Lance Knight's Daughter ⭐ | [Random Updates]

t h i r t e e n

Daphne bows slightly, "Yes ma'am,"

She picks up a wooden lance from the barrel full of them near Ophelia and proceeds to enter the courtyard. Ophelia turns to me and hands me my wooden lance, "Morning, Katarina. Please follow Daphne when you are ready. When everyone arrives, we will begin the practice sets. For now, follow Daphne and practice yourself before we begin. She will show you the basics,"

I nod, trying to ignore the increasing butterflies in my stomach. Ophelia smiles to me and I turn around to find Daphne. She is swinging the weapon over and over again in the same way. I slowly approach her, feeling shy and nervous with so many Knights around. I have no idea how to use this thing.

Face-plants into the dirt here I come.

The courtyard is lined with torches and there are clear sections on the grassed area in the center marked with torches in square formations. Daphne is in one of them with several others while the rest are in other sections.

When I enter the section within the torches, Daphne stops swinging her lance and turns to me. She waits for me to reach her position and she smiles, "Nervous?"

I nod shyly.

She lowers her wooden lance and holds it horizontally with both hands in front of her, "So Ophelia told you of the four practice sets, correct?"

"Yes," I hold my lance at my side with one hand.

She studies me for a moment, then raises her lance with one hand with the end touching the ground, blade up, "Good. Set one is swinging practice basically. It is filled with different motions with how to use the lance to practice technique,"

I nod, silently watching her. She nods in return and raises her lance from the ground and holds it, blade pointing forward, with her right hand, "Now copy me. This set is the one we practice together separately. The other three are with a partner,"

She turns to the other six Knights in the section with us, "Katarina is new, so Ophelia wants me to focus on her, but still follow the set with us,"

They move their gazes to me from her and I feel shyness overwhelming me. None of them feel judgmental though and smile at me, making me feel a bit better, before nodding to Daphne.

"So this is Katarina. Hello, young one," One of the older ones say to me. She has a scar on her forehead that is half concealed with her long brown bangs covering her left eye. Her hair is shorter in the back, hugging her neck. Her voice is lower than I expected for a woman and she has clear muscles lining her arms under her shoulder armor.

Daphne nods towards her, "Yes. Good morning, Sandra,"

She nods slightly and takes her place among the others. Then all eyes move from me to Daphne as she begins her instruction. I awkwardly move into an open area with the others where we all have view of Daphne.

"Set one begin," From the corner of my eye, I see each Knight move their lance to their right hands and hold the lance in front of them with the blade pointing forward before Daphne even moves hers. She turns to me, tilting her head, "Katarina, follow my lead. Each motion we repeat thirty times once with each hand,"

I nod nervously and quickly glance around, attempting to hold my lance how the others are. Daphne does the same with confidence and in an instance, in half a second after her, all the lances swing to the right in unison. Slightly startled, I do the same, moving my lance to my right with my blade pointing out.

With this single movement, a small pinch radiates from my left shoulder and I stop myself from making any noise. My face contorts from the pain as thoughts from my injury flood my mind. These movements with a weapon must be agitating my shoulder that recovered not too long ago from that arrow attack back home.