Sparing at Renard's Home [Gil]

[Renard de Valliers]

This is a three story good size home, with various large rooms, a garden, courtyard, some pleasant trees in front.

Renard dressed in his fencing outfit complete with the pads and helmet. He pulled out his sword as he made his way over to the courtyard. He had been pleasantly surprised when Gil showed up at his house. After they had engaged in small talk, they made their way to the courtyard to begin sparring. Renard hoped that Gil would be a worthwhile opponent.

[Gillermo Stregazza]

There had been no special outfits to wear for me - any and all such things were in the Stregazza townhome, a place I'd yet to find my way to. I waited for official allowances, for as a dead man, the house was no longer mine, and while I'd no desire to send Riva and her beloved Aleron to the street, I trusted the former Bryony adept much less than I trusted my sweet Gentian friend.

Part of me, too, hated to go to that place, and to find it empty. In truth, I hoped the adepts had made a home for themselves - and when all matters were already settled, then, then I would venture in such a place, ready to make amends.

For now, it was a light leather armor and nothing more, my trusty Aragonian rapier at the ready.

"A pleasant place," I noted as I stalked behind Renard. "Large enough for ten families."

[Renard de Valliers]

Renard looked at his house in admiration, "Yes, I am quite blessed. My parents insisted on a good size home in Elua. This one has been in the family for a number of generations. "

Once we made it to the courtyard, I began moving my sword the through the air a few times. Then I stood straight with excellent posture and moved into position, with my feet slightly apart, my knees slightly bent and my sword held out towards him.

"Are you ready?"I asked, wanting to make sure that he wasn't surprised by my movements.

[Gillermo Stregazza]

I could not help but wonder what manner of estates Renard de Valliers owned, to be so wealthy - the Duchy had been doing poorly, through no fault of anyone's own. My mother was aging, had lost two children in one breath, and my father had been long dead. Her will to live was barely enough to keep her from taking her own life, but did not suffice for administering two estates. They must have had an excellent steward, I decided.

"Aye," I replied. "Ever." I bowed, rapier at my side, and loosened myself on the balls of my feet.

The style I knew was close to telling the hours, but not quite - Aragonians had taught me well to keep my perimeter clear.

"Come then."

[Renard de Valliers]

At his word that he was ready, I lunged forward and then moved back easily, I made a feint move to the right and then one to the left. I was testing him, looking for openings, strengths and weaknesses. Some men only looked for weaknesses, but I found that by also learned that you could use someone's strength against them as well. My eyes stayed focused on the man's eyes as I waited to see what his next move would be.

[Gillermo Stregazza]

The first feint was perhaps easy to block, and I parried, then dodged the second one. I couldn't help but smile, and feeling the rush of battle, one that was hard to ignore, I made a show of teeth.

"Is that all?" I asked, gaze unflinching.

[Renard de Valliers]

"Oh! Since I am the youngest, I should do all the work? Don't think I'll fall for that strategy, kind sir. I am far too clever for it," I said as I moved forward again and began hitting his blade at a quick speed. I moved my sword at his chest, swinging from one side to the next and then down in a unpredictable pattern. So far he had yet to attack me at all, but I was keeping on my toes, waiting for the inevitable.

[Gillermo Stregazza]

"And just as humble," I replied, laughing, and parrying hit for hit, I waited for an opening, an opportunity, to strike the air onto his jerkin.

I favored an economical style, rather than many hits, a habit I'd acquired from the Jebean's neat warrior methods. I expected little success - my mind was making fast work of the situation, and it was doing me good, putting away the matters of this mad city, and all that had come crashing on me since my arrival.

I'd come for knowledge. I'd actively seek it, but for now, a direct attack was my main preoccupation.

[Renard de Valliers]

I laughed at his comment, but continued to keep my eye on him. "I certainly won't fall for distractions, either," I said confidently.

I waited for him to take the opening, and when he did, I did a back flip and landed on my feet, successfully keeping me out of harm's way. Then I came forward and began lunging toward his chest, I tried a hit at the hip, and then the chest, down at the knee and then up quickly at the neck. My feet moved swiftly forward as I moved into attack mode.

[Gillermo Stregazza]

I had to grant, Renard had energy aplenty, and I parried and dodged as I could, until I scraped the back of my hand on his blade, which made me hiss with distaste.

I cursed in Caerdicci without thinking, taking a step back, out of harm's way.

"I must be getting old," I jested. "For I just gave you first blood, my lord."

[Renard de Valliers]

I watched him respond, and I was thankful to see that I had only scraped the skin. I gave a smirk at his response and I bowed, "How very humble of you to do so, Gil. It looks as if you should do some more practicing before another sparring match. Shall we go inside and see to your hand, then?"

I sheathed my sword, expecting that he would do so as well. Then I led the way into my house, and I began gathering items to dress his wound.

[Gillermo Stregazza]

I found nigh amusing that a mere scrape be the source of such care - if all my scrapes had been tended so, perhaps my back would not be such a disaster this day. Bedouin slavers are not the kindest masters.

"As it please you," I replied, shrugging carelessly as I sheathed my sword. "The swords will keep."

In truth, I could have sparred some more - I needed the practice, or rather, the practice needed me, for while my mind remembered, my body seemed slow and unwilling. It was an odd feeling to experience, and bewildering besides.

[Renard de Valliers]

I picked up a bottle of Vodka as we made our way to the kitchen. I gestured for him to put his hand over the sink. I poured the Vodka over his hand. Then I took a bandage and began bandaging it securely. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

I sniffed the air, "Clive is making roast beef tonight."

[Gillermo Stregazza]

The liquor stung, and again the wastefulness of it struck me, by contrast to the last year of my life, but I said nothing of it, for Renard was treating me kindly, and like a friend, when he'd barely known me.

"I wouldn't want to intrude," I replied politely, but it was a game, the game of courtesy which demanded a polite protest prior to a grateful acceptation.

[Renard de Valliers]

I shook my head, "No, you won't be intruding at all. Why don't we take a seat in the dinning room and sit for drinks?"

I picked up some bottles of wine and some glasses and led the way to the dinning room. I poured him and myself a glass. "How have things been going for you settling in to the city? Have you found what you've been looking for?" My eyes searched his quietly before I took a sip of my own drink.

[Gillermo Stregazza]

Having politely accepted Renard's invitation, I followed him to his dining room, noting with pleasure that he was serving himself, and not requiring the help of attendants.

"I have not," I replied as I looked into my glass thoughtfully, "and yet I have."

A moment passed, during which I debated, and then I asked, "Pray tell, were you here, in the aftermath of the plague which decimated the realm, a year hence?"

[Renard de Valliers]

My brow furrowed at his statement, "What do you mean by that? Did you find part of what you were looking for?"

I shook my head, "No...I was in Camlach at that time. What do you know about the plaque? Were you in the area when that happened? I only heard rumors of what happened. I don't know how the city handled it."

[Gillermo Stregazza]

So many questions, and such eagerness. I smiled wryly, not quite amused, or perhaps only a little.

“I was here during the plague,” I replied at length. “How I left the City of Elua is a long story, suffice it to say I have now returned, and I seek those I loved, who were left behind. I found one, but others are still missing.”

It occurred to me that Cascata would have liked Renard, and my eyes stung a little. “I seek my sister.”

My sister who would never have come, had I not invited her to join me during this blasted assignment.

[Renard de Valliers]

I nodded solemnly, it was obvious that this was a sore point for him. I couldn't imagine loosing my sister. I had lost my mother at a early age, and I recently lost my father, but a child expects that it will happen at some point. No one expects to loose a sibling.

"I understand what you're going though. My father passed away due to disease. It was horrible to see him die painfully and slowly. That must have been difficult being here when the plague hit. How did you survive it?" I asked, glad to know more about him and interested to learn even more.

"I hope Elua will bless your search and that you will find your sister in good health," I offered to him.

