Hard work beats Talent

[Galvin Menithil]

The rising sun was barely touching the courtyard as Galvin made his way from the courtyard. It was still early into the day, some would say unthinkingly so, but his time as a soldier had him waking up early and staying up late without even thinking about it. Besides, the mornings were a great time to get things done since people usually didn’t spend time this early in the morning doing the things that could wait until later in the day, like training. He never understood that, but it served him just as well that people didn’t crowd his training yard in the morning, it gave more time for the students who really wanted to learn.



The early morning was always Galvin’s favorite part of the day. Early risers and those wishing to bring themselves up to his near impossible standards were always the first ones down to the training grounds. Few men beat him here, fewer still would match him within the next two hours, but those that did were the most dedicated learners he had. It brought a smile to his face that many who came down here so early were not yet Gai’dan, but those young warriors who had yet to actually build their name and reputation among their peers until they were considered skilled enough to be let go from the training yard. They might not be the most skilled, or the strongest of his students, but each and every one of them would rise to do great things. He was certain of that, he’d seen it before with the First Prince of Andor and he was certain that wasn’t the last blademaster that he would see raised in his lifetime from the white tower.



Galvin had chosen a rather simple attire for the day, there were no formal events he would be required for, so even his Gaidan’s cloak had been left in his room. He wore a simple brown tunic with black pants, and of course his blade at his hip. A look that would have made him appear to be just about anyone in the borderlands, if not for the heron marked sword. The simple malkieri style clothes rested heavily on him in the cool fall air, possibly a mistake as the Tower did not get nearly as cold as the borderlands ever would, but something that could be rectified easily enough if necessary. For now he just stood at the edge of his training grounds and watched as the young men and women who chose to use this time for their training came in and did whatever it was they had to do.

[Deleted]

The training grounds were quite sparse, as they usually were at such an early hour. Few of the other trainees left their beds before the sun spilled across the entire space but Ouryn was different. He longed to prove his worth and regain his family's honor. Losing his father was painful even if it had been far worse when he lost his mother. An orphan, that is what he was, not to mention he had no home to call his own. One day he wished to reclaim his home so his sisters didn't have to work as servants but that wasn't happening any time soon.

After he dressed, Ouryn went to fetch a bit of breakfast from the dining hall. Brinela, a kitchen server, always gave him second helpings of eggs. She was a bit younger than he was with hair the color of wheat and eyes the color of grass. The lass was pretty with a nice smile. He suspected she fancied him which was why he always received more eggs. Still, as sweet as she was, he did not fancy her back. Yet he showered her with kindness for it was how he'd been raised. 'Always treat others with respect and kindness.' That is what his mother said. He would always try to live by those words as it was his own way of keeping a piece of her with him always.

Once Ouryn finished eating, he strolled out into the training grounds to work on his fighting skills. Swordplay had never been something his father taught him when he was younger. Ouryn always assumed his family's guards would protect him if any person should attack him. But now he could use the sword almost as if it were an extension of his arm. Still, as good as he was, Ouryn longed to be even better. Maybe he could even be a Blademaster one day. To wield a heron marked blade would be an honor. First, he'd need to reach that level though.

As always, Galvin Menethil, Master of the Yard, stood gallantly watching over the training field and those practicing within it. A fair yet tough teacher was how Ouryn saw him. Although he was a bit intimidating, who better to ask to train with? He took a moment to collect his courage before he made his way over to the man.

"Excuse me, sir, I wondered if you'd be willing to teach me a few fighting concepts this morning. What do you say?"

[Galvin Menithil]

Galvin watched as the young master Mathagis made his way into the training yard. He was one of the better students they had at the White Tower. Galvin didn't know as much about the boys past as he would like, but everyone had their own secrets to keep. While no border lander, he knew that they were not here for honor or glory, they were here to learn, to become weapons to defend others. It was the sort of attitude that he tried to foster in his students, few came with it but he did his damnedest to make sure that everyone left with it.

Galvin watched from the corner of his eye as Ouryn made his way toward him, taking time to muster his courage. Galvin had never considered himself an intimidating man but apparently there were some who saw him as such. He did his best to break that image when dealing with his students, though perhaps it was the Aes Sedai that had cultivated that reputation for him, there had been times he'd had to dress down a sister for their attitudes when dealing with his charges.

"Excuse me, sir, I wondered if you'd be willing to teach me a few fighting concepts this morning. What do you say?"

Galvin looked over to the boy with a smile on his face, the boy had determination. It was also a good place to start, as many focused so keenly on their specific forms or techniques. True blade masters focused not on technical perfection, but on what worked. Concepts were far more important to focus on, such as the well named flame in the void. It was something his mentors had always instilled in him, and a key point in growing as a swordsman.

"Of course Master Mathagis, that's why I come down this early after all."

Galvin motioned toward one of the unused practice dummies and started making his way over there. As he moved he began to lecture, a simple one that almost any novice swordsman would remember.

"Concentration is a key part of a swordsman's skills. Without it, you will fail to notice what your enemy is doing, and you will lose the battle before you know it."

He paused as he waited for Ouryn to set himself up against the training dummy.

"While everyone knows this, few internalize it. Show me how well you can concentrate on your task."

[Jenaroni]

This thread is now closed.