[Crimson Tiger Training - Janis] Meet the Dorin, his name is Dorah

[Labyrinth]

Timestamp: Late Melora, Era XIV.

Jenis found himself quickly enough at the entrance to the impressive, if somewhat functional and bland Crimson Tigers barracks, headquarters for the Mercenary Regiment. Boxy and very straightforward, it would not win any awards in design, but it sufficed for what it was needed for. The first floor held the various administrative offices, the top two floors contained the barracks and officer quarters.

Directed more by another very bored looking man at the front desk he soon found himself in what looked like an armoury. Standing out like a sore thumb he was asked for his 'piece of bloody paper if your a new'un', which when provided got him the following:

Clothing:

One standard issue cloak with tigers on rear (Red)
Three standard issue trousers (Red)
Three standard issue woolen shirts (Red)
Five sets of undergarment (race specific, but still Red)


Armor:

One pair of standard issue iron bracers, blackened
One pair of standard issue iron shinguards, blackened
One standard issue iron breastplate , blackened
One standard issue iron conical helmet with noseguard, blackened
(All black)

Weaponry:
(Will be received when weapons training begins.)

One standard issue longsword with blackened hilt
One standard issue training sword
One standard issue dagger with crimson tiger painted red into an engraving on a black pommel

Once all was collected and a rucksack given to store that which could not be carried Janis was directed “Out back to the fields, show that note to Company Sergeant Dorah.” Which was again easy enough to achieve except for one thing...which lot of crimson clad soldiers was being shouted at by Dorah?

“He's the big scarred gray Dorin in the biggest crimson cloak you ever saw. Just don't call him scar-face to his...urm...face.” Which solved that problem then. Dorah appeared to be addressing at a group of six people from all mixes of races and sexes who were standing up straight and shuddering as he growled in their direction.

“I am not going to scream at you like Senior-Sergeant Bars did, you understand me ladies and gentlemen?”

No response, the Dorin who had been pacing back and forth stopped pacing.

“I asked if you understood me, this doesn't work if you don't address me back Tigers. I can't know if you understand how not to die if you don't tell me, so do you Understand Me?.”

There was only one plucky looking young man who snapped off.

“Sir! I understand Sir!”

[Janis Windrough]

Maybe red and black could do well on Janis. He would soon find out what it felt like to be a man in uniform. A bit awkwardly, Janis gathered all of his new armor and clothing (with those snazzy looking daggers on his mind. He looked foward to getting a pair of those in the near future) and saught out the Dorin who would be training him, keeping in mind: "no scarface comments."

It didn't take long before Janis realized he had found his man...erm Dorin that is. He was standing in front of what he would assume to have been a bunch of other new recruits. Here might be Janis's chance to make a good first impression. Sure the Dorin was an intimidating fellow and Janis was sure it wouldn't take the Dorin much effort to effectively wipe him off the face of the earth, but knowing these things full well, he was pretty sure the Dorin wouldn't be killing him at the moment. Janis had an idea of what these types of organizations generally wanted. Respect, confidence and judgement. Well Janis was sure he had some combination of at least two of those things and could effectivly probably convince people of the third.

As he approached he heard the Dorin ask a question to little reponse, then listened carefully to what the Dorin had to say next. As he approached one of the fellow recruits managed off a "Sir! I understand Sir!" When Janis was close enough he followed his fellow recruit's proclamation with his own. "Aye! I understand you as well Sir." Janis's proclamation was not as rigid as his counterparts, but hopefully it had an effect. "New Recruit Janis Windrough hearing you loud and clear sir. If you are Company Sergeant Dorah, I am supposed to give you this..." Janis offered the paper he was given to the sergeant, albiet a bit awkwardy because his hands were pretty full at the moment. After an awkward silence for a moment Janis remembered where he was and blurted out the new end to a majority of his sentences. "...sir. I await your orders...SIR!" Janis felt a bit silly saying all these sirs. He truly didn't even know if the Dorin liked be adressed as sir. It was a gross generalization of how he thought he should be adressing a superior and he hoped it was corret.

So there he sat, brand spankin' new gear in hand, awaiting the orders of his superior. Janis had entered the system.

