high_seas | 3rd wave | catchall for sword training

Who: Korra and those ~~poor souls~~ who agreed to train her, plus anyone in the appropriate locations who would like to poke her
When: Various dates, mostly backdated, later dates may be added
Where: Isla Empieza and The Charming Murderess
What: Sword training in response to this
Warnings: none so far
Style: Prose, but feel free to switch.
Status: ongoing

Isla Empieza, afternoon of December 27
Shortly after Korra snapped her journal shut from her open request for a swordsmanship teacher, she retrieved her gift and made her way excitedly for the docks of Isla Empieza. It was barely mid-morning, but she was far too excited to care. She could wait. And... wait. When noon rolled around, she bought herself some sort of mystery meat (on a stick!) to tide her over through training.

She sat with her feet dangling over the edge of the docks, eyes peeled for Haytham and her swords sheathed at her side.

The Charming Murderess, the week of December 29 (note that Korra will return to the Spade Pirates as soon as this happens on January 3)
The trip through the Nav was no more difficult than stepping through a door, Korra quickly discovered. It was slightly disorienting, suddenly being on a ship, but little more.

The Murderess wasn't so different from the ship she was used to. Perhaps a little smaller, but that could have easily been because Ace's... erm. Loud personality wasn't ever-present.

"Sasuke?" She peered over the rail onto the main deck, taking a better look around.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

So far, the instruction all made sense. Basic forms meant you keep yourself rooted to the ground as much as possible. You had to feel the earth before you could send it flying, that sort of thing.

Korra lunged, striking forward powerfully and exhaling as she did so. It wasn't as natural a motion as it would have been if she were bending. The movement itself was familiar to her, but she had never fought with anything in her hands before.

Her blade was quite easily caught with his own and swept to the side. The extra power she placed behind the weapon would serve her well once she learned how to direct the sword, but for now it did little but make her stance uneven.

Haytham allowed her the chance to recover before directing a lunge of his own. It was weak strike and very slowly done to give her plenty of opportunity to react.

Korra stepped forward, regaining her balance and realizing that she was vulnerable. This was different. Very different.

She reacted well, though, fighting the urge to bend the air around her to improve her agility. Korra struck out at Haytham's blade and knocked it to the side, the motion having more force behind it than likely was necessary.

Since she had not been ready for his attack but had reacted so well a rare moment of praise seemed in order. Haytham stepped back and away, giving a pause to the small skirmish.

"Excellent, you adapt quickly. How long have you been training in your martial arts?"

"They found out I was the Avatar when I was four. That was when they started." Korra stood straighter, also taking the moment to relax.

"Bending training takes up so much time that I've never used weapons before, though." Many benders would round themselves out with something more physical, but the Avatar didn't have time for that.

"Using a sword is different than using your body to fight. The two styles can be combined but you will have to work with the swords until they become an extension of your arm instead of something you are merely holding. I think the best way to learn is to try a skirmish. Are you game for one?"

"A... skirmish? Like sparring? Sounds good!"

Korra did take his mention of treating the sword as an extension of herself to heart. She hadn't done much training with the staff, the traditional weapon of an airbender, but she could remember Tenzin telling something similar to his kids. As soon as you learn to treat the weapon as an extension of yourself, everything falls into place much easier.

As she agreed he took up a ready stance again, similiar to the one he had settled into earlier, but this time with a shadow of a smile. A good fight, even one meant for instruction, sounded fun to him too.

"Then, when you're ready."

Korra readied her own stance and began to circle, taking note of how Haytham stood, how he moved. After a moment of consideration, she opted to let him make the first move. She could hack and slash all she wanted, but she knew that he would likely be able to parry her attack easily.

He moved when she moved, maintaining the same stance and keeping the same distance between them. They ended up walking in a small circle as they each sized the other up, waiting for the first move to be taken.

When it was clear she would wait he lunged forward himself, aiming a weak swing towards her right side. It was more of a faint than a true strike. A test swing to see how she might react so his next move could be decided.

Her sturdy reflexes jumped to life once again as Haytham aimed a strike to her right. She knew better than to bat it away and leave her stance open. Korra stepped into her parry, the clanging of metal on metal ringing out as she struck Haytham's sword (hopefully) off to the side.

Block, then counter, right? If that worked, Korra reversed the movement of her sword and tried for a horizontal strike of her own. Lightly, of course. You don't just start flinging fire at your sparring opponent when you're only learning.

Haytham's sword swung easily out of her way as she shoved it aside. Should have been a warning really, it was far too easy and there had been no counter force exerted to prevent the movement's success.

Her sword neared his middle, wholly unimpeded, looking for all the world like it might just hit... until a blade hidden beneath the cuff of his sleeve flashed down to catch the edge of her sword. It was her turn for the weapon she held to be directed away. With the hidden blade on the left he pushed her blade aside while with a simple pivot of his right wrist his sword came back into play long enough for the blunt edge to lightly tap her shoulder.

Tag.

"Hey!" Korra's attention caught on the blade that had just sprung from Haytham's sleeve. She lunged forward, aiming for a stabbing attack.

"That's cheating!"

"I don't recall setting any rules."

So said with a sly smirk as her next attack was batted away in similiar fashion.

"Besides do you think any enemies you might face would play fair?"

"Of course not!" She swiped at him again. And again.

"I'd be bending this whole time if I knew you had blades poking out your clothes!" Korra grinned slightly, though. It was a cool trick, she had to admit. And not really a dirty one, if she could just swallow her pride and admit it.

3rd wave | catchall for sword training

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