- Dæor -

"So," I begin, my back to her, "I've heard that you're relatively comfortable with all of the weapons on this rack, and that you've found your specialty weapon. The sword, right ?"

"That's correct," she replies.

"I've also heard that in a couple of months, you've gotten good at it. Real good at it. The kind of skill Liam can't spar with." She doesn't flinch at the mention of his name. I can only hope they've sorted whatever there was between them. "Well, I've been assigned as your new sword fighting teacher," I inform her, careful not to mention that there was more volunteering than assigning involved. "We'll be meeting here every day, 'kay ?" She nods.

I turn to toss her the weapon and miss a beat. She truly looks stunning today. The wide carmine pants she's wearing hug the floor, barely showing the curve of her hips. Her long hair is tied behind her, but a few strands hang loose. I feel a sudden urge to reach out and tuck them behind her ear. Shaking the feeling away, I hand her the sword and unsheathe Shadow. "Lucky for you, I'm the best sword fighter in the camp," I wink at her. She smirks. "That's because I've only been here for a couple of months," she retorts before lunging, lightning fast. I hastily parry and sidestep.

"Wow, you are fast," I admit. "Impressive." She smiles and spins, using her momentum to bring her sword sideways. I block the blow, but have to skid back at the force of it. She darts to the side and strikes out. My sword bobs downwards and clashes against hers. I acted on pure reflex, and my speed takes her aback. Using her surprise, I turn in till our two bodies are pressed against each other. I ram my arm into the nook of her right elbow, and her weapon goes flying in the air. I step back as she watches soar, a bemused expression on her face.

"Impressive," she finally utters, tuning her red gaze on me.

"I know," I boast, passing my hand through my hair.

"Though I must say that I thought we were swordfighting, not waltzing together."

I can feel heat rising into my cheeks. Maybe I didn't need to get that close to her. "Actual fighting isn't a game. So there aren't any rules. You can't expect your opponent to play nice. Who knows - they might decide to punch, wrestle, or even tango to best you," I reply, trying my best to keep my face calm.

A smile pulls at the right corner of her mouth, but she turns and picks up her sword before I can see it bloom on her lips. "Alright. Do you have any other tips for me ?" she asks, bending down to grab her weapon.

"Yeah, I actually do. Your attacks are really good, but your defence is sloppy. Remember, you need to be protected to attack." She straightens up and nods, her blade dangling from her right hand. "Okay. I'll try to be more defensive this time round."

"Ready ?"

"Ready."

This time, I dart towards her, keeping close to the ground. Feinting an attack on the left, I actually strike on the right. She had begun to block on the left, so when my real hit came, she wasn't prepared. Arching her back, she bends backwards and watches silently as Shadow wooshes in an arc over her chest. I stumble back a bit from the force of my own attack, and she uses the chance to retaliate.

My eyes widen in surprise as she lets go of her sword and tosses it a couple of centimeters upwards. When it comes back down, she catches it but changes her grip. Instead of a normal fencing position, she curls her fingers at the top of the hilt and places her palm underneath it. Her hand is a fist, centered around the blade. It's almost as if she was about to stab-

Sickeningly quick, she brings her blade down on my chest. I clumsily move to block it, but her new grip brings her extra strength, and she is easily able to knock Shadow away. Her blade keeps coming down, down, till it stops literally a few centimeters above my frenetic heart. "Wow," I exclaim. "That was amazing."

"Thank you," she smiles and straightens up.

"I really thought you were going to kill me," I chuckle nervously.

She turns her head and stares right into my pupils. "Why would I do that ? I would have no one else to tango with." My face goes tomato red as she turns away. "Any feedback ?" she asks, nonchalant.

"Uh, feedback. Right. Yeah, I got some stuff." I try to switch into serious mode. "Okay, first, never do that thing."

"What thing ?"

"The I'm-holding-my-sword-like-it's-a-knife-to-stab-someone thing. It might give you a bit of extra strength, but in the end, your sword is much harder to manipulate. It makes you open to all sorts of attacks."

"But it worked this time," she tries.

"Yeah, it did, but..."

"Don't you dare say beginner's luck," she interrupts, eyes blazing.

I wasn't about to. I know perfectly well that she is far from a beginner. She's been training around the clock ever since she's joined us. "I wouldn't call it that. It was just a good moment, and a similar occasion probably won't rise again." I sigh. "Fine, if you do ever encounter a similar situation again, I guess you could maybe use that hold. But that's an exception," I state.

"Got it, D." I can't help a smile. My nickname rings sweet when she is the one to say it.

"Alright, that's about it. You did a great job. Ready for a rematch ?"

"Ready." But neither of us attack. Instead, we circle around each other, trying to find a weakness. Abruptly, she pulls back and throws her sword into the air. It comes at me like a dagger, and I deflect it easily with a simple swipe of my blade. "Why-"

Suddenly, I realize that it was a distraction. Too late. She already is in my face, twisting my arm away. Bringing up her knee, she slams my forearm down onto it in an effort to shock me into letting go of Shadow. Her move makes me grunt out, but I keep a hold onto the hilt. Using my shoulder, I collide into her and send her sprawling back. She regains her footing and looks back at me warily. "You shouldn't have thrown your blade like that," I comment, before rushing at her. I pretend to strike on the right to then bring my sword into an arc on the left. But instead of falling back, like last time, she dives to the left - only to have Shadow swinging at her. On instinct, she throws her hands up to protect her face and the tip of blade slashes across her palm.

