A Warrior's Revenge

4. Training

Cold water splashes over her head, forcing her to pry her eyes open, only to see Taelan standing there. Nestling her head on the pillows below her, she sighs, knowing he was going to work her until breaking point. Light shines from the window to the side, the rays of sun heating the room.

"You have 5 minutes to meet me at the front gates. No dresses."  He walks out, leaving her to shiver in the darkness. A dress? Oh, how she would love to wear a dress and feel beautiful once again. She knew that after training today, she would bathe and put on the prettiest dress she could find and stroll the halls. But for now, she rose from the bed, and lit a candle whose fire blazed in the empty space. A light at the end of the winding tunnel. When she was younger, she once thought that fire was the only way out of who she was. That there was a fire burning inside of her, keeping her alive, and if she extinguished it, she would no longer be full Fae. All she wanted was to fight the darkness away that creeps inside of her, but no amount of fire could do that.

As her feet touches the cold stone floors, she notices a mirror hanging above the dusty fireplace that was not there yesterday. Taking a few steps towards it, she reaches her hand out to touch the mahogany pane that surrounds it, embroidered in numerous vines and flowers. Ciri ran her fingers along the detail until she looks in the mirror and saw herself staring back at her. her face moulded into one of disgust. Three years since she had last seen herself. Three years, and the light in her silver eyes had faded, her cheeks no longer a flushed pink. Shadows instead lined her features. Time, she told herself. It will repair her. Looking down, she grabbed a single brush that had been left on the mantle of the fireplace and lifted her chin to see herself once more.  She combed her still limp and dry hair, splitting her hair in half and began braiding each side until she had two long braids, one on every side of her head. In time, the strands would again feel soft and shiny, though she knew it would be some time.  Waiting on the chair at the desk in her room, was clothing fit for fighting. One white cotton tunic, with dark brown leather bracers that were to be tied at the wrists, along with a matching corset. Her pants were simply black, silver studs lining them vertically, two sets on each leg. Finally, long dark brown boots that went half way up her calves. Perfect for sneaking and hunting, she realised. She finished the outfit off with her black cloak that she had escaped with, pinning the clasps at her neck together, and took off to go meet Taelan at the gates.

Her boots crunched on fallen dried leaves and sticks as she made her way through the courtyard. Prickled flowers and roses were at every corner, each one maintained to perfection. Green sprouted all around her, the colours so magnificently bright. Wooden benches sat near them, with people already milling around near them, lost in their conversations. From here, she could see the massive gates looming into the sky as tall and as high as the clouds itself, the pointed ends making it breach less to intruders. She turned around seeing for the first time the massive length of the castle and the stones that seemed to glitter in the sunlight pouring over them. She hadn't seen true beauty for years, hadn't seen anything other than dirt and mud that the sheer natural feeling of this place was enough to stop her in her tracks to catch her breath. It made her want to dance, to roll around in the grass and stare at the blueness of the sky until the sun began setting. In this moment, she truly felt free. Ciri gawked one last time, then turned back around, seeing her comrade leaning against the gates. He caught her eye, and nodded his head for her to follow.

She followed his lead until they finally made their way to a lone maple tree whose leaves shone red and orange in the cool autumn breeze. Everything on the outside world just seemed so perfect like images her mother had read to her as a child. Two long wooden swords leaned against its huge trunk, and Taelan walked over and grabbed one by its hilt and threw it to her. She caught it through the air easily, testing the weight of the weapon by spinning it in front of her.

"Wooden, huh? Afraid you'll get hurt?" Ciri said, getting her legs into the starting position she was taught so long ago. Right foot in front of the other, knees slightly bent with her shoulders back and head held high. Taelan picked up the other one and smirked at her.

"I didn't want to impale you in our first training session," he replied, easing into his own battle stance.

"Planning on doing it in the second?" She trailed her sword into the snake formation lightly in front of her, whirling it from her side to her front. She did this a few more times until she made her own rhythm. In front of her, Taelan was doing the same, testing the weight behind the wood and making a rhythm. She tucked the sword so that it was behind her elbow, resting gently on her tricep and the length of her arm. "So what are we doing?"

"The basics." He said.

"The basics? Seriously? I'm probably more adept at sword fighting than you are." Ciri laughed as she repeatedly hit the wooden blade against her elbow gently, readying for him to make the first move.

 "I never said the basics in sword training." His voice turned .

"Then... what?"

"Magic."

She moved her sword to the side of her body, leaving her defensive stance.

"I can't do that." Her cold voice made her shiver as she hooded her eyes away from him.  Noticing she had let her defences down, Taelan striked, driving his wooden sword close to her abdomen. Ciri responded with more intensity than she had intended, parrying off of his and swirling to miss his large fist that would have made contact with her arm. She weighted the sword in her hand, twirling it with class. He did the same, matching it as they circled each other.

"You're better  than I expected you'd be." He breathed out, slightly fatigued.

"And to think I'm not at full capacity yet."

"Why wouldn't you be?"

"Let's just say I've had a rough couple of years."

He lunged again, stepping forward with a gentleness and a lifetime of training as he swung the sword towards her. Her eyes widened at his impressive speed as she brought the chunk of wood up to protect her face. Taelan suddenly stops his attacks,  as they both lower their swords.

"Going on defence, are we? I can deal with that." Ciri twirls towards him, seeing a smirk on his face. The ground begins to move underneath her, shifting below her feet. Stumbling, she drops her sword inches away from Taelan, falling to her knees in the dizziness that hammers in her head. She clutches her stomach, the spinning world causing nausea in her. Ciri clenches her eyes closed, waiting for what seems like an eternity before the shaking stops. Breathing hard, she stays on the ground, waiting for her body to recover and for her mind to remember which way north is. "I'm getting real sick of that." Ciri says, lifting her head up to Taelan, who stands tall in front of her.

"If you used your magic, you could've stopped it." He says, crossing his arms in defiance.

"You just don't get it, do you? I'm not like you. Magic doesn't come easily for me. It may travel through my veins, and be a part of who I am, but it is not on my side. It wants destruction and to wreak havoc. Not to plant flowers and create bunnies." Ciri choked it out, trying to muster up strength in her body as she grabs onto her sword and hauls herself upward into a standing position.

Morning wind picks up around her, swaying the leaves underneath the tree and rustling her cloak. Ciri stared at Taelan, waiting for him to say some stupid retort, but he says nothing. Instead, he drops his sword on the ground beside him and turns around, back towards the looming castle.