The clack, clack, clack of wood against wood as practice swords clashed could not match the intoxicating ring of steel upon steel yet it helped confirm Prewtez’s initial assessment of the combatants. Both men knew their way around a blade. Adrian Danethor had held rank in the forces of an Andoran Noble House. It was doubtful he could have survived long enough without some skill with the sword. And the Shienaran, Ravak Darrow, had probably grown up with a wooden sword in his hand, imagining defending the Borderlands from the denizens of the Blight. Weren’t all Shenaran males trained for combat as soon as they were big enough to hold a greatsword?
The Ji smiled as he observed Darrow take his stance and then launch his attack. The man may not know the forms but he did a fair approximation of The Ox Lowers His Horns before moving into the Willow Embraces the Breeze. Of course the names themselves were superfluous, meant only to convey the position and movement of the body. A swordsman trained in the forms did not consciously think of each form as he flowed through them, focused within the Void. The names were merely tools to help in practice, until the form became a part of one’s subconscious. An observer, such as he was at the moment, might name each form as the fighters moved through them, but a true swordsman could not spare it a thought. Sparing thoughts for such things usually ended up in defeat, as he knew too well from his early sparring with the Gaidar Captain. But now each form was simply a part of him, as was the positioning and footwork that accompanied them. Again, he had Riahana Gaidar to thank. She was a stern teacher, exactly what he had needed.
He nodded in approval as Ravak sought to offset his disadvantage in size by getting inside Adrian’s guard. Again, Prewtez had learned through painful experience than the bigger and stronger did not always possess an advantage in this form of fighting. Both men were light on their feet, both apparently finding their own void. He wondered, though, if the Andoran was used to fighting in a shield wall, a neighbor protecting his exposed flank, as the man rushed an attack, exposing his right side to a counter strike. Would the Shienaran grasp it?
The Ji smiled as he observed Darrow take his stance and then launch his attack. The man may not know the forms but he did a fair approximation of The Ox Lowers His Horns before moving into the Willow Embraces the Breeze. Of course the names themselves were superfluous, meant only to convey the position and movement of the body. A swordsman trained in the forms did not consciously think of each form as he flowed through them, focused within the Void. The names were merely tools to help in practice, until the form became a part of one’s subconscious. An observer, such as he was at the moment, might name each form as the fighters moved through them, but a true swordsman could not spare it a thought. Sparing thoughts for such things usually ended up in defeat, as he knew too well from his early sparring with the Gaidar Captain. But now each form was simply a part of him, as was the positioning and footwork that accompanied them. Again, he had Riahana Gaidar to thank. She was a stern teacher, exactly what he had needed.
He nodded in approval as Ravak sought to offset his disadvantage in size by getting inside Adrian’s guard. Again, Prewtez had learned through painful experience than the bigger and stronger did not always possess an advantage in this form of fighting. Both men were light on their feet, both apparently finding their own void. He wondered, though, if the Andoran was used to fighting in a shield wall, a neighbor protecting his exposed flank, as the man rushed an attack, exposing his right side to a counter strike. Would the Shienaran grasp it?
