February 2005 -The Wells Farm
He's developed a routine. It's as strict a routine as he ever had in the army, stricter than he had on Shuna, and he holds onto it with both hands and a slightly manic grin.
The routine goes like this:
Before dawn he pulls himself out of bed, nudging aside or stepping over the puppies as needed so that he can go out and run himself near-ragged. He's up while the ovens in the bakery are still cold, and he runs until Sarge or Mrs. Wells steps out and calls him in for breakfast.
After breakfast he pushes himself through reading, diving straight into Shakespeare with the assumption that he'll either figure it out or get a migraine trying. He sounds out out what he has to and looks up what he must, leaning against his tree and smoking furiously. This lasts until Mrs. Wells leaves for the bakery.
From the time she leaves until lunch he works. The basic handy-work that he's found are nearly done. Soon he's going to be down to things that he'll need to get specific tools that most people don't keep around. Roofing supplies, for instance.
After lunch, either things marked for him in the fridge or with Mrs. Wells, he heads back out to his tree for another smoke followed by a workout. He's remembering more of his etudes, now, and switches between the combinations for the two handed sword and the progressions of Marozzo. He doesn't have a buckler, but that's alright.
•Coda lunga e stretta. Right foot forward, hand in quarte, buckler extended.
•Cinghiara porta di ferro. Left foot forward, hand in low tierce, buckler close to the face.
•Guardia alta. Right foot forward, arm extended high to the right, buckler extended.
•Coda lunga ed alta. Left foot forward, hand in low tierce, buckler extended to the left front.
•Porta di ferro stretta. Right foot forward, hand in low quarte, buckler close to the face.
•Coda lunga e distesa. Left foot forward, arm extended low to the right, buckler extended to the left.
•Guardia di testa. Right foot forward, point raised to the front in high tierce, buckler low and centred.
•Guardia di intrare. Left foot passed to left front, arm extended in supination, buckler to left front.
•Coda lunga e larga. Right foot forward, hand down as in modern salute.
•Becha possa. Left foot forward, sword extended rather to the right in the form of the hanging guard.
•Guardia di facia. Right foot forward, arm extended to the front in supination.
•Becha cesa. Right foot forward, arm extended rather to the right in the position of the hanging guard.
First the Progressions. Then etudes. The etudes for the two handed sword, for sword and buckler, any time he remembers a step he works it until the rest of that etude comes back. There are more he doesn't remember yet, he's going to try to find them. The names of styles run through his head: rapier and dagger, cloak and dagger, rapier and cloak.
He doesn't take breaks, here. Day by day it becomes easier, so day by day he pushes himself harder. An edge faster. Stop a shade more precisely. Use and utilize every single piece of Spoon and the wolf. The fact that he doesn't have a partner is a problem. The idea of one makes him sweat.
He's going to have to ask Sarge to try again. Not as staves, though, with wooden swords. Spoon knows swords. Will Scarlet, not Little John, was Spoon's favorite Merry Man. Until he gets the balls to ask Sarge for another go round, he works alone. It's good. It's fucking wonderful.
He works out by the tree until he's called in to supper. A shower and then he'll either set the table or sit down depending on how and when he was called. After dinner he takes the boys for a time, running them ragged for a couple of hours so that Sarge and Mrs. Wells can have some time alone.
Then it's relearning sums and science, politics and laws, and all the million and one things that a man should know until he falls into bed before starting it all again in the morning.
It's a punishing routine. He loves it.
The routine goes like this:
Before dawn he pulls himself out of bed, nudging aside or stepping over the puppies as needed so that he can go out and run himself near-ragged. He's up while the ovens in the bakery are still cold, and he runs until Sarge or Mrs. Wells steps out and calls him in for breakfast.
After breakfast he pushes himself through reading, diving straight into Shakespeare with the assumption that he'll either figure it out or get a migraine trying. He sounds out out what he has to and looks up what he must, leaning against his tree and smoking furiously. This lasts until Mrs. Wells leaves for the bakery.
From the time she leaves until lunch he works. The basic handy-work that he's found are nearly done. Soon he's going to be down to things that he'll need to get specific tools that most people don't keep around. Roofing supplies, for instance.
After lunch, either things marked for him in the fridge or with Mrs. Wells, he heads back out to his tree for another smoke followed by a workout. He's remembering more of his etudes, now, and switches between the combinations for the two handed sword and the progressions of Marozzo. He doesn't have a buckler, but that's alright.
•Coda lunga e stretta. Right foot forward, hand in quarte, buckler extended.
•Cinghiara porta di ferro. Left foot forward, hand in low tierce, buckler close to the face.
•Guardia alta. Right foot forward, arm extended high to the right, buckler extended.
•Coda lunga ed alta. Left foot forward, hand in low tierce, buckler extended to the left front.
•Porta di ferro stretta. Right foot forward, hand in low quarte, buckler close to the face.
•Coda lunga e distesa. Left foot forward, arm extended low to the right, buckler extended to the left.
•Guardia di testa. Right foot forward, point raised to the front in high tierce, buckler low and centred.
•Guardia di intrare. Left foot passed to left front, arm extended in supination, buckler to left front.
•Coda lunga e larga. Right foot forward, hand down as in modern salute.
•Becha possa. Left foot forward, sword extended rather to the right in the form of the hanging guard.
•Guardia di facia. Right foot forward, arm extended to the front in supination.
•Becha cesa. Right foot forward, arm extended rather to the right in the position of the hanging guard.
First the Progressions. Then etudes. The etudes for the two handed sword, for sword and buckler, any time he remembers a step he works it until the rest of that etude comes back. There are more he doesn't remember yet, he's going to try to find them. The names of styles run through his head: rapier and dagger, cloak and dagger, rapier and cloak.
He doesn't take breaks, here. Day by day it becomes easier, so day by day he pushes himself harder. An edge faster. Stop a shade more precisely. Use and utilize every single piece of Spoon and the wolf. The fact that he doesn't have a partner is a problem. The idea of one makes him sweat.
He's going to have to ask Sarge to try again. Not as staves, though, with wooden swords. Spoon knows swords. Will Scarlet, not Little John, was Spoon's favorite Merry Man. Until he gets the balls to ask Sarge for another go round, he works alone. It's good. It's fucking wonderful.
He works out by the tree until he's called in to supper. A shower and then he'll either set the table or sit down depending on how and when he was called. After dinner he takes the boys for a time, running them ragged for a couple of hours so that Sarge and Mrs. Wells can have some time alone.
Then it's relearning sums and science, politics and laws, and all the million and one things that a man should know until he falls into bed before starting it all again in the morning.
It's a punishing routine. He loves it.