Forging Iron

[goblinfort]

Sitting in the tavern, nursing fresh wounds over a cold tankard, Mara muses over her time in cormyr.  She'd arrived here only a few years past, but had seen many battles since then that she could recall as well as more than a few lost in the sheer number of fights.  However, she would never forget the duels she had fought, the men and women that had either challenged her, or others that had come looking for Iron-heart.  

Her first true duel was with the man known as Tailand of the Flame, a warrior serving Kossuth, with a long halberd wreathed in dancing flames.  Mara smiles ruefully as she remembers the fight, only getting in a few solid hits before the man shoved her back and used the reach of his weapon to his advantage, knocking her shield aside and near running her through.  They had bet their armor to the victor, and as Mara gathered herself, he helped her up and instead asked for but the armor's worth in coin, which she happily paid.  They parted as friends, like many of the others she had fought since him.  Sadly, within the year she heard news of his death.  

The next duel she could remember was with one of her infrequent traveling companions, Zaisha.  After witnessing a duel between a purple knight and a knight in service to Sembia, the two decided to engage in a friendly contest of skill and strength, having another friend ward their blades to dull their killing edges.  Zaisha proved a better master of her weapon, the blows from her blade staff raining down upon mara, and though she took more than a few hits in return, soundly overpowered Iron Heart.  Another fight that she learned a lot from, it was then that mara first began to practice using a second axe in her spare hand.  

Months passed before the next duel.  After hours spent fighting through the streets of Marsember, with many other well known heroes of cormyr, and more than a few of its villians, the Sembian forces were routed, pushed from the city though the costs were high.  As the allies of cormyr rested and celebrated their victory, one Sembian marched boldly into the cities tavern, announcing himself as Galen the Axe, a captain of the Silver Ravens, slayer of a dozen Purple Dragon Knights.  Also a master of the halberd, he claimed to have slain Tailand in single combat, and gloated his easy conquest.  It was on of the few fights mara happily accepted the terms to fight to the death, and though many wished to cut him down, as with any challengers she fought him without any aid.  Mara smiled as she remembered several friends ofering her wards or other assistance, each angrier than the last at the man's boast of murder.  Though admittedly she did not care much for the men he had slain during the war, she was enraged at the death of Tailand, the first man to seek her out and test her skills, and even in victory treated her with respect.  Surrounded by the dozens of adventurers who battled through marsembers streets, they fought in a square near the city entrance.  Blood flew from both combatants, Galen spiting insults while mara focused her entirely on finding a weakness in the man's defenses.  Though she did not recall taking the mans footing from him, eventually her growing skills told, and she feled him with a mighty blow, cutting him from shoulder to hip.  From that duel she took his armor, a fine suit that even now she still wears, though even the triple thick and heavily warded sembian steel has gained its share of scars.  One of her first victories in single combat, even now she savored it.  

More recently she had fought several of her friends and traveling companions, dueling Mirrir, the dragon blood and losing twice, once with her using magical talents and the other not.  The second battle was close, though the womans ungodly strength told, and Mara was not able to overcome her.  A trend of fighting half orcs began with her duel with the man Galrog, the first she actually sought out to fight on her own after his slaying of the knight Edthin.  Another loss, fighting defensively after hearing tell of his battle powers cost mara dearly, and another proved victorious over her.  The best defense is a strong offense, and she faltered badly that day, though she as always was happy to learn from the battle.  As friends she dueled Fenix, both interested in seeing how they had grown in their time traveling apart, and though Mara won she could see her friend had grown immensely over the past few months.  

Prag Elfkiller was the next to seek her out, a massive orc blood carrying a wicked greataxe.  He claimed to have slain many elves of the hullack, and though she couldnt recall if he had wished for a duel to the death, Mara's victory did not cost him his life, and after giving her a finely made battle axe he had come across in past duels and sharing a drink with her, he left to find other challenges so that he might one day face her again.  

