Hard Knocks! [Flashback]

by **Kvar Driftweaver** on December 15th, 2011, 7:40 pm

Hard Knocks!

Flashback, Day 28, Season of Autumn, 511 AV
Overcast but dry, Early Afternoon.
Baroque Bay

The promise, home and hope to more than a few souls. A ship decorated in no small way, with all manner of junk and oddities. There was little not open for trade off the local pier, and more than a few burly looking seaman blocking anyone trying to get away without paying. Svefra were of course masters at such things, and knew many of the tricks, having little to no concept of ownership. On the deck itself there was some room for practicing, where usually it was more crammed with activity, still plenty of junk made it hazardous if you made a misstep.

“Santiendan drift, Svefra. Move your legs back you fool, stop being so rigid in your stance.”

Kvar was clouted about the head by old man Bruven, a seadog that had taught more people how to fight than even he remembered, he kicked out at Kvar’s stance to show him why being so rigid was a sure way to come off balance. Swinging his battle axe across his chest, in a slicing cut, the weapon was unfamiliar to Kvar, who was only just feeling even barely accustomed to its weight. This time when he made his slice, his stance was more flexible, keeping his knees bent.

“Better, now again!”

Bruven’s trademark style was full of weapon trapping techniques, feinting, or disabling your opponent’s dueling hand. It had some rogue-like appeal to the young Svefra, when he watched the old sea dog fight, and although easily distracted, Kvar couldn't help but be inspired by the stories the crew had told of Bruven's exploits. Often he’d use his opponent’s weapons against themselves, or their allies when he was feeling like showing off, it really was something to see.

Both Kvar and Bruven had served with Captain Braten, in a battle that had shaken the Suvan sea. Much like Kvar was hired by the notorious pirate for his gifts, the Driftweaver’s pod aboard the promise, a custom rigged sloop, had sort out Bruven’s expertise for the journey ahead. With twenty five hands aboard, and at least that many again crammed into the passenger’s quarters, only a dozen of them were his kin, this was all that was left of the pod he knew and loved. They were making ready as best they could, fighting the infernal wanderlust curse that plagued their thoughts to the very end, by training hard for anything thrown at them. Most of all the Driftweavers were partying like there was no tomorrow, as there might well not be for each and every one of them, even the sea was turning against them.

Attacking once more as instructed, Kvar swung the axe from his shoulder towards Bruven’s hip, Bruven countered by stepping into Kvar, limiting what he could do by giving him no room to strike, and instead using the blunt hilt of his cutlass to push into the younger Svefra’s stomach.

“Step into your opponent, so that he has no where to go,” Bruven repeated, pressing himself right into the larger but inexperienced fighter.

The two of them were certainly drawing a crowd, all the Svefra aboard were wary of what they had been through the last few years, and this kind of practical defence was welcome instruction. Hooking his own longsword around the axe head of the younger Svefra to demonstrate, Bruven showed Kvar how to control his opponent’s blade, making it very difficult for a sword user to do anything but be pulled where the axe fighter wanted him.

Barging a meaty shoulder charge into his student to force the weapons to part ways, the old seadog smiled, he enjoyed showing off his talents, and took any opportunity to do so. Ordering Kvar to keep practicing the techniques, combing the basic slash with what he had shown him, they trained in both advancing towards a target, or holding back to a safer distance with sweeping motions, covering how important the correct distance was.

Amidst this new found understanding, old habits were crawling back into his student's technique, the older man growled annoyed, “the basics, always the basics, remember your stance!”

This time Bruven put his foot behind his partner’s leg, and in a twist of his hip, took Kvar’s stance clear from under him, dropping the novice fighter to the deck. There was a roar of laughter from the ship, and some of the younger crew started play fighting themselves, arguing who was going to play as Bruven. Despite the business at the front of the ship, ale and wine, as always, was freely flowing aboard, and with the heighten activity on deck there was a danger that any minute a celebration might be declared, if a suitable excuse could be found!

Joining :

by **Kvar Driftweaver** on December 16th, 2011, 9:12 pm

That was a lesson Kvar wasn’t forgetting any time soon. Shaking off the fall, Bruven extended a hand to him, helping the young man up from the wooden surface, by wrenching Kvar to his feet.

Offering over a cutlass to his student, Kvar put down the axe and held the exotic shaped weapon. Cutlasses came in many shapes, usually with a small curve of the blade but not always, the thickness and weight varied depending on the maker. All of this long drawn out detail and more was being related with a whimsical sigh by one of the deckhands, a bookish sort for a Svefra, he had pulled up a crate as a soapbox, to yarn about his own experience.

