TW: Violence

After some brief conversation, Ivrette and I decided it would be best for me to meet her the next day for her training. I was given directions to her quarters, but only after I had settled for the night did, I realize neither of us had decided a time.

I'll come to fetch her in the morning. I decided she'd probably have fewer things to do, I decided, drifting into sleep.

_

As it happened, Ivrette did not have fewer things to do in the morning. It wasn't even her quarters that we met. Instead, we nearly collided both hurriedly rounding a corner.
"Ivrette?"

"Blackwoode, what are you doing?" Ivrette angrily questioned at the same time as me.

"I was working my way to your quarters for our lesson, as you were desperate for it yesterday."

"Well, I still have a job to do as a handmaiden. You choose the most inconvenient time to seek me. I thought it was evident to come in the afternoon when the workload is less."

"What may be evident to you isn't as evident to me, seeing I'm the General, not a handmaiden."

"Well, I'm sorry, Mister General who certainly wasn't recently laid off, but I have a job to complete which means that our lesson cannot be now."

"What are you doing that you value over this? Don't you think it can wait if it's doing the laundry or washing windows?"

"Yes, that could, but my task is different today. Her Majesty has called for a new dress for an upcoming gala, and it would be cheapest to make our dye. Fortunately for me, ingredients need to be collected from the forest and none of the other handmaidens want to do the job, so I get to spend the morning alone while being in an element I enjoy." Ivrette finished with a humph and tried to push past me and continue.

"Let me come with you." She stopped and faced me. With her icy blue eyes staring into mine, I realized how close we were and took an uncertain step back. "At the very least, I can lecture you. Wouldn't it be better to get that done now instead of sitting around and listening to it later?"

Ivrette contemplated my offer for a moment. "Well, come along then."

_

"I thought you said you knew a shortcut to the castle." I grumpily exclaimed as the midafternoon sun burnt into my skin.

"I do. I've been going to these woods all my life and completing this task at least once a month. I don't understand why I don't recognize our surroundings. It's got to be you, Blackwoode."

"Me? I've been following you. We should have been there already if you knew the way back to the castle as I haven't interfered. We started this endeavor early in the morning and it's been hours."

"Still, this doesn't make any sense. I've been on this path countless times before and I've never gotten lost. I can't understand where we're going wrong. I can't even see the godsforsaken castle."

"We can't see it from here, but how about up there?" I suggested, motioning toward a small mountain looming in the distance.

"It'll take hours to reach the summit of that."

"We can either spend hours climbing the mountain or spend hours disoriented drifting through the woods."

"Fair point. How about you lead the way now, Blackwoode?"

"Even though it's likely the better option, I think you should lead."

"First off, why do you say it's the better option, and second off, why should I lead?"

"First, I wasn't the one to get us lost in the first place-"

"We've already been over this, I swear, you must have caused me to go off route somehow," Ivrette irritably butted in."

"-and second, you can practice the combat skills I was lecturing you of earlier. There are plenty of brambles to slice. Let's see if you retained any of that information. Practice is better than any lecturing can do. How about we stop endlessly bickering about the 'getting lost' bit?" I finished.

Ivrette overdramatically sighed. "Hand me your sword then."

"Enjoy yourself," I replied, cheerily handing over the blade. "It's worth mentioning that this blade is custom-made for me, taking into account my fighting technique, skill, and strength. Essentially, it'll only feel comfortable for me, or someone who has the same assets as me.

"We'll see about that," Ivrette mumbled, grabbing the blade from my grasp. She stepped toward the vines and loosely swung, cutting a slant through the greenery.

I sighed. "What was the first thing I told you?"

"To assess my surroundings, but how will that help us? I'm trying to get to the top of the mountain, not to spend all day observing the forest, when all I can see is forest."

"We only need to practice for a while. Then, this entire session won't go to waste. You should establish these habits now, so you benefit when it's necessary. Now, what do you see?"

"Nothing interesting. Trees and brambles that must be cleared."

"You're missing details."

"What more is there to add? There's a fallen log on our right. That tree has fungi growing on it. There's exposed roots behind us."

"Now which of those details would be necessary to take in while battling?"

"Oh, I dunno, how about you enlighten me, Blackwoode?"