[Labyrinth]

“Sir...Sir...Sir.”

Growled Dorah...then he laughed and took the parchment from Janis.

“At least you know how to show respect Recruit, even if you may not quite know the reason for it yet...lets see here, ah yes, good, you'll make a perfect demonstration.”

Turning away he scoured the courtyard for something, or, as it turned out, someone.

“Private Marlin. Get your skinny backside over here.”

He called, but again it was more of a growl than a shout and not a loud one, yet there was something in Dorah's voice that carried like nothing else, carried endlessly and smoothly right to the man who spun on his heel and trotted over. He was a tall, lanky Elven man wearing Crimson Tiger uniform and carrying the standard longsword at his left hip.

“You know how to use a sword, right private?” Marlin grinned. “Think I do sir, might do sir. Just might have been trained by you for the past few cycles.” Dorah showed teeth and turned his attention to Janis.

“Well maybe you can find out if this new recruit is as good as he claims? First blood I think, both of you, strip your top's off and show these raw fresh bloods over here what they're in for.”

He gestured to the line of recruits who were watching intently. Marlin meanwhile tossed black hair back across his shoulders and began unbuckling his breastplate. “Be happy to.” He muttered, blue eyes flashing confident amusement at Janis. “So what do you use? Your bear hands?” He asked, unable to see Janis's knives.

[Janis Windrough]

Well, lets not waste any time now shall we. Maybe Janis's assumptions about not being killed this early on were no all that founded...who did they think he was. It wasn't as if he said "master of daggers." He said he knew a thing or two. Well, no matter. There was no way short of godly intervention that would make Janis back down from this now. If the man had only been training for the past couple cycles well...if he hadn't any prior training he probably wasn't all that much superior to Janis. He figured he could keep himself alive and perhaps even more important, not humiliate himself. Janis never once let on about any holdbacks he had. "Still hearing you loud and clear sir." He pushed through his lips before making good no his order.

Well, Janis could give off confidence himself that was for sure and Marlin looked just as cocky. Would their egos even let them get close enough to fight? Well there was only one way to find out. Janis turned around and walked back a few paces, placing down his new uniform and such on the floor. He heard the snide comment from the recruit and let his removal of his tan trenchcoat speak for itself. The straps criss crossed on his back holding the sheaths with his knives on each side of his body. Janis un-clipped his crossbow from his belt and placed it down as well. Soon his sheaths were removed followed by his grees shirt leaving him in nothing but his loose fitting brown pants.

Janis picked up his daggers in his hands. It had been a little bit since he first used them...under the lights of fireflies outside of Natura. His training in Imperia had been good training though and he hoped that this would end well. He awaited his competitor who he imagines was doing the same. When both were ready Janis remembered that main point about weilding the daggers. Mobility and balance. That is what mattered most. He needed to stary sharp and get in close. Hopefully something of his would connect before any luck he might have ran out. His eyes fixed on his opponent and his mind runningh through his various blocks, sllashes and other moves, Janis awaited. He would inch as close as he could yet stay safe from the blade. He awaited an attack, but made sure to keep himself on his toes in a balanced state. An effective block could be his key to victory. He would at least see what this guy was made of. The best offense for Janis right now was a good defense and that is where his mind was focused.

[Labyrinth]

Marlin was clearly thinking this would be easy. Whether that was natural arrogant, confidence in the training he'd been given or several Eras of knowing just how good he was remained to be seen as he settled himself into an easy stance, bouncing on the balls of his feet with his left foot forward and his right foot back at a right angle to his left, spread about a shoulder's width apart, drawing his sword from it's sheath with a zink.

Meanwhile Dorah the Dorin moved to one side and crossed gnarled arms whilst the new recruits watched with interest. A few others came over too in full uniform. Most wore simple longsword's at their hips but others had more exotic weapons, all were curious as to this bout between Private Marlin and the unknown recruit that was Janis.

“Begin.”

Grunted Dorah simply. At which point Marlin's sword, that had up until now been lazily held in his right hand with the point to the floor lashed forward quickly towards Janis's left shoulder, clearly hoping for a quick end to this within the first exchange as he danced forward on his feet. His eyes were narrowed, focused on Janis's form as his left hand was held back ready to defend himself against any counter attack.

