It was a chaotic ride back from the Temple of War for Tasha. Eadwig didn't know the way, and although Tasha did know the way, she barely knows how to ride. The two end up circling the city several times, knocking several people over – including themselves – on the way, and causing mild property damage. It takes them so long to return to the Clan Hydron estates that Layth has already arrived, and has been in for about an hour. The buck has spent his time practicing in the training yard, getting ready for the journey.

Layth has moved into the currently unused jousting arena. The buck apparently has decided to use them for some sort of striking practice. He's sliding and dancing around the dummies, and then moving in quickly. He lands punches, backhand blows and even the occasional high and low kick to the dummy. Each blow lands with a rather loud cracking sound, which one has to wonder if it hurts to be doing that. The Lapi isn't wearing any sort of gloves or shoes.

Layth can hear Tasha approach long before she yells to him. The clip-clopping of her hooves is unmistakable, here. "Oi, you're goin' to break your foot doin' tha'," she calls out. She's still wearing the leather armor from yesterday, in addition to what looks like a few strands of hay and some … is that paint? "I got you a present!" Clearly, it's a surprise present, because whatever it is, she's holding it behind her back.

There's another crack as the buck lands a blow that shakes the dummy. "I am not going to break my foot," he claims and steps away from the dummy. He turns to look at Tasha while lightly shaking his hands and flexing his fingers. A couple of knuckles look a little bloody. "Present?" the buck asks and then looks at the bits of paint and hay. "Ah, you didn't mug someone, did you?" he asks warily.

Tasha glares, but without any real heat. "Would I do tha'?" She doesn't let Layth answer, rushing on ahead as she says, "Well I got you this." Pulling her hands from behind her back, she shows Layth what looks to be a metal sword of the same color as Calligenia's armor. It's also smaller than the swords Layth is used to here, sized more for someone from Rephidim than a Warrior.

The buck takes a step back and blinks. "It's a sword," he says as he eyes it critically. "It also looks old and not from this area. Where did you get it? It had to be expensive."

"It was free," Tasha says, shrugging. She holds the bronze blade up to the light, letting it shine. "It is rather shiny, ain't it? Not my style." She lowers the blade to point it at Layth. "It's for you! Got it from the Temple 'o War – got me whip back, too." She pats the familiar-looking whip stuffed in her belt.

"They let you just take it?" Layth asks, looking somewhat surprised for a change. "The most I've ever used were old chitin swords and even those rarely. I've never held a metal one. It's not secretly cursed, is it?"

"'Ow should I know?" Tasha lets the tip fall, then swings the blade around without any skill. "They 'ave a bunch o' these, some crossbows, an' this giant bow tha' looks like the ones we 'ave on airships. Ballista, I think it was. Some old armor, too. 'Ad a 'ole in it, didn't think it'd be worth takin'."

"Where did they get it all from?" Layth asks. "It doesn't look Lapi-made. And did you get one for Master Lightfoot as well?"

Tasha's ears perk, and her eyes widen in surprise. "Aaron? With a sword? 'E'd jus' drop it an' run away – then I'd 'ave to explain 'ow we lost it!" Shaking her head at the very idea, Tasha steps forward and offers the sword to Layth. "I think it's all old Olympian bits. It's too small, an' I've never seen a ballista out 'ere."

Layth takes the sword carefully by gripping the hilt. He holds it straight out, testing the weight. "Ah, so we are expected to return these, then. It is a loan," the buck notes, then rolls his wrist and twirls the bronze sword. "Did it come with a scabbard? If not, I will have to fashion one."

"Well 'e didn' say I 'ad to return it," Tasha considers aloud. She eyes the sword, then shrugs again. "It's yours as long as you need it to fight with. It's no' like they're usin' 'em. An' no scabbard. Might 'ave rotted, for all the age o' it."

"Well … thank you. No one has ever really given me something this valuable before," the buck admits. "I will need a scabbard to carry it. I'll have to see if there is any scrap material I can use. I'll ask Chloe. I'll also need to ask for some training practice with it. I haven't used swords that often, though I know the basics."

Tasha grins widely. "Guess you owe me! Or the Temple anyway. An', I am with the Temple, so … " She winks, then leans up on her hooves to give Layth a kiss.

After the kiss, Layth taps Tasha's nose and notes with a slight smile, "Presents do not make someone owe somebody, no? But that is not that important. I take it the temple visit went well?"

"I got wha' I wan'ed," Tasha insists. She drops back on her hooves with a click, then folds her hands behind her back. "Aye, it did! I think I passed! Now, it's on to more trainin' with new teachers."

"More training before or after the trip?" Layth asks as he brings the blade up and looks over it for writing or any sort of adornment. "And speaking of training, it is time I started to teach you a few fighting techniques."

Tasha glances back towards the Temple, answering, "After, I'm thinkin'. I 'ave a mission to do." She grins back at Layth, then perks her ears. "Goin' to do me like you did 'Syne?"

