A few suns later...
Avenger trilled lightly under Chachanji's touch as he patted the bird on the neck, the two of them looking over the Royal Plantations just to the northeast of the Jewel and its towering walls. The shade cast down on them by the lone tree on the hill kept the harshest of the Thanalan sun at bay, small patches of light cascading down through the latticework of branches to cast a myriad of patterns down on both Chocobo and rider. One particular ray of light had been relatively constant on the back of the Lalafell's neck and he shifted his mount over a step to escape its insistent touch. The youngest Gegenji spared a moment to rub at the warmed spot with a hand, trying fruitlessly to glance at it with a sidewards glance before returning to scanning of the surrounding area.
He was meeting with his other teacher today, the gentle Miss Roen Deneith. Like Ser Warren, he had come across her by happenstance - though fortunately not one that included angry bees, he was quite done with that sort of thing - and found a heroic aspect in her that he so desired to emulate. Like Ser Warren, he had approached her about learning from her once he had been told to seek instruction. And like Ser Warren, she had accepted - albeit a bit more tentatively than the Highlander. However, as a counterpoint and added bonus, she had also been helping him learn how to ride a Chocobo after his childish excitement had resulted in him procuring one for the sole (and, to him, very valid) reason of "he could have his own Chocobo."
It was potentially for one of these lessons that Chachanji was out here on the hill this afternoon, his eager violet eyes peeled for his mentor's form in the distance. Getting in touch with the "Free-Sworn" had always been a bit harder than with his arms teacher, who oft patrolled around Ul'dah proper and could even be found in the Quicksand on occasion, and the plan for the day much less certain than just "practice swording." It could be a visit to the refugee camps to help those worse off, another lesson on how to wrangle his bird into doing what he wanted, or maybe some other surprise altogether that she had planned for him. All the Lalafell knew was that he was to meet the lady Hyur here, at the point where he had gotten his first lesson in Chocobo-riding.
Of course, he wasn't without his own potential surprise twist to the day's events. With any luck, he would be presenting the same question to her that he had to Ser Warren during their last training session. The answer he had received in return was, as Ser Crofte had probably intended, rather insightful into figuring out his own motivations. He was still stumbling over the "why" of his determination, of course, but the youngest Gegenji felt that he'd have a much clearer answer once he possessed a longer list of reasons to compare and contrast against. He had even tried asking Ser Romy in passing a sun or two ago, although she either did not hear him or dismissed the question out of hand; it was always hard to tell with her.
Even now, waiting atop the hill, Chachanji couldn't help but wonder what her answer might be and his mind was all too eager to provide potential answers of its own. Was she like Ser Warren, who had taken up sword and shield because of a girl - which may or may not be a guy in her case, he wasn't one to judge - that he had wanted to protect? Had she seen all the refugees in their sorry states and sworn to take up arms to defend them since they couldn't protect themselves? Had she suffered a great tragedy and thusly sworn to never let someone else suffer that sort of pain and anguish ever again?
... Whoa, where'd that last one come from?
The Lalafell didn't get much time to muse on the nature of his whimsical thoughts, however, for the sound of someone approaching quickly drew his attention to things much more tangible.
Avenger trilled lightly under Chachanji's touch as he patted the bird on the neck, the two of them looking over the Royal Plantations just to the northeast of the Jewel and its towering walls. The shade cast down on them by the lone tree on the hill kept the harshest of the Thanalan sun at bay, small patches of light cascading down through the latticework of branches to cast a myriad of patterns down on both Chocobo and rider. One particular ray of light had been relatively constant on the back of the Lalafell's neck and he shifted his mount over a step to escape its insistent touch. The youngest Gegenji spared a moment to rub at the warmed spot with a hand, trying fruitlessly to glance at it with a sidewards glance before returning to scanning of the surrounding area.
He was meeting with his other teacher today, the gentle Miss Roen Deneith. Like Ser Warren, he had come across her by happenstance - though fortunately not one that included angry bees, he was quite done with that sort of thing - and found a heroic aspect in her that he so desired to emulate. Like Ser Warren, he had approached her about learning from her once he had been told to seek instruction. And like Ser Warren, she had accepted - albeit a bit more tentatively than the Highlander. However, as a counterpoint and added bonus, she had also been helping him learn how to ride a Chocobo after his childish excitement had resulted in him procuring one for the sole (and, to him, very valid) reason of "he could have his own Chocobo."
It was potentially for one of these lessons that Chachanji was out here on the hill this afternoon, his eager violet eyes peeled for his mentor's form in the distance. Getting in touch with the "Free-Sworn" had always been a bit harder than with his arms teacher, who oft patrolled around Ul'dah proper and could even be found in the Quicksand on occasion, and the plan for the day much less certain than just "practice swording." It could be a visit to the refugee camps to help those worse off, another lesson on how to wrangle his bird into doing what he wanted, or maybe some other surprise altogether that she had planned for him. All the Lalafell knew was that he was to meet the lady Hyur here, at the point where he had gotten his first lesson in Chocobo-riding.
Of course, he wasn't without his own potential surprise twist to the day's events. With any luck, he would be presenting the same question to her that he had to Ser Warren during their last training session. The answer he had received in return was, as Ser Crofte had probably intended, rather insightful into figuring out his own motivations. He was still stumbling over the "why" of his determination, of course, but the youngest Gegenji felt that he'd have a much clearer answer once he possessed a longer list of reasons to compare and contrast against. He had even tried asking Ser Romy in passing a sun or two ago, although she either did not hear him or dismissed the question out of hand; it was always hard to tell with her.
Even now, waiting atop the hill, Chachanji couldn't help but wonder what her answer might be and his mind was all too eager to provide potential answers of its own. Was she like Ser Warren, who had taken up sword and shield because of a girl - which may or may not be a guy in her case, he wasn't one to judge - that he had wanted to protect? Had she seen all the refugees in their sorry states and sworn to take up arms to defend them since they couldn't protect themselves? Had she suffered a great tragedy and thusly sworn to never let someone else suffer that sort of pain and anguish ever again?
... Whoa, where'd that last one come from?
The Lalafell didn't get much time to muse on the nature of his whimsical thoughts, however, for the sound of someone approaching quickly drew his attention to things much more tangible.
~