Fight Your Friends [attn; Damien]

[Avyra]

She was ready when he came at her again, but she wasn't ready for what followed. Danos aimed a punch right for her chest and she jumped to one side, right into a sweep from one of his legs. And it all went downhill for tiny Avyra. As she lost her balance, aiming to fall in the sands, he grabbed her with his right arm, pulling her into a powerful grapple. Terric had shown her this. She could do it. She could break it. If she hadn't frozen up. Her heart began to race faster, and she began to struggle wildly, hoping she would have a chance to get away. She didn't. One of his arms was about as big as she was, and her lack of strength made it impossible to break from them. Breathe. She had to find air to breathe. Wiggling about, she managed to find a spot in the crook of his arm, using it to open her airways. She was shaking, badly. Avyra kicked out once again, slamming her foot down his shin. Maybe he would let go.

[Damien]

Danos

Danos’ gambit worked perfectly, although whether that was because of an untried opponent or a truly good combination was a worry for another day. As Avyra danced away from his punch, she was caught off guard and he caught her with a thick forearm as she fell.

Deftly he turned her into a hold, and was subduing her just enough to let her test the grapple. Avyra struggled for a few moments, and Danos could feel her work her chin down into the crook of his arm, forcing the arm forward enough that it would give her extra space for breathing. It was a smart move, considering an opponent that was choking your air was liable to be unforgiven should you pass out.

Suddenly her foot struck once more down on the shin, and though the pain was easier to bear this time as he had experienced it once, there was little to be done about the fire that shot along the nerve. Avyra was tiny, but her foot was still hard, and nerve was nerve, it mattered little the size of the assault upon it.

Danos stepped back, realizing Avyra in a spinning disengagement meant to disorient her, and give him time to separate. As he stood and shuffled his feet through the bone white sand, he noticed the young Novice was shaking. Badly. Squatting down into a rest pose, he waved off the spar and waited for Avyra to take the moments she needed to compose herself. If he had been in the Void he might have noticed her shaking immediately, but he still did not trust himself fully there since the spar with Terric.

“You did well Avyra, you’ve graduated from kitten to badger. We need to get you some claws to truly help make up the stones I have on you, but Terric is a far better teacher than I am. I can see the difference in you clearly,” Danos said warmly as he began a set of cool down stretches that would help keep muscles limber and prevent cramps later.

[Avyra]

His grip released, but she found herself spinning on her feet when Danos did so, and it took her a moment to reorient herself with the world. She looked a bit scared, her entire body trembling. Light! She was going to kick herself after this! Danos seemed to notice, Light burn him, and he waved off the spar, resting for a moment in the sand. Avyra stayed on her feet, but her breaths were rapid and labored. He began to stretch. “You did well Avyra, you’ve graduated from kitten to badger. We need to get you some claws to truly help make up the stones I have on you, but Terric is a far better teacher than I am. I can see the difference in you clearly." His voice was a warm rumble. Avyra, had she been less strained, would have beamed and puffed up, but she only nodded, swallowing before returning to her heavy breathing. "Give me... a moment... I might pass out..." She settled down in the sand, laying down in it as she tried to catch her breath. "I couldn't... breathe... but... thank you..." She actually had been able to, but couldn't because of how panicked she had been in the headlock. It took her quite a while to catch her breath, but soon her chest rose and felle evenly. "That helped, thank you. I've just been stressed as of late and needed some time with a friend and a way to blow off steam, and I figured you were someone I could always rely on for a spar." She still sounded a touch shaken.

[Damien]

Danos

Danos stretched and waited patiently for Avrya to catch her breath. It took her quite a while, but soon could see the rise and fall of her chest even out. "That helped, thank you. I've just been stressed as of late and needed some time with a friend and a way to blow off steam, and I figured you were someone I could always rely on for a spar." She still sounded a touch shaken, so Danos let her remain on the ground lying upon the sands. The Warder Yards was a place where you could see blood, sweat and people clawing for the strength to continue fighting, so he figured there was little need to be embarrassed.

“Of course, you are always welcome to come find me for a spar. As I work towards training to be a Gaidin there will be times I must depart for training, but if I’m here I will make time. That’s what friends do,” said Danos, his voice warm but his eyes distant as he thought of the departure he had in the morning. He had been asked for by name when an Ashaman was assembling a group to answer the call of the Queen of Andor, and he was glad the spar had helped distract him.

“I am glad to help with the stresses of being a Novice as well. And I imagine once you have the banded dress you will need even more occasions to work off steam. Hopefully my shins can take it,” Danos said with a chuckle as he rubbed the bruise that was slowly darkening on his legs.

[Avyra]

“I am glad to help with the stresses of being a Novice as well. And I imagine once you have the banded dress you will need even more occasions to work off steam. Hopefully my shins can take it." Danos rubbed his shins as he said this, but he was smiling proudly. She merely huffed. "I hope my ribs and lungs make it. You crushed all the air out of me, you giant ox." She looked amused for the first time, as though the old Avyra poked back out for a moment. But it didn't last. She sighed, closing her eyes, becoming distracted again. "Its not even my studies this time. All the rumors..." She rubbed her thigh, trying to massage out the bruise there from Mirin's rage earlier. "I'm not sure if I can take it anymore. And the proper way to phrase it is if I get my banded dress, not when." Avyra still wasn't convinced she would be good at this, but she was still here because she had nothing else to do.