Casting the First Stone (Attn: Mat) Open to those who wish to be present

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric had been spending more and more time in the yards, training the newcomers and polishing his own skills. His last trip out with Loraine had been trying to say the least. Blood, blood and more blood. If it weren't for the fact that their escapes were becoming narrower and narrower he would say things were as they had always been, but that wasn't the case. If he admitted the truth it was that the Shadow seemed to be growing in strength and numbers as the days wore on. Kyn just hoped that the final battle came whilst they could still have a hope of overcoming the numbers the Dark one could throw at them. While he knew the prophecies siad that the Dragon would cast the Dark One back into his pit, the pragmatist thought that it would matter little if the Dragon could never reach Shayol Ghul to begin with. Light, have I become morose today... ran through his head as he dragged his thoughts back to the present.

 

Taking stock of his surroundings once again he realized that he had ended up in the middle of the yards, he hadn't truly remembered arriving here. He had his sword and shield with him and they felt comforting, much more comforting than the training blanks they normally used. Looking around he spotted an unusual sight, Bryon was here and with his weapons, Kyn had not sparred with the Master at Arms in a long, long time. the last time had been a ainful lesson in how far he had to go as a swordsman. Kyn had set his mind to challenging the Master at Arms, but was now thinking twice about it, he knew Bryon was a superior swordsman, and he was already beginning to formulate a strategy for the upcoming fight. Upon approaching Bryon, Kyn stopped right in his path and looked him in the eyes. "Bryon, I challenge you to a match." There it was said, now all there was to do was win.

[U4ea]

Loraine hadn't felt Kynwric this out of sorts in a while and decided to find out what had caused it. She was up to her eyes in reports to dig through, but more than welcomed the excuse to get away from it for a while. She made her way through the tangled corridors that made up the Tower and skirted the Warders' Yards, staying within the shadows of the corridor that ran along the Tower side of the building. She blinked, seeing his shield glittering in the sunlight across the Yard. Light, what is he doing? she whispered in her head, doing all that she could not to distract him. She hadn't hidden herself from him in a long time, but this seemed a good time to do it. With that determined knot in her head, she truly doubted he'd notice...

 

~Loraine

[Matalina]

It was not often Bryon actually got out of the office.  It was so rare that he hardly took the twin scimitars with him but today he did something had compelled him to do so.  Before leaving Bryon straightened his eye patch and sheathed his swords on his back.  Bryon's bells jingled as he slide through the training yards.  He stopped at watched a few trainees and then moved on to something else. 

 

From behind he heard.  "Bryon, I challenge you to a match."  Bryon smiled, it was very rare indend that someone came up to him with a challenge.  He turned and saw Kynwric, he would be a challenge, and this was probably his first or second attempt at filling his very own requirements.  The last challenge to become a Grand Master.  Bryon smiled again and nodded to his now opponent.  He would see how worthy of a man he was to hold that title, he had been a good thinker on the Murder Cases he'd been assigned, now lets see how he was on the battle field.

 

Bryon crossed his arms in front of him and reached behind to unsheathe his scimitars. The distinct ring of the metal on metal made other eyes turn towards their area.  It was not uncommon for an event such as this to draw the hole yards to it.  Bryon smiled again.  This was going to be fun.

 

Swords drawn Bryon loosened his wrists with fluid movements of each sword singularly and then together; blades spinning with their keen swooshing sound.  Stretching his neck Bryon settled into a guard stance.  "When you are ready Master Kynwric, when you are ready."

 

Bryon

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric watched as Bryon flourished his twin blades and stretched. Kyn himself stretched, first his shield arm and then his sword arm. He settled himself into a ready position a few paces from Bryon and nodded with a smile. He gave the Master at Arms a salute with his sword as Bryon indicated that the match was his to begin, "Lay on then Master Bryon, lay on." Kyn had watched the elites of the yard spar before, he knew that most often they were long stretches of maneuver and study with brief intense clashes when one or the other perceived an advantage. Kyn began this challenge in a classical defensive variation of Lion on a Hill, he slowly circled to his left, leaving his shield to cover most of his body as he studied Bryon's form and defense.

 

The circling continued for what seemed like a quarter hour, later he would find out it was merely a minute or so, he had run through several permutations of forms to lead out with and none truly seemed to be what he was looking for. The circling path that the pair of them had been following was tightening, bringing each man from possibly being well within range of the others blades. Kyn was beginning to like where he was less and less and he noticed a twitch in Bryon's shoulder, the twitch set off the first of their passes. Kyn's Bundling Straw was met by Bryon with Cat Dances on a Wall. Bryon followed with Parting the Silk which Kyn canted his shield to catch as he brought his blade up to divert the second of Bryon's scimitars hurtling down towards his head. The Courtier Taps his Fan ran through Kyn's head as he threw Dandelion on the Wind which was parried and he gave a feinted lunge in a mimic of Low Wind Rising to the off-handed side and then drew back into a full defense as he extended the range again. Kyn recalled being reminded over and over again, 'Don't be where your opponent wants you, be instead where you want him.' The first pass was complete and now they returned to the circling and studying, an occasional foot stomp or feint added in to see what reaction would be provoked. Each looking for an advantage, however slight.

