Mistress of Arms. To some, the title meant leadership, authority, and all the pomp and circumstance that came with it. To those who’d filled the role, it meant a lot more paperwork than any Gaidin or Gaidar would want to take on voluntarily. As such, whenever Riahana had a chance to escape her desk, she took it. From time to time, such chances came in the form of a mission beyond the Tower walls. More often than not, it meant a trip to the Citadel, though every now and again, something different would come her way.
Riahana was given an opportunity to escort a man and woman of some import back to Far Madding. Yes, she could have just sent the Tower Guard without her, but a chance to get away from the paperwork, bureaucracy and politics of being Mistress of Arms was too appealing to pass up. She rode with five of the finest in the Tower Guard, with their own leader riding alongside Ria, providing the Mistress of Arms with company and conversation. The Nobleman and his wife traveled in comfort in a carriage, and the Tower Guard plus Ria formed two columns of three on either side.
The Tower Guard were dressed in their typical uniforms, and Ria wore her fancloak, so it was hard to miss where the party was from. Outside of the Tower, Ria was careful about where she wore her rank insignia, opting to keep it on her but hidden so that she did not make herself more of a target. It wasn’t that the Gaidar expected trouble all the time, but that if she could avoid undue trouble, then she would. For onlookers, the party were quite the site. For Ria, she worried they were attracting too much unwanted attention.
The journey to Far Madding was uneventful, just as Riahana hoped. After three days of travel, the party arrived at the gate to Far Madding. The Noblewoman thanked the party for their escort, before telling the driver of their carriage to carry on to their home. At the gates, the Tower Guard, and Riahana had their weapons peace bonded. Those who took care of peace binding the weapons were careful, and made sure the mesh around the weapons and sheaths did no damage to either. The party of six would only be in Far Madding for one evening, as all wanted to get back to the Tower without delay.
The Tower Guard and Riahana left mid-morning from Far Madding with the intention to travel to Caemlyn, where they would spend the evening in an Inn before getting up bright and early the following day for a long day’s ride to Whitebridge, and one more day’s travel to the Tower itself. Their departure was delayed only slightly by the removal of the ‘peace bonding’ to their weapons.
The men and women of the Tower guard bantered back and forth, as if they were old friends, and they likely were. Ria knew their leader, a man by the name of Tristan du’Bane. He would sometimes come to the Warder Yards and spar with some of the learning ranks to help both im and them improve their sword skills. Every now and then, he would spar with Ria, but only to see how much he’d improved. Often, their spars ended within minutes of beginning, Ria getting three unanswered touches on the poor man before he had a chance to advance an attack.
“Lookin’ forward ta gettin’ back to yer husband?” Tristan asked as they reached the pass of the Hills of Kintara, marking the halfway point of their day’s trip to Caemlyn. He looked over to the Mistress of Arms and saw the smirk on her lips, and laughed, “‘Course ya are. Silly ta think otherwise. Me? I think my lass would rather me stay gone another five nights so she don’ have to clean up after me.”
Riahana laughed softly, “I am sure she would rather you home than not, Tristan.” Reaching down, she adjusted the strap holding her bow to the saddle, and scratched Lex at the withers. As relaxed as she might seem, the Gaidar was ever alert. No, she didn’t expect trouble, but that didn’t mean trouble wouldn’t find them. If given enough warning, she’d reach for her bow, but if trouble was more immediate, she’d rely on her sword. Either way, she hoped both weapons could go unused on this journey.
It was Ria’s habit to notice those they passed along the way. Most of the people they passed were simple merchants, making their way from one market to another. Some were families, others were less obvious, but most didn’t raise any flags for the Gaidar. Most meaning all save two men who watched Ria’s party far too intently for her liking. They were heading to Far Madding, and passed by no more than five minutes earlier.
Without thinking, Riahana pulled the Void tightly around her, letting it sharpen her focus. She looked to Tristan, and spoke softly, “Be on guard. Something seems amiss.”
“What? There’s none but us on the road, Mistress,” he replied. A gurgled cry from the back caught his and Ria’s attention, though, and they looked back to see Braun, the youngest of their group, slump off of his horse, an arrow through his back. Thalia, the young woman who had taken position to his right turned her horse to look back, only to have an arrow sink into her eye, killing her instantly.
