Allaria made her way over to the sword stand, armed with plenty of wooden swords for practice fighting. As she made her way over she ignored the staring eyes of the new recruits her brother was training. The regulars down at the barracks wouldn't blink twice at her presence but these new coy fish needed someone to help them get their jaw off the floor.
She felt like turning to them and snapping, yes, I'm a girl; get over it but that would be a useless endeavor. Besides, it was nice to be gawked at sometimes. Allaria rolled up her puffy arm sleeves and grabbed a sword off the rack. If she had any butterflies left her they all died as the sword hacked through the air; she missed her brother's sword.
Allaria set up shop with one of the dummy stands but positioned herself so she could watch her brother out of the corner of her eyes. With flames bringing in her eyes, she set upon the dummy, pulling her sword out, twirling it, and sinking it into its wooden skin.
With her fast-footed grace, she danced around the dummy, practicing her footwork and quick striking. As she took her rage out on the dummy and watch with glee as chunks of wood went flying off it, she could feel her emotions melting away. It always amazed her how fighting seemed to calm her, the cold interaction between blade and physical movement seemed to have a healing effect on her.
The dirt flew up from the ground as her quick footing stirred it up. It stuck to the sweat dewing on her forehead and mingled in with her hair. As she continued to work up a sweat, she could feel her light blouse clinging to her body, and the eyes on her increasing. Even though she knew everything was covered, the prying eyes were starting to subtract from the distraction fighting the dummy was supposed to be.
She rested her sword on her shoulder and went to make her way over to the ranged dummies so she could practice her throwing knives when her loud wailing on the dummy caught Carder's attention, "Allaria?" he called out, taking note of the familiar sight of his sister destroying one of his dummies.
He cocked his head and gestured to his second in command to take over while he walked towards Allaria, "Good to see your up and walking around." he mused, approaching her carefully as if she was a wild dog as he noticed her sweaty chest heaving up and down.
Allaria turned to him, thrusting her sword into the ground, "Yea thanks for coming with dad and helping Gauwyn." she said, looking around to see if anyone was watching, a couple of the new recruits were sneaking a peek every once and awhile but they didn't linger.
"I'm serious... you had me worried sick." he placed a tender hand on her shoulder which she quickly brushed off.
"I just burnt my wrist." she muttered and started picking at the leather wrapped hilt of her practice sword, her eyes darting around. The itch to get back to fighting to push the feeling away, was spreading and she couldn't help but show it in her actions.
"What's wrong?" he asked, unconsciously grabbing the hilt of his sword as if he was going to attack whoever or whatever was bothering her, her eyes locked onto it like a homing device.
"Nothing," she replied, swaying onto one foot to look past him, his tall, sturdy, body standing in the way of her and her targets. "I just need to bash some stuff out you know?" she asked, waiting for the memories to filter back through into his thick skull.
Carder shook his head, "No, what happened?" he paused, "Did you and Gauwyn get in a fight?" he asked and Allaria's hands trembled as she physically struggled to keep her hands from tearing out her hair.
"No Carder." she explained, rubbing her temple, "I just got out of talking with our Aunt and Uncle... they're sending me off to court." she looked around as if there was someone else she could ask if this was actually happening. "Come on Carder you remember last night don't you? I mean dad flat out said it."
Carder ran his hand through his beach boy, wavy blonde hair, and stared back at her with newly understanding light blue eyes, "Oh yea," he sighed, clearly remembering, "honestly Allaria, I never thought that was actually going to happen." he gestured to her with a forced smile, "I mean it's you, Allaria." he chuckled, "You always have a way of getting out of things." he explained but when he saw Allaria cross her arms and tap her foot it faded away.
"Well I guess my luck finally ran out and even my skills of coercion couldn't help." she grimaced sarcastically and looked behind him again. This time, he noticed.
"Am I in your way?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
Allaria scoffed, "In a matter of speaking."
Carder paused to think, "You want to go throw your daggers don't you?" he asked in more of a cheeky statement.
Allaria allowed herself a smile, she was surprised that he was able to put it together. That being said, Carder was only thick skulled when it came to matters of the social variety. Throw a sword in his hand and give him an army to command and he could defend a nation.
