#rivervale_lodge

"I'll see if I can whip up a few. We went through a lot on that last quest. And I'm assuming you'll want some other rations?"

"Those little sandwiches you made were fantastic.. I could eat half my weight in those" quiet admission from Tiara

She nods. "I'm gonna ask Mom, too, but Lupe seemed really excited about your food..."

"I don't think she wants to admit Tove's stuff is too spicy for her."

A laugh. "Well, those, maybe some meat pies."

"I'll provide the mild option, gladly."

"Thank you," Tiara says "I..."

Sounds outside "TIara? You want to spar or what?" Daria?

"Pardon, I should practice with Daria. "A look "Dame Dagmar, wannt to come with me?"

"Um, sure?"

And so the Hearth is left , the kitchenn quiet again... okay.. not quiet..but less crowded.

Daria waits outside, "You told me you'd try to help be become a fighter"

"I told you I would spar against you, my body remembers what my soul knows, but teaching is anonther thing" Tiara says

"Fine.. maybe I Should practice hammering thins with my hooves?" Daria snorts

Tiara looks at Dagmar "Daria's a bit impatient"

"Well, we have the pells."

"Or you could try jousting?"

"Unfair advantage to you, since you don't have to communicate to a horse and you can't get knocked off..."

"Jousting sounnds too fancy." Daria says "Do you know how to fight?"

"Yes."

"She's a knight, Daria, many of them do" Tiara explains

"Yeah yeah... I want to make sure the next person who tries to kidnap me? I can break or carve them into bits"

A grunt and a nod. Understanding.

"I'll get the pell. Let's see what you got."

Daria eyes the practice weapons, and eyes "What should I go for? Mace, sword?"

"well, if you want brute strength? Mace."

"Sword.. depends. Claymores are really glorified clubs."

"Mace" Daria grunts and grabs the bigggest mace she can

Tiara mmphs and gets a sword. She gives some practice swings, pure poetry , skill that should take months if not years of practice

Dagmar gets the wooden "practice" Flyswatter.

"Okay. Come at me."

Daria charges , reminding Dagmar of ..well, perhaps here first clumsy days when Flyswatter was memory than melee

Dagmar analyzes, getting ready to meet and parry the mace.

And Dagmar does it smoothly. Daria is fast and strong, she's got the raw material, but she's too wild and fights angry. SHe's blocked, she yells and swings again, and is blocked again

Tiara watches "It's not all about brute strength, Daria"

"You won't match a troll in brute strength, anyways."

"You are fastm though, and have power. That's good."

"Fine.. how do I beat a troll? " Daria asks

Tiara answers "Hit and run, strike, withdraw, strike again. Ranged weapons are even better but it's somewhat cowardly"

"You won't be able to trick reach - you are almost as tall, so hard to get under guard, where a lot of opponents succeed."

"Okay.. so..what?" Daria says in frustration

"You have to find holes."

"So..stay calm." Tiara tells her "And listen."

"See... like when I go for power, I pull back." She demonstrates. "This - look, see how there's my side? You swat there, I gotta react and lose my hit, or take it to keep my strike."

Daria blinks then grins "I get it.. so.." She tries, to her credit , to hit where she was told to hit.

"Right!" Dagmar steps to avoid it. "I didn't get hit - but then, I lost my big hit on you, too, see?"

"But I have to hit a foe SOMEtime or I can't break ribs!" Daria fusses

"Well. get better."

Glower from Daria

"She's right," Tiara says "Here? May I try? I don't think I'll do much better but I think it might help her to see"