Closed [Antinous Training Grounds] A Clash of Blades (Ellen)

[Orion Michaels]

3rd of Fall, 513 AV
Antinous Training Grounds
14th Bell

Orion once again found himself in the Antinous Training Grounds, a place he'd been spending most of his days in recent memory. Dinah had him here fighting her with his shield alone just this same morning, but wasn't going to let him get off with just one training session this day. When he'd arrived a bell prior, she'd been there waiting, but thankfully it wasn't so she could beat him up again. Her instructions had been quite simple. He was to train however he saw fit, as long as it was in the training grounds and it was actual training. She'd had something far more intense prepared, but her responsibilities as Captain Knight were taking her away for the afternoon. It was an event which did not require his escort, but she wasn't about to give him half of a day off, either.

So there Orion was, with his patron, left alone in to go about his training. So he figure it was time that he change it up. She'd had him training endlessly with the long sword and shield; it was the blade she'd given him when she first tested him to be her squire. He'd yet to really experiment with what else was out there, however, and he couldn't be sure that there wasn't a better fit for him unless he tried.

Orion picked up a broadsword from the metal core training weapons. He wasn’t about to start from scratch with a wooden weapon as the broadsword and long sword had some similarities. He could take a fair bit of the knowledge he already had and try to apply it from weapon to weapon, but he realized quickly that knowledge and experience were two very different things. The weapons just weren’t designed the same way.

After moving over to a training dummy, the weary squire took a few swings at the air to try and get a feel for the foreign instrument. The balance of the weapon was considerably different. He found that the long sword felt like it took a bit more effort to control. Compared to the broadsword, his normal weapon just kept extending and extending onwards, leading to a very top heavy weapon. The basket hilted sword he wielded currently was much more compact. Both were meant for slicing and hacking though, so perhaps that would be enough. Orion brought the sword back, feigned a strike to the left and then carried the blade over to the right, raising it high above his head as he did so. He then unleashed an overhead slice that connected with the shoulder area of the training dummy. Right as he did so, the voice of nightmares rang out.

It was Weaponmaster Knight Lucius Antinous VI.

This man was nothing but a thorn in Orion’s side, and he had been since the day the unusually old squire joined the order. Most of the time when a man in his twenties or older decided to take up the calling of defender of Syliras, they had some sort of skill set that would immediately transfer over and allow them to join almost immediately after they completed their quest. This was not the case with Orion. He did not know how to hold a sword. He did not know how to fire a bow. He did not know how to wield a shield. And horses were his mortal enemy. This amused Weaponmaster Antinous to no end, so when he found the squire in his training grounds without the guidance of his patron knight, Lucius always made sure to have his fun.

”If it isn’t Squire Orion Michaels. My favorite.” The man grinned widely, the rattling of his chain shirt growing louder as he approached the nervous man. He enjoyed watching him flail about, and he’d caught him at a perfect time. The squire had a new weapon in his hand. There was nothing that happened in these training grounds without Lucius finding out. He knew who came when, who did what, and who used what. It was as much about reporting progress as it was the safety of those in the training grounds. If Orion had tried to pick up a greatsword when he’d first arrived, Weaponmaster Antinous would have dealt with that issue swiftly.

”Ser,” Orion replied quietly. Maybe he was just saying hello?

”Don’t look so downtrodden, Michaels. I know it’s boring to fight a training dummy all the time, even if it does seem to bring out the best in you. Still, I bet there’s someone out there looking to boost their confidence with an easy win.” Lucius quickly scanned the various training knights and squires, looking for someone he wished to match up with the hapless squire. His eyes locked onto one squire in particular and he pointed at her while calling for her. ”Hey, you. Squire. Come over here. I’ve decided it’s time for a friendly spar between you two. Try not to beat him up too badly.”

