The Butterfly Crown

Fire and Blood - Avala

Avala

"Hold your sword a little higher", Edan Duncan demanded. Sweat had started to saturate my clothing. My training clothes were pitch black and two sizes too small. I hadn't tried to exercise since years, and every ounce of my body had started hurting.

If cooperating had meant sitting in a a library with a brooding knight, I would have been able to arrange myself with the idea. But cooperating meant running around and learning various names of weapons. I had found a passion for throwing stars, mainly because I hoped to wear them as a hair accessory. Edan had explained me the theoretical use of them in a dreadfully long and patient speech. Though I liked the aesthetic of the throwing stars, actual sword training felt like hell. My arms weren't used to carry much weight and the sun was sitting in my neck.

"I'm trying to hold my sword a little higher. But it is useless. If I get into a fight you and your little guard buddies will be there, unless you are to busy trying to fix your hair in the mirror. In that case I will be killed, but death is inescapable. I rather live a fulfilled life without sword fighting and die young than continue any more of this torture", I told him and put my sword back on the ground.

"If you keep refusing to listen to me, this is going to be a rocky road for you. You know from your physique you have the same disadvantages as Keeva. You are both scrawny like birds. But what differs you from her, that you are a distracted little kitten and she has eyes like an eagle.", his voice had started to become more familiar. We were forced to spend a lot of time together. Sometimes he was even bearable, when he wasn't comparing me to Keeva.

"Can we not go back to history trivia? " I asked him hopefully. I missed the quiet library brooding. However I was still relieved that it was Edan who he taught me the correct fighting position and not Captain Adalsteinn. If it had been here I would have thrown the towel on day one.

The afternoon sun combed through my hair. Edan was wearing a maroon training and his butterfly pin. "No, we can not. I also would prefer having some nerve left, but my orders are strict."

I hoped to distract him with some small talk. "Why do you know so much about history? About Captain Adalsteinn has order you to study with the masters."

"Keeva had wanted me to learn it. That I was able to be her advisor once she was queen and help her during lessons and prepare for her exams. We had a great amount of fun, unlike you she is able to listen to what I'm telling her.", he explained to me.

Classic Keeva, letting Edan do the dirty work and letting him cram the knowledge into her head.

"But what you are assuming about Captain Adalsteinn is wrong. She not only trained me to fight, she also taught me some great deals about life. For example to not give up and be patient. She once made me work on a tulip farm for some months. I had seen the most wonderful flowers grow. They always will hold place dear in my heart. Tulips are superior to any other flowers, especially roses. They have a simplicity in their beauty, there are no thorns and you will never cut you, unless you are unable to work with garden scissors or do a terrible job in cutting of the stem.", he explained with an odd passion in his eyes. He was still in fighting position, waiting for me to pick up my sword again.

"So you are basically saying what makes them average, makes them beautiful. Well in that case that makes you the most handsome guy in the whole realm.", I told him sarcastically.

Edan wasn't very happy with my comment and made a peeved gesture towards my sword. "Keep going, Av.", he ordered.

"You know if you have to give me a stupid nickname, can it be something less related to my dead parents, please. It's not really putting me in a great mood." Nevertheless I picked up my sword. I relocated my weight and tried to mime the posture, which I have been showed earlier. My knees were bent, my eyes fixed on him, my sword held higher than before.