Interlude – Facing forwards to the past - Part 2
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Commander Chelsea Dunham
Post Details
ON:
"S'Ten she said after the pause. It was a name. “He was a family retainer, you know the sort," Isha said, "he had always been there and I thought he always would be, he trained both of my siblings."
~Trained?~ Pia latched onto that expression and saved it for later.
"Are your siblings younger than you?" Pia asked. The point was not to redirect this line of thought to the siblings but to encourage the uncovering of this memory so Pia didn't ask for too much detail about the siblings specifically.
"My sister and brother were both considerably older than I and like every younger sister since the dawn of time when they were home I followed them around making a nuisance of myself. I liked to watch them train and would sit quietly on the bench observing these two wonderful aspiring warriors as they sparred under the tuition of our Rianov, S’Ten.
~aaah, *that* sort of definition of *trained*~ Pia realised silently.
"I had been attending for weeks before he first spoke to me …”
It was the following scene that she related to Pia:
The air was cool, the promise of spring barely a whisper. Latta-Jhu and Taev had returned on the same day, Latta-Jhu, Isha’s eldest sibling and her mother’s heir was approaching the end of her final year at the War College , Four years younger, Isha’s brother Taev had just completed Serona and would follow his sister into the College the following year. Isha, thirteen years younger than her brother pounced on the pair of them when they returned unable to disguise her admiration for them, something that they tolerated with reasonable humour.
As the days grew warmer the pattern remained the same, once her siblings were done for the day and Isha’s own studies were over they would all go down to the covered yard, Latta-Jhu and Taev to spar and exchange tips with each other and with S’Ten, Isha, to sit quietly in the corner and observe.
Isha liked to observe, and to predict what people were going to do or to say next and she found that she was very often right.
On this day Latta-Jhu filled the air with blistering curses as S’Ten disarmed her and kicked her down into the dust, Latte-Jhu’s sword fell with a thud into the sawdust floor as he stepped back, “Your confidence is unfounded,” he told her, “think on it, and we will discuss why tomorrow.” He turned then hearing the burbling laughter from the girl in the corner. S’Ten approached the child, a dark look on his face and crouched down to her level, “Why does it amuse you that your sister lost?” he asked.
Isha blinked at the old soldier who had to be twice her height if he was a foot, watching him with the confidence that comes with extreme youth. She replied without hesitation, “Because she thought you would do what Taev does,” the girl explained. “Taev is stronger than her, Latta-Jhu is faster, but he’s afraid that if he attacks he could hurt her, she is also his superior so he does not wish to humiliate her - so he defends. She thrusts at him and he pulls back giving ground each time. Latte-Jhu knows this and uses it against him.”
S’Ten’s expression changed, from one of slight annoyance to one of puzzled surprise, “Did Latta-Jhu tell you this?”
“No,” Isha jumped to her feet, as though the idea offended her, “I observed,” she said angrily, “That is why I am here, and if I watch now, when I am old enough to learn myself I will have an advantage, no?”
S’Ten was still sceptical, “Tell me then, if you are so observant, how was I able to beat your sister?”
“It is your duty to see that she is the best that she can be therefore you have no reason to hold back. If she is left believing that a real opponent would make the mistake that Taev makes then you would have failed to train her correctly. Taev loves and respects Latta-Jhu, but it is the respect of a brother and a subordinate. Yours is the respect of a teacher and if she has to fall on her backside to learn her lesson then you will make it happen, otherwise you’d be a pretty rotten teacher. My tutor tells me that the first thing one should do is observe. A person’s actions are on their face, and in their body. He said that is a truth be they on the Senate floor or a battlefield. The more you know about a man the greater your advantage.”
“I was seven then,” Isha told Pia, “fearless and dangerously precocious, and I daresay a little obnoxious - he told me later that it took my sister months to finally realise what her mistake was and longer to correct it. That was the first time that S’Ten ever acknowledged my existence, and despite his rather formidable appearance I found him to be one of the kindest and most patient men I have ever had the privilege to meet.
Pia's eyebrow wavered into a slightly confused look but she did not comment. She had been waiting during this story for Isha to tell of some form of reprimand that had cut home, but none came. This was quite a different marker that had been recalled and the reason why was sure to be significant.
"The question we are exploring is whether you do or don't have the right to hit back if you are attacked, Isha. What do you think made you remember that particular incident at this time? I'd like to explore how it helps us to unravel this." she asked, explaining why she wanted to know so as not to seem unnecessarily intrusive.
Up to now, Pia had been asking questions or making comments with kid gloves on as any counsellor should when dealing with an attack victim in order to minimise the added trauma. Her change in making this question into one that actually 'steered' Isha, was a slight change of tactic. Whilst Pia was aware she would need to attempt to take down Isha's sub-conscious lifetime's habit of defence-cloaking and shields, she was also experienced enough to know that subterfuge would only cause suspicion.
