Lies Dressed In Lace

Not a Child

"Who is this?" Sia whispers to me.

"The one in full armor is a knight in training, Sir William I believe, and the other is Sir Kelicen, weapons master is his title." I whisper back. She nods watching them intently. They don't fight for long as William is no match for the war beaten weapons master.

"I do not understand this fighting style." She says confused.

"It is a bit confusing, see William is not as well trained as Kelicen because William has only learned from one master so far, that is why he is only in training and Kelicen's knowledge has obviously not been passed on to him yet but I know Lucien's has been from his footing." I explain, she looks at me bewildered.

"Your masters only know one kind of fighting? How dare they call themselves masters then!" She says angrily.

"They are only training the young ones in the skill they have perfected, to become a master they must beat others in all forms of battle, we once paid a Kwaylarian fighter for this test but that was a number of years ago and he did not stay for long after." I tell her and she looks more confused.

"I still do not understand, they must know every way to fight but only teach one skill they have perfected?"

"Yes, although we let them teach as they wish so they may choice who to teach what if they would like, most only teach one though to get through the larger group of knights in training as to not have to teach different things to different men." I tell her hoping to clear it up a little.

"That is wrong, they will loss skills that way if it is not as practiced as the rest."

"What about you and your knives? Don't you favor them more then say a bow staff? Every fighter has a preference even if they know everything." She mulls over this for a moment then nods reluctantly

"I see you are right, well done." She concedes.

"Thank you, would you like me to teach you some of our fighting techniques?" Instantly Sia brightens up.

"I would be so pleased if you would!" She says excitedly taking my hand.

"Tonight, think you can sneak away?" I ask softly.

"Of course I can, we'll make a game of it." She winks.

"Perfect." The fights continue the rest of the day, as night begins to fall we know the champions of the day. Most of them are the older masters and generals only 2 are knights in training and more then likely to be beaten in the beginning, and 1 is a lower ranking knight who managed to survive 3 masters in a row as the fourth got too drunk to fight and was escorted back to his tent and disqualified. It will be an interesting battle tomorrow. I bid my father and Sia goodnight and walk back to my chambers still buzzing with excitement over Sia and I's plan for tonight. I change quickly pulling my long hair back into a braid then hiding it in the hood of my shirt. I pick up the dagger the Carver gave to me stashing it in the pocket with the amulet and look to my door then my window thinking of the best way out without being seen. The window would be the most fun but the door would be the easiest theres a little servant hall beside the opening to my own stairwell that leads to the training rooms. That's no fun.

I open my small window swinging my leg over the ledge and look down, it'll be a long fall. I wedge the toe of my boot into a niche in the stone wall and shimmy the rest of the way out and start slowly making my way down the wall using the uneven stone for hand and footholds as I go. My fingers start to ache from how hard I grip the wall as I try to find another notch for my foot below me, I think I'll take the easy way back up. The cold stone numbs my fingers and toes making them ache more so as I lower myself to the ground finally releasing the stone. I duck down and look around me smiling as I see a shadow creep along the wall to the storage rooms, Sia. I guess its time to play. I pull out my knife and slowly make my way over to her in the dark keeping low. My footsteps are silent on the thick grass as I watch her at the opening look around her then disappear down the hallway, I speed up stopping at the opening myself and look for her in the dark. I see a flash of a white toothed smile then hear the ring of a sword being released from its sheath. I duck quickly and roll out of the way of the swinging blade, it hits the dirt where I was just standing and scrapes against the gravel as she drags it towards me. My knife rests snugly in my hand as I lunge at her pushing her further back into the cover of the hallway. She laughs sliding so easily into the shadows like she belongs to them.

"I think disappearing is cheating." I say softly searching the shadows fruitlessly.

"Consider it part of your training, find me and I'm yours." She whispers sounding as if she's behind me but I feel her to my left. I reach out grabbing her long braid and wrapping the thick chunk of hair around my wrist and pulling her back by it till she's bending over backward looking up at me. She laughs reaching up to brush a piece of my own hair off my forehead.

"Very good girls, now that were done playing around we should actually do some training." We look to the opening to find Valtok standing there with the moon light to his back and a sword resting on his shoulder like a walking stick. I release Sia and stand straighter, she brings her hair around her shoulder and soothes out the ruffled bits giving my a playful smirk.

"We were training and like I told her moments ago she has caught me so now I am her trainer of course, you are not needed." She says with a wickedly triumphant smile. He scoffs and steps closer to us.

"Like your all she needs, she has to be able to beat me remember." She rolls her dark brown eyes.

"Exactly which is why she'll beat me first and then hand you your sorry ass." I snort causing them both to turn their heated gazes on me.

"Your ass will be sorry, and I do need Sia if I'm going to fight like her."

"So you're siding with her!" He asks pitifully.

"No! I just need her right now." She turns to me excitedly.

"Fine, she's your trainer but I want to watch the sessions." I shrug.

"Ok but do not start yelling if I do something you don't like." She points, well, menacingly in his face. After a short stare down they finally retreat to the back storage room where everything is still set up and ready to be used. Sia pulls the bundle she's carrying on her back off and sets it on a small table unwrapping her extra knives for me. I walk up to her, and them in awe, she smiles and holds one out for me knowingly. I was too far away in the competition to have seen then up close like this, they're absolutely gorgeous, everything about them from the way the steel shines to the simple leather grip calls to me, screams to me to hold them to feel the weight of them in my hands as I fight with them. She laughs when I softly caress the steel in awe at how perfect they look. I lift one up finally and feel the perfect balance of the blade.

"Are we just going to train or fawn over a knife?" Valtok snarks at me and I lift it up pointing to him with the blade.

"Shall we?" I say taking the second one up as well. He smirks pulling his own sword from its sheath and winks.

"Ladies first,"

"Well, then go." Sia bursts into laughter behind me.