So, there hasn't been much action for a few chapters now... so I thought I'd toss a bit in;-) Karina learns to fight!

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Karina

Manna did not go with her to the field atop Castor Hill, where Caleb Blackwell taught the boys of Gregorn to fight, but Karina knew the way well enough. She had followed Aidan there before, though she had never dared to climb the hill to Blackwell's home. She knew that the man did not tolerate trespassers on his land, and only people who had business with Blackwell would dare bother him. 

Everyone knew the man who lived alone on the hilltop was a true warrior. They said that he had fought among the Empire's most elite soldiers, back in the days when Senmin were permitted in the Royal Army under King Grayson's reign. As she made the trek to his home just outside of the city Karina was both nervous and excited all at the same time, wondering what the reclusive man would be like. Since returning to Gregorn town proper is was said he seldom ventured from his home and very few, outside of his students and clients, ever caught sight of him.

As she reached the bottom of the hill, Karina stopped. Manna had warned her not to approach Mr. Blackwell's home before the chiming of the evening bells, and though the sun was low on the western horizon, the bells had yet to ring. Still, she was anxious to arrive on time for her first lesson. Karina could not imagine the harm in setting out a few minutes early.

In spite of the late hour, the day was still hot and the hill was steep. As she climbed Karina could feel the light coating of sweat break out over her entire body, and the loose strands of her hair that had escaped her braid stuck to her brow. She had just reached the top when she heard the sound of rowdy laughter and familiar voices. As she continued forward she saw a house, presumably Blackwell's, and a moment later, the source of the voices appeared as Aidan and his friends came into view.

Karina had never much gotten along with most of the girls her age, always preferring the company of the boys who lived in town, spending their days running wild in the fields and forest surrounding Gregorn town proper. When Manna allowed her free time to play on her own, it was to Aiden and his friends that she turned, and though they often shooed her away from their games, the boys' faces were all familiar.

 As she caught Aiden's eye, Karina waved to him and flashed a big grin. She was surprised however to find her greeting was not returned as the boys' unfriendly stares hit her like a wall of ice, their laughter fading to silence. Ignoring the strangely cold welcome Karina walked over to them and playfully punched her friend in the shoulder.

"You going blind or something?" she said with a laugh. "I was waving."

"What was that for?" Aiden snapped as he rubbed his arm. "And what the hell are you doing here?"

Karina felt her heart beat quicken as the boys continued to stare at her in stony silence. They seemed angry, though she couldn't imagine why.

"I..." she stopped. Manna had warned her not to tell anyone that Blackwell had agreed to train her, but seeing their haughty expressions Karina couldn't resist. "I'm here to train, same as you," she said with a satisfied nod of her head. Aiden frowned.

"Hey Green," one of the boys shouted. "Tell your girlfriend to go home!"

"Yeah," said another. "Tell her to go home."

Karina walked up to the red haired boy who'd last spoken and shoved him back. "Maybe you should go home," she said. The boy's face turned beet red, almost the same color as his hair.

"You gonna' let a girl push you around, Dryer?" The first boy asked. 

Karina recognized him now. He was older, at least two years older than Aiden, but she had seen him in town once or twice before. His name was Gavin York. She had never really liked him much. The red haired boy she'd pushed looked uncertain what to do in response to Gavin's taunting.

"Aw, don't be such a wuss," Gavin said. Stepping in front of the redhead Gavin walked up to Karina, a mean grin smeared across his face as he put his hand on her chest and pushed. It was far harder than a friendly shove and surprised by the force, Karina was knocked off balance, stumbling back and falling to the ground. 

"You don't belong here," he said, staring down at her.

"Lay off Gavin," Aidan said uncomfortably. "You're not supposed to push girls."

Karina was livid. She quickly pushed herself up from the ground. Mouth set in a tight line she lunged at her attacker before he had a chance to react, and shoved him back.

Regaining his footing, Gavin's mouth pressed together in an angry frown as he swung at her with his fist, but Karina was ready now. Before his hand could make contact she dodged out of the way of his attack and punched the boy square in the nose. Gavin doubled back in surprise, hand to his face. His eyes narrowed.

