Stormbringer, the Highhill War Hound arrives, following Jasper.

Demetria Arcuri arrives, following Josephine.

Mirari waves to Josephine, a smile on her face. "Mama Josephine, come sit with me!" She calls out, shifting so that she has a place to settle.

Josephine has joined the Commoner Stands.

Caspian is currently sitting in the commoner stands, rolling his shoulders as he looks around at those present, before his eyes finally land on Sparte. He waves to the man, reminding him, "Don't worry if you lose! Third place ain't bad!"

Mama Josephine. That gets a laugh from the older woman and dipping in agreement, Josephine makes her way to the commoners seating with Mirari and her companions so she can settled down.

Fecundo wanders in, seeing if he is in tie for the contest. He looks around and lifts a hand to waves to Mirari and then nods to Caspian before looking for a place to sit.

Mirari waves back at Fecundo, a bright smile on her face. "Good evening, Lord Rubino!" She calls out before she leans in to speak quietly to Josephine.

A frequent visitor to the proving grounds, Lord Jasper's followed closely by his wolf-sized mastiff, the hound heeling to him as the Steelhart Lord casts about for a place to sit and watch from.

Conker, the Ornery Red Squirrel, Dame Barkley, a chocolate tri beagle arrive, following Joslyn.

Fecundo has joined the Noble Seating.

Mirari laughs at something Josephine quietly says and she shakes her head slowly before leaning in to respond.

Everyone should be nice and limber before a match, which might be why Sparte has his staff on the ground in front of him and is currently doing a series of stretches. He quips back to Caspian with a grin on his face. "And here I thought you'd tell me to only settle for second best! You're a real motivator with that."

Jasper has joined the Noble Seating.

Sparte has joined the Dueling Ring.

Strolling into the Proving Grounds with an almost lazy gait, Joslyn sizes up Sparte with a little grin and a nod in his direction. "Well, we'll just all see soon enough, won't we?" Joslyn laughs, stretching herself out, throwing the cloak back over her shoulders while she twirls the hairpin deftly around her fingers.

Mirari cheers from the commoner stands. It's not clue who she's cheering for, but she looks happy enough!

Fecundo gets settled in his seat and looks over to Jasper, offering the man a nod and a quiet word before looking back to the duel.

Joslyn has joined the Dueling Ring.

"Put on a good show, you two!" Caspian calls out to Joslyn and Sparte with his hands cupped over his mouth. "And good luck to both of you! Don't kill each other!"

"Fight well and honorably!" Jasper calls from where he's seated, his gaze half on the grounds below, and half to Fecundo, with a corresponding nod.

Whatever the two of them whispers about, as the duel is about to start, Josephine re-arranges her cloak to better warm her. "I won't be here long but I had to come see."

Fecundo's full attention is on the duelists for the moment, lookng at the contrasts betwen them, as if meausing them up or just trying to figure out which might prevail.

Mirari sits a little closer to Josephine, her eyes on the dueling grounds as she waits for the fight to begin. She gives Waldemai a brief look, an eyebrow raised slightly.

Waldemai glances back at Mirari, holds up five fingers, and points at Joslyn.

Sparte finishes his stretches, picking his staff up off the ground. He inspects it a moment, eyes running the length, before he rests one end on the ground and bows towards Joslyn. "May our battle be an honor to Gloria." Sparte glances to the crowd, before he grins and winks at Joslyn. The staff is lifted back off the ground, doing a brief twirl of the staff to bring it under one arm in a ready pose. His free hand beckons. "Let's give a show."

Mirari nods at Waldemai, giving him a wink and a grin. She turns back to the fighters and waves her hands in the air. "Let's go Sparte!"

Fecundo's attention seems drawn to Joslyn a moment, looking at the lady curiously and muttering something half to Jasper.

With a twirl and a flourish, Joslyn bows to the crowd enthusiastically. "Ladies and Gentlemen! Thank you for coming to watch this bout between the ever illustrious and surprising Master Sparte Fatchforth, and I, Lady Joslyn Stonewood! In this round, we will finally determine who will have the honor of going up against the mighty Sir Jeffeth Bayweather!" To Sparte she grins, stepping forward to meet him. "May the best duelist win." she says with an eager smile.

Joslyn wields the Rose of Stonewood.

Whatever Fecundo says has Lord Jasper leaning forward, watching intently for a moment.

Waldemai cheers for the fighters. "Hooraw! Let's have a good one!"

Mirari grins towards Josephine, nodding briefly before she turns her attention to the dueling ring. She crosses her legs, folding her hands together to rest upon them.

