A grappling lesson

After filling up his mother for the third time that morning, Vel felt the need for some real exercise. He’d been consuming a lot of breastmilk, and judging by the taste and feel of it, it would be quite fattening. Adi was with him, and they were walking through the training yard when Vel spotted Jeane. She was in one of the sand circles, grappling a male guard. She was getting the better of him too, which was impressive. He wasn’t huge by any means, but definitely a bit larger than Jeane. The twins paused to watch and within a few minutes Dina’s sworn shield pinned the male guard and got a surrender.

As the other guard headed off, looking a bit sulky, the twins approached Jeane. “That was well done, Jeane. Impressive stuff.” Jeane looked a bit surprised, she clearly hadn’t noticed the twins until now. “Oh, my apologies Lady Adeline and Vel, I didn’t notice you until now.” Suddenly her eyes went wide as she realized she had just called the scion of the house by his nickname in front of his sister. “Oh, my deepest apologies Lord Velas I-“ Adi interrupted her. “Don’t worry, I do not mind you calling him Vel. Feel free to call me Adi as well, for that matter.” The guardswoman breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, my La- Adi.”

Their conversation turned to the grappling match after that, and Vel inquired about a few things he’d observed. He’d never tried his hand at it himself, having mainly focused on fighting from horseback. Eventually, Jeane had a suggestion. “I’d be happy to give you a lesson, Vel. Consider it me paying you back for the riding lesson.” That appealed to Vel. Grappling usually went to the ground anyway, so while his crippled leg would still be a disadvantage, he would not be completely useless. “I would love that, thank you. Are you free right now?” Jeane nodded and gestured at the sand she had just fought in, but Adi made a wise suggestion. “Do we not have some rooms suited for this kind of practice? It would be best to not let everyone see the heir of the house grappling in the dirt with a member of the guard.” That was an excellent point, both Vel and Jeane agreed. So, the trio headed towards one of the practice rooms.

The only unoccupied room was fairly small, but big enough for two people to do a bit of grappling. There was no sand circle of course, a simple woven mat would have to do. Adi leaned against the wall, happy to just watch. “How do you want to do this, Vel? You made it sound like you haven’t done a lot of grappling, do you want to start with a few basic grips?” That sounded good to Vel, and initially the two of them just went through where to hold an opponent to pin or gain maximum leverage and so on. Vel felt like he quickly got the hang of it, and Jeane was certainly full of praise. While his crippled leg did deprive him of a useful limb and made some holds impossible to pull off, he got the sense that his size and strength counted for a lot.

They eventually got up and shook themselves off. Adi, ever thoughtful, had fetched them some water and both drank gratefully. “So, Vel, you ready to try a match against me?” Before Vel could say yes, Adi once again helped her brother have some fun. “Oooh, if the two of you are going to fight there should be stakes of some kind, to ensure you both actually try your best.” Jeane didn’t seem convinced. “Vel is new to this though, I am not sure it would be fair to-“ Adi cut her off. “You’re just scared you can’t beat him, aren’t you? I get that, he’s so big and strong.” She touched his arm as she said the last part. Vel saw what she was trying to do, but so did Jeane, who just smiled. “I see what you’re trying to do, Adi. I am not Lady Amordina, though, and will not be so easily goaded.” She turned to Vel. “If you’re comfortable with the match having some stakes though, I will not refuse, but I must advise against it.” She smirked, making it clear she was just trying to goad him now. Vel would happily take that bait. “By all means, let’s add some motivation. What would you ask of me if you win, shield Jeane?” She had her answer ready. “A jousting lesson. You looked flawless when you unhorsed my lady, I wish to be half that good.” Vel frowned. “That hardly seems an appropriate reward. You just gave me a lesson for naught, I would do the same for you.” Jeane shrugged. “You are the lord, I the servant. But if you insist, make it two lessons.” Vel gave a somewhat exasperated nod. “Fine, two jousting lessons if you win.” That earned him a smile from the blonde. “What do you wish from me in the unlikely event that you win?” Vel was ready too. “If I win, I have my way with you right here on this mat.”