Eduwiges of Faldham listened to the grunts and clanging of men at battle. The shield-maiden smelled sweat, leather, grimy carpet and shame as it wafted across the giant room being used as a training hall in Minas Tirith. Eduwiges was amazed. In her eyes, a place to train was outside a fort on the plains of the Norcroft or under the trees of Imladris and flets of the Golden Wood; not in this huge palace hall with giant chandeliers and dangling tapestries. In fact, you could fit the entire village of Faldham inside this hall which was only a tiny portion of the rest of the city.
‘There you are Greyhound, you have been a busy little thing, ain’t cha?’ Eduwiges watches Xandilif walk in the door, she has a smirk on her face and her hair crosses her eyes. The grunting and groaning of men shoving each other around intensified.
‘I try to be’ she said, ‘It keeps my mind off, things.’
‘Yeah?’ Xandilif retorts. ‘If whacking things with swords keeps your mind off of death, you are in the wrong trade.’ Lif scanned the faces battling in the room, seeking for anything out of sorts. ‘I heard about a white haired Horse Mistress poking around, looking for training and making a nuisance of herself.’ Eduwiges cracked her knuckles,
‘It is not death I am keeping my mind from. Sadly, death is a part of our trade whether we like it or not. None of these,’ she raises her voice almost to a shout, ‘Proud Gondorian arms-men and so called sword fighters want to spar with me! They are either afraid of me, or stupid. Take your pick.’ Xandilif just shakes her head as Eduwiges stretches her arms out, getting the kinks out.
‘At least you will work with me. Even though the price is me kissing your arse as your squire.’ Eduwiges chuckles grimly. Xandilif looks at her erstwhile protege, ‘First of all, Mundbergers ain’t got time for your sort. Especially with war afoot, of course, war has been afoot in Minas Tirith since I was fecking born,’ she hoots.
‘Careful, I don’t have ya kiss someone ELSE’S ass, greyhound.’
Eduwiges grins, ‘There is always someone’s ass to kiss. That is why I left home. But I prefer yours to a Mundberger’s I suppose.’
‘Aww, my heart is all a flutter…’ Your trouble ain’t attacking, ‘Greyhound, it is not attacking.’ Eduwiges’ eyes widened.
‘What do you mean?’ she asked.
Xandilif assumes her lecture pose: arms crossed, fingers touching chin, short hair across the left side of her forehead, a sparkle in her grey eyes. ‘You go charging in, hell bent for leather. Sometimes, that works out for ya, but other times?’ Lif shakes her head disapprovingly, ‘You are missing something you could be doin, ta have more impact. Typical Rohan, ya fight like the entire word is just you and your damn horse!’
Eduwiges fidgets, eyes focused on her surroundings she rests her hand on her sword hilt. ‘I suppose that is the type of combat I’ve needed to survive and up until now, it has served me well. I grew up learning to fight in an eored. After I left home I was more by myself and aggressiveness was what I needed. Even fighting with the elves was more guerilla war than anything else.’
‘Honestly, Xan? Other than Uruks, trolls and other beasties, most of the men I have fought have been brigands outlaws, or hillmen.’ Xandilif nods,
‘Ya gotta learn to think more Greyhound.’ she pokes a finger into Edu’s chest. ‘Think more, do less and wait. You are big, you are strong, you are mean. You can turn a battle, but not if you are out of position and exhausted from the start.’
‘Like the last battle I fought outside of Faldham you mean?’
‘You tell me.’ Xandilif said, ‘What happened?’ Eduwiges sighed and closed her eyes. Remembering the battle that day was easy.
'Several hundred uruks and their wargs were trying to overrun Faldham. Thane Elfmar held me back with a small group as a reserve to attack as I saw fit. After the main charge, a group of Uruks and trolls tried to flank Lord Elfmar. I led the charge to break up the attack. I slew a mountain troll and a bunch of orcs until we fought them off. Faldham still stands.
’It was a difficult battle. The uruk hai are getting smarter.’
Xandilif shakes her head in agreement, ‘That’s the idea.’ she said. ‘Look, you gotta understand how orcs think, when they think. Unless they got rock solid leadership they are all out for themselves, me, me, me, glory for me, meat for me, victory, for me! They will fecking kill each othr in the middle of a battle for pride, meat, or spoils. So they all attack in a rush.’
‘Lif, I know how orcs think. I know how the creatures of the dark lord fight. I need to learn how to fight,’ she gestures at the men having at each other on the practice mats. ‘These better. Types like Nethrida, that Thunar or Gareth.’
‘Ideally, ya ain’t gonna do that too often, who is this Thunar again, yer boyfriend? Xandilif cackled with a grin on her face to goad Eduwiges into a response. ‘I am not a fool, Lif, I know where I am weak. I want to add the skills you, Neth and Gareth have learned.’ Eduwiges points at two men sparring with each other on the training floor. ‘I can handle fools such as that. But you or Gareth?’ She shakes her head grimly. ‘Thunar was the giant arsed man who took Addie’s horse hostage to force her compliance. He also killed my father.’ Eduwiges’ eyes hooded over and her knuckles turned white gripping her sword sheath.