A fight has broken out here. Use @spectate_combat to watch, or +fight to join.

When Fecundo see Joslyn pull out the hairpin against Sprte's staff, he says something softly.

Jasher stalks out of the training center. Wherever he was planning to go, his attention's drawn by a duel in progress, though, and he maneuvers himself into a position to get a passable view.

Carita has joined the Noble Seating.

There's a much younger but identical to Josephine woman makign ehr way in discreetly and beckoning the old woman to depart.

Josephine has left the Commoner Stands.

Demetria Arcuri leaves, following Josephine.

One moment the two fighters are looking at each other with grins, weapons in those flourished posed. The next, they're upon one another. Joslyn takes the first strike, but Sparte manages to go low when she goes high. The flurry of motion happens so fast it can be hard to tell what went on in the middle of it, and then they're standing facing each other on opposite sides. Sparte still has that big grin as he gives Joslyn an upnod. "Your armor is quite nice. You look every bit the professional, where I look like I borrowed some guard's cape."

Carita is not terribly long behind Jasher but with considerably less stalk to her gait and much more floating in her steps. While the Prince is lured one way, the Darkwater noble is lured another, her blue eyes focused on a familiar face as she closes the distance between she and Fecundo. "Lord Runino," is said respectfully to him, her head dipped, before she settles. Whatever else she says seems to be lost in the din of the crowd.

Without the reach of Sparte's weapon, Joslyn finds herself trying to rely on closing the gap, keeping him on his toes. Her pin flashes at him as they cross each other's path and she laughs. "Well, I daresay my goal is to always look my best," Joslyn says, winking towards Sparte with a curious tilt of her head. "But I designed for looks. Appeal. You have a look of function." Joslyn decides with a nod, throwing all of herself into the next strike, but as with before, she manages to duck away from his, while her pin bounces harmlessly off of his leather.

Mirari leans forward, her elbows on her knees as she watches the fight. She smiles a bit at the verbal exchange before she watches the next advance and feint.

Fecundo turns as Carita greets him aand offers her a warm smile and a soft comment.

The versatility of form that a staff offers is put on display, as Sparte shifts from a spearman's grip to to a wider one at the center of the staff. He meets Joslyn's close quarters charge, sidestepping one stab while pushing the second into the folds of his cloak. The entire audience can hear the slap of wood on leather when it happens, Sparte managing an off-balancing strike that reveals something of a shortcoming of his utilitarian weapon. Sparte is wielding blunt wood, how is he going to manage to wound Joslyn like that?

Soren has joined the Commoner Stands.

The pins don't really do much better, how could such small weapons penetrate that armor? She looks rather confident as she continues to make her moves, but that strike to her leather certainly does something else. It throws her off-balance and as Joslyn prepares herself for a retaliation, she doesn't seem to have enough time to truly get her feet under herself as she moves herself in. This time she isn't moving quite as fast, and from the grit of her teeth, she seems to be well aware.

Octavian, a silken spaniel arrives, following Zoey.

Octavian, a silken spaniel leaves, following Zoey.

Octavian, a silken spaniel arrives, following Zoey.

Octavian, a silken spaniel leaves, following Zoey.

Soren has arrived recently. Mostly for the sole purpose of doing whatever patching up to the duelists is required. There's a slow yawn, watching on, as if the medic just woke up, sitting at the foot of the commoner bleechers. And considering the flask in his hand that looks like it's steaming, there's a good chance that's coffee.

Jasher continues intently watching the duel. He's silent, mostly still save a gloved hand absently toying around hip level.

That loss of balance mixed with a strike was what Sparte was after. He jerks on his staff sharply with one hand as he crosses it downwards, hitting Joslyn's arm just above the wrist. He doesn't just strike and retract this time, he applies enough pressure to push Joslyn's arm towards her own legs. "Sorry about this." Just as the blade gets low enough, he thrusts the staff across so it braces against the dirt on the far side. Not only pinning her weapon against her leg, but then solidly stopping her momentum like you might a person who ran into a low fence.

Ugarte arrives, following Fortunato.

Ugarte leaves, following Fortunato.

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Soren before departing.

She can feel herself moving, the tip of her pin approaching the heft of her leg, eyes opening wide as she feels her own hairpin pierce her skin as she falls forward, momentum fully tripping her up and she falls to the ground, pin dropping from her hand, but not before it leaves a bright streak of blood and she's finding herself looking up at Sparte with a look that almost appears to be insult for a moment before she laughs and tilts her head back. "Did I not say you were the master of surprises?" Josyln asks. "Fucking hell, now that has got to be a first."

