Storyboards: Aewyr

Floundering | Embarrassment | Last request | Leaving a life behind | Meeting Gares | Apprenticeship | Beyond land | Savvy? | Group RP: Search for Information | Grekan

Floundering
Aewyr glared at the basket before her, feeling completely defeated by this object made of grass and twigs. The basket was lopsided and there were loose holes in it. In fact, it didn't really look like a basket it all.
'No Aewyr, you can't weave it like that. It will never hold water if you do it that way.' Aewyr looked up at her mentor, hiding her exasperation under her calm exterior. On the inside, she felt like tearing the stupid thing apart.
'I'm sorry, I will try it again,' Aewyr said, pulling the pieces apart and laying them aside.
Ever since her sixteenth birthday, her life had been completely turned upside down. The older women in the clan had all kinds of mindless duties for her, usually involving tending to cattle, sewing, cooking, weaving, and tanning. None of these things she seemed to have much success with. She knew what to expect in her "introduction to womanhood," but she never imagined she'd have so much difficulty with it.
'At least I'm good at one thing,' she muttered silently to herself as she began rethreading the pieces of thick grass. Her mind wandered pleasantly to her training earlier that morning. She could still feel the hilt of the blade clasped in her hand and the rush that she felt with every thrust and parry. She smiled inwardly, escaping the grueling task of basket weaving with her thoughts.
'Aewyr, you're messing it up again,' her mentor snapped, grasping the basket from her hands. 'This really isn't that hard you know. You're the only woman that seems to be having trouble with this. We need to continue with this lesson and you are already behind. Go back to your tent and we will discuss later.'

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Embarrassment
Humiliation flooded through Aewyr's body like a disease, twisting her emotions into one of the most unpleasant feelings she had ever experienced. She fought to keep her outer appearance calm, but a slow flush crept across her sun tanned cheeks. The other women surrounding her looked at her with the same kind of serious expression, but she could see in the back of their eyes that they all looked down upon her. She returned to her tent feeling remorseful.
Just as she sat down on her bed inside her canvas pavilion, an elderly woman stepped in. It was her mother and she had a very grave look on her face. She studied Aewyr carefully before settling next to her daughter.
'Hello mother, this is a rather unexpected visit,' Aewyr said, knowing that her mother had seen her leave the younger women and return to her tent.
'I noticed that you left your session early, I came to check on you.' A bit of concern slipped into her mother's usually level tone.
Aewyr sighed. 'There's no point in beating around the bush. I tried to hide you from it because I didn't want to shame you. I'm floundering in every lesson except swordsmanship. I'm afraid I'm a disappointment to the clan.'
'It has been ten months since your sixteenth birthday and your only skill is swordsmanship? A woman's role is crucial in the survival of our clan. What do you expect to become? A warrior? A hunter like the men?'
Aewyr winced at her mother's sharp words. 'Mother, that's hardly fair of you to say that. I'm sure with a little more time... '
'Oh, time isn't going to do anything for you. You have the heart of a warrior. If only you had been a boy... But that is no matter.' Her mother stared at her daughter critically and brushed a stray lock of blonde hair from her face. 'You've always had an adventurous spirit in you ever since you were a little girl.'

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Last request
'I will improve with time mother... ' Aewyr was adamant that she would not shame her mother and be a disappointment to her clan. Her mother merely shook her head.
'Perhaps this clan is not for you,' she suggested quietly, watching Aewyr's reaction closely.
'That's absurd, I can't abandon this clan. I have a duty and a role here just as much as anyone else.'
'Aewyr, this is a fairly large clan... And they would understand if you chose to leave.'
'Mother, I can't leave you. I'm all you have now.'
'Nonsense, I have the clan and I'm in my last few years anyway. I'd hate to see you live a life that you don't truly want.'
Aewyr cringed at her mother's last remark. In a way, it was almost as if her mother had made her last wish to her and a last wish was something that could not be taken lightly or discarded.
'Is this what you truly want for me?' Aewyr asked quietly.
'Yes.'
Aewyr closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. 'This is all happening so fast. One minute I'm trying to make a basket and the next I'm being asked by my elderly mother to leave the only clan I've known to live my absurd dream of being a warrior,' she thought to herself.
'I will do ask you as mother,' she said aloud finally
'Good, you have a week to put together your things. I will notify the clan.'
'Where will I go?'
Her mother smiled. 'There is a man in Camaar. A Sha-Dar actually. His name is Gares. He's fairly well known throughout most of the clans... He is actually the head of a clan himself... A clan that I think will suit you.'
'You've been planning this all along haven't you?' Aewyr asked, peering intently at her mother.
'Of course. I just needed to make sure I knew what I was doing first and you're floundering has only proved me right. Get some rest Aewyr, we have a lot of packing and preparing to do.'

