Moonlight Ridge

35

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He stopped and looked at her with one eyebrow raised. Leo swallowed nervously as he stared at her intensely but held her ground and didn't break eye contact. She walked up to him and waited.

"You truly wish to know?" He asked in mild surprise.

"Yes." She said as she nodded.

A look came over his face that one could only describe as embarrassment. Now she was very curious. He turned and began walking again but slower. She assumed so that she could walk side-by-side with him. She came up beside him just as he started speaking.

"I have lived my whole life in service to the Gods. Trying to fulfill my purpose. The only people that used to encourage anything outside of that were my mother and father.... I also enjoy nature immensely and would love to travel and see all the wonders Athera and Earth have to offer. After all that, I suppose I would like to settle down with a mate and have some children. In a quiet town and live a simpler life. I enjoy cooking, so we would own an eatery." He spoke in a hushed tone.

Leo's eyebrows went up in surprise. It was as if she was seeing all of him for the first time. Who he truly was. He had dreams and hopes, too. She watched as he looked at her from the side of his eye in a sheepish fashion. It was odd to see that expression on his face. The Master Shifter who had only ever shown anger, disdain, and aloofness to her mere days ago. She gave him an encouraging smile. The corners of his lips lifted for a second before he continued.

"My fear is similar to yours. I, too, am afraid I will not be able to complete my mission of destroying Cassius. However, I also fear dying but not because I fear death. Because it would mean not fulfilling my dreams." He finished quietly.

Leo hummed in response as she mulled over everything he had shared. She came to a realization that he was not so different from her after all. A small smile tugged on the corners of her lips.

"It does seem foolish." He said.

She turned to him in mild surprise. He thought she was laughing at what he had shared.

"No. You mistake what I was thinking. I merely thought that we are not so different after all." She explained.

He smiled at her and nodded. The rest of their walk back was silent but not uncomfortable. Each wrapped up in their own thoughts. As they neared the pack grounds, Leo spoke.

"I should be training. I have much to learn in a short time."

"Then let us go to the house of your kin." He responded.

She looked at him in confusion as they went through the gate.

"I thought you said I had a few days respite?" 

"Aye, however, you are correct. There is much to be learned and not an abundance of time." He said as he led her to the elves' quarters.

He led her to the back and through a gate that brought them to the training grounds. There was no elves in sight. Mal went to the middle of the arena and beckoned her to him. 

"Let us hone and strengthen your magic. Your job will be to use any means of magic to stop me from laying a hand on you and hold me for a minimum of ten seconds." He explained as he crouched.

Leo looked at him with surprise and then smiled confidently. 

" I am not sure you remember, but I've stopped you before." She said.

"Perhaps I let you." He retorted with an almost smug smile.

Her smile faltered, and doubt creeped in. No. She could do it if she needed to. She felt a determination to prove him wrong rise in her. She widened her stance and put her hands up. No sooner had she gotten ready when he launched himself at her. She tried to stop him with a shield but put it up a second too late. She felt his hand wrap around her wrist gently. 

"Got you." He spoke in a near whisper by her ear.

A shiver ran down her back. She backed up to look at him. He was staring down at her.

"You need to be faster. Had I been a vampire, you would be dead already. Try again." He said as he returned to his original spot.

Leo blew out a breath in frustration and readied herself again. He jumped at her again, and this time, she used the air around them to throw him. He landed on his back with a loud thud. In her excitement, Leo cheered. That was all the distraction Mal needed. He was in front of her within seconds and put his hands on her shoulders. 

"You forgot to hold me down for ten seconds. If this was battle, you would have knocked the enemy down, but they would have still killed you in the next instant. Let us try again."

She pursed her lips at him and nodded. He was right. If they went into battle today, she would be killed very quickly. She readied herself again.

In the hours that followed, she tried everything she could to stop him, and many times succeeded, but she failed to hold him down for more than a few seconds at a time. As the day went on, she could hear the soft murmuring of elves as they came to observe her training. She trained non-stop well into the evening.

Leo was drenched in sweat but only paused a moment to wipe it out of her eyes before focusing on Mal again. Frustration and anger coursed through her. All at once, it was if time slowed. She smelled Brandon and Samara had arrived on the training arena. She grit her teeth and felt a familiar rage at her current situation. Mal had just barely begun to come towards her. She focused the rage at him. Magic seemed to speed through her body. Mal was thrown to the floor, then lifted and held in the air. He struggled violently against the magic but could not free himself. Slowly, Leo brought him closer until he hung in the air in front of her. Her eyes met his, and she was surprised to see pride as he smiled at her.

"I Concede." He breathed.

Leo blew out a breath she hadn't known she was holding and let him go.

"Well done." Came Glarald's voice from behind her.

 She turned to face him. His eyes met hers, then Mal's.

"Since you are eager to return to your training, we shall put you to work. Go in to rest a moment and eat. Then come out again to resume training." Glarald told her.

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A/N: Practice makes perfect : )