Beyond the Glow

Chapter 41

"Why?" 

"Because, my friend. We only have a month. You learn fast, I hope?" 

"I've been told so," I grind my teeth. He's being too dodgy for my liking. A month? Until what? And my Father... 

My feet disappear, and I fall on my back again. I look up, choking back a curse, to see Baldur still standing across from me, shaking his head. "You should pay more attention. A warrior who does not pay attention in battle is not a warrior, but a dead man." He snickers, "Or in this case, a dead genie." 

I stand, my patience thinning. "Teach me then. Show me how to fight, maybe then I would pay attention a bit more." I raise my staff. Taking up the stance he'd shown me. 

"A wise man once said that the best way to learn, is through experience itself." Says Baldur. "Step forwards, and fight me. Show me what you know, no matter how little, and I will teach you." 

I bite my lip. "But what if I don't know anything?" I eye his bony hands, clasped around the weathered wood of his staff, "And what if I hurt you?" 

Baldur chuckles. "You can try. As for not knowing anything, well, that's what I'm here to fix." 

I nod, and step forwards hesitantly. I steel myself with the thought of him knocking me to the ground with his staff, he can't be too vulnerable if he can do that, surely. I swing the bottom of the staff up, knocking a ungraceful blow in his shoulder. Baldur lets out a yell, and tumbles to the ground. 

I let out a panicked yelp, rushing forwards and putting my hands on his arm, already preparing to heal him. "I'm so sorry!" Maybe I was a bit too forceful, I think, disbelief flooding my veins. But I didn't even hit him that hard!

There's a crack, and a pain in the back of my leg sends me reeling away from Baldur, looking around for the assailant. There's nobody else in the bubble, but come to think of it, wouldn't the spell stop if he was too weak to keep it up any longer? 

I whip around again, just in time to catch his staff in my stomach, instead of my back. "Rule one of fighting with anyone, whether they be a child or the elderly, never underestimate your opponent!" He says as I fall back. 

I land in the dirt again, groaning. My stomach, my legs, they ache from the smacks with his staff. "Get up." Says Baldur, and I comply, rising on shaky legs. 

"How is this teaching me anything?" I groan, leaning over to pick up my staff from where I'd dropped it when Baldur fell. 

"For one, you are learning to fall. A necessary skill if you want to be able to get back up again." Says Baldur. "You are also learning to use your skills you your own advantage. So far, the Underground is the first, and only, organisation that uses women in their armies. You can use that to your advantage, and even if they are expecting you to be trained with a blade, they will not suspect a simple walking stick." 

"You can use their ignorance against them." Says Baldur with a nod. "Just as you fell for my fake injury, they will fall for thinking you are an unarmed woman, and even without using magic you will easily be able to take them down." He grins. "And all we did was one blow to my shoulder. Let us continue training." 

"We only have a month." 

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By the time we were done training, I was achingly tired, and could feel a layer of sweat on my clothes, holding them close to my body, much to my annoyance. Baldur looked me over, shaking his head, "This won't do. Freshen up before we go back. It will be painfully obvious what we've been doing if one second you look fine and the next you're covered in sweat. Go into that lamp of yours and" He sniffed the air, frowning. "Take a bath."