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Leaving a life behind
The week flew by rather quickly. The looks from her clansmen were a mix of disappointment and awe. It was uncommon for anyone to leave the clan, especially a woman. Aewyr did her best to ignore them and conceal the shame she felt within.
'Well, this is it then,' Aewyr said, standing beside her mother who was tying a canvas pack to her horse.
'This is it,' her mother said, coming around the horse to face her daughter. 'You've grown up so much,' she said, tears brimming in her eyes.
Aewyr smiled and embraced her mother. 'I will miss you,' she murmured, holding back the flood of emotions that were threatening to burst forth.
'I will miss you too. Well, time is slipping by and it's a bit if a distance to Camaar,' her mother said, brushing the tears from her wrinkled cheeks. Aewyr nodded gravely and turned to mount her horse. She looked out to the stretch of canvas tents and pavilions that had been her home for so long then down at her mother. She took her mothers hand in her own. 'Be well mother,' Aewyr said and then kicked her horse forward.

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Meeting Gares
It took quite some time for Aewyr to arrive in Camaar. Her mother had given her general directions to get there, but she found it a bit more complicated to find it than she expected. She had never been anywhere else other than roaming the vast plains of Algaria, let alone see what a city looked like.
'Well, here we are,' she mumbled, looking around at the people bustling through the streets. She hopped down from her horse and clasped the reigns in her hands. She studied the street warily, unsure of what to make of this solid place.
'You seem a bit lost, do you need help finding something?'
Aewyr spun around to find a rather tall man with black hair and gleaming armor standing behind her.
'Oh, well, I'm new here,' Aewyr explained. 'In fact, I've never even been to a city.' She looked around at all the people a bit hopelessly. 'Well, I guess it would be useless to ask if you know a man named Gares. There are too many people here to keep track of anyone.'
The man smiled at her. 'Well, today is your lucky day then. I am the man you're looking for,' he said, bowing politely.
Aewyr's eyes widened and she bowed deeply. 'A Sha-Dar! I must look like a total idiot!' she yelled silently in her head.
'Here, your horse is weary and you look like you could use some rest. Come with me to my hall. We will discuss why you were looking for me there,' he said, taking the reins of her horse and turning down the street.

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Apprenticeship
Aewyr's time so far in her new clan was pleasant although confusing. She was used to a nomadic lifestyle, not something so permanent like a city. She spent a lot of time milling about Camaar trying to find out exactly what it was about cities that made them so attractive to so many people. She still didn't quite understand it. She saw drunkards stumbling about, thieves snatch gold from unsuspecting by passers, merchants flick their fingers at each other nervously and all sorts of other dishonest business. But, it wasn't all so bad. She was comforted by the children who ran around laughing and the people who had a story to tell and a helping hand. She had a lot to learn about the world and she was pleased to know it wasn't completely corrupted.
After she felt a little more comfortable with city life and was settled in she sought out Gares. It took her a long time to coax herself into doing it since he was very intimidating. She needed a mentor and she was extremely pleased when he agreed to teach her. Aewyr got rather cocky about, being trained by a Sha-Dar and all, but that soon passed on their first day of training. It's a wonder that she was able to get out of bed at all the next day, but Gares was very adamant that she shake off and get up. She wasn't in any condition to protest, so each morning she dragged herself out of bed for another day of training.