[Ellen Ansgot]

Ellen still wasn't sure how she felt about the longsword. She still felt a bit awkward waving it around, or even holding it. Though she wasn't any more experienced with a shield, she still enjoyed the feel of it over the longsword. There wasn't quite a weapon she felt suited to yet. Combat hadn't been her forte up to this point, but it was a necessary skill to become a knight, and to become proficient at that, she must practice more. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy combat, she found the thrill quite exhilarating, she simply wasn't every good at it, and never had been. Alexander had left her this morning quite early. She had met him at the Windmount Stables, and he was supposed to teach her to ride, however he was dragged away from her by another knight. She wasn't given a reason, and she didn't question why, but she was left with the instruction to have a productive day, somehow. Ellen was sure that there was someone who could teach her to ride somewhere around the stables, but she instead decided on saving this task for when her patron returned. Instead, she would spend her day studying for the most part, and eventually getting some exercise at the training grounds. So there she was, standing around, waving her sword about in front of herself rather lazily, not particularly wanting to actually train. She shifted the shield around on her arm to adjust it to the proper position. Eventually making her way to a training dummy, she took a few swings at it. The sword was just always uncomfortable to her, never doing exactly what she wanted. It felt like the sword always felt like it swung much farther than she intended, and near impossible to stop the sword where she wanted. She was a bit startled when the Weaponmaster. Ellen knew him from the few times she had been to the training grounds, but hadn't spoken much to him aside from a small amount of momentary exchanges. She had been watching Lucius approaching another squire, and as he proceeded to, what looked like chew him out for something. Lucius seemed a bit smug, a bit happy with himself while the squire wasn't too pleased. Though most on the receiving end of a scolding weren't too happy, and it wasn't her place to question the weaponmasters actions. Perhaps it was her staring blankly in that direction that made Lucius address Ellen. Even after being called she stood there for a moment before running over. Once she arrived it had just set in exactly what he had said. A spar. She was supposed to fight this squire to, presumably, prove some kind of point the weaponmaster was trying to make. This made her uneasy, as that made her feel as though the outcome of the fight was predetermined. Lucius obviously expected her to easily beat, or easily be beaten by this other squire. Her now soon-to-be opponent was quite a bit taller than her, and most definitely more attuned to fighting than she. Easily told by his stance, he simply seemed more comfortable holding a weapon than she. The man also appeared quite a few years older than her, which brought the question to her mind, why is he still a squire? The question could be saved though, until after the fight at least. "I'm ready when you are." Ellen said a bit more aggressively than usual. She wanted to make sure she at least looked and sounded as if she knew what she was doing. Though the unfortunate truth would soon come to light, she prepared herself to try her hardest against the foe. If Lucius wanted to show the squire that she was stronger, then she intended to prove him right, and if he intended to prove her weak, then Ellen would give her best to give unsatisfactory results.

[Orion Michaels]

Why does he take so much joy in tearing me down?

Orion took his kite shield as he waited on Lucius to pick out his sparring partner for the day. He had no doubt it would be some thirteen year old prodigy with the blade as it had been the first time he set a youth upon the unsuspecting squire. Anything he could do to show the 'old man' that he had so much more to learn. It was stupid. It was annoying. And it pissed him off how well it worked.

When Lucius finally picked out his partner to be, Orion was mildly surprised. It hadn't been the first time that he'd picked out a blonde woman for him to fight. Last season it had been Septimus, but she towered over this newcomer. In fact, Septi had been taller than Orion if his memory served him correctly. They'd hardly gotten along during that first spar, as Orion was in a less than pleasant mood. She’d tried to offer him advice to better his combat, and he’d told her to petch off. He could only hope that this encounter would go more smoothly.

Piercing blue eyes fell upon Ellen as she jogged over. He couldn’t recall if he’d seen her around. She was young, probably mid-late teens. Still considerably younger than Orion, but still a child in the world compared to him, or so he felt. At her age he figured her one that called the knighthood her home since she was old enough to be a page, but he could never be sure. There had been squires joining her age and older then entire time he’d been in. Perhaps she was one of those exceptions.

