Training for the Song of Heroes (Open)

[Jaime Keating]

The Cliffs really were beautiful.

Standing at the edge of one of the ledges, which was about thirty feet up the Cliffs and pretty hidden from anyone down below, stood a boy with long, unruly blonde hair. The wind played with the strands, throwing them every which way as he lifted his arms, enjoying the cool breeze. A smile played on his lips as he stood there, staring at the clouds in front of them - pink, orange, and red hues colored the clouds, coming from the sun that lay behind them. He decided that he wouldn't mind living here. It was peaceful and wonderful to look at.

But he couldn't stare at the sun and clouds all day, could he?
Jaime Keating turned away from the edge and walked back toward the slab of rock sitting in the left-most center of the little clearing he was standing in. A little ball of fluff laid next to the slab, basking in the sunlight there. The Nyeene looked up as Jaime approached and baa'd softly, wiggling his ears in the direction of his master.
"I know, I know, Tuft."

Sitting on the slab of rock was a wicked looking knife.
Jaime stared down at it for several moments, disliking the look of it. He didn't want to pick it up. The boy had never even held a weapon in his life, let alone actually used one in battle. But he supposed that's what he was here for, wasn't it? After all, the Song couldn't just let their healer go into battle without knowing how to defend himself.

The boy sighed.

Cloti had been the one to insist he learned to use the knife.
Jaime would have preferred a staff or something equally nonlethal - that way, he could knock his opponent out without having to worry about killing them. The thought of killing something made his stomach churn. He really didn't like death. The only reason he had agreed to learn to use the weapon was so it would make Cloti, who he was pretty much apprenticed to at this point, happy. In return for learning to wield the deadly weapon, Jaime had asked to learn hand-to-hand combat as well.
That wasn't lethal, if he didn't want it to be.

Shifting, Jaime leaned against the slab, staring out over the clearing. Cloti would be here any moment.

[Little Sparrow]

The woman climbed on steadily. She was in no way afraid of heights or peril, but now she had a promise to fulfill. Her lean and wiry figure was hidden beneath a cloak, hood undrawn as she sought purchases for her hands and feet. Climbing was one of her minor pastimes, one that she pursued more when she was younger, though she hadn't climbed the Cliffs yet. Back then, she wasn't as strong as she was now. Neither was she as skilled with weaponry. Well, Jaime was bound to be up there by now--probably took some back path or something. But no, Cloti had to insist on climbing those 30 feet. Nothing like a bit of practice.

There, she was almost at the edge. The co-leader of the Song of Heroes could see the ledge. If she wasn't so laden down by the two lightweight yet bulky packs on her back, she would have made it over a few moments ago. But she didn't think that Jaime had brought sleeping gear or food; she didn't tell him that they were going to stay overnight here. In fact, that had been a last minute decision and she had taken the trouble to bring the packs and some food. Reaching up to the ledge, she grabbed hold of it, using her arms to lever herself up and over. Here she could feel the breeze ruffling her cloak and see Jaime and Tuft over by a slab of rock.

On which a sharp, thin pointed stiletto rested, gleaming as the sun touched it. Jaime seemed reluctant to go near the weapon, Tuft more or less shared that feeling. She smiled inwardly. Using a knife against others was probably going to go completely against his morals, but safety was the key to dangerous work within the Song. Being one of the only healers in the Song, Jaime was an important person strategically and she had to train him to take care of himself. As a spy, Cloti was used to treacherous work and knew how to use her twin knives to protect herself. She wasn't too big on killing, but it was usually one life for dozens more.

Shaking her hair out of her face, she walked over to the clearing. "Here already? Good." She nodded to Jaime and Tuft, undoing the strap that bound the packs to her and leaving them by the edge. "I trust you don't mind staying up here for a night or two?" She asked as she unfastened the cloak, letting it drop to the ground. Well, she wasn't giving them a choice, but it was always polite to ask. Cloti had chosen to wear her "business" outfit, a well worn leather jerkin over a linen shirt, breeches and jodhpurs, altogether mens' outfit, but much more suited to sharp movement than any womens' outfits. On her left wrist, a feathered wristband proclaimed her belief of avian shaman.

She grinned at Jaime, knowing his reluctance. She had agreed to teach him close hand-to-hand combat as well, just to make him a little happier. Feather and Claw her twin blades were strapped to her thighs as usual, ready for action. She drew her balanced blades, long, almost dagger-like and sharp. "These are Feather and Claw." She introduced her blades to Jaime. She nodded to the knife. "Do you have a sheath for that?" Cloti asked.

