3. The mark of a Squire

The mark of a Squire


    • Jason looks to the skies as the dawn breaks over the small arena within the residential district. A few hours ago he had sent for Zahra and now awaited her patiently as he let out a slow cleansing breath. It had been many years since he had trained someone for knighthood and was actually looking forward to the challange. Now all he could do was wait for his squire to come meet him here. *

  • eyes raise at the dust cloud as he looks to her again, a smile greeting her as he merely shakes his head in amusement

    Good morning my squire, I pray the day finds you well? I also believe I gave you two homework assignments, yes I know you gave me an answer two days ago to what the code means, but having thought more on it I would like to hear any new thoughts, so lets start with your homework.


  • Sitting huddled up amidst many a blanket and pillow, Zahra pours over a copy of Jason's account of the staff's reforging, before glancing idly out the window and doing a double-take. The position of the sun! with a start she sets aside her notes and the book, slipping into her leathers and lacing up the top portion as she runs from her room, deftly moving aside as one of her pot-plants makes to bite her. Burning a scroll of expeditious retreat in her hand (Trashed) she careers through the halls and out into the streets of peltarch, arriving with a large dust-trail at the training grounds.

    "I'm here!"


  • Jason patiently returns to the arena grounds waiting as he smiles seeming to think of his next lesson


  • Jason chuckles at his squire skipping off clearly more then pleased with how the lesson went, he goes into the bank nearby to find all the boys and the guard waiting for him to which he hands each a bag of coin

    Thank you gentlemen, the lesson went off without a hitch. Ilmater love and keep you all.

    With that he disappears to the commons to go and rest and plan out his next lesson to return in two days to await his squire


  • None.. But, about the code.. I think it means that a knight belongs to the world and it's people, not to himself or his fancy.

    With that, she turns on her heel and skips from the square, making her way back to the many layered blanketed safety of her room at the Theatre.


  • The boys continue their taunts becoming more and more obnoxious as they go. Jason briefly glances to them then back to her and speaks directly to her seeming unbothered by their extremely rude taunts, jeers and gestures

    Well it seems the true first lesson has already shown itself for us today. While I could focus on many aspects I will focus only on one per lesson. Today is Confidence.

    Confidence in ones self is to belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities. I hear the children as well as you do. yet their words have no effect on me or who I am what so ever. Why? Because I am comfortable with who I am. Their words can only hurt me if I am not confident in who I am and what I am capable of. So how should I respond to these kinda situations? Well many prefer the approach you used. A defensive response weather sweet or hostile. Perhaps a physical retort which resorts to violence, or even downright bickering with the boys which usually turns into a fist fight by the end of it.

    At this time I personally see no reason to respond to these boys. What harm can they do with but gestures and words? None if I don't allow them to. So their power is already defeated and I have walked away the victor in all this dispute having said and done nothing in response.

    The boys glare at the old man clearly not taking well to being turned into a lesson as one picks up a fairly large stone, seeing the stone this time Jason turns to face him simply and calmly drawing on his divine abilities and says nothing more then Hold, the boys body locks up unable to move or drop the stone as Jason shouts out for the nearest guard. The others scatter to the wind as the guard arrives and removes the boy for questioning and Jason returns to his squire

    Sometimes conflict even when it seems most needed is avoidable. While he turned hostile I simply used a second circle Hold Person spell to restrain him then summoned a guard rather then risk hurting the boy. For today's homework, I want you to think up a list of things your good at personally and write them down and bring them back here in two days. Also I want you to think over the Knights code of Valor and tell me what you think it means.

    Begins reciting a code he seems to know and take to heart

    A Knight is sworn to Valor
    His Heart knows only Virtue
    His Blade defends the Helpless
    His Might upholds the Weak
    His Words speaks only Truth
    His Wrath undoes the Wicked

    Dismissed for the day my squire, unless you have any questions?


  • At the first string of comments, she seems to simply ignore them, but turning at the seccond round, referring to her, she simply smiles warmly.

    "You know, you should be so lucky yourself neighbor, to share the tutelage of the man who re-forged the staff, one so blessed by his lord… besides, I'm spoken for." she winks after the last comment, before turning back to jason.

