The Sword Maiden

Crossing Blades

It was clear to me that Daxton was something more than just a thieving ruffian.  He knew his way around a blade.  And the way he handled it reminded me of Corban. 

He went through several warm up drills, and I used the opportunity to get a handle on his style.  He was quick and sharp, always on the offensive.  He practiced few defensive moves.  That could mean that defense was a week area of his, or that he preferred being on the offensive.  Or both.  

For my part, I was equally skilled in both defensive and offensive.  Redwar had demanded no less from me.  

He finished up his drill and pointed the tip of the sword at the ground.  He pushed a piece of hair out of his face and smirked at me.  "Ready?"  

"Wait."  Derrek spoke up.  He pointed across the campsite to where Simran rested.  "He's sleeping, you might wake him up."  

Simran's eyes cracked open.  "I am not sleeping.  I'm just waiting for them to duel it out."  He gave a half smile.  "It is great entertainment when one is laid up."  

I laughed a little at his comment.  "Well then.  Shall we give him his entertainment, Daxton?"  

Daxton smirked again.  "Absolutely."

Suddenly he launched himself at me, not even bothering to set his fight stance first.  I blocked it from sheer reflexes and ducked out the way.  

"You cheated!"  Derrek shouted and pointed his finger accusingly at Daxton. 

Daxton smirked as he slowly swung his sword in lazy arcs.  "I don't play by any rules, but if your sister can't handle that, I'll tone it down."  

My narrowed eyes never wavered from him.  Redwar had always taught me to be ready for such tactics.  I would not so easily taken again.  "I can take whatever you can bring."  Before the words were fully out of my mouth, I stepped forward and swiftly brought my sword to bear on him.  

He blocked it as I had expected, and I tried to counter to catch his blade in my cross guard, but he withdrew before I could.  "Nice try, Sword Maiden," he taunted before launching an attack of his own.  

He fought offensively, as I had first surmised.  In between attacks he circled me.  I let him, while keeping my guard up.  If he wanted to expend his energy, he was more than welcome to.  

He tried a low upper cut, twisting his arms up expertly.  I stepped aside out out of the line of his blade, raising my arms to block the stroke in the cross guard of Bound.  I thrust up and to the side, twisting to make it harder for him to pull his blade away. 

I pulled the cross guard along his blade and pushed the pommel towards Daxton.  With his sword entangled in mine, he pushed but could not deviate my pommel from its intended path.  

However, before the pommel fully hit him, he dropped to one knee.  Although I had planned to have impact, I was prepared in case I didn't and wasn't thrown of balance.  

He pushed off  and up, disengaging his sword from my cross guard.  He rotated to try and slice my arm, but before he could I stepped away and withdrew my sword in a guarded position.  

"Good one, Sword Maiden," Daxton commented as he began his circling again.  "You nearly had me."  

The thing was, I had expected to have him, and I'd never seen any one pull the move he had.  I hadn't expected his counter and moved by sheer instinct.  I wondered if Redwar could do it, as when he'd been teaching me he'd never shown that to me.  I couldn't imagine Redwar not knowing it.  

Daxton came at me again, this time with a fierce short upper chop.  I tried using his momentum against him.  Instead of just merely blocking his blade, I hit it with the flat of mine, making sure to keep my guard up.  

His sword went down and I went to strike down on his shoulder.  But once again Daxton ducked out of the way.  The forward and downward momentum he turned to his advantage, he went down on the ground and rolled out of the way.  

If it'd been a real fight, I would have pursued and killed him.  But it was against the honorable rules of sparring to do so.  I didn't know if Daxton would have granted me the same grace, as he had stated he played by no rules, but he was shrewd to see that I would grant that to him.  

"Hold!"  

Redwar's booming voice caused all in the clearing to flinch.  I blinked and started to turn, lowering my blade, but Daxton sprung forward.  I grunted and stepped back, haphazardly blocking his blade.

"Daxton!"  Redwar's voice was deeper now, and I flinched again.  He was not pleased.  

For a moment, a glimpse of fear crossed Daxton's face and he grimaced.  However, just that quickly it was gone and the smirk of careless ease was back.  

Valeria and Redwar were standing at the edge of the campsite.  For how long they'd been watching, I didn't know.  

Redwar face was set like stone and his gray eyes were burning.  I knew I'd done something wrong, although at the moment I couldn't think of it.  But the burning was currently directed at Daxton.  

He strode quickly across the clearing to us.  He looked to Derrek, who had switched his watching position to beside Simran.  "Who started the fight?"  

"It wasn't a fight."  Derrek clarified nervously.  "It was a sparring match.  Ravine was going through her drills when Daxton proposed it."  

Redwar's eyebrows deepened.  "It was a sparring match?"  He turned to Daxton and me.  "Then why did you two look like you were trying to kill each other?" 

Realizing my wrong, I lowered my eyes.  I had forgotten that we were sparring with real, sharp metal blades that could kill or wound severely.  Sparring with naked blade and no protection was not unheard of, but it was usually done with friends who trusted each other.  Not with people whom you didn't know well.  

I knew better, but I'd allowed the passion of the moment to carry me away, which in a real fight could have been fatal.  I hadn't controlled myself as I should have.  

Before I could say anything, Redwar turned to Daxton.  "And, apparently, without any regard for the honorable rules of sparring?"  

Daxton bravely met his gaze.  "If she can't handle it, she shouldn't even hold a sword."  

"If she can't handle it in an actual fight.  Not a sparring match."  Redwar's voice was going lower and lower, causing me to shudder. 

Daxton just shrugged.