[Kenyon]

"Okay, almost there." The half-fox muttered to himself as he climbed. The route he took was well-worn and easy enough to climb, but it was still high up and it took time. The area was a favorite of his, a nice place to train and eat without disturbance.

And the weather couldn't have been more perfect: cool breeze, colorful clouds, and just the right amount of heat. Kenyon let his thoughts fall silent for a few moments, concentrating on the more difficult part of the climb. His new form made this trip far easier. The long fur protected him from the sun, the paw-like feet and hands gave better traction, and he could even wear clothes instead of going nude.

Kenyon grew close to the top and became puzzled. There were two voices, one light and clear, obviously female, the other slightly lower with the promise of a deep tone to come, a teenage male perhaps. The male was talking to someone called Tuft, the woman most likely to the young boy.

Kenyon continued his steady ascent, but moved quieter in case the two were hostile. Chances were you wouldn't have been able to hear him without heightened hearing or if you were really paying attention.

The shifter reached the top and bounded up on all fours, nimble as the fox form he partially used. He shook the dust off of his fur and stood up, brushing the remainder off of his hands and chest. Kenyon wore only a pair of dark gray knee-length shorts and a pair of padded climbing gloves so he wouldn't tear up his paws. His pale orange fur danced in the wind, and his golden eyes twinkled with mirth. Dark spots shadowed his paws, ear tips, tail, and two dark lines under his eyes. He retained his human height of 6'2 and his thin, wiry build.

Kenyon waved lamely, taking into note the bundles of supplies and the boy's obvious dislike of the knife. Battle training it was. Kenyon himself had come to do the same thing, though all he had brought was lunch and a pair of black twin rapiers that were strapped to his back by a pair of leather belts.

"Hello Miss, Young Sir, Nyeene." The fox man said giving each a shallow, respectful bow. He straightened, grinning so that his sharp, delicately pointed teeth showed. "Perfect day for training is it not? I had just come to do the same thing." Kenyon motioned vaguely to his swords.

"I have a fair amount of training in all forms of fighting. Blades and martial arts are my specialties." The shifter turned to the boy. "And I can tell you don't want to use that knife. Perhaps I could be of some assistance?"

[Jaime Keating]

Needless to say, Jaime wasn't expecting for the dark-haired woman to suddenly come flipping over the edge, and he ended up jumping slightly in surprise. Fortunately, it looked like Cloti might not have noticed how much she startled him. The boy stared at her in disbelief, remembering how steep the rockface was on the way up to the little clearing. Had she climbed all the way up that?
If so, he had to give her props.
While Jaime wasn't all that weak, he wasn't the strongest thing around either. If he had attempted climbing the Cliffs - instead of taking the path up that Tuft had shown him - he probably would have climbed about half-way up, exhausted himself, and would have been stuck until someone saved him.

Good thing he took the path.

Snapping out of his mini praise of the spy leader of the Song, Jaime shook his head. "Nope, don't mind at all. It's really beautiful out here, and it seems pretty safe from predators. So why not?" The boy smiled happily, trying to forget about the weapon sitting just a few inches from his hands.
That is, until Cloti brought it back up.
Hesitantly, Jaime glanced toward the weapon then back to the woman.

"No... I didn't know what type would fit it. The weapon vendor wasn't exactly friendly, and I didn't want to keep bothering him more than I already had," the youth explained softly, thinking back to when he had purchased the stiletto. It had taken him nearly two hours to find the right kind of weapon, and the vendor had been getting pretty angry with him taking so long.

Jaime offered Cloti a sheepish smile. "Sorry."

And, again, the boy jumped in surprise, though this time because someone he had been expecting had leapt over the side of the ledge. The creature could only be a shifter, probably in their half-form, considering he looked like a humanoid fox. As the fox-man waved, Jaime waved back, offering the newcomer a welcoming smile.

Wait, he was here for training?
Jaime looked to Cloti, wondering if this guy was someone she had asked to train with them. She hadn't said anything to him about it, but she also hadn't originally told him that they were staying the night here in the clearing. But, hey, who was he to complain? After all, if he had to learn how to use the dreadful knife, then he at least wanted to learn to use it correctly.

The blonde looked to the fox-man, grinning at him sheepishly. "Ahh... is it that obvious?" A hesitant laugh escaped his lips as the boy reached up, scratching the back of his head. "But, if you think you can help, then I don't mind. As long as..." He had almost used Cloti's real name - had to remember that, "my friend doesn't mind."

[Lael]

Lael couldn't help but let out a little giggle. Now if she wasn't a celestial, she could never have made it up there. If she didn't have her wings she would never have even dreamed of making it up here. But as always, there was some kind of temptation to make the fallen celestial do what she normally wouldn't do.

