The North Star | COMPLETED ✔️

Chapter 29~ Training

I braced myself, waiting for his move. Bard slung an arm out so fast I couldn't even think about reacting. It came across my chest, at the same time his leg swept behind my knees. His opposite arm cradled my back and lowered me gently to the ground. "That was awful," he said, looking down at my defeated form lying in the dirt.

I glared at him. "I wasn't ready."

He held a hand out to me, but I ignored it and got myself up. I stood back in place and tried to push aside my wounded pride.

"Okay, then you attack me." Bard stood like he didn't have a care in the world, arms hung loose at his sides, face impassive but for the slight tilt to his lips, so small, I couldn't even be sure that it was there.

Now he's just pissing me off.

I needed to catch him off gaurd. It was the only way. He was gigantic, one that probably almost tripled my body weight.

"Any day, Tequila."

I swung at him.

He ducked and grabbed my legs, hands dangerously high up on my thighs.

Electricity hit me like a lightening bolt, but before I knew it, the contact was gone, and I was, once again, back on the ground.

Bard looked down at me. "That wasn't any better."

I scrambled back to my feet. "Fine! What should I do then?"

Bard smirked. "Well, first off, you shouldn't stand like this." He bent down in front of me and grabbed my legs. The feel of this familiar  hands rough against my skin made it hard to focus on what he was showing me. He readjusted my stance. "You need to keep your legs apart, perpendicular to your opponents." He cupped my calf and moved my leg over. His touch lingered a moment, and as he drew back, it felt more like a caress.

I pretended not to notice.

Bard stood and took both my wrists. "Keep your non dominant hand near your eye, your dominant hand near your chin." He lifted my hands and positioned them like he'd indicated.

All I could do was nod. My throat was too damn dry, and language was nothing more than a distant memory.

Bard's eyes stayed glued to mine for a long moment, his hands still holding my wrists, before finally, he took a step back. "Now, I'm going to attack you, but I'll let you know what I'm doing, and I'll show you how you should react."

Another nod. Damn, I must look dumb. My cheeks were burning. God, I was blushing. I took a deep breath and tried to focus. Stop it, stop it, stop it. You don't blush.

"If someone comes at you, like this for instance." Bard came towards me, again. He was close, too close. "You're gonna grab my head and get a good grip on my hair."

I looked up and made a face at him. "You got a ladder?"

He grinned. "You can reach."

I lifted myself onto my tiptoes and just managed to grab either side of his head. It put us even closer and forced me to have to stretch my body out flat against his. "Like this?" I asked, voice low.

Bard had me locked into those deep green eyes once again. They drilled into me, branded me. "Yes." It was only one word, but the way he said it made it so much more than that.

"Now, get a good grip and pull my head down," he said, voice hoarse.

I did as he asked. My fingers dug into his hair. Just as soft as I remembered. I pulled a little out of the bun and gripped it between my fingers before pulling him downwards.

"That's good," he murmured. "Now, you're gonna bring your leg up." He cupped the back of my thigh, then slowly lifted my knee towards his face. "You'll pull down and lift that knee at the same time," he said. He pulled it closer, so close his lips lightly brushed against my skin.

I pulled away. "That seems easy." My heart raced, and my stupid face felt ready to combust. I didn't like it. Any of it. Why did this man elicit such a strong response in me? I'd been around plenty of good looking guys, tons of them. I'd always prided myself on the fact that I didn't act like most of the girls I'd seen.

"It's basic self defense." He straightened. "What you need to learn is a lot more than that."

"Okay, so what now?" I was almost reluctant to ask. I wanted to get away, give myself time to breathe, space to gather my resolve, but I needed to do this. Plus, it was a good distraction. I looked at Bard.

Very distracting, inner Jessie purred.

"Turn around. I'm going to attack you from behind."

"Nah, I'm good." I took a step back.

Bard studied me. "It's important. These are all basic things you need to learn."

I swallowed hard. There was no way for me to explain my unwillingness, without also admitting to my attraction. Not like he didn't know, but I wasn't about to admit how bad it was. I nodded and turned so my back was to him.

Bard stepped up and wrapped both arms around me, one on my waist, the other on my chest. He rested his chin onto my left shoulder, and murmured, "When someone grabs you like this..." Goosebumps coated my skin. "You're going to yank your arms free and put an elbow into their face." His breath caressed the side of my neck. I was acutely aware of him, every hard plain, every muscle pressed against me. I stood there, doing nothing, frozen.

"Jessie..." he prompted, but the way he said my name only made the situation worse. "Lift an elbow up as if to hit me in the face with it."

I took a deep breath and forced myself to focus, before finally doing like he'd asked.

Bard cupped my elbow gently. "That's good." His tone had deepened, even more so than usual.

He made no move to back away, and I held my breath.

"Bard?" An unfamiliar voice called, and just like that, the spell was broken.

Bard broke away, and we both turned at the same time.

A woman stood, hair a shade of auburn too rich to be natural. She had a strong face, not masculine but defined. It spoke of finery even though her clothes spoke of the opposite.

Bard tilted his head. "Amber?"

She smiled. "I'm sorry to show up like this, but..." her voice grew hoarse, and she paused. "Daddy died."

The moment she spoke the words, Bard walked away, closed the gap between them and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

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