No Rest for the Wicked (attn arinth and all of u)

[Hayl3y]

Fang yawned then smiled. She was quite proud with herself. Having a break like this, on the top of the highest tower, was just paradise.

 

It seemed that her fellow banders had completely forgotten about her. She has received no assignment so far. No one was giving her chores anymore. She felt like she was on vacation. Of course, she still wanted to train. She still wanted to improve her skills with her daggers and her short sword, but things were getting boring. It seemed to her that she had nothing more to learn, at least as long as no one new took interest in her.

 

Grabbing a piece of cheese she thought about the last few days. She had managed to do things she would have thought to be impossible on her first day in the citadel. She had finally managed to steal a couple of pies from the kitchen, a red scarf from one of the female sergeant.... and booze. Lot's of booze ! She was surprised at the quantity she had managed to hide in her trunk... no one paid attention to the booze it seemed.

 

The only regret she had was that she had not managed to make real friends in the Band. She had tried, many times, to talk with the soldiers she trained with. But it seemed that no one wanted to know more about her.

 

Maybe it's time to move on, she thought....

 

Well maybe not immediately. She yawned again, and took a sip of the ale she had taken with her.

[Arinth]

Arinth scowled at the three raw recruits standing in front of him. He had seen small training classes before but this was pathetic. He knew for a fact that there were more than these three who had wandered in through the woods and joined in the last few weeks. He could remember at least four that Arkin has mentioned escorting himself. None of these were the ones Arkin had escorted and Arkin wasn't the only member of the Band's welcoming party. That meant that these new recruits were not coming to training.

 

Arinth growled at the recruits that were there. "There should be a good dozen of you here but since the others have chosen not to show up you will each pay the penalty for it." He nodded over at a pile of packs. "You are each going to have to carry two packs and do twice the work that I had planned. If you don't find a way to bring your fellow classmates in tomorrow you'll find yourselves carrying their weight again."

 

"That isn't fair to punish us for showing up." One of them complained.

 

"Looks like you'll fit right into the cavalry." Arinth replied and then continued, "and who said anything about fair? This isn't your mommy's babysitting circle. This is real life son.Now pick up your packs and get moving. The loop takes about 15 minutes. I want three loops, take a rest, then three more loops."

 

The recruits went over and tried to pick up their packs. "Burn me, what did you put in here? A pile of rocks?" One of them asked.

 

"You are very observant. And yes your packs are filled with rocks. Now get moving. I will be back shortly and if I catch you slacking when I get back you will be sorry."

 

With that Arinth stocked off towards the Citadel. Sometimes recruits were known to slack off and even hide. There might be a few still hung over in their beds but there might be others deliberately hiding. He was going to find them. He pulled two out of their bedrolls and found a third napping under a tree. He dragged them with him and found two more helping themselves to large plates of "breakfast".  He did not find anyone else as he searched the grounds and was about to return the group to the circuit Daruun had built years before when he suddenly eyed one of the towers of the citadel. He rubbed his beard. Now that would be a good hiding place.

 

"Wait here." He told the recruits. "I have a feeling one more will be joining us."

 

He climbed up to the top of the tower quickly, trying his best to be quiet though it wasn't his best skill.

 

"Aha!" He declared as he reached the top of the tower hoping to startle the person lounging there. They appeared to be relaxing in the morning sun and casually eating.

 

"It seems we have found...." His words trailed off as the soldier turned towards him. It was a woman. Being a woman wasn't uncommon in the band but she was striking. He had not been prepared for that. "you." He finished lamely. "Is there a reason that you aren't out training?" He felt his pulse quicken as he looked into her green eyes. He crossed his arms and tried to scowl to avoid looking awkward.

[Guest]

Fang jumped when she heard a man's voice behind her. Her first reaction was to turn her face towards the intruder, with an angry glare. She had spilled her drink all over her! Brew was sacred, she had heard other raw recruits say, and she had been ready to believe them. Even if some beverages did taste like cat's piss, they still had some kind of weird relaxing effects. Together they had sworn not to spill brew ever ! Perfect! she thought. How do they want me to keep my drink in my mug if people make me jump like this!

