The First of the Warrior Semifinals

[Envin]

~ The Eighth Trial of Single Combat | Semifinals of the Warrior Sets ~

Upon a plain of the Pelennor, south of the White City, a large space of grass had been plowed under into a rectangle of soft, brown sand. About this sand was set a fence of white wood, and flags and streamers ran from the poles of the fence. Pavilions and tents clustered round the field, and within the high pavilion at the center of the field's side sat the Lord Aragorn, here to moderate this the first event of the Trial of Lords. At his right hand sat his bride, the Fair Arwen Evenstar, come hither to observe the match, to have a glass of winel with her husband, and to offer advice should the match prove difficult to judge. This is the eighth of the trials in single combat, and the first of the semifinals for the sets of Warriors. It is to decide who will face the winner of the second semifinal round in the Warrior Championship, the victor of which facing the Mage Champion in the Trial of Lords, the final and most arduous round. The contestants of this event are to be the Lord Ashuron Leafbow, currently enjoying his first-place seed among the fine warriorsren, and strange fighter Ilius, valiant in combat as he seeks to upend Ashuron's hold in the Trials. Even now they enter the field at opposing ends, and now the crowds assembled cheer for them. Bowing to one another at distance, they make their way to the Pavilion of Lords to take the Cup of Tournament, and to pay homage to the Lord of the Trials ere the event begins. Aragorn rises, and all follow his lead as the contestants draw nigh. Aragorn proffers them the Cup, they drink, and bow to all assembled, and then walk to their places at opposite ends of the field.

Aragorn drops his hand and sits, and the Eighth Trial is begun.

[Faron]

Ashuron bows once more to Ilius before saying, "I'll allow you the first attack if you wish it. If not, well we can end this Trial all the quicker."

[Alcorad]

"You are foolhardy if you beleive that I shall allow an easy victory for you. I have fought one of your kind and he was strong and nimble. I know what I am up against and there is no certain victory for me in the outcome of this battle." Doren smiled and bowed to the elf. He was comfortable and at home at his side of the arena. He beleived that he could win but only if he but forth every ounce of strength and determination in his being. "I shall allow you the first attack."

[Faron]

"Very well then." Ash drew his bow and placed an arrow in it, fired it a Ilius, and then quickly placing a second, firing it a little to the left of the first, and then a third a little to the right. Ash thought that his best chance for victory lay in ranged combat.

[Alcorad]

Ilius dropped to the ground quickly feeling the lowest of the three arrows tear his cloak as he only slightly avoided it.
He smiled as he lifted himself up and sprang forward with his blade swinging it about. Already he could feel the exitement of the battle. This elf was much more aggressive than Legolas yet no more deadly. He knew Legolas' skill with a bow was renowned. The Mirkwood elves prided themselves in archery.

Doren lifed himself off the ground and jumped an astounding height into the air where he landed some three feet away from Ashuron. As the elf turned his bow towards him he sprang up again this time very close to him. The elven warrior no longer had the room to use his bow unless he was willing to suffer a hit aswell. Doren quickly unsheathed his dagger and thrusted it forward while swinging his sword diagonally down towards Ashuron's leg. After his match with Legolas he had gone to the local smithy and had many more daggers made for him that were each held to his legs by leather straps with only their hilts revealed.

[Faron]

Ash leaped to the right, feeling the dagger graze his left arm as he jumped. He noted his opponent's use of the dagger and deduced that he would be skilled at close to medium range combat, but not able to throw the dagger farther than Ash could shoot an arrow. Right when he landed on the ground, he leaped again, this time to a point a foot behind Ilius. He grabbed an arrow and instead of placing it on his bow, he gripped it tightly in his right hand and thrust the pointed head towards the center of his opponent's back. After all, there was more than one way to use every weapon.

[Alcorad]

Doren leaped to the side and felt the tip of Ashuron's arrow tear throught the jerkin at his side, collide with his hidden mithril mail that he had adorned in the battle with Legolas. All seemed to be going to his advantage until he felt the Elf Lord's leg push him to the ground where he collided with the earthy surface of the Pellenor.

