Hanta Deshaldi: A life of Independence

[Mastiff of Liv]

*Hanta sits down on a bench watching two men spar with wooden swords.  She opens a new leather-bound book and begins to pen an entry*



After all this time away from home it feels right to begin inking this in words.  Maybe my folks will get a chance to read this and appreciate my new life.  I hope I have not caused them much worry or pain.  Mom and Dad must have understood my spirit and knew deep down that I couldn’t be couped up in that small village and be married off to be some common housewife.
 
    I think Dad knows that the skills I gleaned off of him and the others in the militia helped me survive those early times.  I will admit it now; I was scared after leaving home in the dark, hoping not to run into any predators on four legs or two while attempting to cover my departure.  It was a rough period of days before I found my way to Hlint.  What a bustling place that was, more so than it is now.  I remember looking at my reflection in a shop window.  I looked like quite the wild one, all disheveled and surprised no one clobbered me over the head mistaking me for a half-woman, half-beast.  There was a pond in the walled proper and I cleaned myself up there, ignoring all the looks I must have attracted.  It was in Hlint that I bought some supplies with the money I had saved up.  I was excited to look at the armor the local vendors had but the prices were so far out of reach it was discouraging.  I realized I had to make do with the ill-fitted leather gear I brought with me.  I sat down against the side of a building and pondered my next move as I tried to sleep through that first night in a protected town.

[Mastiff of Liv]

Hanta sits heavily on a chair with a surprised look on her face holding a leather-bound book that looks fairly new

"I can't believe I found this. I remember my intention was to keep some sort of journal but it got buried in a keepsake trunk. Well, perfect timing to begin a new chapter"

She ties back her sweat-soaked hair with a small leather band and dips the pen into the inkwell and begins writing


A lot has happened since I first entered Hlint. Much could be written here about those times. Much could be written about the people I have met, fought with and against. However, I am writing about two new exciting things that are shaping my life.

First, I have partnered up with Idoran Mossfeild. Ido is an interesting fellow but we seem to mesh fairly well. He has inherited his family business, Mossfeild Caravan. They have recently come on hard times namely with an attack from a dragon of all things. I believe he lost have of his wagons and personnel! I have become a gatherer for others mainly in my own quest to smith ore and make armor. I discovered I could make some extra money for rooms at a dry inn by gathering supplies for others. After helping out Idoran with some of his deliveries, he decided to invite me into Mossfeild Caravan as a partner. Can you believe that? Maybe I have become good luck, I cannot tell, but the business has began to pick up and thrive with short-term and long-term contracts. The business is steady and we are saving up to purchase a new storehouse and business front.

Secondly, Fehriel, the master of a two-bladed sword has agreed to train me in the long process of becoming a weapon master of my own two-handed sword. Although the weapons are different, apparently the techniques are the same. I find myself writing now shortly after my third day of training. Three days ago I had my first lesson with Feh. He taught me how to meditate (something I never have done before now). Feh also taught me to adjust my attack, my delivery. If I delay my attack until my weight transfer is more toward my opponent I can generate more power with my blade. It seemed trivial but over the last couple of days I have come to feel it ever-so-slightly in my strikes.

Feh has me meditating each day for an hour (boy, I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to that). He talks about muscle control and stronger strikes. I haven't felt anything but tingling in my calves from kneeling on the ground. Apparently it will come with proper training. Feh also has me practicing the thrust strike I mentioned two hundred times each day following meditation.

It has only been a couple of days but I know I can finish this. Although I always felt one with my greatsword, I now know it can be more. I am just starting to scratch the surface. I have decided to write my progress down. Maybe it will help me review my training.

[Mastiff of Liv]

As Hanta finishes her second day of training to unite her body with her greatsword, she thinks back on her first training session with Fehriel and what he taught her

She recalls watching Fehriel practice against a worn dummy when she quietly enters the room unaware if he knows she is present or not. Finally she breaks the silence and his continuous routine

After the exchange of pleasantries, Feh finally says the words she wants to hear...
You're here for your first lesson?

grinning she replies
  I wouldn't miss it
 
 Alright then
Please take position in front of me
after positioning herself on the other side of the practice square from Fehriel, he begins to speak on the heart of the training
Now, being a weapon master is much more than just being good at using your weapon. It is becoming one with your weapon, as if it was an extension of your own body.