This time, it happened to be the clouds colored so prettily and the cool breeze. Also, she had no problems with heights and rather liked it up here. The wind played with her golden hair, seeming determined to have it cover her view no matter how much she tried to brush it aside. She had forgotten to get herself a hair tie along with the halter-neck dress. Well, she could deal with it--more or less.

But the rumors were right, it was pretty up here. The clouds were pink and orange and purple and all those pretty colors. Maybe she should make her home here; it looked like a really pretty and peaceful place here. Wait, hold on a second, that cloud's color looked exactly like her dress's, a nice, soft pink. Maybe it was made of the same material... Lael walked forwards, wondering if she could touch one of those clouds.

But before she knew it, she was on the ground and a searing pain made itself through her knees. Lael cried out in pain and surprise, biting her lip as tears welled up in her chocolate brown eyes. Ah, that had hurt surprisingly much. She didn't think it was too much, but she wanted to sit for a while; the pain would go sometime.

[Little Sparrow]

"Hello Miss, Young Sir, Nyeene."

The male voice had startled her. Turning her gaze to the direction that it came from within a snap second, she blinked almost in surprise at the tall figure. Well, here was someone that had the advantage of height and animal reflexes. And with all that fur, it would be a cushion to any blows. This was one experienced shapeshifter to be able to handle rapiers and a half form. She wasn't saying that she couldn't best him; it'd just be difficult, that's all.

Blades and martial arts... that sounded good, the exact thing that she needed to teach Jaime. And something about this man told her that she could trust him--more or less. And she'd have to be careful and watch her every step. It wasn't wise to train an outsider. Yes, he could help with the training, but no, he couldn't glean any information. And Jaime had better watch it too. He wasn't going to even hint, right? Cloti shot him a warning glance. And what better time than to get him used to his new name and weapons.

Cloti nodded to Jaime, accepting his excuse. She put one of her blades away to give her a free hand. Bending down to rummage in her bag, she found a slim sheath that seemed like it would fit the stiletto. "Here. You'll want this." She said as she tossed it towards Jaime. Sheaths were important, the more convenient a place that your weapon was, the faster the draw and the easier the situation became. Turning towards the shifter from where she knelt, she drew her other blade. He looked like someone that could help Jaime. Perhaps he wasn't such a hard task-master.

"Sparrow." She said, nodding. Hey, she was an avian shaman, why not have an avian-related name like that? She hoped that Jaime would take her lead. "He's my cousin, parents just died, found him out on the streets. Need to get used to taking care of yourself." She shrugged. Well, that was only a half lie, so that couldn't be too hard to follow. It was twisting the truth. She tossed a blade up into the air, watching it pinwheel and catching it on the flat of the blade itself at the exact moment that she heard a cry. The dark-skinned woman immediately turned to the sound of the voice. She was just able to catch sight of a figure, petite, blonde and wearing a pink dress. She was on the ground and it seemed that she had feathers on her back in the shade of the night; she was a fallen celestial.

Arching an eyebrow, she looked to the fox-shifter. "Friend of yours by any chance?" She asked. Shifters might know each other and there was no harm asking. Who knew, it might be. And on a second thought, she looked hurt. No prizes for guessing who wanted to help. It was a little more than obvious.

[Kenyon]

"Ahh... is it that obvious?"

Kenyon laughed and shook his head. "You just looked at the blade strangely. I guessed." So these people didn't mind shifters. That was rare in this day and age, especially because they both seemed to be human. "Well I'll gladly help, I need to practice, you need to learn, it's all fair."

The shifter looked up, confused by the heavy wing beats and girlish giggle somewhere above him. He became even more confused as the source of the noise dropped out of the sky a few feet in front of him and cried out in pain. What the hell?

Nonetheless the shifter's concern led him to rush to the young girl's side. "Are you okay?" Kenyon asked, kneeling down with worry in his eyes. He looked over her, she was cute, young and blond with pretty blue wings. Her face was almost angelic in it's innocence and her chocolate eyes were brimming with tears.

With a start he realized what she was and why he felt more concerned than he should have. A Fallen Celestial. Duci. However the girl was younger, not as composed, and obviously very naive.

Not that it stopped him from thinking about her. And the girl was hurt, he wasn't going to just ignore her.

"Friend of yours by any chance?"

"Eh? Oh, um, no." Kenyon replied feeling somewhat bad that he had been so deep in thought he barely heard Sparrow speak. He propped the girl up in his arms, hoping she would not mind his help.

