Crimson Rose: The Crooked Man and the Crooked Cat

Chapter 19: Fencing Lessons

"What?!" Hoots and Hickory yelled in unison. "You heard me." said Annette. After she told Hoots and Hickory about her plan, they were shocked. "But Annette, are you absolutely sure you want to confront Mother Goose in a swordfight?" asked Hoots, alarmed. Annette nodded.

"I have to save Noir. I don't want him to suffer at the mercy of her grip. I have to take the risk." "I understand, but to challenge such a powerful witch in a duel?" said Hoot nervously, rubbing his chin.

"Oh, I'm telling you, kiddo, that old lady's bad news! You might as well give up and have me as your servant." Hickory said. "Zip it, mouse!" snapped Annette. "This is not the time to make such preposterous jokes!" Hoots added angrily. "Sorry." Hickory apologized meekly. Hoots turned to Annette.

"I just need to study fencing lessons so that I can use the Rose Sword to defeat her." said Annette. But Hoots shook his head. "It's not as simple as you think it is, my dear."

Annette raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" "You can't just study fencing lessons to use the Rose Sword the incorrect way. There's more to wielding the Rose Sword than just studying fencing lessons."

"What's that?" asked Annette curiously. "To order to use the Rose Sword, you need to understand the uses of the sword."

"The Rose Sword is a powerful weapon. In the hands of a proper Rose Guardian, the Rose Sword can be used as a weapon of harmony, peace, and beauty. But it can also be a weapon of mass destruction and chaos if it's possessed in the wrong hands."

"So, what do I have to do to wield it properly?" asked Annette. "We're wasting time here!" She was getting impatient. She had to save Noir fast. Who know what Mother Goose is planning to do with him?

"Be patient, Annette. Impatience will solve nothing. Never count your chickens before they hatch." said Hoots calmly. "Come. I'll teach you."

He sat up and walked to the fireplace. He reached up and took a sword from the mantel. He then led Annette out of the chateau and headed towards an open field. "Noir found the sword when he was exploring the forest. He never told anyone about its existence. Only Hickory, him and I know of it. He heard of the Rose Guardian and he was willing to find someone worthy of being his master and the next Rose Guardian." explained Hoots.

"Is that why he picked me?" asked Annette. "Probably. He never told me why he gave you the Rose Sword." "Maybe it's because since I rescued him from the truck, he thought I'm worthy to be the Rose Guardian. Maybe that's the reason." said Annette.

"Maybe. Well then, shall we begin?" said Hoot, raising up his sword. "Okay." said Annette. "First, I shall demonstrate how to use the sword." said Hoot, holding his sword in a position.

He did a thrust, then a parry and a riposte. "Now, you try." he said. Annette was nervous. This was her very first fencing lesson. But she knew she had to learn to use the sword properly.

She had to rescue Noir, no matter what it takes! So she's going to properly learn to master the Rose Sword. "No screw-ups! I have to do this right!" she thought.

The lessons were a bit hard to understand, but Annette practiced long and hard. "Parry! Lunge! Riposte!" With Hoots coaching her every step of the way, she carefully honed her fencing skills to its best.

She had to hurry though. She only had 24 hours until Mother Goose comes back at dusk. Time was of the essence. She practiced and practiced until she memorized all the steps and moves. Finally, she settled down for a break. "Excellent. I see that you're making progress." said Hoots proudly. "Well done." "Thanks." said Annette.

But then she frowned. "I'm really worried about Noir. I really hope he's okay." Hoots patted her shoulder. "As do I." he said.

Sunlight shone through the broken window of a large, dark cell. Noir groaned softly as his eyes fluttered open. He looked around, his eyes meeting walls and floors of stone. He tried to move, but he found out his wrists were shackled behind his back, along with chains crossing over his chest and torso. His ankles were wrapped tight in shackles and were attached to the walls behind them.

Noir hissed in anger and disappointment. "That witch locked me up!" he cursed. Then he sighed. It's useless trying to squirm out. "Annette...That poor girl...I cannot imagine what sorrow she must be going through. If only I wasn't so careless!" he thought.

"Oh, Annette." He thought of the encounter with Itsy Bitsy. Annette was in pure terror, but he valiantly saved her from the venomous fangs of death. He remembered the argument. How angry she was. He didn't blame her. All he wanted was a friend. Ever since his master passed away, he had been completely alone, until the day she crossed his path.

He even remembered how she hugged him and the promise she made after the fight. "I promise you; I'll never leave your side."

He smiled at the memory. "That girl...why does she captivate me so?" he mused. "What is it about her that catches my eye? She's...something else...interesting than most people that I've encountered. And what's this emotion that I feel whenever she's near me? Is it possible that I...?"

Noir's ears suddenly pricked up as he heard a nearby door creak open. His eyes narrowed as the familiar silhouette approached him. "So, I see you're finally awake, cat." the silhouette croaked. Noir narrowed his eyes and gritted his fangs. "Mother Goose!" he thought with sheer bitterness. Mother Goose emerged from the shadows with an evil grin on her face.

"You're going to prove quite useful in retrieving the Rose Sword for me." said Mother Goose. "What do you mean?" Noir asked angrily. "You will soon see my meaning. I've noticed that the girl has grown quite fond of you. You must be very lucky." "You leave her out of this!" Noir snarled. How dare she mention Annette!

"Although, I must say, I'm rather curious. Why would you give her the Rose Sword? It is quite amusing that you would choose a homely mortal girl like her as your mistress." Mother Goose started to circle him like a vulture, her voice dripping with scorn.

"Is it because you wanted companionship? Is it because you wanted to be someone's pathetic slave?" she said with a taunting smile. Noir clenched his bound fists. Anger was starting to well up in his chest.

"Or is it because she saved your pathetic hide when you were left to die?" Noir hissed and tried to bare his claws at Mother Goose. But he knew he couldn't. He glared at her with pure rage in his eyes.

"How dare you speak of me that way! I wish I could bury my claws into your worthless throat, wretched old hag!" But Mother Goose didn't flinch. She just smiled coldly. She just tapped her cane on the stone floor and started to chant. Noir's eyes widened. "Not again...!" he thought.

Soon, his bell was glowing and he was writhing and screaming in pain and agony. The torture was too much to bear. "Stop! Stop it...Please stop it...I can't stand it!" he gasped. Mother Goose stopped chanting. Noir panted in exhaustion, sweat dripping down his forehead. He glared at Mother Goose and gritted his teeth.

"You will cooperate with me, won't you? If you retrieve the Rose Sword for me, I'll spare your life and the girl's. But should you betray me in any way, I'll assure you, the girl will suffer mercilessly!" she said, her voice cold as ice.

Noir's heart thudded in his chest. He felt his blood turn to ice. "Oh, no! Annette!" he thought anxiously. "What should I do? I can't allow Mother Goose to hurt Annette! But, she'll hurt her if I...No, I've got to protect her at any price!"