[color=a0410d][h1]Jerod Staudinger[/h1][/color]

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[color=a0410d]"All the skill in the world doesn't excuse being a damn fool. Fighting surrounded is never an optimal choice, and they will surround her in a hurry."[/color] Jerod was regarding the sudden newcomer critically after his remark on overlooking her skill. Sure, just because she [i]can[/i] choose to stand against that many doesn't excuse doing so without a damn good reason. At least having one other person to watch her ass, figuratively, would have been helpful. He wasn't giving her looks a close observation, preferring to see her in action properly before making any judgement on her skill level. Not that it would change his mind on her being a damn fool for taking on multiple foes alone, there was likely no good reason for that.

With the newcomer entering the plan, Jerod would choose to deal with that problem later, since he did not appreciate random people just inviting themselves along. But, if this man was as good of a swordsman as he said he was, he could make use of this man. [color=a0410d]"So be it, we'll discuss your stalking of the group later, Sorden of Tellius. Like the Crown Prince said, follow me, and we shall deal with their leader. The rest of the plan stands unchanged."[/color] With that, the attack was set into motion and Jerod moved fast, the blue of his coat billowing behind him as he rushed forward, Rapier in hand and ready for anyone that attempted to intercept either Sorden or himself. But the Sage was doing her job, which meant the plan was going according to plan.

As an early saying Jerod learned as a mercenary went, though, no plan survived the first encounter with the enemy. As such, this bandit leader, mouthing off as Batta the Beast, and asking who dared to oppose him. [color=a0410d]"Jerod, sellsword and duelist, not at your service. Shall we gut you and be done with this?"[/color] The initial lunge he opened with was snagged on the haft of his axe, an impressive feat given the speed and difference in angle of both the Tellian swordsman and his own opening attack. As seemed to be a running trend amongst his recent foes, they liked to throw people to the ground, and he quickly found the Tellian had landed on top of him and rebounded, striking at the Bandit leader's arms. Getting off the ground quickly, having grown used to rebounding off such blows increasingly quickly now.

Warcry aside, the attack wouldn't be simply blocked, not with the weight behind it. Watching for the moment that Batta was committed to his attack, Jerod would appear to glide under the axe head, guiding it over him with the guard of his rapier braced against the haft of the incoming axe blow. He would use the opening created to grab the man by the red lengths of his beard, yanking downwards as hard as he could muster while aiming a gut punch with the guard of his rapier. While these wouldn't be killing blows, he was looking to create an opening for the Tellian swordsman to strike and end the fight. Situations like [i]this[/i] showed why someone didn't challenge a numerical superiority on their own.