[Jaime Keating]

His hand shot out, catching hold of the sheath. There weren't any fancy tricks pulled while in the process of catching it - what was the point? Jaime simply caught it. With a quick glance toward the stilleto, the boy decided that it looked like it would fit. That didn't mean he was keen on picking up the weapon and sheathing it, however, so Jaime quietly put the sheath next to the knife.

Maybe Cloti wouldn't notice for a while.
It was worth a shot, at least.

Ahh...
Jaime didn't much like lying. He wasn't stupid, though, and he knew that being in the Song required some lying - they even lied about their names. So when Cloti explained who he was, the boy just offered the fox-man a sad smile, playing along with the story without actually lying. It was a half-truth. Jaime didn't know who his father was; he barely knew who his mother was.So it was almost like they were dead, but in a different kind of way.

The boy didn't have much time to think about the lie, however.
A thump and a pained cry made him turn his head quickly, though it seemed that the fox-man had noticed it first. He was already heading toward the source; a girl with dark, angelic wings. A... celestial, right? He was sure that's what they were called. Which made this girl a different branch of the shifters. Without hesitating, the boy trotted toward the celestial, despite the fact that the other shifter was already there.

Jaime didn't have much to do, however.
He bent forward, placing his hands on his knees, and quickly began to scan the girl's body, looking for any kind of wounds. The first thing he noticed was the deep, nasty looking cuts on her knees. "Ah! She's hurt!" the youth exclaimed, immediately looking toward Cloti. "Do you have any bandages or anything else that would work in those bags?" He couldn't just leave the wounds uncovered. That risked infection, which was still pretty likely. "And some water to clean the cuts."

Hey, he wasn't the healer for nothing.
So maybe he couldn't heal her up using magic - yet. He knew how to clean and bandage wounds.

[Lael]

Aah, that hurt. It really hurt. If only she had been able to concentrate would she have noticed the voices. But she didn't and that was the problem. She didn't notice until she realized that there was someone at her side.

"Are you ok?"

That was what he asked. Was she ok? Even she herself didn't know that. All she could feel was the pain that spread out through her knees. Lael let out a whimper, she would have liked to actually see the person that had asked the question, but her eyes were too full of the tears that she wasn't eager to let loose. She could be strong here, especially since it seemed like the man was here to help and another male was there too. He looked at her wounds and seemed to call to someone for bandages and water. It wasn't that bad, was it?

Wiping her tears away, she smiled at the boy who had helped. He had light blond hair and brown eyes. And if he asked for bandages, he was a healer. Lael felt that she owed him. She would have to repay that favor, but how? She felt like she was intruding on something, but she had no real way to be sure. "I'm sorry!" She managed to gasp out.

The fallen celestial had no intention of getting up and prolonging the pain, but she could take a look around. The clearing was rather large and there were two occupants, a dark-skinned woman holding two wicked blades easily and a smaller, cuter one. It looked like a sheep but was exceedingly small. Lael smiled. It was cute, very cute. It didn't look like it belonged to the woman (she seemed too strict) and could belong to the boy that helped her... what about...?

Lael turned around, hoping to catch sight of the person that had first come to her aid. Her first impression was that he was a huge fox. He had orange fur covering him, yet he was fully dressed. And he was huge. He was a shapeshifter in half form. And then alarm bells went off in her mind, making her squeal out in slight fear. Ah, ah, he looked scary, even though he wasn't harming her. He still looked scary!

[Little Sparrow]

Fair enough. If the shifter was willing to help, she was willing to accept it. The faster Jaime learned to overcome the fear of the blade, the happier she would be. In fact, the appearance of the shifter was more than Cloti could have expected. Here was a perfect chance to learn the ways of the Song in regard to outsiders. And this wasn't even a mission or high risk in any way. Somehow she trusted the shifter not to tell on them if he ever guessed at it. But as of now, he was more preoccupied with the fallen celestial who had just, well, fallen.

Cloti smiled at her own joke. Not that she was going to share it. That'd be mean. Very mean to the shifter who didn't even look like she'd get it or mind at all. Naive and timid. Like a child, really. The giggle that she heard had more or less proven it. She looked like a child, sounded like a child and well, was a child. Her pink dress was simple and it didn't seem as if she really cared for clothing either. But the cut on her knees did look bad. Very bad. She wasn't a healer, but years of taking care of her own wounds on solo missions (which were very rare nowadays) had taught her about wounds.

As she caught sight of Jaime going over to check the wounds, she delved into her pack once again. It didn't take a telepath to know that Jaime would need bandages and whatnot. Also, where was that salve that she used to treat her wounds? As Jaime asked for the different items, she located them, grabbing the bag of first aid. In there were bandages of different sizes, plenty but a little under average. Right, she had forgotten to replenish. Taking aim and tossing, she called "Here!" Before turning to rummage around in the pack again. Alright, she was messy, she could gather that much. But that salve, hopefully she didn't run out. If she did, she'd have to go buy more from the herb dealer.

Ok, while she was looking for the magical salve, she could grab her canteen. Now that was an easy one. She always kept her canteen in one place so that it would be easy to reach. Water was the most important thing, the key to survival. More important than food. Here there was bound to be a spring or two where she could easily replenish her water stock. Locating the salve, she twisted around in one fluid movement, making her way to the fallen celestial with the items in hand. "Water and magic salve." She said, placing the items next to Jaime. While she was at it, she could see that the fallen celestial was freaked out by the fox shifter. Cloti smiled. "He's not going to hurt you, love." She reassured the celestial, though with her timid personality, she didn't think that it would be much comfort.

[Kenyon]

Kenyon's eyes widened momentarily when the girl became afraid upon looking at him. Then he realized he was still in his half-form. "Sorry," he said sheepishly before deciding to revert back to his normal form.

His muzzle and fur seemed to ripple and recede back until they settled into Kenyon's human form. His face was handsome enough, with the same eyes, an angular shape, daintily pointed canines revealed by his bright smile, and smooth sun-tanned skin. Wearing only shorts showed off his thin, though muscular frame, traced lightly with scars and old wounds. His hair, dark brown with a reddish tint in color, was thick, messy, and over-long, falling into his eyes without the aid of the bandana he usually wore. It spiked up in multiple places and fell to his shoulders, almost covering his slightly pointed ears. The only accessories in sight were the colorful threads tied around random strands of hair, that did absolutely nothing to tame it.

All-in-all, Kenyon looked somewhat eccentric. The fact that the trademark green cloth that usually tied his hair down was missing, didn't help much. But his ever-present smile was in place, giving him the benifit of the doubt.

"Sorry if I startled you Miss." Kenyon spoke in a warm Basso voice. Even sitting, the shifter practically towered over the celestial in his arms, something that Kenyon was forced to get used to a long while back. "But this young man can patch you up right as rain I'm sure. I've had extensive experience with those kinds of medicine, and let me tell ya: They work wonders."

[Jaime Keating]

"I'm sorry!"

Jaime blinked in confusion at the shifter, tilting his head to the side. "What are you sorry for? It's not like you meant to fall on purpose, right?" The boy smiled at her, crouching down next to her injured knees. They really did look like they hurt a lot...

Catching the bag of supplies, he began to rummage through it, selecting the bandages that looked like they would work the best. It seemed that Cloti hadn't stocked up on supplies in a while, if the bag he held was any indication. But that didn't matter much. She had enough of what he needed, so it was perfectly fine. Jaime made a mental note, though, to remind Cloti to stock up once they were back in some sort of town or city.

The boy grabbed the canteen of water and a clean bandage, wetting the bandage thoroughly. He glanced up at the celestial, smiling at her. "I'm gonna be as gentle as possible, but it might still hurt a little... So sorry in advance for any pain." God, he hoped he didn't cause her any pain. Carefully, gently, the boy began to wipe at first one cut, then the other, removing the dirt around the injuries as well as within them - at least as much as he could. Once that was done, he reached for the magic salve, opening the cap and putting some on his fingers. He smeared the salve on one of her knees, then paused to bandage it up carefully, before doing the same to the other knee. As he tucked the last flap of the bandage underneath the others, the boy sat back to examine his work, pleased with the results. "There you go! All better now," Jaime exclaimed happily, smiling at the celestial. He gathered up the supplies that Cloti had let him borrow and handed it back to her. "And it's a good thing you had that salve, because that'll help heal her knees up even quicker."

Looking back toward the two shifters, he noticed for the first time that the fox-man had returned to human form. Jaime blinked at the man, wondering why he let his hair hang in his face like that. Of course, Jaime wasn't one to talk; his hair was just as untamed underneath his hat, which kept most of it out of his face and out of sight of other people.

Well, then, he might as well introduce himself.
"I'm Finch," the youth stated, looking between the two shifters and smiling the whole time. The name sounded strange as it rolled off his tongue. It was going to take a while for him to get used to referring to himself as 'Finch' and probably even longer to learn to respond to it.

[Lael]

"He's not going to hurt you, love."

Lael bit her lip. The fox-man had realized that she was slightly afraid of him. No, not slightly. She was afraid of him. Now looking at the shifter in human form, the only thing she could think of was: colorful. Mainly because of the colorful strings in his chestnut hair. It made it seem so much lighter. But what she also noticed was how tall he was; so much taller than she was for one.

