[Soldier]

Stephan was standing outside in the dark when Aran emerged. The spears were leaning in a rack that also held a pair of staves, a pair of swords and a pair of shortbows. Each pair consisted of one normal weapon and one designed for much smaller hands. “As a young Warrior, lad, ye’ll be learnin’ the knife first. Now, take yer blade an’ follow me.” The young Barbarian led Aran through the camp to an open area, covered in sawdust. There was no one else around, and the suns had yet to appear over the trees. “Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, one foot slightly ahead o’ th’ other. Lean slightly forward. Hold your dagger blade up and your other hand up next to but slightly less than shoulder width apart from it, palm out, as if you are going to push someone away. This is the Basic Stance.” Stephan demonstrated the correct position. “From here, we will practice the basic thrust. Throw your dagger hand forward, following through with your shoulder and shifting your weight forward. After contact is made, twist the dagger to open the wound. Then pull it back and get ready for a second thrust. Now… THRUST! TWIST! RECOVER! THRUST! TWIST! RECOVER!'” He called out the moves as he corrected Aran’s positioning and stance.