50 years later
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Separate your feet."
The nine year old listened. Along with the dozen other girls ranging from nine to twelve years of age listened. Her voice amplified across the multiple terrains as all of them followed in sync with her demands.
Eudora paced up and down the three platforms ensuring that all of them held the same stance. There was one little girl at the second platform whose feet were still too close together that may leave her unstable during a true fight.
Everyone watched as Eudora ducked under the protective rope.
"Feet apart Tamia", Eudora hums and nudges the girl's knees. Tamia is the youngest girl that Eudora accepted to be enlisted in her training.
It was Sage who came to Eudora initially about one of the children within the orphanage who's been distant from the other kids. She was hoping Eudora, out of all fae , could help her out of her shell.
She knows only a little of her story. Tamia was dropped in front of the orphanage with no name and no more than a few days old. Her features clearly show resemblance to the winter court. Eudora takes her as a child not planned, or a younger fae mistakenly getting pregnant. That's the case with many of the children within the orphanage and she sympathizes on their behalf.
So of course she welcomes them with open arms to do something outside of the orphanage and interact with each other.
The little girl looked up with white eyes, making her dark eyelashes that much more prominent. She nodded, still just as quiet as when she started joining the bi-weekly training sessions a month ago.
Eudora smiled and stepped back to look over her stance again. "Good..", she says softly and hops back over the barrier to be in the line of sight for all the girls. They awaited her instructions, keeping their flat feet.
It's only been a few months since Eudora started her program. Remembering her dreams to be as strong as the soldiers that make up the summer court armies, she wanted to give those opportunities to the fae younger than her. The girls who didn't have anyone to train her as her own father and mother were willing to.
There was a lot of back and forth between her and Tarquin that she had to deal with in regards to the culture that fae males have to females training, but with a little nagging and convincing that it's for self-defense purposes only, she was able to start it up.
It's the first project she's started on her own without the assistance of her mother. And she feels pride knowing that not only was she able to establish it, but earn a support system.
The males that have known her growing up working under her grandfather's armies were the first to suggest their daughters to train. And so the numbers accumulated enough so that Eudora has had the mothers ask if she was willing to train them.
So an all female training ground is in the works. The first one throughout prythians with full support from the high lord.
"Alright..", Eudora clapped her hands together, "Now look at your partner and... give them a fist bump."
A few of the girls obeyed, while the remainder looked to her like she was crazy. Eudora giggled and placed her hands on her hips, "Trust me.." she mused.
Hesitation swept across each of the platforms, but they did so. Once their attention was back on Eudora she nodded with a proud smile, "That is how you will punch the pillows your opponent will hold up. Just tilt it at an angle and use a little bit of force. A little." Eudora emphasized and shot her gaze over to the third platform where two twelve year olds smirked at each other.
"I don't want to hear any 'ows', 'cries', or 'screams'..", the two girls met her sharp hazel eyes, "Understand?"
They nodded but Eudora knew better than to go off of just that, "I'm sorry I didn't hear you?", she directs towards everyone.
Collectively all the girls sighed verbally. "Understood.", even Tamia knows that Eudora asks this and while she keeps a light and gentle voice, she means what she says.
"Thank you.", Eudora says and smiles.
That was the cue for all of them to pick up the pillows and start practicing. Eudora trailed up and down the platforms observing and commenting when necessary. Most of the time denying the children as they were apparently ready to start practicing with each other.
"When can we practice with swords?", one of the twelve year olds on the third platform sat down. The pair was taking a break and Eudora leaned back against the rope. She was still watching everyone but at the question she tilted her head back,
"You are the last person who needs a sword."
"Ugghhh", she grunts and falls onto her back, "Why not?"
Eudora raised an eyebrow and smirked. In an instant she was over the rope of their platform and standing before her. "Fine.....", she stretched out a hand to lift her up, "If you can knock me off my feet right now... then i'll let you use a sword."
The girl stood up, her partner's jaw slacked at the proposition. But instead of backing down from the challenge she smirked.
There are some children that Eudora takes on that aren't novices to sparring. She expected so considering most of them are children of strong soldiers. Some of the soldiers wished to keep the violent nature away and proposed this as an opportunity to defend themselves. Others have kids, like the girl standing before Eudora to hopefully be in the army. To fight bloody battles.
Eudora's never been in a battle herself, but she's been told countless stories of the one that broke the lands of the Summer Court. The King of Hybern dominated the land for years and was finally killed leaving behind an exposed and vulnerable world.
Times have changed and while it's not perfect, there is order. The Spring Court has blossomed from what apparently used to be a dead court and the only court out of all that still requires a lot of repair is...
The kids further away saw Eudora tying up her hair. She never does that unless a demonstration is about to take forth. She pulled up the long auburn hair and twisted into a tight low bun.
The girl's partner was long gone, grabbing the training pillows and ducking under the barrier far from the danger zone.
As Eudora finished up her bun she looked down at the eager girl. Sasha. She's been a trouble maker from the first day and while Eudora has earned the respect of all of her trainees, there are moments she has to demonstrate where she stands on the pedestal.
In time, everyone was finished with their tasks and now encircles the ring.
"A sword is nothing but a weapon.", Eudora says to not just Sasha but everyone around the platform. "It has no value if the force behind it doesn't know how to handle their own body. It's only power comes from the individual wielding it. So...", Eudora positioned herself, her feet properly spaced and knees bent, "Prove you're worth a weapon with the ones you already have."