"Sorry if I startled you Miss."

Miss... that title seemed so... formal and so royal. So that she immediately felt embarrassed. "Lael, please!" She replied immediately. "Miss" made her feel so inadequate to the expectations and was altogether not comfortable for her.

"But this young man can patch you up right as rain I'm sure. I've had extensive experience with those kinds of medicine, and let me tell ya: They work wonders."

[/i]

Lael nodded, looking at the boy. He had caught the bag of supplies that the woman previously holding the two blades (now sheathed thankfully) had thrown to him. The fallen celestial immediately pegged him as the nicest one that probably couldn't hurt her. Probably. Only probably. He looked like he was a human, who varied considerably personality-wise.

"What are you sorry for? It's not like you meant to fall on purpose, right?"

The human boy Finch had a point there. Also, she quite liked the way that he was named after a bird. "W-well, I've disturbed you all, haven't I? I'm sorry for that, I really didn't mean to fall; it just well, happened." She shrugged helplessly, offering a small, apologetic smile that was wiped off as Finch started cleaning the wounds gently. Even though it was gentle, it still hurt. She squeezed her eyes shut, wincing a little. But soon, the agony was over as he smeared the salve over the wounds and wrapped them up tight. Lael smiled at him. "Thank you!" She would have said sorry too, but she didn't think they'd be too happy.[/center][/size][/color][/font]

[Jaime Keating]

Automatically, Jaime shook his head at Lael, smiling warmly at her. "Nah, you didn't disturb anyone. In fact, I really do welcome the distraction." It kept him from having to learn to wield the wicked knife, didn't it? Besides, the boy decided that he liked Lael. She seemed to be just like him - possibly too innocent for her own good.

It took him a moment to realize how lazy that made him sound.

Brown eyes flicked to Cloti, and Jaime offered her a sheepish grin. "Not that I'm going to go back on our deal or anything. I'll learn it right, just like I said I would. So don't worry about that!" the boy stated, wanting to make sure that the right message was being put forward. After all, he was still a new recruit.
Didn't want Cloti thinking she had recruited a lazy boy as a healer, right?

Rolling his shoulders, the boy stood up. His attention flicked to the Nyeene as the little sheep baa'd, having gotten up and trotted over to the little group. The creature moved up close to Lael and tilted his head at her, examining the girl with his beady little black eyes. Another baa emitted from the little ball of fluff. Tuft then promptly crawled up into the girl's lap and sat there, one hoof resting gently on one of her knees, as if the creature understood that she had been injured and wanted to help.
Jaime grinned.
"Aww, he likes you!"
Hey, maybe that would be for the best. Lael could watch Tuft while he, Cloti, and the male shifter trained maybe? It saved the boy the trouble of worrying about the curious little Nyeene, since it was very likely he would run off in search of something interesting.

[Little Sparrow]

Cloti arched an eyebrow as she saw the fox shifter revert to his complete human form. Also, he was tall, very tall. He didn't even shrink in full human form. It made her feel short. Short was something that she did not appreciate, no matter how much more difficult a target she'd be in long-ranged battle. In close combat, however, this shifter would have the upperhand of being able to hack down at her. Not that she didn't think she'd be slow enough to have her skull split into two without getting an extra stab in of course.

Watching Jaime handle the celestial's cuts with ease, she smiled to herself. Jaime would definitely be useful to her, much unlike the couple or so other healers that the Song currently had. They were much gruffer and not as friendly. Very defensive and stubborn, unwilling to change. Never once had she been able to strike up a conversation with them due to their backward-ness. Cloti took the supplies from Jaime as he handed them back to her, taking quick aim and tossing them back onto her stuff. Perfect. Again.

Turning back to the situation at hand, she shot Jaime a questioning stare. Welcoming the distraction? Well, she already knew that he was reluctant to touch the blade, but she didn't know that his paranoia was this bad. "You'll thank me for that once this is over; life out on the streets isn't easy." She said, relaxing her expression. Hey, you had to keep up with the cover!

Following the sound of the soft baa, she located Tuft who had taken the liberty to use the celestial's lap as a resting place. The Nyeene liked Lael, no doubt about that. If he wanted, he could take advantage of the girl; she looked like one that would pamper the fluffy creature. "Likes her indeed." She agreed with Jaime, allowing herself a slight nod. "And how 'bout we start teaching you to deal with danger?" She asked with a lazy grin. Looking to Lael again, she realized that she wasn't here to glean her name. "And Sparrow's the name." She added, nodding to the shifter.