"Of course not. I was gentle with her," the buck says, sounding quite serious at that. He walks a few feet away and lays the sword down, not wanting to just stick it point first in the dirt.

"Goin' to give me what-for, then? As your leader, I 'ave to order you no' to break anythin' I'll need on our journey. Same goes for you, don' 'urt yourself." The woman removes her whip from her belt, then tosses it next to Layth's sword. "I think I'd rather fight this way. Don' 'ave much taste for swords anymore."

"All weapons are just tools in the end. They don't guarantee you'll win and can easily get you killed," Layth says and returns. He rolls his neck lightly, popping it. "And just to clarify, I was joking. I don't intend to inflict any harm. I just want to get you to start thinking about a few things. All fighting is strategy. Just charging in and wailing is stupid. Also, if you have a chance to avoid a fight and still accomplish what you want, avoid it. Now, tell me … if we were fighting, what would be your targets on me?"

"I can never tell when you're jokin'," the Vartan admits, shaking her head. "You always look all serious-like." Tasha eyes Layth up and down, grinning a little amusedly as she does it. "Let me see, first: I wouldn' fight you. No' like this. You're better than me an' I know it now. Tha'd be me first thought. Second: I'd aim for your man-bits, your throat … maybe them ears o' yours, I could pull 'em … an' I'd yell."

Layth considers that, then nods. "There are a few things you should realize about all those. You will have to get close to me to do it. Hold out your arm as if you were going to hit me," he instructs.

Tasha extends her arm, looking up at Layth curiously.

"'Syne made a mistake. She assumed just because I didn't have a sword, I was unarmed. That's not true," Layth explains and then reaches up to tap Tasha's fist, "You are always armed. This is a weapon. Get used to thinking of it in that way. Now, to hit what you say you would, you would have to get this close… " The buck steps forward until his neck is against her hand. "This is where I would not want to be. But, I can easily stay out of your range, while still keeping you in mine." He steps back and says, "There. I'm out of your range and you're still in mine. What is my target?"

"Let me see … " Tasha looks at her self with focus, brow creasing. "Me neck, me muzzle, private bits, wing joints … " She looks up, raising a brow. "Think tha's all o' it?"

Layth grins and shakes his head. "If you can't hit mine, I can't hit yours. To reach those on you, I would have to put mine in range of your strikes. So, no," he says and then brings up his hand and taps the back of his knuckles against the back of her forearm. "Have you ever banged your elbow hard?" he asks, "To where your arm felt tingly?"

Tasha nods. "I've done tha' more than once on The Rake. We bank a turn, or one o' them muscle 'eads barges through, an' wham, bruised elbow." She rubs at her elbow, recalling the memories of one too many ship-side bruises.

"How long could you throw punches at me if every time you did that, I struck into your muscles here?" Layth asks and presses a thumb a bit painfully, but briefly, into the muscles near Tasha's elbow. "Or struck your elbow directly?" he adds. "What my first goal always is, is to remove the immediate threat. Remove the weapon. So, my target isn't your body. My target is your hands, forearms, and lower legs. And when you try to attack, you are presenting them to me."

Tasha's left ear flicks when she's hit, and the woman grunt-growls quietly. Perhaps surprisingly, though, she continues to listen without trying to smack Layth. When he finishes, she nods slowly. "I think I un'erstan'. It's like when you made 'Syne drop 'er stick," the woman says. She taps her fist to Layth's, then. "If your opponent can' attack, then you win."

"Exactly. If I remove their weapons, I can then take them out without endangering myself," Layth says with a smile. "So, the best places I will initially target are what I said; forearms and lower legs. Now, if they're armed with a sword or knife and you can land a hard blow against the back of their hand, you can often get them to drop the blade."

"An' if they drop their blade, then all their weapon skill goes in the 'ead," Tasha says, comprehending. Her tail wags. "An' if you get their sword … their great sword is your great sword, right?"

Layth taps Tasha's nosetip. "Correct again," he says. "Coming back to landing a strike. When you intend to hit someone, do you aim for the place you want to hit, or do you aim past it?"

Tasha snaps at Layth's finger, although she misses. Grinning, she shifts her gaze to his arm and stares at it a moment. "If I was goin' to 'it your arm now, I'd jus' swing at it. Bu' … if it was movin' … " Tasha reaches over and moves Layth's arm to the side, then slowly swings her other arm out to reach the moving arm. "Wouldn' I aim where it was goin' to be? Like when you shootin' arrows at movin' target? Cap'n Eyeshine taught me that."

"Yes, you should always anticipate where it may be and aim there. But that's not quite what I was trying to explain. Please forgive me, I'm not being clear. Let me demonstrate and it should make more sense," Layth says and walks over to one of the dummies. The buck drops into a light defensive stance, then strikes. His fist hits the dummy right at about the time it's fully extended. There's a crack and it wobbles a bit. The buck moves a slight bit closer, then strikes again. This time his fist hits before his arm is fully extended and the dummy wobbles considerably more as the buck's arm tries to completely extend. "What I was trying to explain is that you don't want to end the strike right at the target. You want to end the strike past the target. You'll land the blow with a lot more force that way. You strike through your target."