Pia wanted Isha to maintain the surety that this was her *choice* to explore the issue and that she was not being coerced or manouevred. She felt the best way to do this was to be honest about why she was asking and what she hoped to discover.
“It was never formally asked that S’Ten train me, it was not required as it was his duty since he was appointed to the role. He did wait until my siblings had departed, though, my sister for her first commission and my brother for the War College .
“We began with sticks, perhaps that is too crude, actually weighted carven replicas of blades, either way the sight must have been comical, but once I had been taught the basics S’Ten enlisted some local children, for them it was an honour to be trained by him, and for me it provided opponents closer to my own size and ability.
“I was very good, Pia, and I am being modest in that statement – S’Ten suggested that I was the reincarnation of Rhiu, the Queen who was so skilled and became so powerful that the Stelam Shiar opted to be a Republic after her defeat. Just like when I had appraised my sister’s performance I was appraising my opponent’s and adapting.
“Many years later, thirty, forty, I found out why I could do this, why I was so much faster, why it looked as though I could predict what would happen.”
Pia listened, fascinated. This was startling news, given that the lady in question was here to relate a tale of having been subdued and not having been able to put up a fight. The Counsellor was beginning to see why Isha was so upset at herself. There was something very important going on in a strong powerful politician and ambassador who had such prowess and natural ability as a youngster yet who seemingly now 'allowed' herself to be, in her own words 'punished deservedly' by brutality.
"Sometimes discoveries like that do take a long time." she encouraged gently.
“S’Ten told me that my mother would be so proud of me, of the four years I had spent developing my skill without letting my studies slide. I agreed with him for I used the same technique in facing an opponent in debate or rhetoric as I did when faced with one waving a blade. I respected that man so much,” Isha shook her head. “If it is possible for an eleven year old girl and a 130 year old man to be friends then that is what we were. Pia, he took the delight that a father takes in a daughter’s achievements in mine; he encouraged me and after that her long absence both he and I sought to impress my mother with what I had learned.”
TBC.....
A JP between:
Ambassador Isha t'Khellian
and
Ensign Pia Rimmec
Asst. Counsellor
NPC'd by jools
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Commander Chelsea Dunham
Post Details
| Title | Facing forwards to the past - Part 2 | |
| Mission | Interlude | |
| Author(s) | Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Commander Chelsea Dunham | |
| Posted | Mon May 17, 2010 @ 11:29am | |
| Location | Assistant Counselor's Office |
"S'Ten she said after the pause. It was a name. “He was a family retainer, you know the sort," Isha said, "he had always been there and I thought he always would be, he trained both of my siblings."
~Trained?~ Pia latched onto that expression and saved it for later.
"Are your siblings younger than you?" Pia asked. The point was not to redirect this line of thought to the siblings but to encourage the uncovering of this memory so Pia didn't ask for too much detail about the siblings specifically.
"My sister and brother were both considerably older than I and like every younger sister since the dawn of time when they were home I followed them around making a nuisance of myself. I liked to watch them train and would sit quietly on the bench observing these two wonderful aspiring warriors as they sparred under the tuition of our Rianov, S’Ten.
~aaah, *that* sort of definition of *trained*~ Pia realised silently.
"I had been attending for weeks before he first spoke to me …”
It was the following scene that she related to Pia:
The air was cool, the promise of spring barely a whisper. Latta-Jhu and Taev had returned on the same day, Latta-Jhu, Isha’s eldest sibling and her mother’s heir was approaching the end of her final year at the War College , Four years younger, Isha’s brother Taev had just completed Serona and would follow his sister into the College the following year. Isha, thirteen years younger than her brother pounced on the pair of them when they returned unable to disguise her admiration for them, something that they tolerated with reasonable humour.
As the days grew warmer the pattern remained the same, once her siblings were done for the day and Isha’s own studies were over they would all go down to the covered yard, Latta-Jhu and Taev to spar and exchange tips with each other and with S’Ten, Isha, to sit quietly in the corner and observe.
Isha liked to observe, and to predict what people were going to do or to say next and she found that she was very often right.
On this day Latta-Jhu filled the air with blistering curses as S’Ten disarmed her and kicked her down into the dust, Latte-Jhu’s sword fell with a thud into the sawdust floor as he stepped back, “Your confidence is unfounded,” he told her, “think on it, and we will discuss why tomorrow.” He turned then hearing the burbling laughter from the girl in the corner. S’Ten approached the child, a dark look on his face and crouched down to her level, “Why does it amuse you that your sister lost?” he asked.
