BW PDF - Midnight Campaign

Chapter SevenWeapon TechniquesThe crowd in the tavern cleared fast, leaving most of the roomopen and quiet. Cynthia Dire swung her sabre lazily at one endof the clearing, a bitter smile on her lips. “You know, I’ve beenlooking forward to this,” she said. “It’s been a fair bit since I’vehad a decent fight.”Her opponent, Grim the Sellsword, sniffed, spat, and readjustedhis armor. “A decent fight? You kicked over my table, spilledmy drink, and insulted my dog. This isn’t going to be a fight,it’s going to be a lesson in respect.”Cynthia gave a flick of he wrist, and the dagger she had palmedspun across the room. Grim batted it out of the air with hishand, earning a gash with the unarmed parry, but probablysaving his eye. “You murdered someone important to me,”Cynthia said. “Not stabbing you in your sleep was the closestyou get to respect.”Grim limbered his claymore, taking a wide stance. “Ah. Vendetta,then. I can respect that. Come. Earn your vengeance or die trying.”Cynthia reached forward in a graceful lunge, her light bladecrossing the distance easily. Grim’s own heavy sword slid into anable defense, the grind of steel casting sparks in the dim light.True to form, she returned lightly to her stance, ready tostrike again.He responded with his own attack, a heavy swing that whistledthrough the air. What it lacked in subtlety, it gained in power.Cynthia blocked the attack with her blade, sliding it away fromherself, but the heavy swing cost her balance. Grim followed itthe attack with a brutal punch, striking her across the jaw andknocking her off her feet. Having trained to the point of instinct,she landed in a tight roll, ending in a crouch.Grim watched her rise. “You show promising skill. Are you sure youwant to waste that on a glorified tavern brawl?”Cynthia drew a second, shorter sword, and returned to her stance.The dance of steel was the only answer she gave.