Draining the last of her ale and tossing some coins on the counter, the woman thought back to her recent return.  She hadn't been in cormyr more than a month now, and already another had come to find her.  Apparently her time away traveling the Aunaroch had not helped her at all, maybe even dulled her skills, for it was the first time in a fight she couldn't even touch her opponent.  Tu'ga Of The Ice, a massive orc blood of the north, he blew past her defenses in front of the largest audiance her duels had yet.  Helping her off the ground, the half orc seemed as surprised as she, like many (much to her chagrine) he'd been told she was the best, though mara had never claimed such.  She was almost getting tired of getting her arse beat because someone was spreading rumors, but after sharing a few drinks she found once again she was glad for the experience, even a fight as humbling as that.  As he father had always told her, if you dont get knocked on your arse once in a while, how the hells are you gonna know you need to keep improving?  Tu'ga did not lingr long, gifting her a ring he had taken from a Steel Dragon's Horde, telling her to seek out greater challenges of her own and better arming herself to face him again someday.  As she picked up her mug and sat back at the table with a few of her friends, she silently agreed with Tu'ga, she needed to get her edge back, and greatly looked forward to facing the northern warrior again, and other masters of the axe.  

[goblinfort]

// Apologies for spelling errors and obvious bad writing. First draft after just waking up and finding myself involved in another excellent event. Thank you as always Sav, these have been hugely enjoyable, the losses as much as the wins.

Also please let me know if I missed anyone mara has dueled in the past, i try really hard to keep track of them all for ic reasons, mara would never forget someone who has fought her in single combat

[bloodalchemist]

Another day, another drink at the tavern. This time nursing fresh wounds again. Mara had been busy of late, it seems her only breaks in tending to company matters came with the chance at single combat. She took a drink, grimacing at the stiffness in her side and she tentatively stretched, trying to loosen up the badly used muscles.

She'd been fighting a lot, more often of late than ever before. The list of names she kept near the front of her ledger was almost doubled in length now. One of the most notable was the return of the man named Aris. Never having met before, Mara had still heard the stories many told still of the mans brutality and vile deeds, though this time he seemed happy enough to come where he was not welcome and trade insults with several in the square. After some talking, and swapping of stories, they agreed to a duel, though interestingly enough in mundane gear. It had been a long time since mara had left the suit she had won from Galen the axe for anything other than a change of clothes or to apply bandages, but the experience was invaluable. Though a good match, Mara overpowered the man, keeping her weapon in hand even when he tried to disarm her to gain the upper hand. He managed even to score a deep cut, badly weakening her axe arm but not enough to turn the fight in his favor. Even more surprising the the victory, was the man's apparent good nature after his loss, both parting after having thanked the other for the duel, and interested in another in the future, should the chance come.

Not long passed before Mara had the chance to duel one she had faced before, and lost to. The Sembian Zaisha, master of the twin blade, Mara had faced her before and taken some jobs beside the woman. For a long time Mara had even emulated the womans skills both as a front liner and her ability to move through a fight, crippling men before they could even turn to face her. Again returning to the field west of great gaunt, the place beginning to become very familiar to Mara. It seemed she would be shedding blood often in the shadow of that hill. Though Zaisha was able to get around Mara's guard well, the blade was ill suited to dealing with Mara's stout armor, finding little purchase to deal real damage. Though the sparred for a while, Mara's experience in standing toe to toe in single combat told each time. Mara was quietly glad to have come far enough she could best one who had so soundly beaten her in the past.

Mara smiled before taking another drink. It had begun something of a trend there, duels involving multiple bouts. Surprisingly, after speaking of her interest in facing him, within a few days Holance accepted her challenge, heading out west again to spar in the shade of the hill. Though more skilled with a blade than past times fighting beside one another had lead mara to believe, she bested him twice, using her spare axe the second time. Interested in testing his skills further, they agreed that Holance should face her one last time, but with his the power of his lords blessings and prayers upon him and his blade. Much to her chagrin, she only managed to get in a blow or two before he blew her shield aside and beat her soundly, divine energy leaving her skin feeling raw and blistered for days. The trouble with all magic she supposed, one can only do so much without it. Still, Mara parted ways with holance pleased at the experience, the chance to see for herself the power that holy warriors could bring to bear.

[bloodalchemist]

//will continue to update these as I find time, sorry joric, had to run before i could finish adding your entry =P