“Yes, but do you have any idea how to fight with them! If not sit down!”

The instructor scolded the one interrupting, who in return muttered something about outsiders hogging all the glory. It was a difficult alliance, with so many of the crew made up by non Driftweavers, some were integrating into the Svefra’s pod, but given the rumours about a sickness, most of the newcomers remained tradesman or passing hired help. Arguments aboard ship were all too common these past few seasons.

Kvar’s attention easily wandered, far too easily when several people had interesting or unique things to say. So far his attention had gone between Bruvan, the man he was now scolding, and also a passing local girl walking by the boat, who swung her hips in that certain way, and got more than a few whistles sent her way.

Svefra! Focus! Bruven stamped his foot down, thrusting the short blade forward, though not with much force, which caused Kvar to fumble around and try to parry.

“Here is what you really need to know about cutlasses,” the instructor prepared himself, locking eyes with his student.

Turning to an angle, knees bent, Bruven began by thrusting the side of the weapon forward, using the guard of it as a knuckle duster, not connecting with Kvar’s face but clearly showing him, and asking him to do the same back. The butt of the weapon was then used in an overhead bashing motion, using the blunt end as a hammer downward. Definitely earning his pay, and playing to the crowd, the instructor was stunning people here with the ease at which he described the possibilities for using the weapon, not least of which Kvar who stumbled back once more. Again Bruven didn’t strike his student overly hard in the training, just pushed into him enough to force Kvar to learn and concentrate. His student was asked to repeat his movements, the punch with the hilt, and the bash downwards with the base of the handle, several times until he had a basic idea about them, paying careful attention to his footwork this time!

“Towards the tip of the weapon, the blade is usually sharpened on back and front, to make sure the blade can more easily pierce your opponent. Less is more in sword fighting. Now, attack me.”

Kvar nodded happy to get the chance for some payback, and struck the blade forward, heavily attacking his instructor with an upwards swing. Holding to an experienced swordman's guard, the elbow close to the bodies side, with the wrist following outwards past it, the arm was set in a fixed forty five degree angle. From this position Bruven let his own blade fall downwards to its side, with very little effort, in the smallest possible movement he could do. The act demonstrated the ease at which the weapon dropped when the body was positioned right, not fighting gravity, but using it to move the weapon for him. His student’s blade was easily knocked aside as Kvar was fighting against gravity, and much of the metal in his hand was dead weight as a result. Bruven twice stepped lunging, exploding into a quick move, covering much ground in two very short steps. It left the very tip of his weapon, not far from Kvar’s neck, as with any expert he had held back until he was sure he could strike home...

That was pure swordsmanship, and why the cutlass was the weapon any good pirate or Svefra should kill to own. Kvar wasn't done and attacked overhead, chopping downwards heavily, trying to use his muscle mass this time as an advantage. The experienced duelist kept in a fixed position, merely raising the whole arm to be straight out and upwards, but keeping the elbow in more or less the same place at his side, he blocked across his head, perfectly absorbing the impact. Bruven made it look almost effortless...

Everyone went quiet, impressed, and suddenly there was a roar of applause for the instructor, with chants of Bruven shouted around the deck, and more than a few toasts to the gods of battle, war, pirates, the seas, or anything that came to mind. Hopefully nobody wanted to trade for any ale or wine, as usual they'd soon be out!

by **Kvar Driftweaver** on June 23rd, 2012, 11:37 pm

With a laugh, Kvar narrowed his eyes and tried to barrage straight into his instructor, using his weight to try and knock him off balance in the same way he had been shown. Bruven pushed back to lock the blades, sidestepped to let his student's over compensated weight come to him. Disengaging, he thumped his student on his lower back, with the blunt side of the blade, making sure to take his legs with an outstretched foot. Moving from both directions, back with the blade, and forward with the foot, gravity did the rest with a thump.

"Hasty, reckless, and now you are dead again!"

Ending up face first in a pool of deck water again, it almost had Kvar's temper flaring, there was a howl of laughter from the onlookers and another cheer for Bruven's name. Instead though a gleam was in his eyes, biding his time, Kvar turned slightly, while his instructor lowered a hand to help him up this time. With a flick of the wrist Kvar splashed some water towards Bruven's eyes, giving the student a moment's advantage, as he tripped the man over in return!

Silence fell over everyone.

