Ceodore's certainly on the right track when it comes to employing speed in order to achieve his goal. But there's a problem. His first blow results in nothing- the sword missing Cecil and the shield entirely- bouncing harmlessly against the concrete below them. He has to be commended for enduring the recoil that would have taken place from that. It couldn't have been easy to shrug it off, pull the sword back, and slide the blade underneath the shield.
But even then, his attempt is doomed. It was far easier for Cecil to leverage the shield strapped to his arm (and the blade now being held underneath it) than for Ceodore to leverage his blade to manipulate the shield. Cecil twists his arm and the shield upon it backward, twisting the blade along with it.
Now, the blade was well and truly wedged between Cecil's armoured body and the underside of his shield, giving absolutely no opportunity for retrieval. And worse, the blade is at a disjointed angle- giving the wielder two choices. Let go, or very possibly risk breaking his wrists.
His choice. Cecil hoped it would be the former- for prize or not, this was only training. Regardless. He ends the lesson by making his own point- or rather, the point of his own practise blade, touch the center of his son's neck. It's a tap. Nothing more. But the point is clear. If he had tried that in actual combat, he would be dead.
He removes the sword- and then straightens out his arm, allowing Ceodore's own blade to slip free. And, gently:
"A good effort. Would you care to try again, or would you prefer to move onto axes?"
Or they could take a break and just talk. With all the affairs of the kingdom having the majority of the king's time, and training having the majority of the prince's, it had been quite a while. But it's Ceodore's choice. In Cecil's mind, any time spent with him was good time.
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But even then, his attempt is doomed. It was far easier for Cecil to leverage the shield strapped to his arm (and the blade now being held underneath it) than for Ceodore to leverage his blade to manipulate the shield. Cecil twists his arm and the shield upon it backward, twisting the blade along with it.
Now, the blade was well and truly wedged between Cecil's armoured body and the underside of his shield, giving absolutely no opportunity for retrieval. And worse, the blade is at a disjointed angle- giving the wielder two choices. Let go, or very possibly risk breaking his wrists.
His choice. Cecil hoped it would be the former- for prize or not, this was only training. Regardless. He ends the lesson by making his own point- or rather, the point of his own practise blade, touch the center of his son's neck. It's a tap. Nothing more. But the point is clear. If he had tried that in actual combat, he would be dead.
He removes the sword- and then straightens out his arm, allowing Ceodore's own blade to slip free. And, gently:
"A good effort. Would you care to try again, or would you prefer to move onto axes?"
Or they could take a break and just talk. With all the affairs of the kingdom having the majority of the king's time, and training having the majority of the prince's, it had been quite a while. But it's Ceodore's choice. In Cecil's mind, any time spent with him was good time.