Salvation|| Thorin Oakensheild x OC

3

School had just let out for the summer and Ariadne was now officially a tenth grader, A sophomore, finishing at the top of her class with all honors. Between her and Ellie, it was strange how Ellie was a bit of a slacker when came to her studies but her best friend was always at the top of the class.

Though the last few months had made Ariadne question her sanity from her very realistic dreams. That is until she woke up with her face buried in Thorín's woolen blanket and felt the cool bead Frerín had made against her neck where she had made her own braid at the nap her neck and attached it there. So far nobody had seen the braid in her messy mane and she was oddly grateful for it.

Ariadne and Ellie both joined the local Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) Courses. They were the only young ones there and by the size of everyone around them, Ellie swallowed nervously.

"It looks as if they could break us with one finger..." She hissed, watching as the very large muscular men swung longswords in arching sweeps. They were powerful blows that made their opponent's arms tremble.

Ariadne laughed awkwardly. "I... I don't think they will make us... Learn against them..."

"And I, can't believe I let you talk me into this," Ellie pouted.

"Ah! There are the wee ones!" An old man clapped his hands, shouting from the end of the room. The two girls looked over at him. He much of been no taller than 5 foot. He was a very short man... And he was barefoot with only a staff in his hand. As he got closer Ariadne's eyebrows shot up.

"Sensei!" Her mouth opened and closed.

"Good evening, my wee little swift foot," He bowed to her and she quickly repeated the bow.

"I, I didn't know you were a HEMA instructor too," She played with the end of her side braid as he kept smiling warmly at her.

"My mother was from Italy," He shrugged. "She was a historian and well, that is all the story in itself. Come and bring your bags over here and take your shoes off. We will do some warm-ups and then you two wee ones will be holding heavy wooden swords to build your strength up."

They followed behind Sensi Kato. Ellie had her lips pursed wondering if it was too late to escape. She tried Karate class with Ariadne and found this old man to be a harsh instructor. He knew she was a quitter, and that was why he did not greet her.

"You can't quit," Ariadne turned to her sharply. Ellie groaned.

"How do you always know what I am thinking!"

"It is a gift," Ariadne flicked her ear making Ellie flinch.

"Ow!"

✵✷✵

For two weeks, the girls trained with wooden swords. They hold them up for as long as they possibly could and practiced sword stances and sequences. Their hands had formed blisters and were constantly splitting their skin open to the point they were almost always bandaged.

By the third week, they were pitted against each other for their first sparing lessons and Ariadne really found that those wooden swords, Jo Staffs, and Escrima sticks they used to mess around with in Karate class for the martial arts Kobudo tournaments came in handy! Ellie wouldn't stop pouting about by the end of the week when Sensei Kato said Ariadne needed a more challenging partner.

Ariadne tried to dream of Thorín again but so far, she had no such luck in those three weeks. If her calculations were correct it would be 126 days for her dwarvish friends since they last saw her.