hollyheights

The sword swings and hits its mark; bark goes flying.

Haine pulls it from the trunk with great ease, smiling at the large chunk of wood she's removed from the tree. "Sorry, sir! But I need to train, you know." Even though the tree can't hear or, you know, reason, she still feels like she should say something. She's cut quite a few chunks from the trunk, now, having been practicing striking now for quite some time.

While she has quite a bit of experience with working with a shinai, a sword actually slices and sticks, rather than the long and slender bamboo that can hit and splinter. Plus, the sword is much heavier, though she has no problem with that at all. Even though her biceps and legs are slender, and her body is mostly fat, she somehow has the strength of a well built man.

She draws the sword back, falling into a protective stance, shifting her hands around the hilt. She actually feels quite powerful wielding an actual weapon with murderous powers...though murder isn't something she wants, even in extreme situations. Haine's read enough period pieces and seen enough dramas to know that in a situation like this, the best thing to do is to prepare yourself for self defense.

That's why she quickly goes from a defensive stance to a striking one, hitting the tree again with lightening speed, striking with a grunt in a place she's already struck. This time, she'll have to work a little more to pull it from the bark.