Isha blinked at the old soldier who had to be twice her height if he was a foot, watching him with the confidence that comes with extreme youth. She replied without hesitation, “Because she thought you would do what Taev does,” the girl explained. “Taev is stronger than her, Latta-Jhu is faster, but he’s afraid that if he attacks he could hurt her, she is also his superior so he does not wish to humiliate her - so he defends. She thrusts at him and he pulls back giving ground each time. Latte-Jhu knows this and uses it against him.”
S’Ten’s expression changed, from one of slight annoyance to one of puzzled surprise, “Did Latta-Jhu tell you this?”
“No,” Isha jumped to her feet, as though the idea offended her, “I observed,” she said angrily, “That is why I am here, and if I watch now, when I am old enough to learn myself I will have an advantage, no?”
S’Ten was still sceptical, “Tell me then, if you are so observant, how was I able to beat your sister?”
“It is your duty to see that she is the best that she can be therefore you have no reason to hold back. If she is left believing that a real opponent would make the mistake that Taev makes then you would have failed to train her correctly. Taev loves and respects Latta-Jhu, but it is the respect of a brother and a subordinate. Yours is the respect of a teacher and if she has to fall on her backside to learn her lesson then you will make it happen, otherwise you’d be a pretty rotten teacher. My tutor tells me that the first thing one should do is observe. A person’s actions are on their face, and in their body. He said that is a truth be they on the Senate floor or a battlefield. The more you know about a man the greater your advantage.”
“I was seven then,” Isha told Pia, “fearless and dangerously precocious, and I daresay a little obnoxious - he told me later that it took my sister months to finally realise what her mistake was and longer to correct it. That was the first time that S’Ten ever acknowledged my existence, and despite his rather formidable appearance I found him to be one of the kindest and most patient men I have ever had the privilege to meet.
Pia's eyebrow wavered into a slightly confused look but she did not comment. She had been waiting during this story for Isha to tell of some form of reprimand that had cut home, but none came. This was quite a different marker that had been recalled and the reason why was sure to be significant.
"The question we are exploring is whether you do or don't have the right to hit back if you are attacked, Isha. What do you think made you remember that particular incident at this time? I'd like to explore how it helps us to unravel this." she asked, explaining why she wanted to know so as not to seem unnecessarily intrusive.
Up to now, Pia had been asking questions or making comments with kid gloves on as any counsellor should when dealing with an attack victim in order to minimise the added trauma. Her change in making this question into one that actually 'steered' Isha, was a slight change of tactic. Whilst Pia was aware she would need to attempt to take down Isha's sub-conscious lifetime's habit of defence-cloaking and shields, she was also experienced enough to know that subterfuge would only cause suspicion.
Pia wanted Isha to maintain the surety that this was her *choice* to explore the issue and that she was not being coerced or manouevred. She felt the best way to do this was to be honest about why she was asking and what she hoped to discover.
“It was never formally asked that S’Ten train me, it was not required as it was his duty since he was appointed to the role. He did wait until my siblings had departed, though, my sister for her first commission and my brother for the War College .
“We began with sticks, perhaps that is too crude, actually weighted carven replicas of blades, either way the sight must have been comical, but once I had been taught the basics S’Ten enlisted some local children, for them it was an honour to be trained by him, and for me it provided opponents closer to my own size and ability.
“I was very good, Pia, and I am being modest in that statement – S’Ten suggested that I was the reincarnation of Rhiu, the Queen who was so skilled and became so powerful that the Stelam Shiar opted to be a Republic after her defeat. Just like when I had appraised my sister’s performance I was appraising my opponent’s and adapting.
“Many years later, thirty, forty, I found out why I could do this, why I was so much faster, why it looked as though I could predict what would happen.”
Pia listened, fascinated. This was startling news, given that the lady in question was here to relate a tale of having been subdued and not having been able to put up a fight. The Counsellor was beginning to see why Isha was so upset at herself. There was something very important going on in a strong powerful politician and ambassador who had such prowess and natural ability as a youngster yet who seemingly now 'allowed' herself to be, in her own words 'punished deservedly' by brutality.
"Sometimes discoveries like that do take a long time." she encouraged gently.
“S’Ten told me that my mother would be so proud of me, of the four years I had spent developing my skill without letting my studies slide. I agreed with him for I used the same technique in facing an opponent in debate or rhetoric as I did when faced with one waving a blade. I respected that man so much,” Isha shook her head. “If it is possible for an eleven year old girl and a 130 year old man to be friends then that is what we were. Pia, he took the delight that a father takes in a daughter’s achievements in mine; he encouraged me and after that her long absence both he and I sought to impress my mother with what I had learned.”
TBC.....
A JP between:
Ambassador Isha t'Khellian
and
Ensign Pia Rimmec
Asst. Counsellor
NPC'd by jools