Blade on Blade [Marlow]

[Nathan Longstride]

85th Day of Summer, 511 AV

Nathan Longstride picked up the table in the middle of his small cottage in Zeltiva, as the waves of the bay crashed on the shore, Nearby, dock worked unloaded and loaded supplies onto ships. In five days, Nathan would be doing the same, but until then, he was relaxing. Well maybe not that, Seeing that he invited a crew member over to hang out, and get to know each other. Straightening his cotton, light green shirt, he pulled out the two ribbon daggers from the pants of his breeches, dropping them on the table. He left his two plain daggers in his boots, the steel cold against his skin, and waited.

Nathan left the seat open for his guest, who he learned went by the name of Marlow. He himself took the chest, an uncofortable seat. But Nathan wanted to show hospitality, and if it meant metal imprints in his butt so his guest could sit somewhat nice, so be it. While he waited, he fingered the hilt of his assassin's dagger on his hip. I probably should give it a name.

Nathan glanced at the gnosis of Kelwyn on his left forearm, the juggler who constantly threw up seven balls with not failure. Hopefully this Marlow would get here soon. Looking at his dagger, Nathan soon went on to wondering if this man could fight also.

[Marlow]

Marlow could not believe his luck in finding a berth on the Star of Denval. It was an important and well-paying job as far as seafaring went and he was rated as an able seaman instead of a landlubber, which meant that he would be exempt from the lowliest of duties aboard ship.

He was admiring the ship yesterday when one of the other Zeltivan crew listed for the ship approached him to offer the hospitality of his home before the ship departed in five days. He accepted of course. He has learned through his most recent experiences that friendship and the kindness of others are nothing to be scoffed at.

Fortunately enough Nathan's house was just beyond the docks and so was easy to find.

It's probably noisy when ships come in to load or unload cargo, but the sound of the sea at night would be worth it I guess. he thought to himself.

Marlow knocked on the door and waited for his host to answer the door.

[Nathan Longstride]

A slight sound of knocking crossed the ears of Nathan, coming from the door to his cottage. Setting the dagger in his hand down on chest, Nathan walked to the door. Glancing over his shoulder, he nodded at his rearrangements. He had cleared room in the middle of the room, in case they decided to spar. If he even knows how to fight? The thought of a sailor not knowing basic skills in fighting was something hard to even imagine. Nathan even thought he saw a knife strapped to Marlow's body when he invited him to his home.

Gripping the handle to the door, he pulled it open, and nodded to Marlow on the otherside. "Welcome to my dwelling, Marlow. Not very spacious, but it'll make due." Stepping aside, Nathan provided a lane of space for Marlow to walk through. Once he was inside, he would shut the door, and follow Marlow to the seating area.

Once Marlow was seated, Nathan would sit on the chest, holding his dagger in his hand. "It seems that I once again meet a new person, and our first meeting is at our new employer. I usually don't ask this question, but since we are now shipmates, I wonder whether or not you are trained with a weapon. I seek a sparring partner, and I also wish to know that if the ship was attacked, at least one of my shipmates would back me up. Call it paranoia, but I wish only to have my skin attached to my body."

Nathan wasn't a big speaker, and sparring was his way of getting to know someone both their physical and mental attitudes. Maybe attacks from one side of the body meant he opposite side was weaker. Maybe a passive fighter who sought to catch you off-guard, was also skilled in other things. Nathan couldn't see any weapon on Marlow. If he didn't have a weapon with him, Nathan would let him borrow one of his own. He sought only to train.

[Marlow]

No sooner had Marlow been seated when Nathan asks if he knew how to fight.

A strange fellow, this Nathan Longstride he thought to himself.

Marlow nodded. "I am no stranger with a knife or with using whatever is handy to defend myself, but I cannot call myself trained by any stretch of the word. I do know this though" he paused pointing at Nathan's dagger. "a stabbing weapon is not that useful if the ship were attacked unless it's boarding pike. For you to be able to use a dagger it means that we would already have been boarded or you threw them."

"You'll need to be able to cut away a boarding rope if the ship were to be attacked. An axe, a cutlass, or" Marlow reached behind him just a little ways beyond his hip bone with his right hand and slid his knife free of its sheath, bringing it forward so that Nathan could see it "a knife would be better for that kind of job."

[Nathan Longstride]

A slight nod came from Marlow, followed by a wordy opinion on weapons. First he stated he could use a knife, but wasn't trained with it, and then pointed to his dagger, stating that they would only be good if thrown. He stated a boarding pike would be better. He also stated that if they were boarded, an axe, cutlass, or knife would do better, pulling out his own knife from the sheath on his hip. A sturdy weapon, from what Nathan could tell.

Nathan nodded in return. "Indeed, a knife is a good weapon. But do not put my daggers down as inferior. . ." He set the dagger in his hand down on the chest, reaching down to both boots, pulling out his two plain daggers. Nathan was competent with daggers alone, but they were much better in pairs, and dual-wielding was not his strong suit. Standing, he crossed the floor of the small cottage, both daggers in hand. Turning quickly, his diry blond bangs flipped to the side. "Come, Marlow. Let's see if the knife can beat my daggers in a dance. I promise you won't be overwhelmed. My dual-wielding is a work in progress."

Nathan then spread his legs, holding both daggers awkwardly, while he waited Marlow to join their little spar. This was Nathan's intention the entire time, and hoped both men could learn from this encounter. Plus, he hadn't fought in a while, and hoped for a good fight. 'Tis his thrill-seeking desires.

[Marlow]

Marlow was starting to feel that this crewmate of his was some kind of thrill-seeker.

Well that would change soon enough once he's on board the ship. The boatswain would see to that.

Marlow put his knife down on the table and took off his sailor's jacket and his shirt. Now bare-chested he took the Isurian steel knife back in his right hand in a modified hammer grip, his thumb resting along the spine of the knife. Then he positioned himself in a shoulder-width straddle, his spread his feet apart so that his knees were in line with his shoulders and bent. This put his center of gravity lower and by putting his weight ever so slightly on the balls of his feet he could move in any direction easily.

Marlow knew from the way Nathan moved that he was facing a combatant superior to his own skill. If they were fighting with single weapons he knew he would not stand a chance. As it is his only hope of winning was slim to none and that slim chance would only come if Nathan fouled himself up fighting with two weapons, or Marlow could cheat by using Brawling tricks.

"Ready when you are."

[Nathan Longstride]

[OCC: Sorry bout late post. School started this week, plus I played in a softball tourney. Last game was at midnight]

Nathan watched as the shirt came off of Marlow, as he prepared for their spar. He held his knife like he barely how to use it, but this was training for both of them. Nathan watched the way the sailor planted himself, with his shoulders square, and his knees bent. If anything, Marlow could help himself in a fight. He spoke quickly, letting him know he was ready, and for him to make the first move. Nathan nodded, and lunged forward.


Because of their small sparring area, about 12 by 12 with the furniture moved out the way, with only the wall where the door was free all the way, Nathan bounded across the floor swiftly. Shifting the grip of the dagger in his right hand to a reverse grip, an easy move with his decent skill with daggers, he sliced the dagger across, hoping to lightly graze Marlow’s abdomen. Shifting his weight after the swing, even if the first move was blocked by the knife Marlow wielded, Nathan flailed his left hand to the right at a forty-five degree angle, hoping to slice across the triceps of the sailor’s right arm. A simple move, but still with the look of awkwardness on Nathan’s part. He seriously needed some work.