[Flashback] A Sword? But I'm a Scribe!

[Grace]

It was that final tap on the head that sealed the deal. With a growing look of determination in her gray eyes she let him move five paces away, only then starting her attack, doing her best to move with precision and purpose. She quietly but quickly retrieved her sword and then was after him, seeking a point of vulnerability. Admittedly, there did not seem to be any, but she was now committed to try. In a stroke of good fortune, he was just reaching the edge of the circle when she struck, it would be a personal victory that if she succeeded, she would still be inside the circle. Her swing was aimed at the inside of his wrist, hoping to knock it sharply before hooking the crescent and relieving him of his sword. From the first step of her attack, she held her breath, waiting to see if her plan would work.

[Harlequill]

The youngest warriors are often the most surprised by how much noise a little heavy breathing and some rapid footsteps can make. Russell knew her backwards and forwards. While he was surprised that she had actually dared to attack him with his back turned, it was not a complete shock. As she swung, he turned. Her sword caught him in the hip as he turned his sword arm away from her. From the grunt she heard, she had hit him with quite a bit of force. She was now too close for him to catch her with a backswing, but that was not his intention. Dropping into a crouch he swept his foot at her ankles in an attempt to trip her. As he did so he brought the crescent shaped hand guard of his practice weapon up into her ribs at an angle that would knock the breath right out of her. No reason to go easy on someone who comes at you from behind.

[Grace]

His response took her by surprise. Not only had her sword missed its mark, but she had not really surprised him. She would go over her approach when her mind was not occupied with her immediate survival and find the errors. When she heard the loud grunt she did feel a moment of satisfaction and accomplishment that she had, at the very least, landed a solid blow. Sadly the feeling was fleeting and though she managed to hop one of her feet over his sweeping leg, the other clipped his boot at set her off kilter. The force of the crescent in her ribs sent her toppling ass over head, landing with a loud THUD on her back. Every last breath was forced from her body and she laid there sucking and gasping at air that would not return. She pressed up to sitting, and continued struggle, unable to speak. After what seemed like forever, a welcome rush of air flooded back into her body and she could breath once more. Panting, she sat there looking up at him, finally offering her own assessment. "I didn't leave the circle..."

[Harlequill]

"Fancy that. You are still inside the circle. You did leave it to pick up your sword though. And since you picked your sword up outside of the circle with an intent to cut your poor teacher to ribbons, I think the standard penalty applies." He smacked her on the heel with the flat of his wooden blade. Once again, this blow was only hard enough to redden the skin and embarass the girl. This time he reached down to reclaim the practice sword from her care. With both swords in hand he turned and began to walk away from her. "Visit your father. Eat lunch. Once you have done those you'll be coming back here for more training. Good work though. You learned an important lesson. There is no such thing as dirty fighting. Unfortunately for you, when you try to pull something like that and you do not succeeed, your would be victim tends to take it personally." His laughter was friendly, not mocking, as he headed back into the loft. There was much to do before they would have a chance to practice once more. He should have instructed her to perform cool down exercises, but he decided that a few cramps might help her remember not to come at him from behind for a few more years yet.

[Grace]

Finito!!!!

[Ataraxia]

Grace XP Tiger Hook Sword + 3, Observation +3, Rhetoric + 1 Lore Suiting up in leather armor | Understanding the Tiger Hook Sword | Surprise Attacks and their consequences Comments A good thread, what a nasty teacher she had. Who beats up little girls for fun? Heh heh. Anyhow, you can send me a pm with any questions/concerns/etc about the rewards. Peace out!