Sasha wasted no time and planted her feet. She's never failed to exceed Eudora's expectations. She's a smart and strong girl. But instead of wishing to improve, her ego has clouded her thoughts.
Before either of them could make a move, Eudora heard the sound of slow claps gradually getting louder. Looking over her shoulder, she saw him. Reaching over six feet four with a sarcastic smile.
"Great lesson, and here I thought you were just a pretty face."
Eudora rolled her eyes. Her lesson has run longer than usual, but the last thing she expected was for him to come seek her out.
"Must you interrupt?" Eudora tried her best to put on the fakest smile, but nothing was able to cover her annoyance.
The male's blue eyes widened with excitement.Nothing else about his features changed. The scowl still remained.
"I'm sorry I interrupted your dance lesson. But it's time to go."
"And who are you?" Sasha said with an attitude. She crosses her arm clearly taking offense to the comment.
"He-.", Eudora took the wrist support leather gloves from her pocket. She placed them on slowly, her eyes not straying away from the hold she had on the male. "Is my demonstrative partner."
His eyebrow rose, a glint finally masking the frown on his face. He didn't even say anything but obeyed Eudora beckon as she drew her fingers forth. He shrugged off the heavy coat from his shoulders as he stepped over the rope barrier.
"You are such a pain in my ass you know that?", Eudora whispered sternly under her breath. The far children had no problem hearing her, but Eudora's whisper was specifically for Orestes and only Orestes to hear.
Orestes stepped close and looked down at her. Since they first met, Eudora knew his height was going to dramatically exceed hers. Thankfully her growth spurt kicked in, while it was later than average, it still wasn't enough to meet him face to face.
"And yet I'm still not even for the years you've already taken off my life.", he says.
"Mother above..", Eudora popped her neck.
She knew being friends with his brother wouldn't be easy. This was excessive. Coming to her training lesson. Interrupting,
Without a second to spare, Eudora kneed him in the gut and kicked the back of his knees. Orestes had no time until he hunched over himself holding his abdomen.
Giggles were heard from the girls, Sasha leaned back against the rope.
Eudora was about to kick him over till Orestes pulled at her leg and caused her to fall on her back.
She groaned as the wind was knocked out of her.
"Is this how you want to-.", Orestes started, but Eudora was back up in a second and on top of him. She straddled his waist and held a firm grip on his neck before slamming it back on the platform.
Through a heavy sigh she tightened the hold on his neck just barely cutting off his airways, "You were saying?", she raised an eyebrow.
The second a sound came from his mouth she closed the rest of his airway till he tapped out. "Mmmm that's what i thought..", with one last hard hit with the back of his head onto the platform she stood and dusted on her leathers.
As Orestes was coughing, Eudora stepped in front of him and talked over his gasps for air.
The girls were smiling. Some giggling as they took amusement in the short feud. Eudore reached to the back of her head and let the rest of her hair go, it falling to her hip in tight curls.
"Y'all are dismissed.", she said, cracking her knuckles.
They've been here for a few hours already, their normal sessions lasting just one. So the girls were excited to be released. They all thanked Eudora, some pouting as if they wished for more but when the area was cleared, she turned around and stared down at Orestes who was just recovering.
He placed one hand at the base on his neck where her own smaller hand imprint stained red against his pale skin.
"I'm not healing that.", she says and jumps over the rope and walks to grab the pillows from each of the platforms. "So have fun performing with evidence that someone smaller than you whooped your ass."
"I didn't want to be violent in front of the children." His voice was hoarse as he let out one last cough.
Eudora scoffed and put the last pillow into a pile. As they were all stacked on top of each other, she waved a hand and in a blink they vanished. "Really?"
"Yea.", he leaned his forearms on the rope and watched as she approached. Eudora looked up at him, "Are you ever not doing something? Since when did you start training others?"
"Just a few months ago..", she says
"And what happened to your lyre lessons?", he raised a dark eyebrow.
"I do that at the beginning of the week. In the morning.", she says, taking her hair all on one side and ran her hands through it.
"Don't you help your mother with the orphanage."
Eudora hums with a nod, "I keep to the gardens and prep the meals.."
Orestes just sighs and shakes his head, "I don't know how you do it."
"I don't spend my free time sulking.", she retorted.
"Clearly..", Orestes sighs and drags a hand down his face.
It's not something she was forced into. Eudora just took all the interests she had as a kid and used them to her advantage. Once she learned how to play the lyre, several years ago, she started giving lessons to children within the town. At first she didn't charge for her efforts, until more fae heard the daughter of the Entity of Life was giving lessons.
She used it to her advantage until her name became separate from who her mother was.
Then she wished to spend more time with her mother and because she was always at the orphanage, she did want to sit around. It first started off with peeling potatoes with the kitchen staff as her mother was putting the infants in the nursery to sleep. Which evolved to her prepping the meals each week to make it easier for the kitchen staff.
"Alright then let's go, we're already late.", Orestes stood, still rubbing the sore spot on his throat. "Silas is already setting up."
Eudora, despite being up earlier than most, felt like she's just woken up. Her body thrilled with enthusiasm at what the night will bring.
At the one spot where the stars shine brighter than the sun.
The City of Starlight.