forging; tempering; drilling; training; disciplining
year; counter for years (e.g. of an era), grades (e.g. school); period of an apprentice's contract (usu. ten years)
affectation; pretension; thin veneer; blunt sword with a tempered steel edge
guard; protector; defensive armament; personal armor (armour)
something like ...; things like ...; someone like ...; the likes of ...
to defend against; to protect against; to prevent; to avert; to avoid
to put clothes on (someone); to dress; to cover; to coat; to pin (e.g. a crime on someone); to lay (blame)
different opinion; objection
to hunt (animals); to search (for a criminal); to go looking for (flowers, etc.); to gather (mushrooms)
to put one's heart and soul (into); to completely devote oneself (to)
offensive (movement); aggression
fortress; stronghold; citadel
nest; rookery; den; haunt; (spider's) web
counter for birds or rabbits
(animal) feed; fodder; pet food; bait; lure; enticement
wide open sky; the blue; heavens; firmament
to swoop down; to glide down; to fly down; to land gently (on); to alight (on)
large bird; peng (giant bird said to transform from a fish); fenghuang (Chinese phoenix)
to meet (the enemy) and attack; to engage (the approaching enemy); to confront; to intercept
ability; capacity; capability; physical strength
foreign enemy; outside invader
one by one; one after another; successively
same kind; same sort; same species; same race; homogeneity
hunting; hunt; gathering (mushrooms, shellfish, etc.); picking (berries, fruit, etc.); hunting down (a criminal, etc.); rounding up (e.g. communists)
beyond; across; the other side; the distance
full particulars; all the details; the whole story; everything (about); from beginning to end
prey (i.e. of a predator); kill; victim (of a crime, a hoax, etc.)
as (much) as possible; as (much) as one can; wherever practicable; if possible
basics; fundamentals; basis; basically; fundamentally
to displease; to offend; to hurt (a person's) feelings
there's no (other) way; cannot be helped; unavoidable; it's no use (doing); pointless; hopeless (person)
to buy a large amount (of); to purchase (in large quantities); to buy in; to buy regularly; to make regular purchases; to be a regular customer
to be hard (to do); to be difficult; to require much effort; to be laborious; to be backbreaking; to have trouble (doing)
(trend of) the times; current of the times; spirit of the age
to take advantage (e.g. of a weak situation); to size up (e.g. customer when setting a high price)
to turn over; to change (one's mind); to reverse (one's decision); to fly (a flag); to let (a skirt, cape, etc.) flap in the wind