silverdust [M:0:0:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?board=ci&action=display&thread=314]Mess with the panther, and you get the dagger in your throat.
Kat nodded silently, listening intently, happy to learn. She looked around the lake's surface for an area particularly heavy with the rippled signs of insect life, and pointed, "there?"
Kiko glanced over to where she pointed. It was in a little notch of the lake that was hopefully not to deep for them to work in. Too much water would be just as bad as too little.
We shall see, Kat. We shall see.
Kiko headed that way, she would give them only so long to collect the fish, the light would fade fast, and even with the fire pit blazing they couldn't hope to practice too far past dark.
She talked as they headed toward the spot Katerina had pointed out.
My grandfather used to call this "tickling" Kat. You have to be very still, very patient, and never mind the water running over your feet. The fish will hang just beneath the surface now, waiting for the insects and when they do you have to catch them unaware.
Then, Bring your hand up from underneath their belly. Start at the tail or the gills and work your way in the opposite direction. You have to wiggle your fingers of course, that is where the 'tickling' part comes in. It will enchant the fish into sleep, sort of. So, we are working a kind of magic. When the fish is asleep you grasp them and toss them out of the water.
All you have to do after that is spear the fish on some bamboo stakes and stick them in the fire. Of course, like most things it sounds so much easier than it is. Fish are swift, and well, slippery.
She flashed a grin at the catgirl over her shoulder and came to a stop at the lake's edge.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
silverdust [M:0:0:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?board=ci&action=display&thread=314]Mess with the panther, and you get the dagger in your throat.
Kat crouched by the edge of the lake, watching Kiko. She watched through the explanation and demonstration, then quickly divested herself of boots and sturdy stockings before she slipped noiselessly into the water, coming to stand by her much taller friend.
Try as she might, though, she couldn't seem to catch the trick of it. Maybe, she reasoned, the fish recognize one of their natural predators and so do not react to her the same way they do Kiko.
Kiko had tossed out three good size fish in the middle of teaching Kat the technique. But, when she looked up and saw that the sky was no longer a steel gray, rather bordering on violet. She patted the other girl on the shoulder.
Don't worry about getting it right off the bat. I certainly didn't, of course I was starving, too. So, I had a bit more incentive, at the time, to stand in the water. Come on. We'll wrap these in some damp leaves and let them smoke and you can give me pointers on the better use of my dagger.
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
silverdust [M:0:0:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?board=ci&action=display&thread=314]Mess with the panther, and you get the dagger in your throat.
Kat hauled herself out of the lake, fastidiously cleaning the muck off her feet. She looked around and picked a nice flat area of grass. "Show me how you use it now, please?"
Kiko had wrapped the fish in some wide, pungent leaves. Once their dinner was smoking by the fire behind them, Kiko returned to Kat. The fire even threw off some extra light. Kiko had done katas with worse footing, at any rate. She held the dagger in her off hand, just as she would have done with the tanto. She spun on her leading foot, the right one, and snapped the tanto out from her left hand in an awkward stabbing motion that brought her halfway around.
She wasn't happy with, that was obvious, but so far she had been unable to employ it otherwise. Her mouth twisted up afterwards, and she glanced at Kat.
I have to bring my hand forward to stab. I would not with the other weapon. I would rip it across in a slash, either to block my enemy's attack or make one of mine; if the opening is available.
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
silverdust [M:0:0:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?board=ci&action=display&thread=314]Mess with the panther, and you get the dagger in your throat.
Kat squatted on her haunches, dark eyes alert as she watched Kiko spar with the air.
"Yes," she said, her accent growing slightly thicker as she thought over what she'd just seen. "You present the side with the longer blade to your enemy, which narrows the profile. This means you have to turn to perform the stabbing attack, this I can see. Now you have two things you can do, maybe. If you press forward against your opponent then you can lock the guard and stab forward with your full profile presented, or your can turn into the stab and follow with the longer blade.
"You might need some more, umm... weight, yes? to do this first one. The second allows either of a stab or slash with the follow up."
She picked a couple of the longer grass stalks and rose to the balls of her feet, "if might I demonstrate?"
