John slow in his movement, taking the time to cool down before coming to a complete stop. Taking a deep breath, he slowly let it out before sheathing the blades. He was calmer now that he ran through the exercises. “Blade,†he said, turning to look at the hyur, bowing to the other.
Â
Blade nods. “You have improve,†he said. “But you still worry.â€
Â
“I left without word to Warren about being call into Southern.â€
Â
“He will understand that it was an emergency call in. He will understand that you didn’t have time to contact him.â€Â He put his own daggers away. “You should also write your friend, let him know that you are alright as well.â€
Â
“I don’t think he wants me to write him back any more.â€
Â
“And what made you made think this?â€
Â
John turn away. “He said that it almost like I didn’t want to write to him. And he got mad when I told him that I’m just a healer.â€Â He point at himself. “But I am a healer, it’s all I wanted to be.â€
Â
Blade look thoughtful at him. “Wanted, but not now?â€
Â
“No, I want to be a healer…†he said, pacing the ground. “He keeps saying that there is more that I can do but…I don’t what it is that I’m supposed to do.â€Â His ears laid flat, tail lashing in anger. “I don’t know what he wants from me. What is it that he seems to see in me that I’m not seeing?â€Â He began to pace. “If I could just grab a hold of it, shake it lose from where ever it is hiding at.â€
Â
“He wants you to see your self-worth, just as you want him to see his own.â€Â He held his handout. “Yes, you are a healer, but you are a scout too. You must tell him that as well.â€Â He then pointed at the dagger. “You have found a talent with the dagger, so much so that I’ve been thinking of taking you on as a student.â€
Â
John stop at stare at him, “You’re joking, right?â€
Â
“No.â€Â He fold his arms around. “I will need to speak with my brother first as head of the family.â€Â A smile tug at his lips. “You should also tell your friend what you have told me. Perhaps he can give you a clue to what it is that he sees in you.â€
Â
“I can’t be your student,†John said, ears up in surprise. “I’m not that good with weapons and I don’t want to hurt anyone. I’m a healer not…†and trail off as Blade held up his hand.
Â
“Did my word not take hold?†he asked. “A weapon wielder will not hurt his opponent if he does not wish to.â€Â He ticked off the words on his fingers. “Control, mind, heart. You have the control of the blades, the mind to pull back the power, and the heart to not use a killing blow if need be.â€Â He nods to himself and draw his own daggers. “It is time that we see it in full. Come, Eagle, show me your talons.â€Â He came at John full force.
Â
It was either long practice, the many nights watching the Grindstone fights, or an underlining instinct, John duck out of the path of the daggers. His own hands closed on his daggers, bring them up to block the next blow that came at him, and catching the blades against his own. “Shun what…†he began only to be thrown back and then rolling out of the way of the dagger that was thrown at him.
Â
Sam watch the match from a distant, hand gripping the hilt of his sword. He felt more then saw Axe come up beside of him. “Blade not giving him any quarter.â€
Â
“Ah,†Axe said. “Should we stop them?â€
Â
“No,†Sam said. “Blade knows how far to go and John will try his best not to injury.â€Â He tried not to wince at the slice against John’s shoulder. “He has to learn how to fight,†he said. “But have Bandit ready just in case.â€Â He turn from the fight taking place. “Once they are patch up, we’re pulling out and heading home.â€
Â
“Got it, Cap.â€
Â
John drop next to Safire, who was asleep himself, and lean against the Chocobo’s body. Bandit had already taken care of the worst of the wounds, now he just wanted to sleep it off. Yet, he still had to write to Howl, hoping the other wasn’t upset over not being written too. Or worst, that John didn’t need his advice any more. Pulling out paper, quill, and ink out, he tried to focus on the letter to Howl, hopefully before he fell asleep where he was sitting.
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‘Dear Howl. I’m sorry that I haven’t written to you in a while. Things have been crazy since your last letter arrived. I wasn’t able to help Warren with the last Grindstone, the Amalj’aa decided to try and summon Ifrit again. Dagger unit has been helping to bolster the Flames in Southern Thanalan.’ He yawn before continuing, explaining how the unit had pack up without giving him a chance to let Warren know what was going on. Telling Howl about daggers training with Blade, though he left out the actual fighting part. Howl had enough to worry about and really it was only a few slices that he took and he hadn’t hurt Blade at all.