So far there was little to see in the man's form though, it was a cleanly executed thrust if Janis had any knowledge of such things and if he didn't then it looked competent, even though it wasn't as fast as he'd probably seen swordsmen sometimes go.

[Janis Windrough]

Janis was trying to sooth his anxious breathing and focus himself on this other man. Janis knew nothing of him. He knew only his name and rank and yet for this moment Janis hated him. His goal was to make him bleed and the gods willing he would try his best to do so. The crowd was gathering and Janis would not be embaressed. Well for all he knew he was out of his league and stepping into a vast humiliation but he was not going to step down that was for sure.

So with the Dorin's word, Marlin swung into action. Janis had been waiting in his stance and his defensive mindset was already putting him in block mode. He thought back to what his teacher had taught him of blocking. Block at an angle. He remembered that the best outcome he could possibly hope for would be disorienting his opponent so that Janis could land an easy final blow. So what Marlin made a thrust at Janis's left shoulder, he tried his best to put together an acceptable defense. In his stance he attempted to sweep his left leg behing him, pivoting on his right foot and at the same time taking his right hand, turning it over so the blade was facing down and attempting to intersect the longsword on it's path to his shoulder. Going with the movement of his pivot Janis put his momentum into his right arm and tried best he could to make the meeting of the blades force Marlin's down and away. As he attempted to execute this he thought back to what metal on metal sounded like and hoped that sound would prove his move a success.

Unless Marlin happened to be caught in a very precarious position by Janis's block it is unlikely that he would be able to execute any sort of counter-attack. Janis had learned to be aware and wary of the potential counters of his opponents but had learned little in the footwork and finess of such attacks. If by some chance Marlin lost his balance or readily presented his side to him, Janis would obviously take the easy slash presented to him with his left dagger, upward and away, or whatever the obvious move in the situation called for.

Should he not get an effective chance yet his parry be sucessful, Janis would regroup a few hops away from Marlin. Janis did have the advantage of having two daggers, one for each hand, but his opponent had the advantage of reach and Janis had only a little experience fighting a larger blade. A bit of ingenuity might go a long way in a battle such as this. He did have a trick or two up his sleeve, remembered from his mock spar with Mizushin, one who Janis considered likely a much superior opponent to his man. It would be interesting to see if he could throw one of them together. None were devestating combos but with a little luck he just might get one off. Not really knowing any more about his opponents skill, Janis waited, still cast in a defensive mindset, still on his toes in the ready position his teacher had engrained in his mind during his teaching. He began to look now, however, for that oppertunity. An oppertunity to put some offense together.

[Labyrinth]

The two blades snicked together and Janis's neatly blocked the incoming sword, pushing it down and away. If the move had continued he'd have been left up close and able to land a neat cut. As it was, the move didn't. Marlin withdrew the blade backwards and danced away, instantly beginning to circle, rising up onto his toes then rolling back onto the balls of his feet anxiously, it was as if he'd thought the first trick would work and he'd now been extremely put out.

Around the man's eyes the lines were becoming pronounced as he peered at Janis and his wall of two bits of steel. Perhaps after all the man was only used to fighting other swords and had assumed fighting a man with a pair of shorter blades would be easy? Maybe he was having second thoughts. Dorah didn't seem to be willing to offer any hints as he watched the pair of them, a hustle of noise now picking up as bets were placed after the initial contact.

This time when Marlin came forward he attacked high though, the point of his blade snicking up to point at a forty five degree angle, then being drawn back over his shoulder as he attacked in a downward, backward cut from his left shoulder, drawing his arm down to cut the blade towards his right hip. Once more the hand was held back though, ready and waiting in defense, a sheen of sweat running across Marlin's body as he worked up the adrenaline of the fight.

[Janis Windrough]

Well well, Janis held off the first attack just as his training had taught him to. Unfortunately his opponent had been able to keep his balance and Janis could not land an ending blow, not that he even expected to this early.