Both men standing up together now, Kvar had the size advantage but neither of them were small, and they both had landed heavily. The laughing had well and truly stopped as everyone waited to see what the instructor would do to the upstart. The young Svefra could already feel the bruises he'd be having tomorrow, but none of that mattered, he'd put the man to the deck! There was beaming pride in his eyes.

Bruven strode forward towards Kvar, peering straight into him, his expression hard as deck-planking nails, face to face with his student. Holding there for several minutes, before laughing and nodding. "Better! There is some spirit there, never let down your guard, " he winked.

"Now to the real business!"

What followed were drills of hacking and slashing, back and forth between the two of them, showing short hacks, short slashes, very few stabs. As Bruven explained, stabbing took a lot of practice, because of the cutlass's smaller size and shape. The preferred sideways foot movement and light steps, always sideways to your opponent where possible, these were also gone over in detail.

"Don't take the wrist too far, or your weapon will fall all over the place with the smallest knock," the old seadog said on one lunge, knocking his student's blade aside with ease. In return he showed Kvar how far an angle to take the blade in his counter, and gave him a soft clout to the jaw with the handle, just one more bruise from the day. It was going to be a long session, but he was learning so much, one knock at a time...

by **Kvar Driftweaver** on June 27th, 2012, 11:31 am

The day wore on, and Kvar was beginning to feel it more, but Bruven didn't let up, twice clouting the younger student around the head to focus. Throwing axes were next, a specialty of the old sea dog. Kvar learned the pitcher's position, foot opposite the throwing arm forward, while the arm is placed back in line. Taking a firm grip on the handle, Bruven straightened the young Svefra's back fully, lining him up clearly with an old wooden deck plank.

"With the weight of these axes, stand about six or seven good paces from the target, pull your arm back and throw," Bruven instructed. Kvar wanting the day to be over, so he could spent the rest of the evening in a nearby tavern, or better yet any local girl's bedroom, did so quickly. Sadly the hasty throw went a distance wide, hitting a nearby barrel someone was sitting upon.

"Hey watch the ale!!!" Came a disgruntled but largely ignored heckle from a bystander.

"Follow through the throw with your body, so the force of it is on a point, like this." Bruven demonstrated, this time hitting near the center of his target plank, because weight moved with the weapon's direction.
Kvar took his time, he wasn't going to rush getting another tongue lashing from the old bear. Lining up his arm, back straight, into the pitchers position, the axe was thrown and he stumbled forward. It clipped the edge of his target, just, not very graceful but the technique was sound enough.

"Ha that's easy." remarked the same heckler boasting, fish ale in hand, probably his fourth of fifth by now, leaning back and taking a swig of it.

Bruven scowled again at the third interruption from the same man, yet again! "Alright, let's see what you know, pick any axe." The man stood up over confident, cracking his knuckles, and grabbed a throwing axe off a nearby barrel, getting the feel of it.

"Ready?" Asked the instructor.

"For wha...." The faint sound of whirling air could be heard, followed by a clunk, as the back of an axe handle hit the newcomer's temple; he swayed around a bit and slumped over near the same barrel.

"If you don't know by now I can't help you." Bruven scolded, giving a shrug of his shoulders.

Kvar smirked, but there were a few mutterings of discontent around, mixed in with the usual ale fuelled cheers, obviously some thought that below the belt, but for a pirate it was more or less routine. The Svefra was fast being reminded not to let his guard down when pirates or weapons were involved, ever, despite keeping a smile on his face, he was very much aware of his surroundings.

They continued on, throwing axe after axe, going over all the basics of stance and drumming the technique into him, gradually the crowd lost interest as evening drew on, and more importantly the ale ran out. To round up there was a pause, as both men sat down on crates to rest, a good thing as Kvar was next to exhausted by now, and could barely hold the axes let alone throw them anymore.

"With the axe you'll get one throw usually, just one, unless your opponent is sloppy. Make it count, if he's hiding behind a shield for safety, hit that. It'll slow him down, embed in it, or break his shield. If it doesn't crack outright, it's going to hurt, break, or mangle his shield arm in the least. With axes you can use them to make the shield as much of a hindrance as a help to him."

Locking up the ship, and leaving a few guards behind, a rowdy crowd of the sailors were headed for the nearest inn, singing something about fish ale, sails and Inarta's with pig-tales.

"Coming?" Bruven asked, extending a hand to lock the wrists in a firm handshake with Kvar.

"Wouldn't miss it." Kvar grinned, he wondered if this city was ready for a real Svefra party.