Expanding The Skillset

Writers: AmajoS, Miriah
Date Posted: 2nd March 2019

Characters: Rothen, Karhal
Description: During a training exercise, Karhal offers an opportunity to Rothen.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 9, day 19 of Turn 9

Karhal

Despite the cold temperatures in the training yard, the workout from
earlier this morning had him coated in a light film of perspiration
and Rothen had to blink a few times to keep it from stinging his eyes.
He circled around, looking for an opening, his hands up to guard his
face.

Karhal watched, pacing in the same yard to counter Rothen. He shook
his head and feinted towards Rothen's face before driving a carefully
controlled blow towards the abdomen. "You're leaving yourself open. "
For a large man, he moved quick and nearly danced back. "I have a
longer reach, Rothen. Think."

Rothen accepted the rebuke with good grace, he hoped anyway. It was
not the first time he'd heard it. Hand to hand was not his favorite
thing. Still, he needed to do better. He re-positioned his arms and the
angle of his body and looked for an opportunity to strike.

"Use my size against me, " Karhal surged forward, going for a grapple,
while attempting a leg sweep.

Rothen twisted to the side, managing to avoid the leg sweep, but only
just. He tried to use Karhal's momentum against him by aiming a shove
at the larger man's hip while he was off-balance, hoping to knock him
further off balance, and make him stumble

Karhal did stumble, but caught his feet quickly, and backed away with
a grin. "Good job. Now, if I come at you with a fist, grab the wrist,
turn, and pull to get me off balance." He steadied his feet. "Ready?"

Rothen shifted into a ready position and nodded, "Ready." When the
bigger man came at him, he did as instructed. He grabbed hold of
Karhal's wrist as he turned to move out of the way. He added sticking
a foot out to try to tangle the Captain's feet as he pulled.

Karhal's feet did tangle and he fell, but rolled away before a further
attack could commence. He got to his feet quickly, and nodded with
satisfaction. "Nicely done with the feet." He brushed his shirt off
and considered the man for a moment. "Have you worked with our canines
yet?"

"Not here. I had basic training with them when I first started guard
work back at Topaz, but generally I've been on sentry duty," Rothen
replied. He knew some of the basic commands and was fairly certain if
he needed to get one of the specially trained canines to track or
subdue someone he could manage it, but he'd been walking rounds in and
around the Hold or standing by doors for most of his career both here
and his former homes.

"They get their canine's from us." The reply was dry. "I train them."
He crossed his arms over his chest, tapping one finger against a
bicep. "I know that this isn't your strong area, Rothen. I don't know
if it will ever be. I'd rather play to your talents. I'd like to see how
you are with our canines."

"Well, sure, Captain." Rothen wondered if he'd been found lacking in
his usual duties or something. But, maybe it was simply a case of
wanting everyone to have more diverse training. He liked canines well
enough and had no problems with the idea of working with them.

"Get with me tomorrow morning. All of our guards have basic training
with them, but we do have specialized training that you might be
suited for." He tapped his chin, considering. "Where do you think most
of your skills lie?"

"Well, like I said, I've been a sentry for most of my career. Walking
patrols around the Hold, standing watch at the Lord's door, the
entrance, and so on." He'd been doing this duty for seventeen turns,
though only a fraction of that at this particular Hold, of course.
"I'm good at noticing people, I suppose. When they're out of place or
acting odd. I like to think I'm good at dealing with them too, sir."
He considered a moment before add, "I enjoy hunting too, which helps I
think."

Karhal arched a brow, an idea coming to him. "Sentry duty is good, but
you're a bit too bright to be stuck doing it all the time." His eyes
narrowed. "Ever worked with a tracking canine team?"

"Beyond the basics, no. But, I'm pretty good at tracking game." Rothen
was beginning to be intrigued, even a bit excited now. Instead of
worrying that he'd been found lacking at his usual job, he was
starting to see that maybe this was an opportunity.

"Well, we'll see how you do with our trackers. It won't keep you
entirely out of sentry duty, but you'll spend more time paired with a
canine doing training then guarding a door." Karhal's lips lifted.
"We'll test your skills, and if I think your skills are adequate,
we'll see if you can pair with one of our canines." He frowned a bit.
"If you can, you'll be completely responsible for that canine. It will
live with you, eat with you, and work with you, every day. Can you
handle that?"

"Can they be taken hunting? I usually spend my off-time doing that
when the weather is warmer. I could leave it with my mother if not, I
suppose." He wondered if a canine trained to track down criminals
might actually be a decent hunting companion as well.

Karhal's brows rose. "What type of hunting? We don't want them
attacking unless commanded."

"Wild herdbeasts and wherrys, fur-beasts and so on too. Pretty much
anything really. And, I would think if a canine went attacking things
before it was commanded to, it would make a poor hunter anyway,"
Rothen grinned. "But, wouldn't it be good practice for it? Scenting
game and tracking it can't be -that- different than scenting a person
and tracking them." Not that he knew much about training canines, for
hunting animals or people.

"For now, I would say leave the tracking canines to track people. We
do have hunters that you could use on request. Our trackers are
trained to track people; if they get used to hunting other prey, it
could potentially confuse them when it comes time for their duties."

Rothen nodded in understanding, he supposed that made sense. "It would
be alright to leave it with my mother when I go hunting?"

"Not at first. I would suggest curtailing your hunting until you're
comfortable with the canine and you'll have to make sure that the
canine will be comfortable with your mother."

That shouldn't be too much of a hardship, Rothen considered. It was
still the middle of winter and much too cold to do much hunting and
would be for a while still and early spring wasn't much better even if
it was less cold, the animals were lean. He wouldn't mind holding off
until Summer or Fall, which were the best hunting times anyway. There
would be plenty of time to get comfortable with a canine and for his
mother to as well. At least comfortable enough to watch it while he
was gone for a few hours. "That's fine."

Then he wondered something else, "You said work with me and that I
would still do some sentry work, if I get assigned one, would it stand
watches with me too?"

"Yes. My canine, Livy, is only absent now because she is nursing a
litter and they are too young to be without their dam. The canine
should be with you at all times during your duties."

He nodded, "Alright then, when do I start the tests?"

Karhal nodded with approval at the guard's eagerness. "Meet me at the
kennels at the beginning of the next sevenday at the start of the
morning shift. We'll begin then."

"Yes, sir." Rothen felt a small thrill of anticipation.

Last updated on the March 3rd 2019

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