#earthrunes

Adam's hand stings. He never saw the move coming.

"Dueling," Sir Bachdion explains, "Relies on speed far more than strength."

"But, there's also deception. What you fell for was a feint. You've been taught about those yes?" The Grump inquires

Adam was momentarily dismayed, now frustrated. "Yes Sir. We use them in basketball. I fell for it."

"It's okay, Adam. I'm the teacher" He says "it helps me feel better about going silver if I get to be better at something than you are" A grin "you're used to basketball, rapiers and sabres are still a learning thing"

"Yes Sir. Can I get my blade?"

"Oh, allow me" The Satyr's rapier reaches down, hooks Adam's own practice blade by the hilt and lifts it up to him smoothly "Actually the basketball training WILL help you. Fast feints, bursts of speed. You're going to have an edge over some other apprentices"

A grin at that, not -quite- smug but it wants to be. "Show me what you did."

"Certainly," he positions and shows him step by step, "Then ..here.. see that hip to the side...? That's where I begin to throw you off."

Adam copies him at the saytr's side, tries to anticipate his moves....

And the next time, Adam is ready for it!

.... sure enough, he sees it coming and tries to parry. If that looks like it will fail, he tries a body-check!

The parry works, not as well as he'd like but it does divert

"Ha!!"

"Don't get smug, lad" A riposte and , a light tag

"Hey!"

"Do your victory laps after you've won, all I'm saying" The Satyr gives a bow, eyes nver off Adam though "But well, who can blame you? FIona tend to love life, and I'd be lying if I said we didn't love making a good move. Nice parry.. now if you want to , you can turn a parry into a push off. Shall I show you?"

"Yeah!"

And he shows him. Bachdion has FUN with the dueling, but is also remarkably patient. Trying to direct enthusiasm rather than remove it, and he answers questions freely when asked. Soon, Adam is learning how to parry, hold, then shove at his foe! "See... that was good! Now obviously, if you're facing a stronger foe that has limited use, but take a look at their own balance before commiting to that."

Adam nods. "Footwork."

"Exactly... or in my case, hoofwork. You need to keep moving to a degree, but transitioning your legs can also make you vulnerable. "

Adam nods his understanding and walks through a change of lead on his legs.

"But the point of all this is.... the point, right? Like, you can be the best at passing, or moving the ball, and that's important but if you can't score...."

"Oh the goal IS to put the pointy in in the other man, yes" He concedes "USUALLY, though, one of the most valabule warriors I ever knew was a sheild master. You see when you have someone holding the line, playing a frusstrating defense on your side? It can be like having a WALL at your side... you know you're safe there and can focus on others. But in a one on one duel you have to find your balance"

"Well, yeah." Adam concedes.

"And balance is part of why, you will also be running and climbing and leaping today..." He gestures to the large wooden construct to the side of the garden "On the Dueling Deck! Rule one! Do not step on the pooka! "

Hanging ropes, ramps, and ladders! It's like the side of a big ship sort of

"Don't step.....?!?!"

And indeed, walking along are various animals on the beams and thin ramps

A toad hops along one.

"Those are all pooka??"

"Wait, isn't the gardener a frog?"

"Pretty sure." he says "And I thought he was a toad myself. I never asked though and it's rude to assume one's amphbian species"

"So.... what do you want me to do?" The boy asks as he strips off his shirt.

"Get up there without stepping a pooka, or getting hosed down by the skunk... and I'll time you" He breaks out a stop watch "Bonus points the less you use your sword hand"

Adam shrugs and sheaths his blade to his hip before grabbing the first climbing rope and scrambling up!

Adam scrambles up the first rope, leaps and avoids the toad.

He takes a quick stock of the course and apparent goals, and dashes off!

As he swings up a rope ladder onto a handy platform, he comes face to face with - a LION? Large as life and fully-maned, the massive animal seems to be.... snoozing in the sun there - taking up most of the space. He could try another direction, or try to walk around the sleeping beast to the next rope?

Below , Sir Bachdion makes a show of checking his watch

He snores, and a snort-yawn shows a flash of very long, very white teeth. And a hint... of minty breath?

There is another path up a rope, but it would take longer....

His destination is just a whim away, a whim away, a whim away....

"Waaaaahhhh!" He yoddels in surprise and nearly backspin-topples backwards.....

"Please don't die" from at least 15 feet below "Your parents would be cross."

The lion snoozes.

"woah....." Adam breatehes, awed. For a moment he doesn't seem to know if he will pet it, play with it, or draw his blade on it.... Then he starts to tip toe around it.

The lion STREEETCHES, and curls back in, one massive paw wrapping lightly around his leg - the head rubs against his ankle. Growling - no, a.... purr?

"Tick Tock, Mister Thomas" From below Bachdion stares at the timer

Adam FREEZES for just a second, then jerks awy and darts forward and onward!!