I feel as if this were already true, but I know I have a lot to learn.

It's to be able to feel the very subtleties that touch the tip of your weapon as if it was your fingers touching but it's not just that...

Hanta cocks her head slightly

...being a weapon master is also being a master of one self, and learning to harness your inner strength, your inner muscle control. So that you can then learn to apply it to your strikes.

Harness my....inner self

Yes. The best way to learn that is to meditate.

Hmm, that is something I have never done.

If you would please take position, it's rather easy
Hanta watches Fehriel
Please, take position
she attempts to copy the position and begins to meditate
he starts to talk slowly Close your eyes, and just concentrate on yourself.
she closes her eyes and attempts to blank her mind and concentrate inwardly
Forget everything that is around you, it is as if you were in a dark room, with no sound, no light. Just you.

she attempts to ignore the heat from the fireplace
No thoughts... no worries... just peace

Hanta begins to open her mouth and then shuts it as she returns to her concentration
Now... slowly... relax all the muscles within you. it's very subtle. Just try to release the tension..
he falls silent as he enters meditation himself

waits a matter of minutes and then says...
I feel a tingling sensation, but is also may be lost circulation. Is that what is should feel like?

Don't speak.. just feel for it

an hour passes and Feh opens his eyes looking at her, making sure she is not asleep

she makes small fidgets but attempts to retain the meditation position

he stands slowly and silently
Alright
she opens her eyes and looks at him
How do you feel?

I feel a little cramped in the legs and knees

Feh chuckles you'll get used to it.

I can' say that I felt anything like relaxation within my body. Maybe just a tingling in my legs.

That would be blood circulation being cut off.

Darn she mumbles

Alright now lets move to the combat dummy

she stretches her legs and approaches

Show me how you hold yourself when you fight.

she unsheaths her sword and tucks the sheath away holding her sword and body in a defensive style

That is surely not how you attack right?

she turns to him

What is your position when you strike?

Without the use of a shield, I have trained to attack while also thinking of defense. Shall I strike at the dummy? You can see.

Sure

she strikes the dummy a number of times

hmm not bad

she stops for his critique

Alright. There is a few flaws, but not so bad.

Hanta grins crookedly

Now comes the grueling part. I will teach you one technique at a time to which you will practice for a set number of time. The first one is the thrust.

The thrust she repeats

Move to the side please.

First, I noticed that your balance was a bit off which is common for users of great swords.

she watches Fehriel intently

What you need to do first, is set the spacing in between your feet. Shoulder wide, no more no less. Too wide and you lose initiative to move. Too little and you don't have a good grounding.

she widens her stance and looks to her shoulders for comparison

Second is that your strong leg will be in the back. This way you can move from a defensive position to attack, and back and forth.
he sets himself and moves his weight from his back leg to his front leg
You see what I mean?

Yes I do

The power of the thrust starts from your back leg, coming up to your hips, which will turn toward your enemy giving you a slightly twisting motion of the thorax that will then be translated in your arm going forward and thrusting its tip into the enemy.

My hips will turn?

Yes slightly.

Hmm, interesting.

Look at how I stand on my back leg, you see my hip is slightly turn where my sword is.

She watches Yes

When I move my weight forward, the hip turns facing the enemy, and then the thorax follows, and then the arm...in that precise order. It's a build up of energy. kinetic if you prefer.
Fehriel strikes at the dummy with the thrust
Now come where I am and do it step by step slowly.

she moves in position in front of the dummy

Stand in your defensive position

Hanta positions her feet shoulder-width apart with her right leg slightly behind her left

Thats it, your weight on the right leg. Now move your weight forward

she does it in a slower manner to understand the move

Fehriel waits until her weight is almost to the front
Now turn your hip toward the dummy

her hips slightly twisting forward and her blade moving

Wait for the blade, it's your hip, then your thorax follows the hips, and then your arm extend. Now do it again.

she repeats the process and feels her torso move now that she does not extend her arm
Like so?