Xandilif smirks, ‘So if he had a giant ass and killed yer old man, how’d ya take him?
‘We took him as a team.’ Eduwiges said. ‘Xan finished him off with heartbreaker.’ She stares off into the distance remembering the battle in the cave.
‘Well,’ Lif said, ‘that tells you your first rule, work as a squad. Always, remember yer role in it.’ Eduwiges wrinkled her forehead in thought, ‘We were surrounded, and we used what skills we had to survive and take him down.’
Xandilif responded, ‘That is how you dealt with the grunts, but what about the giant ass?’
‘I actually had very little to do with getting Thunar down, It was more Xan and Calidis’ doing than mine. I took care of the guards.’ Eduwiges crossed her arms and watched the sparring teams on the floor of the training hall. ‘Good,’ Xandilif said. ‘You had your role and you used it and Rian and Blackbird would have been especially effective against this, idiot.’
Eduwiges turns and looks Lif in the eye, ‘I have trained with elves in Lorien and Imladris, I cut my teeth crossing blades with men in the Rohan. I have trained with the sons of Elrond and bloody Glorfindel. Why is it Xan doesn’t think I am capable of taking someone like Gareth down?’ The frustration in her voice is palpable. Here is the real rub, the thought that Xanderian does not have faith in Eduwiges herself. This is the real reason Eduwiges has lost confidence in herself.
‘Damn you are stupid…’ Xandilif knocks on Edu's forehead. Eduwiges blanches and catches Xandilif’s hand as it pulls back and stares daggers into her eyes.
‘First and foremost, the easier part. Rian don’t really know if you could take him or not, but she does know she don’t want to see what is left of you after.
‘She loves you ya ninny and will do whatever she can ta keep ya from getting hurt for no reason. Second part, yer style and his are a bad match, and likely, his will trump yours.’ Eduwiges relaxes and releases Xanderian’s hand, her shoulders slump. Lif took note of Edu’s relaxing and willingness to listen now.
‘Greyhound, you fight with passion, Steelheart does not. He will wait for you to get angry, or hurt and then he will take you apart.’ Xandilif stares across at Eduwiges and then smirks, watching the men on the training mats clanging away at each other. After a moment Eduwiges says quietly, surrendering, Then show me, show me how not to be taken apart.’
‘Edu, you’ve got to get your heart out of the matter, just use your head and your arm.’
‘Not because I really even want to fight Gareth anymore. He was doing his job, as big a bastard as he is, he was only doing his job. That much,’ Eduwiges smiles, ‘That much I have learned. Xandilif pokes Eduwiges on the forehead several times with her finger.
‘Good!’ Lif said.
‘That don’t mean he is any less intense than you are, you seen how he is… He don’t let his passion make him vulnerable. And another thing!’ Xan’s voice lowers and becomes grim.
‘He knows how to get people to betray themselves. To give up to anger, or frustration and when they do, Steelheart takes them apart, piece by bloody piece.’
‘When Gareth killed that guard in the prison, it shocked me.’ Eduwiges said.
‘Of course it did!’ Responds Xandilif. ‘There was no emotion, only destruction. No stupid battle cries, no threats, just action and reaction, the guard disobeyed and Gareth dealt with him. Action, reaction.’
‘Well then, I must adopt this mindset. Will you help me? I will continue to be your squire until you feel I have, ahh, beat emotion out of my sword arm?’
‘Yeah Greyhound, I wouldn’t be here otherwise.’
‘Ok, simple rules, small words, first rule for you,’ Eduwidges stares down at Morinehtar and says, ‘I don't even know how to say what the goal is Lif.’
‘The goal, Greyhound, is to make Rian less afraid.’ Eduwiges looks at Xandilif with full attention. ‘First rule, never, ever, attack first! Never be the action. Be the reaction. Don’t mean you won’t ever strike first, just means you won’t attack first.’ Eduwiges nods her head vigorously agreeing.
‘Wait till your foe is committed, until they have shown you what they are gonna do, then counter it, almost always your attack will land first. And the longer you don’t attack, the more uneasy they will get and make a mistake.’
Eduwiges nods, and greets the great Ahmo as she walks in behind Xandilif. Her powerful figure automatically cuts a wake through the crowd of noblemen and soldiers seeking to practice arms with each other. Her and Xandilif begin a conversation as Edu makes her way to the training floor. Surprisingly, a man waves her out to his practice pad. She smiles.
‘This is more like it,’ she thinks to herself. Edu pulls her dagger and Morinehtar out of their scabbards and walks out to where the man is standing, sword drawn, shield in hand. Across the room she can see Ahmo and Xandilif having an animated conversation.
‘Focus.’ she says to herself and pulls Morinehtar up to her face to salute her opponent. ‘Eduwiges of Faldham’ she said. ‘At your service!’ she crouches down into a guard position. Others step back, watching.