"The sunlight is slightly West of us at the moment. If possible, don't turn in that direction or it could blind you. There are trees, yes, but look for barriers or things that could quite literally trip you up when fighting such as a fallen log or exposed roots. You don't want to brawl on loose gravel or in other uncomfortable environments, it will make everything much more difficult. We can practice this again later. You held the sword correctly, but your stance is wrong."

Ivrette, knowing nothing would come from disobeying me, looked at her feet for a moment before correcting herself. "I have a question. In the heat of battle, are you always checking for these things, correcting small things like posture or hand position?"

"You should. Even if it's difficult to maintain at times, it's the custom and that's for good reason. Over time, small things like hand or foot position become natural. I don't need to think before executing these actions and lunging at enemies. Also, remember angles. Swing your sword at angles. Open your body at an angle. Go, continue practicing on the thicket.

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵

"I can't believe I've never noticed, or been up here before. It's beautiful," Ivrette spoke while gazing at the land before us.

I agreed. From our spot on the hill, we could gaze into the valley below and see Aeskrow, Oriad's capital, and the surrounding area. Even though the castle appeared miles away, now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Everyone could stop and appreciate beauty.

From where we were standing, cottages looked no bigger than pebbles. I saw larger houses, and if we were at a different angle, I presumed we could see the Blackwoode Manor, the estate hidden by the castle. Farmland, lush with crops, was to the East of the castle, and we could see the mountains further in the distance and creeping on the sides. A large valley with soft hills lay in front of us, the forest covering the sides.

Glancing at Ivrette, I took in for a moment how the setting Sun illuminated her features. Her face was painted with hues of oranges and pinks and the light on her hair made it glow white, almost as if it had an ethereal glow. Like a Goddess. She could be your Goddess.

What the Hell? Don't think that, it's disgusting.

Looking at views from high elevations filled me with a sense of calm. I wasn't sure what contributed to it, but it could be the feeling that no matter what was happening below us—wars, death, sickness, or hunger—there would always be places like this—places of undisturbed grace.
That's what I thought before we were ambushed.

In one moment, I was gazing at the landscape, the next tensing, spinning in a half circle with my sword drawn as I heard the slow snap of a twig. I knew that unless something was sneaking upon us, the twig wouldn't snap that slowly. It showed they were gradually stepping toward the floor, but it had taken them too long to realize their mistake.

My senses heightened as I peered into the underbrush, looking for a sign of a commotion. Ivrette, sensing something was off, also turned around and cautiously assessed the situation. I didn't dare to speak, but I was hoping my posture gave off the impression I hoped for. Hide.

My eyes locked onto them, staying there for a moment as one of their companions attacked. For a second, I saw eyes peering from holes in the bushes before my attention diverted to the sudden attack. But, as I turned toward Ivrette, I realized that the second I wasted had cost me.

A man wearing a black cloak and a matching mask stared at me, his eyes filled with cruel satisfaction. I recognized his outfit, for he was from the largest bandit party in Oriad—The Moonlit Looters. Apart from the black clothing, he wore gloves stamped with their emblem, the moon, perceivably raining coins. They were notorious in the kingdom and despite efforts to stop them, the vast size of their clan made them nearly undefeatable.

I presumed I would be a large target of them if my manor hadn't been emptied of its riches by myself, the few items I still possessed mostly of sentimental value.

The bandit had slunk up behind Ivrette, covering her hand with his mouth, using the other to hold a dagger to her throat. "If you drop everything of value instantly, we'll consider letting your pretty little girlie go."

Ignore that feeling, ignore that feeling. I could see how Ivrette was attempting to remain calm and unaffected, but I saw how her eyes glanced at me frantically, filled with fear. My mind ran while frantically glancing around me as the rest of the bandits left their hiding spots. There were at least five of them, and I would need to act quickly to defeat them all, especially with Ivrette being threatened.

"Of course, of course, I surrender. Just please don't hurt her," I filled my voice with as much distress and pleading as I could muster, contorting my face to fit the act while dropping my sword to the ground.

"You look much tougher than you actually are," the bandit holding Ivrette guffawed.

"I doubt that's all you have. Be sure to drop everything," another bandit commented while pressing a sword into my back.

