Class Clowns & Good Friends

Early on Monday morning during the week off after the feast, Alex and Mak were walking down the corridors of the school, the cool air chilled them and created small puffs of vapour appearing each time they exhaled. A quiet noise growing as they neared the practice room; "WACK!" the sound of wood colliding with wood. Constantly getting louder until they reached the door, both of them peered through to see Stavn up early practicing with a wooden sword on a practice dummy. His strikes precise in each unarmoured spot, his flow graceful like an on rushing river takes a bend calmly. His skin glistened with sweat that dripped from his body, his breath deep and exhausted from strenuous amounts of practice. "Up early for once Stavn?" Mak called from the door as he walked in. Stavn turning to face him immediately wiping the sweat from his brow onto his forearm, placing the point of the sword onto the wooden floor boards. "What about it Mak? I can't be the only one willing to practice during this week off." Stavn's voice parted near the end of his sentence, his eyes adjusting back to the door spotting Alex. Her red hair being illuminated by the sunrise peering through the window behind her.

"You not going to come in Alex? There's no point on standing at the door forever." Stavn bringing the wooden sword and placing it on his shoulder over his neck. Alex quietly nodded, and etched the door open slowly, releasing a small sigh as she stood next to the pair. Mak during this time had walked to the other side of the room and picked up a sparring sword, one of the same build as Stavn's. "Practice is best in the company of others, is it not? Stavn." Mak taking a few practice swings at the air in front of him. Stavn let out a huge sigh before approaching the bench to pick up a towel, he wiped the sweat off his body and put his shirt back on then proceeding to head towards Mak. "I guess it is. Seems you still haven't gotten over the time I won in our first year…" Stavn snarkily remarked towards Mak. "I have Stavn, you haven't though it seems." Mak pulled the practice sword up to a normal stance across his chest, his two hands pressed together on the hilt of the blade. Stavn would do the same copying the stance, facing Mak sideward with his feet spread shoulder width apart. Mak began a ferocious swing towards Stavn's guard the two blades locking and griping together a massive "WACK!" being released as they collided.

The pair remained in the bind for a few seconds before Stavn used his overwhelming strength to push Mak back and twist out of the bind getting a small strike onto Mak's left shoulder. It all happened in an instant, one simultaneous move that caused Mak some discomfort for a couple seconds. Stavn took a step back before spinning the sword around in his grip facing the point directly toward Mak. They both lunged at each other after a couple seconds of a stare down, both swords clashing into each other and bouncing between each counter move made by both sides. Both Mak and Stavn were throwing a fury of slashes at each other trying to break the others defence, the swords creating a loud "WACK!" with each hit that would echo around the room, the fight getting more intense as each combatant gets more aggressive.

The two would bind their swords once more this time Stavn pushing through instantly and getting a big hit onto Mak's head. The sword swung round the other with ease creating more of an opening to attack, the sword would hit the side of Mak's head causing him to stumble then fall to the ground after losing balance. Mak instantly held the side of his head in pain, "I forgot you never let up Stavn." He quickly rose to his feet and went to put the sword away, Stavn went over with him to make sure that there was no bleeding. "Force of habit Mak… Though it is your own fault for leaving yourself so open to it." Both of them tidied up the room and began to head out, "Wasn't Alex here with us Mak?" the girl disappearing before any of them realised. They both shrugged it off as it was pretty common of her to do so due to her shy nature.

The pair made their way to the dorm common room where the class had gathered for a day off to study together. Roek stood by the door looking pretty annoyed at Stavn and Mak, his arms were folded across his chest and he scowled at them as they came closer. Mak would laugh at Roek, "As terrifying as you look Roek, you don't do near a good enough job as Lena." The 3 entered the room and sat next to each other on the sofa, Ash getting up in front of them pulling out a blackboard with things that they needed to study written on it. "As you were both late, you two will be locked in here for an extra hour whilst we all go out." Mak and Stavn looked at each other and laughed both shrugging and turning to the book piles in front of them. Stavn picking up different books on strategy, country history and foreign diplomacy.

Time flew on for the few hours they were there as a group for, the rest; Lena, Roek, Ash and Alex all got up and walked out leaving the two to themselves. "Do you think they were serious about locking the door Stavn?" Mak turning to face it a couple minutes after they had left. "I don't know, but Mak it's good because I needed to talk to you like this anyway." Mak sharply turned to Stavn who was nose deep in a book on the country of Krontenb. "When I was practicing I noticed that there was a club missing from the weapon stands, and since you're known as the best mace user, and generally people here learn the club before the mace. I thought you would know if there was anybody who might've taken it, because you see I was practicing with one for a bit." Stavn looking up from the book his eyes fixated on Mak. "I guess I could ask around to see if anyone has it." Mak picking up a book on interrogation techniques and beginning peer into its contents. "Okay, sounds good." Both of them returned to silence both studying down different things from the books they had.

After some time the door unlocked and the rest of the group returned to Stavn and Mak with jugs of wine and some plates of assorted meats. They cleared the table in the middle of the room and placed everything down. Lena grabbing a cup of wine first "A small treat from my family to everyone here. Good luck to you all in the exams!" So into the night they all drank and laughed together as friends knowing full well that into 2 weeks they would all become enemies to one another in the exams. The exams aren't just the studious type at this school, each student sits a theoretical exam which passes them but after that there's a small event after where each student must prove themselves to the teaching staff that they are good enough to proceed.