Stronger Than Yesterday (Squad Assignment)(Blake)

[Bailey Oleander]

Another morning, another day starting at the crack of dawn.  The rosy hues were beginning to light up the world as Bailey began stretching in the training area where she and Blake would tackle whatever task she had for the day.  She wasn't sure what she should expect, or even how her progress was, but he hadn't told her she was failing, so that had to be something.  Hopefully.

[Blake Oleander]

Today was to be a day for sparring, she'd had time to practice her basic forms and concepts with her chosen weapon. Now would be a day to put them into practice. He'd be waiting for her at the training grounds with a wooden sword fashioned in a similar style to the blade that he wore on his hip.

"Do you have your weapons on you?"

[Bailey Oleander]

"Good morning, Blake." Bailey nodded at his question as she approached, producing the escrima sticks that she had chosen and stuck with. Her grip felt more solid than when she'd first held them, less like a child wearing her mother's high heels and pearls.

It was time to see what all the training had done for them - for her - so far.

[Blake Oleander]

"Good. Defend yourself."

He'd come at her, simple at first. His blade coming down with a slash for her head. If she had been practicing it should be easy enough for her form to block. Providing she put her body into it.

[Bailey Oleander]

Already resigned to a long lesson, Bailey took a breath and brought her arms up with the stick to block the incoming blow and would attempt to push it aside.  It felt jarring, the movement a moment later than she would like.   He'd used the sword once before to make a point, and it looked like he was about to make another.  

[Blake Oleander]

Her sticks were able to come up to block his blade, somewhat. Rather than try to force his wooden blade through her guard to crash the sword on her head he'd kick out with his right leg for her leg to try and get her to drop to a knee. Which if she did he'd slam the base of the hilt down for her head.

"My Blade is not the only weapon you must worry about. You must turn your body into both weapon and shield. Fight yourself from my eyes and know my moves before I make them."

[Bailey Oleander]

The kick was successful, knocking Bailey down to one knee as her focus remained above. She fell with a grunt, his words sticking in her mind as she desperately brought up the stick again, assuming he would throw a strike from above rather than kick her further down. She tilted her head to see, the skewed gaze enough to make her wonder if seeing was the good choice, or if she was just exposing herself more to his next attack.

How was she supposed to do both? How was she supposed to just...just know? He knew how to do so much more than her, not with just a knife and sword. He'd left the training offer open for her to choose what she wanted. How was she supposed to be par with that?

If the block was successful, she'd attempt to push herself out of the way.

"How?"

[Blake Oleander]

She was correct and would be rewarded by blocking his blow that was coming from above. She read the situation correctly!

"Know yourself."

He'd kick her down again before bringing his wooden sword down with the tip pointing at her face.

"Then know your enemy."

And she should make no mistake. He was her enemy.

[Bailey Oleander]

There was a small flutter in her chest as she felt the hilt connect, a brief moment of relief and satisfaction in the knowledge that she had been right and didn't instead have it crashing down on her head or face. But the moment was short-lived as his foot collided with her and sent her sprawling to the ground, the tip of his blade less than an inch from her face as he continued.

Know herself? That was something Bailey felt she had a decent grasp of. It was knowing her enemy that seemed to be a struggle, at least in this case. Or maybe not. She'd never liked violence, but she knew she'd have to face it, sooner or later. If not on a mission, then possibly back at home. Would she know herself then?

The tip of the blade stayed in her vision, the ultimate answer. If she didn't know, and didn't figure it out, then she'd be dead. Or someone would be, or some kind of failure, and it would be her fault. She couldn't let that happen, coudln't let them down. Not again.

"Understood."

[Blake Oleander]

"Do you?"

He kept the wooden blade pointed at her face.

[Bailey Oleander]

"I believe so." She resisted the urge to take another deep breath and bring the blade even closer, and the even stronger urge to nod to his question. Her eyes remained on his face as she stayed as she was, stick in hand but not striking.

"It's not just knowing what one of us is likely to do in battle. I need to know what my strengths and weaknesses are." Understanding the strategy of it was the easy part; figuring out how and what those were was a different story. How was she supposed to know more about herself? Just keep throwing herself in battle? Instinct? It was easier to study an enemy; the lens was less flawed. It was part of why she'd stayed away from battle. Not liking it, and not being good at it. What was the point, if you were just going to be or cause collateral damage?

"If I don't do that, if I can't know enough about the enemy I'm fighting, someone will die. Maybe not me, but probably not the person I'm fighting, either."

[Blake Oleander]

He rolled his eyes and pulled his blade away. She was being stupid.

"You'll never know your enemy as you are now. You may as well study a painting while blindfolded."

[Bailey Oleander]

It wasn't the response she was expecting, but she couldn't say she was surprised. Bailey waited a second before pushing herself up, feeling the frustration start to rise. If that wasn't it, then what?

"Then what? More battle to see what they are, to learn how to read your eyes and know what you'll do?" She figured that part, but it felt like there was a piece of the puzzle she was missing. What wasn't she understanding?

"What else is it, then?"

[Blake Oleander]

"You think too much. It makes you stupid in a fight, you think rather than act. You don't know yourself, you know facts about yourself, and you can't know your enemy because you will spend too much time trying to figure him out."

He rolled his eyes again.

"That's why you will die."

Trying to figure something out with no time to think.

[Bailey Oleander]

Bailey remained silent for a moment, ignoring his eye roll and trying to look past his annoyance. It felt like the missing piece was getting further away the harder she tried to find it. Finally, she let out a quiet sigh and pushed her glasses up by the noisepiece.

"Then what do you suggest?" Everything she came up with seemed to be the wrong answer, but she didn't have his instincts, and even when she thought of something other than taking a more thought-out process for it, she just felt his annoyance grow. She was failing, and she didn't know how to say it in a way to help him understand. It was like speaking a foreign language to a tourist, only the tourist hopefully knew a few words at least.