Yes...

she doesn't smile at the small victory

...as you feel your thorax is about to turn past the dummy you extend arm and sword to thrust it in the dummy.

she begins the trial again and this time extends the sword when her torso begins to turn to the dummy

That's it!

Oops, too soon?

Just a bit. Your arm shouldn't start the trust until your torso is facing the dummy.

she attempts it again and this time tries to wait until her upper body starts to pass by the dummy

Feh nods
  Repeat again

repeats the process again

Again

repeats again

Alright you have it.

It is a delay longer than I naturally have done in the past.

It is, but that's what will give it it's power. much like when you twist some rubber, it spins and takes velocity that's what your hips and upper body adds to it. It adds strength and velocity into your thrust. The movement of your weight adds weight to your thrust, which translates into more power. Because if you just stay with your weight back, all you have is a powerless thrust with poor range and motion.

thinks on the example
  I see

Now here is what you will do. Each day you will meditate an hour.

Meditate an hour she repeats
Can I practice what you have shown me as well as the meditation?

Well of course...after the meditation.

She grins

I want you to practice in slow motion, that thrust two hundred times each day.

Two hundred. I can do that.

Good. I want you to feel every step of the movement, and understand why it is there.

That's it for today, we will see each other in a month for the next training session. You can use this room to train.

Thank you Master Fehriel
she hides a slight smile

You're welcome. smiles Just feh.

Thank you Feh
smiles openly

I think next time I will wear my practice gear instead of armor
Feh chuckles as the lesson ends

[Mastiff of Liv]

Hanta finds a little time to jot down a note in the book

With Idoran taking a leave of absence and my training with Feh, I am running myself ragged.  My practice is necessary but so is my work with the Caravan.  We seemed to be so short staffed.  I guess it's good the business has plenty of contracts, it is just too bad I'm finding myself picking up all of the slack.

Some days I don't know if I am awake or sleeping.  I think I should look into a solid horse, maybe one trained for noise of battle in case I run into trouble.  Ha!  Yeah, I will jump right on that.  Sometime I will find the time.

In the meantime, I better make sure my lessons and practice to not suffer from the Caravan business.

[Mastiff of Liv]

Ah, another day of work and practice completed. I'm looking forward to meeting with Fehriel again to learn something new. I have finished up another workout session with the thrust technique that Fehriel wanted me to master. I believe I have done so, although he will be the judge of that.

I still haven't discovered how to exert my muscles beyond their normal use yet and am concerned I just may not get it. I truly hope that is not the case.

[Mastiff of Liv]

after finding some time after a delivery, Hanta sits down to write down her most recent outing in the leather-bound journal

One month has passed and after anxiously waiting for my session it came in an unusual manner. I wanted to test out my new move against a strong foe so I headed off to find some giants from the Broken Glade clan to test my skill. The surprise was that Fehriel was already there causing his own trouble.

Feh said no better way to learn than during combat. He invited me to travel with him and his companions. T'orroc, who I've already fought alongside, was present. Two new faces rounded out the group, a quiet stoic elf named Glitch and a cleric of Lucinda that went by the name Talia. Although I was confident with my skill, I still felt a little silly as Feh had me perform the thrust he had taught me a month prior. Using T'orroc as my "combat dummy" I performed the maneuver and was reassured when Fehriel was pleased with my progress.

Fehriel then taught me my next technique, what I laughingly call "splitting the adam". I am to start the maneuver the same as the thrust however my blade will strike from above. When my weight begins to transfer from my back foot to upper body shifting forward, I am to slash from head to groin. I slowly practiced the move and put it mentally away for safe keeping. This day I would mix in the original thrust with my defensive fighting style against the giants. The remainder of this month I will practice this new move.