Hooray. There are six of them. At least my plan's working thus far.

"Wait, give me a moment," I made sure to seem absolutely desperate, making my voice feeble and quiet to add to the effect. The bandits were likely underestimating me which I could use to my advantage.

Taking a breath, I bent down into my boot, grasping the dagger handle. Looking at the boots of Ivrette's captor, I determined it would be safe for me to lunge for him. Time always seemed to slow when I made a risky decision like this. I could either attack Ivrette's captor or the man behind me.

If I attacked the bandit behind me first, I would eliminate the risk of being impaled from behind, but the man seizing Ivrette likely wouldn't hesitate to slit her throat once he saw what I had done. That made my best option to attack the bandit with Ivrette. Even though I could be injured, if I executed it right, stabbing the bandit in the skull and not Ivrette, I would have to pull both of us away in a fraction of a second to save us from the blade behind us.

I had faced worse.

Springing upward, I saw both Ivrette and the bandit's surprise. Focusing on the bandit's skull, I jammed my arm forward, feeling a warm rush of dark, heavy blood coat my hand. Leaving the dagger, I grabbed Ivrette and twisted us away from the sword behind me.

Time didn't accelerate as I moved us away from the sword's bite. For what felt much longer than a second, I felt her warm body against mine, how strongly I was pressing us together. I heard the sword moving toward us, but it would miss. And, it wasn't as if Ivrette would be harmed, my body protecting hers. Even though she tried to make herself imposing, I never realized how small she was, how easy it was for both the bandit and I to grip her, rendering her defenseless.

As I felt the air moved by the bandit's attack, my world sped up. Letting go of Ivrette, I turned and saw the second bandit preparing to strike yet again. Pushing her out of the way, I leaped in the other direction, the bandit hitting empty air yet again. By now, the other bandits were working their way toward us, but it would take them a few seconds to reach. "Ivrette, get the dagger," I muttered, taking advantage of how the bandit needed to retract his sword.

By the time the bandit had pulled the sword back to himself, I had taken a running step closer to him. As he prepared to swing again, I punched him in the jaw. His head flung backward, and his body followed. He hit the floor with a loud thud and didn't get up again. Hearing a man approaching behind me, I bent down for the knocked-out one's sword. Using the force of spinning and launching from the floor, my blade embedded deeply into the third bandit's stomach.

I saw the fourth coming from the side, and I used my sword to deflect the attack he aimed at me. His arms moved sideways for a moment and shook with the exertion I placed on the blade. This bandit looked smaller and younger than the previous ones, I assumed he was born into this life. I would feel bad if he didn't step back, moving his blade away from mine in an attempt to slash. I easily parried again, this time bringing my leg up to kick him in the stomach.

He fell backward into the earth, and I ensured to finish him quickly. I didn't sense any other bandits, which was odd, but turning around, I saw what they were occupied with.

Ivrette.

They had cornered her against a rock face, and even though she brandished the dagger, she looked uncertain, almost unwilling to hurt the bandits. It seemed that the bandits shared her unwillingness, even if it was a fraction. I'm certain if she had been a male, she would have been killed.

She brandished her dagger, using it to ensure that the bandits didn't move closer to her. I approached swiftly, yet quietly. It would be easier for me to defeat them if I surprised them. I was a few feet away, and neither of the bandits had been alerted to my presence.

I thrust my sword through the back of one of the bandits and heard his shout of pain. It pulled the sword back and he slumped forward. As I prepared myself to attack the final bandit, I saw that he was already doubled over in pain. From the angle I was in, it was simple to swing my sword downward, his life ending with his head's connection to his neck.

I watched it roll for a moment before focusing my gaze on Ivrette. "What did you do to make him react like this?"

"Flip him over, you'll see. It was almost kind, what you did to him."

Bending, I flipped the bandit's body over, trying to avoid the blood. When I did, an amused smile formed on my lips. "Really, Ivrette? I know you're an expert marksman but in the crotch? That's just cruel."

"He should've known better. Be nice to me, or I'll do the same to you. Now, we have directions. Let's try to return to the castle in time for supper. My shoulder's beginning to get the best of me anyway"

QOTC: How do you think these private training lessons will affect both Graeme and Ivrette?