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[ Sif is moving around the room, her sword swirling around her with the second blade extended. She's been at it for a long time, by the look of her. Her shirt is sticking to her body with sweat, her feet are bare and her hair is hanging in a loose braid along her back.

She only took a break to text Kara, and as soon as it was confirmed that the valkyrie was coming, she started to move again.

She stops when she hears her arrival, however, offering her an almost sheepish little smile. ]

Thank you for coming.

[Kara isn't quite sure what do to with that thanks, so she just offers a little shrug as she eyes Sif.]

You want a partner?

[She didn't bring her sword, but she's sure there's something lying around she could use.]

[ The question makes Sif grin, and then she nods. ]

I would enjoy that.

[With a nod, Kara bends down to unlace and take off her boots, since they're not exactly suitable for dancing around a mat.]

Swords or fists?

[She's maybe a little bit eager to see how this plays out, but she hasn't forgotten that something had been upsetting Sif.]

Swords.

[ This is just as good as talking about things in Sif's opinion. Most of the things that weigh on her are either self-inflicted or unsolvable so talking doesn't make much of a difference anyway.

Besides, she's curious to see how well matched they are. ]

[Kara walks over to one of the walls where there's an assortment of training weapons lined up, and looks them over for a second before picking one that most closely matches her Ulfberht. It's not the only sword she can wield, just the one she's most familiar with.

As she returns to the center of the mat, Kara gives the sword a few test swings to get used to the weight of it, then settles into a waiting stance.]

Ready.

[She'll let Sif make the first move.]

[ Sif retracts the second blade of her sword to even the playing field, and then more or less immediately goes on the offensive with a series of blows meant to gauge Kara's strength and skill. ]

[Kara figures out pretty quickly that when it comes to straight up strength, Sif has the advantage. Kara is strong, but not an Asgardian in this sense.

That doesn't mean she's going to give up, she's fought plenty of people and things that are stronger than her, it just requires a different sort of tactic. And in this case there's no real risks, not when she feels safe in the knowledge that Sif won't hurt her, not even accidentally. So Kara relies on her size and her skill; rather than trying to meet blows directly, she ducks and weaves and knocks blows aside.

Even if she loses, she wants to have put up a good fight.]

[ She does put up a good fight, which means that in between blows she gets approving and at times even admiring smiles from the warrior goddess.

She puts a high value on martial prowess, abd Kara certainly has that.

For her own part she doesn't hesitate to use her greater strength to her advantage, chasing after Kara with stubborn determination and the intention of wearing her out. Can't dodge and weave forever after all. ]

[It takes her a little while to loosen up, but it's been so long since she's really felt challenged and the thrill of it, of a fight that's without danger and still fierce leaves her grinning, even as she loses ground.

She's not sure how long they trade blows for, her endurance is good enough that it doesn't really matter, but eventually she realizes that Sif is pushing harder, getting wiser to Kara's tricks.

And then there's a blade at her throat and she stills, as much as she can when panting hard, letting her sword fall to the ground in an admission of defeat.]

[ Sif is panting too, this was not an easily won victory and it is all the sweeter for it.

She lowers her blade, a somewhat smug smirk on her lips because she's mature like that. ]

You are a fine warrior.

[It's a lot, that look on Sif's face combined with the exhilaration of a fight, but Kara tries to keep her cool.]

That is a high compliment from someone with such skill with a blade.

We should do this more often.

[ Sif is looking almost bouncy now, glowing from the energy of a good fight. ]

We will.

[Kara is more subdued in her enjoyment, but she feels lighter than she has for years.]

I can't remember the last time I was challenged.

[She's been hurt in fights, but she doesn't lose. If she lost she'd be dead.]

But it has not been long since your last fight, am I right?

[ Her skills all seem very... fresh, for lack of a better word. ]

[She nods as she crouches down to pick up the sword. She should go return it, but she doesn't want to... walk away from Sif.]

I fight often, but not against anyone as skilled as you.

[ Gay or overly respectful? ]

If it takes an asgardian warrior to challenge you, the bar is set quite high so I am not surprised. What do you do in your world, that brings you so often into battle?

[ Midgard certainly has its fair share of strife, so it is not surprising to Sif that Kara fights a lot, she just wants to know more about her. ]

[Two things can be true.]

There is always war. And there are things like me, who do not play well with humans.

[It's debatable to say that Kara plays nice, but she isn't actively trying to eat anyone, so that's a win.]

[ Sif reaches out to give Kara's arm a brief squeeze before wandering over to her shield to slide her sword back into place behind it. ]

Do you protect humanity from these things?

[When Sif steps away, Kara does the same, returning the sword to where she found it.]

I protect us. The humans let us police ourselves, if we did not, they'd step in. Things would be much worse.

[Kara knows leniency, she knows malice versus a mistake, she knows that dangerous things do not need to be dangerous. In her opinion, humans don't.]

[ Sif doesn't think of humans as dangerous, she sees them as fragile and in need of protection, ignorant of so many things and ill prepared to face the truth of what is out there in the universe. ]

Your Midgard sounds different to the one where I come from. Hardly surprising, I suppose.

If yours is kind, they're very different.

[Kara hasn't felt safe for centuries, not amongst humans and certainly not amongst other non-humans.]

It has been centuries since I spent much time on midgard, I would not know one way or the other in truth.

[ She bends down to stretch out her spine, wondering now how her people will fare if Thor decides to take them to Midgard. ]

I have only made brief visits in recent years. Thor would know better.

Edited 2018-01-25 12:21 (UTC)

[Kara sort of feels like she's stumbled into a conversation she's not sure she wants to continue, so she decides to change track.]

You were troubled, before I came. Is everything alright?

[ Sif can certainly respect that. She smiles at Kara as she straightens up,
and offers a firm nod. ]

Yes. I am fine. But I was in need of a reminder. At times since I came to this place... it is as if I lose sight of myself.

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