had to say to the guards' boxing team that Genna wanted to borrow the room for an hour of the evening free time, and she had asked him to arrange it, and the space had been cleared out. There were mats on the floor, a heavy leather punching bag off to the side, towels, small weights, and other assorted objects about, including a pile of dust. A'kua adjusted his riding gloves, which he had wrapped his spare scraps of cloth about. He had told Genna to do the same to her pair and wear them; they would both need the padding. **Zei, everythin' is ready.**

}:Mother, my rider is ready for yours here,:{ Zeiranth reported, showing his dam the appropriate room.

}: She is on her way. :{ Lissath reply, a hint of curiosity in her mindvoice. She'd be watching her Genna closely during this 'lesson' or whatever it was called. It seemed to her a mighty fine idea, Genna learning how to punch people that upset her. She was just now curious how one learned such a thing.

Genna herself felt quite silly as she stepped into the room, with the wrapped up gloves around her hands. It had been quite the ordeal, too, because once she had one hand wrapped the other became a serious challenge. But she was ready, sort of, and perhaps a little curious too. Curious and nervous.

"Hey, I'm here," she said as she looked about the room. She couldn't remember ever being inside the guard's training room and somehow it seemed fascinating to her now.

He didn't want to lie and say he was glad she had arrived in a timely manner, as he was still sorry this was needed, so the weyrling just nodded to her in welcome. "I hope you're ready. First, no warmups. A real fight won't give you one," A'kua said, and then motioned around the room, "Second, what's in here that you could use as a weapon against me?"

"Uhm, the broomstick?" Genna said as her eyes searched the room for more valid options. She wouldn't bet her life on a broomstick.

"Good, but there's more." A'kua motioned to the towels. "There's those. You can twist one up and strangle someone with it." He gestured to the small hand-weights. "Those can be a weapon too. Grab one and threaten to hit someone with it." He pointed to the dust. "Even that can be used. Throw it in someone's eyes and hit 'em while they're distracted." Then he tapped Genna on the shoulder. "And you. Your body is a weapon. Remember that."

An unbelieving 'hmf' escaped Genna. Her body didn't seem like much of a weapon to her. Sure, her time caring for Lissath had brough a considerable amount of muscle to her frame, but not the kind that would get you out of a fight on top. "Have you ever seen a girl or woman beat a man in a fight?"

"No," A'kua admitted, "but that doesn't mean it can't happen. At the very least, women can make men hurt. This girl I knew at the hold, Bailan, once got so mad at her brother she gave him a black eye. Word got around fast, too." He smirked, remembering how embarrassed the older boy had been. That was the incident that had made A'kua attracted to Bailan, incidentally. He motioned to one of the punching bags. "Do me a favor and hit that as hard as you can. I want to see how strong you are. But do it like this." He made a proper fist with his left hand, thumb lying atop his fingers and wrist straight. "This minimizes damage to your hand."

Genna copied A'kua's movement carefully, her thumb just at the second knuckle of her middle finger and her wrist straight, before turning to the punching bags. After taking a deep breath, she hit it with all the power she could muster and she wasn't too disappointed with her own force. The muscles she'd gained scrubbing and oiling every inch of Lissath's hide had at least given her that much.

"Excellent. Come over here," A'kua said, moving onto one of the mats. "I'm goin' to teach you how to flip someone in a few different ways. Stand with your back to me: I'm goin' to wrap my arms around you, one below your chest and one across the top, pinnin' your upper arms. When I do that, grab my upper forearm with both hands, drop to one knee and throw your torso down so it's horizontal. Do it as fast and forcefully as you can, and do _not_ worry about hurtin' me, all right? I know how to fall. Ready?"

That sounded awfully complicated. "Can we do it in slow-motion one time first? Except that I don't toss you, of course, but so I know where to put my hands and everything?"

"Aye." And here was the part where she might get scared, even though he'd warned her what was coming. A'kua stepped up so his chest pressed against Genna's back, wrapping her arms around her upper torso and biceps. One hand grasped her shoulder, the other just above her opposing elbow. (At this point, the weyrling found himself seriously hoping no one would walk in and get the wrong impression, because holding a woman like this could look completely different in another context.)

Genna didn't for a moment considered how their position would look to anyone, as she was too busy concentrating on what she was supposed to do. "So, I put my hands like this?" she asked as she grabbed one of his arms with both her hands.

"Aye, but grab harder. You need a good grip for this." A'kua braced himself. "And now drop. Landing on both knees is okay, but landing on one is better; it allows you to stand up and run away faster."

Genna grabbed her friend's arm a little tighter, hesitating for a moment as she wanted to ask if she wouldn't hurt him by messing up, but then she remembered his words and shook the thought from her brain. Dropping, she didn't manage to land on one knee as the weight of A'kua's surprised her, but she did it fast and forcefully, like she'd been instructed.

The weyrling was actually taken by surprise as well; Genna had said she wanted to try it slowly. But in the seconds of losing his grip and sailing over her shoulders with a yelp, he still compensated by letting his feet strike the mat first to take some of the impact before he landed completely, the force leaving him momentarily breathless and extremely proud. He grinned up at his friend. "Perfect!"

The grin was all Genna needed as feedback and she beamed at her friend with delight. "That was fun!" she laughed, half surprised, half relieved. "You're okay, right? I didn't hurt you?"

"I'm absolutely fine." A'kua motioned Genna back, rocked onto his shoulders and braced his hands, and snapped up onto his feet, turning to face her. "Let's do this at least nine more times, and then I'll show you another way to do it. After that, you start learnin' how to punch instead of slap. Women tend to slap, but punchin' hurts more."

"Nine more times?" Genna asked incredulously. "Won't we get terribly dizzy?" All that tumbling around, she hoped she'd still be able to do it right after flipping so much in a row. Still, she got ready, because she figured A'kua knew what he was doing.

"It doesn't matter if we do," the weyrling replied, stepping behind his friend again. "Repetition builds habits, and this is important." He pinned her biceps another time. "Now flip me again."

}:He's really getting into this,:{ Zeiranth commented to Lissath. }:I think your rider getting hurt scared him.:{

"Check," Genna nodded, before - as suddenly as she could - she filled A'kua over again. Once more she felt the kick of success and a grin spread over her face.

}: It scared her too. But she's having fun with this. It looks like fun.:{

Zeiranth paused. }:If it's fun, why does A'kua feel so serious?:{ he asked a moment later.

Last updated on the July 6th 2016

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Beginning With the Basics (Part 1)