Character Development > Development Journals and Discussion
A Family Legacy ; Katrien
minerva:
A large room with stone walls and a packed sand floor is divided into several roped training rings as will as areas with padded wooden replicas of men. Bags of sand hang from the rafters and there are several benches with iron weights stacked close by. Soldiers in various states of armor and with and without shields are sparring with each other or the dummies.
Off to one side of the room Kat is hacking at one of the dummies. Her fashionable dress has been exchanged for what appears to be iron chain mail. Instead of a short bow she has a blunted iron long sword in one hand and a small wooden shield in the other. She looks comfortable holding the shield but no the sword.
“Come on Miss Kat, you can hit harder than that.” a grizzled older man, clad only in his leather trews. ,is feet and chest bare, chides at Kat as she makes a very clumsy swing with a long sword at the wooden training dummy.
“That's just it Henry” She wheezes as she places the sword vertical and leans against it.” I can't hit this thing harder or my arm will fall off.
He walks up behind her and lifts the sword and places it back in her hand and patiently guides her body into a more correct stance. “It don't come from your arm lass, it comes from here” as he places a large hand on her abdomen. “Use you're whole body, not just yer arm and you'll do better”
Kat sucks in a deep breath, frowns at the dummy and tries to hold the form that Henry has shown her. Her swing is a little more steady and her arm doesn't vibrate as much when the iron makes contact with the cloth padding but there is little to no damage to be seen.
“Why do others” she grunts when she tries again “ Make this look so damn easy. I'm out with others and they're dancing around towering giants and bringing them down. One swipe an a giant would have me clear across the glade.” She labors a bit with each blow she gives the padding. “I've better to stick with my bow than to teach this old dog new tricks” The practice session goes on for about a hour and Kat is left red faced, sweating and with multiple new bruises.
Henry leans over her and puts a friendly arm around her shoulder. “Join the lads with me in the tavern and have a pint or two. Mayhap I can convince you to play for us or even sing? His eyebrows waggle as he adds the last part. Kat lets out a deep breath and squares up her shoulders. “I'd never miss the opportunity to sing and play for your boys Henry”
The tavern is crowded with those local to the area. It looks a little worn and tired but it is neat and tidy and the most delicious smells of roasting meat and fowl emanate from the large hearth at the back. Raucous laughter and cheer permeate the atmosphere of the place and Kat does not have to try hard to forget her aching back and arms and smile warmly at the serving staff and patrons. A table crammed with several young men and women frantically beckon the pair over. Its not hard to tell the resemblance to Henry on the faces of several of them. Kat is greeted as warmly as a member of the family and its apparent that she is well known amongst them.
“A song , a song” they shout as she approaches. One of the serving staff hands Kat and Henry a mug of ale as she passes. Kat take a long parched draft from her tankard and her mail creaks as she stands on the bench beside the table. She holds her tankard aloft and belts out a well known drinking song and not only her table but the entire tavern sing along her voice seeming to heighten and inspire the talents of the singing patrons. She easily transitions into the ballad of the Norseman, a fierce fighting song, and follows with several more popular tunes. Much time passes before she holds up her hand and gracefully bows. “Good folk it has been my honor to sing for you but alas my voice needs a break and” she holds the now empty tankard aloft “More ale”
She sits beside Henry and places the mug down. She leans on his shoulder and asks “ I wonder if all of this is worth it. I'm a singer, not a fighter. I inspire men and women to fight harder and longer because I sure as hell can't.”
“You can do anything you put your mind to lass. Perhaps you're going about this the wrong way. Sure being a fighter is being able to swing a sword or a mace or a hammer and make sure it hit the other guy, hard but its more than that. Its the mindset. Its working past the pain when the bandit slices your shoulder and being able to take more. Learning to ignore the pain sure but also learning your own limits.” Henry leans his messy grey haired head against Kat's still bright auburn one. You got strength in that heart of yours. You helped so many in need. You raised a fine daughter and let no one make her seem less because of that bastard father of hers. You've got what it takes to move along and the courage to take on challenges. A fighter is never giving up and child I've never seen you give up.
A trail of wetness trickles from the corner of one of Kat's eyes and she motions to wipe it away. “Thanks Henry, that means a lot coming from you. Perhaps we can set aside the new stuff and you can focus on teaching me how to move in armor better and some basics weapons. Things I am already good with like an axe or daggers. I don't want to use a great long bow taller than me, but I can focus on my short one.”
Kat picks the tankard from the table and brings it to her mouth to sip the ale slowly. “ You know Henry I was thinking... “
Henry makes a fake grimace face. “Dragons shudder when you start thinking Kat.”
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