 

It took her a while to recognize the one who had interrupted her. She had only seen him once before. One of the archers had pointed at him when telling her about the infantry and ... how they liked to be in charge of digging the latrines. She had laughed at the time, picturing the muscular man armed with a shovel. She still didn't know how the regiments worked together but it seemed to her that there was some kind of constant competition between them and that they liked to tease each other. The only thing she was quite sure about was that cavalry was not for her. She hated horses. The last one she had approached had bitten her, badly.

 

Oh, no, no, no, no! Fang tried to think about a smart thing to say, a good excuse explaining why she would be there instead of downstairs with all the other recruits. She bit the inside of her cheek, hoping it would help her to concentrate on her face. I can't blush! I have to keep a straight face! But this was easier thought than done. The man looked impressive with his arms crossed and his 6 feet. The fact that he was scowling didn't help nor the fact that she was covered with ale.

 

As, nothing came to her mind, she decided to tell the truth. Returning Arinth's scowl - she was surprised she remembered his name - she placed her fists on her hips.

 

"I am bored", she said.

 

The soldier opened his eyes wide hearing her, clearly not expecting this kind of answer. Before he had the time to react further, Fang grabbed one of her daggers and started to play with it. She felt very childish doing it, but she was feeling nervous and having something in her hands was more than necessary.

 

"You can look in the books. I have signed in ages ago!" she started, then paused. She had heard her voice raising and she didn't like it. You are a soldier, not a spoiled child! You have to sound like a future comrade in arms, you have to sound convincing, she told herself. Clearing her throat, she took the time to breathe in and went on, more serenely this time.

 

" I have even passed Sergeant Fawn's course! I think it is time that I do something else... "

 

Her eyes went on her dagger and an idea came to her mind. It was a crazy one. There was a chance that it would not work but she had nothing to lose, seeing she'd probably be punished anyways for being here in the middle of the day.

 

"Let me prove it to you! What about we fight?"

 

To reassure herself, Fang brushed, with the tip of her fingers, the other dagger she had placed on her back and eyed the short sword that was laying at her feet.

 

Waiting for an answer, the girl tried to smile.

 

 

[Arinth]

"I am bored"

 

Arinth's eyes did widen at the young woman's response. It was rare for new, well relatively new, recruits to be so honest. It was refreshing. Her cheeks looked flush as if she was blushing. It made her look pretty with her dark hair and green eyes. As he watched her she began twirling a knife and talking about how she had already completed some of her training. He tried to remain focused as he listened. Somehow being able to handle her knife made her even more attractive. He tried to clear his thoughts. He needed to get out more.

 

"Your paperwork must have been lost somewhere after you completed Fawn's course." He muttered. He was pretty sure where it was lost too. There was still a large pile of papers on his desk. That little fact didn't need to be brought up though.

 

What about we fight?"

 

His thoughts flashed to him grappling with her right here on the rooftop. Now it was his turn to blush. To prevent her from noticing he did something that in hindsight was probably not the best idea. With a determined stride he walked up to her, grabbed her and hoisted her over his head. He stood at the edge of the roof looking down.

 

"Should we spare here or would you prefer to be down on the ground?" He asked. He could see the other recruits down on the ground looking up at him with their mouths hanging open. Good. Maybe it would make them a little more punctual too about coming to their training.

[Guest]

(ooc : dang you must be silly strong to do that lol)

 

"Here it will be fine!" Fang tried to articulate.

 

"What did you say?" Arinth grinned.

 

"Here, it will be fine!" repeated the girl, louder this time. She had no idea how she had managed to find hoisted over the soldier's head. She knew she was skinny but she felt stupid. Next time stop concentrating on your superior officer's eyes.

 

"You, sure?"

 

The man is really enjoying this ! The thought enraged Fang who managed to shift her weight behind Arinth, so it became increasingly harder for him to keep her up. At one point, his arms collapsed and he let go.

 

Landing on the floor, the girl rolled of. But at the same time she filled drew her weapons. A first dagger nearly missed the office, but it was quickly replaced by another.