    "My appologies, you were saying?"


  • Jason simply smiles nodding to her answer as he considers it all a moment before speaking yet again in the same soft tone

    Most times we cannot see beyond what others think are our own strengths and weaknesses and when we look back and take the time to reflect we begin to see the truth in ourselves. Your faith in Deneir will carry you very far in this life and further still as you move to achieve your goals with him. Though to achieve that you will need to break through your greatest weakness. There can be no success without some measure of failure, and we all fail at one time or another. Though in the same measure, fear is also a valuable tool in its own unique form. It tempers us, teaches us to be strong yet at the same time display caution to what we do least we do hurt someone, but do not let that fear keep you from doing what you know is right in the end.

    As to self improvement, it is fine to be content with what you are. Which is good because the only scale that needs to judge what you are is Deneir himself. What we do focus on instead is how to better ourselves as a person. When we grow stronger in ourselves it shows outwardly. Confidence, Discipline, Self Control, Emotional Control, it helps in everything and any situation. There is no simple trick, no magic that can teach these skills, only time and patience and working with me will help you manage these skills and in time I promise you will see some changes. Perhaps not right away, but in time you will see them.

    As Jason is speaking several teenage boys stand by the wall making rather obscene comments and rude gestures. Asking why such an old fool is bothering with a young girl like her and why she is with such an old fool and that she should perhaps come with them. The comments are extremely rude and derogatory in all aspects as they speak to or of him. Jason simply looks to the boys then back to her to see how she responds if at all


  • She ponders his words a moment, crouching to lightly gather a few pebbles from the ground as she contemplates before rising and looking to Jason.

    Most other days, I would have said that my greatest strength was my tallent for Divination… and my mind, that my greatest weakness was my inhability to perform physically as most warriors can and that I most direly needed to improve upon the magics of song that I can feintly weild.

    But.. thats wrong.

    My greatest strength is my faith and trust in Deneir, without that trust that I was given my tallent as a Seer for a reason, I would simply lock myself away and find a way to see that I was never, could never, be used as a tool... something you know I fear.

    My greatest weakness is my fear, I'm afraid of failing others in my interperetation of what I see, I'm afraid of not being able to manifest my will at a crucial moment, that my lack of controll will harm others around me, that I will see what should not and I wish not to see, that I won't be able to do what Deneir asks of me when my paragraph in the metatext is written and drawn to it's conclusion.

    But I'm not sure what above all I should improve upon, because It would be denying my core beliefs to be content with what I am now, that I will ever stop one aspect of who I am from becoming greater and innovating myself through constant reinvention and continual aspiration.

    She bites her lip a moment.


  • Jason simply smiles at his young squire as she finally arrives holding up his hand to calm her and lets her get her breath before finally speaking to her in a very calm tone

    Welcome my young apprentice to your first official training session as a Knight in training. Most knighthoods expect young squires to aid their mentors in armoring, dis-armoring, tending to blades and the likes. Though I personally find it degrading and will never ask that of my squires. What I will ask of you first and foremost is Loyalty, Honesty and Discipline. These areas I will over time test you in and work with you to teach you how to behave as a Knight. When I find you worthy, I will Knight you as a full Knight of the Forsworn.

    First I want you to tell me what you personally believe are your greatest strengths, greatest weaknesses and areas you think you could improve. I don't want what others think of such, only your truthful opinion.

    Jason goes silent simply looking to her and waiting for her response


  • After several hours more of waiting, Zahra clumsily sprints into the arena, still in the process of donning her leathers, and clasping tight the girdle she now wears, bearing in red, a Kestrel, gripping a broken blade in it's talons, bound by a red cord.

    Sorry! I know I'm late… first my underdark mosses were trying to eat my coppy of divine metaphysics, then I realised that a mouse had been bitten by them aswell, and died in the trough containing the small shreiking mushroom samples and they fed on it... they wouldn't stop screaming! but its fine now...

    After a moment of fidgeting with her garb, she turns to Jason.

    I'm ready… I think.