"Actually..." Allaria grinned and scratched her head, "I do."
Carder unsheathed his sword and taunted her with it asking, "Do you want a partner that can fight back?", a playful grin dancing on his lips.
Allaria looked from him to his students and back, "You seem busy."
Carder looked at them, cocked his head with a shrug, and then as if a light had gone off in his head, turned back and said, "Perhaps it could serve as a demonstration?"
Allaria laughed, the sound felt pleasant coming from her lips rather than the bile that she had been feeling, "Of what?"
Carder rubbed his chin and crossed his arms, scanning Allaria from head to toe, "I have an idea." he said with a grin.
Allaria cocked her eyebrow but pulled her sword out of the dirt, "Alright, let's go."
Carder smiled as the two of them walked back to the new recruits and stood in front of them.
Allaria had served as a demonstration many times for the recruits and she quite enjoyed the process of impressing the little ones as she coined them even though some of them were older than she was. They were tired from the drills and some of their breathing seemed more laboured than it really should have been.
The smell of sweat and dirt mixing with a hint of body odor reminded her of the days when Gauwyn and her would train together. When they too stood where the new recruits did. Then the thought of Gauwyn reignited her feelings and she had to force them down and away.
Carder clapped his hands together to get their attention but most of the eyes were on Allaria as she sauntered in before them. They gawked at the presence of a woman and some even whistled catcalls at her. Allaria met each and every one of them with an intense stare that made them quiver and look away.
Carder's clap brought everyone out of their trances and brought Allaria back from her stare attacks. Carder stood tall and strong before them, watching them as they reacted to seeing a woman and laughed.
He gestured to Allaria, "This is my little sister Allaria," he paused, glaring at the men who were still staring, "And yes... she is a woman." he clapped again loudly, snapping at them again, "And she is going to give us a demonstration of why letting your emotions get to you in a fight is not a winning strategy."
Allaria's eyes widened as she sneered at Carder, "Really?" she asked, cocking her hip to the side and crossing her arms over her chest.
Carder grinned and turned back to the men, "Now Allaria is a skilled fighter," he turned back to her with a proud look in his eyes, "The Champion of Orlanio." Then his tone became more serious, "But even champions can be thwarted by their own emotions."
Allaria rolled her eyes and assumed her fighting stance, twirling her sword in her hand, making direct eye contact with Carder, "Enough talking, more fighting" Allaria taunted.
Carder turned to her, his eyes dancing with some sort of glee Allaria remembered from when they would spar when life was a little simpler, "Allaria is well trained." he explained, gesturing to her well rehearsed and strong stance, "She knows how to keep her emotions in check but everyone has their breaking points." he explained, poking at her knowing full well he was really poking at a dragon.
"Is the narration necessary?" she asked as she stalked around him, the two dancing around each other like a cat and mouse, waiting for the shoe to drop.
Carder looked to the recruits, "It's for their benefit." he lied, and Allaria knew it. Somehow she knew this was all to be some big lesson for her.
She rolled her eyes and held her sword out in a blocking fashion, "Sure." she snapped with a lightness to it that didn't hit as hard as her normal snaps and for that Carder was surprised and decided to kick it up a notch.
"Have you seen Gauwyn yet?" he asked, as he dodged past one of her skillfully timed blows, waiting for him to be distracted.
Allaria's chest heaved up and down ever so slightly as her blood started to simmer into a boil, "No."
Carder cocked his head to the side and watched her face as it contorted, waiting for his response, her hand tightening and loosening its grip on her sword, "Are you afraid of him?" he asked, coming in with an over the head attack which Allaria skillfully blocked but the weight of the attack forced her to push back, igniting the pain in her wrist but she ground down on her teeth and pushed back.
"No." she responded through her ground teeth. Allaria put all of her strength into pushing him back and sweeping his feet out from underneath him. "Why would I be scared of him?" she asked as she descended upon him, meeting her sword to his neck, only to be blocked with his.
It didn't bother her that he blocked her finishing blow because it entered them into a stalemate where she had the upper hand, using her weight to push against his strong biceps keeping her from slicing his throat with her wooden sword.
