Fearless (A Mulan Retelling)

Chapter Ten

He ignored that for a minute. "Try keeping your torso straight, girl. It will help." Then, he pointedly said. "And it is not quite the middle of the night. It is about three hours until dawn. Likely, these will be the only hours I have to train you, Ingred." He used her new name. "Your father sent me here to keep you safe, but I can't quite do that. I can, however, watch over you the best I can and teach you how to keep yourself safe. So here we are. Now, run until you can't go any longer and then run a little further, girl."

"And... when... I'm done?" Iris got out, trying to take his advice on her running technique.

"Then, we stop and recuperate," he answered. "You'll take another fruit and then, I'll help you with your daggers for a while. Now, shh, girl, talking will get you out of breath. We'll speak when we're done."

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"Pull out your daggers." His instructions were simple and to the point.

She took another moment to finish gagging at the gods-awful fruit she'd had to eat before heeding the instruction. She pulled out her new weapons as gracefully as she could manage from their makeshift sheaths and waited. With a satisfied nod, Kayde lifted up the bottom of his black robes to reveal two daggers sheathed on his calves.

Iris looked awestruck. "You've mastered more than one weapon?"

Kayde pulled them from their holders and gave them a twirl. "They're not my calling, per se, but I'm decent." The answer was honest. "First lesson. You'll want to bend at the knees. You're calling now is speed -so this stance," he used two hands around her hips to gently position her correctly, "is the one that's going to give you the most leverage -to give you the ability to move and jump around." She felt a hand press in on her mid-back, sending her spine forward in a sort of crouch.

Kayde seemed satisfied with his work. "The key to being good at daggers is being aware of your opponent. Being a rogue is as much of a mind game as it is a physical game. You have to watch your opponent's posture and eyes -how they're standing and where they're looking." He paused. "In general, your swordsmen and your warriors that fight with two-handed weapons are easier to figure out. They're all might. They depend on their armor to keep them safe." He paced in front of her. "Fighting another rogue is different... especially a seasoned one. You'll need to train your reflexes and be ready for anything."

"What about the archers?" she asked, already overwhelmed.

Kayde shrugged. "Be mindful of your surroundings. In battle, try not to stay out in the open." He offered a sort of half-smile. "Get close and you have them. In short, don't get shot." He said it like it was that simple.

"Well, I'm as ready as I'll ever be," she grunted.

"Try not to get overworked over everything," Kayde said. "You'll improve with practice and time. I'll go easy on you for now. Baby steps."

It was hard to see in the shadowy grove, but Iris tried her best. She mainly watched his eyes. Staring directly into them, she watched him glance to the left. By the time she readied herself to move to the right, he had already banged her shoulder with the flat side one of his daggers.

"You must watch and react."

"I was. I saw you look to the left. I was about to move when I saw you look." Iris was more than a little indignant.

"In combat, Iris, you must watch your opponent's eyes and also react reflexively. If they look a certain way, move the other direction immediately. They will not give you time to prepare your tumble. In time, you will not give them time to jump from your attempts, will you, girl?" Iris did not answer.