Â
He rub at his eyes, he couldn’t go off to sleep yet. He had to get this out, even if Howl might get mad at first. He wanted him to know why he couldn’t see pass anything but a healer. ‘Blade said that I should also talk to you. Sam has place me in with the scout section of Dagger. Yet that not the only thing Iwish to say. I am a healer, please let me finish before you get mad. I always wanted to be a healer, just like Tanya. I never thought of trying to do anything else. I don’t even know what I should be doing now. I still want to heal but there is more that I can do. I’m not sure what to do, how to go about it, and I’m scare to try and even reach of it. To even reach for whatever it is I’m trying to find. It like a part of me is stuck and I can’t seem to grab it and shake it lose. I feel the same when you put yourself down that you must be feeling about when I do it to myself. How do I follow my heart and also find that part of my soul, the potential to do more?’
Â
John agree with Howl on the fact that Tanya, for all her love, had made mistakes, with this ability but she might have save him as well. There was also Gogonji and trying not to think too much about what had happen in the other’s memories. Something that reminded him too much of fever and nightmares.
Â
He was almost finish, his head nodding forward even as he was signing his name at the end of it. There in that one moment between waking and sleep, he wrote something that he probably wouldn’t have if he had been more aware. ‘Of course I want you to keep writing Howl, I’ll always need you. I wonder if Snow is right and I’m in love….’ His handdropping as ink mark down the paper.
Â
Nightingale came by a few minutes later, shaking her head at the sleeping Keeper. “Going to have a stiff neck sleeping like that.â€Â  She eased him down so that his head rested better against soft feathers. Picking up the letter, she giggled. “In love, hm. Well, better send this off for you. Axe or Slayer will probably load you into the cart before you wake.â€Â Not knowing what she might cause problems for John, she seal the letter, and handed over to the postmoogle. “Make sure that this Howl get it.â€Â The moogle nods and takes off.
Â
Blade nods. “You have improve,†he said. “But you still worry.â€
Â
“I left without word to Warren about being call into Southern.â€
Â
“He will understand that it was an emergency call in. He will understand that you didn’t have time to contact him.â€Â He put his own daggers away. “You should also write your friend, let him know that you are alright as well.â€
Â
“I don’t think he wants me to write him back any more.â€
Â
“And what made you made think this?â€
Â
John turn away. “He said that it almost like I didn’t want to write to him. And he got mad when I told him that I’m just a healer.â€Â He point at himself. “But I am a healer, it’s all I wanted to be.â€
Â
Blade look thoughtful at him. “Wanted, but not now?â€
Â
“No, I want to be a healer…†he said, pacing the ground. “He keeps saying that there is more that I can do but…I don’t what it is that I’m supposed to do.â€Â His ears laid flat, tail lashing in anger. “I don’t know what he wants from me. What is it that he seems to see in me that I’m not seeing?â€Â He began to pace. “If I could just grab a hold of it, shake it lose from where ever it is hiding at.â€
Â
“He wants you to see your self-worth, just as you want him to see his own.â€Â He held his handout. “Yes, you are a healer, but you are a scout too. You must tell him that as well.â€Â He then pointed at the dagger. “You have found a talent with the dagger, so much so that I’ve been thinking of taking you on as a student.â€
Â
John stop at stare at him, “You’re joking, right?â€
Â
“No.â€Â He fold his arms around. “I will need to speak with my brother first as head of the family.â€Â A smile tug at his lips. “You should also tell your friend what you have told me. Perhaps he can give you a clue to what it is that he sees in you.â€
Â
“I can’t be your student,†John said, ears up in surprise. “I’m not that good with weapons and I don’t want to hurt anyone. I’m a healer not…†and trail off as Blade held up his hand.