Welcoming the distraction? Well, Lael didn't know a lot of people who did welcome distractions, so this was good. At least she wasn't bothering them, that was the least she could do. "Thank you! Thank you very much!" She said, nodding furiously. She could have gone on and on about how much she appreciated it, but she knew that there was no way these people would like that and it would earn her even more trouble.

The fallen celestial smiled at the little sheep-like creature; it had come up to her, tilting its head and looking at her. It was cuter than she had thought--if that worked, that was. When the Nyeene crawled onto her lap, she realized that it was lighter than it looked and it was soft and fluffy. Lael would have stood up, but she really didn't want to feel the agony. She hoped that the fox-shifter didn't mind her. She reached out to the Nyeene, stroking the wool on the creature's body. At once, her face lit up with a smile as she looked at Finch and Sparrow. "He's really really soft! And cute!" She exclaimed, oblivious to how naive she sounded. "Is he yours?" She questioned Finch.

[Jaime Keating]

The boy blinked at Cloti at first, utterly confused by what she was saying to him. Life on the streets? What was she talking about? However, the confusion lasted no more than a few seconds when it hit him - it was their cover of course.
He was really going to have to get used to his new name and making up stories...

Jaime smiled hesitantly, nodding once as he stood up. There wasn't any point in delaying the inevitable, right? It was better than procrastinating, he supposed. "Yeah, I'm ready now. Well, as ready as I'll ever be," he added with a grin, trying to keep the mood light. It was for his own sake, so he didn't have to think about handling a weapon. The idea of using the wicked looking knife against another sentient being, or even an animal, made his stomach and heart lurch painfully. But there was no time to think about that sort of thing right now. If all went well, he would never have to use the knife.

He perked up when Lael asked him about Tuft.
Turning his head toward her, the boy smiled happily. "Yeah, I suppose you could say that. More like he's an animal companion... I mean, if he wanted to leave, I'd let him. It'd make me sad, but I'd want him to live life the way he wants to. But so far he's been sticking with me. And I think he's cute too!" Jaime was comfortable enough with himself to coo slightly over the adorable little sheep.

He was getting distracted again.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he flicked his gaze to Cloti, then to the male shifter, then back to Cloti. "So... ready now?" Jaime was kind of just wanting to finish the training now and get it over with; if he finished it, then he wouldn't have to worry about doing it anymore, right? It made sense. Why put off for tomorrow what you can do today?

[Kenyon]

Kenyon stepped up and away from the shifter girl, deciding that she was certainly able to sit up by herself. He looked at the girl, an amused smile crossing his lips, “Well then Lael, it is very nice to meet you, but I believe I have some work to do.”

Kenyon removed his bag and swords before turning back to meet Finch’s eyes. “Okay then, is it knife work or martial arts that you wish to learn?” Kenyon paused and spoke again, carefully, as if he did not wish to offend anyone. “And on a mostly unrelated note, does your family have a thing for birds or something? Usually humans aren’t named for animals like that, unless it’s something like Leo or Merlin.”

He glanced curiously to the Nyeene and then to the woman, Sparrow. She looked very familiar, though Kenyon could not quite place her features. Perhaps they had met briefly while he was working in Brighi’s shop? The shifter gave a mental shrug and pushed his musings to the back of his mind. Spirit was a large city; it was more likely than not that he had just passed her at some point on the street or something.

“So Sparrow, would you like to train first, or would you have me begin?” Kenyon questioned, stretching out his arms in various unnatural-looking ways.

[Little Sparrow]

“Well then Lael, it is very nice to meet you, but I believe I have some work to do.”

[/i]

Lael looked up at the fox shifter as he stood up. Work to do? Oh, she wasn't interfering with him, was she? The timid shifter was about to apologize once again, but never did find the opportunity to, as the human boy Finch spoke.

"Yeah, I suppose you could say that. More like he's an animal companion... I mean, if he wanted to leave, I'd let him. It'd make me sad, but I'd want him to live life the way he wants to. But so far he's been sticking with me. And I think he's cute too!"

Lael's smile dropped a little to a frown. "Well, I hope he stays with you," She said. She didn't like people being unhappy, especially if a friend left. Looking at the Nyeene, she couldn't imagine why the creature would choose to leave Finch; he seemed like a nice human and the Nyeene seemed to like him a lot. "You won't leave Finch, will you?" She asked the Nyeene with a little pout. In the background, she noticed that the fox shifter was turning to Sparrow and Finch, while Finch was directing his attention mainly to Sparrow; she guessed that Sparrow must have been the coordinator of this meeting; it made sense after all.[/font][/color][/size]

"Yeah, I'm ready now. Well, as ready as I'll ever be,"

Cloti grinned at Jaime. That was the response she more or less wanted to hear from him, a willingness to learn no matter what the problem or his own feelings. She looked to the knife, it was still lying there, "Go on, kid, pick it up. You have to get used to your weapon, know its strengths, know its weaknesses. That way you'll know how you can use it." She gestured to the weapon before turning back to Kenyon. The avian shaman was hoping to give Jaime a little time to familiarize herself with the weapon. Much unlike Rodi, she preferred taking the learning slowly with more emotional rather than physical use, learn to respect the blade and it'll come in handy, much better to familiarize yourself with--especially one like Jaime. He was going to have to get used to blades.