[Mastiff of Liv]

Another day of practice, yet the first day of a new technique. I have become competent with the thrust and now work on the new technique I have dubbed 'splitting the adam'.

As always, I sit and meditate for an hour attempting to flex and relax my muscles in my body. I have to admit I was getting concerned that the first month did not reveal this. However Feh said that it will come, it takes time and I shouldn't be too concerned.

After finishing meditation, I spend a few minutes sharpening my blade and set to task of two hundred practice strikes with my second technique. Personally I see this head-to-groin slash more in line with my greatsword than the thrust.

[Mastiff of Liv]

Hanta sits and writes excitedly with a hurried hand in the leather-bound book

Finished another practice. This one was different though. After a month and a half I think I am finally learning how to consistently flex and relax certain muscles related to my strikes. During my hourly meditation I began to feel a ripple in my muscle control. It is hard to explain because I am describing it as a ripple but it is more like a controlled muscle exertion.

I will verify this feeling when I next speak with Fehriel. However, one thing is for certain, I have no idea how this ripple or exertion is supposed to help me in combat. Hopefully that is something that he can explain as well.

Finally, I wasn't giving up hope but I just wasn't sure if I would ever get to this point. Nearly sixty days had passed and I was beginning to wonder about this muscle exertion.

[Mastiff of Liv]

Within the week of discovering the rippling of muscle control in her body, Hanta crosses paths with Fehriel in Hlint. After exchanging pleasantries the conversation shifts to Hanta's practices.

how's your training going?

It has been going really well. I think I might finally be harnessing my muscle control for my strike. It's more like an exertion really...

Fehriel nods
  that's a good thing

...does that makes sense?

It does. It's a rippling sensation that when you're good enough at controlling it, you will be able to harness it to improve your strike.

Really? Very interesting.

That's how you can utilize it to perform devastating attacks

I can't wait. I am trying to be patient.

Fehriel continues
  It will come, it took me a while to get it...but I guess that's mostly due to my nature.

You say it took you a while to control your muscle control?

Yep, I guess you noticed I'm not the most poised person

Hanta produces a large grin Well then, you are the perfect teacher for me.

Well don't worry if you don't control it soon, I will show you how I did it.

I am eagerly waiting.

[Mastiff of Liv]

Hanta continues another day of her training, she positions herself on the floor and slows her breathing. During her meditation she concentrates on controlling the muscles in her body, flexing and relaxing them with success. It doesn't seem as foreign as it had earlier. However, it does seems to wear her energy down.

As she has of late, Hanta completes the meditation with a small smile. In short order, she begins her two hundred practice strikes with the head-to-knee chopping technique. Within an hour of the practice completion, Fehriel surprises Hanta with the next lesson in her training.

Take your place then.

Fehriel kneels at the corner of the mat as Hanta does the same. They both close their eyes and start to meditate

Once the hour is completed Feh stands. However Hanta still seems lost in meditation. He lets her go on for a moment. She opens an eye and then shakes herself free and stands

Fehriel grins a bit
Alright now in the future meditations you will try to control your muscle exertion from you entire body to your hands.

To my hands. she repeats

Aye...for now though I'm going to show you something.

She approaches. He points to a roughly hewn piece of wood.
You see that?

The piece of wood? Yes.

Move in and place yourself so that the maximum extension of your blade is two inches past it.

Hanta draws her blade and extends it until the blade is nearly two inches beyond the wood. She holds the blade as still as possible.

Now I want you to harness your muscle strength and do a thrust at the wood with all of your controlled might.

Hanta concentrates for a few seconds. She stands in the correct position and thrusts her blade towards the wood.  It strikes with a thud.
Like that?

Hmm...but you didn't strike with all your might.

No, I guess I didn’t.

Exactly, as you thrust use every muscle in your body and let out all the air from your lungs in a loud Khai! He shows a quick example

Hanta places the blade in the same position and concentrates again. This time she stays still for much longer. She waits a little longer then with all of her concentration on the rough piece of wood, she thrusts her blade and yells out...
khai!

