Quotes from the session:
"Jessica, she once actually got a hit on Benedict. Her sword is called Dirithas, and can fight on without her. We're doomed." Martin, trying to lighten up the occasion.
"Hazard falls in the mud, and there comes the nasty sound of a bone breaking." GM
"I move in, carefully, and flick her sword out of her hand." Jessica
"A few seconds later, there comes a searing pain in your stomach, and while she drops her sword, she is still able to stand upright by pulling herself up on a thornbush. She has basically just gutted you." GM
"You b- -b- b...gurgle gurgle " Thud. Jess, falling over
"Jessica, would you like to help me get revenge on my father?" Caine. - Do we trust him? I think not. She did.
Jessica was not reassured by the fact that Hazard kept smiling, or the speed at which she fought when warming up. Hazard herself was exhausted, but she and Benedict both knew about the psychological advantages of terrifying one's opponent. Martin was Jessica's second, and his nervousness, and the way he explained to Jessica that Benedict was the best swordsman in Shadow, and he thought Hazard was the only talented member of the family, did nothing for either of them.
Hazard and Jess circled each other warily for a while, getting to know the ground. Jessica's lips might have been moving in prayer. Hazard was humming First Cut, by David Bowie. This served to frighten Jess even more, as Hazard had hoped.
Hazard tried a few feints to get the measure of her opponent, and decided Jess was not nearly as good. Hazard, however was exhausted from a hard night's work, and Jess had had some sleep.
After a few minutes of cautious movement, Hazard foiled Jess into taking an opening, and Jess got out of the engagment with a cut on her sword arm. First blood to Hazard, who followed it up with a series of ringing attacks, each of which failed to get through, but weakened Jess further, opening the wound's edges. However, Hazard herself was tiring fast, due to her lack of sleep, and she made the mistake of lowering her guard when Jess wiped her palm clean of sweat. Jess saw the opening and Hazard was left with a bad cut on the forehead, with blood obscuring much of her vision. Jess thought she had won, but Hazard drove her back with a terrifyingly fast attack to the head, which almost hit, and earned herself valuable breathing space.
Hazard was utterly exhausted by now, so she took the only options she thought she had left. The light rain of the previous night had left the ground muddy, so Hazard moved dangerously fast, as if in attack, but in fact, made sure her foot landed on a patch of mud.
An audible crack, a cry of pain from Hazard. As far as Hazard was concerned, it was over. Jess, however, had other ideas, and stepped in to check on her friend, despite the fact that Hazard's second should have stepped in. Hazard noted her approach through bloodied eyes, and when she was near enough, put Greyswandir deep into her guts and twisted. Both cried out. Hazard first, as a broken bone in her leg seemingly danced a tango with her muscles, and then Jessica, as she realised that she hed been virtually gutted.
Hazard, who could still stand, if only with the aid of a thorn bush, declared herself the winner, and as Martin had no wish to lose to Benedict, it was agreed that the fight went to Hazard. She then collapsed to the ground, twisting her leg even further. Being Hazard, she remained conscious, even while it was being set, which she later described as "One of the highlights of a pain-filled life". Benedict, being the closest field surgeon, did it for her, as well as bandaging her head-wound, and her hands where she had hauled herself upright on the thorn bush.
The other side saw to Jessica, and Martin took his cue to disappear, as the rest of the family would not be too pleased with his part in the affair.
Hazard was severely told off by Benedict for taking a fall, even when pressed, but Hazard managed to avoid the worst of the lecture by taking an extra dose of Morphine when she heard his approach, and falling asleep halfway through what Benedict was saying.
In the mean time, Jess was recovering in Camelot, where she had been taken by the officers of Dalt's army who had survived the desertion of their leader, and the subsequent uprising of the men. She recovered slowly, and when she could walk, made her way back to Amber, in a roundabout way, to be severely ticked off by Hazard for getting caught, being an utter shmuck, and jumping into bed with Martin. Hazard was fully recovered by the time Jess got back, and as soon as she had checked on Jessica, Hazard went out hunting, eager to get away from the rest of the family, whom she felt could all be utter shmucks at times. Except Benedict, but he was busy and had no time for her right now.
At last the companions were reunited, and Jess and her father were getting along well, if they were not exactly close. Jess decided to stay in Amber, and Hazard had a long talk with her Elder relations, specifically, Brand, Caine and Fiona, and at length they decided that they were ready to put into practice a very interesting plan to steal the throne. Those sympathetic to her may say that Hazard was a poor pawn, caught up in events. Hazard, if asked about it, has nothing to say on the matter, but mention the "pawn" ideea, and she will challenge you to a game of chess, and checkmate you with her pawns, and a smile like the sphinx.
Hazard somehow managed to get Oberon to extend his protection to her, on the not unreasonable grounds that she was going home to Kashfa, and the Eregnor situation, a bloody border conflict, was escalating again. Hazard therefore needed some diplomatic strength, so she did not get caught up in it. Oberon agreed, gave her his signet ring, and told her to stay for the night, while diplomatic channels were used to get the message through to the Palace that she was coming.
That night in the hall, Hazard and Caine were seen to have a violent argument, which ended in Caine attacking his niece Hazard, who ran to Oberon in a dead panic and reminded him that she was under his protection, and would he please stop his son from killing her. Oberon was only too pleased to prove to his children that he was nastier than they were, and gave Caine a beating for stabbing Hazard in the leg. Caine, white with fury at being humiliated in front of the guests and other family members, not to mention his daughter, left the Hall in a hurry. Later that evening, Jess received a trump call from him...
At the end of the session, Jess is receiving instructions from her father, Hazard is hiding in Caine's room, the last place anyone would look for her, and Caine has bandaged up the hole in her leg. She has seen to his bruises. The rest of the family are just lurking around.