 

Fang knew that Arinth liked sword and board fighting but he had no shield up here. This was her chance. She waved her remaining dagger and short sword in a way to provoke him. She didn't really want to put a scar on his pretty face but she had to show what she was able to do. 

[Arinth]

“Here will be fine!” The woman repeated. Her voice sounded slightly strained as if she had no expected to be handled so roughly. He was not the smartest officer, and he definitely was not the fastest, but he was strong and rougher than he usually meant to be. It was easy to get by with in the infantry. There was no need to apologize and it toughened the soldiers up.

 

He had to admit that he was slightly surprised she chose the rooftop. It would be safer down on the ground and there was the possibility that she could blend in with the others if she tried. Actually, she was made more to stand out. He wasn’t sure he could avoid noticing her if he wanted to. His arms faltered and she took the opportunity to shift her weight. She broke his grip and rolled smoothly. He barely had time to appreciate her form before a dagger was in her hand and she was coming at him. He wasn’t positive but he was pretty sure he’d seen another dagger already fly past his head. There were better ways to get a shave. With that reminder, he suddenly wished he had decided to shave and clean up a little that morning.

 

He set his feet and leaned just enough to the side to avoid the dagger. Moving too much often made it harder to avoid the next attack. He snatched her wrist before she could pull the dagger back and with a quick twist pulled her over his shoulder. She responded instinctively and leaned into the roll. And was quickly back up to her feet.

 

He watched her eyes as she moved. It was like they were dancing but fighting was more romantic. Stab, stab, slice. He avoided the dagger and landed a punch to her ribs. He hadn’t punched with all his weight but it was enough for her to feel it. She stepped back and regrouped.

 

Again, the dagger was a blur and he struggled to avoid it. He twisted and moved in ways his body did not appreciate. He ducked under a slash and came up swinging. His backhand landed flush and she fell with a surprised cry.

 

Realizing what he had done, he rushed up to her to check if she was okay. There was a trickle of blood from her split lip. As he leaned over she grabbed him and with her legs launched him over her. He crashed into the short retaining wall with a grunt. Thankfully they had had the foresight to build it to prevent fools like him from falling over the edge. Before he could get to his feet he felt a solid kick land, and then another. He reached out to grab her and stop the painful kicks and got another kick for his efforts. He rose halfway to his feet and anticipating the next kick, grabbed her leg and wrestled her to the ground.

 

“Not half bad.” He said as he pinned her arms. He hopped she didn’t hear how winded he really was. Suddenly becoming aware of how close she was to him, he sat up and offered her his hand to help her up.

“I think I’ll use you in a demonstration for our training class today.”

Edited April 29, 2018 by Arinth

[Guest]

Dammit! The man was quick, he had grabbed her wrist in a flash then pulled it while twisting it at the same time. The move was clever, but she knew what to do next. A fraction of a second later, she was back on her feet.

 

Of course, she could throw her dagger right to the man's skull. It would be very effective, but the death of an instructor was probably not the best way to start a career in the band.

 

His eyes were on hers. C'mon, she thought. You really think that I am gonna look towards my targets before hitting? She laughed, before launching her next attack.

 

The man had reach but she had flexibility. He was stronger than her, but she had resources. The punch he landed on her ribs hurt. It made her lose her breath for a while, but it only encouraged her to go faster, further. The memories of her past flashed through her mind making her focus on her attacks. It is only when he landed another hit that she was brought to reality. She cursed and rolled backwards to create some distance between her and her opponent. It would give her time enough to nurse her split lip.

 

Arinth' next move surprised her. She had expected him to take advantage of the situation to knock her out, but he did something completely different. He rushed to her, asking whether or not she was alright. Wondering if this was a trick, she grabbed him and launched him with her legs over her.

 

Grinning, she got up on her feet. I'm going to win this, she told herself with pride.

 

She rushed towards her senior officer, and started kicking him hoping he would signal her to stop when necessary. She would have wanted the fight to stop at that point, because there was no honor in injuring a man already on the ground but also because a quick stab would have put an end to him.