"You're gonna' wish you hadn't done that," he said.

"Done this?" 

Karina punched him again before the boy could think to defend himself. Blood trickled down his nose now, and she saw his face registered some degree of shock before his look of surprise transformed into a vicious glare. Karina could feel the eyes of the boys pressing in on her again, the sensation sending a slight tingling along her skin. She could almost hear their mutually held anticipation of the impending fight. Karina's fists clenched.

"I'm gonna' kill you," Gavin snarled as he wiped away the blood from his face.

"Just try."

He lunged at her and the two fell onto the ground together in a tangle of kicks, punches and grabbed hair. The other boys encircled them urging on their friend.

"Get h'r, " they yelled.

"Show h'r what's what!"

But it was only a few moments before Karina felt a hand on her shoulder as she was grabbed by the collar of her shirt and unceremoniously hoisted to her feet.

"That's enough of that."

Karina craned her head around to see the man who had hold of her. He was massive and obviously strong. With one large hand, he held on to her shoulder, in the other he held a staff. He looked angry.

"You, Gavin York. What the hell do you think you're doing fighting here? You know the rules." 

Gavin got up as quickly as he could, brushing the dust off of his pants. He did not raise his eyes to meet the gaze of the man who held her fast.

"I'm sorry, Sir," he said.

"Bell rang a few minutes ago. Even with my deaf old ears I could hear it. You all ought to be on your way home by now." As he spoke, Karina saw the boys cast their eyes to the ground. Her heartbeat quickened.

"Line up all of ya," the large man barked. Aiden and his friends were quick to obey. The man suddenly let her go pushing her slightly forward and she stumbled.

"You, girl," the man said.

"Karina," she said, wiping at her face to remove the sweat and dirt from her scuffle with Gavin.

"Don't talk back, girl," the man said with a disdainful scowl, "I know who you are. What I don't know is what the hell you're doing fighting on my land."

His land?

"Mr. Blackwell?" Karina asked tentatively.

"I didn't ask who I was. I asked why you're fighting here. All my boys know the rules. There is no fighting on this hill outside of training."

"He started it," Karina said crossing her arms across her chest. She could hear the collective intake of breath from the boys at her daring. They stared at her wide-eyed.

Blackwell gave her a disproving frown. "What did I say about speaking out of turn, girl?" he said.

Karina pursed her lips into a thin line. She had decided that she definitely did not like this man.

"Besides, the way I saw it, it was you who started that fight."

"That's not true," she said under her breath.

She looked up and saw he was glaring at her. His stare was ten times more frightening than any she received from Manna or Nita Fiona. Karina felt an uncomfortable squirming sensation in her stomach, and she lowered her head slightly to avoid his sharp eyes as they gazed at her from under heavy black-gray eyebrows.

"She said she was here to train with you," Gavin piped up.

"I tell you to talk, York?" Blackwell asked, shooting him a quick glare.

The boy put his head down again and was quiet.

Blackwell turned back to Karina. "So you think you're here to train do you?"

"I..." Karina began, but the man cut her off before she had the chance to respond.

"Fetch up a staff," he said. He nodded his chin to gesture behind her right shoulder and Karina looked to see a small shed beside his house. She turned back to him uncomprehending.

"You deaf, girl?" He extended his arm to point again towards the shed. " Go and fetch a staff from that shed over there." She turned uncertainly and began to walk toward the shed, but stopped for a moment to look back over her shoulder.

"Be quick about it," Blackwell snapped.

Karina did not wait to be told again.

Inside, the shed was filled with a variety of training weapons. Dull blades, knives and an assortment of wooden swords lined the walls. In one corner Karina saw a pile of wooden staffs like the one Blackwell had held. She picked up one of them and felt its weight, as it lay heavy in her hands.

"Coming back are ya?" she heard Blackwell yell.

Karina took a deep breath, carrying the staff outside and walked back to the sword master. She could feel the boys watching her with anticipation, wondering what their teacher would do next.