She nodded at Kat to indicate she should demonstrate.
Kiko watched her while other memories surged up in her mind. The last time she had seen a decent knife fighter was among the men of Exodus. A tall blonde fellow; but thin as a whip, and quicker than many.
Kiko had been utterly silent while working with the mercenary company known as the Exodus League. She took meals with them, she drilled with them, and went out on contracts with them, but she never spoke. The commander had heard her speak. Once. The day she walked off the ship that had landed her on the continent.
He had been a long-time friend of the ship's captain, and he knew her language. Of course, the language barrier was an issue at first for her; but not the reason she decided to remain silent. Kiko had no desire to be friendly. After the first chaotic whirl of interest most of the company accepted it, and did not try to communicate. The ones that did, well, they quickly either backed out of battles, or got rapped on the head by the butt end of her katana.
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
silverdust [M:0:0:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?board=ci&action=display&thread=314]Mess with the panther, and you get the dagger in your throat.
Kat closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath through her nose. She settled from the balls of her feet down onto the flat of them, then settled into a low stance, one side forward with a thick grass stalk held before her like Kiko's blade, and the other back and ready to move into the stab as an off-hand weapon.
She cried out as she moved forward suddenly, main arm coming up as if the blades were locked and pushed up between her and her invisible opponent. Her off-hand stabbed in suddenly, angling upwards and twisting.
Kat grimaced and then grinned quickly, "it is not so easy to demonstrate without a mannequin or a person to demonstrate on. That was the first one, if you get the idea. The second one, which might work better for you..."
She set herself again, and imitated Kiko's pivoting step and forward stab; her own stab again angled upwards, and was more fluid than Kiko's had been. As it would have reached full depth she twisted her wrist savagely, and continued the pivot, bringing her main-hand 'blade' up to slash across the position of an attack's throat, using the speed of the turn to add weight to the cut.
"The twist in the stab, that causes the real damage. Putting the thrust into the right place you go through the belly and up into the chest -- with a dagger as long as yours, maybe reach the heart too. Twist, break it open, and your enemy, they die before they know it."
Kiko's amber eyes narrowed. A killing blow would be worth much discomfort to learn. In fact, she quite liked this second idea of Kat's. The wolf would approve, quick, clean, and efficient.
A smile appeared, Kiko glanced at the grass stalks in the catgirl's hand.
Show me again, Kat.
Kiko picked up a couple of the same type of stalks and trimmed them down quickly.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
silverdust [M:0:0:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?board=ci&action=display&thread=314]Mess with the panther, and you get the dagger in your throat.
Kat grinned and stepped up to Kiko, light-footed. "You're tall, watch from behind, yes?"
She repeated the movements with her back to Kiko, leading with the stab from the off-hand, adding pressure and then a sudden twist as she started to spin, turning the momentum of the spin into power for the slash of the main-hand.
Kiko watched her spin. The other girl was light on her feet, not that she expected any less after seeing her actions in the tavern. And, she was definitely fast, she had to be. All she really lacked with those short weapons was reach, and attacking inside the guard ignored that short coming. She'd never be able to stand toe to toe with a hack and basher, but she didn't have to, not with her other skills.
Kiko batted the slash away with her off hand, spinning in the opposite direction.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
silverdust [M:0:0:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?board=ci&action=display&thread=314]Mess with the panther, and you get the dagger in your throat.
Kiko dropped low on one knee after the tap to her kidneys, head over and her eyes quickly finding the other girl. She turned on the kneecap, and her main hand swept out intending to catch Kat by the ankles and rap them with a good smack. She'd learned how to fight thieves. Take their mobility away and they were vulnerable.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
silverdust [M:0:0:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?board=ci&action=display&thread=314]Mess with the panther, and you get the dagger in your throat.
Kat stepped lightly on Kiko's hand, then on Kiko's shoulder, spinning and landing behind her again. That was the intention at least, but she instead landed at Kiko's side, turning her main-hand at the wrist to bring her imaginary single-edged sword up in a slash under Kiko's armpit. She was by no mean a sword-fighter, so this was as unfamiliar to her as fighting with a dagger was for Kiko