Spar

[Rangarl Swiftarrow]

*He stood on the gravel path awaiting the arrival of his opponent. The fox waved his dirk swiftly through the air. Rangarl sneered as the foe did not appear.* He is afraid! Come fight me! *The ranger growled into the open space and waved his dirk in a challenging manner.*

[Typhoon]

The rays of the dawning sun fell on the badger's breastplate, causing the highly polished metal to glisten and gleam. His booted footpaws strode purposefully towards the fox, leaving no doubt as to where he was headed. He hid a secret smile behind the visor of his helmet. It was entirely likely that the newcomer had not known who he was when he challenged him to a spar. The fox no doubt thought that an old badger would be easy prey to a young, agile fox. Typh had taken special care to cover the insignia on his shoulders and cuffs with steel pauldrons and vambraces, which were metal plates covering his shoulders and arms but still allowed him enough freedom of movement to fight. The greaves, poleyns, and cuisses which protected his shins, knees, and thighs respectively seemed to weigh less on his legs than usual. Typh attributed this to being eager to fight, a sensation he had not experienced in many a season.

Though Typh had been away for the past two seasons, first at the tournament, and then helping a friend run an import/export business out of Mossflower, he had still found the time to maintain his extensive weapon and armour collection. Thrust in its scabbard in his belt was one of his most favoured weapons; his heavy sabre. Just in case he managed to lose his weapon, a regrettably common occurrence during the battles of the past, a long dagger was also tucked in his belt.

The badger had always been a shield-and-sword fighter. He had long ago forsaken the mad two-handed berserker charges traditional to badgers in favour of more a defensive, controlled form of combat with a one-handed weapon and a shield. Thus, he had for a long time brought a shield to every spar he fought in, and his first spar since he got back to the Horde was certainly no exception. Typh hefted a heavy round oaken shield, with a metal boss and rim.

The badger drew his sabre when about twenty feet from the fox and returned his opponent's jibes in the best Drill Sergeant voice he could muster.

"Alright, I hear ye, you useless no-good, lily-livered, lettuce-pawed, snot-nosed, piece of turd in a tunic! You want a bleedin' fight, you've got one!"

The badger raised his sabre above his head, turned his shield towards the fox, and advanced at a slow trot.

OOC: First RP in... I forget how long. I hope you weren't waiting for anyone in particular to respond to your post...

[Rangarl Swiftarrow]

OOC: Its better than mine...
BIC:

*The fox growled when he heard the yell of the badger. Rangarl got in his fighting stance and prepared to face the badger. He signaled to Typhoon to advance. The new recruit lifted his dirk, but slid the throwing knife into his other paw. Acting as if he was going to stab the badger with his dirk, Rangarl slung the throwing knife at him with his other paw.*

[Typhoon]

The new recruit was a good thrower. The knife flew faster than Typh could raise his shield, and if the badger had not been armoured, the knife would have caused a serious, if not mortal wound. As it was, however, the knife simply clanged off the edge of his breastplate, dangerously close to the vulnerable gap between the chest armour and the left pauldron. An inch to the left and it would have stabbed the badger just above his heart. The blade fell to the gravel path harmlessly. The badger grinned at the fox, though inside him, his mind was filled with doubt. Did the fox have any other tricks up his sleeve? Poison? Some sort of secret weapon? Foxes were tricky, to be sure, but Typh was confident, at least, that when he closed the distance between them, the fox, wouldn't stand a chance. He broke into a slow run, keeping his shield in front of him at all times and raising his sword higher in preparation to strike. The fox seemed to stand no chance. Typh's sabre was a few times longer than his pitiful dirk.

OOC: Next time, please state what weapons you have in your opening post. I know the throwing knife was included in your character description, but please state what weapons you have next time. Does your char have his bow with him now?

[Rangarl Swiftarrow]

OOC: Ok, thanks. I'll remember next time. My character does not have his bow with him.

BIC: * The fox was furious when the knife just fell to the ground doing nothing. He knew he stood no chance hand to hand against the large badger. He knew he had to be very tricky.He knew the Badger knew that too. Rangarl decided to walk slowly toward him thinking he could make a swift move to get behind him. He knew it was risky, but it was all he could think of. He continued on, sweating as he shifted between positive and negative thoughts.* Mak' your move mate. Come on now. * As he got closer he knew if he hesitated he would fail. So he continued on hesdstrong and ready to make his move.

When he was about two meters from the badger he made his move. He took two quick strides to reach the side of the badger, but suddenly he steps on a large rock and falls hard on his back on the gravel. He looks up at Tyhoon trembling in fear.

[Typhoon]

Typh sighed as he looked at the beast trembling at his feet. He sheathed his sabre and offered a paw to the beast to help him up. This was, after all, a spar, not a real fight, though he knew of some Hordebeasts in the past who would not have made that distinction.

"Get up, mate."

[Rangarl Swiftarrow]

*The fox was amazed that Typh wasn't going to even harm him. He knew it was only a spar, but he thought Typh would at least hurt him. He was very grateful to the badger for being so compassionate. He took Typh's hand and got on his feet.*

Thanks Typh, me know you could've done otherwis Mate

[Typhoon]

Typh raised his visor and made a slight smile.

"I have been in that position on many occasions in the past, and if not for a bit of luck, I'd have been dead by now. You're a good fighter, Rangarl. The Horde is weak enough as it is without me killing or maiming you for no good reason. What reasonable, sane, General could do such a thing?"

[Rangarl Swiftarrow]

I dont know. Die. *The fox jumped up and then came down and attempted to put hs dirk in Typhoon's head.* Heh, idiot...

OOC EDIT by Rina:

Rangarl, try using some more description and let it flow easier. M'kay?

[Typhoon]

Typh had been away too long, though his instincts were sharp enough for him to duck slightly when he saw the fox tense up to jump. It was the mind that was failing him. He was becoming naive in his old age, too trusting. Typh was ill-equipped to deal with such vile traitorous creatures such as this fox. His old head was almost too full of wool to be any use, which made the stab at his head seem like a good thing. Like doctors bled their patients to get rid of the bad blood, sometimes warriors needed to be wounded in order to reawaken them to the realities of life. No one could be trusted. He should have learnt that lesson a long time ago; it would have saved him much pain.

Keeping the treacherous fox further away from him would certainly have saved him the pain of the blade, the point of which was buried deep in his shoulder, pressing against the bone. It had barely missed his head and hit his left shoulder instead, slipping in between the gaps in the lames of his pauldron. The badger let out a huge bellow of pain and anger, hoping someone from the Horde would hear him and come to his aid before the fox finished him off.

There was no doubt whatsoever in the badger's mind that the fox was a traitor, possibly sent by a rival faction to assassinate the leadership of the Horde. What other reason could there be? The spar was over, Rangarl had not been around long enough for Typh to do anything to him that merited a personal vendetta. It could only be a political assassination, by factions inside or outside the Horde. Never in his life had he met such a totally honourless beast. Never in the history of the Horde had an assassination attempt against a General from within the ranks been recorded.

Even now, the pain was becoming too much to bear. Typh's vision was clouding. A warm feeling which he knew came from his own blood began to spread over his body under the plate armour. The badger knew it was over. There was never anyone on the path this early in the morning, and even if Rangarl did not slit his throat, he would soon be reunited with his ancestors.

In a last, desperate gesture of defiance, the badger yelled a war cry, pulled the dirk out of his shoulder and snapped the blade. Throwing it at the feet of the traitor, he spat on the ground and collapsed.

OOC: I'm sorry if the sentences are awkward; I haven't done this in too long.