Â
“Did my word not take hold?†he asked. “A weapon wielder will not hurt his opponent if he does not wish to.â€Â He ticked off the words on his fingers. “Control, mind, heart. You have the control of the blades, the mind to pull back the power, and the heart to not use a killing blow if need be.â€Â He nods to himself and draw his own daggers. “It is time that we see it in full. Come, Eagle, show me your talons.â€Â He came at John full force.
Â
It was either long practice, the many nights watching the Grindstone fights, or an underlining instinct, John duck out of the path of the daggers. His own hands closed on his daggers, bring them up to block the next blow that came at him, and catching the blades against his own. “Shun what…†he began only to be thrown back and then rolling out of the way of the dagger that was thrown at him.
Â
Sam watch the match from a distant, hand gripping the hilt of his sword. He felt more then saw Axe come up beside of him. “Blade not giving him any quarter.â€
Â
“Ah,†Axe said. “Should we stop them?â€
Â
“No,†Sam said. “Blade knows how far to go and John will try his best not to injury.â€Â He tried not to wince at the slice against John’s shoulder. “He has to learn how to fight,†he said. “But have Bandit ready just in case.â€Â He turn from the fight taking place. “Once they are patch up, we’re pulling out and heading home.â€
Â
“Got it, Cap.â€
Â
John drop next to Safire, who was asleep himself, and lean against the Chocobo’s body. Bandit had already taken care of the worst of the wounds, now he just wanted to sleep it off. Yet, he still had to write to Howl, hoping the other wasn’t upset over not being written too. Or worst, that John didn’t need his advice any more. Pulling out paper, quill, and ink out, he tried to focus on the letter to Howl, hopefully before he fell asleep where he was sitting.
Â
‘Dear Howl. I’m sorry that I haven’t written to you in a while. Things have been crazy since your last letter arrived. I wasn’t able to help Warren with the last Grindstone, the Amalj’aa decided to try and summon Ifrit again. Dagger unit has been helping to bolster the Flames in Southern Thanalan.’ He yawn before continuing, explaining how the unit had pack up without giving him a chance to let Warren know what was going on. Telling Howl about daggers training with Blade, though he left out the actual fighting part. Howl had enough to worry about and really it was only a few slices that he took and he hadn’t hurt Blade at all.
Â
He rub at his eyes, he couldn’t go off to sleep yet. He had to get this out, even if Howl might get mad at first. He wanted him to know why he couldn’t see pass anything but a healer. ‘Blade said that I should also talk to you. Sam has place me in with the scout section of Dagger. Yet that not the only thing Iwish to say. I am a healer, please let me finish before you get mad. I always wanted to be a healer, just like Tanya. I never thought of trying to do anything else. I don’t even know what I should be doing now. I still want to heal but there is more that I can do. I’m not sure what to do, how to go about it, and I’m scare to try and even reach of it. To even reach for whatever it is I’m trying to find. It like a part of me is stuck and I can’t seem to grab it and shake it lose. I feel the same when you put yourself down that you must be feeling about when I do it to myself. How do I follow my heart and also find that part of my soul, the potential to do more?’
Â
John agree with Howl on the fact that Tanya, for all her love, had made mistakes, with this ability but she might have save him as well. There was also Gogonji and trying not to think too much about what had happen in the other’s memories. Something that reminded him too much of fever and nightmares.
Â
He was almost finish, his head nodding forward even as he was signing his name at the end of it. There in that one moment between waking and sleep, he wrote something that he probably wouldn’t have if he had been more aware. ‘Of course I want you to keep writing Howl, I’ll always need you. I wonder if Snow is right and I’m in love….’ His handdropping as ink mark down the paper.
Â
Nightingale came by a few minutes later, shaking her head at the sleeping Keeper. “Going to have a stiff neck sleeping like that.â€Â  She eased him down so that his head rested better against soft feathers. Picking up the letter, she giggled. “In love, hm. Well, better send this off for you. Axe or Slayer will probably load you into the cart before you wake.â€Â Not knowing what she might cause problems for John, she seal the letter, and handed over to the postmoogle. “Make sure that this Howl get it.â€Â The moogle nods and takes off.
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