Another arrow fell at the feet of one of the other horses, and Riahana already had her bow in hand. She knew where the shots were coming from, and knocked an arrow as she scanned the woods. Sound came from everywhere, but the angle of the shots suggested one archer. Using her hawk-like gaze, she searched until she found what she was looking for, and let loose her arrow. There was a garbled cry, and a man fell from one of the trees behind the group.
Two of the Tower Guard dismounted, thinking the thread was over with the death of the archer. Tristan cursed under his breath and closed distance between the bodies of his two charges, and his two remaining guards. Ria continued to scan the edge of the woods, fearing the threat was not over.
“Braun ain’t dead, sir!” one of the men called. He was leaning over the young kid who’d been shot in the back. In one motion, Tristan was off his horse, handing the reins to the remaining guard. The two fallen riders’ horses had bolted in the direction of Caemlyn, which meant getting the injured boy back to civilization would be no easy task.
With the Void tightly wrapped around her, Riahana dismounted. She noticed one of the guards about to pull out the arrow, “Stop! Leave the arrow in. If you pull it out, he might well bleed to death before we get close to the city. He has a better chance at living if we leave it in.” She led Lex closer to the fallen man, “Let’s get him on Lex, face down.”
Ria was glad there were no objections, and the Tower Guard made quick work of getting the lad up onto her horse. “You can ride my horse, Mistress,” Tristan replied as he took Lex’s reins. “We can see if we can find our other two,” he said optimistically.
Looking off towards the south, Ria’s right hand went to the hilt of her sword. “Tristan, have your men mount up and get Braun out of here. Quickly as they can to Caemlyn. You should go with them.”
The stubborn fool of a man stepped shoulder to shoulder with Ria as he looked to the other two, “You heard her. Get goin’. Get him safe. We won’ be far behind.”
It wasn’t the time to argue. There was movement in the woods, and as hoofbeats faded in the distance to the north as the rest of their party fled, three men stepped from the woods. Each of them wore a white cloak adorned with a sunburst on the left shoulder. Blood and Ashes! Bloody Whitecloaks!
The man in the middle smirked, “It would seem we have found ourselves Darkfriends. Let’s show them the err of their ways, shall we? Send them back to the pattern!” He casually waved the two men who flanked him forward. Both unsheathed their swords as they approached.
Tristan held a look of anger, and charged at the Whitecloak closest to him as he unsheathed his own weapon. Riahana took a slow, deliberate breath as she locked eyes with the man so set on trying to end her. Her right hand casually rested on the hilt of her sword, and just as casually, Ria Unfolded the Fan before settling into The Ox Lowers its Horns. With her weight on her back foot, and her eye traveling the length of the blade to the man who confidently closed distance, Riahana waited.
When the man was close enough, he swung his saber in a tight arc, aiming to decapitate Ria, but she’d already begun her counter-move, a downward thrust at the man’s chest as she executed Moon on the Water. The move forced the man to step back, and Riahana gave no quarter, as she took an aggressive posture, following up with Parting the Silk in the form of a powerful slash at his abdomen. The man tried to step back, and back again, but his footwork was messy.
Had she been in the Yards with one of the learning ranks or a Gaidin or Gaidar, Riahana would have offered tips to improve form. Out here, though, the man who faced her was intent on killing her. Sadly, he lacked the skill, and his commanding officer was a coward who sent a lesser man to his death. The Gaidar took no pleasure in killing, and never would. She did it out of necessity, nothing more. As such, she didn’t think twice when she started Arc of the Moon, and brought her blade around in one fluid motion, nearly decapitating, and certainly killing the man, returning him to the pattern.
To her right, Tristan was fighting for his very life, and thus far was managing to hold his own. Riahana could not pay him much attention, though, as their so-called leader growled as he launched at her from The Swallow Glides to the Branch to The Swallow Takes Flight, initiating a downward slash towards Riahana, which she parried, and then parried the following thrust with The Falling Leaf by sweeping her blade back and forth.
The man in front of her adjusted and retreated to a guard stance. He had skill with the blade, along with speed. His build was not much taller than Riahana, though he was likely as strong, if not stronger than the Gaidar. She started with a feint as she initiated The Wind Blows Over the Wall, bringing the blade up in a half-circle, but at the top of the arc, Ria quickly turned the blade to the side and completed the move with a powerful horizontal slash.
