Health is important

[Mantic Dorn]

The morning carried a slight chill to it. The grass still wet and the drops form last nights rain still clinging to the autumn-colored leafs outside.

The jedi stood still, his robes closed around him and his hood up covering most of his features. The entrance of the jedi temple on Ossus was behind him - the great stairways behind him a magnificent reminder of the great peace the jedi order had managed to secure in its past history. There was allot of focus on the great wars of all times but too few really troubled themselves with remembering the great peace's - of which far greater heights of advancement in civilization had been achieved then through any war, how just they might have been.

Mantic inhaled and waited. His new padawan - [member="Illyana Nightshade"] - should be moving down those very stairs about now he figured. It was time for their first real meeting as master - padawan. And Mantic had made no illusion that this would not be a tough ride for her.
He just hoped that he would find out her true potential and connect that with how the jedi is to serve the greater good of order, civilization and freedom. In time it would tell, in time they would climb many steps on this steep stairway but for now, they were on the first step, reaching up to start the climb.

He closed his eyes allowing his senses to reach out for her. He waited there, back to her approach, taking the moment in as they were about to begin their joint climb.

 

[Illyana Nightshade]

Illyana had woke up and gotten dressed a few hours previous to her running down the stairs to where she was to meet [member="Mantic Dorn"] her new master. She could still hardly believe he had picked her, but was glad all the same of course. So anyway she had been doing her morning ritual of meditating and preparing herself for the day before she had headed to meet her master. She arrived at the bottom of the stair and searched for Mantic spotting his hooded figure she wasn't completely sure it was him. She searched out with the force for him with a smile she ran to her master. "Hello master a pleasant morning."

 

[Mantic Dorn]

And there it was, the anticipation, the eager to get started, the joy of finding her role. These were good feelings in themselves. Perhaps they needed to be a little bit more controlled but never the less these were good starting points.
Mantic smiled underneath his hood. There would be plenty of time to preach patience, but for this morning her energetic approach might actually be good to preserve.

"Good morning padawan." he replied and resumed his usual stern face before she could detect his smile.

Then he started to walk without any further explanations. They left the temple behind them they would soon be swallowed by the forest who gladly let them trail down its depths and more or less detectable pathways. the walk was rather clumsy and rocks and roots were everywhere to trip on as well as a myriad of different insects and mosquitoes doing their best to distract the weary wanderers.
Mantic seemed to know where he was going though. He moved fast and with easy steps through the dense forest giving his padawan a hard time to catch up, even less any respite to ask questions.
He did not stop until a good hour had passed and they finally reached a large open area.

Trees surrounded it like a high castle wall and its center was covered with rocks of different sizes and fallen trees. some spread out like a giant had tossed them like tooth picks, others half leaning against each other. Here and there puddles of water left parts of the soil more or less resembling mud. The glade was not a comfortable place and the moist in combination with the constant mosquito's did not make the walk anymore pleasant.

Mantic stepped up on a dry rock at the border of the area they had entered.

"This circle," he instructed and pointed at the borders of it ".. is about 500 meters long. Follow the line very carefully and try not to consider all the fallen trees, slippery rocks and the rest as obstacles. They are just objects that nature has chosen to place there."

Mantic folded his hands in front of him and looked up with a raised eyebrow.

"You should start with eight laps, as fast as you can. Dont hold back now." he finished and motioned for her to start running this very uncomfortable running track resembling a military track then anything else.
Mean while he would stay where he was observing her from his position on the rock.

[member="Illyana Nightshade"]

 

[Illyana Nightshade]

Illyana had followed her master the whole way without saying anything. She was beginning to think Mantic liked the whole mysterious Jedi thing she thought with a smile. As they arrived at the circle she looked to him as he spoke. She moved to the edge of the circle before she started to run hoping over rocks, sliding under a tree, and then jumping over a quite large rock before she was back at the start she did this seven more times. It took her about fourteen to fifteen minutes.

