Oracus: The Lavorian Rider

Fifteen - Return To Thessley

"This is the halfway point to Thessley," Kivali advised. She walked to the water's edge and refilled her flask. "Have a drink and take a rest."

Oracus knelt on the riverbank and filled his own flask; the cold water lapped pleasantly at his fingers and distracted him from the thoughts he'd been having of the King's soldiers. When his flask was full and he'd taken a sip, he sat down and propped himself against Bandor's side. He took in a few deep breaths and let the scent of damp wood and flowers linger in his nostrils. The smell reminded him of when he used to hunt. As he thought about the game he used to track, he unhooked his bow from his shoulder and flexed the string.

"I used to enjoy hunting here," Oracus said. "It was always nice to escape the village."

"Now being here scares you?" Bandor asked.

"It feels different," Oracus said. "I just want to go back to Thessley and it be the same as it used to be."

Oracus rested against Bandor again and drank some more water from his flask. He thought about Thessley for a while, and then watched Kivali as she kicked off her boots and dipped her feet in the water. With the sunlight shining down on her, her hair seemed to glow.

"She's beautiful," Bandor said discreetly to Oracus. "You should go and talk to her."

Across the clearing, Oracus noticed that Quent was watching Kivali too. He was sat by the stump of a dead tree and was craning his neck awkwardly to look at her. When he spotted Oracus observing him, he scowled unhappily and snapped his eyes away.

A moment later, Kivali got up from the riverbank and put her boots back on. She shook her hair and it glimmered some more, and then she walked over to Oracus and drew her sword. "Time for a bit of training?" she asked.

Oracus stood up and drew his own sword. "Sure," he said.

When they were facing each other in the centre of the clearing, Kivali began to swirl her sword through the air and tempt Oracus to attack. When he refused, she struck at him with as much speed and venom as she could muster. Oracus swiftly blocked the attack and the birds in the branches above scattered as their swords clanged loudly together. Kivali followed up with several strikes Oracus was able to parry, then she aimed stabs at his chest and he parried them too.

"She always leaves her right hip unprotected," Oracus heard Bandor say in his head.

Oracus continued to block Kivali's attacks until she left her right hip uncovered just like Bandor had observed. When the opportunity came, Oracus lunged and struck Kivali on her side, and then held his sword triumphantly at her throat.

Kivali winced and pushed Oracus away from her. With a groan of displeasure, she cursed him. "You were lucky," she claimed.

They continued to spar, but Oracus being victorious for the first time over Kivali seemed only to invigorate her. For the rest of their battles, she never exposed her hip again, and she continually dealt painful strikes to Oracus's arms, legs and body.

When they finished, Oracus washed his sweaty face in the river and splashed cool water on the worst of his cuts. By now, his one victory over Kivali was almost forgotten.

"Does Quent train with a sword?" he asked her as she joined him at the river.

Kivali raised her eyebrows at Oracus. "Does he look like he can fight?" she said quietly.

"Well, no," Oracus admitted. "But isn't it dangerous out here if you can't use a sword?"

Kivali laughed. "Quent considers himself more brains than brawn. He thinks he can talk himself out of trouble," she said. "Truth is, he's probably more likely to talk himself into trouble."