Carder chuckled and thrust his sword forward and pushed her off, a movement that caught her off guard and sent her flying onto her back, "Yes you are, or you'd be by his bedside right now." he explained, approaching her to finish her off but was pleasantly surprised when she sprung back to her feet.
"You know nothing, Carder." she told him, raising her arm to strike, which he blocked again, sending her sword flying. A gasp escaped the crowd as they assumed she was done. They assumed wrong. Allaria performed a combat roll and grabbed her sword, bringing it up just in time to block another attack.
"I know more than you think," he told her, leaning in through the cross in their swords. "You're afraid to see him because you know what he'll do, what he'll ask and you know what you'll have to do and what you'll have to say." he explained, the words he spoke stinging his tongue, "You're afraid he won't go with you."
It hit her like a typhoon, crushing her under its weight and knocking the wind out of her. Allaria looked up at him, her breath sporadic and watched his straining eyes with disbelief. He, on the other hand, was using all his strength to hold her wounded, heartbroken, eyes.
"H-he will," she argued, her blood chilling in her veins, now reaching a rolling, bubbling, hissing, boil. "Won't he?" she asked, realizing she didn't know the answer. Then a wave of hot anger fell over her like a hot blanket, engulfing her in it and blazing over her entire body.
Rage. Anger. They're funny things. If anxiety and fear were like a violent ocean to Allaria rage was like running through a roaring fire. It was as if she could run as fast as she wanted to, until her legs fell off or her lungs burst into flames, but she could never outrun the flames. They'd lick at her heels, chasing her, kiss her skin to push her this way and that; effectively corralling her into an infinite loop of insanity.
Somedays it was like there was no way out, the fire in her blood, on her skin, the crackle of the burning leaves and the charcoal snowflakes gracefully shaking and gliding through the air. The only way out was to jump into the flames, acknowledge its presence, and become one with its warmth. Then the fire would dissipate and she could run to the lush forest of cool calm and collection.
Allaria knew the only way she could let off her steam was to fight Carder, and with all of these eyes witnessing her fight, perhaps it could kick Carder off his high horse.
Then Allari punched him in the solar plexus with her free left hand and he stumbled back. She followed him and unleashed an assault of passion filled attacks, their swords clattering and clashing together. Her brother worked fast with his sword to dodge her attacks, his face contorting with the effect.
The silence of anticipation left only the sound of their swords in her ears. Since they were wooden swords they didn't hiss and sizzle when they collided like their steel brethren but instead clacked like shutters caught in the wind. Allaria uncontrollably and unrelentingly pressed on with attack after attack. She brought her sword up and over her head to bring down on him after she stumbled him back with her last attack but he skillfully blocked her move, leaving her slightly out of breath.
Allaria stared him down as she stalked around him, his chest just as heavy as hers, "Some demonstration." she scoffed and with a flick of her wrist flipped out her hidden dagger, flashing it so he could use his imagination and know it was there when she retracted it, and went to finish him but he kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying backwards and into the ground.
A puff of dirt erupted around her as she crashed into the ground, her back hitting hard. She rolled over and gasped for the air that had just been knocked out of her lungs, spittle flying from her mouth.
Despite the ringing in her ears, she could hear her brother addressing his students, "As you can see," he gestured to Allaria, on hands and knees, "Even the most skilled warriors can be tricked by emotions to make mistakes." Allaria wiped the saliva and dirt from her mouth as she stood up and spat on the ground, her eyes falling upon Carder once again, a new fire lit within them, "It made her think she could out strength me," he turned to see her standing and staring at her, "It made her think coming to the barracks was a good idea after spending the night in a sick bed."
Allaria rolled her eyes, "So?" her voice mechanical and dry, short and pointed.
Carder opened his eyes wide, "You've got a bandage on your burnt wrist and you still thought this was a good idea." he gestured to her hand.
Allaria unwavered, "Your point?"
Carder shook his fist at the sky, "By Gods the stubbornness of women." he looked at her, this time with sincere kindness, "Allaria go home."
