In a series as long as the Wheel of Time series its hard not to have favorite scenes or instances at some point. Many of them deal with my favorite character Mat.
This particular scene I'm about to write (not in its entirety) comes from The Dragon Reborn, Book 3 in the Wheel of Time.
Background- Mat has been very sick and was taken to a place to be healed. He's recovered, mostly. At the moment he's wandering around the grounds when he comes upon a practice area where young men are training in the art of swordmanship. He's at the moment talking with two of the young men in training.
"Swords aren't the be-all and end-all, you know. I could do fairly well against either of you, I think, if you had a sword and I had my quarterstaff."
Gawyn's cough was obviously meant to swallow a laugh. Much too politely, he said, "You must be very good." Galad's face was frankly disbelieving.
"I will wager," he said, "two silver marks to two from each of you that I can beat both of you at once, just the way I said. you can't have fairer odds than that. There are two of you, and one of me, so two to one are fair odds." He almost laughed aloud at the consternation on their faces.
"Mat," Gawyn said, "there's no need to make wagers. You have been sick. Perhaps we will try this some time when you are stronger."
"It would be far from a fair wager," Galad said. "I'll not take your wager, now or later. You are from the same village as Egwene, are you not? I... I would not have her angry with me."
"What does she have to do with it? Thump me once with one of your swords, and I will hand over a silver mark to each of you. If I thump you till you quit, you give me two each. Don't you think you can do it?"
"This is ridiculous," Galad said. "you would have no chance against one trained swordsman, let alone two. I'll not take such advantage."
"Do you think that?" asked a gravel voice. The blocky Warder joined them, thick black eyebrows pulled down in a scowl. "You think you two are good enough with your swords to take a boy with a stick?"
"It would not be fair," Galad said.
"He has been sick," Gawyn added. "There is no need for this."
"To the yard," Hammar grated with a jerk of his head over his shoulder. Galad and Gawyn gave Mat regretful looks, then obeyed. The Warder eyed Mat up and down doubtfully. "Are you sure you're up to this, lad? Now I take a close look at you, you ought to be in a sickbed."
"I'm already out of one," Mat said, "and I"m up to it. I have to be. I don't want to lose my two marks."
Hammar's heavy brows rose in surprise. "You mean to hold to that wager, lad?"
"I need the money." Mat laughed
(he grabs a quarterstaff in this part I skipped)
When he turned back, the quarterstaff in both hands before him, Gawyn and Galad were already waiting out where they had been practicing. "Remember the wager," he said loudly. "Two silver marks from each of you against two from me."
Gawyn and Galad split apart, one to either side of him, keeping their distance, neither with his sword more than half-raised.
"No wager," Gawyn said. "There's no wager."
At the same time, Galad said, "I'll not take your money like this."
"I mean to take yours." Mat said.
"Done!" Hammar roared. "If they have not the nerve to cover your wager, lad, I'll pay the score myself."
"Very well," Gawyn said. "If you insist on it on it--done!"
Galad hesitated a moment more before growling, "Done, then. Let us put an end to this farce."
The moment's warning was all Mat needed. As Galad rushed at him, he slid his hands along the quarterstaff and pivoted. The end of the staff thudded into the tall man's ribs, bringing a grunt and a stumble. Mat let the staff bounce off Galad and spun, carrying it on around just as Gawyn came within range. The staff dipped, darted under Gawyn's practice sword, and clipped his ankle out from under him. As Gawyn fell, Mat completed the spin in time to catch Galad across his upraised wrist, sending his practice sword flying. As if his wrist did not pain him at all, Galad threw himself into a smooth, rolling dive and came up with his sword in both hands.
Ignoring him for the moment, Mat half turned, twisting his wrists to whip the length of the staff back besides him. Gawyn, just starting to rise, took the blow on the side of his head with a loud thump only partly softened by the padding of hair. He went down in a heap.
He still had Galad to deal with, and from the way Galad was poised on the balls of his feet, sword raised precisely, he had begun to take Mat seriously.
Mat started forward. The first blow, Galad managed to turn with a sharp clack, and the next, and the next, and the next, but strain stiffened his face. That smooth swordsman, almost as good as the Warders, fought with every ounce of his skill to keep Mat's staff from him. He did not attack; it was all he could do to defend. He moved continually to the side, trying not to be forced back, and Mat pressed him, staff a blur. And Galad stepped back, stepped back again, wooden blade a thin shield against the quarterstaff.
With a roar, Mat threw all his reserves into one last surge.
The quarterstaff flickered past Galad's sword and in quick succession struck knee, wrist, and ribs and finally thrusting into Galad's stomach like a spear. With a groan, Galad folded over, fighting not to fall. The staff quivered in Mat's hands as Galad sank to the ground.
"Hammar moved to stand beside Galad, still groaning on the ground and trying to push himself up. The Warder raised his voice to shout, "Who was the greatest blademaster of all time?"
from the throats of dozens of students came a massed bellow. "Jearom!"
"Yes!" Hammar shouted, turning to make sure all heard. "During his lifetime, Jearom fought over ten thousand times, in battle and single combat. He was defeated once. By a farmer with a quarterstaff! Remember that. Remember what you just saw."
....Sad to say to fully understand the background and the scene you will have to Read the book lol. :)
But it is a favorite scene of mine.
Why?
Well...it shows that what appears to be 'weak' (a stick held by a recovering sick guy) can defeat easily the things that are considered 'strong' (two swords held by two healthy guys)
Simple solutions, actions, game plans can often be used to defeat the trial facing you.
After all....David defeated Goliath with a stone. Goliath had a sword then too.
I have often wondered why people often consider those people who didn't have steel (metal) weapons were considered the 'uncivilized savages.'
I mean, Native Americans have used pieces of obsidian as weapons, and those lava glass shaped fragments have been used in surgery because steel isn't sharp enough.
I think we often try to think of a "Big, shiny, bulky" solution to problems where often times a simple sling and stone, or quarterstaff could be used to solve the problem just as easily.
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
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