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There were many things that the little blue she-elf needed to do. One of the most crucial was to learn how to defend herself on the land. So, she decided to seek out a certain Drow who promised in the past to teach her how to fight. And since this Drow did not live under the waves, this meant she had to go to the land to find him.
Yess indeed, she did. And Ssz'tyr was assuming that was indeed why she was hunting him out. Cobalt hues locked onto the moving blue form with a slow arch of a brow dyed crimson. So he decided to step out into the open. Likely it was a forest clearing, as that was where the Drow had been spending most of his time, with the ranger and various assortment of animals. He had come out leaning on that metallic, silver stave of his, edged grin touching ebon features. "And you are here for?" His clothing was simple as it always was, if not a little layered, with the robe -- black today -- over the typical form-fitting top and trousers. It meant he likely had those throwing pins all over! That waist length crimson was braided to fall down his back.
Yes, the forest, well away from the waves Carragena called home. She was already at a disadvantage, as traveling on the land was rather dehydrating to those of her kind. Swathed from her neck to knees in her customary white shirt-dress, the little blue elf challengingly lifted her chin as she approached the Drow. No weapons in her webbed hands, or in sight, but she never left the waves unarmed. "I seek the assistance you promised to give one day to me, Ssz'tyr." She used his proper name this time, with no slurs on his race or statements about his proclivity to sneaky acts.
Ssz'tyr could not keep the smirk off. A slow, assessing tilt of the head had an expert eye sweeping her up and down. Oh, he knew she was armed, or at least hoped she was not so foolish as to go traipsing about dry land without some form of protection. "Nindol zhal'la tlu terini'nestg...." Murmured to himself, not at her at all, though that was changed quite abruptly. "You realize I am not known as a teacher, hm? I assume so. But... I remember how I was taught." Ssz'tyr suddenly sported a grin that could be taken as nothing but sinister. The innate sadism of his people shining through in expression. "I can quote my very first tutor's very first words, even. Shall we do it that way? Hmm?"
"Yes, but you gave your word that you would teach me, should I ask it of you. What were those words?" Again, the she-elf's chin lifted challengingly. She would not shirk from this training, no matter the hardship, as she needed desperately to be able to defend herself. The little blue she-elf could not always depend on the aid of her brother, or Io'lin, or Mahtan. Thoughts of the latter brought a touch of purple to her cheeks.
"Tch. We begin now, then. I suggest you arm yourself, quickly, Elf. The only difference between me and my teacher in this is that I will not kill you unless vastly annoyed." And the Drow suddenly erupted into a stalk, flowing, prowl. Complete confidence displayed, if not disdain for her. As though she were his enemy, an opponent looking to end him today. "Lesson one. 'Naut Elggor'. With me, it was quite obvious who had failed this and who had succeeded, and so it shall be for you, Fish." He was not waiting then, rather, just bonelessly surging forward, that stave a spinning shimmer -- the material made it blur quite nicely when spun -- brought hand over hand to swing a blunt, crashing blow into her gut. Likely not easy to avoid, as he was not coming from a side with it, rather, simply running the end into her stomach. Like one might with a spear. And what did he want to do? Knock the air from her, for one.
Carragena swiftly reached under the baggy garment she wore on land, and withdrew her bone-handled dagger from its sheath at her hip. Her oceanic eyes narrowed at the Drow as she regarded him now as one of those she hunted under the waves. Her steps, slightly unsteady on the single plane of land, began to circle the Drow in the other direction. Her weapon was held at the ready. Until that surge forward from Ssz'tyr made Carragena instinctively raise the dagger arm up to try to deflect what came towards her. Unfortunately, she was not quite as swift or practiced with that movement on land, and the air rushed from her lungs with a whooshing sound.
Ssz'tyr reacted without seam, a spin that displayed the natural grace of the dark elves at its most deadly. Again the spin, and again a strike, this a solid, lashing blow aimed for the back, to bring her down if she did not avoid it. But that was the reason for the first blow! Every move played on the next. He expected her to pay attention to what was going on as any Drowish teacher might. Or any that had instructed Ssz'tyr had. Your enemy would not explain his moves, and neither should your teacher be expected to. Experience was indeed the best way to learn.
The stumbling from the air being knocked from Carragena's lungs was a blessing in disguise, as it allowed her to sidestep the blow almost completely. Though it was enough of a glancing blow that she stumbled even more. However, she rolled with the almost fall to the ground. Her blade aimed to slash at the back of his knees to cripple him. That is, if she was successful in the move as she rose.