Aewyr brushed aside a stray lock of blonde hair from her sweaty brow and struggled to catch her breath. 'I'm exhausted,' she said hoarsely.
'Do you wish to end your training for the day?' Gares asked, lowering his blade slightly. Aewyr paused to catch her breath and wipe the sweat from her eyes before responding.
'I'm afraid there is nothing left in me for today,' she said, giving him a tired smile. She turned the point of her saber to the earth and rested her weight on the hilt.
'You shouldn't relax your muscles so abruptly,' he commented as he sheathed his blade and began stretching his muscles.
Aewyr sighed and forced herself back into a standing position, ignoring her protesting muscles. She sheathed her saber and began stretching her tired arms. She winced as the muscles pulled and sent a searing pain through her body.
'No, don't do it like that. You need to ease your muscles into a stretch. Extend your arms like so until it begins to hurt and then hold it for a few seconds. Release and then stretch again, pushing yourself a little further each time. This will make it so you don't strain your muscles and will also keep you flexible. Flexibility is a key advantage in combat,' he stated in a rather matter-of-fact tone. He pulled her arms behind her, holding her together and began pushing her arms upward.
She winced again and sucked in a sharp breath of air as her muscles pulled. 'You need to tell me when your muscles tighten otherwise I don't know when to stop,' he said, holding her arms in place and then releasing. He eased her arms up once more, pushing a little further.
'Tomorrow we will work on defensive moves. Your fighting style is much too aggressive. In a situation where your opponent outmatches you, your best bet is relying on defense moves. For now, you should get some rest. Your muscles will need it. They will feel very stiff tomorrow, but the best way to relax them is to work through it. We have a lot of work ahead of us.'
Aewyr nodded, rubbing at the muscles of her arms. 'Thanks,' she muttered quietly. She watched Gares leave the training area and sighed wearily. 'I don't know how I'm going to survive this training, ' she mumbled as the achs of her weary body fully settled in. Wiping the sweat off her brow once more, she left the chambers and retired for the evening.
Months passed and Aewyr slowly made progress under her training with Gares. She found that rolling out of bed in the morning because less and less painful. She learned more than she thought possible about swordsmanship and fighting.
'Well Aewyr,' Gares began on one late evening in the training hall as they were finishing up her training, 'This is as far as I'll train you. One thing about being warrior is developing your own styles and techniques and I think it's time to learn that for yourself.'
Aewyr couldn't help but frown. She could probably go on training for years if she had it her way, but she knew he was right. 'Well then, my thanks for taking me this far. I couldn't have made this much progress without you,' she said. It was an unusually sentimental statement for her to make, but she imagined she would see less and less of Gares after this and wanted to be sure he knew she was grateful.
He smiled warmly. 'I also think it's time you start to meet the rest of the clan. You've spent a lot of time with me but there are other members here. One of the best parts of a clan is the people within it. Besides, you have more to learn than just swordsmanship. There's a whole world out there you haven't seen yet.'
'I know, I suppose I'm a bit shy,' Aewyr mumbled, absently scratching her head. 'Well, thanks again.' She turned and left the training hall.

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Beyond land
Aewyr was quite pleased with her time spent training with Zhuntah. It gave her an opportunity to meet someone else and work on her skills. He proved to be quite a challenge on the training field, but off the field he made good company.
After their sessions had ended, Aewyr decided to take a break from training and explore more of Camaar... specifically the docks. She wasn't really all that familiar with the sea other than how it made the air stink of fish and salt, which often led her into bouts of nausea. But despite its unpleasant rancor, she thought she would make a point to gain a better understanding of the sea.
The heel of her boots clattered loudly on the creaky wooden docks as she entered upon the port of Camaar. Dirty looking men were milling about, most of them hauling large crates or stumbling around in drunken stupors. Aewyr's stomach churned a little each time the men walked passed her. They all gave off a foul odor that clearly revealed that they hadn't seen a bath for ages and the words that came out of their mouth were equally lewd. She stopped at the very edge of a fairly vacan’t dock to look out into the distance. The blue waters tumbled about lazily, occasionally sending a light spray of water upon the dock. Seagulls flew overhead, squawking at each other noisily and occasionally sending droppings upon unsuspecting sailors. Aewyr chuckled lightly and then sighed heavily. She decided that there we nothing particularly interesting about the sea... until her eyes fell upon a massive ship. Now that looked interesting.