As Janis danced away and regrouped his eyes never left his opponent as he did the same. Gleaming into on anothers eyes, they were both on edge, adrenaline overtaking blood as the substance that coursed through their veins. Marlin's eyes narrowed on Janis as if to show that he was expecting an easy fight and well now perhaps this wasn't so much the case. Marlin's let down was only Janis's feul to win. The two might as well have been fighting for their lives.

The attack was once again intiiated from the blade or Marlin. It was a rather brash maneuver. For someone who had been trained to believe speed and finess were the keys to victory, shows of brute stregth with a long sword were far from what Janis would consider a key to victory form himself. The man was putting a lot into this attack and Janis quickly made the decision that he probably would not be able to hold him off with a single blade. If they weren't playing for first blood perhaps he would have thought differently and gave up a hit in return for what might pay off as a better his but if arm buckled and that blade connected, there was little doubt in his mind he would be the unlucky recipient of the sharp end of that blade. To block Janis crossed his blade in a "x" shape in front of himself, arms raised a bit. He did his best to account for the angle the longsword was coming in at. His goal, of course, was to catch the longsword in his blades and be able to brace well enough that Marlin never got close to him. He clutched the hilts of his dagger close, trying his best to have as little bend to his elbows as he could when absorbing the blow. He summoned as much strength as he could from his lower half while still trying to remain balanced to keep that sowrd from touching his body. This was no time to be weak but instead a test of strength.

Should his block be sucessful, Janis's immediate action would be to attempt and rid himself of the imposing blade. Janis would attempt to force his opponent to the left by pushing his daggers, the londsword hopefully still resting between them, back towards the left. With any luck the fact that the mans right arm remained back for defensive purposed would make this all the more effective making him end up off balance. At the very least Janis just wanted to get that blade away from him. Should be be lucky and catch a break and his opponent loose his balance, he would of course act upon it with a quick slash, but as he had not done so before, Janis expected his opponent to keep his balance this time. He would rather focus on putting room between him and his foe.

So, if all had gone correctly, these were 2 foiled attacks by Janis with rather simple blocks he had gone over in his training. If not, Janis was probably coping with the humiliation of defeat. But now he wanted to try something he had picked up during his spar with Mizushin. Using the distance he had created Janis gained some momentum heading towards his opponent. Hopefully he would be catching him off guard. Janis was now on the offenseive. With his left hand, his weaker hand, he would make an attack at his opponent. A strong but rahter easily blocked slash from about shoulders length going down towards his right hip. His right dagger protecting against exposing his stomach. The slash woud do damage if it was hit but Janis was not hoping, nor expecting this blow to hit, rather it being blocked is exactly what he counted on. Marlin's sword rising to meet his dagger is exactly what he wanted, with this ocurrance being his signal, it was time for him to take advantage of having two blades. With his right hand, already in at his body, Janis would unleash the quickest cross slash he could aimed at the torso of his opponent. Hopefully the original attack served as enough of a decoy to execute this move. It had worked on Mizushin...kind of (he had taken some damage on the move as well but he had dealt some himself, and anywho Mizushin had been using two blades we well) maybe it would work now as well.

[Labyrinth]

“Jalat!”

Marlin cursed as his blade was caught by Janis's raised 'X'. From around them a roar rose and it became clear that, to the observers, the fight had just raised in tempo as Janis wrenched the daggers around in an attempt to unbalance Marlin. Indeed if he'd continued and Marlin hadn't responded to the movement he might even have wrenched the sword from the man's wrist and disarmed him completely but such a thing was not to be. Narrowed eyes glared at Janis as his sword was neatly deflected and his weight pushed back.

He did not fall off balance though as Janis was hoping, not completely then though he staggered, thus the recruit's rush caught Marlin off guard just as he had hoped and he did the expected, rushed, instinctive block against one dagger as feet around the pair began pounding on the packed ground.

Dum, Dum....Dum-Dum-Dum....Dum...Dum...Dum-Dum-Dum went the rap on the floor as Janis lashed out with the second dagger in a backward cut, his first blocked neatly and being slowly, slowly twisted around by the increased leverage of the sword blade. A moment later though...the two of them were locked together.

