I'll field your second question --
Your best bet is to go the Two Weapon Fighting route, but you'll be stuck with probably a longsword in one hand and a hand-axe in the other; D&D is a simulation, not the real thing. You'll probably want to Focus and Specialize in both your sword and axe to get really good mileage out of them, and Improved Criticals for both might be a good investment as well.
So... TWF, ITWF, GTWF, WF(S), WF(A), WS(S), WS(A), IC(S), IC(A)... 9 feats, plus their prerequisites if I'm missing any. A human fighter of 9th could have all these feats (he has 10 feats total). He'd have six attacks (three regular and three offhand), his Focus feats partially compensate for the penalties he suffers from fighting with two weapons, so he has Melee of +8 (plus Strength) for each weapon, and a +2 damage on each weapon as well. He'll critical more often as well. As another option -- look at Monkey Grip from Sword and Fist; it allows you to wield a large weapon (as a Medium character) in one hand. Use that on a great-axe, grab a short-sword for the other, and I think you'd be fairly potent. This combo, however, would require a few more levels, since Monkey Grip has several prerequisite feats... regardless of the way you go, however, this style is going to eat up a lot of feats.
Besides, sword-and-axe, while intriguing in its concept, does present some problems IRL as well. As stated above, you're going to be limited to a regular sword and a smaller axe, or a regular axe and a smaller sword, unless you're really frickin' strong. By taking a second hafted or pommeled weapon in your offhand, you will drastically limit your defensive options -- bringing both weapons to bear simultaneously will expose vulnerable sections of your side and torso, which D&D doesn't really take into account. IRL, you'd probably be better served by a dagger (for getting at targets with plated armor), or better a spiked buckler or small shield. The biggest danger of two-weapon fighting IRL is the diminished defense a second weapon involves. In D&D, TWF's biggest danger is the decreased accuracy of the attacker.
