Winwolfa (A Roan x Female OC Fanfic)

Chapter 8

The next morning, Roan dragged Astrid out of bed bright and early. Literally. He grabbed her foot and hauled her sleeping body to the cobblestone floor with a thud.

"You sleep like a hibernating bear. Your enemy could have killed you just now." Roan grumbled with his own fair share of morning dread.

"Good things you're not my enemy. Just a tremendous dickhead." It had only been two days, and Astrid was already sick of his antics. If everyday was going to be like this, Roan would have to deal with more than just a pissy, noncompliant attitude.

They went back to the independent sparring ring the same as yesterday. Except today, there was no luscious eye candy to stare at. Definitely a product of Roan's doing. She guessed he took that distraction comment a bit too seriously.

Once again, he went through the weapons on the rack and continued his spiel from yesterday. This time Astrid was forced to listen. With her arms crossed and an uninterested face, she listened to his lecture of the pros and cons of each weapon. In explicit detail.

He dropped a chipped straight sword in front of her. The handle was covered in dirt and blood from previous users. "Pick it up."

She kept a blank stare, peering directly into his eyes as she replied, "No."

"Astrid. Pick up the damned sword." He gave that same groan of annoyance. It was unbelievably easy to tick him off. And honestly, a bit too entertaining. But Astrid didn't pick up the sword to cause a rise out of him. It was simply because she simply refused to be Winwolfa. And the moment she finally agreed to join him, to pick up the sword, would be the first step that would seal her fate. Maybe, if she was lucky, death could spare her from fate.

"No thanks. Maybe if you ask nicely." A sweet sing-song voice came out of her this time.

Roan gritted his teeth, debating whether he wanted to deal with her attitude today. Obviously, he didn't.

Knuckles met her cheek. The force of it sent Astrid crashing into the ground, eating a face full of mud. The arrogant bastard punched her in the face and had the audacity to ask, "How's that for nice, princess?"

She wiped off the mud from her eyes as she looked towards Roan. When her lips quirked into a mischievous grin, he finally lost all patience for her. In a rage of fury, he pulled his own blade from his sheathe and released a slash towards her. Astrid's reflexes sent her rolling backwards onto her feet, nearly nicked by the sword across her arm.

"You are quick." Roan said in surprise before he sent another attack after Astrid. This time, it sliced her upper arm. The pain from it made her gasp, and her hand quickly covered the small nick. "But you are not fast enough from a blade."

Roan sent a blitz of attacks after Astrid. Half of them she was able to dodge, but the other half sliced across through the leathers. Nearly half a dozen cuts across her arms, legs, and torso, and Roan still showed no sympathy. Just a cold merciless stare as he watched Astrid panting on her knees.

"I'm not picking up your damned sword, you fucking psychopath." She spat towards him as she held her bleeding bicep.

Roan aimed for her head with a swift, lethal swipe. Her body reacted in a heartbeat. Astrid sprung off her feet, flipping backwards over his arm. With the sword just inches away from her knelt body, she grabbed it and held it above her head. Metal met metal, and the shock of the parry reverberated through her hands.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Roan cocked his head with an impressed grin. Arrogant jackass.

"You pick up a few things when you're stuck in a cell for all your life." Just as she was able to bring herself to her feet, he thrusted his sword one more time towards her. Another spontaneous movement from the blade in her hand sent his sword scattering across the ground. He looked at Astrid in disbelief.