Ssz'tyr was inwardly pleased by the attempt. It was a test passed in a way. He danced away from that slashing weapon as though it were non-existent. It was to be commended, though he would not. And here it was again, methodical, first the spin of that stave, and then the blow, this one sailing overhead and down on her with the turn he had used to avoid the knife. His grip changed to hold the stave lower mid spin. To avoid this she would have to roll to one side or the other, though that was not obvious until just before impact. Trying to roll forward out of range, would likely only make the blow less… pleasant.
And indeed, the she-elf did roll back to one side, in an attempt to avoid another crushing blow to knock the wind from her. However, instinct told her not to remain in that spot for any length of time, so the sea elf rolled even further to that side, in an attempt to get behind the Drow so she could lunge forward to strike at his heels with her blade.
And so Carra got to learn the beauty of a weapon like a stave. Ssz'tyr simply moved forward and shifted his grip, and stayed in position as he basically… about faced. Not wheeling, that took too much time. In this, he met her roll as though he had anticipated it, which he had. He was running the weapon low in another rushing jab, this time pointedly without any spinning. Maybe she would note the difference, maybe not. But he was actually trying to clobber her in the side of the head with the blow! It was hard enough to do more than daze, even. Some might even say he had overdone it.
The spinning that Carragena noticed this time was from her head, as the blunt end of Ssz'tyr's weapon contacted it soundly. She would not give up, even with the way the land and sky seemed to tumble in opposite directions in her sight. However, even Shark Killer could not fight the urge to meet the ground face first.
"I think that, perhaps, is enough for today. You're dead, Carra." Coldly. Ssz'tyr planted the end of the staff into the ground at that. He told her she would know, didn't he? He had already set up a plan! "We will do this again, at the same time tomorrow. Again, until we reach this point. And so on, and so forth. Until you can at least... survive. And Lloth wil-." Pause, frown. "Gods willing, you actually manage to land a hit on me. Through this you will learn to move. If you cannot, then you likely won't have a day without that wonderful ache you're feeling for quite some time." Then, he fell quiet, simply watching her, and waited for her to pick herself up.
Slowly, very slowly, when the spinning of the land and sky was no longer quite as dizzying as a rough tumble through turbulent waves, Carragena extended her webbed hands, and pushed herself up from the ground. Standing would take a bit more time to accomplish just yet. For now, she was on her hands and knees.
"Velkyn is more skilled now, than I likely ever will be, in the art of killing, Carra. If you intend to use this as means to be heroic, do not. Here is another lesson for you. When faced with an enemy you cannot beat, run. Stubborn pride is a tool of the foolish, and the dead." Pearls of wisdom? Something like that. He dropped into a crouch, close to her, nearly face to face. "Your brother is not going to like this at all, mm?" He shrugged, before he snickered. "Perhaps he will learn a few lessons as well then. He is quite nimble, though." That? That was intentional. There was nothing wrong with attempting to goad her into being a bit competitive. It was just more incentive.
"No ... he will not. I fight for myself." Her chin lifted, in this awkward position for her, with pride and defiance. "Thelion does not always travel with me. Yes, he moves well on the land."
"Hmph. A point well made. If I were to 'teach' him anything, the mutt would not take kindly to it at all." And then, Ssz'tyr wondered if he even could do to Ecthelion what he was doing to Carra. Ecthelion had a quality that made him hard to knock around. Or perhaps he was simply… soft... for one of his kind.
Carragena Mélawen Nénharma was hard among her kind, but she had to be, given the nature of what her function in her society had been. Shark Killer. That in part explained her aloof nature. A weakness, perhaps, to the Drow, as he appeared to exploit it in their encounters. Something she must learn to guard against, in future lessons. However, there were some who could get her to drop the stern mask and smile, Ecthelion being one of them.
Ssz'tyr blinked for a moment. Geh. Annoying sun! His head dipped low, and he was no longer looking at her, but sitting.
The sun was bright, but not as dizzying to Carragena as that staff of Ssz'tyr's had been. She slowly rolled to her feet, shook her head to both clear it, and perhaps adjust the remaining water within her inner ears. Balance for her kind depended on water pressure, it appeared.
Then she noticed the Drow eyeing the side of her head. A webbed hand tentatively came up to touch the warm, red liquid that trickled down the side of her face.
Ssz'tyr watched it trickle with little concern. She would live. He had done it intentionally, after all. Heaving a bit of a sigh as he stood and started stalking off in the opposite direction. "You may want to get something done about that, Carra."
Yes. It would not do for Carragena to return to the waves in this manner. Those she hunted would scent her, and attack without mercy. So she would tend to her scalp wound herself, eventually. "I ... thank you for the lesson, Ssz'tyr."
"As you should." You're welcome? No. He was being so... well… Drow… for a reason. And would be until he was done with her. That was simply how this had to work, because he knew no other way!
She began to move on the single plane, in the opposite direction as Ssz'tyr. Eventually, her steps would lead her to the waves. Home.
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