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Post by Nessa Erugenel on May 23, 2006 22:14:35 GMT -5
The training grounds are in an outside room. Out side room being it is out side in a dense part of the forest and is surrounded by stonewalls. Part of this room is also a maze to train the problem solving skills. You come in- in the middle of the maze is the sword and bow training clearing. There are targets, dummies, and obstacles meant to test and train each elf whether he or she is a member of the army or not. All Mirkwood elves are encouraged to train to defend and protect. – And wouldn’t you know, some times the spiders come in to play as well.
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Post by Nessa Erugenel on Jun 21, 2006 12:08:55 GMT -5
She had been there for almost a week now. Thranduil was happy to have her home, and she had been able to easily avoid the Prince. Things seemed to be the same as she left. She was afraid of him, and he did not seem to know she even existed. It was best she mused silently stringing an arrow her long delicate fingers playing on the string. She pulled back the heavy and thick thing, sought out her target closed her eyes, moved a little, breathed in, held it, and released her arrow still holding her breath. When she opened her eyes her dummy’s head was leaning back her arrow sticking out in between its eyes. Maybe she should move back a little. The force of her bow was incredible and to have the neck broken in the process, well she did not exactly want to break any dummies just because she was closer than she anticipated would be worth while.
Setting her bow down on the table next to her she began to braid her hair to move it out of her way as she went to fix the dummy and get back her arrow. She sighed when she saw the condition it was in rubbing the back of her neck where she knew she was holding all of her tension. The arrow was in deep and cracks had formed around the hole all around his forehead. The neck had luckily not snapped, but it was bent back to a point she hoped would not be permanent. She should have practiced with a cloth dummy instead of a wood one, though the wood was better for her arrows. She let out a long breath, the loose curly strands of hair around her face flying out of the way. And then she proceeded to pull out the arrow. She stopped when she realized it had not budged.
“Oops…” She muttered looking at it closer. It had gone in deeper than she thought.
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Post by Mininirime on Jul 10, 2006 3:35:43 GMT -5
Mininirime entered the training grounds. Since she had arrived in Mirkwood about two months ago, she went to the training grounds for an hour and a half every morning. Normally she was there before anyone else, but this time she was beaten to the punch: Lady Erugenel was already there, and by the looks of it, struggling with a dummy.
"You aren't breaking things, now are you? I don't think thranduil would be pleased, though I think you might be forgiven for it."Mininirime smiled as she approached. She put down her things on an empty table and waited for Erugenel to get back her arrow. She knew she had a steady shot, and Erugenel was in absolutely no danger being in the target area while she would practice, but accidents do happen, and she liked the Lady too much to shoot her, even if it was by accident.
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Post by Nessa Erugenel on Jul 10, 2006 14:38:15 GMT -5
Erugenel smirked to herself when the arrow finally popped out. “Not on purpose.” She said answering Mininirime’s question about the dummy. She walked back to her bow and decided to move back a small bit. At least then it would not be so hard to get the arrow out of it. She looked at Mini and smiled. “But I do not know if Thranduil would be too forgiving. He tends to treat me the way a parent would at times. Happy I am here, but flustered when I get into trouble. He would scold me.” She told her. “But only with frustrated words.”
Mininirime laughed. “Indeed. He is soft with his favorites.” Erugenel smiled.
“How often do you come here?” She asked. It was nice to have some one shooting with her. Usually others waited for her to leave then came in in one giant mass. They all wanted to avoid her, and she often felt isolated because of it. But she refused to let it get to her; she wanted to be accepted for who she was. And who she was was a fighter; she was not going to change that just to feel more comfortable in her dress, which she was not wearing. A long tunic and pants suited her fine with her sword belt around her waist. She only wore a dress when she needed to.
