-Lliam-
The next day he woke up to someone barging into his burrow. Whoever it was held no regard for his sleep or him at all. His eyes were still foggy from sleep when something long and hard landed in his lap, dangerously close to his groin. An involuntary and instant groan slipped out of him as it landed on him. His eyes short towards the person with hate in them. The resentment and anger that filled him quickly from the rude awakening shifted instantly into pleasant surprise when he noticed Mae standing in the doorway. Only for it to shift into something grumpy when he recalled that she had woken him up in such a insensitive manner.
"Get up." She barked. Ordering him to get out of bed and come with her, speaking only those two words. He barely managed to get a glimpse of her before she was heading out again. "Now!" She shouted over her shoulder when he had not moved yet.
Lliam blinked his vision into clarity and stared with a drowsy mind at what she had thrown into his lap; a wooden training sword.
"A rematch." He breathed quietly to himself. He gave the sword an entertained and curious look over. "This could be fun... and interesting." Excitement spread through him at the possibility of getting a chance to beat Mae in sparring. To see how skillful she was if he fought with the same dishonest strategy as she used. Perhaps he would get to see if there was any truth to Evor's words of how good of a fighter his daughter was.
Do not mention her mother. He reminded himself when he recalled Evor's warning and mentioning that Mae was as skilled at killing as she was at stealth, if not more.
From the other room he heard Mae leaving without him. Eager not fall too far behind, he shot out of bed in a hurry. Fishing up his clothes from the floor, getting his shirt over his head, squeezed the sword in under his left arm as he struggled to get his feet into his trousers. His body still objecting with waves of dull pain whenever he twisted and turned in directions his it did not entirely approve of yet. He pushed the aches down and headed towards the door with his trousers just above his knees as he simultaneously tried to catch up with Mae. He nearly stumbled a couple of times as he made his way through the antechamber and through the door leading into the tunnel. Once he had gotten one leg properly through, he half-jumped half-walked after her focused on the next leg.
"More training?" He called after her when he saw her passing the first door and make around the corner of the tunnel. Ignoring if anyone was around he repeated his question again but louder.
"What do you usually use training gear for?" She shouted back condescendingly.
He nodded to himself when his comeback popped into his mind. He nearly smiled in relief when he finally got his trousers all the way up over his arse and secured his belt, enabling him to continue on to his boots. When he had made it past the same corner he called out, seeing her further down in the dimly lit tunnel. "You probably use them to cheat!" His words were meant to provoke her. He pressed his lips together in anticipation of what reaction he would get out of her. Wanted to rattle her like he had rattled her by the wake up he had gotten.
Mae stopped suddenly. She looked down at her boots, then up. No snide comeback was launched at him. Instead, he noticed how her shoulders rose and sunk in a deep breath before she continued walking. Still without retaliating.
Not in the mood... Good to know. He thought, grabbed his wooden blade in his right hand and went after her. Or she is saving it for later.

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Of Blood and Duty
Historical FictionWattpad Exclusive! Nearly beaten to death, a man wakes up in a place he does not know. Neither can he remember how he even ended up there. Waking up in the middle of a road he discovers a world of pain only to drift off into unconsciousness again. H...