Marlin's eyes were on Janis's with the knife-fighter's lower blade mere inches away from his stomach, Janis's wrist caught in a vice like grip from the swordsman's left hand. All this time and this was why Marlin had held back as he grinned at Janis and slowly kept twisting the sword around. In another few seconds he'd have completely deflected the dagger and would be able to slash back across Janis's chest and left arm and step back with first blood drawn.

Not yet though, the effort he was putting in was clear on the other man's face as he gritted his teeth behind the grin, trying to push Janis's first dagger around with the sword whilst holding the wrist of the other hand inexpertly. For whilst he'd anticipated this, waited for the use of the second blade, it was clear he didn't have any experience at unarmed combat either.

“Finish it!”

Called one Crimson Tiger from the ranks.

“Ten crowns on the new guy!”

“Forget that, twenty on Marlin!”

[Janis Windrough]

The Bastard!!! were the words crossing Janis's mind as he felt the grip of Marlin's hand around his wrist. He was foolish for not assuming this man would have some defensive maneuver. Sure enough, the shortness of Janis's blades were becoming his undoing as one was not long enough to make the desired cut and the other was loosing ground fast to the leverage of the longsword. Janis clenched his teath so tight he felt at any moment his jaw might explode. Every inch of Janis's strength and will were going to keeping his left wrist from being turned and keeping control over his right hand.

Things looked gloom. The crowd was rowdy but Janis hardly noticed them. The may as well have been in a silent void for between Janis's focus and the blood pulsating through the veins in his head, there was nothing else that mattered besides this fight. This man was no push over, he was not going to be overpowered and the longer this went one the better it was for Marlin as he blade inched ever closer to freeing itself from the dagger and landing that deadly blow on Janis. His eyes met Marlins. The grin on his face betrayed exactly how good of a fight Janis knew he was putting up. He would not have some arrogant schmuck end this without a hell of a fight. If he lost to Janis Windrough he sure as hell would remember it.

It was time to think outside of the box. Eyes still locked on his opponent, Janis knew his hands were useless right now but luckily he had another set of appendages. Janis might not be a master at his weapon but he was clever. He decided the try his best with some deception. Janis refocued his attention, gritting his teeth even more Janis redoubled his efforts on his left arm to keep the worst of it, the blade at bay. As a comprimise he started to give in a bit with his right hand. It was serving him no purpose right now, plus it freed up strain on that side for what he wanted to try next...

Janis did his best to show his strain, he was cocky himself, he knew how it worked. Maybe, just maybe Marlin thought he was winning. Staying ever aware of Marlin's longsword and it's status in overtaking his dagger, Janis kept eye contact until the very last moment when he lifted his right leg into a kick aimed square at the right knee joint of Marlin. He hoped the bottom if his boot would wreak havoc on Marlin's leg. This was no skilled kick with the percision of one trained in the art of Zinn'ka, no, this was brute force, a wrecking ball unleashed as a last resort in a desperate situation. If it failed Janis could likely do little bit attempt with all force the get the hell away but a mishap here might ery well mean defeat. With any luck his blow would connect and the hopeful suprise factor making it all the worse. Should he land his blow and Marlin show weakness even for a moment, Janis would be relentless. He would do his best to unleash a personal hell on this man with anything he could muster. Aiming for blood drawn by his daggers, but settling for punches aimed at his head and gut, his sole purpose was to make his opponent bleed and leave him on the ground remembering who he had just faced...

[Labyrinth]

“Finish it!”

“Show 'im whose boss!”

“Your an idiot Marlin!”

Came the cat-calls and shouts, among others as the two struggled in their own private little world, ignorant of the social banter and chaos going on outside. Rigid fingers dug into Janis's wrist and were indeed trying to twist his arm around and back on itself to try and avoid Janis himself exerting enough pressure to finish the cut and draw blood on the man's stomach.

Marlin's eyes bore into Janis's at this point, narrowed slits of anger and frustration that were as vehement in their success at this entire exercise as Janis himself, so it would be a mistake for the knife fighter to think that Marlin was any less dedicated – after all with Janis as a recruit he had as much to loose as Janis had to gain.

“I'll get you yet.”

Marlin hissed just as Janis lifted his knee and kicked out, barely seconds away from the other man's sword having completed its twisting of Janis's dagger arm. Yet as his boot connected awkwardly with the Crimson Tiger's knee however, things got messy.