Caspian lifts himself form the stands and applauds, cheering for them, "Lets give it up people for these two great fighters! Lady Joslyn takes third place, while Sparte advances to the finals against the formidable Sir Jeffeth! Who's gonna win the grand prize?!" He calls out to the crowd.

Fecundo speaks softly to Carita and then looks to the fught, a slight expression of diappointment on his face as he sees the outcome, but he does applaud befor e setting back in his seat.

Standing from his seat, Jasper claps. "Well down, champions!" he calls.

Jasper is overheard praising Sparte.

Jasper is overheard praising Joslyn.

Mirari stands up and eyes Waldemai, a slight grin on her face as her eyes twinkle with mischief. She makes her way over to the smith, hand held out. "You'll have a chance to win it back at the sip and spar, if I go this week."

Waldemai hands over the pouch and its coins right away. "If you go?" he says in mock horror. "How could Princess Valencia have a Sip and Spar without you?"

Now that the match has concluded, Jasher pulls himself from his passable perch and turns to walk away.

"She would find a way. I'm almost certain of it." Mirari says, giggling softly. "The real question is, who would keep you company in the rafters." She claps Waldemai on the shoulder and starts towards the road. "See you later, Waldemai!"

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Soren before departing.

Mirari has left the Commoner Stands.

a lithe, dark-cloaked Lycene woman, Loden, a hulking Mirrorguard Adjutant leave, following Mirari.

Sparte lets his staff fall from his grasp, quickly going to help Joslyn up while glancing at the wound. "First and last I expect, now people will expect it." He grins as he helps her up, attempting to lift her free hand with one of his own towards the crowd. "To Lady Joslyn Stonewood! Who sacrificed the orderly arrangement of her hair for this match!"

Soren reads the last message he gets, tucking it away into a coat pocket, then pushing himself away from seat and moving forward once the fight's completed. The man's placid expression doesn't seem to change, a hand unconsciencly opening his satchel. "Who needs to get patched up." he says with an air that suggests he's done this so many times, he's usually on automatic pilot.

Carita is overheard praising Joslyn.

Carita is overheard praising Sparte.

Fecundo is overheard praising Sparte.

Fecundo is overheard praising Joslyn.

Joslyn is overheard praising Sparte.

"Hmmm..." Caspian hums a moment, then climbs from the benches, calling out to Joslyn, "Don't go anywhere, Lady Joslyn!" He holds up a hand. "I need to run to the bank!" And with that, he is off!

Caspian has left the Commoner Stands.

Anya, the cool as an ice cube Champion apprentice, Renn, the mousy, scholarly brunette, Morgan, a roguish looking gentleman leave, following Caspian.

Anya, the cool as an ice cube Champion apprentice, Renn, the mousy, scholarly brunette, Morgan, a roguish looking gentleman arrive, following Caspian.

Waldemai has left the Commoner Stands.

Joslyn lifts her hand to Soren as he offers patching. "Well, master Sparte did a number on my leg here," Joslyn says, laughing as she accepts the help up. "Good show, Master Sparte. Good luck at the finale!" Joslyn grins and tilts her head to Caspian as he leaves, and comes back with the prize. "Ah yes," Joslyn chuckles. "Thank you. And thank you everybody that came! My hair shall not have died in vain, as you are going to beat Sir Jeffeth yes? In my honor?" Joslyn teases lightly.

Yes, Caspian has a prize! A pouch full of coins that he hands over to Joslyn with a grin given her way, telling her, "Don't spend it all in one place!" He motions to the crowd, telling, "Joslyn wins thirty five thousand silver for third place in this tournament!"

Sparte glances after Caspian as he runs off, raising an eyebrow at that. "Well, uh... I suppose that is it for the match. Thank you everyone who came to watch. Be sure to come see my rematch with Sir Jeffeth, where he will prove that I'm still the second best." Then Caspian is coming back with money and Sparte is backing away from that, leaving Joslyn to Soren's care. "Good biscuits man, now I need to put guards on her for walking home."

There's an indication with a hand that Soren uses to suggest where Josylyn should seat herself. "Keep your weight off the leg." Kneeling down the satchel is opened, various implements are sorted quickly and deftly. "Took a good shot." he comments, getting work on cleaning, debribing, and lashing on a tourniquet to stop the bleeding in order to stitch the wound closed. "This some kind of tournament or what?" he asks idly, eyes not taking off his task at hand.

After a last glance towards the ring, Jasper nods to his fellow nobles in the stand, then departs with a long, quick stride.

Jasper has left the Noble Seating.

Stormbringer, the Highhill War Hound leaves, following Jasper.