 

"So?" she asked.

 

"Wha...." the man had reached out to grab her. He managed to rose halfway to his feet and wrestled her to the ground.

 

“Not half bad, ” he said, pinning her to the rooftop “I think I’ll use you in a demonstration for our training class today.”

 

"You cheated,' she protested. Only her eyes were moving. The man was bigger than her and the way he hold her, there was no way she could move. "Our sparring session should have ended when you were on ground."

 

She raised an eyebrow waiting for Arinth to react. The announcement of a training class was quite exciting. She loved her booze but becoming an efficient killer was definitely worth all the bruises she would get that day.

 

"... but," she added right after a wink "since, I know what to expect, I hope you're not afraid to get your ass kicked in front of my fellow raw recruits."

[Arinth]

Arinth laughed as she accepted his hand and he pulled her up to her feet. “There is no such thing as cheating in fighting. There is alive and there is dead. Let any notion of honor be buried with your enemy.”

 

He dragged a wrist across his forehead to wipe the sweat off his brow as he took a few deep breaths to return his breathing to normal. He glanced over at her, she was already tucking away her deadly daggers and preparing to join him. She didn’t look like she’d been sparring at all. He was impressed. He wasn’t about to tell her that though.

 

“Let’s get moving.” He said and began the trek down off of the roof back to the ground.

 

He glanced over his shoulder as they walked, “And as for kicking my ass in front of the other recruits, that is not flaming likely.” He had a plan for their demonstration but he wasn’t about to tell her yet. He had almost told her how he’d held back up on the roof. Didn’t want to have to deal with all the paperwork of killing a recruit, yada yada yada, but when he had glanced back at her he realized how stupid it would have sounded.

 

When they got to the bottom the other recruits were milling around looking bored. A few had started inching their way further and further away from the group looking for their opportunity to sneak off all together. He scowled at them. “Listen up you sack of unwashed socks. You’ve slacked off too much for too long. That ends now. I want everyone to steady jog to the training ground. That will help warm up for the sparring when we get there. If you see the other soldiers running laps when you get there watch out for flying rocks. They had to carry double weight today because you couldn’t be bothered to show up.”

 

Arinth watched them start jogging with a frown. Once they had all started down the path he allowed himself a little chuckle and began to stroll towards the training area. He arrived a short while later to see everyone gathered together. One young man was bent over with his hands on his knees already winded from the jog while another man had dropped all the way to the ground. Arinth shook his head.

 

“Form up. One row, facing me.” They began to move but without much motivation. “Now!” Arinth yelled.

 

“We are going to do a little sparring and then focus on some more disciplined training. Everyone pair off. You miss rooftop heartbreaker come up here with me.” He said pointing at Fang.

 

She joined him with that same confident look in her eye that he had seen earlier. He fought down the urge to gulp. She took up her fighting stance but he held up his hand. “I assume you’d rather have them watching and see you kick my ass.” He said. “Let’s wait until I call for their break.”

 

He watched as the sparring continued. It was a lot of wild hacking and missing, rolling around and jumping. He had his work cut out for him. Finally after a few minutes he called for a break.

 

“Watch.” He told them.

 

He nodded to Fang and instead of taking up her fighting stance as she had earlier she moved forward instantly. Her daggers appearing in her hand as she did so. He ducked and shifted. His feet moved smoothly as he narrowly avoided her well aimed strikes. She came forward over and over again, circling and attacking, and rolling when she needed to. There was none of the wasted effort he’d seen in the other recruits. No careless jumping around. Using her speed and movement she finally broke through, her blade slicing along his ribs.”

 

He held up a hand and she stopped. He felt his side.It wasn’t serious. He sucked the blood off his finger tip.

 

He addressed the group. “We all know how to hold our weapons. We know how to use the pointy ends. Some of us even learned how to fight in alleys or rooftops. How to jump and roll and all kinds of crazy things. It’s been good enough to keep you alive until now. But now it’s time you learned more. There are formations and commands in battle that are simple in concept but not always in practice. Charge, hold your ground, fall back. Each command has to be executed perfectly. You all saw how good our friend was here but now let’s say I’ve been given the command to hold my ground. If the line breaks we could become surrounded, routed, killed. There is no backing up or moving forward.”