The man who fought her had hatred in his eyes as they fought, and threw curses her way each time she parried his attacks. He cursed more when she dared advance an attack on him, though none of the curses were new to Riahana thanks to her time in the Yards. He went on the offensive, launching into The Wood Grouse Dances by delivering short thrusts and slashes. He wasn’t so tentative about any of these, though, and Ria knew the purpose of the move was to seek out weaknesses. With the hopes of taking advantage of that wee bit of knowledge, Ria eased off on any parry to the left. Time would tell if her own feint would pay off.
Unlike her first opponent, the leader of the small group of Whitecloaks was well versed in sword forms, and knew how to move from one to another without hesitation. His transitions were as smooth as Riahana’s, perhaps smoother. Going from one move meant to test for weaknesses, to one meant to push endurance, he attacked Ria with an onslaught of side strikes with Rain in High Wind.
Using the flat of her blade, Riahana parried each blow. The man pressed his advance, taking one step forward with each strike. The Mistress of Arms was more than happy to give ground. They were not bound by arena fences, or any other boundary save what nature put before them. The Void kept her focus on him, though aware of the battle going on beside her. Somewhere in a small bundle at the back of her mind, she felt Gareth, but she pushed him, and thoughts of her family from her mind.
Staying on the defensive would not work for long with this opponent, but Riahana had to be careful how she changed the momentum of the engagement. Her leather armor seemed inadequate when compared to the plate chest piece the man wore, but his neck, arms and legs were exposed. The Gaidar had more than enough targets to work with.
Moving into Black Pepples on Snow, Ria parried the man’s blade before suddenly cutting downward with force towards his ribs. His armor would protect him if she could get in his guard, but he parried her cut and bound her sword. He started to twist his wrists as he initiated The Grapevine Twines, but Ria knew how dangerous it would be to fight him unarmed. Trusting in her footwork, she used what leverage she could to close distance between them. When she was within distance, she sent a hard kick to the side of the man’s knee. Dax would have been proud. Dirty fighting wasn’t a new concept to Riahana, and while in spars she would stick with rules of engagement, the only important rule of engagement when facing someone who is intent on killing you was staying alive.
“You Whore of a Darkfriend. . .you will pay for that!” the man spat at her. He pressed his attack, moving from a mid-guard to The Boar Rushes Down the Mountain. Ria didn’t recognize the move for what it was until the blade curved into the horizontal slash. Only her quick footwork and a weak parry pushed the blade to the left. The Whitecloak continued to press, stepping forward, though his gate was clearly compromised. Moving flawlessly from one move to another, he started The Kingfisher Takes a Silverback, aiming to stab at Ria’s abdomen. When she parried this with Falling Leaf, he continued to press with Kissing the Adder, with each thrust to her torso meant to test her apparently weak left parry.
Riahana found herself on the defensive, and fell back to Falling Leaf. The man before her was better than her. . .by a great deal. It had been a long time since she fought someone who was more than a match for her. If it weren’t for the Void, doubt and fear might have started to overwhelm her. Instead, she remained focused. A garbled cry near by mean Tristan’s fight was all but done, though she wasn’t sure who might have won.
The Whitecloak before her smirked, knowing he had the advantage, and slipped into The Dandelion in the Wind. It was a move Ria could do, though he seemed lightning fast, and silky smooth as his blade wove around her Falling Leaf. Cold steel met flesh as his blade dug into her shoulder. Ria’s footwork helped keep her neck from being sliced open, but she couldn’t avoid the slash across her shoulder. Pain was kept at bay by the Void, and she let the moment help sharpen her focus.
Seeing blood, the man didn’t hesitate as he thrust forward to her left shoulder. He was surprised when, instead of a weak parry, his blade was met in force. He thought to turn the tide and end this, but the Gaidar he faced had other plans. She promised Gareth a night out when she got back, and she wasn’t one to break promises.
Trying to maintain the upper hand, the man changed tactics, and once again bound Riahana’s blade, this time below low guard. Seeing her chance, Riahana brought the cross guard of her sword up with the full power of her hand, almost as if she were backhanding him with the hilt of her sword as she moved into The Mongoose Strikes the Serpent. Not expecting such a blow, the man’s head snapped back, and he stumbled away, one hand going to his now broken nose as blood rushed from both nostrils.
