Oriana, Girl of Legend

Chapter Seven

When Oriana woke in the morning, she found that she was the only one awake. She looked at her swords and smiled to herself. She hadn't practiced with the sword in what felt like forever. She quietly threw the blanket that covered her off her, grabbed the blades, and moved away from her companions so she wouldn't wake them.

When she knew she was far enough away she removed the scabbards that protected the blades, took her stance, and closed her eyes. Letting the silence and peace fill her before she opened them and drew the sword in her right hand to come up in at angle in one fluid motion and the one in her left hand followed suit.

She them hand them crisscrossing them in front her body several times as she advanced. When she came to a stop; she thrusted one of the blades as if she was attacking an enemy and held her pose as she heard a twig snap behind her.

She turned sharply one blade swinging to defend herself, only to have her blow deflected by Lucas's own blade. His green eyes sharp and she knew he had been watching her while she dances with the blades.

"You're very good with those blades." He told her as their blades kept contact while they circled around. "Good form, keen hearing and very fluid. Cornar taught you well."

Lucas then pulled his blade away only to swing it at her to attack her back but she pivoted and deflected his blade with her own. She gave a hard shove as he faded back when she advanced towards him to attack him at a diagonal slice, to which he deflect that blow but didn't see her other blade coming until it nearly touched his neck where she stopped the blade.

"Whoo hoo, Ori!" Vera shouted from where she stood by the fire where Duncan was warming up water over the flames to make their breakfast, gruel.

Lucas grinned at Oriana who was finally smiling at him, lowering her blades, but not letting her guard down. She knew better than let her guard down while someone else was armed.

Being a swordsman himself, Lucas knew he had to sheath his blade so she would let her guard down but he could not bring himself to do it, even though he knew she was his sister and would not hurt him. This practice taught to him since he was old enough to wield a blade was to not let your guard down around your opponent.

Oriana's eyebrow rose, waiting for him to lower his guard first. Being a woman, she didn't want to show that she was submissive to him or stupid enough to let down her guard around anyone, friend or foe.

"Okay, you two!" Vera shouted. She stood up, her braid swinging against her back as she placed her hands on her hips. "We all your tough and strong, but food over here is getting cold and I don't really want to wait to see who is going to give up first to eat."

Lucas grinned at the fiery red head, sheathed his sword, and saw from the corner of his eye that Oriana finally dropped her guard and sheathed her own blades.

"That was fun." Oriana grinned at her brother as they walked over towards their companions. "I haven't sparred since before Celeste got sick. It felt good to stretch those muscles."

Duncan laughed as he divided the gruel that he'd been cooking into four different bowls and passed it around to his companions. "You still look deadly with those things, Ori."

Lucas had to agree with the werewolf as he watched her blow gently on the hot cereal before putting the bite in her mouth. When he woke to see she was not there he nearly panicked. That is, until he saw her in her stance with one sword rose up in the air and the other followed the line of her leg. He held his breath while he watched her stand as still as a statue. When her eyes opened, the green and silver swirled around for dominance and it made her look even more deadly. She did not need to weapons to scare her enemies, her eyes filled with nothing as she listened to the silence around her made her look even more intimidating.