It strikes with a thunk, some splinters chipping away and her blade nearly falling from her hands.  Feh smiles a little and Hanta looks at him quizzically.

Don't worry, it was expected, but once you have mastered this attack...
he places himself in front of the wood and without hesitation he thrust and yells out...
Khai!

Feh’s blade sinks through the thick piece of rough wood as his body appears to tense. She watches the event and raises an eyebrow

That was the attack you spoke of?

Yes. Now the wood is much weaker than an opponent with armor so don't expect to be able to do that to him with the blade. However, as you hit and your blade enters your opponent, imagine what it can do to your opponent’s interior.

So on top of meditating and practicing your techniques you will also practice what I just showed you.

Yes Feh.

And now for another technique...it is a slice. Simple, effective. You already have the base of it with the thrust and the second technique, but instead of the sword coming down from above it will move parallel to the ground. Your hips and thorax once again will bring the momentum and increase the strength as you rotate them past the opponent this time.

...to increase the strength of the strike.

Your back leg again will give the initial thrust.

He shows her and she watches intently. Without a blade in her hand Hanta slowly moves through the motion where she stands

He nods seeing her do it
Step up and set yourself please.

She draws her blade and approaches

Now do it slow and break the movement down.

Standing with legs shoulder width apart and right leg back she holds her sword at hip level she begins the strike parallel with the ground from right to left. As the blade starts to near the dummy she shifts her weight by bringing her right foot forward and as the blade strikes the dummy she continues the momentum of her body as it twists towards the left

Fehriel nods
  Again.

She begins the strike again with just a little more speed this time

You got it. Keep your sword straighter as if you were gliding it on the ground. Now the good thing with this technique is that you can do it to the knees, the guts and the head.

I will practice at all three locations then.

That will be it for today. Practice hard and you will succeed.

Hopefully I am showing some progress.

You are.

Hanta produces a small smile
  I feel like I am.

I'm proud to say that you have shown a lot of it.

Thank you.

Feh looks past her and grins
  Oh and clean that up will you?
  He winks

Sure
  Hanta groans and Feh chuckles

[Mastiff of Liv]

Hanta eagerly practices the new technique and muscle exertion that Feh has designed for her.

As always, Hanta begins with an hour of meditation. During this round of meditation, Feh has requested that she attempt to tense and relax the muscles in her body. She attempts this, directing the muscle movements in the direction of her hands.

Hmm, it seems I am able to control the exertion of my muscles. Of course, maybe I'm just making myself think that.
Well, time for something I know is real.

Hanta sets up a thick plank of rough hewn wood. One similar to what Feh used during the training session. She draws her blade and holds it so the blade would extend beyond the wood.

She concentrates on the muscles in her body, attempting to make them tense. When it seems like her body is ready she strikes outward and yells out...
Khai!

nothing happens

darn

Hanta attempts a few more times without success. She sighs but doesn't get frustrated

I know that this will take time...just like everything else has so far.
Time to practice the slice.

Approaching the combat dummy and entering the proper stance, she slowly steps through the slice she was taught during the training session. After feeling comfortable with the move she begins to practice it at a quicker speed slicing at the dummy's chest. During practice, she sends some of the strikes to both the knees and the head

Wiping the sweat from her forehead as she finishes up, Hanta exclaims...

I like that strike.

[Mastiff of Liv]

Hanta opens a fresh bottle of ink to pen the latest details in her training

Another week of practice has yielded some amount of success. I have practiced tensing the muscles in my arms as I strike at the rough wood.  At first it was like my grip was tightening and my strike fell short of the wood. I haven't been able to get any additional strength into my strike to penetrate the wood.

When I tried to exert my muscle strength toward the piece, I actually was able to get a slight bit of penetration. I don't believe it was just a lucky strike, I truly think I was able to generate more force with the blade. I can't claim it was strong in any manner but it was something to build on.

[Mastiff of Liv]

Hanta changes into practice gear. kneeling down onto the floor she begins slowing her breathing for meditation, focusing on tensing then relaxing the muscles in her body.