Riahana gave no ground as she took advantage of the shock he from the blow she landed. He realized his mistake too late as the Mistress of Arms started The River Undercuts the Bank, and used all her strength and focus to a quick, decisive horizontal slash at the man’s neck. He slumped to the ground, dead, not a moment later. His blade fell from his grasp and landed near Tristan.
The Tower Guard was bloodied, and his left arm hung limp at his side, but he was alive. His own opponent lay lifeless on the ground. It was a grim scene, and one Ria would rather have avoided. She let go a shaky breath, relieved that she’d survived to live another day.
“What’s this?” Tristan asked, his eyes on the blade at his feet. He leaned over and picked up the Whitecloak leader’s sword. “By the Light! Mistress. . .” When he looked up, the man’s eyes were wide as dinner plates,”He was a Blademaster! Ye beat a soddin’ Blademaster!”
Riahana Ferria, Mistress of Arms, and Gaidar of the Grey Tower had defeated a Blademaster. There was no joy in the moment, though, as it came with a steep price. Ria would rather her entire party be alive than have the knowledge she defeated a blademaster, and as such, could now be considered a Blademaster herself.
Finding herself at a loss for words, Ria looked northwards, “Come. . .let’s see if we can find the horses that ran off. Otherwise, we have a long road ahead of us, and I don’t think either of us would much enjoy carrying Thalia’s body the entire way.”
Tristan frowned, but knew she was right. He tucked the Whitecloak’s blade in his belt. It belonged to Riahana, now, though he doubt she’d take it. . .at least, not initially. Fortunately, the Tower horses were well trained, and hadn’t run off very far. Between the slice on Riahana’s shoulder, and Tristan’s broken left arm, it took a lot of effort to get Thalia’s body on her horse’s back. Tristan mounted up behind the prone body while Riahana mounted’ Braun’s mare.
The ride to Caemlyn, and remaining journey back to the Tower was a somber one. Riahana gave the details of her encounter to the other members of the Triumvirate, though she failed to mention the leader of the Whitecloaks was a Blademaster. No, that bit of information was brought forward by Tristan, and as such, Riahana was then officially named a Blademaster of the Grey Tower. As part of the ceremony, she was presented with the Heron marked blade of the Whitecloak blademaster, and given the right to have her own blade Heron marked.
Riahana was given an opportunity to escort a man and woman of some import back to Far Madding. Yes, she could have just sent the Tower Guard without her, but a chance to get away from the paperwork, bureaucracy and politics of being Mistress of Arms was too appealing to pass up. She rode with five of the finest in the Tower Guard, with their own leader riding alongside Ria, providing the Mistress of Arms with company and conversation. The Nobleman and his wife traveled in comfort in a carriage, and the Tower Guard plus Ria formed two columns of three on either side.
The Tower Guard were dressed in their typical uniforms, and Ria wore her fancloak, so it was hard to miss where the party was from. Outside of the Tower, Ria was careful about where she wore her rank insignia, opting to keep it on her but hidden so that she did not make herself more of a target. It wasn’t that the Gaidar expected trouble all the time, but that if she could avoid undue trouble, then she would. For onlookers, the party were quite the site. For Ria, she worried they were attracting too much unwanted attention.
The journey to Far Madding was uneventful, just as Riahana hoped. After three days of travel, the party arrived at the gate to Far Madding. The Noblewoman thanked the party for their escort, before telling the driver of their carriage to carry on to their home. At the gates, the Tower Guard, and Riahana had their weapons peace bonded. Those who took care of peace binding the weapons were careful, and made sure the mesh around the weapons and sheaths did no damage to either. The party of six would only be in Far Madding for one evening, as all wanted to get back to the Tower without delay.
The Tower Guard and Riahana left mid-morning from Far Madding with the intention to travel to Caemlyn, where they would spend the evening in an Inn before getting up bright and early the following day for a long day’s ride to Whitebridge, and one more day’s travel to the Tower itself. Their departure was delayed only slightly by the removal of the ‘peace bonding’ to their weapons.
