This chapter shows Ailene has determined how to face an axe and supplies a plan to address the Blackthorne problem.
*
"Today, I want to you to work against Bjarkë with axes," Frang said. "But before you work with him, I'm going to demonstrate some things for you."
Isobel and Ailene looked at each other, then Ailene said, "Aye. We were wondering what we'd be doing today."
"From events yesterday, there's not much more we can teach you about swords. You need to maintain your skill levels with constant practice, but I'd put you up against nearly anyone with a sword with relative confidence you'd be the winner. There's still lot's of men who use an axe, so I want you understanding all I can teach you. I've not faced any axemen myself. I've only fought duels and axes are not usually chosen for a duel, but it's got certain aspects common to all weapons, no matter what. Bjarkë, please show the lasses the axes they're most likely to see men use."
"Aye. This big one with the long handle is called a poleax, pollaxe, or sometimes a halberd or heche if you're a Frenchie, like Frang here. It's not used much anymore. Large armies clashing together would use them, particularly armored. It was designed to bash through armor, which most don't use anymore. The length of the handle lets you get a lot of speed in the head so it can go through armor, break a shield, even the arm holding the shield. It's got points on both ends though, to stab with, so it can be used like a lance, but the axe part can be used to trip or upend and opponent like this." He put the axe end behind Frang's leg and tugged on it to show how he could pull his leg up. "If you ran into one weapon like it, I'd be surprised, so we're not going to teach you how to defend against it, but your best defense is avoiding the swing and getting inside the axe head before it comes back.
"This one incorporates the same head on a shorter handle. You might run across one of these. I've seen it a bunch of times. You're closer to your opponent, but you can still stab with either end, swing it like a mace or axe depending on which side you use, trip opponents, and possibly even throw it, like this." Bjarkë threw it at a large plank and sunk the axe deep into the wood.
"When you throw it, you've surrendered your weapon, but it might be necessary to save a friend beset by foes, so most axe men carry more than one. Some fellows carry a shield and axe, some carry two axes and either is used to block with while the other is used to strike. The most common axe you'll come against is this one." He showed them a simple axe on a straight handle about fifteen to eighteen inches long. "My ancestors used this frequently. It's how we terrorized most of Europe for hundreds of years." He threw it against the plank, planting it deep in the wood and pulled out another from his belt. "It too can be thrown to extend the reach. It can be lighter than a claymore if the handle is wood, or as heavy as you want to make it. Thorburn is devastating with this weapon. He uses axes in both hands and he's so strong, they're like twigs in his hands. If he hits you, it crushes whatever he hits, in addition to the blade going deep.
"He can throw it, block, parry, swing both ways side to side, overhead, underhand, trip you, then stomp you. Even with dulled blades, you can break bones and crush skulls, so we don't train it. Too many injuries." He hefted the axe. "This one's dulled, so hopefully I won't do damage to Frang here as we demonstrate. Put your blade up, nephew and let's show them."
Frang held up his blade.
"The sword gives you more reach," Bjarkë said, "so the axeman wants to get inside your blade. If he's got two, he'll try to knock your blade aside like this." He showed them with Frang's blade. "Step inside close like this." He stepped into Frang. "And bring another down like this." He swung his other arm down like he had one in his hand. "Or if he's got only the one, come backhand into the body, or trip you, like so, then swing." He showed them how the moves looked in slow motion, Frang cooperating to show the moves. "You don't want an axeman inside your point. You're helpless if he is, unless you have a knife to stick him with in your other hand."
Frang said, "It's important to remember this. It's part of your best defense against the axe. Don't let him get inside your point. You've got a reach advantage, use it. Retreat, retreat, retreat, if necessary. Don't let him hit your blade and knock it aside. Move the blade to avoid the sweep, but remember, he's got the whole of the head to knock your blade aside, and it's wide and you may have to move your blade more to avoid it than you would another sword. Let's show them, Bjarkë."
Bjarkë began swinging his axe in a lazy looking side to side manner, figure eight, trying to make it harder to get past his axe. Frang retreated, raising or lowering his rapier as necessary to avoid having his blade struck aside. Frang thought he saw and opening and lunged, but Bjarkë got the axe up to deflect, but Frang was quickly back, his sword arm in close to his body to keep Bjarkë outside the point. It went on for awhile, Frang finally getting his point into both Bjarkë's legs to bleed him, but never getting a killing blow to the body. Though he acknowledged Thorburn the superior foe with the axe, Bjarkë was very talented.
"As you can see," Frang said, "I never got a point into Bjarkë's torso for a killing blow, though I could bleed him a little, weaken him, make it harder to continue. But he still could have thrown his axe. You have to be ready for that, too. If you're facing two axemen, one can throw his, recover behind his partner. The same for axeman and swordsman, axeman can throw, wait behind the swordsman. If you're faced with the situation, try to move to keep the opposing swordsman between you and the axeman, make it harder for him to throw his axe. Plus, you're accustomed to facing a sword and you'd try to dispatch him before facing the axe."
"It sounds as if you believe it will be tough to go against a good axeman, Frang," Ailene said.
"It is," Frang agreed. "I was able to beat Thorburn with his claymore. I doubt I could have beaten him with an axe, except by accident or maybe slowly bleeding him to death."
"It seems as if the axeman depends on room to swing his axe wide and from side to side," Ailene said.
"Aye," Bjarkë agreed. "It's a weapon requires a little room."
"Come with me to the training field, uncle."
Ailene led him out onto their makeshift battlefield, Frang and Isobel following. She raised her blade. "En garde, Bjarkë."
"You're not going to embarrass me again, lass, are you?"
Ailene smiled a wide grin. "I certainly hope so, uncle. You aren't going to whack my wee head again, are you?"
He grinned back. "Depends how bad you embarrass me."
"Attack. I don't want you to stop if I kill you. Keep going, no matter what."
"What if I kill you?" Bjarke asked.
"I have to learn how to defend myself against an axe. I'll keep going as well."
Bjarkë began the slow, swinging side to side sweep he'd used against Frang so effectively. Ailene retreated, maintaining enough distance to keep him outside her point. She attempted a couple lunges, neither going anywhere, but she didn't go for his legs as Frang had. She kept retreating. Bjarkë attempted a sudden rush, but she skipped backward. She slowly retreated between two obstacles and as soon as Bjarkë stepped between them. She made a sudden attack consisting of a feint low and left and attack high and right. His axe moved to block the low attack, but the object on the left interfered with his axe on the return stroke and her point stabbed him over the heart. Bjarkë grinned at her.
"Good one, lass."
"Thank you, uncle."
She continued to back up and Bjarkë continued to advance. She began retreating alongside a wall. When Bjarkë followed, she made a double feint, one away from the wall, one towards it, which Bjarkë's axe banged against, disrupting his rhythm, then the third strike mid-line, right into his heart. Bjarkë stopped and threw up his axe, shrugging his shoulders.