Tasha's brow creases, but raises again when Layth gives her an example. She nods, then walks over to the target. "Seems like it'd 'urt your arm more to hit at the end, aye? All tha' force strainin' your arm. S'like 'oldin' the reigns – never wan' to let 'em jerk your arm. You wan' some give." Tasha balls her fist, then punches the dummy such that she tries to punch through the dummy. Her fist thunks, the dummy rattles a bit, and she winces.

Layth winces too. "Ah, you might not want to be doing that without a glove," the buck says and goes to check her hand. "It's hard on the knuckles. But yes, exactly. Instead of you putting the force into the blow, you're putting some of the force in your elbow if you allow it to fully extend. And to continue on with the talk about fully extending. You should always keep your joints slightly bent. That way if they get hit, they have room to move. If they're straight, well, they'll likely break your joint."

Letting Layth look her hand over, Tasha turns to face him and listen to his advice. "It's like punchin', then. Always keep somethin' back, aye?" Tasha wags her tail, grinning again. "Sort o' like fightin' in general, is it?"

Finding no serious damage to Tasha's hand, Layth releases it. "Yes. Now, I'm going to try and hit you. React as you normally would if someone is swinging at you, please," the buck says then drops back into his defensive stance. "Ready?"

Tasha raises her dukes, bending at the knees slightly and stretching her wings back and away. "Ready," she says in a low voice. Her tail mirrors her confidence, lifting dominantly behind her, even as her ears lay back.

Layth's expression is completely neutral and calm. The buck then moves in quickly, throwing a solid punch square towards Tasha's muzzle.

Tasha raises her hands to block even as she tries to dance backwards, wings flapping to help her maintain her balance from the quick retreat.

Layth's fist is blocked and the buck makes no move to counter. He steps back and nods. "Good. You don't have one of the really bad habits many do," he says approvingly. "You move your entire body. Many people tend to just, well, lean. Leaning puts them off balance. Not to mention it leaves the rest of their body in easy range."

"Well, I sort 'o figured you were goin' to 'it me 'ard, so I didn' wan' an' jus' take it," Tasha concedes. She resumes her stance, then grins. "I was also watchin' you fight 'Syne." Her ears splay, and she cocks her head to the side. "Sorry for tryin' to make you jealous."

Layth just waves his hand and drops out of his defensive stance. "Please, do not worry about it," he says, "it was forgiven the moment you did it." The buck rubs the bridge of his nose for a moment, thinking.

Tasha goes to lower her guard, but pauses. She tilts her head the other way and leaves her guard up. "Don' you ever wan' to jus' … 'it me?" She rolls her shoulders, working out hours of riding soreness.

"Not for something like that, no. When you start doubting yourself, well, perhaps then," the buck admits. "Why do you ask?"

"Jus' wonderin'," Tasha says, not sounding mad about Layth wanting to hit her at all. "You know, I never 'ad a boyfriend this long?"

"I could say the same. Well, I've never had a boyfriend at all. Nor a girlfriend," Layth says. "Not that I want a boyfriend, mind you. Well, forgive me, I'm sure you know what I mean."

Tasha snorts, then drops her guard as she starts laughing. "I wasn' so sure … " she sputters, " … when you were with those gladiators. No' sure 'ow I'd think o' a boyfriend 'o's got a boyfriend." She continues to laugh, wings shaking. "An' tha' comment to Aaron … "

"Just because some have shown interest in me, it does not mean I share it," Layth points out and then sighs dramatically.

Tasha laughs harder, then stumbles over to pat Layth's chest. "You always look so put upon, bu' I know you've got a wicked 'eart." She pokes the Lapi in the chest. "An' a good 'eart, as much as I'm a judge o' these things."

"I do not know of which you speak," Layth insists and crosses his arms over his chest. "My heart is not wicked."

"Is tha' why you tease me bu' cover it up? Is tha' why you won' show your 'eart?" She prods the Lapi's chest a bit more. "Or is tha' jus' 'ow you are?"

"I don't know quite what I am anymore," Layth admits with a small shrug. "People place value in me here that has never been placed outside of this place. But, that isn't what matters. You have your mission and we should continue training."

"'O course it matters," Tasha insists. "'A leader 'as to know 'er soldiers,' an' I wan' to know more abou' you. Bu' … " She nods slightly. "We do 'ave a mission. We do, an' we can talk later."

Layth rolls his jaw, then nods. "Okay. I am going to do some simple basic attacks. I would like you to counter, or strike, as I earlier instructed. Do not worry about doing much injury to me. I will tell you if we should stop," the buck explains. He takes a few steps away, then drops back into his defensive stance. "Please say when you are ready."

Tasha steps back, throwing up her guard again. "Ready as I'm goin' to be. Don' be surprised if I win: I've been trainin' too," Tasha insists. "Trainin' the sharpest sword."