Standing with a creak of her knees after an hour passes, Hanta approaches the rough-hewn piece of wood.

taking out her sword and holding it at arm length so it just passes the wood she concentrates on her muscle control.

As Hanta feels the control, she refocuses it to her arms

Feeling ready, she attempts to exert all of her muscle energy and strength with a loud...
khai!

Hanta smiles as the rough-hewn piece of wood splits slightly. She repeats the process a dozen more times until her body feels like jelly.

Hanta approaches the combat dummy and begins practicing the slice strike she is currently attempting to master

With her concentration on the slice, two hundred strikes pass quickly
My next practice will be soon. I am really looking forward to it.

[Mastiff of Liv]

Hanta meets up with Feh for another training session.
  After some brief discussions Feh goes on to say...
  Truth is Hanta, I have shown you all the techniques.  The others are simply a matter of combining those, and imagination
   
  I must tell you that I feel the techniques becoming more natural.  Flowing without thought.
   
  But, there is one thing left for you to learn, and it’s to master the all-out attack that leaves you drained.
   
  I can show you how, but I can't teach you how.
   
  she ponders what he is saying
   
  and what about your weapon, how does it feels to you?
   
  Nearly light as a feather.  Not quite like a big finger of my hand but something like that.
   
  Then you are close, but not yet there.  The weapon of a master, is nothing else but an extention of his own body. It is his body.
   
  Yes, I do feel close.  It is hard to say what I am lacking...or missing
   
  It is as much part of him, as his foot, or his hand
   
  I have seen the smoothness in your strikes, as well as other masters.
   
  A master, even though resourceful and able to use many different weapons, will feel lost if he doesn't have his weapon of choice with him.
 
  I grew up with the large blade.  I cannot imagine anything else when entering close combat.
   
  I think you have yet to feel that connection, that perfect harmony with your weapon that you would feel lost without it
   
  thinks on what Feh is saying
   
  That may be.  It is hard for me to know.....
   
  I guess I will know when I know eh?
   
  Maybe I have thought too much of the mechanics of the strikes and not enough without
   
  It is good you understand the mechanics of the strikes, the reason why I made you practice them so much was not just for that. But so they would become instinctive
 
  That you don't have to think about them, but for them to come naturally
   
  Yes, I think I am nearly completed with that.  I need to break down a mental wall I have.  It is the way I process.  Let's call it thinking too much.  she grins
   
  Fehriel nods
   
  I have seen the way your weapon strikes at near lightning speed.
   
  So basically that is what is holding you back. You need to find that connection to your weapon so that it is like your body, not just light as a feather, but that you can feel through it, as if you would through your hand...
 
  that is practice for perfection, and letting the strike comes naturally, without thinking
 
  and that is the second thing you have to reach
   
  Hanta nods
  You have mentioned that before.  It is not lost on me.
   
  I will show you the last thing there is to be shown. But I cannot teach you how to do it
   
  Okay
   
  This is something you will have to find within yourself. Through the meditation I have shown you and through practice
   
  Fehriel stands and Hanta follows
   
  Note that it can only be down with your weapon of choice...
 
  ...the one that is the extension of yourself.
 
  That's why it's important for you to learn to feel through it.
   
  Feel through it Hanta repeats
   
  As your blade pierces your enemey, you will 'will’ your muscle and nerves to tense up, so that the strength of your whole body moves through them, through your sword and into your enemy
 
  Hanta nods
   
  Fehriel starts to make a few attacks on the dummy and at a moment’s notice, as the blade pierces the dummy, his whole body, muscles and nerves, tenses up into a furious motion
   
  He repeats it a few times then stops, taking a deep breath, slightly tired.
   
  I could use a break.
   
  So, truly a mind and body cohesiveness?
   
  Yep
   
  I see the strain it puts on you.
   
  You are right Feh, I have not felt that in my training.
   
  It's very straining on both your mind and body, and as you progress as a weapon master, it becomes easier to make more of those strikes.
 
  That is what I was looking for in the deep out of you, but did not see.
   