 

He planted his feet and nodded at her again. She took her queue and moved forward. He deflected her blade, twisted as he stepped into her guard and drove his shoulder into her chest. He knew from their earlier spar that she was strong but his technique was effective enough to knock her off her feet.

 

He held out his head and helped her back up.

 

“I want everyone to practice again. But this time take turns being the one to hold your ground.”

OOC: You only need one more post for this RP to count towards your WS. You are welcome to wrap things up if you want or we can keep going. :-)

[Guest]

Fang raised an eyebrow. Wasn't she supposed to become a honorable fighter? Wasn't it what would differentiate her from a brigand? Either that or the monthly pay, she added to herself. The thought brought a smile on her face. She had to admit that she liked what Arinth had just said. She wasn't strong, what would make her win a fight resided somewhere else than in her muscles.

 

Wondering what her instructor had in store for her, she dutifully followed him down the roof She had bragged about kicking his ass in front of the other recruits as a defense mechanism. That was the kind of thing she had had to do in the past to show herself as a tough fighter. She didn't know if that was necessary in the citadel but she preferred to be safe than sorry. Of course, it was also the kind of things that could tempt a trainer to turn her into a punching bag... Choices choices.

 

As expected the other recruits looked bored. Fang knew some of their faces, but not all of them. Some looked like they were from Tear, just like her, and it sent shivers down her spine. I hope none of them are here to bring me back, she told herself taking a deep breath. Some member of the audience had tried to escape before Arinth arrival. Unfortunately, they had not been able to go far enough. The soldier scowled at them and send them to jog with the rest of the group.

 

"Jogging, really?" the young woman shook her head. She had enjoyed her duel with Arinth and had hoped she'd be able to have another try at it.

 

Slowly, she started running. It was definitely not her favourite kind of exercise. Some of the recruits immediately tried to go as fast as they could, probably hoping to impress their instructor. However, some didn't have the stamina to keep on jogging at this rhythm for long. They had to switch to a fast walk or stop for a while.

 

Arinth seemed to have fun watching the recruits suffer, Fang noticed him chuckling and smiling every now and then.

 

“Form up. One row, facing me.” He said at last. “Now!” He yelled.

 

The young woman sprinted to face her instructor.

 

“We are going to do a little sparring and then focus on some more disciplined training. Everyone pair off. You miss rooftop heartbreaker come up here with me.” Arinth said pointing at Fang.

 

She joined him as asked, right after having winked at him. "Yes, Sir," she answered mimicking the way some of the soldiers answered to their superior officer.

 

***

 

Since Fang couldn't fight, she watched the recruits around her just like Arinth had asked her to. Some were impressive ... Some were ... definitely not good at fighting. Wow, she thought. I hope we won't have a horde of trollocs invading the recruits barracks any time soon, or we are all dead, she told herself.

 

Her eyes met the other soldier's. Yes all doomed, she tried to tell him with her gaze.

 

Arinth nodded in response, indicating that it was time to fight. Immediately, she dropped in a fighting stance, a dagger in each hand. Without waiting for a reaction from her opponent, she moved forward. Arinth ducked and shifted. He seemed definitely quicker than before. The man was tireless! On and on, she stroke. Towards his chest, his wrist, his neck, each time her daggers met resistance or a counterattack. The longer the fight went on, the less she wanted to lose. She knew she should be ashamed of herself. She was not doing better than these flaming kids who had tried to run as fast as they could to impress the senior soldier.

 

So there's no cheating? She thought at last, let's try this.

 

She focused on her instructor's left side, attacking his shoulder then his wrist, then his shoulder again before trying once more for his wrist. She kept her eyes on this side, as if the other didn't exist. Then, suddenly, she dropped faking a fall before turning to make a quick slicing movement with her left dagger. It met her opponent's right side where it cut him along his ribs.

 

"Oh..!" she couldn't help herself. She stopped as fast as she had started attacking. Arinth was holding his hand up, sign that they were done fighting.