The uncertainty with which she viewed him wasn’t lost on Orion. He’d spent his whole life reading people. Patients who hid the origin of their injuries. Women who hid their intents. And now opponents who disguised their attacks. All very different situations, but each of them traced back to a common core. A good eye can take you a long way.

”I’m Orion, it’s a pleasure to-“

”Cut the formalities, Michaels. You can be disgusting later.”

Right to the point. Had to love that about the Weaponmaster, didn’t you? Orion shot Ellen a sheepish grin, ignoring the scowl which came from Lucius. Orion’s ways were hardly a secret to the men of Syliras. He certainly couldn’t be counted among Orion’s fans. ”Take it easy on me, okay? I barely know which end of this thing to hold,” said Orion, winking quickly across at his ‘foe’.

The once doctor, now squire brought his shield to the ready, tightening his grasp on the broadsword. He left the weapon low, blade facing horizontally across his midsection. When she announcer her preparedness, he moved towards her with a laugh. ”I doubt either of us are!”

While the blade was unfamiliar, at this point combat wasn’t. Orion kept his feet shoulder width apart as he began to circle the young squire. Noting the uncertainty in how she carried herself, he wasn’t going to place defensive. In range of her, he lashed out with a backhanded slash, bringing it across the face of her shield. The dulled metal sword scraped along the heater shield, though not with as much force as he’d been used to. The weapon had connected much higher on its blade than Orion was accustomed to. While he didn’t realize he was doing so, would find himself lunging much more than he did with a more familiar blade. His body was compensating for what it was used to.

The blue eyed man followed through with his slash, continuing the natural motion of the swing to bring his arm up and over and come down on Ellen with and overhead slash. This action, while providing power, also caused his body to twist as he struck. This resulted in, just before the moment of impact, his shield arm pulling back to his side, coinciding with the rotation of his torso. Again, he was too far forward on his feet, trying to treat the broadsword like a weapon it simply was not.

[Ellen Ansgot]

When told to go easy, Ellen actually believed Orion for a moment. When they both took opening stances, Orion assumed his stance much quicker than she could decide on one. That made her think of the way Lucius looked at him when Orion smiled at her, and when she put the two together, the conclusion was that this other squire, was no stranger to combat, with words or with weapons. A million things flowed through her mind at that revelation, though she was relieved that not much conversation had passed through the two, and that she had offered nothing but her one sentence so far. Should she lose a sword fight from words, she would surely look weak to the weaponsmaster. Refocusing herself on the fight, she decided to stand with her left arm towards her opponent with the shield facing him and standing at a sideways angle, sword extending from waist upward. When the first flow struck her shield, Ellen had braced for something hard, being honestly a bit scared, but she couldn't show it, for the sword was coming back around, and it would be the second swing that was the blow she should have been bracing for. Alexander had been very good with teaching her everything she needed to know. Ellen hadn't been the best at absorbing everything. Many times, when it came to combat, she had a hard time learning. That made her a little more driven to learn, while she was standing here waiting for the impact of a larger swing. Combat was an important thing to the knights, and Ellen did not intend to disappoint. Many more days of training would be laid ahead of this one. Perhaps tomorrow she would come back down here with her patron if he wasn't still occupied with whatever matter took him away today. When the blade struck her shield she snapped back to the fight. The blow landed on the shield with a loud thud and sent a small shock through Ellens body. The force of the blow made her instinctively look downward, and saw her small opportunity. Extending her legs from the brace, she put a slight bit of pressure backwards and to the left with her heater, and attempted to swing the longsword towards Orions midsection. Her arm didn't quite cooperate though, and with the rush of adrenaline, she swung the sword a bit harder than she meant. The swing was now aimed towards the opposing squires legs, with more force than she was used to, so if she hit, she would most likely drop the sword, and if she missed, the sword would be hard for her to stop. Immediately after she began swinging the sword, she attempted to put pressure in the opposite direction, at least hoping to slightly lessen the impact, so as to not completely lose the weapon on contact or miss. It cut through the air in a way Ellen had not felt before, perhaps because it wasn't too often she thought of a fight this way. Alexander had left her here today to do something good for herself, and she did not want to lose this fight. She had to make her patron proud. So the blade carried onward towards her opponents legs, and a surge of adrenaline mixed with a dash of excitment.

