District Four Tournament Day Two: Ellesmere vs Krigel

Late in the evening, he’d made a fire down by the shoals. He’d used his trident and a net to catch some grouper. It wasn’t much, but enough to fill up his stomach. His father would’ve said that fishing off the mainland was bound to leave him hungry. He hadn’t felt much like eating, anyway. Instead he stoked the fire by the dunes, and watched the waves roll in on the shore. Other folks were further inland – he’d made a point to separate himself out a ways – and hadn’t taken stock of what day two would bring.

If he fell that morning, he’d be able to hop back on the dingy and get back to the island by the afternoon. His father would give a nod and tell him that they hadn’t left for the fishing trip just yet. He’d stare Gander up and down, and leave him be. Poult would ask why he was back so soon, and Gander would make his way toward the docks to start packing away for the haul.

When the time came for his match, he found his old, weathered trident and made his way through the wet sand to the sparring grounds. They’d said the girl’s name and he blinked, registering nothing. About the only mainlander all the islanders knew was Snow, so it made no difference to him who he was facing. Either he’d win or he’d go home. Both had their benefits.

She was a pallid thing. Her voice saccharine, joking at his name. He simply stared back, unmoved.

‘I’m Arie Krigel-Perch. You didn't need me to introduce myself, I'm sure, but I'm not above it.’ Mainlanders had a certain affectation that never agreed with Gander. This one seemed keen on holding to the pageantry of the tournament which, fair enough. It’d been made for them all the same. ‘I'm not going to go easy on you, but you're welcome to give me a free pass.’

He would’ve been happy to drop his trident and head back to the Rock, but he knew at some point the islanders would get wind of it. He shook his head and offered his best grin.

“Gander Ellesmere. Ow’s she cutting, me cocky?” He lowered his trident and gave a shrug. “N’are botherin’ tah you, but I’m fit to finish, eh?”

The referee signaled then. He stiffened and lifted his trident. Like yesterday, he’d be steady, take aim, and do his best. And so he stepped forward, trident close to his side, eyes on hers. She cut across his arm with aim, and he hissed. He wasn't going to take her lightly, even with how she'd been before the start. He made a feint to her legs, and then stabbed hard toward the young woman’s shoulder.

[Gander attacks Arie Krigel-Perch with his trident]
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[result: 3183 -- Deep Gash on Right Thigh -- 8.0 damage (Spear) ]

3.5/25

*Welcome to the Rock, Come from Away

As the trident sliced through flesh, Arie Krigel-Perch let out a shriek that rang through Gander’s ears. It’s not that his younger sisters didn’t wail during training, or complain about all manner of things, but he’d expected the career to be a bit more stoic than what was being presented to him then. Mainlanders, he mused, pulling back his trident and hopping back through the sand with his weapon in front of him.

‘That was such a cheap shot!’ She called out, and Gander shook his head. There were plenty of other islanders that would’ve tried to fight dirty, but he still had the trappings of an honorable young man. Time hadn’t quite eroded what he believed in just yet.

“Nah, ‘s on the up’n’up m’gal,” Gander shot back, face flushed red. All he needed was to be accused of cheating to give them a reason to have them not be invited back. He kept his hands steady and watched her movements, wondering what her strategy could be. Surely this was part of an act, was it not?

‘I’m fit to finish too. Uh, at least I think I am. I’m not entirely sure.’ Gander pondered her confidence. She spoke a lot more than his opponent yesterday, but mostly hot air, and a lot about herself. As she settled back in to strike, Gander stepped aside to dodge. He spun in a circle behind her, his trident in one hand.

“Mind now, I handy ‘bout died at that.” Gander gritted his teeth. He brought one foot in front of the other, and made to pounce. “Watch yer aft next ‘em!”

[Gander attacks Arie Krigel-Perch with his trident]
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[result: 3080 -- Shallow Cut on Forehead -- 4.5 damage (Spear)]

3.5/25

*Welcome to the Rock, Come From Away

Arie Krigel-Perch was a peculiar animal. One moment she was going for his throat with her weapon, the next she was yelling about how she couldn’t understand him. It wasn’t as though it were the first time that folks couldn’t understand him. His sisters would say he didn’t enunciate enough, and he certainly didn’t attempt to speak like a mainlander. If he could go his life having to understand how they could talk, the least they could do was try to understand him (though he did know his accent was a wee bit thicker than other islanders).

‘I’m Arie, you’re Gander. I win, you lose!’ Her tongue wagging continued, and she took her eyes off of him, leading to another slice across the pretty face. Even as his blade came back, Gander was certain he could hear gasps from the crowd around them.

Oh feck.

She started to cry and Gander was open mouthed. He nearly felt compelled to apologize before recognizing that this was a sparring tournament, and that as polite as he was, didn’t have to apologize for doing what he’d been tasked to do. Then of course, she suggested he be disqualified and Gander felt himself tense. He flushed again, holding his trident in front of him. He just had to stay calm.

‘My grandfather is not going to be happy about this.’ She said, this time her aim catching the same calf that’d been caught yesterday. He’d have to take better care next time.

“Yur stund as me arse, y’is,” Gander shot back. He recognized by then her grandfather must’ve been a person of note on the mainland, but he couldn’t be bother. Once they were adults on the island, there weren’t ranks or titles or anything fancy. You either made your way or got left behind. As for this, if he didn’t leave today, he’d leave a few days from then, and they’d be nothing more than a sight on the horizon.

“Happy tah ‘ave ‘im at the island, sees a problem with it. Don’t be an angishore, put up yer claws yah?”

[Gander attacks Arie Krigel-Perch with his trident]
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[result: 3061 -- Miss -- 0.0 damage (Spear)]

7/25

*Welcome to the Rock, Come From Away

She threatened him then. Gander was less afraid of whoever this mainlander was, and more of what would come from his father when a mainlander decided to make the trek to their shores. That was a conversation that Gander would love to have seen, but he knew what would happen following.

“All right, ducky,” He whispered, not wanting to tempt more.

Her temper flared, and it was in the moment of hesitation that got a hard blow across his chest. Gander hissed at the strike, staggering back. Colt would’ve laughed in the corner at the sight of his brother not taking up his trident and blocking the blow. Arie was a career after all, a mainlander, and determined to show the world that there was some sort of reason behind her birth. They knew who she was, and it seemed that she was determined to be in agreement with them.

“Yuh, suh good fer yah, that one,” He said back, this time focusing on her movement. When he’d started off the other day, he’d lost himself, and his aim. He had to concentrate on her, and who she was. He had to make sure that he wasn’t undone by his own lack of attention.

He stepped forward. A feint left, another right, and then a push forward.
[Gander attacks Arie Krigel-Perch with his trident]
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[result: 3006 -- Deep Gash on Chest -- 9.5 damage (Spear)]

16.5/25

*Welcome to the Rock, Come From Away