"Shit !" I yell, tossing my weapon to the ground. "Evangeline, let me see !"

Her hand is clutched against her chest. I can't see any blood, but her jaw is clenched. "Let me see," I repeat, softer. She opens her hand and lets me inspect it. A long gash crosses her palm, blood oozing from it. "It's just a scratch, really. Sorry, I was simply taken aback."

"Why are you apologizing ? I should be apologizing ! Sorry !" I yell at her. "I'm sorry," I try again, softer. "It's bleeding. Let's have Doctor Mulligan look at it."

"No way," she shakes her head. "He has other stuff to take care of. Besides, look, it's already healing." With absolutely no gentleness whatsoever, she grabs her shirt and drags it along her cut, letting it soak up all the red. I pull back and wince for her. She looks up, surprised. "Are you really this scared of a tiny cut like this ?"

"Well... I'm not a big fan of blood." Especially if it's yours.

"Unless it's a Guard's."

"Unless it's a Guard's," I agree.

"Pass me that dagger, will you ?" She nods at a knife on the weapons rack. Obligingly, I grab it and hand it to her. With gusto, she rips the bottom of her shirt and wraps the strip of cloth around her hand, flashing some of her stomach in the process. I look away, embarrassed.

"Why are we using real blades, anyways ?" She pronounces through her teeth as she attempts to tie off the bandage.

"Here, let me do that for you," I butt in. Gingerly, she holds out her hand. She doesn't like physical contact, I remember. Slowly, I begin to tie off the knot, careful not to touch her skin.

"Actually, it's because we need all the blades we can get for actual battle. We can't spare any, especially not to make them blunt for combat."

"Right. That makes sense."

"But we should put on more protection for training with real weapons. All done," I add, finishing the knot. "Next time, I'll get you leather pads."

"Oh, that's really not necessary. I was just being stupid, throwing my hands in the air like that. It won't happen again," she promises.

"You're not stupid ! I'm stupid ! For acting as if you still had a sword ! Which of course you didn't !" My voice is raised again. "Ah, sorry. You just really worried me," I confess, running my fingers through my sweaty hair.

"It's okay, D," she smiles as she puts her sword back on the rack. "Shall we go grab some lunch ?"

"Sure," I agree, happy to change the topic. "Oh wait, no..." I stop mid-track.

"What's wrong ?"

"Uh, Gail is, um," I chuckle nervously, "...cooking today..."

Her eyes widen in shock. "No..." she softly moans, shaking her head from left to right.

"Wait, you don't like her cooking either ?"

She wrinkles her nose like a kitten. "No ! It's... It's uneatable, to be honest." I grin. "Glad to see we agree." She sighs, passing her hand over her face. "Ugh, I really don't want to have to eat that after the training."

Suddenly, an idea pops into my head. A way to get back at the nefarious Pantry Thief - or, more accurately, Pantry Thieves. "Wait.. I might have an idea." I gesture for her to follow me and set off without waiting.

Darting around, we make our way through the main cave till we're meters away from the closed exit. I point at a weapons rack, several feet tall, placed next to the nearby gateway. "See that ?" I ask in hushed tones. "Yeah," she nods, "what about it ?"

"You'll see." I sneak towards the wooden strut and slowly ease it away from the wall. Behind me, I hear her sharply inhale. "A door ?"

"Wait till you see where it leads," I assure. As carefully as I can, I pull it open. Sticking my head inside, I inspect the room for any unexpected rebels. "All clear," I throw over my shoulder. "Can you grab that torch over there ?" She complies and follows me inside, holding the flame high in the dark room.

The light reflects off shelves and shelves of food, of all shapes and sizes, colors and volumes. She softly exhales. "The pantry," she exclaims in a whisper. I nod back at her, before beginning to scavenge around. "Found some bread," she murmurs excitedly from the other side of the room. "I got some cold meat," I add. "Let's go."

"Wait," she interrupts, a glint in her voice, "dessert." She tosses a pair of beautifully shiny apples at me. "C'mon, let's get out of here before we get caught," she laughs.

Back outside the room, she discreetly hangs back the torch as I push the rack back into place. "Wanna eat outside ?" I ask. "Sure !" she replies, enthusiastic.

The fresh air fills my lungs as I breathe in deeply. "Man, this feels good," I exhale quietly. Turning my head, I spot Evangeline. Her neck is craned upwards, her head turned towards the sun, her hair billowing around her face like a whitened halo. "It is nice to be outside," she nods. "Hm, I'm famished. Pass me some of that meat ?" I gladly oblige and she bites into her share, obviously relishing every chew. I chuckle inwardly before doing the same. "Wa hundwed pewcent bedder den Gail's schtuff," she mumbles with a full mouth. "I schecond dat," I reply with a grin.

We sit there in silence, simply enjoying our food. And maybe a bit each other.