  Hanta smiles
  So I shall strive to do it once.  And from one, two.
   
  You have the techniques down to almost perfection, but you lack the initiative to let your blade work for you
   
  Hanta frowns a little but removes it
  I understand.
   
  Take out your weapon a moment
   
  Hanta draws her great blade
   
  How does it feel?
   
  It feels natural....idle
   
  As she speaks Feh’s face changes into one of stupor and almost fear
  Look out behind you!!
   
  Hanta, the blade sitting in her hands only a few inches from the ground, turns around in a quick motion and places the blade at mid-level in a protective sweep with feet apart and ready.
   
  She looks back at him
   
  Hey!
   
  Feh nods
  See, you almost let your blade do the work for you
   
  When Kyle did that for me, I didn't even think about it that my blade lobbed one of the dummies he had dropped.
   
  Hanta thinks on what he said and recalls her actions
   
  From the ceiling!
   
  Hanta drops to a knee and raises the blade to point to the ceiling
   
  Fehriel chuckles
   
  Hanta sweeps the blade left and right before standing
   
  You thought about what to do, and it stopped your movement, that split second of thoughts, of indecision. That's what has to vanish.
   
  Yes, that is what must disappear
   
  and you have to find that connection to your blade so you can feel through it, with that, you will be able to know when it is the time to let your body tense up into the all-out attack
   
  Both of these I can't teach you. I have shown you, but through more meditation and practice you will find them
   
  I think it is because the blade was so big for me as a youngster.  I would think about my move but the blade would not arrive in time.  I have possibly placed this hesitation in my attack even though it is not necessary anymore.
   
  When you move your hand to grab an apple do you think of the movement?
   
  No
   
  Do you think you have to move it this amount of time to get to that position?
   
  No
   
  Then you have your answer
   
  Yes
   
  When I started to train you, I told you to forget everything you had learned in the past.
  That is exactly why.
   
  You did.  she nods
   
  Fehriel straps his blade back on his back and Hanta, following suit, sheaths her blade
   
  That is going to be it for today.
   
  Hanta nods with a slight bow
   
  Soon I know you will get it
   
  I know what I need to do.  You have gotten me as far as you can.  Hopefully I will go the rest of the way and show you what you want to see.
   
  It's not a question of what I want to see
   
  No?
   
  It's a question of what you must achieve for you, and you alone.
   
  It's what I need to do
   
  Fehriel nods
   
  Hanta nods briefly
   
  If it was something that I needed to see, then you would focus and think too much about that, even when training
   
  Hence, not getting to the state that you do not think about what to do, but do it
 
  Think about when you were practicing the stances.  Yes the few dozen or hundreds of time you were thinking about it. But by the end of the months, were you?
   
  No
   
  You knew the stance, you felt the stance, and you've done it without hesitation. Of course it wasn't a matter of life and death then, but still that's what you did.  And that's what you must get even when it is in the thick of the action.
   
  Yes, of course.  Thank you Feh.
   
  So with that, I'm going to bed... old bones... lady waiting for me and all.
  He grins
   
  I would like to continue in Idoran's room.  I hope I don't keep you awake.
  Hanta heads off to continue practicing and doesn’t stop after the regular amount of time.  As the hours progress, she strikes at her invisible foes, striking without thinking.

[Mastiff of Liv]

I believe all my hard work has paid off.  My sword and I are as one, striking like a deadly fang.  I have tested my skill against the giants of Dregar with precise strikes and even overpowering blows you wouldn't think could come from my own frame...even if it might be magically enhanced.

I have noticed a hesitation, not a hesitation in my strike that Feh spoke to me about.  I have hesitated to use an all-out strike utilizing all my muscle control, putting all my power into one solitary blow.  I have felt the effects on my body and arms during practice.  It leaves me nearly wanting to drop my blade.  This is something I don't want to happen during a critical moment in battle.  I don't want my blade dropping from my arms, that would be disastrous.

Soon, I will have to use this strike during real combat.  I can't hold myself back.  When this moment comes I believe I will finally have succeeded.