The mentor evaluates the student in RAGING SEA Ch3/Sc3-A #amwriting #Arthurverse

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(c)2015 by Kim HeadleeBy the spring of 1990, three months after I had finished the first draft of Dawnflight , book 1 of The Dragon's Dove Chronicles, I realized that I needed to obtain some firsthand knowledge about sword fighting.

I was very fortunate in those days to have had a colleague working on the same computer programming project who was a student of the sword form of Tai Chi. One day, he assented to bring his blunted practice sword in to work, and we spent the best lunch hour I've ever had, before or since: he modeling his moves and lecturing, and me soaking it all in.

Most of that lesson is described from the student's perspective in Dawnflight, and other aspects have worked their way into my fiction. Today's excerpt from Raging Sea features the evaluation phase, this time from the viewpoint of the mentor.

Previous excerpts of Raging Sea  Chapter 1: Scene 1 | Scene 2 | Scene 3 | Scene 4 | Scene 5 |Chapter 2: Scene 1-A | Scene 1-B | Scene 2 |Chapter 3: Scene 1-A | Scene 1-B | Scene 2 |
Raging Sea Chapter 3, Scene 3-A©2015 by Kim HeadleeAll rights reserved.

Gull parried a long, swift series of Angusel’s blows, kicks, and body-blocks, many of which could have killed a lesser opponent.

Sweet Nemetona, my brogach can fight!

It took all his shrewdness and skill to stay ahead of the merciless advance. But Gull saw mistakes aplenty in Angusel’s tactics and form: lunging too far, overbalancing, giving away too much with his eyes, relying too much on his sword, too often failing to return the weapon to the proper position of readiness following a thrust. Doubtless, Elian saw the same flaws.

Time to put an end to this.

Gull disengaged and spun away. When Angusel charged, Gull stepped clear and stuck out a foot. Angusel tried to adjust his stride but was too late. He tripped and went sprawling. Before he could recover, Gull rushed over to pin him to the ground with his sword.

Angusel’s heavy panting hissed out between gritted teeth. The golden-brown eyes that glared at Gull seethed hatred.

Gull drew several deep breaths to steady himself. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gotten so winded in a practice bout. He smiled, affection surging through his breast for the talented young man. “Enough, lad.” He spoke in Breatanaiche for Elian’s benefit.

“Why did you do that?” The battle-flush faded from Angusel’s cheeks, but his gaze had lost none of its intensity. “It was not honorable.”

“Honor.” Gull withdrew the sword and offered his hand. “Honor has nae place on the battlefield.” True enough for most circumstances.

Angusel batted Gull’s hand away and stood. After flinging down his sword, he began stalking toward the beach.

“Gull’s right,” Elian called out to the receding form. “Kill or be killed, simple as that.”

Not that there was anything simple about the son of Alayna.

***

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