Staggering backward, his balance completely destroyed, the Crimson Tiger backed up further - which was the only thing that kept him from being hit by the first dagger Janis slashed with. Its point just shy of the Crimson Tiger's chest as it was deflected by a wild flick of the sword. The second dagger lashing in afterwards only to be barely sidestepped.

Not caught this time though, no, Janis had the swordsman on the defensive and was most definitely inside his guard now, the sword uselessly down to Marlin's right side after slashing the recruit's first blade out and away from them both. He'd probably try to bring it back up again, probably...and also seemed to be backing away as quickly as he could to get some distance between himself and the knife fighter.

So Janis could easily bring his right blade back into play but had to contend with Marlin's apparently able, or lucky ability to use his left hand to ward off the dagger blades, whilst he could try and use his right and risk the sword at close quarters, ineffective as it was classically – but then it was still sharp and made a good club.

[Janis Windrough]

It was sloppy but it had worked. Janis had further prevented his loss, this time correcting in a rather crude fashion for his earlier miscalcualtions. Some quick thinknig and a well placed boot had saved Janis's arse. On top of all this, the man was being put on the defensive. This is just what Janis needed. Although his hasty attacks were being warded off as Janis tried to catch the man off balance, there was a line of thought going through Janis's mind to keep going. Even if the blows didn't connect, he shouldn't let Marlin regain his composure. Keeping the man on the defensice could be key.

So with that in mind, Janis remained in pursuit attempting to not let Marlin get sufficient distance between them and trying to force to ocassional block from his opponent. He said nothing during this fight so far, a stark contrast to Janis's normal everyday demeanor. Marlin would insert little exclimations here or there but they would only serve as more fuel for Janis to end this in his favor. He did not believe the man had any intention of losing this fight but Janis was convinced that he was more hungry, he wanted it all the more. His ambitions could be facilitated with an impressive performance here.

Now they were fighting for blood, but it never was said that the blood had to come from a blade wound. This type fo thought, albiet not quite so eloquently stated crossed Janis's mind. Hopefully kaving kept Marlin on the defensive, Janis let loose a hard cross-body slash with his left dagger. He guided it as much as he could to ensure that anything besides a well placed block would finish this. The idea was to land an end-blow but he also kept his thought from before in mind. Because of the swipe, Janis counted on him once again raising his sword in defense. If the two blades locked Janis would do his damndest to keep them that way. With his body locked in a block and his sword being accounted for by the dagger, Janis brought up his right arm (his stronger arm), knuckles red from grasping the hilt of his dagger so tightly and put his strength behind a punch sailing over the interlocked blades and hopefully landing right on the face or Marlin. The hilt of the dagger would put even more bite behind such a blow then just his fist would have.

With any luck something on Marlin's face would be red with a sign of defeat. If not...well Janis could only keep pushing his opponent back waiting for his oppertunity to try another blow. Breathing heavy and sweating rather liberally, Janis refused to give up.

[Labyrinth]

Red, red everywhere. The crowd roared.

Marlin was lying on his floor clutching a broken nose. Janis Windrough had won and Dorah the Dorin was nodding thoughtfully.

“Well done.”

He commented with a firmer, more definitely approving nod. Janis's move had worked exactly as predicted. The blades had locked and Marlin had held it to avoid back-peddling into the other Crimson Tigers around him who had swiftly moved away and expanded the circle, just in time for Janis to punch the man unexpectedly in the nose and send him sprawling with blood everywhere.

It did not however take long for Marlin to regain his composure after his flash of pain and make a move to leap upward and spear Janis on the point of his sword...but he was held back quickly by a pair of Tigers who had apparently anticipated such a reaction.

The response it drew from Dorah was even more interesting however. He'd been studying Janis with his arms still folded when the man had uncurled from the floor, picked up his sword and lunged...only to be dragged down by the shoulders. Dorah had turned his eyes and snapped his attention straight to Marlin at this point, walked over and lent down then bodily, one handedly, hauled the Private to his feet in the midst of the surrounding Tigers.

They had all been laughing and joking until Marlin had moved.

Now they had fallen silent.