[member="Mantic Dorn"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

The run was very fast considering the terrain. Mantic stood still on his rock, his gaze following her movement carefully. He wanted to evaluate her performance. From what he could tell it seemed he had no need to hold back regarding her physique he decided as he watched her arrive after the eights lap.
It was hard to tell if she had done her very best or not though and while he spoke he tried to determine just how breath taken she was after the first run.

"Padawan, recite the jedi code and tell me what the code means to you in its simplest form." he asked without commenting on the actual run she had just endured.

[member="Illyana Nightshade"]

 

[Illyana Nightshade]

Illyana nodded she was noticable winded as she had tried her hardest. She was still standing of course and could talk sorta fine. "There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force." she paused continuing to catch her breath. "You should confront your thoughts and feelings or they will stop you from obtaining peace. You should have an open mind knowledge can come from anywhere. A Jedi shouldn't act rashly. That everything is connected without this tenet the rest would be meaningless. It means that death is a part of life and should be embraced like life." she looked to mantic as she finished she had of course caught her breath by now she was trying to see if he approved of how she saw the code.

[member="Mantic Dorn"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

Mantic closed his eyes and listened to her words. This was in all ways a good interpretation and she had definitely already considered this aspect seriously before.

"All things are connected padawan. You know this and you can formulate your thoughts into words. Now, look at this course." Mantic pointed out on the swampy field that he stubbornly kept consider a training track.

"Look at the fallen trees, the rubble, that rock. Even the damp mud that slow you down as your feet sink into it while running." Mantic closed his own eyes and a thin smile spread over his features.

"See them, but foremost feel them. They are not obstacles padawan. They are part of the eternal web that binds us all together." he made a pause allowing her to consider his words and allowed a short respite to regain her breath.

"The fallen tree is not an obstacle but part of the road. It is not a steep hindrance, but a possibility to reach a higher position. The mud is not just there to slip upon. No it is there to allow a possible pursuer to be tricked. The large rock in the far end is a good stepping stone to leap over that mud pile. See the road as part of yourself. You are it, it is you. Never stop to think on how to get past something. Feel the flow of your steps and open your mind to the impossible. Let your feet and hands be guided by the very road itself."

"Now, do another eight laps. But faster." Mantic remained still with eyes closed as if he himself was going over the track in his mind. In truth, he was partly not watching because he was not eager to watch the padawan trip and fall as much as she was most likely going to do. This run was not easy and especially when her mind was being filled with all his strange advice on what to think about. But, he was determined to see this through and [member="Illyana Nightshade"] would most likely suffer many more bruises before they were done.

 

[Illyana Nightshade]

Illyana listened to his words thinking them over. She knew everything was connected she just never thought of it that . . . deep before. She listened to his words intently as he explained about the track as he called it. She nodded as he finished strange advice she thought as she began. She began to run still easily hoping over the small rocks, but as she reached the tree she leaped over it landing directly in the mud she had easily avoided last time due to her speed. She moved forward slowly before falling on the rock as she got out of the mud hitting her knee. She clamored over the rock still turning her masters words over in her head as she began again. Twenty-three minutes later she was slightly bruised and battered but she was done finally. She looked up at her master panting "D . . . done master" she finally got out after a couple seconds.

[member=mantic dorn]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

Ouch... Mantic could not help but feel a bit of guilt as [member="Illyana Nightshade"] tripped and fell during the run. He hid his expression by looking away for a moment, but regained a neutral stance rather fast as he knew he had to be prepared to take the consequences of his own teachings.
In the end, she she made it. She had been slower this time, but this time she was doing it differently. In many aspects a better result then the first run.

"The code is important. It will help you stay focused in times when the light is hard to find. And you will be facing those times padawan, make no mistake about it." Mantics voice held a certain sadness to it.

"We will come back to the code on many times and you should give its meaning a thought whenever you can. Whatever you do, do not dismiss it for an ancient relic who no longer has a meaning. It might even save you, or those around you if you can use it correctly." he lectured for a brief moment to the panting [member="Illyana Nightshade"] before him.