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Post by Mininirime on Jul 11, 2006 8:07:55 GMT -5
"I come every morning, but normally I here a little earlier. I couldn't resist the garden in dawn this morning." Mininirime placed her feet in a firm position, her skirts fell loosely about her. She was wearing a short sleeved dress. She raised her Lothlorien bow and put one of her special feathers in it. These feathers were made for her father, when he became captain in the Lothlorian Army, the shaft was pearl white, but the feathers were as red as his hair, and Mininirimes. He had given all of his arrows but one, when he left for the undying lands, leaving her in Middle Earth, at her request, to fend her own way. She was incredibly careful with her arrows and up to this moment she had always been able to retrieve them.
"I like it here, early in the morning, when it's not so busy, but soon everyone else will come, and the quiet will be over." Mininirime sighed, as she remembered what her trainer use to say, when she complained about the busyness of the Lothlorian training ground. "What use is it to train in peace and quiet, when wars and battles are fought in noise and between the bodies of other fighters." He told her that over and over, and she had found it was true, but still, if she could get it, she'd train in silence.
"I'd expected it too be busier, though, normally there are at least a few others training around this time. But maybe their afraid to harm the King's favorite." She said jokingly, unknowingly touching a soft spot.
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Post by Nessa Erugenel on Jul 11, 2006 14:14:27 GMT -5
Erugenel frowned and strung an arrow silently letting it go cutting threw the air and hitting her target a little off. She sighed and put down her bow. Why did she suddenly feel sick?
“It does not matter where I am.” She said quietly. “They are all afraid of me.” She rubbed the back of her neck again and looked around. Her and Mini could hear footsteps of a few more, indeed they were coming- maybe she should leave and let them train without worrying them. If she left before they came they would never know she had been there… Easily avoided, and easily forgotten.
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Post by Mininirime on Jul 12, 2006 9:32:27 GMT -5
Mininirime to heard the footsteps and saw the sad look on Erugenel's face.
"How are your sword skills? She asked smilingly, knowing they were more than ok. "We could go somewhere a little more quiet and have ourselves a mock battle? Undisturbed by gazing eyes."
Mininirime packed up her bow and walked to her stuff, she looked over and Erugenel with an inviting smile on her face.
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Post by Nessa Erugenel on Jul 12, 2006 13:42:19 GMT -5
Erugenel smiled in return, thankful for the gesture. She too grabbed her things and together the two walked off toward another part of the large training area.
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Post by Mininirime on Jul 13, 2006 3:58:09 GMT -5
"It must be hell," Mininirime remarked. "Everyone treading you so carefully, like your porcelain."
She knew that in many elven families female elves were looked at like that and they weren't given the same chances as the males. She had been lucky enough to get her training with out any problem.
"But your aout of luck, gal!" She smiled and unsheathed her long sword. "No-one gets special treatment with me. Not even the Kings favourite."
"That's all I want." Erugenel replied quickly taking her twinblades. "A fair chance to give someone a beating."
Mininrime laughed as she blocked Erugenel's first blow, before striking back.
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Post by Nessa Erugenel on Jul 13, 2006 13:08:07 GMT -5
With anjelic force both elf maidens blocked blows, took blows and made blows. Erugenel laughed enjoying herself for the first time in a long time. It was a nice gesture to have some one treat her as an equal- for once!
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Post by Mininirime on Jul 27, 2006 9:15:53 GMT -5
Mininirime enjoyed the fight as well. Several times she had fought a mock battle with the soldiers, but they were nothing compared to Erugenel, and finally Mininirime had found an opponent that made her stand on her toes, and keep her on her guard.
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Post by Nessa Erugenel on Jul 27, 2006 12:43:35 GMT -5
The battle went on for some time more, neither growing tired of the exercise. And the smiles on their faces proved it. It was not until Erugenel swung and Mini ducked did it end with Mini’s sword pointed at Erugenel’s abdomen and Erugenel’s sword pointed at Mini’s neck. They paused for a moment examining their situation then began to laugh.
“I have not had so much fun in years.” Erugenel admitted lowering her sword as Mini did.
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