The Keeper

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Brindle opened her eyes slowly; she’d slept through the night, something she didn’t think she needed to do anymore.  At least that’s what Marcus has told her.  She sat up and wondered where everyone was.  It was too quiet and considering the strength of her hearing now that didn’t bode well, especially considering there were two hunky looking warrior types ‘living’ with her.

She dressed herself in light track pants and a tank top and headed for the back door sensing they were in the yard.  She didn’t worry about shoes, the grass in her yard was soft and lush and any contact she made physically with the earth was a bonus for her, feeding her strength.

Brindle opened the back door and sat on the top step.  Both Marcus and Brae were in the yard as she’d sensed and were sparring.  She watched in awe as they moved gracefully… almost fluidly pushing themselves to the limit without actually harming each other.  “Wow!” she thought to herself.  “They move just like Warriors of old.  Or is that like an Angels and ‘Shifter’ of old?”

Brindle sat quietly watching her two companions, never taking her eyes of the way they moved.  Marcus wielded a long sword; it was silver and so brilliant in colour that she thought if he didn’t stab someone with it, he’d probably blind them.  It looked heavy, too heavy for her to ever hope to lift let alone wield.

Brae held a shorter sword.  It was thicker, stockier but also looked extremely heavy.  They were both big men, Marcus more slender and agile looking, while Brae was more muscular in appearance.  Both though were solid muscle, there was not an ounce of fat on either of them!  She would have loved to run her hands over their chests, to feel the strength there.

If she was anyone else, she’d be hard put to choose which one she would want for herself, but as things were, she knew there would never be a choice.  Her life would not allow for that to happen.  When she opened herself to her destiny, she came to realise that she would not have a life of her own.  Her life belonged to others… if she was honest about it; her life belonged to the world.

She wondered how she would fare sparring against Brae, she’d sparred with Marcus and was slowly learning to hold her own with him.  They must have sensed her thoughts, because they both stopped and turned towards her and waited.  Marcus stepped away from Brae letting her know that she was being invited to try her hand with Brae.

Brindle’s breath caught in her throat for a moment, then she gave herself an inward shake and stepped up to Brae.  She didn’t have a sword, hell she didn’t even carry a knife!  But she could draw on nature; all she needed to do was imagine what she needed.

Brae looked at her in surprise and the corner of Marcus’s mouth turned up on a grin.  Brindle looked at her hands and saw that she’d produced a staff.  Not too big or too long, but long enough for her to handle and use to protect herself.  And she did!

They circled each other sizing each other up.  Brindle didn’t want to be the one to make first contact, but Brae seemed even more determined not to do the same thing.  She watched him carefully, each movement he made until she had a feel for what his next move might be.  Then she struck out at him hitting his left arm hard.  She tried to pull back, but she had surprised him and he nodded his acknowledgement before moving toward her, sword still in hand.

Brae struck and Brindle blocked.  They learned each other, watching how the other moved however slight.  Sometimes not even a true move but a muscle twitch.  Brindle was a fast learner, she had to be and she was learning more about Brae and how he fought with each passing moment.

They sparred for a good thirty minutes, sweat bathing both their bodies.  Brindle saw in her mind’s eye a cotton cloth tied around her forehead soaking up the sweat and in an instant it was there.  She didn’t want to have to swipe at her face to prevent sweat from running into her eyes and giving him any advantage.