The men and women of the Tower guard bantered back and forth, as if they were old friends, and they likely were. Ria knew their leader, a man by the name of Tristan du’Bane. He would sometimes come to the Warder Yards and spar with some of the learning ranks to help both im and them improve their sword skills. Every now and then, he would spar with Ria, but only to see how much he’d improved. Often, their spars ended within minutes of beginning, Ria getting three unanswered touches on the poor man before he had a chance to advance an attack.
“Lookin’ forward ta gettin’ back to yer husband?” Tristan asked as they reached the pass of the Hills of Kintara, marking the halfway point of their day’s trip to Caemlyn. He looked over to the Mistress of Arms and saw the smirk on her lips, and laughed, “‘Course ya are. Silly ta think otherwise. Me? I think my lass would rather me stay gone another five nights so she don’ have to clean up after me.”
Riahana laughed softly, “I am sure she would rather you home than not, Tristan.” Reaching down, she adjusted the strap holding her bow to the saddle, and scratched Lex at the withers. As relaxed as she might seem, the Gaidar was ever alert. No, she didn’t expect trouble, but that didn’t mean trouble wouldn’t find them. If given enough warning, she’d reach for her bow, but if trouble was more immediate, she’d rely on her sword. Either way, she hoped both weapons could go unused on this journey.
It was Ria’s habit to notice those they passed along the way. Most of the people they passed were simple merchants, making their way from one market to another. Some were families, others were less obvious, but most didn’t raise any flags for the Gaidar. Most meaning all save two men who watched Ria’s party far too intently for her liking. They were heading to Far Madding, and passed by no more than five minutes earlier.
Without thinking, Riahana pulled the Void tightly around her, letting it sharpen her focus. She looked to Tristan, and spoke softly, “Be on guard. Something seems amiss.”
“What? There’s none but us on the road, Mistress,” he replied. A gurgled cry from the back caught his and Ria’s attention, though, and they looked back to see Braun, the youngest of their group, slump off of his horse, an arrow through his back. Thalia, the young woman who had taken position to his right turned her horse to look back, only to have an arrow sink into her eye, killing her instantly.
Another arrow fell at the feet of one of the other horses, and Riahana already had her bow in hand. She knew where the shots were coming from, and knocked an arrow as she scanned the woods. Sound came from everywhere, but the angle of the shots suggested one archer. Using her hawk-like gaze, she searched until she found what she was looking for, and let loose her arrow. There was a garbled cry, and a man fell from one of the trees behind the group.
Two of the Tower Guard dismounted, thinking the thread was over with the death of the archer. Tristan cursed under his breath and closed distance between the bodies of his two charges, and his two remaining guards. Ria continued to scan the edge of the woods, fearing the threat was not over.
“Braun ain’t dead, sir!” one of the men called. He was leaning over the young kid who’d been shot in the back. In one motion, Tristan was off his horse, handing the reins to the remaining guard. The two fallen riders’ horses had bolted in the direction of Caemlyn, which meant getting the injured boy back to civilization would be no easy task.
With the Void tightly wrapped around her, Riahana dismounted. She noticed one of the guards about to pull out the arrow, “Stop! Leave the arrow in. If you pull it out, he might well bleed to death before we get close to the city. He has a better chance at living if we leave it in.” She led Lex closer to the fallen man, “Let’s get him on Lex, face down.”
Ria was glad there were no objections, and the Tower Guard made quick work of getting the lad up onto her horse. “You can ride my horse, Mistress,” Tristan replied as he took Lex’s reins. “We can see if we can find our other two,” he said optimistically.
Looking off towards the south, Ria’s right hand went to the hilt of her sword. “Tristan, have your men mount up and get Braun out of here. Quickly as they can to Caemlyn. You should go with them.”
The stubborn fool of a man stepped shoulder to shoulder with Ria as he looked to the other two, “You heard her. Get goin’. Get him safe. We won’ be far behind.”
It wasn’t the time to argue. There was movement in the woods, and as hoofbeats faded in the distance to the north as the rest of their party fled, three men stepped from the woods. Each of them wore a white cloak adorned with a sunburst on the left shoulder. Blood and Ashes! Bloody Whitecloaks!
The man in the middle smirked, “It would seem we have found ourselves Darkfriends. Let’s show them the err of their ways, shall we? Send them back to the pattern!” He casually waved the two men who flanked him forward. Both unsheathed their swords as they approached.
