Kathena Trains the Elves

Training

Ettrian stood in front of her. His tall frame was relaxed as his looked upon his lieutenants. They were scattered about and paying no heed; they had taken the order to be here lightly as their very being felt an insult by the human. Yet orders are orders.

Kathena Mavendorf had arrived early and sat herself down on the steps, leaning back on her elbows until Ettrian arrived. She stood up quickly, eager to get this over with. The soldiers had been giving her disdainful looks for a while now.

Ettrian looks at his rangers, the fairest of all races. Then he turned to her. "We are here as our Aran commanded."

Kathena Mavendorf looks at him and rolls her eyes. The men walking around and talking amongst each other. Hardly paying any attention. "Good morning rangers. My name is Kathena." she spoke in a loud voice, but there was no reaction. She put two fingers between her lips and whistled loudly. "Oy! I'm talking here! How about you actually shut your traps and listen?!"

Hadron: The elf with the lightest of hair rolled his eyes to look the Gypsy. then he turned to a nearby elf and whispered, "Can you believe this. She thinks to train us, the best warriors found in these lands. She is human and more unattractive than most," he snickers.

Ettrian turns quickly and gives the elf a stone cold stare, "Enough."

Kathena Mavendorf gives Ettrian a look and nod of thanks.

Ettrian closes his dark eyes for a moment, the purpose of which he did not understand. "We are doing the best we can. I told you the rangers would not be receptive to you."

Kathena Mavendorf clears her throat, making sure she makes eye contact with each and every one of them, so they can see she is NOT intimidated by them. "Gentlemen, I realize this is very unusual, but these are strange times we are living in. You are highly skilled warriors, of that I have no doubt, but I'm not here to teach you how to fight. I'm here to teach you, how to THINK like the a lowly, common thief."

Hadron: "Strange times when a human comes to train elves. What next dwarves," and he breaks out laughing. The elves nearest him join in the laughter. Ettrian ignores them.

Kathena Mavendorf walks closer and pats Ettrian on the back softly. She walks around the men and makes a point to be distracting to those men that are laughing, then walks back to Ettrian. "Aye, perhaps you have something to learn from the Dwarves, but for today you will have to settle for me."

Ettrian: "We will listen," and he gives his elves a cold stare.

Ettrian takes a deep breath when she touches his shoulder and shifts away from her quickly. He nods.

Kathena Mavendorf looks them all over and then at Ettrian before addressing the group. "I take it, you were ALL on duty when marauders infiltrated Calenhad and burned the castle to the ground. Is that right?"

Ettrian: He stood there, eyes unclosed, his fair arms crossed over his chest. "No one has ever dared attack Calenhad. And yes were were doing our duties as ever we do."

Kathena Mavendorf smiles smugly. "And yet, two or three lowly, weak, mortal humans with no warrior training, basic tools and a great deal smaller and weaker than yourselves managed to enter, accomplish their task and leave relatively unscathed." pauses for a moment staring at them all. "How do you think that was accomplished by so lowly a race?"

Ettrian: "The Aran's home was well protected. It sits high on a precipice and there is NO way to reach it without going over the bridge. WE are NOT at fault."

Kathena Mavendorf looks at him, "So you are telling me they were magically transported here by a rainbow and just materialized in the castle? Huh?"

Ettrian: "I am NOT. They apparently mounted the walls using ropes. There was no way to anticipate such a thing hu...er..."

Ettrian: "Kathena."

Kathena Mavendorf arches an eyebrow. "And there in lies one of the issues. You didn't anticipate what other's might do in order to reach this point."

Kathena Mavendorf: "I can tell you that they could have even walked across that bridge without you noticing.

Ettrian stares at her, his face impassive, but he does not respond. Instead his face, fair and cold looks away.

Kathena Mavendorf: "You must ALL learn to see what your eyes ignore." She smiles for a moment then continues. "For example, it is far easier to get through a locked gate if you have the keys." she takes out a set of keys and dangles it in front of her. "Right Ranger Hadron?"

Hadron: "That is impossible. Elves. We were tricked by evil by YOUR race."

Kathena Mavendorf smirks, "None of you noticed when I removed YOUR keys from your belt, not even you."

Kathena Mavendorf tosses them back.

Ettrian stares her eyes wide and reaches to his belt. No keys. Then he looks to her and catches the keys in his fair hand as she tosses them. Were he to show emotion, surely it would have  been one of surprise."

Ettrian: "How...how did you do that human," he said calmly.

Kathena Mavendorf smiles and paces a bit, then stares at the elf that was laughing earlier. "It is also very easy for my kind to bribe people in key positions for information, especially if we have plenty of coin." She shows a small coin pouch belonging to that elf, and smiles.

Hadron takes his coin pouch from her hand without saying anything and begins to show an interest in her words.

Kathena Mavendorf: Looks up at Ettrian and smiles mischievously. "I am but a lowly human female. I have no weapons on me, and yet, in front of a full squadron I managed to steal items from you without anyone noticing."
"
Kathena Mavendorf: "Do I have your attention now?"

Hadron: "Impressive, indeed mi'lady."

Hadron: All of the elves turn to look at her. Hadron nods. "We will listen."

