His breath came fast and hard as he glared at the resilient target, staying on guard as his opponent lay vanquished - again, at long last! - on the stone of the trainings grounds. He stood over it, ready to stab it again, but as the General's approval made it past the mist of suspicion and adrenaline clouding his thoughts he began to relax a little, stance shifting as he puffed up his chest and shot his friend a proud grin.
The question gave him pause as this time he stopped long enough to feel the soreness in arms not used to holding a spear and the sweat dripping off his brow. As much as he wanted to impress the other man, Tal had to admit that he was fast reaching the point where he'd only make a fool of himself. He had pushed himself to his limits and beyond when out on the trail and racing against blizzards or deadly weather, or for deliveries that meant the saving or loss of lives... but he gained nothing by doing it here. So the young man finally shook his head, leaning tiredly but proudly on the spear. "Yeah, I'm beat," he confessed. "Thanks, man. Learned a lot today. Same time tomorrow?"
The question gave him pause as this time he stopped long enough to feel the soreness in arms not used to holding a spear and the sweat dripping off his brow. As much as he wanted to impress the other man, Tal had to admit that he was fast reaching the point where he'd only make a fool of himself. He had pushed himself to his limits and beyond when out on the trail and racing against blizzards or deadly weather, or for deliveries that meant the saving or loss of lives... but he gained nothing by doing it here. So the young man finally shook his head, leaning tiredly but proudly on the spear. "Yeah, I'm beat," he confessed. "Thanks, man. Learned a lot today. Same time tomorrow?"