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Savvy?
'What are ye doin' thar?'
Aewyr's head poked up from behind a mast and she peered around at the voice. She had crept aboard one of these fascinating contraptions and decided to have a look around. She looked up at a grubby looked man who obviously hadn't seen a bath for weeks... Perhaps even months. He had a protruding jaw that reminded her of a horse's muzzle and his breath reeked of ale.
'I'm sorry, I was just having a look around,' Aewyr said innocently and walking around from the mast she was perched behind. 'I find it all quite interesting.'
'Well, be interest'd somewheres else. I got me a load to be sendin' out soon and I won' be taken' any passengers,' he grumbled, gesturing for her to leave the boat.
Another sailor approached behind him and was stumbling around, quite obviously drunk, and making some obscene remarks. Aewyr couldn't really understand what he was really trying to say underneath all the lewd comments, but it made the first sailor quite angry. Then, to Aewyr's shock, the two men started brawling. They were both fairly heavy set men and looked to be about evenly matched. The pushed and tugged and punched and kicked and all continued on with all sorts of useless beatings.
'That's enough,' Aewyr shouted, slapping the flat side of her sword against the drunken man's belly. He reeled backwards and winced at the stinging blow. She knocked the other man with the hilt of her other sword on the back of the end and stared at them critically.
'You're being absolutely ridiculous,' she said with a disgusted sigh. Just as she finished her last statement, the drunken man pulled himself up and unsheathed a flimsy looking sword that had rust spots dotting the blade. Aewyr grimaced. 'I won't kill a drunken man you know... Not really fair after all. But I will teach you to mind your manners.'
The two circled around the boat for a good few minutes before anyone made a move. Aewyr let the drunken man have at it for a while, watching him thrust his sword at her, which she easily parried or dodged. The man worked himself into an absolute fury and then, as if all of his anger were thrust in this one move, he plummeted toward Aewyr with all the force he could muster. Aewyr met his blow with her sword and moved her blade in a circular motion to flick the sailor's sword out of his hand. It landed with a dramatic clatter on the deck. She let the man sit in a bit of a stupor before she knocked him on the back of the head.
'Well, he won't be bothering you anymore,' Aewyr muttered, sheathing her blades. 'Again, sorry for intruding on your boat. I’ll be off.'
'I say, ma'am, that is some savvy swordsmanship ye have. I bet ye could slay a whole army with form like that.'
Aewyr chuckled. 'I had a clear advantage. He was drunk after all. Anyway, I’ll be off.' She hopped down from the boat and meandered back to the city. 'Savvy swordswoman, ' she thought to herself, letting it roll around a few times, 'I like the sound of that.'

Aewyr's adventures continue in "Search for Information".

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Grekan
As the last bits of light were engulfed beneath the gray skies of Riva, the ship was anchored into port. Aewyr was bubbling with excitement, not only to be off the ship, but also because of the new city before her. Almost immediately after the ship settled, Aewyr scampered off the ship and rushed into the city, only half aware that she was forgetting something.
As Aewyr wandered through the city, she became increasingly disappointed with it. Everything was gray from the clouds in the sky to the cloaks of the peasants. There was absolutely nothing exciting about Riva.
With a sigh of resignation, Aewyr began to make her way back to the ship. As she walked, she noticed something perched atop a winding street, emitting a curious warm glow. She stopped to have a look, not noticing that someone was behind her.
'You don't just stop in the middle of the street like that,' a man grumbled sourly after stumbling into Aewyr. Aewyr apologized profusely and helped the man to his feet. He was an unscrupulous sort of man and didn't seem particularly friendly. Aewyr eyed him cautiously. 'An Algar in Riva, not too often that we see your kind here,' he commented, dusting off his pants.
'Oh... Well, I was just visiting. I'm Aewyr.'
The man nodded. 'I'm Grekan. You should watch where you're going,' he muttered again. He peered at her intently for a moment, appearing as though he was running something over in his mind. After a few moments, he spoke. 'You got somewhere to stay tonight?'
'Well no... I haven't really thought that far into it yet.' She paused.
'Isn't it a little...odd to be asking a stranger if they have somewhere to stay?' He grinned. 'You've got a strong arm, but I'm not too worried about you.'
'No, not ME, I mean you! You don't exactly look respectable...no offense.'
Grekan chuckled and clapped Aewyr on the back. 'You see up there? That's my Brotherhood. If you need somewhere to stay tonight, you just come with me. Most of us are pretty friendly and if it suits you, you might stick around with us.'
Aewyr looked at him skeptically. 'Well... It does look nice. Maybe I'll just look around, but don't you try anything funny.'
'Well! You're a trusting girl aren't you? Don't worry, I have dishonest business, but not with you.'
Aewyr couldn't tell if he was serious or not and laughed nervously. 'Well... Okay, but I can't pay you.'
'Don't you worry about that. I have a feeling you'll take a liking to the place. Come on, I'll show you inside.'

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