[Orion Michaels]

Orion always felt like he was two or three steps from complete success in life. If a couple of things had gone his way, he would have been on top of the world, sifting through riches, surrounded by beautiful women, and without a care in the world.

At the same time, he also found himself a single step from humiliation, and that one step was much closer than the rest. Embarrassingly so, naturally.

He was being far too aggressive for the control he had over his body, his weapon, and his shield. The squire was unbalanced and overextending himself, an issue he already had naturally only being accentuated by his lack of experience with the specific weapon. He’d expected the first attack to be blocked easily, that was the intention, just to test out her defenses, but she’d shifted well to be prepared for the second attack, despite bracing for the individual attack.

Orion knew he was done for when the girl counterattacked. Whoever was training her was doing well if she was reacting with that kind of speed. Despite her pulling up as best as she could, the training weapon caught the back of Orion’s knee, causing it to buckle and sweep his feet out from underneath him. He fell backwards with a thud, and Lucius’ laughter provided a lovely accompaniment to his failure.

”My the Gods, Orion, I thought you were getting better! If this had been real combat, you’d be down half a leg.” The Weaponmaster turned his attention to Ellen, smiling softly down at the other squire. ”Name and Patron? You keep this up, and I’ll have to send my appreciation to him for training his protégé so well.” His judging eyes shot back to Orion before he continued speaking. ”Well, looks like this spar will be for points, since that was disappointingly lacking. First to three wins. Score is one to zero. Get up and get back at it.”

Orion grumbled a few profanities underneath his breath as he crawled back to his feet. He couldn’t believe he was being made to do this. Taking a deep breath, the black haired man tried to wipe the frustration from his face, looking across to Ellen once more. ”Glad one of us is taking it serious.” He brought his weapon up again, angled more diagonally across his chest this time. He nodded that he was prepared, and when she was ready to go again, he initiated the assault once more.

He closed the short distance between them once more, taking no time to size up or circle this time. Instead, Orion shifted the elbow on his sword arm up to shoulder level while shifting the entire arm cross body. The blue eyed man stepped forward with his right foot, and now that his body was twisted somewhat to the left, he unleashed an uneven slash about head level on his foe. The momentum of the swing carried his body around to the right, where he brought his shield up not only to defend against a counter, but also to use it in a follow up attack of his own.

The heavy metal shield swung back as his body violently moved back towards its natural position. The intent was to slam his shield into the side of hers and expose her midsection, taking away the shield’s ability to defend. As quickly as he could, Orion brought his broadsword sailing behind on the same course his protection took, a wide, sweeping slash flying towards her side. Orion’s weight shifted unequally across his body as he commenced with the shield/sword combo, his feet scuffing wildly against the ground as he attempted to even up the score.

[Ellen Ansgot]

