The Bane of the Empire

Chapter 8

She had made it. One way or another, she had arrived on the Continent.

Making their way to a town built near the coast, Gavin acquired them two horses and some freshly baked bread. Packing their mounts, they set off in the general direction of Ilaburn.

"I heard the two of you on the ship. Learning to use the blade you keep strapped to your hip is a good idea."

Gavin spoke as he kept their horse in an easy stride. Their journey would take a week and it was best not to exhaust their horses. Tal and Hunter were riding in front of them. Hunter had one hand griping the reins and the other holding a small loaf of bread. He was back to his ways, not a word was said between the them and this, despite forcing herself not to dwell on the brooding man, perplexed her. After their skirmish and conversation on the ship, she had thought they would at least emerge as friends.

Not the best of friends, but friends, nonetheless.

"Yes, I think that I will try to learn some basic sword play," she answered. Gavin looked back and giving her an exuberant smile he said, "splendid! I shall help you. We will begin training tonight."

True to his word, Gavin was dragging her out to the forest that night and telling her to run alongside him.

"Before you can learn to fight, you need to build muscle and stamina."

And with those words Gavin led her on an unnaturally long run through an unnaturally winding path and unnaturally didn't even break a sweat!

When she managed to return to where they were camped for the night, she doubled over, her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Looking up she saw Hunter cleaning his sword and she swore she saw him smirk when she broke out into a coughing fit from the fire in her chest. It felt like her lungs were bleeding and the bones in her legs had vanished. Stumbling to her tent, she crashed onto the bed roll.

This continued for the next couple nights. Along with running at night, Gavin had her jogging along their horses in the morning and practicing her grip. But as the training sessions continued, Dawn found the runs becoming easier and her sword slowly becoming an extension of her arm.

Hunter did not offer any advice or even acknowledge her progress. He had kept their conversations to a measly few words.

"You have come a long way. We will start with some basic combat drills today."

It was the fifth night and Dawn was prepared to run through the forest again when Gavin drew his daggers. He gripped two and got into position.

Dawn was comfortable drawing her sword and with a secure grip she lunged forward. She barely felt the weight of the blade. Instead of struggling to hold up the weapon, she could finally use it as it was meant to be used. As her blade jutted out, Gavin sidestepped her attack. She saw him smile before he rapidly swept her legs from under her and sent her flying forward.

After receiving a mouthful of dirt, she braced her hands against the forest floor and stood up to see her self-proclaimed trainer watching her.

"You cannot charge forward like some animal. Swordplay is a dance in its truest form. Watch your opponent, see how they move. Note the way they distribute their weight."

Nodding she held up her sword. Gavin stepped to the side and this time she mirrored his movements. When he stepped forward, she stepped back, when he stepped left, she was there with him. She noticed that he kept his weight on his back leg but switched when he moved forward. It was during that change his balance was unsteady.

"Good," Gavin said and Dawn took a step back. She took another step backward, trying to lure him forward. Seeing her opportunity, she stepped in time with Gavin and swiped his foot. Watching him stumble and lose his footing, she yelped in excitement.

"Nice try."

Her eyes turned down and a dagger was poised against her inner thigh. A cut like that would definitely cause her to bleed out.

Smirking, Gavin stood up and flipped his dagger in his hand, "Number one reason I use daggers instead of those obnoxious swords are their range. You get close to me? I slice you clean. Too far? I send one of these sailing to you."

To prove his point, he threw the small blade at the tree behind her. There was a dull thump and the dagger vibrated as it lodged itself in the bark.

This became their new routine. In the morning Dawn jogged with the horses and in the night, they practiced combat maneuvers. By the third session she was able to defend herself against him and get some attacks in as well. Although he knocked her to the ground, she was much better.

She was looking forward to their nightly skirmish when Hunter stopped.

"Ilaburn is past this hill. This is where we part ways."

She was speechless. Had their journey together really come to an end? She looked at Gavin and he gave her a small nod.

"Keep practicing, every night."

"Good luck Dawn," Tal said, seated behind Gavin. With a final wave, she watched her newly formed friends disappear.

After watching their retreating figures, she turned to look over the sprawling city. It was magnificent with architecture spanning back centuries. The homes were built along cobblestone paths and she could see the residents bustling up and down the streets. In the centre, however, was where she was headed.

Ilaburn Castle. To the Royal Libraries. And hopefully to the answers she needed.