"Now, you did a good run here. This time I want you to repeat the eight laps but do them in the opposite direction. you will find that the trees and the stones speak in a whole new language as you approach them from this time. But, they are still part of the same pattern, the same web. This time you will have to leap over the mud pile and unto the rock. Try not to get your feet wet padawan."

He nodded for her to start and folded his hands on his back. He knew she was most likely getting really tired by now. And to most it was not a fair test at all.'
He forced himself to watch the entire run this time around. She was most likely going to focus so much on leaping over the mud pile that she forgot the other obstacles he thought. But the result was not the goal of this exercise.

 

[Illyana Nightshade]

Illyana was already at the start she ran the opposite way this time. She leaped forward landing on top of the rock. She then jumped just clearing the tree and missing the mud as he had instructed. She ran forward hoping over the rocks. She was back at the beginning she began again. She did this three more times before on her fourth run she hit the tree instead of clearing it landing on her back. She got up her back hurt but she was fine she finished her run, and Illyana kept going finishing her next four runs with semi ease, but hoping into the mud purposelessly going under the tree again. She figured her master wouldn't like this, but she didn't want to end up on her back again attempting to jump the tree she was getting tired. She looked up at her master waiting for a lecture.

[member="Mantic Dorn"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

Mantic grinned as he noticed her fall and grimaced as he realised she was now in pain. But even though she was clearly hindered by it she did not stop. A good sign, one that Mantic approved of.

"Well, I belive we can work on this a bit my padawan." he declared as she had finished and positioned herself at the start again.

"You are doing well, but do not fear the pain. It might sound odd but it too is natural. It gives all life a warning that something is wrong. But it is something that you as jedi must learn to overcome. Pain has many forms and even though your body might ace at this moment it also prepares itself for it. A boxer gets tougher by getting hit, but you will also learn to be at peace with your pain. It will tell you that you did a mistake in the past. Your focus slipped and the leap was a failure. Embrace it as a friend seeking to guide you."
Mantic jumped down the rock and landed silently beside her.

"Close your eyes padawan." he instructed and waited until her eyes were shut. "Go over the track in your mind. Remember your own breathing as you took the first steps. Recall how that brush tried to grab your robes as you swept underneath the first tree. How the wind blew in your hair."
Mantic closed his own eyes reaching out to put a reassuring and calm embrace around his padawan. HE meant to ease her panting and help her focus, gently nudging her thoughts to focus on memories of her run.

"You know how your feet should push your body higher at the rock, you have done it. You simply forgot it once. But now you remember how to do it. Keep remembering the track, all of the obstacles, the rocks, the trees, the mud. They are patterns in a puzzle that yu know how to solve."

For a few seconds Mantic let her stay this way, with him guiding her. Then he let go and opened his eyes and took a step back.

"Go over the track again, and again padawan. See it before your inner self. Acknowledge it as part of the greater pattern and observe how it wants you to move, how it want you to pass them, not as obstacles but helpful items that you will have great aid from to complete your next run."

Mantic took a small step back and made a soundless leap back up unto the rock. When she opened her eyes he would have dissapeared from her viccinity having reassumed his calm posture on top of the rock.

"When you are ready padawan. Open your eyes and turn to watch the track. Recognize it and make the run even faster then the last time."
Mantic put his hands into his sleeves and awaited his padawan to become ready.

[member="Illyana Nightshade"]

 

[Illyana Nightshade]

She closed her eyes listening to his instructions going over the track with him in her mind. She continued to do this as he instructed going over the track perfectly over and over in her mind with her inner self. She opened her eyes and began to run the track again. she did it quickly her quickest time yet. She looked to her master as she finished. Panting with a grin she knew she had done it the fastest that time, but she was getting really tired she waited for him to giver her some more instruction.

[member="Mantic Dorn"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

Mantic watched her run and saw the progress taking place. She would see allot more of this training under his watch but for now he felt they had reached what they had come for.

"Good padawan. Now we go home."

[member="Illyana Nightshade"]