[Matalina]

Bryon waited and watched, he was in no hurry to begin or end this fight.  His opponent was still well below his skill and this was his test, not Bryon's, he waited until Kywnric opened the can of worms that would more than likely end with Kynwric sorer than he had ever been. 

 

It was a good start when the battle did begin.  Bryon smiled eerily as the man with a sword and shield blocked his attacks.  Bryon wondered if he had ever crossed another with dual swords, or if this was his first in the yard.  Sometimes that little fact could answer many things, but there was little time to talk now and Bryon continued to muse on his own attack.  He had not see an place to take advantage of yet, but he would, Kywnric would falter and tire and Bryon would attack then. 

 

Bryon moved before Kynwric could make his next attack.  With a series of thrust, first right then left and then into a flurry of over handed blows followed by a final powerful swing from his right hand as he spun around to bring the full momentum down on Kywnric's shield.  The blow was meant to push him back, to make him move in the direction he had wanted him to go.  It was not a killing blow, well it would be if he had missed the block or the parry, anything could be a fatal blow if your opponent did not defend well.

 

Bryon

 

OOC:  I will probably not use forms would rather describe the movements.

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric had given space and Bryon had taken it, the assault can fast and furious and it forced Kyn into a fevered defense of his body. He was fortunate to have been at one time trained by a Ren'shai, a practitioner of the two bladed style, this gave him a little insight into how to defend against the blur a pair of blades could become. It became obvious quickly that he, Kyn, was overmatched. Concentrating on his defense Kyn was passing on opportunities to attack in favor of maintaining that strong, solid defense. he gave ground and gave more ground, trying to get Bryon to overextend his attacks. Unfortunately, the Master at Arms attacks came at him in precise and measured. The pace never gave Kyn the opportunity to counter attack and he was beginning to realize that Bryon's precision was breaking down his defense, it was becoming more and more difficult to recover properly. Kyn felt his sheild shudder as a full overhand came crashing down onto it, pushing it out of position. The blow left him no choice but to retreat, even though he knew that had to be what Bryon intended. Kyn retreated back and to his left, bringing his shield back up into position and waited to see what the next round would bring.

 

Bryon seemed to be playing the same game, wait and see. The pair of them circled and feinted for quite a while, seeking an advantage from the other. It was Kyn who found an opening first, it was small and just there for a moment. The first time he let it go by and maneuvered to recreate what had led to it, and just as he saw the opening begin he threw a hard fast shot towards the gap below the hilt of Bryon's lead sword. As the blow was halfway to its target Kyn realized it had been a feint and he thought for a moment about recoiling. Bryon's leg drew back out of range and both scimitars were now hurting toward Kyn. Kyn let the momentum of his own blade carry through into one of the scimitars and twisted awkwardly to put his shield out to catch the second. this all left Kyn off balance and moving backwards. It was then he felt the pressure on the front of his shield pushing him further back and eventually toppling him over.

 

Kyn went to the ground, but instead of trying to recover he went with his momentum and rolled back up into a kneeling but defensive position as he caught another flurry from Bryon's scimitars. Kyn was pinned, he couldn't regain his footing while Bryon attacked and he couldn't do anything to stop the attacks as he was concentrated fully on stopping them from hitting him... it was only a matter of time before Bryon penetrated his defense. Kyn didn't have anything else to try except tying to stand while under attack, so he slowly put his feet under him and began to push himself upwards. He was about half way there when he saw the leg sweep coming, slamming his shield down to the ground he stopped bryon from sending him sprawling but the gaping hole in his defense was easily exploited and Kyn quickly found a scimitar at his throat. "I yield," it was a simple phrase, but one Kyn didn't like to utter under any circumstances. Kyn had been bested, and it seemed easily bested by the Master at Arms.

[_Kynwric_]

OOC: Alright, updated.

[Matalina]

OOC:  Much better.

 

Bryon worried his way into the mans defenses and they finally broke.  It was a good match and Kywnric was a good man.  "Very good job."

 

OOC:  Just post your req for posterity sake.  Gratz on 18!

[U4ea]

Loraine watched them circle each other, her shoulders tensing more with each orbit. She was glad there was no one in this corridor, today, since the more she watched the more nervous she got. She flinched as she watched Bryon move in and rested her hand on her throat until her warder was on the ground. She shook her head slowly, closing her eyes and focusing on breathing until she felt the wild pulse under her fingers subside. Only then did she trust herself to leave that shadowy hiding place and cross the Yard.

 

She tilted her head as she caught up with Kynwric. He was still on the ground, so she let go of that little bit of hiding she'd been doing. He was bruised, but most of what she felt coming off of him was disappointment and... respect. She smiled, then. It wasn't a bright smile. She glanced up at Bryon and nodded before looking back down at Kynwric. Her smile was still on her face and he knew it. "Are you going to lay there all day, Gaidin? Here I was hoping you'd help me work on my balance. Care for a little lesson on Heron in the Rushes?"

 

~Lor

 

OOC: *hugs and smooches* Good job, Kyn! :D Remind me not to make you mad any time soon. ;)