Warrior Protect

-18- Cade de Hanivel

The next day I found myself watching Aurora as she stretched. She had yanked me out of bed, and Karas had already been in the sitting room holding a package. They had gotten a matching set of leathers for me. I was dressed and out the door before I even realized what was happening. Despite yesterday's forced kiss, she was smirking to herself the whole way to her makeshift training grounds.

I looked down at the brown and black leather armor and felt my own lips tug. It was the same as hers except she wore a gray tunic and pant underneath and I wore royal blue. I looked back up as Karas walked up with four wooden swords in his hands and a long leather sheath slung over his shoulder.

"Sorry, it took me a while, but I had to wait for the royal defense instructor to finish his training." Karas sighed as he shrugged, the sheath sliding down his arm and into his hand. He held them out to me as Aurora stopped stretching and walked up, a brow raised.

"Throwing knives? Really? He can't see that far. How is this going to help?" Aurora asked as I took a knife out. I glared at her and she shrugged waving a hand at Karas.

"I tell Karas everything, and he is protecting you as well. So, he needed to know. Besides, your parents said, a few guards and your old defense instructor also know. I figured as long as they are trustworthy it was okay." Aurora smiled while batting her eyes. I shook my head, focusing back on Karas.

"It was what his instructor said he was best at," Karas said. I stepped away from them and faced the target.

"You don't have to see the bullseye to know where the center is. Now if you told me to hit a certain ring I wouldn't be able to but..." I let my wrist pop as the knife flew hitting what I knew was the center of the target. "A body is the same. I can't hit someone's arm or just nick them, but I can hit their chest or the center of their head when close enough. It's a large object with a center I can mentally place." I turned to see Aurora's brows rise as she smirked. She took a knife from Karas and walked up beside me.

Her wrist popped, and the blade hit. I looked at her and knew she was slightly off by the aggravation in her eyes.

"Oh, well." She sighed, turning to look up at me. "Karas will make a better teacher for you. Which is upsetting. I wanted to make you call me master." She snickered while poking me in the chest. She walked to the targets and pulled both knives out.

"You can teach him defense?" Karas asked as she walked back up, twirling one of the knives between her fingers.

"It would be better for someone who could die if they get hit to teach defense. I am good, but you know I only must protect my head in the end." She pulled a thumb across her neck as a crude gesture to her losing her head. Both Karas and myself grimaced at her action and lack of fear.

"Don't give me that. I hardly hit any part of you." Karas scoffed and Aurora started to laugh. I felt out of place. These two, this was their time. Training and fighting was something they shared.

"Yes, but I don't have that dire need to avoid being hit like you or any normal person would. I just don't get hit because it hurts a bit." Aurora's eyes narrowed on Karas, but her smirk told me she was just playing with him.

"It's fine. I can learn from Karas," I interrupted causing them both to look at me for a second. It would be better anyways.

Training with Aurora would be distracting. Karas sighed before shaking his head. Besides, I wanted them to realize I was still here.

"Karas is cold-hearted when it comes to training, so I hope you are ready." Aurora smiled before putting a hand on my shoulder. "If you do well, I'll give you a kiss to make you feel better, though, I doubt it will help." She chuckled as she stepped away, grabbing a wooden sword form Karas.