Aide Me

Chapter Fourteen - Teach Me (Pt 1)

She smiled brightly up at him. "I am! Can you see a difference?"

"You're wearing breeches," Aide noted and grinned. "Looks good."

For some reason, Emaia felt a slight tingle in her stomach. She wasn't as used to getting compliments as one might think. Especially from men.

"Thanks," She gently smiled. "What are you doing here? Are you about to do some secret stuff? Can I watch?"

Aide let out a bark of laughter and showed off a set of perfect white teeth. "No, I'm not doing anything secret. Actually, I was looking for you. Dashel said I could find you tumbling around in the leafs over here."

Emaia blushed a little, but then hesitantly stood up. "Right. I was just, uh... testing out my new breeches."

"Of course," Aide smiled and made a respectable bow with his head. "But I've been thinking about something ever since we left the lake."

"Oh?" Emaia felt a nervous pinch in her stomach. She hoped this wasn't about the man she had killed.

"It occurred to me that you have no idea how to defend yourself without a weapon," Aide voiced with concern. "I've been teaching you how to fight with a dagger, but you have no idea how to fight someone if you're unarmed."

That was true. Emaia had felt defenseless against the brute in the alley and the guard from a few nights back. "So what are you saying? Are you going to teach me how to defend myself without a weapon, too?"

Aide paused for a moment. "Only if you want me to. I can't help but notice you have a natural gift when it comes to attracting danger."

"Err, thanks?" Emaia frowned. She was pretty sure that wasn't a compliment, though. "I'd like to learn. Can you teach me?"

Aide smiled a little. "I certainly can."

"Great, when do we start?"

"Right now." Aide said and rose a brow. "If you want to?"

Emaia nodded firmly. "I do! Let's begin."

Aide nodded a single time before he stepped up behind her. "Do you remember this?" He suddenly grabbed her by her neck. He held it in a tight grip that brought back bad memories.

Emaia gulped down a lump of fear as she remembered how the brute had held her that night in the alley. How could she ever forget. "I remember."

"That's called a cuffhold," Aide said and let go again. "It gets its name from the way thugs use it to shackle their victims to the ground. It's also the most popular grip amongst rapists," He added with a bitter mien. He then took a few steps backwards and begun circling her. "Now, when the attacker uses this grip, his ultimate intention is to bring you onto the ground. Preferably face down first."

"Why?" She cut in and frowned. "I would've thought a man preferred a woman from the front? Isn't that how it works?"

Aide simply smiled at her for a moment. Emaia would've given gold and diamonds to know what he was thinking. He looked at her with that look in his eyes. She couldn't decipher it.

Aide finally wiped smile off and got serious again. "Some men do, but thugs have found it easier to wrestle a woman to the ground when she is defenseless." Aide explained and crossed his arms. "When you're face down, you can't reach up and hit him."

"I see," Emaia nodded thoughtfully, "So... How do you fight it? The grip."

Aide took a few more steps, clearly considering something, but then stopped abruptly. "Well, the technique you need to learn to get out of the grip is best taught when showed. The only thing is..."