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TITLE: Learning
SUMMARY: She asked to learn this, and she will master it.
CATEGORY: genfic
RATING: G
NOTES: Requested by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ladyjax - Teyla, the first time she ever takes up her sticks to learn how to fight. It's not as smooth as I would like (or as fluid as Teyla would like!), but I think it works.
Learning
She felt clumsy, trying to go through the familiar motions with the unfamiliar weight in her hands. She was tired, having been at these exercises since dawn. Twice she overbalanced, the heavy wooden staves throwing off her sense of centre. What was easy enough alone became much more difficult with the weight of the staves.
"I said to go slowly," Mahael said when she tried to increase the pace of the exercises. When she continued on at the swifter pace, his voice grew dark with warning. "Teyla."
Her arms dropped to her sides, the carved patterns brushing against her calves. The wooden staves were made for an adult, not a child. "If I go faster, they do not overbalance me so much," she argued.
"But neither will your body stretch and grow from the movement," came the reply. "You will learn."
Teyla did not complain. She would receive succour from neither parent if she threw a tantrum. Besides, she was thirteen winters grown, too mature for such childish fits of anger. And she had requested to learn this skill after watching Mahael perform his exercises. She had asked to be allowed this training - to be allowed some way to fight back against the Wraith.
None of the other Athosian children had wished to learn such things. Only Teyla.
And it would be shameful to walk away without learning.
She winced as her shoulders ached in the outwards stretch, but managed not to lose her balance in the pass and continued through the exercise, her teeth gritted in concentration.
Someday I will do this without pain, she said to herself. I will practise until the pain no longer bothers me. I will be good at this.
But when the pattern finished, she dropped her hands to her sides, panting, and waited for the verdict.
He will say I must do it again, she thought, resentful as the dark eyes studied her. He will say it is not enough.
As the seconds passed and no response came, she tensed a little more. Finally, Mahael smiled.
"Good," he said, and she stared at him.
"Good?"
A glimmer of amusement passed across his face. "Good."
The approval warmed her through her body, briefly negating the aches of her muscles. Teyla smiled, anticipating her release from training for the day.
Mahael's mouth twitched slightly. "Now, do it again."
Teyla's smile fell.
- fin -
I know I still oweirony_rocks, sparklingjadex, million_moments, missyvortexdv and an Anonymouse fic - I'm sorry it's going so slowly. Other projects are taking their toll. I will try to have them done by the end of the month. *winces*
SUMMARY: She asked to learn this, and she will master it.
CATEGORY: genfic
RATING: G
NOTES: Requested by
ladyjax - Teyla, the first time she ever takes up her sticks to learn how to fight. It's not as smooth as I would like (or as fluid as Teyla would like!), but I think it works.Learning
She felt clumsy, trying to go through the familiar motions with the unfamiliar weight in her hands. She was tired, having been at these exercises since dawn. Twice she overbalanced, the heavy wooden staves throwing off her sense of centre. What was easy enough alone became much more difficult with the weight of the staves.
"I said to go slowly," Mahael said when she tried to increase the pace of the exercises. When she continued on at the swifter pace, his voice grew dark with warning. "Teyla."
Her arms dropped to her sides, the carved patterns brushing against her calves. The wooden staves were made for an adult, not a child. "If I go faster, they do not overbalance me so much," she argued.
"But neither will your body stretch and grow from the movement," came the reply. "You will learn."
Teyla did not complain. She would receive succour from neither parent if she threw a tantrum. Besides, she was thirteen winters grown, too mature for such childish fits of anger. And she had requested to learn this skill after watching Mahael perform his exercises. She had asked to be allowed this training - to be allowed some way to fight back against the Wraith.
None of the other Athosian children had wished to learn such things. Only Teyla.
And it would be shameful to walk away without learning.
She winced as her shoulders ached in the outwards stretch, but managed not to lose her balance in the pass and continued through the exercise, her teeth gritted in concentration.
Someday I will do this without pain, she said to herself. I will practise until the pain no longer bothers me. I will be good at this.
But when the pattern finished, she dropped her hands to her sides, panting, and waited for the verdict.
He will say I must do it again, she thought, resentful as the dark eyes studied her. He will say it is not enough.
As the seconds passed and no response came, she tensed a little more. Finally, Mahael smiled.
"Good," he said, and she stared at him.
"Good?"
A glimmer of amusement passed across his face. "Good."
The approval warmed her through her body, briefly negating the aches of her muscles. Teyla smiled, anticipating her release from training for the day.
Mahael's mouth twitched slightly. "Now, do it again."
Teyla's smile fell.
- fin -
I know I still owe
irony_rocks, sparklingjadex, million_moments, missyvortexdv and an Anonymouse fic - I'm sorry it's going so slowly. Other projects are taking their toll. I will try to have them done by the end of the month. *winces*Tags: