Post by The Stranger on Jul 12, 2008 22:31:22 GMT -5
It was sunrise when Gawain woke and attended to his morning ritual. After washing his face and emptying his bladder, he stalked off to the yard, where he began warming up his muscles. The yard had been nothing compared to the yard at Ninestars, but it did it's duty fine enough in providing it's fair number of prey.
After he was loose and warm, Gawain immediately found his first target of the morning, a middle aged soldier who was having his way with a dummy enemy made of wood and hay. Gawain approached the man, and stood next to him watching his strokes and strikes, learning his habits with the mace before the man noticed him watching. He stood straight up and turned to Gawain, smiling.
"Keep watchin' boy," he said with a smirk, which had several teeth chipped and missing, "Yer might learn somethin'." Gawain said nothing to the comment, but only raised his sword as a gesture of a challenge. Seeing it, the soldier opened his mouth and expressed an "Oh," before his face broke out in a large broad smile, making his features look something like an ogre, "Aye, you really do wan' a lesson," he said turning towards Gawain.
The soldier made the first move, charging Gawain, his arm arched back, ready to swing. 'He wants to finish this quickly, then...' thought Gawain, as this meant a hard swing. As the man approached and swung, Gawain ducked the blowand side stepped in one motion coming up on the man's exposed mace-arm. Swinging hard at the man's shoulder, a loud 'THUD' sounded, as he made contact, sounding a grunt from the man.
Turning a swinging again, the man quickly retaliated, though Gawain jerked his upper body backwards, as the mace passed an inch from his face, in a large arc. As it passed, Gawain pounced back in, this time ringing his sword of the man's head, upper arm and chest in a series of quick blows, sending the soldier stumbling backwards.
He was panting now, and looking into Gawain's deep black eyes in mild understanding of what he was fighting. In one last desperate offensive burst, the soldier came at Gawain, with what seemed like no clear strategy other than recklessness. Stepping forward, Gawain raised his sword with such speed, making contact with the soldier's wrist, sending the mace flying and the man reeling back.
"Bloody hell!" exclaimed the man, holding his wrist, "dirty bugger," he said cursing at Gawain. Gawain responded by sending his sword into the dirt, point first, so it stood on end, making them once again equal. Raising his fists, Gawain nodded to the man, beckoning him to spar again. Cursing again, the man came at him, this time with a personal grudge.
The soldier took at swing at Gawain, though it was avoided, as the man approached. Throwing a few more blows, Gawain avoided them all, as he ducked left the right, before dealing a swift punch to the man's abdomen. Stepping back, Gawain let the man recover quickly, before he came at Templeton again. Gawain stepped forwards, grabbing the man's right elbow with his left hand, and hooking his right arm under the soldier's left armpit. Tucking his right leg behind the other man's right leg, and throwing his body weight to the side, Gawain brought the soldier down on his back, knocking the wind out of him and dazing him.
"I-I yield," stuttered the soldier from his back, looking up at the young knight. Gawain walked away without a word, taking his sword and returning to his corner, where he began to sharpen his sword.
Templeton advances towards Master Swordsmanship.
Templeton advances to Noteworthy Unarmed Fighting.
After he was loose and warm, Gawain immediately found his first target of the morning, a middle aged soldier who was having his way with a dummy enemy made of wood and hay. Gawain approached the man, and stood next to him watching his strokes and strikes, learning his habits with the mace before the man noticed him watching. He stood straight up and turned to Gawain, smiling.
"Keep watchin' boy," he said with a smirk, which had several teeth chipped and missing, "Yer might learn somethin'." Gawain said nothing to the comment, but only raised his sword as a gesture of a challenge. Seeing it, the soldier opened his mouth and expressed an "Oh," before his face broke out in a large broad smile, making his features look something like an ogre, "Aye, you really do wan' a lesson," he said turning towards Gawain.
The soldier made the first move, charging Gawain, his arm arched back, ready to swing. 'He wants to finish this quickly, then...' thought Gawain, as this meant a hard swing. As the man approached and swung, Gawain ducked the blowand side stepped in one motion coming up on the man's exposed mace-arm. Swinging hard at the man's shoulder, a loud 'THUD' sounded, as he made contact, sounding a grunt from the man.
Turning a swinging again, the man quickly retaliated, though Gawain jerked his upper body backwards, as the mace passed an inch from his face, in a large arc. As it passed, Gawain pounced back in, this time ringing his sword of the man's head, upper arm and chest in a series of quick blows, sending the soldier stumbling backwards.
He was panting now, and looking into Gawain's deep black eyes in mild understanding of what he was fighting. In one last desperate offensive burst, the soldier came at Gawain, with what seemed like no clear strategy other than recklessness. Stepping forward, Gawain raised his sword with such speed, making contact with the soldier's wrist, sending the mace flying and the man reeling back.
"Bloody hell!" exclaimed the man, holding his wrist, "dirty bugger," he said cursing at Gawain. Gawain responded by sending his sword into the dirt, point first, so it stood on end, making them once again equal. Raising his fists, Gawain nodded to the man, beckoning him to spar again. Cursing again, the man came at him, this time with a personal grudge.
The soldier took at swing at Gawain, though it was avoided, as the man approached. Throwing a few more blows, Gawain avoided them all, as he ducked left the right, before dealing a swift punch to the man's abdomen. Stepping back, Gawain let the man recover quickly, before he came at Templeton again. Gawain stepped forwards, grabbing the man's right elbow with his left hand, and hooking his right arm under the soldier's left armpit. Tucking his right leg behind the other man's right leg, and throwing his body weight to the side, Gawain brought the soldier down on his back, knocking the wind out of him and dazing him.
"I-I yield," stuttered the soldier from his back, looking up at the young knight. Gawain walked away without a word, taking his sword and returning to his corner, where he began to sharpen his sword.
Templeton advances towards Master Swordsmanship.
Templeton advances to Noteworthy Unarmed Fighting.