The Shattered Circle

13. A Lesson on Swords

Shira's luminous eyes flashed with caution as she wrapped her fingers around the grip of a wooden training sword. She watched my every movement with the wariness of a frightened cat. Despite that, however, I again saw the spark in her eyes.

I leaned my own wooden sword against the side of my neck, a much more casual version of a basic guard from the shoulder. "Vex has taught you something about movement. Show me the warrior's star."

Even at the mention of Vex, the spark burned hotter. Shira hesitated a moment, but then let her feet carry her: in angles, in spirals, in direct lines and less predictable paths. It was better than I had expected, but slow. Fortunately, practice and development of reflexes would help that. She clearly didn't really know what to do with the sword, so she held it out in front of her as if warding me off.

I flicked my wrists, tapping her sword with my own once she had demonstrated every movement. "Enough."

Shira eyed me with that same caution, clearly awaiting my judgment.

I prowled around her, tapping her ankle sharply with the training sword to correct her stance. "Workable. Clearly you were paying attention." I tapped her hands with the tip of the blade. "Spread these apart. One on the pommel, one near the crossguard. You would do well to remember too that you hold a sword, not a hammer."

Her brow furrowed as she looked over at me with an unspoken question.

I stopped and stood beside her, showing her how I held the blade: with a firm but sensitive grip. "A cut is not the bashing of a stick. Everything must be in alignment: the edge, the hilt, your hands, your body, your mind." With that said, I showed her a simple cut and the delicate wringing motion of my hands on the hilt. It was almost a flick of the blade, barely showing the power I knew how to generate with the rest of my body. "Do you see?"

Shira adjusted her grip and tried the motion. It was sloppy, but on the right track, so I inclined my head in a slight nod. The motion would tighten with repetition...and when she was corrected by the blades themselves. In my experience, a messy grip could easily end in a broken finger, which was a mistake one only made once.

"Today, we are going over different positions of defense. Each has a strength and a weakness, opposed by another. Every strike you make should begin in a guard and end in a guard." I stepped back away from her, taking a stance directly opposite to her. "I am your mirror. First, Yanen: the fool's guard." I settled into position, weight balanced evenly between my feet with my knees slightly bent, the blade angled with its point at the floor. "Most who do not know the sword start here, but it can be deceptive. There are many options for strikes, if you are quick and clever."

Shira let go of her sword with one hand, fingers flicking with a question. I watched the delicate movements with hawkish intensity, trying to pair them to the signs that Melody and Vex had been teaching me. Off to the side sat La'an, the rune-bound barbarian warrior there to translate. He watched with interest, a faint smile on his scarred face. He chuckled a little and gave a voice to the silent signing. "She says that is not how Rusan knights fight."

"Which is why they die. Understand that the tradition I teach you is about power, control, and precision." I advanced towards her much faster than she anticipated. She jerked her sword up in response, but I was already inside her reach, trapping her hands against the grip and wrenching the sword away. The moment she started to retreat, I hooked a foot behind her heel and pulled, using her own disturbed balance to slam her against the floor. She landed hard on her back, gasping for breath, and I stood over her with my wooden practice sword pointed at her face. "You should always either have the initiative or be seeking to reclaim it with the mahann, the master-strikes. If your foe can think of nothing but defense, he has no option to plan an attack."