"All right, girl," Blackwell said. "You like fighting. Let's see what you've got."

"Sir?"

"Ah, so Manna has taught you some manners after all."

Karina felt her face redden, her cheeks burning with a twinge of shame and embarrassment.

"I want you to fight me." The man leaned on his own staff, body relaxed, waiting.

 Karina looked uncertainly at the wood in her hands and then back at Aiden and his friends. Was this a test? Aiden had taught her how to hold the weapon. They had spared before in the woods with long branches. She'd even beat him once or twice. But could she really be meant to fight the great Caleb Blackwell?

"Well?" Blackwell said, "I'm waiting."

He was challenging her, and with the boys watching, Karina knew she couldn't back down. She faced the large man and held her staff diagonally across her body.

"Not a bad stance," Blackwell said, eyeing her with a half smile. "Now strike"

Karina hesitated. Was she really supposed to hit him? He wasn't even holding his weapon properly to defend himself.

"Too slow," he said. In seconds the staff was in his hands and swiping at her side. She jumped back just in time to narrowly avoid being hit. Karina glared at him.

"Don't just stand there giving me looks, girl," he said. "Do something about it."

She faced him again but this time, she didn't pause. Karina raised the long wooden stick and brought the front end down, aiming for his head. The man parried easily and laughed as he knocked her staff away.

"You don't play around do you, girl? Try again."

Karina targeted his left leg this time but he easily blocked her attack. Binding her weapon with his own, Blackwell effortlessly cast it away as if he were swatting a fly. Karina stumbled off balance as she tried to withstand the force with which he threw off her staff. The man laughed.

"Look," he said, "I'll make it easier." He dropped his own weapon to the ground and pushed it away with his foot. "Strike."

Karina bit her lip in concentration. Gripping the wood tightly in her hands she and attempted to swipe at his ribs. Instead of avoiding, the man preempted her attack by stepping in towards her body and taking a firm grasp of Karina's staff. In one sharp motion he spun around, wrenching the wood from her hands, bringing the front end of the staff to strike her from behind. Karina stumbled forward as the staff hit her back, catching herself just before she fell to the ground, hands on her knees. He had not struck with much force, but it had knocked the wind out of her and Karina struggled to find her breath. Her back throbbed where the hard wood had made contact.

"Pick up the other staff," Blackwell said.

Karina could hear the boys whispering. She knew they were enjoying her humiliation. When she didn't respond fast enough. Blackwell gave her a quick prod with the staff he'd taken from her.

"You're not finished yet are you?" he taunted.

Karina felt a red burning frustration in bubbling inside. She couldn't give them the satisfaction of giving up now. Karina picked up Blackwell's abandon staff and turned to face him, eyes narrowed. He only grinned.

"Now that's a fighting sprit. Come on, girl. You told these boys you were here to fight? Prove it."

Karina's lips pursed together as she took her stance. She struck for his right knee with the back end of her staff but again he was ready. He locked his staff with hers binding it up and over her head, and made ready to swipe at her center.

Karina had just brought the staff across her body to defend herself when she realized her mistake. Blackwell had quickly pulled out of the attack and stepped around her undefended side. Before Karina could respond, the back end of his staff swung around to hit her calve from behind, just below the knees. Karina felt her leg swept out from under her and she lost her balance, falling backward landing hard on the ground. She could hear boys snickering beside her and felt her face turn red as it tightened in an embarrassed scowl.

Blackwell frowned as he turned on the boys.

"Shut up all of you!" He barked, threatening them with his staff. The boys were instantly silent. Blackwell reached out his hand to help her, but Karina ignored it as she pushed herself up from the ground, standing to face him again. The man stared at her with a smirk on his face that she found infuriating and Karina redoubled her efforts to look as sullen as possible. He laughed at her expression.

"You're just like her," he said with a small shake of his head. "Same stupid stubbornness."

Karina looked at him in confusion.

"Like who?" She asked.

Blackwell ignored the question as he rested a heavy hand on her shoulder before turning back to Aiden and his friends.

