One of the Men

[Thor]

Thor watched Red-Hood walk back to the middle of the field, taking his place in line. Thor followed slowly and took his place along side the other recruits. He stared at his friend as Grayson began to rattle off numbers. Thor had gained enough confidence in his skill to go through the motions without paying them much heed. He was more concerned about his friend's behavior. He had seen good men fall to this kind of menace. Powerful warriors that should fear nothing, jumping at shadows. Fearing the ghost of threats dealt with long ago. Thor hoped his friend would not come to the same fate. Thor saw the flash of the sun on golden horns and the flicker of green as a shadow disappeared around the corner of a nearby pillar. He hoped he to did not fall victim to the power of memories unforgotten.

Instructor Grayson called for a halt. Thor realized he had just listed off all ten moves that he had shown them backward. "Now that you've been shown how to use these," He spun his sword expertly, "try using the moves I've shown you to best each other! Partner up and spar, then we break for lunch!"

Thor saw Red turn to the recruit next to him and begin to attack. Thor followed his example, turning to the man next to him. "For Asgard!" Then he lashed out with a side slash and followed up with a down slash. Move eight. The man blocked each heavy strike. Thor was strong enough to make the man use two hands to block his attacks but the man had plenty of time to set his feet and put his sword in the right position. Thor attacked again. Up slash, then down slash. Move five. The man blocked. Thor continued like that. Eight, then five, then eight again. Each swing the man blocked with plenty of time to recover and block the next.

Grayson called a halt to his own sparing match and gave the trainee a break. He looked at Thor, shook his head, and walked over. "Thor! Stop swinging that sword like it's a damn club!"

Thor paused in his assault. "I was winning!"

"Were you now!" Grayson said the words, but it was obviously not a question. "In a real battle the trick is not to win, but to survive long enough for your enemies to lose." Grayson looked at the recruit Thor had been bashing at. "I don't know about you, but it doesn't seem like he's having any trouble surviving you. Try throwing a couple of the thrusting moves into the mix." He turned to the other man. "And you, with an enemy this slow you should be able to work in some attacks of your own in between his."

Thor and the recruit both nodded in acknowledgment. Grayson turned to return to his own match. Unfortunately as he turned he saw Red-Hood spinning and flipping around his opponent, jabbing and slashing in set that Grayson definitely did not show him. Using the same moves builds a sense of unity and comradery among the men. Fighting with those moves will only make him seem more like an outsider and when it becomes important the men may not see him as a friend. Grayson began walking over. An Instructor's job is never done.