kawa~ inspiration #4
Oct. 28th, 2004 11:58 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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yrae
Title~ Sticky Blades
Author~ Annarti
Disclaimer~ All charries are mine~
Notes~ kawa~ inspiration #4. Dagger exam, ooh.
~ ~ ~
Nimay spun the pair of wooden daggers in her grip, eyeing the subtle movements of her opponent as she had been taught so many years ago. The young blade archer, admitted to the army maybe two years ago, Nimay guessed, fixed his own eyes on her arms and legs, hoping as she did that his opponent would give off some indication as to possible means of attack.
She hadn’t used wooden daggers since her first year of army training, but unlike swords, the blades reacted in much the same way as steel ones, except of course when they made contact with flesh. For the exam, where it was altogether possible that the potential warriors could well be cut to ribbons while trying to defend the twenty-five advances made on them. The wooden blades had been dipped in molasses, so there was no confusion as to whether or not they had been hit.
A near-imperceptible tensing of leg muscles was the only warning Nimay got before the blade archer flashed at her with his own wooden daggers, but it was enough time for Nimay to bring her arms up to meet them with a clack of wood against wood. She couldn’t help grinning as the wooden blades flew; they seemed to give the examination a gentle feel, like they were back in first year dagger training.
Nimay counted seven clacks before the blade archer backed off to try another plan of attack, thrusting both daggers at her as though he were trying to spear her. The swordswoman danced back, arching out of the way of the sticky wooden blades, but catching one on her turned shoulder before she was able to move out of the way. The blade archer took the opportunity to get her again on the forearm, but now she had caught her footing again and was able to keep the blades from touching her.
Again the blade archer backed off; seventeen strikes, as near as Nimay could guess, two of which she had missed.
Her opponent’s legs tensed again as he pushed himself forward, combining all the techniques he knew to try and break Nimay’s defence. In reply, Nimay was forced to flash her wooden blades in ever defensive manner she could think of, deciding upon which attacks to defend with the daggers, and which to twist or dodge away from.
The sticky daggers of the blade archer were only able to make contact once more before the dagger master called for the end of the match.
“Well-fought,” Nihqel mused, eyeing the sheet of paper he held and searching for Nimay’s name. “Three, was that?”
Nimay nodded and transferred both blades to one hand in order to push the hair from her eyes.
“Very well-fought.” He grinned and marked the number on his sheet with a stick of charcoal. “You’ve passed, Nimay. You already know this, but it’s my duty to tell you anyway. Combined with your totals for the other dagger sections, you’ve finished with ninety-one of the hundred points.” He folded the paper up and stuck it and the charcoal stick into his pocket. “You do know, of course, that you only need forty to pass the dagger, don’t you?”
Nimay held up her left forearm, marked by sticky molasses.
“Fair enough.” Nihqel grinned. “See if you can pull off another ninety for the blade archery tomorrow.”
The swordswoman shook her head, smiling wryly. ‘No such luck,’ she thought to herself.
Author~ Annarti
Disclaimer~ All charries are mine~
Notes~ kawa~ inspiration #4. Dagger exam, ooh.
Nimay spun the pair of wooden daggers in her grip, eyeing the subtle movements of her opponent as she had been taught so many years ago. The young blade archer, admitted to the army maybe two years ago, Nimay guessed, fixed his own eyes on her arms and legs, hoping as she did that his opponent would give off some indication as to possible means of attack.
She hadn’t used wooden daggers since her first year of army training, but unlike swords, the blades reacted in much the same way as steel ones, except of course when they made contact with flesh. For the exam, where it was altogether possible that the potential warriors could well be cut to ribbons while trying to defend the twenty-five advances made on them. The wooden blades had been dipped in molasses, so there was no confusion as to whether or not they had been hit.
A near-imperceptible tensing of leg muscles was the only warning Nimay got before the blade archer flashed at her with his own wooden daggers, but it was enough time for Nimay to bring her arms up to meet them with a clack of wood against wood. She couldn’t help grinning as the wooden blades flew; they seemed to give the examination a gentle feel, like they were back in first year dagger training.
Nimay counted seven clacks before the blade archer backed off to try another plan of attack, thrusting both daggers at her as though he were trying to spear her. The swordswoman danced back, arching out of the way of the sticky wooden blades, but catching one on her turned shoulder before she was able to move out of the way. The blade archer took the opportunity to get her again on the forearm, but now she had caught her footing again and was able to keep the blades from touching her.
Again the blade archer backed off; seventeen strikes, as near as Nimay could guess, two of which she had missed.
Her opponent’s legs tensed again as he pushed himself forward, combining all the techniques he knew to try and break Nimay’s defence. In reply, Nimay was forced to flash her wooden blades in ever defensive manner she could think of, deciding upon which attacks to defend with the daggers, and which to twist or dodge away from.
The sticky daggers of the blade archer were only able to make contact once more before the dagger master called for the end of the match.
“Well-fought,” Nihqel mused, eyeing the sheet of paper he held and searching for Nimay’s name. “Three, was that?”
Nimay nodded and transferred both blades to one hand in order to push the hair from her eyes.
“Very well-fought.” He grinned and marked the number on his sheet with a stick of charcoal. “You’ve passed, Nimay. You already know this, but it’s my duty to tell you anyway. Combined with your totals for the other dagger sections, you’ve finished with ninety-one of the hundred points.” He folded the paper up and stuck it and the charcoal stick into his pocket. “You do know, of course, that you only need forty to pass the dagger, don’t you?”
Nimay held up her left forearm, marked by sticky molasses.
“Fair enough.” Nihqel grinned. “See if you can pull off another ninety for the blade archery tomorrow.”
The swordswoman shook her head, smiling wryly. ‘No such luck,’ she thought to herself.