[Gillermo Stregazza]

“My thanks, and my sympathies,” I replied soberly, my eyes on the golden liquor, which I twirled in the glass thoughtfully for a moment. I'd lost my father before I came on embassy, two years gone, now. The sadness of his loss had never quite left my heart, and was compounded by fresher losses.

“I don't know how it happened, if truth be told. I was told that my retainer died while putting me in a carriage, wanting to send me out of the city. I was unconscious and recall nothing of it. I regained consciousness on a Kritian ship, out on the open sea.”

[Renard de Valliers]

I nodded, "Wow....you were blessed to be saved like that. Tell me about your experience on the ship. I've never been on one before." I took a swallow of my drink and then kept my eyes on him. He seemed to have experienced quite a bit of life, and I wanted to learn from his experiences.

[Gillermo Stregazza]

I smiled a little, though it didn't touch my eyes – the ship had both saved me and shattered part of who I was, when it left me on unknown shores.

“Life aboard a ship... ah, but I should tell you a happier tale than this one,” I replied wryly. “Lest I disgust you forever of a sailor's life.”

[Renard de Valliers]

My eyes squinted a little, "You would be surprised at what news disgusts me. Try me. I would like to hear about your experience." I hoped that I wouldn't have to dig too much to learn about it. If he seemed really against revealing himself, then I wasn't going to push any harder than I had already.

[Gillermo Stregazza]

“Suffice it to say that the ship did not do as well as I did,” I replied wryly. “Asherat of the sea is a wicked mistress, and her wrath can be lethal to those who are not blessed by her good charms.”

I opened my arms, placed the glass on the stand. “As long as the ship's hold is full, the captain is competent, and the ocean is kind, all is well. But for the first time...” I smirked, amused at the memory of old. “I'd lie to say that I didn't retch my way to Kriti.”

[Renard de Valliers]

I listened to him speaking, noticing that his words were extremely vague, but I was enjoying them anyway. "Was the Captain competent? Did the ship topple over?" I tried asking a few specific questions, hoping to learn something more specific.

My lips curved up slightly when he mentioned that he puked all the way there, "Did you ever get your sea legs?" I knew the term was one that sailors used often, something I had learned when a group of sailors came into Camlach once.

[Gillermo Stregazza]

“I am Serenissiman by my father and Azzalese by my mother,” I replied, smirking. “If my sea legs had evaded me, I reckon they'd both have disowned me in name and deed.”

I chuckled, took a sip of brandy, and answered the other question after I'd downed it, speaking as I was putting the glass down. “The ship was wrecked to pieces by the greatest storm I've ever witnessed.”

[Renard de Valliers]

I cocked my head slightly when he spoke about the origin of his parents. I nodded when he spoke of the ship collasping, "Were there any other survivors than yourself? Were you able to find shore..?" I felt like getting the details from him was like pulling teeth from a donkey's mouth.

[Gillermo Stregazza]

"A handful of us made it to the shore," I replied, "but I alone made it home to La Serenissima, though some may yet live."

I'd lost track of all my shipmates on the way to Carthage, when the Bedouin slavers had taken me.

I smiled wryly. "You do enjoy tales, don't you?"

[Renard de Valliers]

I nodded when he told me that he had made it to La Serenissima. I pursed my lips slightly when he asked if I liked stories, "Yes, I do enjoy stories. I enjoy them more when one gives details rather than simply answering questions. I feel like there's something that you're holding back. Is this something you don't want to talk about? I would rather change the subject to something else than continue struggle to learn details."

It was becoming frustrating for me, and I was currently looking forward to dinner and ending my interaction with him.

[Gillermo Stregazza]

"Sometimes it's best to let a sleeping dragon lie," I replied, and I could see the dismissal in his eyes. I stood slowly. What he wanted of me, I could not tell - but he seemed to be seeking something I did not have, and what I had was not his to hear, nor anyone's in truth.

"Thank you for the invitation," I said, "but I fear I have over stayed my welcome. " I offered a handshake, though, for I thought nothing ill of him. "Thank you for your hospitality, and for your acquaintance."