Practice Makes Perfect{open}

[Sawyar]

Sawyar trotted into the arena begging for a sparring partner to be there. Of course there wasn't. She sighed and hurried to set up dummies for her to fight against. Placing them so that it was if she was being surrounded she reached back and drew her swords, she stood in her ready position. She paused, then attacked. With a side sweep she took out the nearest head. Taking her time with all the other she pretended to block an attack before jumping in connecting a fist to a dummies 'gut'. Now if this was real that would probably hurt me more. She stabbed its side as she past moving to the next dummy. And that's how she continued, a complex dance of thrusts, feints, stabs, slashes, blocks, and dodges. Not to mention a well place foot or fist here and there. Finally she stood outside a ring of mauled dummies. She took deeper breaths trying to slow her heart rate down faster. She wiped her face on her sleeve and slid her swords back into their sheaths. That wasn't near as fun as I thought it would be. She sat down on a near by bench and sighed. Hopefully a sparring partner would come along soon.

[aldo]

Sam wandered into the arena, cheerful at the prospect of getting the chance to fight somebody. That cheerfulness immediately disappeared when she saw that the only other camper there was a girl about her age. One person would't be enough to satisfy Sam, but she would have to do. "Hey! Scar girl! You're gonna spar with me!" Sam called, waving with her celestial bronze arm.

[Sawyar]

Sawyar looked up and raised her eyebrows at the arrival. "Scar girl?" she asked. At least I have both my arms, she almost shouted back but stopped herself before she did. "What makes you think I'll spar with you?" Besides the fact that I really want to. She shrugged to herself and stood pulling her bracers tighter. She reached back and drew her swords again. She didn't appreciate being called Scar girl, but there were worse things. Studying her opponent she realized she knew her. Samantha, or Sam as everyone called her, she was a daughter of Hephaestus and had lost her arm fighting a dragon. Sawyar didn't know how fast Sam moved but if she moved a little bit faster then she might have the upper hand. Then again, Sam would be used to moving with that arm of hers and then there goes Sawyar's advantage. Then it'll come down to who has the best skills and more endurance.

[aldo]

Sam grinned as Sawyar got up to fight. "Alright. Let's get started," she said, taking a boxing stance to prepare for any attack Sawyar may attempt. So long as it wasn't anything too much, she should be able to fight back.

[Sawyar]

Sawyar studied Sam for a moment more before settling in her own stance. She waited looking to see what move she should do first before shooting forward. She pretended to cut low aiming for her legs, when at the last minute she flicked her sword up and cut diagonally up at her abdomen. She then brought her other sword up to stab Sam's chest. Sawyar then moved away and tried to circle around behind her. She waited this time for Sam to attack. That first made by Sawyar was to see some of Sam's skills. The last few months of hard training were about to pay off.

[aldo]

Sam prepared to protect her legs from Sawyar, only realizing what was happening when the other girl slashed at her abdomen. Quickly trying to dodge the next attack, Sam managed to get away with only her left shoulder damaged. "You're pretty good, aren't ya?" she said, deciding to take the chance she was being given. Utilizing her boxing training, she quickly began throwing punchs at Sawyar with her right arm.

[Sawyar]

Sawyar blocked a few of Sam's punches, but she received a good punch to the face in not being fast enough. She backed away. "And you have and interesting fighting style." Sawyar jumped back in, holding one sword back as a defense, she used the other one to chop at Sam's head. She then aimed a kick at her stomach followed by and upward sweep with one of her swords. Moving in a tight circle she moved behind Sam and slashed at her back.

[aldo]

"It's called boxing," Sam said, knocking away Sawyar's attack to her head. She couldn't protect herself from the other girl's kick or second strike, but managed to dodge the strike to her back. "Learn it next time," she added, punching at Sawyar's face and stomach at the same time.

[Sawyar]

"I know what it is called," Sawyar answered, backing away to avoid Sam's blows. She took a step forward a slashed at Sam's left side with her swords. Aimed at her thighs and her stomach. Taking another step forward she sliced backwards at her stomach again. She then stabbed at Sam's chest. Ducking low she swept her sword at Sam's ankles. Straitening she took another step to the other girl and chopped down at her shoulder.