Experience of Youth (Denzel)

[Wyatt]

OOC: This takes place between the 'Bandit Attack' and 'Out of the Frying Pan' threads.


It had been a few days since they'd set out from the village they'd saved. Wyatt had been in a generally good mood, to spite his injury. They'd saved a village, they'd fought off bandits, they were heroes. And now they were taking the fight to them, which was frightening, but also exciting. Today his make shift bandage had come off. His hand was still a little weak, but it was mostly all right. Wyatt wasn't always the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he knew the similarities when he saw them. The Bandit's they had fought, they fought very similar to how he himself did. Self taught, graceless butchery. He hadn't seen Denzel fight, but he'd seen him perform a number of tricky moves on horseback, as well as hunt once or twice from it. His style looked so much more perfected, so...refined.

It was one night when they made camp, at the bass of the mountains. They decided to make camp early, and start scaling the mountain the next day, so it was still light out. It was while Yaen and Wein were out hunting for dinner that Wyatt decided he needed a little tutor.

"Hey Denzel." Wyatt called to the cavalier. "Your pretty good on that horse, care for a little spar? I wanna see if I can learn some actual, you know, technique."

[Denzel]

Denzel turned to the man with eyebrows raised. 'I'd love to, though you shouldn't be so quick to dismiss your own ability. Effectiveness is what counts in my book.' Nevertheless Denzel hoisted himself up on his horse and and held his lance in a defensive stance. 'Right then... Come!'

[Wyatt]

"All right then, here it goes!" Wyatt announced, approaching the young cavalier. Denzel was above him, so jumping would clear the distance. Add to that he wouldn't be able to block it because of the momentum! It was a perfect plan!

He broke into a dash and jumped off the ground. He got about a good two feet total as he brought his axe down, of course aiming for the center of the armor, where it would be strongest. He was about even with Denzel when he made the strike.

[Denzel]

Denzel watched the axe-man made his approach and jump. All offense No way to block but no way for him to parry a stroke from my lance either. It relies on the opponent to think rationally for you. Well I can't really block his attack... But if he set the staff of his lance after the blade of his axe and against the staff of his lance he might stop it from making contact.

Grabbing the lance and the reigns with two hands he aimed for his desired target. Then he motioned his horse to stagger upwards. He couldn't match Wyatt in strength himself but a cavalier doesn't fight alone.

[Wyatt]

Wyatt was a little surprised, was Denzel seriously trying to weather the attack? The metal clashed with a loud clang and, to Wyatt's surprise, the lance did not give way. Now he was in a predicament, as his body had said 'stop' but his legs were still moving forward, and it was a little hard to change in mid air.

The result was that Wyatt's axe glanced off of the round haft of the lance, and he fell flat on his back. He was uninjured, except for his pride, and he debated taking his time to get to his feat before he remembered that this was a mock battle. He should treat it as such!

Wyatt wanted to roll to the side, and climb to his feat gracefully. That was what he attempted of course, but he only managed to make a few rolls away from the cavalier, and stagger to one knee before standing again, holding his axe level.

'Ok, so Denzel wasn't as weak as I'd thought, so don't underestimate him. But I should still have the advantage in weapon and strength...so I should be able to beat him...'

At least, that was how he added it up. Wyatt wanted to try throwing his axe, but that could prove dangerous to Denzel or the horse, not like he could aim with the flat side of it. So he resolved to advance cautiously.

'I should wait for an opening before I make an attack...that should work.'

[Denzel]

Truthfully Denzel had only barely managed to hang on, and knew if he hadn't been relieved any sooner he would fallen off the back off the horse. His muscles had gotten sore so Denzel decided to end it quickly. He turnd his lance around to the flat end. I'll hit him on the chestand claim the win. Denzel thought as he urged his horse to charge.

[Wyatt]

Wyatt watched Denzel approaching, the horse charging at him. So, it looks like it ends here, one way or the other. He couldn't effectively side step a horse, not without diving out of the way, so he'd have to come really close to the animal to hit Denzel. No matter, he was going to try it anyway.

Wyatt advanced forward at his own charge, and when he saw Denzel start his thrust, he ducked to avoid it. He then came up with his axe, ready to take the clean shot offered him.

Until he felt a hit in his chest that knocked him off his feet, indeed the back of the lance had struck home, had Denzel faked him out?

"Ugh, I guess this round goes to you...I must be too easy to read."

[Denzel]

'Nah, an axe just isn't exactly a weapon for practice, you were holding back a lot more then me, I can tell.' The cavalier said. Tiredly, Denzel got of his horse and sat down on the ground.

[Wyatt]

In truth, Wyatt really wasn't, but he figured he'd keep his injured pride intact.

"Heh..well yeah, didn't feel right going all out on someone so young." He set his axe down and pulled a water skin from his side, surprised to see the sweat forming on his brow. As he took a drink, he looked back up to Denzel.

"You're a lot more mobile on that thing then I'd have imagined, how did you manage to learn how to move like that while your wearing all that armor and on a horse? It seems like a lot more trouble then it is worth..."

Wyatt rolled his arm as he offered the skin to Denzel. "It was a good spar. And here I was thinking I had the advantage."