It happened so quickly, Ellen was slightly shocked at her victory. When Orion landed on the ground, Ellen stood there for a while, trying to catch her breath. Her body was shaking a bit from the adrenaline rush still. She had actually won, even if it was something as quick as that fight, it still put her in a bit of shock. She hadn't fought many others before, and rarely had she actually won. It took a few moments for it to set in before she was addressed by Lucius. "Ellen Ansgot, and my patron is Alexander Valini. I would be very appreciative of your approval Ser, and I am sure my patron would be pleased as well." When Orion got up, Ellen felt bad for not offering a hand to help him. Sure he was her opponent, but it was only a friendly spar right? It would be different in a real battle, but this was most definitely not that. Simply a spar between two people, who she supposed she couldn't quite call a friend, but definitely not an enemy of any kind, having a little fight to prove the point of a weaponmaster. Next time, if she managed to knock him down again, she would offer to help him up. Listening to him get up, uttering vulgarities, she wondered if he had taking an immediate disliking to her for winning the first match. The next thing Orion said when he got up made Ellen realize a few things. First of, was that she had most likely gotten lucky with knocking her opponent down in the last fight. He was obviously a better fighter than she, as told by his stance, he must have just been overconfident or not trying at all. The second was that Lucius had meant for her to win these fights, or at least that's what she had guessed by the way the weaponmaster taunted the other squire. As they returned to their starting positions, Ellen attempted to prepare herself for the next fight. Unsure of what to expect this time if Orion decided to take this seriously, or if it would be tough and genuine fight. Perhaps she would just manage to get lucky again. When Ellen saw the other squire take his position, she was unsure of how to counter it, so she simply resumed the last stance, sliding into her sideways position with her left side forward shield up, however she had her sword tilted downward this time, as the sword felt a bit heavier since the adrenaline from the last fight started to wear off. Her opponent quickly advanced swinging towards her head, not something she was expecting. Ellen's reaction time was far from slow however, she lifted her shield prepared to block and readied her sword for another low swing hoping the same trick might work twice. This wasn't quite the case, for when the broadsword connected with her shield Ellen wasn't prepared for the shock this time, not quite sure if it was pain or just her improper reaction to block the sword. By the time she had collected herself and began her strike, Orion's shield was already in place to not only soak the blow, but also to allow his sword inside of her defense by knocking her own heater out of the way. The broadsword struck her lower ribs, and she bent over and cringed from the unexpected blow. The second fight was not so easy as the first, and the following would be no easier. The squire shook off the blow as quickly as she could, standing up again, recollecting herself, and trying to think of how she would have a chance in the next round. Standing and deciding on a new position, she stood forward in a slight lean towards her opponent. Her shield was already up in case of another quick strike. She held her own longsword leaning downward to her right, prepared for her own retaliation, and gave a nod to her opponent to signal she was ready.

[Orion Michaels]

Ellen Ansgot. I'll have to remember that.

Orion couldn't recall if he'd heard her name before, specifically her surname. There were so many squires, so many knights running around the city, and it was a pain to try and remember all their names. Even the titles of those who had humiliated him earlier in his training were distant memories in the wake of his own growth.

Even more curious was the name of her patron. The Valini name was a well known name within Syliras. He was a wealthy man, rivaled by few in wealth or influence as far as the non-knight caste could claim. Orion was friends with Leo Valini in some way or another, occasionally being called upon by the grey haired man to accompany him at events he threw. Of course it was always to work and provide a set of eyes to ensure there were no issues at his parties, but what more could Orion expect? He was little more than a resource, a pawn in the schemes of men more mighty.

There would be time to think on that later. For now there was one Squire Ansgot to focus on.

He was surprised that she’d go for the same tactic again, despite his attacks coming in at a different angle, speed, and force. Maybe she did just get lucky.. His confidence in their little exchange only grew when he made contact with her side, though he hadn’t meant to whack her quite so hard. They may have been training weapons, but they could still break a bone if they weren’t careful.

”One to one. Stop lollygagging about and keep going. And stop gloating, Michaels. Let’s see if either of you can replicate.” Lucius had a way to make sure that no one gained confidence in their abilities before he was ready to allow it. Orion sneered for a moment, swinging the broadsword back and forth a few times where he stood. Everything about it felt wrong. Maybe he should have seen about grabbing a weapon he was more comfortable with.

