The Voyager and the Rogue

Chapter 38

When Aihe and I were growing up, we shadowed Mom and Dad through the village as they taught us how to lead and unite our people. Although I was excited to be chief then, I felt the same pull to the sea mom had. And so I was taught early on to work a canoe and begin to navigate at sea, Mom being my teacher and heavily involved with each lesson.

It didn't take long for Aihe to develop a similar interest, but she was not as focused on wayfinding as I was. Among many things that differentiated me from my sister, my other interest in combat was one more thing that did.

Combat, surprisingly, was something Dad was rather skilled at. I recalled being shocked upon learning my dad knew how to fight. I asked him how since all I remembered being told for years as a child was that Dad was an incredible fisherman. He said that before he learned how to fish, in his old village, he was taught combat by an old master.

Lua.

I remember almost begging Dad to teach me; luckily, it didn't take much convincing. From my childhood up to my teen years, Dad would teach me everything he knew, from weapon use, to hand to hand, and even taught Aihe a few methods, though she was not as invested as I was. I now had three different skill sets under my belt.

Leadership, wayfinding, and now combat. And I had applied my knowledge to my survival instincts on New Berk and with Eyarr.

And now that I was back home, I hadn't had much use for my leadership skills or my combat training. And given that Eyarr had helped to extend my combat skills, it was something I wanted to show Dad. I was bummed that I didn't have the daggers that Eyarr gifted me, but something told me that it was better since they were so different than what Dad was used to fighting with.

I knew Dad was usually up early, just after dawn. I woke shortly after he did one morning, and understandably, he was a bit surprised to see me up as early as him.

"Feeling like an early bird, huh?" He commented. I shrugged.

"I felt like waking up early today." I paused momentarily, trying to figure out how to ask simply.

"Dad?"

"Hm?"

"Do you remember... teaching me how to fight when I was a kid?" I slowly asked. I saw a smile tug at the corner of his mouth, the fine lines of age becoming more prominent.

"Of course I do. I remember how eager you were to learn. Why do you ask?"

"Well, uh... I used the skills you taught me when I was away, but I was also taught other ways to fight." I saw him raise an eyebrow, "I was thinking I could show you what I've learned. Just to remind you, I've still got my spunk." Dad chuckled.

"I never doubted that. Sounds like a plan." We got our weapons with that assurance, and Dad led me to a corner near the forest. In a large bare patch of ground, I could still see the ghosts of feet and handprints in the soil. I kneeled, grazing my fingertips through the dirt, feeling the spot where I spent a good portion of my childhood.

"Where did you want to start?" He asked, breaking me out of my daydream.

"Oh. Uh, hand me the club." I replied as I stood up. He handed me one of his clubs, and upon grabbing it, I spun and twirled it around in my hands, getting used to the weight of it. It was slightly larger than the one Dad gifted me years ago, but it still felt familiar.

Still holding it, I shifted my gaze to the woven basket of Dad's weapons, taking in each item. Then I spied one I hadn't seen before. It was a dagger, but black and very shiny, it couldn't be...

"Is that a fa'atosina dagger?" I exclaimed, putting down the club and picking up the dagger, feeling the weight of it. Dad just grinned.

"It is. Something new I made. You like it?" I nodded eagerly.