Once Upon a Time

Chapter 23

‘Finn! She’s awake!’ Hope could hear Rose yell as she ran down the stairs.
Hope heard louder footsteps fast coming up the stairs and then Finn appeared in the door opening.
‘You’re awake.’ He said with a smile on his face.
‘Good to see you haven’t lost your sharpness.’ Hope said as she sat up straight.
Finn rolled his eyes and sat down on the end of her bed.
‘Remember our conversation in the forest?’ Finn asked.
‘Yes, what about it?’
‘You told me you wanted a sword.’
Hope nodded and Finn placed something on the bed. Hope looked at it and then at Finn.
‘Come on, open it.’ Finn said.
Hope looked back down and shove the fabric off the thing that was underneath it. There was a sword laying on her bed. It was beautiful, the metal had lines and curls on it that thinned as it neared the end of the metal. The handgrip had a light blue line.
‘How did you get this?’ Hope asked.
‘Made it.’ Finn said.
‘Made it?’ Hope asked.
Finn nodded.
‘Are you serious?’ Hope asked.
‘Yes!’ Finn said.
‘I didn’t know you could do that.’ Hope said.
‘There is more you don’t know about me.’ Finn said.
Hope smiled.
‘Thank you.’ She said.
‘No problem.’ Finn said.
‘Did you make your own sword too?’ Hope asked.
‘Yes.’
‘Why didn’t you just buy me one, that would be a lot easier and faster, why would you put so much effort in it?’
‘Because the sword has to fit you, like a sort of mirror of your personality, of who you are.’ Finn said.
‘And I didn’t trust anyone with that kind of task, so I made it myself.’ Finn said shrugging.
‘Now get up princess, time to practice.’ Finn said getting up.
Hope smiled and got out of bed.
‘Would be great if you would leave the room.’ Hope said.
‘Why, I don’t mind to stay.’ Finn said with a cheeky smile.
‘Go away.’ Hope said.
‘Okay, okay I’m going, just hurry up, I’ll see you outside.’ Finn said walking away.
Hope smiled and turned back to her bed. She stretched her hand out and slightly touched the handgrip. With the slightest touch of her finger a blue light came up. Hope raised her eyebrows, but didn’t remove her hand. She slowly slipped her fingers around the handgrip and held the sword. The light became brighter and spread itself down through the curls and lines down the metal. Hope felt a warm and powerful feeling going through her whole body. Going through her veins, through her bones, through her nerves and flesh. As if magic was going through her whole body. The windows out of the sudden opened and a wind blew through the room. Hope closed her eyes and heard the wind blowing through trees, she could hear the birds tweeting. She took in a deep breath of fresh air and then opened her eyes again. She looked down at the sword and as she looked the light faded away. Hope put the sword back down on her bed and fast changed. She couldn’t wait to use it. When she was dressed she put her hair in braided her hair and ran downstairs with her sword.
‘Faith? FAITH.’ Hope said as her friend didn’t react.
Faith turned around.
‘What?’ She asked.
‘Where is Finn?’ Hope asked.
‘Look you, being all excited, did he ask you out?’ Faith asked.
Hope gave her friend a weird look.
‘What? No.’ She said.
‘You never know.’ Faith said shrugging.
‘But he’s outside.’ Faith said.
‘Where outside?’ Hope asked.
‘Well there is only one door, isn’t there?’ Faith said.
Hope turned around and ran towards the door.
‘Hope?’ Faith said.
‘Yes?’ She asked fast turning around.
‘What are you holding there?’ Faith asked.
‘My sword.’ Hope told her.
‘Your sword? You don’t own a sword.’ Faith said.
‘Yes I do now, Finn made me one.’ Hope said.
‘He did?’ Faith asked.
‘Yes I told him I wanted one to protect myself, you know after all that happened on the market with –‘ Hope started and gulped.
‘Step-grandmother.’ Hope ended.
Faith nodded.
‘Please be careful with it, we don’t want you to cut off your own arm.’ Faith said.
‘Oh ha-ha.’ Hope said.
Faith laughed.
‘But I’m serious, be careful.’ Faith said.
‘Yeah, yeah.’ Hope said waving it away and running outside.
She closed the door behind her and when she looked around she saw Finn standing a little away from her, looking at the people who were walking by. Hope walked over to him and stopped next to him.
‘I’m ready.’ Hope said.
Finn looked down at her.
‘Good job.’ Finn said.
Hope rolled her eyes.
‘Where do you want to practice?’ Hope asked.
‘Here.’ Finn said.
‘What? Here? With all those people who can watch?’ Hope asked.
‘Yes, problems with that princess?’ Finn asked.
Hope looked at him. She never liked to be standing in front of a crowd. She was really insecure and the thing she wanted the most was staying out of the spotlight, so the idea of all those people watching her, no thank you.
‘Hope?’ Finn asked.
‘Hu what? Oh erm no, no problem.’ Hope said.
Finn raised his eyebrows and shrugged.
‘Okay, let’s get started then.’ Finn said.
‘Put the sword down an-‘ Finn started.
‘What? Sword down? You would learn me how to use it.’ Hope said.
‘Yes, but we’re first going to start with some self-defence, I’ve got a feeling you’ll be needing that some time, especially when I’m not around.’ Finn said.
‘I’ve had self-defence at school once.’ Hope said totally ignoring the last part of what Finn just said.
‘I guess that’s not enough.’ Finn said.
‘How can you know?’ Hope asked.
‘The way you don’t protect yourself.’ Finn said shrugging taking a few steps back.
‘Let’s get this over with then.’ Hope said.
‘So if someone want to rob you or anything, you can use your elbow, just try to hurt them by using your elbow as hard as you can. Also remind this in a fight with your sword! If you’ve got the chance try to hit them hard in the throat, but always, and when I say always I mean always, if you can run, run! As hard as you can, try to find help, but run.’ Finn told her.
Hope nodded.
Finn showed her a few self-defence moves and then he grabbed her arms, crossing them in front of her chest.
‘If someone is holding you like this, you need to push your hands like that.’ Finn showed her.
‘Then throw them downwards and at the same time push your bum out.’ Finn said.
Hope did what he said and when she turned around she saw him standing bend down.
‘I didn’t say you had to do it.’ Finn said.
‘Oh my God! I’m so sorry!’ Hope said fast going towards him and placing her hand on his back.
‘I’m so sorry.’ She said.
‘Good move.’ Finn said.
‘Thanks.’ She said with a small smile.
‘You okay?’ She asked.
‘Yeah, yeah.’ He said waving it away.
‘So are we going over on the sword thing?’ Hope asked.
‘Tomorrow.’ Finn said.
‘Aaaww.’ Hope cooed.
‘Tomorrow, it has been enough for one day.’ Finn said trying to stand up straight.
Faith just opened the door as Hope and Finn walked back to the house.
‘What happened?’ Faith asked with widened eyes when she saw Finn.
‘She gets the self-defence thing.’ Finn groaned as he past her, walking into the house.
Faith looked at Hope who shrugged.
‘What can I say?’ Hope said shrugging.
Faith laughed.
‘What about the sword thing?’ Faith asked.
‘Tomorrow.’ Hope said.
‘He needs some rest?’ Faith asked.
‘Charming needs some rest.’ Hope said laughing.