Don't give me Lip (Zora)

[Ayen]

"I'm saying you need to better anticipate your opponent's next move before they anticipate yours."

“How am I supposed to do that, Gabrielle? I'm not a mind reader.”

"There's nothing noble about teaching hate and intolerance, Zora. If your family truly love you then they won't kick you out because you did something that didn't meet up to their ideals."

“Hate? Intolerance? You got it all wrong,” came her initial response. Feeling the need to defend her family regardless of personal faults. “It's the truth. We're superior to them. We've always been. That's why holding that staff in my hand violates everything I've ever believed in!”

[Gabrielle]

"You don't have to be a mind reader to predict your opponent's next move."
Gabrielle was all ears now not surprised to see her quickly defend her family, it was commendable even but sadly misplaced. Family was always family but there were times where they were wrong and during those times you needed to have the courage and strength to stand up to them.
"Does it violate everything you believe in, or what your parents believe in? If it's the former you're free to go. All you have to do is look me in the eye and say so."

[Ayen]

"You don't have to be a mind reader to predict your opponent's next move."

“Oh, so it's a guessing game now, is it? What if I guess wrong?”

"Does it violate everything you believe in, or what your parents believe in? If it's the former you're free to go. All you have to do is look me in the eye and say so."

Sounded easy enough. All she had to do was look at her and repeat the same lines she has recited to dozens of people since she was old enough to speak. But the moment their eyes met something strange happened. Zora felt herself unable to speak, unable to mutter a single word in Gabrielle's direction as she looked at her. They weren't her beliefs. They never were. They were simply all she knew and because of that Zora picked up the staff she had dropped on the floor and resumed her stance.

“I'm ready to continue.”

[Gabrielle]

Gabrielle smiled while Zora lifted up the staff and picked up where they left off. Returning her own to shoulder level she showed the child again.
"Thrust your arms then bring your staff back to your shoulders. After you get the hang of that let it down below your waist."

[Ayen]

"Thrust your arms then bring your staff back to your shoulders. After you get the hang of that let it down below your waist."

Zora repeated this motion, over and over again until she felt comfortable and then finally dropped the staff below her waist as instructed. Smiling at herself as she managed to complete the straight moves and looked at Gabrielle.

“I think I got it.”

[Gabrielle]

"Good. Now you're ready for pivot moves."
Gabrielle raised her staff to chest level, rear hand moving the staff tip and the foreward hand acting as a pivot. Drawing an X in the air and then a cross before lowering her staff and looking back at Zora.
"Now you try."

[Ayen]

"Good. Now you're ready for pivot moves."

Zora watched Gabrielle already practicing the moves in her mind by the time she turned to face her again.

"Now you try."

Zora copied her movements to the best of her ability but felt silly drawing in the air with the staff like this and lowered it.

“I'm failing to see what this accomplishes.”

[Gabrielle]

Zora was getting the moves down but failing to see the reason behind it. Gabrielle had thought that would have been obvious enough to the girl but she'd explain anyway.
"You'll be fighting with a staff. It's important to know how to make it rotate and swing. With these moves you can add more focus or range of movement by moving the forward hand or twisting the waist."
Now that they were done with pivot moves it was time for circulars.
"Move the rear hand to circle the tip and draw a clover leaf made of four circles. Start each circle with a vertical motion, then move it out to the left or right and back to where you started. Full circle parries are most likely going to be too slow for actual combat where heavy weapons such as poles are involved is good exercise. Part circles are more likely in combat. As well as being used to ward off attacks, circular movements can also strike."

[Ayen]

"You'll be fighting with a staff. It's important to know how to make it rotate and swing. With these moves you can add more focus or range of movement by moving the forward hand or twisting the waist."

“Right, right. Rotating and swinging. Got it.”

"Move the rear hand to circle the tip and draw a clover leaf made of four circles. Start each circle with a vertical motion, then move it out to the left or right and back to where you started. Full circle parries are most likely going to be too slow for actual combat where heavy weapons such as poles are involved is good exercise. Part circles are more likely in combat. As well as being used to ward off attacks, circular movements can also strike."

Zora raised an eyebrow at Gabrielle but since she already made it this far there was little point not seeing it through to the end. She began drawing in the air, making a clover leaf with four circles. She messed up of course but that only made her try harder. Zora continued to do full circle and part circle parries with the staff before looking back at Gabrielle.

“How am I doing?”

[Gabrielle]

"You're doing very well. We're actually making faster progress than I've anticipated."
Naturally Zora would have to go back and repeat all these moves again to get it down to perfection but she was coming along nicely for a person who was uncomfortable holding anything of muggle origin before. Gabrielle showed her a few thrusts and jabs to finish this training session before closing.
"All of the things you learned here today can be used in combinations. For example, combining the circular and pivot moves will create a "figure eight" motion. The same motions that are used to deflect attacks can also be used to deliver strikes. The staff only has one noise. A defensive move and a counter can be combined into one motion. A slam that knocks an attack away can be allowed to slide down the shaft and hit the hands. A parry can be made with a thrusting motion to strike. Tomorrow I'll show you some stances to help with your footwork. You're dismissed, Zora."

[Ayen]

"You're doing very well. We're actually making faster progress than I've anticipated."

Zora couldn't help but allow her usual smug expression to appear on her face as she patted herself on the back. Of course she was doing well. She was her father's daughter. She just would never mention this to him and deny every claim that it happened.

"All of the things you learned here today can be used in combinations. For example, combining the circular and pivot moves will create a "figure eight" motion. The same motions that are used to deflect attacks can also be used to deliver strikes. The staff only has one noise. A defensive move and a counter can be combined into one motion. A slam that knocks an attack away can be allowed to slide down the shaft and hit the hands. A parry can be made with a thrusting motion to strike. Tomorrow I'll show you some stances to help with your footwork. You're dismissed, Zora."

Zora nodded and gave Gabrielle back the practice staff as she headed towards the exit of the training facility. But not before turning back around and smiling at Gabrielle.

“Thank you.”

For the first time in her life she actually meant it. More than just Gabrielle's training has stuck with her today as she turned her back to the Battling Bard and left the training facility.

It was a beautiful day today.

[Gabrielle]

Gabrielle smiled back, pleasantly surprised to see such a large turnaround so quickly. When they first met Zora was the biggest brat you could find and always demanding. And just over a short amount of time she was already learning and growing. They had hit a big milestone today and while the child still had much to learn about life Gabrielle was confident that in time Zora would be training her own sidekick.