He nodded at Ellen, setting into motion once more when she signaled her preparedness for another bout. She was a defensive fighter if he’d ever seen one. She seemed content to let him continue being the aggressor. He’d oblige her if that’s what she wished. Orion lunged forward with a thrusting strike at her upper body, withdrawing it and trying to thrust low immediately after. Dinah had stressed to him the importance altering the eye level of an opponent. His strikes were uneven and somewhat wild as he tried to control the lighter sword with the precision of the long sword. Each of the strikes came up short. His shield remained raised at chest level as with each attack he tried to prod from behind the safety of his defense.

[Ellen Ansgot]

Lucius must really have something against this squire. Even after saying nothing, it still seemed as though the weaponmaster had some reason to be angry at the squire. Perhaps Orion had done something to offend the weaponmaster. Ellen would make sure to ask both of them about it later, but most definitely not while around each other. The two seemed to have an almost toxic relationship when around the other. It also seemed that Orion never retaliated. It seemed almost like this egged on Lucius, but she also knew at the same time he would not be able to say anything to the weaponmaster. Maybe it would be best for her to just stay away from them when they were together. Yet again, the more pressing matter of fighting came up. Ellen had always been a defensive fighter, when and if she fought. She had nothing against fighting, it was just her personality. In younger years she had actually strongly disliked fighting, becoming a knight only for the mental parts of fighting, such as tactics. It was only recently that she had switched to the more combat oriented side of becoming a knight. Even though she had changed her aspect in knighthood, she still resents fighting a bit. Ellen would never take the first swing, and would never kill anyone or anything she didn't have to. Her body language was always affected by this decision, as she almost never took any kind of offensive stances. When Orion came at her this time she felt a bit different. Perhaps it wasn't herself specifically, but it was the way she stood, and the way she held her weapons. They finally felt more comfortable to her, with a strong grip on her sword and a comfortable brace on her shield. As the jabs started coming her way, she waited for the opportune time, blocking and back-stepping jabs until she saw one that he had less than optimal control of his sword. Ellen took the sword sideways knocking it out of Orion's hand, and she took another quick low sweep as her sword was already in the position for a swing at the legs. This time she would be ready if he fell. She wanted to make sure Orion knew that she had nothing against him. There was also part of her that wanted him to know that he was better than her in fighting, and she understood it. She couldn't quite understand why she had won two rounds, but she appreciated it. After laying down her sword, Ellen put her hand out for Orion, to help him up. OOCSorry if this was short, I'm a bit out of it today, but I wanted to make sure to get one out >.<

[Orion Michaels]

It seemed Orion had a lot to learn about his new weapon. Everything was different, despite his thoughts that they were extremely similar. The truth of the matter was, the weight, balance, and size of the broadsword would take more than a few swings to get used to, and to jump into a spar with it was simply foolish.

His probing thrusts failed to find a weakness in her defenses as she moved away from him, deflecting stab after stab with her shield. In a moment of desperation or perhaps stupidity, Orion lost his patience and overextended his reach with the broadsword. He lunged forward, throwing off his center and failing to strike true in the process. He must have been broadcasting his attack because the teenage squire reacted precisely at his moment of exposure. First she slammed into his blade, forcing it from his grasp. He grunted in frustration as the broadsword slid across the ground away from them.

In his moment of distraction, she did that same attack for a third time, and for the second time it succeeded. It was humiliating like nothing he'd experienced in a long time. He knew how many people were watching the fight, and he knew that the Weaponmaster would have his way with Orion for this. He couldn't do anything but hit the ground firmly and await his fate.

The slow clapping of Lucius hung over him as the judging eyes of the Weaponmaster stared down at the fallen squire. He was silent otherwise, letting the echo of his hands meeting say all that needed to be said. Once he finished with the clapping, he simply held up his hands, holding up his index finger while pointing towards Orion and his index and middle finger while pointing at Ellen. The scores were there.

Orion looked at his opponent’s hand, offering to help him back up. He should have taken it, it would have been the professional and honorable thing. He wasn’t mad at her; she didn’t do anything wrong but take advantage of what was apparently a deadly flaw in his fighting style. He was, however, extremely upset at himself and Weaponmaster Lucius. The man always worked him up into a frenzy, and what pissed him off even more was that despite knowing that was exactly what he was doing, he still allowed him to get under his skin.

