[Gossamer]

Kimsan already liked his new student. He gave his approval grudgingly though. There was no point in spoiling them before they'd begun. "There is strength in knowing ones' weakness." He commented at the boys apology for clumsy behavior. He'd not expected Satyata's feet to understand what the boys mind demanded of them. Such things only came easily with time... far easier than other things. One could not make a foolish boy wise, nor could one make a wise boy ignorant. Such things were irreversible, in his mind, though truth be told one was far better than the other.

"It is a clever mind that asks questions, indeed one that is intelligent enough to have them. I never reward cleverness with silence. Your questions are welcomed." He said softly, and continued, moving first through the frog, then to the horse, and finally to the crane with the boy. Over and over again.... the monk patiently repeated the steps until they both seemed to be dancing together on the bare courtyard stones.

"Look yonder, do you see the arch with its curve of blocks? Do you see the one at the top? Resting against all the others? No mortar holds them, only their own weight and the skill of the craftsman who shaved them to such a tight fit." He said, then gestured back towards the monastary wall. "See the stout stone in the corner of the foundation? There are four such stones, all making the rest of the stones stay in their places and hold the building up strong and fast. Such is the cornerstone and the keystone's duty. They form foundations and apexes so that the work they support holds up to time and the violence of the world. Frog, Horse, and Crane do this for you as well. They are your foundations. Through them, you will remain strong in your Ataa, and will become something that will weather the ages far more easily than someone without such things." The Monk said, and then released his contact with the boy. He steeped back, took a deep breath, and exhaled purposely.

"Next we must speak of your breathing. Move into Frog, and I will teach you something most people do not understand." He said softly, then stepped closer to face the boy where he could easily touch. "The lungs that hold your breath... most people think they fill only from here to here..." He touched the boys shoulder and then touched his chest about where his heart is. "But the truth is, your lungs fill from here to here." Now the hand moved from shoulder to the bottom of the boys ribs. "And when you breath too with your belly, forcing it out, your chest has more room and your lungs can get even bigger. If you have more air, you have more strength, more energy, and a greater will to fight." That being said, Kimsan let Satyata think on that one a bit, before stepping back and continuing the lesson.

"Now, I will teach you something very important in Ataa. The most important thing, in fact. You might not understand this at first, but it must be taught to understand other concepts. You must understand how to be still. I've shown you breath, and three basic stances. Why? First, to be still you need to breath. And the stances will help you occupy your mind as you practice stillness, for bleeding out all thoughts is very hard for young minds, though you must try. So, stand before me, arms loosely at your sides, eyes straight ahead, back tall and proud, weight on the front part of your toes and find your stillness. There is a center of your body that you can move your awareness into. Do not think much on anything, but if you must, reflect on your stances. Grow silent within and without... and find stillness." He said simply.

And with that, he turned and walked away... and didn't return until sunrise the next morning.