Ettrian looks away, his face flushed the palest of pinks.

Kathena Mavendorf takes a deep breath and smiles gently this time. "Good, because I am here to help you, even though I am betraying my own."

Kathena Mavendorf ponders for a moment then begins. "The best place to start is with the beginning I always say. How would someone like me get here in the first place?"

Ettrian: "That says a lot for your honor, hu..Kathena," he says softly, his eyes looking away from her.

Kathena Mavendorf looks at him sternly. "It says that I value my loyalty and friendship to the Aran above my own life. THAT is what that says!"

Kathena Mavendorf: "If my people find out what I have done, they will surely kill me. Yet I think this is far more important than to worry about my short little life."

Ettrian nods. He knows the Aran has a special connection to this human.He feels himself being jealous but is unfamiliar with such feelings."

Ettrian: "Let's get this over."

Kathena Mavendorf takes a deep breath then continues. "OK so we have established there are multiple entrance points to reach this peak. However, I would like to call attention to one of the most important skills, thieves learn and perfect in their training. Patience and observation."

Kathena Mavendorf paces as she continues, "The main flaw in your system as it stands are the rigid adherence to schedules. You are as predictable as knowing the sun will rise in the east."

Ettrian watches as the lieutenants stand quietly listening to her words.

Kathena Mavendorf: "A thief will patiently observe from a hiding spot for days at a time until they can learn the routine of the guards in that area."

Kathena Mavendorf: "They leave nothing to chance."

Kathena Mavendorf: "For example, I have been able to sneak out three times now without Ettrian noticing, simply because I know how long it takes him to look in one direction then make his way back to the other."

Kathena Mavendorf: "I didn't use the front door. I used a window. To you it is far too small to fit through, but I'm small enough to manage."

Hadron steps forward, "You suggest we change the ways of elves for thousands of years? We are elves, not humans milady."

Kathena Mavendorf: "I know it takes three minutes during shift change to exchange information. During that time, I have been able to cross the bridge without being seen by simply knowing where to stand out of sight."

Ettrian crosses his arms and looks toward the great Mallorn tree, mumbling, "Just get this over."

Kathena Mavendorf: "I know that YOU, Hadron like to take a leisurely stroll near the kitchens where you often take something to eat and walk back minutes later to your post."

Kathena Mavendorf: "I know the time it takes for your guards to patrol their area and where they will be at any moment."

Hadron swallows and nods. "How did you..."

Kathena Mavendorf: "If you do NOT vary your routines, then anyone with eyes and half a brain will be able to walk in here."

Kathena Mavendorf: "Here's the thing.....You are all very disciplined and highly skilled and intelligent. However, looking down on those you deem lesser than you has made you underestimate their abilities. You generally ignore my kind and in doing so you do not see how much you are being watched."

Kathena Mavendorf: "Perhaps a good solution would be to have two or three rangers that are specifically assigned to show up randomly in different sectors at all odd hours of the day."

Kathena Mavendorf: "It cannot be scheduled."

Ettrian: "We have battled many humans and is not often they get the better of us," snickers, still unwilling to make eye contact.

Kathena Mavendorf: "These men should randomly appear to patrol and check every square inch of that area, looking specifically for places that you normally would ignore."

Kathena Mavendorf gives Ettrian a stern look. "And yet the castle is in ruins."

Jaekob Faolan: Hadron nods. "That does make some sense mi'lady."

Kathena Mavendorf smiles and nods at Hadron. Using her usual diplomatic cunning and charm she approaches Hadron. "M'Lord you are a highly capable squadron leader. Why don't YOU create such a team? You can train them in these tasks and oversee their operations."

The blond haired elf closest to Ettrian lays a hand on the Captain's shoulder, "Just give her a chance Captain."

Hadron looks at her, his features unchanged, "What you say to us makes sense mi'lady. We will take your words into counsel."

Kathena Mavendorf smiles and nods, "Thank you M'Lord." walks back close to Ettrian. "As the manner of how I was able to steal from you in plain sight. Well, as I am told, elves have much more developed senses than humans do. That means you can see, hear and feel much more efficiently than we can. The only reason I could steal from you without you noticing is because you generally ignore me."

Kathena Mavendorf: "I urge you to not override your senses when around humans. We reveal much with our movements, and can if we are skilled enough place our hands on you without you realizing it if you aren't paying attention."

Hadron nods, his attention on her words.

Kathena Mavendorf smiles mischievously at Ettrian, "After all how would it look, if you were trying to defend yourself and you didn't have your dagger." holds it out to him playfully.

Ettrian shrugs," You were lucky," he says without saying her name. She was just another filthy human and even possibly her motives were the tricks of evil.

Kathena Mavendorf snickers, "Luck has nothing to do with skill sir. You would do well to remember that."

Ettrian looks her straight in the eyes but says nothing.

Kathena Mavendorf looks over the troops and smiles quite pleased with herself. "That is all I have for now. If you have any other questions or would like more advanced instructions send word with Ettrian and I will do my best to help. Thank you for your time."

Ettrian turns quickly with a jerk and walks away without turning back to look at her.

Kathena Mavendorf smirks smugly then walks back to the cottage.