Rue sat on the benches in the main courtyard, waiting. Other students were also waiting. Today Lyn had challenged Arthur to an official duel, one for the class top spot.
It had been three months since the initial tournament, they didn't talk as much during that time, only once every few days, but Yalvin kept him company. His 'easy going' workout routine almost killed Rue in the first week, but he got used to it. Yalvin wasn't here yet, and Rue was sitting alone, pondering how Lyn would best Arthur.
Someone sat down next to him, breaking his train of thought. "Hello Kaine" a voice came, thick and with a light northern accent. "Er, hello there" he said awkwardly, "name's Gale, heard you been spending lot of time with Yal these last few months?" Gale sounded like an inspector questioning someone who he was sure was guilty, "um, yes, is that a problem?" Rue felt himself shrink, "no" he said after a pause "just want to make sure he's not bugging you, I know he can be a handful." Rue felt relief calm his posture. "Ah, I see."
"Has he?"
"Oh no, no, Yalvin has been super friendly, actually. And very helpful" Gale didn't seem so intimidating now, he was soft spoken but still gave off an aura. "Good. Yal likes helping out people in his spare time, real saint of Maria that one"
"Saint of Maria?" Rue asked, "Ah, sorry, old children's story, Saint Maria was an old woman who always baked for her village. One day she fell ill, and all the villagers came to give her medicine. My mother always told it to me when I did something bad to other kids." Gale hardly seemed so scary now, sure his voice could probably kill Rue, but he had a way with his words that made him more inviting than a warm fire during a snowstorm. "I'm guessing you two are good friends?" Rue asked, "could say that. The two of us met before reaching the school, both of use came from up north, met each other in the new capital and travelled together from there." Rue nodded, feeling a little left out, thinking about how his classmates might have journeyed together to get here, how their parents must have taught them martial arts before they joined the school. It had been long since his education had started, he'd changed, he suddenly realised. When he was on the streets, he'd wondered if he'd survive the next day, if he'd stumble into something and injure himself, bleed out because he couldn't see his own wound. Now he was here. It humbled him more than a little. I need to properly thank Master Ned when I finish my education, I owe him more than my life.
"You think Lyn will win this match?" Rue asked, "hard to say" Gale replied after a pause, "she trained pretty hard for it, I'd say she earned it even if she did lose" But Arthur did much better than her last time, he almost said it out loud. He wanted to believe in her, but if Arthur was keeping up with his own practice, then she wouldn't stand a chance.
Could she really beat him? Of course, she can, he thought, but he didn't fully believe himself.
A group of students entered the yard, among them Rue heard Master Ned speaking with a few of them. Lyn and Arthur were probably there too, but he couldn't tell.
After a brief moment, people filled the benches and Master Ned was waiting for the two fighters in the centre of the yard. "Wish me luck" Lyn's voice came very suddenly from his front, she was surprisingly close. "You got this Lyn, kick his ass" Rue said quietly, but he still felt a little twang of guilt, like he'd just lied to her, he supposed that technically he did.
He heard her give a small laugh, one that usually was accompanied with a smile. He cursed his blindness then, seeing her confident smile before the duel must have been nice.
Then he used magic.
Almost by reflex, almost accidentally, he pushed outwards, extending those invisible hands that felt at his surroundings, and he focused on her.
Everything exploded into his mind, her hair, her clothes, the wooden staff in her hands.
And a smile, a warm, friendly, confident smile. He could sense her looking at him, and he met her eyes. Well, as much as he could have with a blindfold on. It must have been odd for him to be 'looking' directly at her, because her smile faded and she had a look of surprise on her face.
"We're waiting Holly" Master Ned called, "got to go" she said, snapping out of her shock and moving towards the arena. He sensed her moving, each step, each wave of the arm, sway of the staff, bounce of the hair, it was all so clear. He even saw Master Ned standing patiently, his face a blurred mix of stoic patience.
Then he realised the incredible burn along his back.
He snuffed out the flow of magic, falling back into the dark, uncertain void.
"Ready" Lyn said, "ready" Arthur mimicked.
"Begin."
Rue tried to follow, but he couldn't, this time it was more intense, more confusing, more chaotic than before.
He remembered the clarity that magic gave him, maybe if he just... No, he thought, feeling his scars begin to itch at the thought of it.
Maybe just for a second, just to see her fight again, his arm began to burn, the memory of steel on his cheek came into lucidity, the feeling of heat on his back.
Just for a moment.
Rue extended his invisible arms. The fight became clear, each swing, jab, parry and dodge. He saw Lyn, the way she fought, the look on her face of concentration and adrenaline. Arthur jabbed, Lyn slapped it aside and went for his face, Arthur stepped back and pulled his staff up to block Lyn's furious blows, each one just barely being stopped by his weapon. Rue was lost in the fight, he studied each move in depth, analysing how he could have done it, how to counter it himself, how to avoid it without a weapon, while lying down, his brain led him on tangents, thinking about Arthur's attack patterns, how he tended to swing from the right and then jab after parrying, how his feet were slightly slower when he stepped to the left, how Lyn wasn't moving forwards fast enough and just barely missing Arthur's head and chest with well-placed jabs and swings.
Lyn got the first touch, and Rue felt his scars burn with intensity he hadn't felt before. He grasped at his arm, panting. "You ok Kaine?" Gale asked, "Yes, yes I'm fine" Rue sat up straight, realising that he had already extinguished his magic. He recalled his room, the pact, the prince... He forced the memories back, again with this foolishness.
He observed the rest of the fight without magic, simply listening and trying to judge who was winning. Needless to say, it was pretty impossible.
The second touch went to Arthur.
Rue pictured her smile, that confident look on her face. Would she be hurt if she lost? No, no Lyn is stronger than that.
The third touch also went to Arthur.
Lyn was losing. He thought back on his first bout with Lyn, how he'd almost won, almost beat the best in the class. Well, second best, he supposed. He wouldn't have stood a chance now, he couldn't tell exactly what she was doing, but the intensity and power of the snaps and cracks that the staffs made was enough to convince him.
Lyn claimed the fourth touch.
The two fighters took a moment to drink and catch their breaths, then began the final exchange. Rue almost felt guilty that he didn't use magic to fully observe it, it felt like he was lying to Lyn, or not attending something that was important to her. The match dragged on, Rue could tell that Lyn was determined to win. The two became faster and faster, the sounds of the staffs louder and louder.
"Who's winning?" Rue asked, "hard to say," Gale replied, "they are pretty evenly matched, but Lyn's on the defensive." Rue felt a wave of sorrow, would she really lose?
Then, they stopped, Rue could hear nothing but the panting of the two fighters. Master Ned broke the silence "Holly wins."