"How about we have a little spar?" Cloti asked the fox shifter, pulling out both of her blades. She needed to gauge his skill against her, though she wasn't aiming to shed any blood. This could prove to also be a shot demo for Jaime, like the situations that he might be caught in later on. "And also, us avian shamans have a close attachment for the affinity that we have." She winked. So what if she let loose that she was an avian shaman. There were a whole hell other shamans that looked more like "Clotilda of Aimela" than she did anyhow. She watched the fox shifter, alert to any attack that he might have coming as a surprise.[/center][/size][/color][/font]

[Kenyon]

Kenyon gave Cloti a dubious stare and plucked a knife out of his boot; taking only a second to aim he launched it so fast it seemed only a silvery blur in the air, a speed only one with many years of training could accomplish. The blade buried itself up to the handle in the tough rock behind Cloti, aimed so that it had whizzed just barely past the left side of her face.

The fox shrugged, giving a slightly sheepish smile. "I have impeccable aim, and I'm strong and quick. I could provide more of an example if absolutely necessary, but I dislike fighting girls, however adept with a blade that they might be."

Kenyon gave an awkward chuckle. He did not like showing off, but fighting girls was a practice he avoided whenever possible. Sparring while all well and good, was still very dangerous, and the majority of fighting styles Kenyon was well-versed in were painful grips and throws that were almost certain to break bones or cause painful sprains.

It would be easy enough to teach the boy, as it would be in a slow, step-by-step process, but in a battle, mock or otherwise, speed was necessary to pull them off and it wasn't quite as safe.

So, to put it simply, Kenyon did not wish to fight Sparrow.
He glanced to where his knife was stuck and contemplated retrieving it, but decided to let Cloti answer first. Almost imperceptibly the fox let his eyes flicker to both Lael and Finch, wondering if they were surprised by his tiny demonstration.

Kenyon had been told a few times before that he seemed more of a cheery worker in a public place of some kind than the dangerous mercenary that he truly was. He didn't really mind, it just meant he was able to keep both his job and his personality.

After all, not all mercenaries had to be stony faced badasses.

[Jaime Keating]

“What I want to learn? I want to learn martial arts,” Jaime stated, sheepishly smiling at the fox shapeshifter. He had already made it obvious his distaste for the knife near him. Suddenly, Jaime blinked and laughed, nodding at Kenyon’s statement. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. Birds are pretty interesting after all.” Technically, he wasn’t lying. The Song was a kind of family, in a way, and they used bird names for their identities.

Again, he was distracted by Lael.
His brown eyes flicked to her, and he smiled at her comment. “I hope he stays with me, too. He seems to like me a lot, so I’m not too worried about him leaving. Right Tuft?” The Nyeene ignored the human boy, save for a small snort in his direction. Jaime shook his head and chuckled. Tuft looked up at Lael and baa’d at her, as if he was giving her an answer. He then proceeded to nuzzle the shifter’s side and baa’d again. The creature wanted attention, and some food, and he didn’t want to bother his human companion right now with it, so Lael was the next best thing. She seemed to be the closest in aura to Jaime. The fox shifter was close, too, but a little too rugged for the Nyeene’s liking.

Hesitantly, the boy looked to the weapon. After a few moments of hesitation, Jaime lifted the stiletto, weighing it slightly in his hand as he stared down at it. Holding it, the healer really did feel like he could kill almost anyone.
He didn’t like that feeling.
Jaime suppressed the shiver that threatened to crawl up his spine, instead turning back toward Cloti and Kenyon. In fact, the boy looked at them just in time to see the fox shifter throw a knife right by Cloti’s face, which made his heart skip a few beats.

Wow…

The fox shifter wasn’t lying when he said he had good aim. Jaime glanced between the pair, suddenly unsure as to who would win in a fight – before he had seen that, the boy had been betting on Cloti. Now it was harder to tell. Again, he looked down at the knife. Maybe Kenyon would teach him to do that? If he had to learn to wield the knife, he might as well learn it well.