 

"Sorry," she whispered. As much as she wanted to win, she hadn't expected to be the first one to drawn blood.

 

***

 

Arinth had now his feet firmly planted on the ground. He nodded at her again, and once more she attacked. The fight ended a couple of seconds later. The man had deflected her blade then driven his shoulder right into the middle of her chest. Breathless, she was knocked off her feet.

 

"Mother's milk in a cup!" she cursed. Arinth held out his hand to help her back up, then invited the recruits to keep on practicing.

 

"How did you do?" she asked. "It was the same kind of attack! How do you want me to hold my ground like you did? I am no match for a big man like you?"

 

Waiting for Arinth reply she dropped in  guarding position.

 

 

OOC : let's keep going

Fang wants to be stronger !!!! lol

[Arinth]

“How do you want me to hold my ground like you did? I am no match for a big man like you?" Fang asked.

 

It was a good question, and it should have been one he was prepared for. He took her words as an invitation to look her up and down. He pulled his eyes up to her face before they lingered too long. It was true. She wasn’t as big as he was.

 

He scratched his chin, “First we are going to need practice swords for this. When you are holding your ground you are fighting defensively. You want to use everything you can to your advantage. One of the first things you have control of is what ground you are going to hold. Look around, what do you think would the best place to try and hold your ground?”

 

The ground was mostly flat at the training grounds but there were a few hills. After a moment of looking around Fang pointed to one of the hills. Arinth nodded.

 

“Good, the person who controls the high ground has a decided advantage in a battle.”

 

They walked over to the hill and he let her pick her spot.

 

“Make sure your feet are on solid ground. A slip on treacherous ground has cost many good soldiers their lives.”

 

He gave her a moment to check her feet and adjust.

 

“Finally, it is not all about how tall or big you are. When holding your ground you want to have a lower center of gravity than your opponent. You want to be balanced, precise, and use your opponent’s momentum against them. A low center of gravity will help you from losing your balance. You want to be precise because in battle you don’t stand and duel with someone for an hour. It will be decided within three strikes. Most of the time if you are holding the line you’ll have a spear to keep out of your opponent’s reach but if you have to use your sword you want to be patient. Your opponent will not be as precise as you when they are charging. Let them take their first swing, and deflect it. At the speed they are going they won’t be able to adjust back into a defensive position before you have your chance to strike.”

 

He paused to make sure she was listening.

 

“This is when you make your attack count. Drive your shoulder into their chest, deliver a vicious kick down on their knee, look to the leg, side, or neck for an opening with your sword. Got it?”

 

She nodded.

 

Arinth backed up until he was a dozen paces away and downhill from her. He adjusted the practice sword in his hand and then began his charge, raising his sword high above his head with both hands. It was time to see what she had learned.  

[Guest]

They arrived on the top of a small hill. As Fang looked around she saw that the other recruits were still busy with their last exercise. She could hear some of them laughing as they fell on the ground in a very unsoldier-like way. As much as it made her smile, she didn't really envy them. They sounded like they were having a lot of fun together but a private lesson with a senior officer was clearly a chance for her to improve her skills, especially since the senior officer was pleasant to look at.

 

As instructed, she planted her feet on the ground. She would have to be careful not to slip, it would be terribly stupid to fall just because of a little bit of mud.

 

When Arinth told her that holding her ground was not about how tall or big she was, she let escape a snort. "Right," she whispered grinning. "We'll see about that in a bit."

 

Not wanting to further disturb the other soldier - who was after all a superior officer -, she decided not to give any extra comment. She focused on his explanations hoping she would remember everything he told her. She'd have to be balanced, to find a low center of gravity. The precision he talked about didn't scare her. Wasn't she one of the best a throwing daggers? And that demands precision, all right, she commented to herself.

 

The next part sounded much more difficult. How could she drive her shoulder in Arinth's chest? The vicious kick down his knee and finding a opening sounded easy enough but it all came after the shoulder part.

 

"Got it?" her instructor asked.

 

Fang nodded. "I think I got it," she said trying to sound like her usual confident self.

