The next morning, Gabe greeted them with a too-chipper voice. "I've arranged for Alex to take sword lessons. Cale and Rile, you'll be accompanying her to Sword Master Rake's."
Rile and Cale both froze, their eyes wide with shock. Alex felt her stomach tighten at their reaction.
"How did you get him to agree to teach a female?" Rile asked in disbelief.
So that was it. A chauvinist. Perfect.
"I explained she was a Guardian. He listens to reason," Gabe said with a shrug. "Let's go."
Cale and Rile shot one another dubious glances as they headed towards the lesson area. Cale's claws clicked nervously together with every step. Alex took a deep breath, gathering her courage as they neared the training area. There he was–Sword Master Rake, standing in a circle of sand lined by logs, clad in leather armor and holding a sword at his side.
Rake stared at Alex with his intense, dark brown eyes, dripping with condescension. His lips were curled in a sneer as he spoke, disdain lacing every word. "You're the female claiming to be a Guardian."
Alex held her gaze steady, her fingers tight around the hilt of her blade. A flicker of fire lit up inside her. "I claim nothing. You have a problem with my job description: take it up with the Portal Guardian. She's female, by the way."
"A Guardian who can't use a sword." Rake's claws flicked dismissively at her equipment.
The flames rose higher as she felt a challenge ignite within her. "A Guardian with a Guardian sword and some sword skills, but I admit I need lessons. Are you willing to teach me or just continue to insult me?"
Rake recoiled, obviously taken aback by Alex's firmness and strength of character. "Speak to me with respect, female," he snapped, indignation tightening his voice.
"Earn it," Alex retorted.
Rake brought up his longsword in an instant, and Alex followed suit with her Guardian sword. The hilt of his blade was a reddish wood, its pommel stone glimmering green.
So we're using live steel and no protection? Does this guy hate me enough to kill or maim me?
Alex looked at the brothers for reassurance. Gabe looked eerily calm, Rile angry, and Cale clacked his claws in anxiety. Rake put one hand behind his back in a show of disdain. Alex grit her teeth but kept both hands on the hilt of her Guardian sword. A green opalescent crack on the opal pommel stone pulsed and sword training lessons flowed into her mind.
Alex sprang forward, slashing her weapon at Rake. His blade flashed up to meet hers with a metal screech and he spun aside, dodging her wild blow. She pivoted on the balls of her feet and crossed her sword in his path just in time to block his rapid counterstrike. But his lunge was too fast. Alex yelped as his broadsword bit into her cheek and she rocked back, tasting blood.
The contemptuous sneer on his draconic face made it clear that it was a warning. "You would have been dead, 'Guardian', had I so wished," Rake said.
Alex wiped away the trickle of blood and spat out an equally venomous reply: "I would have blasted you, reptile, had this been a match for survival."
His expression twisted with fury, and he slashed upwards. This time Alex blocked and ran her blade down his. She twisted her blade at the end so his fingers were cut, but only shallowly, because of the guard.
Rake flowed backwards, surprise registering briefly in his eyes as he glanced at his bleeding fingers.
"If you didn't want your blood drawn, you shouldn't have drawn mine," Alex said nastily. When Rake looked back at her with fire in his gaze, her lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Cut by a female. Must be the worst day of your life, misogynist pig."
Rake moved around Alex, his blade held in a high guard position. His eyes focused and intense as he spoke. "I may not understand all of your words, but I will show you a worst day of your life."
Alex laughed. "You? Never."
Rile stepped forward, anger flashing across his face like a storm cloud. "Act like a Sword Master!" he roared.
Gabe whirled on him, his expression unreadable.
Cale stepped between them, his usual role of mediator. He glanced at Rake before speaking. "Rile, do you really want to provoke him past his limits when he's fighting with steel instead of wood?"
"He shouldn't be using steel at all!" Rile shouted, and Cale grabbed his arm, holding him back.
Gabe's voice was eerily calm. "Rake knows what he's doing. He has enough control that he wouldn't hurt her. Do not push him further than he can handle."
Quick as a snake, in a move reminiscent of Cla, Rake lunged. Alex reacted, her own blade blocking Rake's as sparks flew from the point of contact. The force of the blow pushed Alex onto her back foot as Rake advanced, stabbing at her shoulder with the flat of his blade. She stumbled to one knee, her sword skittering away across the ground, and felt cold steel resting against her throat.
"You are not worthy to be my student, female. Or to be a Guardian." Rake sneered.
Alex looked up defiantly, meeting his eyes. Her words came out strong and without wavering despite the fear inside her. "What? You think you're worthy to judge me because you beat me with a sword? I was beaten to the brink of death by a sadistic rapist and he wasn't worthy to judge me, either. I still say, you want respect, earn it. Beating a novice at your own game doesn't qualify. The Portal Guardian made me a Guardian, not you. Again, you have a problem with my job description: take it up with the Portal Guardian. The female Portal Guardian."
Rake looked stunned, and the tip of his blade wavered from her throat. Alex stood up and brushed sand from her clothes. Rile looked angry enough to satisfy her while Cale looked distressed, but Gabe's expression was closed to her.
"Gabe, will you please find me another instructor? Mr. Perfect here says I'm not worthy. I think he's the one with worth issues."
Rake clenched his jaw, and Alex could see he was trying to contain an inner struggle before finally saying, "I will instruct you.".
"Don't do me any favors," Alex shot back.
Rake sheathed his sword. "You're right: I shouldn't judge you...yet. If you're brave enough and strong enough to accept my teaching, then I will instruct you."
"Sounds like a truce," Alex said.
"Now we will switch to wooden practice swords."
Alex was a little irked to go straight to a lesson, but kept it to herself. She was breathing just as hard after the lesson as after her match with Rake. The wooden swords clacked together as they began a fresh bout. By the end, at least Gabe, Rile, and Cale looked tired too. Rake had been more respectful to the brothers, had but still pushed them hard.
****
That night, Alex stretched out in their tent with a groan. "I'll be soooo sore tomorrow," she complained. "Where did you dig up a hateful old reptile like Rake?"
"He's the best Sword Master around," Gabe said.
"Yippee for him," Alex said sarcastically, rolling onto her side to look at him.
"He can teach you much. You must compensate for your new vulnerability. You said I should find a way to use you as a soldier and here it is," Gabe said in a smug manner.
"Hmm, I'll get even with you one day, Clan Head." Alex closing her eyes.
Rile cradled her in his arms, and she breathed in his spicy, leathery scent. He gently brushed a lock of hair away from her face and murmured, "Don't worry, you did great. No one has ever talked to Rake like that."
"That's part of his problem. Where's Cale?"
"Making rounds with the healer in the infirmary. He said to not wait for him."
She nodded, relieved. As Rile continued to stroke her hair, Alex felt her body relax as exhaustion finally caught up with her. Within seconds, she was fast asleep.
***
A/N
What do you think of Gabe's trick up his sleeve?