Tristan held a look of anger, and charged at the Whitecloak closest to him as he unsheathed his own weapon. Riahana took a slow, deliberate breath as she locked eyes with the man so set on trying to end her. Her right hand casually rested on the hilt of her sword, and just as casually, Ria Unfolded the Fan before settling into The Ox Lowers its Horns. With her weight on her back foot, and her eye traveling the length of the blade to the man who confidently closed distance, Riahana waited.
When the man was close enough, he swung his saber in a tight arc, aiming to decapitate Ria, but she’d already begun her counter-move, a downward thrust at the man’s chest as she executed Moon on the Water. The move forced the man to step back, and Riahana gave no quarter, as she took an aggressive posture, following up with Parting the Silk in the form of a powerful slash at his abdomen. The man tried to step back, and back again, but his footwork was messy.
Had she been in the Yards with one of the learning ranks or a Gaidin or Gaidar, Riahana would have offered tips to improve form. Out here, though, the man who faced her was intent on killing her. Sadly, he lacked the skill, and his commanding officer was a coward who sent a lesser man to his death. The Gaidar took no pleasure in killing, and never would. She did it out of necessity, nothing more. As such, she didn’t think twice when she started Arc of the Moon, and brought her blade around in one fluid motion, nearly decapitating, and certainly killing the man, returning him to the pattern.
To her right, Tristan was fighting for his very life, and thus far was managing to hold his own. Riahana could not pay him much attention, though, as their so-called leader growled as he launched at her from The Swallow Glides to the Branch to The Swallow Takes Flight, initiating a downward slash towards Riahana, which she parried, and then parried the following thrust with The Falling Leaf by sweeping her blade back and forth.
The man in front of her adjusted and retreated to a guard stance. He had skill with the blade, along with speed. His build was not much taller than Riahana, though he was likely as strong, if not stronger than the Gaidar. She started with a feint as she initiated The Wind Blows Over the Wall, bringing the blade up in a half-circle, but at the top of the arc, Ria quickly turned the blade to the side and completed the move with a powerful horizontal slash.
The man who fought her had hatred in his eyes as they fought, and threw curses her way each time she parried his attacks. He cursed more when she dared advance an attack on him, though none of the curses were new to Riahana thanks to her time in the Yards. He went on the offensive, launching into The Wood Grouse Dances by delivering short thrusts and slashes. He wasn’t so tentative about any of these, though, and Ria knew the purpose of the move was to seek out weaknesses. With the hopes of taking advantage of that wee bit of knowledge, Ria eased off on any parry to the left. Time would tell if her own feint would pay off.
Unlike her first opponent, the leader of the small group of Whitecloaks was well versed in sword forms, and knew how to move from one to another without hesitation. His transitions were as smooth as Riahana’s, perhaps smoother. Going from one move meant to test for weaknesses, to one meant to push endurance, he attacked Ria with an onslaught of side strikes with Rain in High Wind.
Using the flat of her blade, Riahana parried each blow. The man pressed his advance, taking one step forward with each strike. The Mistress of Arms was more than happy to give ground. They were not bound by arena fences, or any other boundary save what nature put before them. The Void kept her focus on him, though aware of the battle going on beside her. Somewhere in a small bundle at the back of her mind, she felt Gareth, but she pushed him, and thoughts of her family from her mind.
Staying on the defensive would not work for long with this opponent, but Riahana had to be careful how she changed the momentum of the engagement. Her leather armor seemed inadequate when compared to the plate chest piece the man wore, but his neck, arms and legs were exposed. The Gaidar had more than enough targets to work with.
Moving into Black Pepples on Snow, Ria parried the man’s blade before suddenly cutting downward with force towards his ribs. His armor would protect him if she could get in his guard, but he parried her cut and bound her sword. He started to twist his wrists as he initiated The Grapevine Twines, but Ria knew how dangerous it would be to fight him unarmed. Trusting in her footwork, she used what leverage she could to close distance between them. When she was within distance, she sent a hard kick to the side of the man’s knee. Dax would have been proud. Dirty fighting wasn’t a new concept to Riahana, and while in spars she would stick with rules of engagement, the only important rule of engagement when facing someone who is intent on killing you was staying alive.