Allaria shook her head and folded her arms across her chest once more, "I want a rematch." she put it bluntly, pointing her sword at him, she thought calling him out in front of his underlings should do the trick. She could barely keep herself from shaking with rage, if he thought she was pissed before he had something else coming. It was as if she had snapped when she hit the ground.
Carder shook his head and assumed his fighting stance, his sword in hand, "If that's what you wan-" he began to say but Allaria interrupted him with the first swipe of her sword.
He sighed and pushed her back with his, her heels digging in and scraping as he did. She stumbled back but held her guard up, watching him like a hawk. He waited for her to attack but she stood there, chest bouncing up and down, eyes bulging, hair in her face and sticking to the sweat on her forehead. She didn't budge; this time, she would let him come to her. Carder could feel the tension vibrating through the air, it tingled in the base of his spine and he wanted it to end. He had made his point, taught his lesson, and now Allaria needed to listen to it.
Carder charged at her, his sword up, but Allaria stood her guard, waiting for him to get close enough to strike. It was at this point that a switch went off in her head. The world seemed to move in slow motion, his charge slowing down to something she could idly watch. His footsteps slowly shook the ground and erupted in her ears; a noise and feeling she would never have noticed until now.
All her senses were heightened and she was acutely aware of everything around her. Before her, Carder slowly approached. His tells were telegraphed before her so much so that even a person of modest training could see them and react. As he raised his sword to the side she could clearly see he was going to attempt a sweeping strike.
When she reacted to his attack she realized that she too was moving just as slow. Seeing what was coming, she casually ducked under his sword and watched it pass her by. With all the seemingly extra time to think, she rammed into him below the waist. He flipped over her back and crashed into the ground.
Carder looked up at her, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Allaria." he gasped, rising to his feet.
Allaria twirled her sword around in her hand, locking eyes with him, "Is that all you got?" she asked, tipping her chin up at him.
Carder shook his head and picked up his sword, "You asked for it." he warned.
Carder let the bats of hell out on Allaria; his every movement a furious expression of precision and power. Reading his tells like a book, Allaria skillfully dodged and parried his attacks. With water-like fluidity and grace, she danced around him as if he was a play she could read every line to. With everything moving so slow, Allaria had ample time to think and plan everything down to the last moment and movement of muscle. Her body moved as normal but her mind seemingly raced at tremendous speed.
After every dodge or parry, she would land a gentle but firm strike to the back, a blow to the stomach, or whatever suited her at the time as she flowed around him like smoke. Carder couldn't believe the change that had come over her. He had always been impressed by Allaria's fighting skills, she was a champion after all, but she had never been this good. Nobody had ever been this good.
She fought with an almost lazy, casual style, beads of sweat forming as she danced around him. By the time she was ready to stop fighting she had banged him around so much he might as well have been a cheap hooker.
She finished him by parrying a final desperate lunge and swept his legs out from underneath him, pulling back her throat stomp just above his Adam's apple. He could feel the warmth of her sweaty foot in her leather boots and smell the scent of dirt, sweat, and leather that surrounded it. He couldn't help himself but stare in awe and gulp.
"Good fight," she said through short and spurted breaths as she removed her foot and held out her hand to which he pulled himself up.
Then, all of a sudden, Allaria's vision started to blacken around the edges and tunnel in. A piercing pain like an ice pick being driven through her ear and stirring her brain started to radiate through her head. She looked up to try and see Carder but there were four of him all moving around too fast for her to zone in on.
In an attempt to steady herself, Allaria used her sword as a cane, putting all her weight on it. A sharp ringing began in her ears and she thought they might start to bleed. Heat spread across her body like a rash as she stumbled backwards. An odd wetness started to slip from her nose and Allaria reached up to touch it. When she pulled her hand back she saw a red smear, the blood vibrant and lingering in the lines of her skin.
Then her vision left her hand and went past Carder to the pale blue sky which was quickly snuffed out by cold darkness.
"Allaria!" Carder called out as he caught her limp body in his arms.
Hmm! Something smells fishy XD I hope you read onto find out what's going on! Did Allaria just pass out or is something more sinister at play?
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a great day! :)