contemporary wushu
by Pares
The air was full of Ronon's harsh breathing and the heavy slam of his body against the mat. As he rose again, he shifted his training staff into his other hand and dropped into a tense crouch. Teyla noted that the training room was strangely crowded with onlookers: many Marines and even scientists stood against the training room's walls, as did Samantha Carter's teammate, Teal'c. As she drew nearer to the action, Teal'c inclined his head in acknowledgement, and she stopped to stand beside him.
"How long have they been sparring?" she asked.
"This is only the third bout. I should say it has not been above an hour." His face was impassive, but something in his tone hinted at amusement.
"I have heard tell of your Master Bra'tac," she said, smiling a little. "I see the stories are true."
Master Bra'tac was in full traditional Jaffa dress: a long robe, a metal collar and a breastplate. He seemed almost absurdly small, standing as he did before Ronon, who, aside from Teal'c, was the tallest man in Atlantis. Bra'tac held his staff weapon loosely, almost negligently, his well-groomed gray beard doing nothing to disguise his broad, genial smile. He tapped the foot of the staff weapon against the floor and said, "Again!"
Catching sight of John across the way, she saw Rodney shoulder past Sayers and Rothman to mutter something to John, who shrugged.
Ronon lowered his head and lunged, but Bra'tac sidestepped him easily, kneeing Ronon in the groin almost as an afterthought. Ronon stumbled heavily and doubled over, panting.
"I like this one, Teal'c. He has spirit! He reminds me of you, when you were young. Foolish and thick-headed, but with a warrior's heart."
If Ronon heard the praise (and the censure), he showed no sign as he climbed again to his feet, fingers curling around his training staff.
This time, Ronon feinted left before striking at Bra'tac. Bra'tac blocked Ronon's staff with his own and then pivoted, bringing his staff weapon down sharply across Ronon's shoulders. Many in the audience visibly flinched at the sound, Rodney among them.
In the next breath, Bra'tac swept Ronon's legs and Ronon fell again, his staff clattering beside him.
Teyla watched with interest as Ronon slapped away Bra'tac's offered hand. Behind Ronon and Bra'tac, Rodney dug an elbow into John's side.
Rolling his eyes, John stepped forward and cleared his throat.
"Well, that was a heck of a demonstration, Master Bra'Tac. Thanks for coming out and showing us your moves."
Bra'tac beamed at John, and said, "Will you not take a turn in the ring with me, Colonel?"
John plainly did not wish this and was no doubt about to excuse himself when Ronon said, "We're not done yet."
"Oh, come on," Rodney snapped. "You're gonna give yourself a spinal injury if you keep this up."
Even from where she was standing, Teyla could see the first bruises already rising on Ronon's skin. She did not disagree with Rodney's statement; but then, she knew Ronon would not concede until he had been beaten far more severely.
"Come on, buddy," said John in a wheedling tone. "Let's just call it even. You showed some good form out there. You two shake hands and we'll go grab some lunch."
"They've got cantaloupe. You love cantaloupe. And graham crackers!" Rodney added.
Ronon just shook his head heavily, as if clearing sweat or blood from his vision. "Let's finish this, old man."
"Okay, you know what?" Rodney snapped. "I wash my hands of you. Don't come crying to me when you're in traction because David Carradine here tossed your salad one too many times."
"Uh, Rodney, I don't think that means what you think it means," John said, but Rodney had already turned to stalk out of the room. John gave Ronon a thoughtful look before turning to follow Rodney out.
Touching Teal'c's shoulder to get his attention, she asked, "Who is David Carradine?"
"I do not know," he said after some deliberation. "Perhaps he is a Tau'ri folk hero, much famed for his strength?"
Before them, Ronon was making another attack on Master Bra'tac, who tossed Ronon over his shoulder in much the way she had once seen Rodney sort his clothes on "laundry day". This time, Ronon landed heavily, face down, and was still for a few moments, trying to regain his breath.
"Will he continue in this way?" Teal'c asked her, his face polite.
"For some time longer, yes, I believe so. He does not yet understand Master Bra'tac's lesson."
Teal'c gave her an approving look, and Master Bra'tac swept Ronon's legs again and rapped him on the skull with his staff weapon. Dazed, Ronon remained on the floor and Master Bra'tac knelt beside him, taking him firmly by the heavy locks of hair and giving his head a little shake.
"You must learn how to lose, boy. You must learn to submit to the greater strength, to learn from it. You must learn to wait. There is no shame in failing against an opponent, if you live to fight again, if you can use that failure to know your enemy."
"It is good advice," Teal'c murmured to her. His face was placid, but she could see a warmth in his eyes. "It is advice Master Bra'tac himself would do well to take."
Thinking of the stories she had heard of Bra'tac, and of Teal'c, from General O'Neill and Colonel Carter, Teyla felt that Bra'tac and Ronon were not the only ones who could benefit from such wisdom, but she held her peace, and only smiled.
On the mat before them, Ronon met Bra'tac's eyes with a solemn look and nodded, this time taking Master Bra'tac's proffered hand. Shoulder to shoulder, they walked toward the door.
"Perhaps it is possible to 'beat some sense' into someone, after all," Teyla commented.
Then Ronon rushed Bra'tac, trying to get him in a headlock, and Bra'tac dropped, suddenly limp, so that Ronon overbalanced, and Bra'tac landed a solid blow to Ronon's midsection. Falling to his hands and knees, Ronon retched twice and then rolled onto his back, expression bleak, but by no means humbled.
"Or perhaps not," she amended.
Bra'tac twinkled at his fallen opponent before calling to Teal'c in his booming, cheerful voice, "Oh, he is relentless. Like a giak, only a day out of its shell. Reckless, yes, and very young, but he will be one to be reckoned with one day."
At Teyla's questioning look, Teal'c supplied, "A giak is a small furred lizard. They are quite fierce."
Ronon had the energy yet to glare at the old man, and Bra'tac prodded him with the toe of his metal boot, grinning at him before he left the room.
Teal'c and Teyla approached, and helped Ronon to his feet.
"I remember many such bouts with Master Bra'tac from my own youth," Teal'c said. "I was older than you are now before he spoke such words of praise."
Ronon's expression told her he had heard no such words, but Teyla laid a hand on his sweat-slicked arm and smiled.
"You did well. Master Bra'tac is very wise and practiced; you can learn much from him."
Twisting away from her touch, Ronon stormed from the room.
"There is an expression I have heard many times from O'Neill that is perhaps appropriate for this situation," Teal'c said. "He often speaks it with a sigh and a shake of his head. Before this moment, I had not truly understood his sentiment."
"And that sentiment is...?"
"'Kids today,'" Teal'c said gravely.
"Indeed," replied Teyla. "The kids today, as O'Neill says."
Sharing a smile, the two of them headed for the mess. Teal'c, Teyla happened to know, was also very fond of cantaloupe.
END
Sep. 30
9. Stargate: Atlantis, Teyla, Teal'c, gen: smiles and laughing - Humor doesn't always have to be "LOL"
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kormantic) wrote in ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small}
choc_fic,
