A Bit Of Light In The Darkness

Chapter three

After my shower run in with Zuko I quickly got out and changed. My outfit of choice is some comfy clothes. It was black sweats with a white crop tee shirt. I walked out the bathroom with a towel on my head and saw a group of people I did not know just sitting in the living room talking. Once my presence was known they all looked at me.

" Huh so you're the girl who had the black light?" A girl with a shaved head said.

" Uh yeah... who are all of you?"  I ask as I look at the group of three people.

" I'm Titana," The girl with the bald head said. She had a tattooed sleeve on her right arm, her skin was tanned and she had eyes like no other one was blue the other was brown.

To the other couch, sat two other people.  The one girl with white hair and ebony skin with black eyes, and the other guy with the man bun from the food 'incident'.

They both looked at me and gave their short introductions.

" I'm Thea" The girl said

I nodded and looked at the man bun guy.

" The names Luc." He said while staring at me.

I stood in the awkward silence until I heard someone walking behind me. I turned around to see Zuko holding two wooden swords. I gave him a questioning look.

" Everyone outside the training grounds." Zuko looked at me and spoke again." We need to show Valkyrie here, what you need to be able to do on this team."

The group chuckled and began to walk out the door. I followed not too far behind. After a few minutes of walking we made it to the training grounds. The first thing I noticed was the Willow tree about 40 feet to my left. It was dusk so no one was there. I watched everyone break off into teams of two in the dirt arena. Thea and a practice dummy, Luc and Titana and me and.... Zuko.

" No, I'm not on a team with you, nope, nope, nope." I point blank say

Zuko looked at me and rolled his eyes.

" You don't make the rules red... Now grab a sword and show me what you got." He said while pointing at the wooden swords laying on the dirt ground.

" Fine.... Whatever." I say while grabbing a sword.

We both grabbed our swords and stood in our fighting stances, but without warning Zuko drove forward knocking me off balance. I quickly recovered and brought the sword to his, causing a clashing noise. He jumped back, and swiftly brought his leg down and knocked my feet from under me.

" Ow! The hell you said sword fighting!" I said as I stood up

" In war you don't play by the rules.... Now again." Zuko said while looking at me. He had no emotion in his face so I knew... he was serious.

So I got into my stance and fought him again....and again...and again. Every time he knocked me over he made us start over. Three hours had gone by. Everyone else had gone back to the house, it was just  Zuko and I. I was sweaty, dirty and exhausted. Doing this for so long was starting to make me lose hope in beating Zuko in a fight.

I wiped the sweat drop off my head and went charging at Zuko once more. This time he knocked the sword right out of my weak hands.  His sword went quickly to my neck. He used the end to tilt my chin up to look at him.

I just stared into his navy eyes. He was breathing heavily the same as me. The crescent moon was covered by a few clouds, the trees behind him were dancing in the breeze. It was quiet.

" You're weak."

I just stared at him. I don't want to make this lesson last any longer. I want to sleep. I know I can't beat him.

" Cat got your tongue Valkyrie?"

Zuko put the wooden edge on my throat and began to press it in.
I slightly grunted from the pain. I still didn't speak.

He looked at me, his face grew an irritated look and he said one thing that made me snap.

" Being pathetic must run in the family genes... since your parents sent a useless girl to a school like this." His sword was now bruising my skin." Actuality... I think I know why they sent you here."

I squinted my eyes, while waiting for his words. Everything was slowly turning red. I was getting angrier by the second.

" Your parents must have sent you here so you can get killed off. They obviously don't want a pathetic thing like you in their lives." Zuko said his last words, dropped his sword and began to walk away.

I tried to keep calm, I really did, but the anger took over, I grabbed my wooden sword and threw it as hard as I could at him back. Once the impact hit him he stood still and slowly turned around.

" Run." He growled

So I did. I ran as fast as I could towards the willow tree, but I wasn't fast enough. Zuko caught up to me. His hands went straight to my throat.  He pushed me up against the tree, causing me to whine.  The bark on the tree was rubbing on my skin making it break and bleed.

His grip tightened.. My hands went for his hand, but he stopped me and pinned them above my head.

" Z-zuko I-i can't b-breath" I forced out

He didn't reply, he just squeezed harder.

I started to see black. Everything was getting dizzy. I don't know how long I can take this.

" Zuko...P-please..." I say with my last breath

To my surprise he let go. I fell to the ground. Coughing. Trying to get my breath back.  Zuck squatted down next to me. I looked up at him with my tear filled eyes. Zuko seemed to not care for my pain, because he grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked my head towards him.

" We will fight again next month. If you can't get me to the ground one time, I'm getting you out of this school... understand?"

His face was so close to mine, I could feel his hot breath on me.

" I understand Zuko..."

Zuko gripped my hair harder." What's my name?"

I groan at the pain on my scalp" Yes Captain!"

" Good girl." Zuko let go and left me all alone under the willow tree.