Camilla tried to center herself, realising that she had successfully drawn the Baron away from Cydric, but at the cost of having to face the skilled swordsman herself. The heavy runefang glittered ominously and she was acutely aware that it’s blade could shear or shatter her slender weapon if she tried to block rather than parry.

There was nothing to be gained by delaying, the more she could threaten the Baron the more the Greatsword would have to think about. Sword razed in an elegant Seconde guard she stepped forward cutting the blade right in a feint before pivoting into a lightning quick riverso forcing the Baron to retreat. She kept circling, trying to back the Baron up in such a way as to foul his partner. The old warrior was having none of it, launching a vicious series chopping attacks, never quite over-extending. Camilla swept them aside with a series of intricate azioni volanti of which would have made her instructors proud. 

The crowd gasped as the two very different duels developed. Camilla and the Baron fenced back and forth steel ringing on steel in a lethal dance. The Baron was stronger by far but Camilla was faster and her footwork perfect, she fought like a dancer moving through elegant steps and weaving her slender blade around her like a veil. Whenever the Baron overcommitted she took the offensive with lightning fast thrusts pushing the older warrior hard, making his heavy weapon work against him. It was a blinding display of swordsmanship and advantage swayed from one combatant to the other by the moment.

Cydric’s duel by contrast emphasized strength over speed. The Greatsword was remarkable fast for the size of his blade. The great weapon chewing great chunks from Cydric’s shield, hammering painful blows down Cydric’s arm. The Ostlander was holding his own, using his shield to parry and then exploiting the opening with his broadsword. The weapon wasn’t light but it was much faster than the heavy greatsword and Cydric was able to launch two or three blows for each one he received.

When Cydric struck the Baron Camilla took her chance, leaping forward she aimed her sword point low at the Baron’s upper thigh. In the back of her mind she hoped she wasn’t about to kill one of the most Important men in the Empire. It turned out she needn’t have worried. The Baron dropped his Runefang and caught her by the wrist. His fingers had the strength of iron nails and she gasped in pain. Panicked she bought her dagger around in a glittering arc. Grinning the Baron caught her other wrist and a sudden hush fell over the crowd.

[b]“Yield!” [/b]the Baron snarled, turning his head in Cydric’s direction. Camilla struggled might just as well not have bothered. If Cydric did yield the two of them would be at the headsman’s block by nightfall. Todbringer would see to that as infallibly as sunrise. There had to be something she could do!

[b]“Yiel..” [/b]the Baron began to demand again. Before he could finish Camilla did something that didn’t appear in any Tilean dueling manual. She tucked her chin in and drove her  head forward into the Baron’s face in a classic headbutt.  It was a trick that Cedric had shown her. It hurt more than she thought it would but whatever she felt it was worse for the Baron. His mouth snapped shut on his tongue and he reeled back, groaning in pain. He kept his grip on her and she drove her knee into his crotch, a second maneuver that was well outside the formal strictures of a duel. The Baron staggered back, his face bloody and contorted in pain.

[@POOHEAD189]