 

The man backed up a little, and found himself downhill from her. He adjusted his practice sword then began his charge, sword raised up above his head.

 

Let's do this, Fang thought dropping in a guarding position.

 

***

 

"This was a failure, a complete failure... 'It is not working!" Fang said before spatting on the ground.  Her cheeks were still red of embarrassment. She had met the man's charge but not in an effective way. She didn't know if it was because she had left too soon or placed her shoulder in a weird way or because the man had done it on purpose but she had crashed on his chest like a damsel in distress running away from a trolloc before being thrown back, buttock first, on the muddy ground.

 

Nursing her lower back, she tried to get back some of her composure.

 

***

 

She didn't know how Arinth had managed to convince her to have a try at it again. Here she was, once more, sword ready and waiting for the man to charge. He nodded before rushing towards her, sword raised up high just like last time.

 

"OUCH!"

 

Fang glared holding her shoulder. This time she had managed to hold her ground... more or less... but to what price? Her right shoulder burnt like hell.

 

 

***

 

"That is not what you were supposed to do!" Arinth scowled.

 

"But this was effective, you can't deny that!" Fang replied a cocky grin on her face.

 

The third try had been her favorite so far. Instead of meeting the man's chest with her shoulder, like she had been instructed to, she had rolled on her left side to land right behind him. Finding an opening had been easy enough. She only had to throw one of her feet to the man's calves to make him trip. It should have left her more than enough time to stand up, sword ready to be planted in the man's throat... except that somehow Arinth had felt her coming. He had pushed her away before she had the chance to make her stabbing move.

 

***

 

The fourth time did it. It was not perfect but closer to what Arinth had expected.

 

"I guess I'll have to keep on training," she said not really happy with her performance.

 

[Arinth]

"I guess I'll have to keep on training," The woman said.

 

Arinth had to admit that he was impressed with her determination and toughness. She had been so focused that she had not even noticed as the other soldiers had all one by one dropped down. He was about to be one of them.

 

“Easy now.” He said holding up his hand. “You can’t get all of your training done in one day. You’ll just end up exhausting yourself and that won’t help you in the long run.”

 

Fang did not appear to agree.

 

She had done well in her training. She was quick and agile. He wasn’t sure the infantry was the best place for her. She could make it in the infantry of course. She had the required stuberness but that didn’t mean she couldn’t succeed just as well in other positions. He wasn’t about to say anything about that though. H’ed let her make her own decisions.

 

In their training he had meant shoulder or kick or trip. She had seemed determined to master the driving shoulder though. He made a note to work on making sure he gave clearer instructions. She had improved though. The next day he’d have the bruises to show it. He brought his attention back to the present. Somehow he had to convince her to take a break.

 

“You’ve done well.” He offered. Nope, that didn’t seem to do the trick either. She looked planted to her spot like she was a tree that had  grown roots. Arinth had only one idea left.

 

“How about we grab some food and have a drink?”

[Guest]

"A drink would be fine!" Fang said with a chuckle. " Don't wanna tire you down, old man!"

 

She winked at her instructor as she put her weapons aside. Though she had to admit that she wasn't doing that well, herself. Her shoulder and back muscles were on fire and it was getting very hard to focus on her moves.

 

Even if she had wanted to go on, her body was protesting and Arinth's suggestion to make a break was a real miracle.

 

"What is your poison?" she asked; still acting cocky.

 

Seeing how tired she was, she hoped the man would want to drink something light, just like one of those light ales she usually hated.

 

"Oh," she added. '"Are many people here from Tear?'"

 

Immediately she regretted her question. Her instructor hadn't seem to pay attention to her origins. Her fear to be discovered by her father's men and to be taken back home had taken over. Her will to survive away from her family manor still kept bugging her. It made her walk on her toes at all time.

 

"Wait. Don't answer that. I'll try to find out for myself. Perhaps I can make a new friend... or two...". She grinned, slowly unsheathing a dagger and starting to clean her nail with it. She looked at her hand. "After this drink, or these drinks, depending on whether or not you're a lightweight."