”Call me childish,” he chided, pulling himself to his feet without Ellen’s assistance. He readjusted his shield and took a few steps over to where his weapon lay. Leaning down, the male squire retrieved his sword, taking a long hard look at the dull blade. Is the weapon failing me, or I it? It had been some bit of time since anyone but Dinah had embarrassed him so in combat. He couldn’t stand to be showed up so, and the way she did it with such politeness did little to help his rapidly souring mood.

”Come on, Ansgot! Come at me! Show me what you’ve got!” Orion pounded the flat of his blade against his shield and took up his position, favoring his left side, raising his shield to brace for any impact. After he finished making a racket with his weapon, he adjusted once more, holding his sword arm cocked back and ready to swing wildly when she approached. He would have to even up their battle. If he lost, it was going to have to be a close match. He’d die from shame otherwise.

[Ellen Ansgot]

Ellen should have expected something like this to happen. Men always had to protect their pride, they couldn't accept her help. She was only trying to be friendly, to show that she understood his feeling towards Lucius, but instead he may as well just smacked her hand away. It was upsetting, but she would not allow it to go any deeper than it needed. She was used to being treated a bit differently from the men, almost always treated differently, and most definitely looked at differently. These differences were somehow encouraging, making Ellen try harder at everything she did to prove that what she was, was exactly what she thought herself to be. It was almost satisfying to know now that Lucius had favored her, and how punishing he was being towards Orion. Even though he was older, Ellen thought herself more mature than he. Childish. How appropriate. The thoughts of her own maturity however, would not mean much if she did not force her own tongue back. She must remain an honorable opponent, even if the others did not. Keeping her negative attitude and words at bay, Ellen proceeded to pick up her own weapon, and prepared herself for the next fight. Each exchange they had tired her more and more. Picking up her own sword felt tiresome now. As she bent over, she cringed again while the earlier blow to her ribs made itself memorable. No groan or complaint would arise from her, the only tell of her pain was the wince as she reached for the longsword that lay not far at all from where she stood. Once she stood, the moment was over, and her pain had subsided. Taking a few breaths, she adjusted the grip on her weapon, weighing it up and down, trying to find that same grip she had in the last round. The longsword had taken Ellen back to the clumsy swings which she could not control. The key to this weapon continuously eluded her, no matter how many different grips she tried. She had run out of time, and it was her turn to be on the offensive. "You really are a child, aren't you?" Ellen had let one slip. The last remark Orion had made caught her a bit off guard, and thought it sounded like he was being incredibly serious, she couldn't help but laugh a bit. While part of her was scared of her now seemingly infuriated opponent, her own remark caused her to smile at the wit. The gravity had begun to set in on the squire though, as she observed her opponents stance. It was almost the same as hers, but Orion seemed ready to absolutely let loose on her if she made one mistake. Ellen was also very uncomfortable with controlling the flow of combat, as she simply filled into the one set by her aggressor. Now she was on the offensive, and was furiously filing through different plans on how to get through her enemies defenses. A new thought burrowed it's way into Ellen's mind. The goal of this was to get a point. Once at three points, someone would win. Why were they winning? It was quickly leaving the area of a friendly spar, though realistically it was never there. Ellen was being used to prove the point of a weaponmaster, and this was to hinder another squire. If she won, it wasn't for herself, it was for Lucius. Orion would most likely be taunted or ridiculed by Lucius. Suddenly, she didn't feel so honorable. With the decision already made in her head, Ellen put an incredibly loose grip on her longsword, took a few steps forward, and threw a far too powerful overhead two handed swing. She was prepared to lose her sword, or be struck before it landed. Perhaps she was being foolish, but it felt like the right thing to do. There was no backing out at this point anyway, so Ellen simply braced for the impending blow.