The Elven Knight

Humbled

Arriving Back to the clearing the next day, I tugged on the bandages wrapping my right hand to make sure they were tight.
Kas was right it was healing fast but it still stung if I tried to hold anything.
Mother fussed over me all night lecturing me to be more careful while Father questioned me who had bandaged it.
I told them about the stranger Kas who I had met and explained that he was going to help me train from now on so I don’t hurt myself.
Father was of course untrusting of the stranger, because of how people have treated me growing up all my life.
I never made any friends growing up. Most kids stayed away because I was an Elf and others who were friendly grew up and married moving away. In the end father believed I knew what I was doing.
I looked around and realized that Kas wasn’t here today, shrugging to myself thinking he must just be late. I picked up one of the training swords he had made and twirled it in my left hand.
It felt awkward and slow but I stuck with it even after dropping it several times. After several minutes of practice my mind started to wonder where Kas could be. He said he would train me? Could he have been lying, I wondered? That's when I heard rustling from the trees looking over. I saw Kas he was staggering like he was drunk and carrying a large sack that clanked with every step.
I ran over to him with a smug attitude.
“And where have you been? You said you would train me, and here I was bright and early ready to train while it looks like you were drinking the night away." I say smugly, but my attitude dropped immediately as he got closer, I could see bruises over the right side of his face and his staggering was actually a limp.
“Oh my gods Kas are you okay!” I said worriedly, reaching up to his face.
“Morning Taylor, not to worry this is nothing, just some of my business last night got out of hand and I was caught off guard.” he said, forcing a smile at me.
“Anyway I got you something.” he continued dropping the sack on the ground causing a loud clang.
“Are you sure you're okay?” I said I was still worried those bruises looked bad.
“Yes I'm sure Taylor.” he said softly while kneeling down, opening the bag revealing armor of all sorts, leather, chainmail, a few pauldrons, bracers and greaves. I stared wide eyed at it all; it must have cost a small fortune to buy.
“Well take your pick Taylor, it'll be useful in the tournament, while they supply armor for contestants, it's better to use your own, you'll know how to move in it that way and where the weak points are.” Kas explained.
“Kas, this is too much the amount you must’ve paid-”
“Don’t worry about that Taylor I didn't pay a copper for this, I have some friends that were more than willing to give me it.”
“Alright Kas but you'll have to explain all this to me someday, you can't stay mysterious forever.” I said to him but he just laughed and began taking out some of the armor for me to try on.
We decided on a Leather Brigandine with some small leather pauldrons, steel arm bracers and lastly leather Tassets to protect my thighs and waist.
“Alright now that you're equipped, let's try some sparring to get you used to moving in it.”
“How am I even going to move in this? Let alone spar? With my left hand no less?” I ask incredulously.
“You'll get used to it, I promise.”
“Yeah right.” I mutter but I take up my stance and watch Kas take up his own.
We watched each other for a few moments before I seized the opportunity, lashing out at him in an upward strike confident I would land a direct hit due to my speed but to my surprise he deflected it with ease.
I tried again with several more slashes and stabs but my movements were slow and sluggish compared to his own and he always seemed able to block or deflect my blows. I grew irritated and threw caution to the wind as I wildly stabbed at him with the sword and right before I was about to strike him Kas blocked and locked our swords together pushing me down with all his weight.
I screamed in his face as I pushed him trying to force him back but it was useless. It felt like I was pushing a boulder.
My legs gave out and I collapsed onto the ground out of breath.
I looked up to see Kas smirking at me from above.
“Screw you.” I wheeze out
“You did well Taylor but the way you fight obviously doesn’t work.” he says barely suppressing his laughs while reaching down to pull me up, I slap his hand away and stumble to my feet.
“You're too predictable with your flashy moves, and you don't take full advantage of your natural elven nimbleness and speed.”
“What are you talking about? I was going as fast as I could in this armor and with my left hand I'll remind you!” I shouted at him angrily.
“You fight too directly, you lack the frame and strength behind your blows so while you're fast you're aiming at the wrong areas. You should aim for my limbs, my legs and arms get small hits in and wear me down while staying out of reach, constantly moving around them.” Kas tries to explain to me.
“Alright, let's try it again.” I pouted. I was frustrated that I was losing to him. He seemed like a homeless man. How does he know so much?
We practiced for several hours and I lost each time. Even though I tried to follow his advice nothing seemed to work and by the end of it I threw the stick down in frustration.
“This is pointless!” I yell and stomped off toward the stream in the clearing and kneel down at the water's edge, my green eyes welling up with tears and as much as I try to push them down a few escape and roll down my cheeks. I hear Kas approach and I look the other way to hide my face.
“Taylor get up, we still have some time before we break for food.”
“Why? So can you beat me some more?” I ask, my voice cracking slightly despite my best efforts.
I see him kneel down next to me from the corner of my eye.
“No, so I can train you. Taylor I know how difficult it may seem but you have to keep trying otherwise you won't get better.”
“I can't even land a hit on you! What's the point?” I ask, finally turning to face him.
“Now who are you? Weren't you the one who told me you will become a knight? That you wanted to end the hatred between Elves and Knights?” he asked. “Would you give up on your goal so easily? Did you think any Knight would give up this easily?”
“No.” I say shakily ashamed that I would give up so quickly.
“Then get up, Taylor lets finish training.” Kas said while standing handing back the training stick to her.
We continued for a while longer and eventually broke for food. Kas cooked up some chicken he had bought that morning and it tasted divine. We ate in silence until near the end when I spoke.
“I’m sorry for my outburst, Kas, I was just so frustrated I couldn't even land a hit on you.”
“Were you frustrated because you were losing or because you thought you were better than me and were proven wrong?” Kas spoke with a seriousness in his eyes but a slight smirk.
“It's because I thought I was better than you…” I said ashamed.
“Well then you learned two valuable lessons today, one to never give up on your goals.” Kas said while standing, striding over to me and placing a hand on my head ruffling my short messy black hair. “And two is to not judge someone as beneath you.”
“I know that now and I'm sorry, will you continue to train me for the tournament?” I ask
“Of course I can't let that armor go to waste.” Kas said jokingly, still ruffling my hair.
We left and I went back home to watch the sunset from my window. I slowly fell asleep vowing to do better.