"Stand straight lass. You look like ye've never held a sword before." Aoife chastised, straightening the girl's shoulders.
The Feth Fiada was thick in the early morning, its swirling mists obscuring the stone walls of the castle behind them. From her location in the field of yellow gorse, Kathalia could not even make out the sea beyond the cliffs, although she could hear the constant rumble of surf crashing into the rocks. She was jealous of her siblings. Aoife and Scathach never dragged Argantel out of her warm bed to drill in the cold mists.
"It is the first time I've used live steel though." Kathalia protested. The sword wasn't like wooden training swords she had used in her previous training sessions. It wasn't particularly heavy, as she expected, but something about the sharp metal edges and strange weight through her off.
"Its not steel." Scathach stood with crossed arms, silently judging her sister and "niece" as they trained. That was how she often spent the sessions, drilling Kathalia constantly with the detached aloofness of a Castellan. "I'm not training you with a damn windblade, girl. Have some respect for your weapon."
Kathalia groaned. "Its the first time I've used silversteel" the girl groaned, putting emphasis on the final word. Scathach glared. Aoife sighed, shooting venom at her sister before turning back to the girl.
"You understand why it matters?"
"Silversteel is lighter, but just as strong as Ironsteel." she said, her exasperation at the repeated lesson showing in her cadence. "House Bisclavret was forbidden from using Ironsteel weapons by Konstanza in exchange for the title to Ar Mor Emrodez. I'm not a Bisclavret though, am I?"
"Not this again." Scathach rolled her eyes.
"Kathalia, you are just as much your father's child as Argentel and Luc." Aoife said, her concern genuine. "The circumstances of your birth do not change that your family loves you. The legitimizing process takes time, and your father is working hard to make it a reality at Court. The blood of Melion Bisclavret is in you and you will learn to conduct yourself as your House requires. Second Stance"
"Lord Frihep says that Silversteel is more brittle than Ironsteel."
"Lord Frihep is a coward and an oaf. Using a windblade as a weapon is uncivilized." Scathach added with disdain. "Watch your footwork, girl, you're not a drunkard."
"Sister, every Ironsteel blade is not a windblade. For such a stickler on terminology, you seem to make an exception for those. Windblades are pure cold iron, not ironsteel and only knives. Iron is heavier that Ironsteel, for one."
"Might as well be. The man intentionally gets his weapons as close as he can to cold iron. Its barbaric."
"Enough of this, Sister. We can discuss that later. Kathalia, don't slack off the second you see us distracted! We can still see you." Aoife turned back to the girl. "If you are ever going to wield your houseblade, you'll need to get used to the material. Footwork! You still are not paying attention."
"I'm never going to wield Kilstourm. Even if I was a full Bisclavret, that will go to Argantel. She's the oldest."
"Stop being difficult, Kathalia." Aoife chided. "Now you're just being contrary for the sake of it. Yes, your sister is the oldest, but all the Bisclavrets must be ready to wield Kilstourm. That is your duty to your family. You'll get used to wielding Silversteel. Third stance..."
A short vignette of a younger Kathalia training with her "aunts" Aoife (Left) and Scathach (Right). First time I've had a chance to draw these two, who were both designed by Veika on Deviantart. The castle in the background is Roc'h Goueon, Kathalia's home castle, inspired by the real life Fort-La-Latte Castle in Brittany.
The Feth Fiada was thick in the early morning, its swirling mists obscuring the stone walls of the castle behind them. From her location in the field of yellow gorse, Kathalia could not even make out the sea beyond the cliffs, although she could hear the constant rumble of surf crashing into the rocks. She was jealous of her siblings. Aoife and Scathach never dragged Argantel out of her warm bed to drill in the cold mists.
"It is the first time I've used live steel though." Kathalia protested. The sword wasn't like wooden training swords she had used in her previous training sessions. It wasn't particularly heavy, as she expected, but something about the sharp metal edges and strange weight through her off.
"Its not steel." Scathach stood with crossed arms, silently judging her sister and "niece" as they trained. That was how she often spent the sessions, drilling Kathalia constantly with the detached aloofness of a Castellan. "I'm not training you with a damn windblade, girl. Have some respect for your weapon."
Kathalia groaned. "Its the first time I've used silversteel" the girl groaned, putting emphasis on the final word. Scathach glared. Aoife sighed, shooting venom at her sister before turning back to the girl.
"You understand why it matters?"
"Silversteel is lighter, but just as strong as Ironsteel." she said, her exasperation at the repeated lesson showing in her cadence. "House Bisclavret was forbidden from using Ironsteel weapons by Konstanza in exchange for the title to Ar Mor Emrodez. I'm not a Bisclavret though, am I?"
"Not this again." Scathach rolled her eyes.
"Kathalia, you are just as much your father's child as Argentel and Luc." Aoife said, her concern genuine. "The circumstances of your birth do not change that your family loves you. The legitimizing process takes time, and your father is working hard to make it a reality at Court. The blood of Melion Bisclavret is in you and you will learn to conduct yourself as your House requires. Second Stance"
"Lord Frihep says that Silversteel is more brittle than Ironsteel."
"Lord Frihep is a coward and an oaf. Using a windblade as a weapon is uncivilized." Scathach added with disdain. "Watch your footwork, girl, you're not a drunkard."
"Sister, every Ironsteel blade is not a windblade. For such a stickler on terminology, you seem to make an exception for those. Windblades are pure cold iron, not ironsteel and only knives. Iron is heavier that Ironsteel, for one."
"Might as well be. The man intentionally gets his weapons as close as he can to cold iron. Its barbaric."
"Enough of this, Sister. We can discuss that later. Kathalia, don't slack off the second you see us distracted! We can still see you." Aoife turned back to the girl. "If you are ever going to wield your houseblade, you'll need to get used to the material. Footwork! You still are not paying attention."
"I'm never going to wield Kilstourm. Even if I was a full Bisclavret, that will go to Argantel. She's the oldest."
"Stop being difficult, Kathalia." Aoife chided. "Now you're just being contrary for the sake of it. Yes, your sister is the oldest, but all the Bisclavrets must be ready to wield Kilstourm. That is your duty to your family. You'll get used to wielding Silversteel. Third stance..."
A short vignette of a younger Kathalia training with her "aunts" Aoife (Left) and Scathach (Right). First time I've had a chance to draw these two, who were both designed by Veika on Deviantart. The castle in the background is Roc'h Goueon, Kathalia's home castle, inspired by the real life Fort-La-Latte Castle in Brittany.
Category Artwork (Digital) / Fantasy
Species Human
Size 960 x 1280px
File Size 252.9 kB
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