“You Whore of a Darkfriend. . .you will pay for that!” the man spat at her. He pressed his attack, moving from a mid-guard to The Boar Rushes Down the Mountain. Ria didn’t recognize the move for what it was until the blade curved into the horizontal slash. Only her quick footwork and a weak parry pushed the blade to the left. The Whitecloak continued to press, stepping forward, though his gate was clearly compromised. Moving flawlessly from one move to another, he started The Kingfisher Takes a Silverback, aiming to stab at Ria’s abdomen. When she parried this with Falling Leaf, he continued to press with Kissing the Adder, with each thrust to her torso meant to test her apparently weak left parry.
Riahana found herself on the defensive, and fell back to Falling Leaf. The man before her was better than her. . .by a great deal. It had been a long time since she fought someone who was more than a match for her. If it weren’t for the Void, doubt and fear might have started to overwhelm her. Instead, she remained focused. A garbled cry near by mean Tristan’s fight was all but done, though she wasn’t sure who might have won.
The Whitecloak before her smirked, knowing he had the advantage, and slipped into The Dandelion in the Wind. It was a move Ria could do, though he seemed lightning fast, and silky smooth as his blade wove around her Falling Leaf. Cold steel met flesh as his blade dug into her shoulder. Ria’s footwork helped keep her neck from being sliced open, but she couldn’t avoid the slash across her shoulder. Pain was kept at bay by the Void, and she let the moment help sharpen her focus.
Seeing blood, the man didn’t hesitate as he thrust forward to her left shoulder. He was surprised when, instead of a weak parry, his blade was met in force. He thought to turn the tide and end this, but the Gaidar he faced had other plans. She promised Gareth a night out when she got back, and she wasn’t one to break promises.
Trying to maintain the upper hand, the man changed tactics, and once again bound Riahana’s blade, this time below low guard. Seeing her chance, Riahana brought the cross guard of her sword up with the full power of her hand, almost as if she were backhanding him with the hilt of her sword as she moved into The Mongoose Strikes the Serpent. Not expecting such a blow, the man’s head snapped back, and he stumbled away, one hand going to his now broken nose as blood rushed from both nostrils.
Riahana gave no ground as she took advantage of the shock he from the blow she landed. He realized his mistake too late as the Mistress of Arms started The River Undercuts the Bank, and used all her strength and focus to a quick, decisive horizontal slash at the man’s neck. He slumped to the ground, dead, not a moment later. His blade fell from his grasp and landed near Tristan.
The Tower Guard was bloodied, and his left arm hung limp at his side, but he was alive. His own opponent lay lifeless on the ground. It was a grim scene, and one Ria would rather have avoided. She let go a shaky breath, relieved that she’d survived to live another day.
“What’s this?” Tristan asked, his eyes on the blade at his feet. He leaned over and picked up the Whitecloak leader’s sword. “By the Light! Mistress. . .” When he looked up, the man’s eyes were wide as dinner plates,”He was a Blademaster! Ye beat a soddin’ Blademaster!”
Riahana Ferria, Mistress of Arms, and Gaidar of the Grey Tower had defeated a Blademaster. There was no joy in the moment, though, as it came with a steep price. Ria would rather her entire party be alive than have the knowledge she defeated a blademaster, and as such, could now be considered a Blademaster herself.
Finding herself at a loss for words, Ria looked northwards, “Come. . .let’s see if we can find the horses that ran off. Otherwise, we have a long road ahead of us, and I don’t think either of us would much enjoy carrying Thalia’s body the entire way.”
Tristan frowned, but knew she was right. He tucked the Whitecloak’s blade in his belt. It belonged to Riahana, now, though he doubt she’d take it. . .at least, not initially. Fortunately, the Tower horses were well trained, and hadn’t run off very far. Between the slice on Riahana’s shoulder, and Tristan’s broken left arm, it took a lot of effort to get Thalia’s body on her horse’s back. Tristan mounted up behind the prone body while Riahana mounted’ Braun’s mare.
The ride to Caemlyn, and remaining journey back to the Tower was a somber one. Riahana gave the details of her encounter to the other members of the Triumvirate, though she failed to mention the leader of the Whitecloaks was a Blademaster. No, that bit of information was brought forward by Tristan, and as such, Riahana was then officially named a Blademaster of the Grey Tower. As part of the ceremony, she was presented with the Heron marked blade of the Whitecloak blademaster, and given the right to have her own blade Heron marked.