“Did you just attempt to attack another Crimson Tiger without warning?”

Hissed Dorah in Marlin's face.

“Bastud bruk ma nos!”

Mumbled Marlin, squirming. Dorah put his muzzle to the man's ear and appeared to whisper something. Before Marlin could say anything more – now in an ever widing circle of Tigers, one of whom had drawn Janis gently away from proceedings – he was doubled over with Dorah's fist in his stomach, his sword kicked away from him. Supporting the man limply in his arms, doubled over as he was, until he could stand Dorah seemed to wait for a moment, Marlin coughing and hacking from the winding he'd received.

Then he punched the man squarely on the back of the neck, the private went down and groaned and was kicked again in the stomach.

“Never.” He punctuated the word by a kick. “Ever.” Another kick, a deeper groan. “Disrespect your fellow soldiers.” He turned Marlin over with his boot. “That is your only warning, understood.” Marlin merely groaned. Silence reigned as Dorah squatted down, forearms on knees next to the man's head. His next words were inaudible whispers and Marlin's replies equally unheard...but the Dorin seemed satisfied as he stood and walked towards Janis, irritably brushing blood off his fur with a cloth.

“Come with me recruit. Willum, bring his kit.”

He ordered, gesturing with a wave towards one of the other Crimson Tiger outbuildings. Willum, another Private, followed with Janis belongings and he was led into an empty mess facility covered in benches and chairs. Janis's kit was deposited on one end of a bench, Dorah sitting down on one side of the bench and gesturing for Janis to take the other.

“Get us some ale Willum and get yourself one too, then leave us be.” He offered, then turned his attention on Janis, eyes firm. “So tell me recruit. What brought you to us and what do you think your role is going to be here?” Once that question was answered he asked one which was clearly what he'd been waiting to ask.

“And what is your opinion of what just happened?”

[Janis Windrough]

Janis felt his fist connect with face and when he realized his opponent was bleeding and down he quickly backed off. He hadn't quite absorbed what had happened yet. Had he really just downed his opponent? Janis was breathing heavy as he noticed the crowd around him gathering. He finally started to realize what was going on, and loosened the death grip he had on each of his daggers, his right fist throbbing a bit from the punch. He noticed Dorah nodding in approval and could do little but let out a slight tired smile. Janis, still panting rested his hands on his knees and bent over a bit to regain him composure.

This could have been fatal as before he knew what was going on, Marlin apparently made a lunge at him from the ground. Luckily some of the other recruits had his back. Maybe it was the ones he had made some spare crowns for by winning. Janis would have been at the mercy of Marlin as he would never have jumped back onto his guard so fast.

Apparently this did not sit well with Dorah at all. Janis cringed as the man, already bleeding was reprimanded and punched by the Sargeant. He struggled to look back as one of the recruits led him away. He saw kicks being delivered to the fellow private and some discipline being dolled out. Before he could act much further he was being led away with Dorah and another private followed from behind.

The idea of ale sounded good to Janis. His mouth was parched from the effort. He was just starting to breath normally again and cease his sweating when Dorah began to question him. So what brought him to the Tigers. "Well sir..." Janis still wasn't sure how the Dorin felt about the whole sir thing but he still felt it was better to be safe then sorry. "I came here for oppertunity I guess. Ta' make myself a better man. Stronger for havin' served." Janis took another moment to collect his thoughts. "To tell you the truth Sargeant, I've never been one to stay in one place for too long. I guess I'm lookin' to change that for a bit. Become a fighter. Become a leader." Janis chose his words well. He didn't want to think of himself as a soldier.

Of coarse he did not reveal all his thoughts. He did not lie in anything he said, he just didn't reveal all of the truth. He had aspirations to climb the ranks here and gain some power. Some autonomy to do some things of his own. He knew though as a first day recruit revealing such ambitions would not be wise. He also had heard of the reputation the Tigers had been gaining around the city and it wasn't a good one. If he could have any part in cleaning that up, he would. The Tigers were a stepping stone for Janis to bigger and better things. Not a career. That is unless he ran the place someday...

The Dorin followed this line of questioning with another one. What was his opinion of what just happened. Janis wasn't quite sure o