‘At my service indeed.’ The portly, balding man says, chuckling with a smirk. His friends seem to think this hilarious and laugh with mirth. ‘Raelin Firth of Minas Tirith, Master of the Steward’s court!’ he rumbled with a baritone voice that carried across the practice mats pridefully. He held his blade up in a mockery of Eduwiges salute and raised his shield and sword.
Eduwiges of Faldham looked over the mat at her opponent. He was portly to be sure, but behind that belly might be great strength. She does notice that his guard is off a bit. Not taking her seriously as a duelist. ‘Well’ she thought, ‘I shall soon fix that.’
She also notices his eyes aren’t on hers as they should be. They are on her breasts. Even though buried under all the gear she is wearing they are still very noticeable.
‘Cmon then.’ She calls. Gesturing Raelin forward.
They cross blades. Eduwiges testing for the strength she is sure Raelin is carrying behind his bulk. However, she notices his strikes to be quite flaccid. She whirled her blade around again, and Raelin was able to block it, barely. His florid face and high forehead begin to sweat, fat drops rolling down his face and into his eyes. Eduwiges backs off, wary of a trap. Raelin takes this moment to beat his blade on his shield. ‘Shall we wager?’ He calls out.
‘Wager what then?’ Eduwiges replied.
‘If I win, a night with you’
‘A night with me?’ she frowns, eyes hooding over.
‘Aye’ he replies, ‘If I win you spend the night with me.’ He smirked, his friends leering in the background.
Eduwiges face grows grim. Anger flushes her face red. Fury travels down her arm and into her blade. She catches herself, hearing Xandilif’s voice in her head.
‘There was no emotion, only destruction. No stupid battle cries, no threats, just action and reaction, the guard disobeyed and Gareth dealt with him. Action, reaction.’
Eduwiges used her brain and cracked her knuckles. She analyzed how Raelin was standing. How high his shield was and how he held his broadsword. She kept her mouth shut and waited for him. Unnerved by her silence, Raelin realized he had act. He had talked up defeating the flaxen haired woman from the Mark to his friends and now he had to carry it out or disgrace himself. He raised his shield to just under his eyes and moved in.
Suddenly, he wasn’t sure how, he found himself staring at the ceiling with no idea how he ended up flat on his back. His sword was still in his hand but his shield was gone. Raelin caught his breath and got back to his feet. One of his friends called out, ‘What's the matter Rae? You gonna let a woman pound ya?’
Infuriated, Raelin of Minas Tirith, Master of the Steward’s court, went for Eduwiges of Faldham. Blades flashed and clanged together. Shieldless, Raelin used both hands to handle his broadsword. Eduwiges used a combination of sword and dagger to fend off his attacks. Other than the anger coming from the man smashing his blade into hers, Eduwiges found his strikes weak and easy to fend off. She had the measure of him now. She parried a strike and then feigned weakness to her left. Raelin fell for the trap and with an easy parry Eduwiges booted him in the chest with a kick and put him on the floor again.
Raelin, with an incredulous look on his face, slowly climbed to his feet.
‘Dammit woman! That is cheating!’ Xandilif looked out and ceased her conversation with Ahmo. ‘Yo! Raelin! Stop lookin’ at her tits or I swear to feckin god I will let her EAT you next time! Get your damn sword up and stop being a dick in boots!’
Eduwiges continued the lecture where her teacher left off
, ‘If you are dead Raelin, it doesn’t matter how you were knocked on your arse. Lif is right! Stop looking at my tits and tend to your sword. An orc does not care about your rules. Think with the sword in your hand, not your other one.’ She smirks, ‘If the other one even works.’
She raised her sword in guard as he lunged at her. Suddenly, with a strange twisting of Morinehtar and her dagger, Raelin’s sword flew out of his grasp, up into the air, and slammed point first into the wooden base of the practice mat. Where it wobbled itself into stillness.
‘Hah!’ Xandilif yelled. ‘Now if your little Gondorian only stood that straight Raelin!’
‘Perhaps you should have spent more money on lessons and not so much on your sword.’ Eduwiges said sardonically gesturing at the sword implanted in the deck.
She turned away from the sputtering Gondorian seeking another opponent. Suddenly, with a quickness that defied his portliness, Raelin, dagger in hand, lunged at Eduwiges’ back in mid-turn. Xandilif watches but does not move or speak.
Sensing the movement behind her, Eduwiges turns, quick as a snake and catches Raelin by the throat, stopping him instantly. She stares into his eyes as his face turns red. Silence filled the practice hall. Xandilif looks down at Eduwiges, ‘Good, he acted, you reacted. Now, hurt him’ she said with menace.
Eduwiges glared at the man as he struggled to catch his breath. ‘Are we done here?’ She asked.
Raelin nodded as much as he could with Edu grasping his throat. Eduwiges looked at Xandilif then at Raelin, she tossed him to the ground as if he were a sack of meal, ignoring Xandilif’s order to hurt him. His weight no bother to her. She backed away, oblivious to the stunned looks of all the men, who earlier refused to spar with her. Taking a towel and wiping the sweat off her face, Eduwiges of Faldham rejoined Xandilf and Ahmo.