"If I ever catch you boys up here after the bell again there will be hell to pay. Got it?"

None of the boys raised their gaze, but all nodded their understanding.

"So I can hear you!" he barked.

"Yes, Sir!" they chorused. Karina thought of how much Caleb Blackwell reminded her of the Nita. He was certainly just as scary and, like Nita Fiona, it seemed he had taken an immediate dislike to her. She fought the urge to squirm under his grasp.

"And you, Gavin York," Blackwell added with a pointed stare at the boy. "Next time I catch you fighting on my property, I'm gonna' kick your ass outta here so fast your head'll spin. You got that? I'd hate to see the tanning your father'll give you when I tell him why you ain't welcome here anymore."

Gavin didn't say anything, but nodded his understanding, not daring to look his teacher in the eye.

"Now all of you get the hell outta' here. If you'd left when you were supposed to you wouldn't have had your asses handed to you by a girl." 

Gavin lowered his head further in shame, but Aiden just looked uncomfortable. Karina saw him cast a look of fear at Blackwell before he looked at her, his mouth screwed up in an expression of remorse? Sympathy? She couldn't quite tell. Blackwell's large hand still rested heavily on her shoulder.

As the boys turned to leave, Karina tried to step forward to follow, but Caleb Blackwell's grip only grew stronger.

"Not you, girl. You stay here."

Karina saw Aiden turn back and their eyes met. This time she was sure she saw a look of sympathy on his face. She swallowed hard. Blackwell's eyes narrowed as he stared Aiden down.

"You not hear me, Green? I told you to get!"

Aiden turned and fled as if the sound of the man's voice itself had lashed out a struck him. Watching the boys retreat into the distance Karina felt her heart pounding in her chest. The man had not moved, nor had he loosed his hold on her.

When the boys had gone from sight, the Blackwell shoved Karina forward with a force that nearly sent her back to the ground.

"Did your teacher not tell you to be careful, girl? That no one was to know you were coming to me? Or were you just too stupid to listen?"

"I..." Karina started.

"I don't want excuses." He said, cutting her off before she could say anything in her defense.

Karina nodded doing her best to face his disapproving gaze.

"You do know I'm taking a risk training you don't you? I'm sure your teacher made that clear. I don't train girls. I told Manna I'd give you a chance, but I'm already regretting it."

Karina looked down at the ground, biting her lip to hold back tears. She heard him give a snort of contempt.

"Can't even look me in the eye, girl? If you want to leave, go right ahead. Go chase those boys back to town and prove them right. Prove you don't belong here. But you only get one shot with me. You go home now, don't come back."

Karina felt her heart beating uncontrollably as she forced herself to meet his gaze once again. "I want to stay," she said trying to steady her voice. "I want to learn." Blackwell held her eyes with his own, but Karina refused to back down, channeling as much strength and conviction into her gaze as she could. She couldn't go home. She couldn't give up this chance. 

After what felt like an eternity, the man let out a small grunt of a laugh and shook his head. "As I said, you're just like her."

Karina gave him the same puzzled expression she had before, wondering what his comment could possibly mean, but Blackwell did not elaborate.

"Better go pick up that up again," he said nodded to the staff on the ground. "Since you're stayin'."

Karina hurried to do as she was told.

Alright...so Caleb and Karina had a bit of a rough start....hehe. But at least she stuck it out right? Hope you enjoyed the chapter and the little fight. Could you follow it? I actually choreograph all the fights I use in this book in real life, so hopefully it was something you could "see." (but if not let me know!) Was it interesting/tense enough to keep your attention?( I know it does go on for a bit) 

 Hope this chapter also gave you some more insight into Karina's character. She's a tough kid and no doubt she has inherited a bit of her mom's  stubbornness and drive ( as Caleb so astutely pointed out;-)). Next chapter will be Karina as well. It is my goal to give you a chance to finally get to know this prophetic child a bit better from her POV and it would be great to hear what you think of her so far, so....if you have thoughts....def leave a comment! And if you liked the chapter, don't forget to vote;-)