(RP) Ingref and Bridget duels

Moderator: Community Team

Post Reply
Ingref

(RP) Ingref and Bridget duels

Post by Ingref »

Round1 - Knife to meet you.

The first of their duels took place in a snowy thicket, just outside of Widu. They'd met playing at dice, where Ingref had beaten her solidly for several rounds. It was a game of chance, not skill, but they both enjoyed game after game and the victor teased the loser playfully.

Ingrefs family were natives to the outskirts of Imperius, and he'd travelled through the snow to visit his friend. The woodsman had dragged himself out of poverty working jobs and laboring where his strength and size could profit. Though his house was little more than foundation, he was content to camp and slum and spend the occasional night in the taphouse common room until he was established. There was no shame in working hard and building a life for yourself from nothing. What spare coin he had went to his family.

He was a fine hunter - quiet and quick despite his size. He took down creatures for their pelts and meat for market. Some days when the Mayor was generous, he'd even taken jobs in the militia. They were quiet and uneventful, and he felt uneasy. Striking another person with a weapon felt wrong to him. Rather to lay someone out with a fist, he thought.

But duelling was a pasttime in this realm, and eventually, he might be called to war. It behooved him to learn to fight, and that's where Bridget came in . She was a consumate soldier and skilled at an array of armaments. In this snowy thicket they would fight and he hoped he would learn something.

He held the knife firmly as though to cut through brush or scythe wheat. She laughed at him. The openings he afforded her would be criminal to take advantage of, so she corrected him succinctly. They traded blows back and forth - he tried too hard to compensate for skill with strength and she bested him again and again, tapping him with the flat of the blade. Before he got too frustrated, they would have one single bout and see who would be the victor.
User avatar
Bridget
Posts: 566
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 12:38 pm

Re: (RP) Ingref and Bridget duels

Post by Bridget »

Bridget stood back and watched Ingref move slowly, cautiously around the field. He was holding his weapon oddly – definitely a farmer and not a fighter – and leaving his flank wide open for attack. He probably didn’t realize that with one quick spell and she could take him down from where she stood. Instead she swung her sword lightly at her side as she watched his approach. She sheathed her sword and pulled the knife off her hip. If he wanted to train with short blades, so be it.

He swung his knife to the left so she swatted the back of his hand with the blunt of her blade. She stepped back and chuckled. She better not get too cocky here. He was trying, but he had a lot to learn. She remembered her first training sessions with her cousin and how frustrating those had been. But she couldn’t go easy on him either, he’d never learn anything that way. Ingref stepped forward and jabbed at her with his blade. She countered with a quick sweep of her leg. In one swift move, she spun around him and held her blade to his throat.


“I’d say this round is mine.” Bridget smiled and sheathed her dagger. “You’ve got some good natural ability, but you have remember that dueling is not about strength only. You need to learn to anticipate your partner. Let’s try a new weapon.”
Image
Thank you, Aishe!
Ingref

Re: (RP) Ingref and Bridget duels

Post by Ingref »

Round 2: Lemme axe you a question

"Alright", he said, with Bridget helping him stand. His cheeks burned red with embarrassment but it was for his own good.

He selected two long handled axes from the cart. They had been bluntened to avoid harm in a training situation, and he'd used the sharp version to fell trees and monsters alike. Using them on another person fair to sickened him.

"Show me these", he asked.
User avatar
Bridget
Posts: 566
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 12:38 pm

Re: (RP) Ingref and Bridget duels

Post by Bridget »

Bridget heaved the axe out of the cart. Not her weapon of choice, but she could wield one if she must. The axe, though blunted and dull, could still cause serious injury due to its sheer weight alone. Bridget far preferred her bow or sword – and magic of course. Being a skilled woodsman, she wondered if Ingref may have the advantage here. She took solace in the knowledge that she had far more training in the arena, while Ingref was likely more experienced with using his axe as tool, not a weapon. Trees, though mighty and strong, were generally not moving targets.

She looked over and nodded at her opponent, indicating her readiness to begun.
Image
Thank you, Aishe!
Ingref

Re: (RP) Ingref and Bridget duels

Post by Ingref »

"Alright", thought Ingref to himself, "I'm just going to take this... axe shaped lumber, and try to pretend to kill someone with it. RIght". He squared himself up to Bridget. She held the weapon easily, probing his stance and stature. It was intimidating for the woodsman for whom, after all, had never had to accommodate a tree trying to fight back.

This was why he'd come, after all. Where he was from, people rarely fought each other, and with weapons rarer still. They were protected, sheltered in a way. He... they.... were going to need this sort of experience only available on the outside. He truly feared their continued reliance on the Knowing would be ultimately detrimental. The woodsman steeled his reserve, gripped the haft tightly, and charged.

Just as Bridget knew he would. He struck at her like he might as a tree, fully extended and legs planted. Excellent form has she been a sapling; she was not.
User avatar
Bridget
Posts: 566
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 12:38 pm

Re: (RP) Ingref and Bridget duels

Post by Bridget »

Ingref approached, clutching the axe in his hand like he were born with it – just an extension of his arm. She was momentarily nervous - she couldn’t read him, she couldn’t guess his first move – that is until he charged forward, axe swinging. Bridget easily dodged, not even bothering to counter his attempted blow.

“Look, Ingref, you’ve left your entire side open to me. If I were to counter now, I could cause serious damage to your exposed arm or your torso. You are not chopping a tree – let the weight of the axe do most of the work. Throwing your whole body into it, should you miss, will just leave you off-balanced and unguarded.” Advancing forward, she swung her axe across her body in a downward motion with her right hand, catching it in her left and swinging up again. “See? With quick motions like this, I’m hardly leaving myself exposed. It takes practice, but I trust you’ll catch on quickly.”
Image
Thank you, Aishe!
Ingref

Re: (RP) Ingref and Bridget duels

Post by Ingref »

If nothing else, Ingref is a quick study. He quickly adapts to the more flowing fighting style once he realises that Bridget is quick to take advantage of his openings, and far less force is required to fell a person than a tree.

"Perhaps, we should practice with shields off-hand
", he laughs, rubbing a painful welt on his hip that would surely bruise, "It is far more difficult fighting a target that dances so around the battlefield!" Shields and a shorter handled axe, he nodded to himself. He resolved to get more practice in the training yard in exactly that.

"Well, battle instructor", he laughs, tossing down the wooden axes, "Is it to be daggers or swords next?"


(to date, I think Ingref has lost at least four consecutive luck duels to Bridget. At least he's good at dice. EDIT - I checked - its seven duels!)
User avatar
Bridget
Posts: 566
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 12:38 pm

Re: (RP) Ingref and Bridget duels

Post by Bridget »

"Oooh, swords obviously." Bridget grinned as she pulled a longsword from the equipment cart. "If you're not ready to try a bow yet, this is my next favourite." She held it up and examined it closely. Now, of course, they would be practicing with wooden training swords as true longswords would be far too dangerous. Bridget had spent so many hours on the training ground with her sword, even this wooden replica felt natural in her hands.

She waited for Ingref to choose his weapon...
Image
Thank you, Aishe!
Ingref

Re: (RP) Ingref and Bridget duels

Post by Ingref »

Ingref picked through the weapons, though he was no connoisseur of the long blades. He chose the longest and heaviest, needing near on two hands to wield it. If he was going in with as little training as could be possible, he reasoned, at least something heavy and with reach would be reasonable. He took her measure; da(rn)ed if she didn't look as natural with her weapon in a way that espoused long hours training. Well, that's why he was here.

He took a probing, heavy swipe at her, trusting his superior range.
Post Reply