Persphyni: I am Determined

36

"Okay. I think you're officially cleared to start lifting and working your arm. But nothing too Persphyni." I snorted at her level of description.

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing that you would normally do. Meaning you have to take it easy for a few days and let me check the skin again. It seems to be healing nicely. So I'm giving you a chance to do something other than boss us around." I laughed. My smile blinding as I wrapped my right arm around her shoulder.

"Oh but where's the fun in that! I did get Madi to do all the laundry for an entire week." Clarke shook her head smiling as I pulled away from her and headed towards the door of the cabin.

"MADI! I'm cleared! We can get back to more intense training!" I shouted as I walked out the door.

"Yay!"

"No! That's not what I said!" Clarke's voice boomed from inside the cabin as the door swung closed and Madi ran towards me excited. She already had two staffs in her hands ready to go.

I laughed as I quickly grabbed one in my left and her now free hand in my right.

"Persphyni!" The door flung open behind us.

"Hurry! Before Clarke-zilla catches us!"

"PERSPHYNI!"

We ran laughing as we left Clarke far behind in the dust. My hand tightened its grasp on Madi's as I strode with more force. Her little legs pumped as she kept pace. A proud grin crossed my face as we flew over the forest ground.

Once we reached our training clearing I slowed to a walk before stopping altogether. The adrenaline was still pumping as our chests rose and fell with our breath.

"That was fun!" I laughed at Madi's wide-eyes and bright grin.

"Yeah. Fun for now, but you know we'll get a long talk from Clarke when we get back." Madi's face fell slightly. "Anyways. Let's begin shall we?"

I spun the staff in my hand. The harsh whooshing of the heavy wood filled the air as I tested its weight.

"Oh this is going to hurt like a bitch." I saw Madi gulp slightly as she watched me twirl the heavy wood like it was a pencil.

"I should have grabbed the bamboo sticks." I chuckled at Madi and smiled.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to beat you with it. But if you leave an opening, you may get a bruise to remind you to stay on guard. Understood? My goal is not to teach you, not hurt you."

"Yes, Seda."

"Good. Let's begin."

_______•*•*•*•_______

Madi grunted as I lightly whacked her exposed side. Her swing weakened in midair as I moved out of the way. Her need to prove she could be offensive left her defenseless after I hit her the first few times.

Clearly forgetting one of my first lessons. A good offense is an even better defense if fighting a higher skilled opponent.

"You have to protect your torso." I instructed as I blocked her swing towards my feet. "And watch where your opponent's stick is angled." I grumbled the last part as I got her other side.

I could see her getting frustrated. Good.

"Come on, Madi! I know you can do better." I pushed as I picked my intensity up. "You survived this long, you're a fighter. Show me where that fighter is. Because all I'm seeing is a flyswatter." Madi bristled at the comment. Her brain switching to anger as she attacked with more vigor.

Only this time she managed to block the swings towards her sides. My eyes twinkled in delight. I held back the smile from my face as I watched her carefully.

Each swing, each block, I studied her steps and pace. Her form good but could still be worked on. But I watched as she finally let go and just did. No longer was she over thinking. I saw her shoulders relax as she blocked another light swing towards her. Her hand slipped from its grip for half a second and that's all I needed to see to swing my end up and hit her staff right between her hands.

The wood flipping and spiraling upwards as Madi grasped at air. I waited for the staff to drop before stopping it's descent with my hand. I didn't want to have to make a new one if this broke. I already had five broken ones I needed to repair and didn't want another.

I saw her face fall when I made eye contact. I let the smile slip as I saw her shoulders slump.

"Catch." Her head whipped up towards me as I threw the staff back to her. My hand twisted mine as I got back into my stance. "Again."

This time I didn't let her make the first move. Nor the last.

_______•*•*•*•_______

Our laughter died down when we saw an angry blonde tapping her foot with her fists in her hand. Her glare pointed at me but I felt Madi shudder.

"Good luck." I looked at the young girl shocked as she sprinted away. Jumping up into a tree. Cheeky bugger.

"Coward!" I turned back towards the blonde and smiled sheepishly. "Hey Clarke."

"Hey? Hey!" She grabbed the rag from the table and stomped over to me. "That's all you say!" She smacked my arm with the rag. The sting made me hiss as I took a step back.

"What? Look, it's fine, see? I didn't do anything too crazy okay?" I pointed at my left arm and showed her but it didn't lessen the glare even if it was true.

"You're going to give me grey hairs." Clarke huffed and began to walk away. The soft tinkling laughter caught my attention as I looked at the tree where Madi had climbed to hide from Clarke's wrath.

"Me? What about Madi? She's the crazy one." Clarke turned and pointed the hand with the rag towards me.

"She knows her limits. You on the other hand seem to still be looking for them." I didn't argue with that. I couldn't.

When Clarke saw I wasn't going to argue she turns to walk back to the table. I stuck my tongue out at the back of her head to Madi's amusement as she swung her legs on the tree branch.

I took the two staffs towards our training equipment shack and put them in their spots right next to the five empty spaces where the broken staffs would have gone.

I took a moment to look around at everything in here. Everything in here was practice weapons. No sharp points and ranged in various weights to work on strength or form. Not even the arrows had sharp tips, just enough to stick to a target. All the proper weapons were either hidden in the Rover or in my tree house.

It had become natural to not have my weapons always attached to me, but I felt myself missing them occasionally when I needed to think or distract myself.

"Persphyni! Why does Madi have a bruise on her hip?" It was a rhetorical question. One that had me sneaking towards the window as I recognized that tone of voice.

I think I'll be getting food to-go tonight.