<strong>"Thrust forward less with your arm and more with your body, Dee."</strong>Dusty gray colored mouse stood much larger than the smaller one he was instructing. He demonstrated with his own practice "sword", which was more or less a well carved stick. He put one foot forward and kept his weight at and even kilt before he thrust with sword and shifted his body inward at the same time to have the hind leg pushed ahead of the foreleg. He performed the demonstration a couple times more before he stopped and put his sword tip down in the ground leaning on one small furry elbow and looked to the younger mouse before him. Keilen was one of her best instructors and he often helped her with new techniques, that early morning rise was one of those training days for such things.<br/><br/>DeeDee held her own carved weapon and took the stance moving in the directions she was shown. Each step and each motion better than the last. It was easy to see that she was fairly good at listening and picking up on the techniques much more quickly than Keilen's others. They continued with that same action over and over for at least an hour until Keilen could turn his back and speak to a pretty red furred mouse that happened to bring him a refreshment. As he flirted with her, she took it all in and kept that twinkle in her eye for the Patrol Guard. After a moment he turned back to DeeDee to see she was still practicing the same motion. He smiled at her and looked to the female beside him.<strong>"Leisel I will see you later..."</strong><br/><br/>Moving over toward DeeDee he noticed Renar out of the corner of his eye and called over the Chestnut Brown mouse. He was one of the others who often trained with both of them in the mornings and yet he seemed distracted for a moment. Staring at Dee while she thrust lunged a slow smirk spread up his lower left lip and he watched for a long while until he heard his name being called again. Blinking a bit, he stumbled on his practice sword and nearly tumbled to the ground. Keilen tried hard not to laugh at the young one but he knew that look on a mouse's face anyday. Smitten to be sure.<strong>"Yes Sir... coming!"</strong>Renar was nearly blushing by the time he got to Keilen and the both of them approached DeeDee. She paused in her next set of motions and looked to them both with a smile.<br/><br/><strong>"Good morning, Renar... come to get your tail handed to you so early?"</strong>she poked fun at him a little and grinned teasingly. He shook his head with a chuckle and held his sword up ready to start a match. Keilen held them at bay for a moment then let them have a go at it. The motions of the two mice were easy to see how they knew which way to sway and move. Each step well measured and each lunge calculated precisely. Unfortunately, they knew each other too well and that mornings practice would come to a draw. With both of them wiping at their brows and circling the soreness from their sword arms, they shook hands for a good match and they all headed off for some food before the real day began. Just now very few were awake and even fewer hospitable enough to feed a hungry mouse.<br/><br/>It was a good start to the day. It was a typical start. DeeDee felt right at home and the routine helped keep her boosted and confident in all her choices. Even if sometimes she wished things would change up a little. It wasn't that Keilen wasn't good or that Renar didn't challenge her, they just weren't reality. She was ready for the wild, another adventure. Times spent shining armor and sharpening her sword grew tiresome and she knew there was so much more out there to see and do. So much more to offer the world. To bring back to LockHaven, to protect her home from. The small mouse knew what she wanted, but right then a nice bite to eat would do.