Noble Assassin

Chapter 7.2 (Training Begins)

When she paused after finally, finally completing one hundred push-ups, Rizelle flung herself down on her back and lay there, eyes closed. Ayris would probably assign her a task soon, so she was using the time until then wisely.

The two assassins had come in a while ago and performed their routine drills. They'd made no acknowledgement of their apprentices other than when Ayris corrected Rizelle's form.

An indeterminable amount of time passed, and then something landed on Rizelle's stomach. She looked – a towel.

"Go and take a walk. Be back in fifteen minutes," Ayris said as she turned and headed to the weapons rack. When Rizelle didn't move, she glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, don't look so surprised. I may abhor laziness, but taking a break is not lazy, it's sensible."

Deciding to get out before she changed her mind, Rizelle wiped her exposed skin: face, neck, hands, and feet. Her clothes were still soaked through, but there wasn't much she could do about it right then.

A stroll in the garden later, and she was actually feeling quite refreshed. She returned to the training room, as ordered, to find Ayris waiting with two swords in hand. Tauver and Feyn were absent, likely training elsewhere.

"The first weapon you'll need to master is the sword," Ayris began as soon as Rizelle entered. "Now, there are many types, of course, the longsword, the rapier, the sabre and the scimitar, to name a few." She held one out to Rizelle. "For now, we'll work with the rapier. Because it's considerably light, it will be easier for you to learn fighting forms until you can handle heavier swords."

Accepting it from her, Rizelle found it to be indeed rather light.

"Notice how the blade is thin," Ayris continued. "Rapiers are used more in duels than actual battles because they tend to break beneath heavier blades. Not much good at cutting, though they are quick and excellent for piercing and thrusting."

She then proceeded to demonstrate some basic stances and moves, having Rizelle replicate and repeat them to perfection. She was quite the perfectionist.

"It must become instinctive," she declared while inspecting Rizelle's form. "You must know the sword as well as you know your own hand – the way it moves, the way it responds to your command."

"You speak of it as though it's living," Rizelle remarked.

"Of course, it isn't. But you are," came the reply. "And when you use a weapon, it should be a part of you. You become a weapon."

A secret thrill ran through Rizelle at that thought. Despite the way she'd been raised – to tread carefully when it came to violence – despite the promise she'd made to her father all those years ago, the thought of being a weapon, being dangerous and feared, appealed to her.

It doesn't mean I've broken the promise, she told herself. After all, this was to help defend herself against her Bane.

"Concentrate!" Ayris barked.

Drawing herself back to thepresent, she obeyed.

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So, a shorter part than usual, but there'll be three more to come in this chapter, so it's still one of my longer chapters overall.

And it's back to the salt mines next week (And now I'm thinking of Celaena Sardothien).

I'll still post though, so until then.