Introductions and Pulled Punches
Summary: Yates and Tuthala size each other up.
Date: May 10th, 2016
Related: None

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Practice Yard
As part of the training facilities of the Heroes Guild, this sprawling outdoor practice area was built to help young apprentices work on their martial and weaponry skills. The main arena is ringed with a chest height stone wall that surrounds the sand of the yard itself where students may spar. A large oak tree stands opposite the walkway from the ring surrounded by practice dummies. Leading south the path heads over the bridge to the Statue Garden. To the east is the Will training Island, the West meanders to the Archery Yard, and to the North is the gate to the Guild Woods.
May 10, 1553

It's close to lunch time and this round of combat training is winding down, and most of the teenagers look tired and beaten, but some of them seem perfectly fine. Yates is among those who seem fine, even though he's spent most of the day sparring. A nice new bruise decorates high on his right cheek, marking where another recruit's fist grazed his face. It was here he revealed himself to be a southpaw, which took the first person he sparred by surprise. He doesn't seem done yet though, working a dummy over with his practice sword.

Finishing up a round of strikes against a dummy nearby, Tuthala takes a few quick steps back, eyeing her handiwork, and only then noticing there is still someone in the yard as the rest of the recruits wander off towards the promise of food. Trying to slow her breathing, she eyes Yates as she paces around to get a better look at the dummy he's perforating. Pulling one arm across her body, then the other, she waits for some measure of a break in his attacks before calling out, "How are you still standing? How is /it/ still standing?"

"Probably because of pulled punches, in both regards." Yates informs Tuthala, taking a break and wiping his face off. "I'm used to training longer hours. I need to stop spending so much time here though, and move over to the island halfway through." He puts his weapon up and wanders back over to where the woman is, offering her a hand. "I'm Yates, by the way. I don't think we've officially met yet?"

Tuthala eyes flicker over Yates and the hand for just a moment before she reaches out to shake it, nodding with a cocked eyebrow, "Tuthala. I guess it really hasn't been official, but I've seen you around, to be sure." She nods towards the dummy, "I need lots more practice before my dummies start looking like that, I think."

"Good to meet you. And yeah, I've seen you around." Yates brings his hand back to run through his hair, slowly letting out a breath. "If you'd like we could spar sometime. Probably the best way to learn is to just get out there and do it."

Tuthala's eyes widen just a shade in a flicker of emotion, "Spar? With you?" Her gaze moves up to the fresh bruise Yates is sporting. She shakes her head a little, moving back to lean against the fence post of to the side of the field and trying to look relaxed, "I'd be mush." She flashes a hint of a smile, "If you were fast enough."

Yates can't help but grin at Tuthala, "I'm pretty quick. Even if I'm stuck using my legs." He stretches, taking a moment to look Tuthala over as he does so. "So what is it you do? We're all here because of something."

Relaxing her shoulders down a bit, she cracks a wry grin, "Hmm, what do I do… I guess things haven't changed too much from what I /did/. I look out for myself. Sometimes I look out for others, if they deserve it." She lifts a hand to rub at her neck, "The guild has honed that edge a bit. Lots of fancy new things to be learned here." She glances up at Yates with a wry grin, "They can't make be bigger or too much stronger, but they can make me faster, and deadlier."

"That's why I'm here. Too many people I care for have suffered because of selfish people, and there's a chance I can help stop that." Yates says, a bit optimistically. "You ever killed a person?" he asks suddenly, blue eyes locking on Tuthala's aquamarine ones.

Tuthala pales a bit but doesn't look away as she shakes her head, tucking her arms across her chest, "No one's tried to kill /me/ yet, so… No." She seems unable to drag her gaze away as she continues to look up at Yates, curiosity starting to overcome her squeamishness, "You?"

"More than once. I think two years ago I killed my first pirate. They were a big problem, bandits too." Yates explains to Tuthala. "It gets easier to do, but not easier to deal with. I know they're teaching us how to fight.. But that doesn't mean you have to actually kill. I’d try to steer away from it if I were you."

Puffing up a bit, Tuthala straightens up from her slouch against the post. "I could kill if I had to!" Her sudden bluster doesn't stick around long in the face of the much taller Yates, and soon she leans back once more, eyes sliding to the side, "It is bound to happen eventually, I suppose."

"Unfortunately, it will. Maybe it won't bother you though." Yates offers a grin at the tiny woman. "But who knows, maybe you'll pick up somebody to travel with you along the way. That way you can mainly do all the talking, because you know us warrior folk don't usually have a silver tongue."

Her own laugh seems to catch Tuthala off guard, her eyes lighting up as she wiggles her eyebrows, "What, no wiley stories to keep your enemies on their toes? How do you even survive?" She motions off towards the tavern, "You must just be a ghost. Do ghosts eat?"

"Sure do. We drink too." Yates does bring his hand up to cover a yawn. "A lot of training. Going on five years of it."

Tuthala smiles and heads off towards the tavern, wiggling a few fingers behind her, "Five years… C'mon then, ghost, you must be so very hungry!"

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