Doren leaped up and cleared Ashuron as he leaped over him to retreive his blade. As the Elf Lord turned about to keep watch on his wily opponent a glimmer of exitement escaped his eyes for now Doren too was holding a finely crafted bow from the forests of Mirkwood and in it was on arrow prepared to fire. He released the arrow and as it made it's way towards Ashuron it's silver tip sparkled in the sun but was was as stealthy as a jungle cat on the hunt as it made it's way through the air.

(btw i do take hits. it maybe seems like i don't at the moment but thats because we just started and i want this to be a long battle no matter who wins. lol)

[Faron]

Ash pulled another arrow and placed it on his bow. He jumped backwards and then to the right and shot his arrow at the arrow of Ilius where they collided in mid-air and the other's arrow was knocked off target. "I've always wanted to do that," the Elf said with a grin on his face. He drew another arrow and fired, then another and another in rapid fire style, aiming yet again first at Ilius, then slightly to his left, then slightly to his right. Then another aimed at the opponent's head. Finally, because he anticipated Ilius to dodge the head shot and dive to the ground, Ash shot an arrow at the ground below the man.

[Alcorad]

Doren smiled and spread his legs as he pushed himself to the ground while ducking his head for the arrow approaching him head on. He felt an arrow graze his right arm and then another his left. While he had managed to completely escape the other two, he felt the sting that came from the arrows that had grazed his armes.

Doren remained as he was, unsheathed two daggers and thrusted them forward with a flick of his wrist. They were aimed towards Ashuron's bow and as they approached their target, Doren grinned with anxiety hoping that the ranged combat would end and a much more intense fight would begin.

[Faron]

Ashuron threw his bow to the right of him, and it landed on a soft patch of ground around five feet from the Elvish warrior. He brought his left arm up to grab his golden broadsword from his back, and in the same motion blocked one of Ilius' daggers with the mithril plate on the arm. The other dagger struck Ash's chest and sunk in, but Ash pretended not to notice it. He withdrew his huge sword from its back-mounted sheath and started to charge at Ilius, leaping up at the end of his charge to plant the sword in his opponent who lay on the ground and adding gravities strength to his own.

[Alcorad]

Doren leaped to the side and felt a blast of air breeze by him due to the falling sword. As he took notice of the sword that was planted in the loamy soil he grinned. That gave him enough time to return to a fighting stance. Doren quickly stood and backed away, unsheathing his own Western sword and gripping it by the hilt.

He smiled as Ashuron pulled his sword from the soil of the Pellenor. "You have quite strong endurance, Elf. Either that or you are very hard to phaze."

[Faron]

Ashuron held his sword in one hand and made one spin around, the arm with the sword out-streched. As his spin brought the sword close to Ilius, Ash brought his arm closer to his body and then thrust it forward, sending the pointed tip of the blade hurtling towards the man. "The trick is to not care about death," he said.

[Alcorad]

Doren grinned as he jumped back. He didn't see the logic in the elf's words but he did not seem to care either. This contest was freeing to him. He didn't need to worry about anything around him but the opponent right in front of him.

He took his sword and ran forward as the Broadsword of Ashuron swung around. Thus was the weakness of his sword. The larger blade held more power but was much more difficult to manipulate. As Ashuron's sword was brought back towards himself, Doren leaped forward with his sword in a defensive position and yet another one of his daggers outstretched. He began to jab randomly into the air until he drew near, wich was when he would deicide his true target point.

[Faron]

As Ilius drew closer, Ash changed his attack. As his blade thrust back forward at the man, Ashuron lifted one leg and kicked him towards his sword, hoping to at least graze the other's shoulder with the blade, if not do more serious damage. "Who are you really?" he asked as he executed his attack.

[Alcorad]

Dored felt his sword pushed backwards towards him. Ashuron had kicked it while in a defensive position but because Doren was taken aback by his method of attack, the sword managed to cut his forearm above the vembraces. Doren took no notice however as he pressed his dagger forward, closer still to Ashuron's body.

As Doren coniued his thrust he quickly spoke thusly to Ashuron. "i am your opponent and you are mine."