Hidden Temples

(7) Winds and warriors

                               (Rue)
I feel really good about those sward, and wind fights, I even bet Jack.
And tomorrow I'll be training with the wind. I am pretty excited. I actually hope I'm being mentored by Jack, mostly because I like beating him.
It's pretty fun, seeing his face when I twirl the sward in my hands, and do a bunch of cool moves.
But something happened when we were fighting. The way he looked at me when I pointed the sward at his chest, the twinkle in his eye, that made my heart skip a beat. Could he?...no.
I want to claw the thought out of my mind, once I think of it. Not that he's a bad guy, he's nice, sweet, funny, and his eyes...We're am I going with this?
Anyways, no.
I grab a stack of books from the shelf, and read one that says, "The ways of the wind," in gold lettering.
Im trying to read as manny books as I can, to practice. I need to keep my new reputation, a good one of course.
I yawn.
"No," I tell myself.
"You have to stay awake." I say slapping my cheeks.
I open the book and continue reading, that is until I strain my eyes to the point their glued shut. And I fall asleep with the book on my face.
Nice going Rue.
_______________________
knock knock.
The knocking of my door startles me, knocking my book to the floor.
I stuff the book in my bag, and open my door to see a fully dressed Jack leaning on the wall, with the same twinkle in his eye.
"Morning," he says.
I run my hands through my hair.
"What are you doing here? It's 5:00."
"Taking you to training of course, mistress wants me to take you early every morning." He explains smiling.

I attempt to shut the door in his face, but he sticks his shoe beside the door.
"Nu uh, get ready we're going."
"Fine, I'll be back," I groan, then I turn to leave.
I get dressed into my black tights, and a loose black top. Then pull my hair into a tight ponytail, and brush my teeth, then rush to the door.
"Good lets go," he says, offering his hands.
I take it, and call the wind to my side, wrapping it around us like a warm blanket, I lean on Jack, and the wind whisks us away.

"Where are we?" I ask when we land in a forest.
"We are going to be practicing every day, mistress wants you to have full concentration when practicing."

"Mistress wants this, mistress wants that," I say, leaning on a thick tree.
Jack chuckles, and I can't help but smile to.

"So how are we going to do this?" I ask.
"Shoot at me with whatever you got, and I'll try and block you, and fight back, just don't kill me," he says.
"No promises." I grin.

We find a perfect spot, and I call the wind to my side, and secretly summoning another gust inside my head, and I swirl them around my wrist.
I shoot one directly at Jack, but he swerves back, missing him by inches.
He coils one around my waist, and lunges forward. But my extra wind breaks me free, and I  grab him by the wrist, and I fling him over my shoulder, making him land with a thud.
"Guess we don't have to learn combat, or fighting without the wind, your a natural," Jack says, clutching his stomach.
I grin.
"C'mon, get up," I say.
"How'd you break free of my restrainer?" He asks.
"You'd of have to call an extra gust, but I didn't hear you call any,"
"Ya," I laugh.
"I called a gust mentally it..."
"Wait, what?" Jack cuts me off.
"I called the wind mentally," I repeat.
"I've never ever in my training, have I heard of a Lith calling the wind mentally."
He looks at me, with worry worn on his face.
His eyebrows furrow together in confusion.

"Is that bad?" I ask.
"I'm not sure," he admits.
"I have to ask mistress."
"No," I say to quickly.
"Um, I mean, not yet, promise me you won't tell her."
He stares at me curiously, then he says,
"Fine. Let's just continue," he calls another gust to his side.
I call my next gust mentally, but three other gusts come along with the first.
Cool, calling them mentally allows more at a time, I combine the four, to make a powerful gust, it swirls in my grip, coiling around my wrist. Jack shoots at me with his gust, it blocks my wrist. I uncoil the four winds, allowing one to break the barrier, and the other three to fling at Jack.
I try calling another, but Jack knocks me to the floor with his foot, and quickly pins me to a nearby tree. He holds my hands and feet down, we're so close.
I stare into his eyes, they do that weird twinkling thing. I use that as my advantage, and mentally call another two winds to my side, and throw them at Jacks stomach. He flys backwards, and the winds pin him to the ground.
I lean over him, and whisper,
"Guess I beat you again, huh."
He grins.
"Ya," he sighs.
___________________________
"Want to head back?"
"What?" I say.
"Oh, you probably just don't want to get beat up by a scrawny little girl  anymore, now do you?"
He chuckles.
"That, and also it's morning." He says.
I look into the sky.
"It's morning already?"
"Time flys by when your having fun, or beat up." He says laughing.
I can't help but laugh to.
I grab my bag from the tree I placed it at before, and fling it over my back.
"We should do this every other day," he insists.
"Im going to need a break if your going to beat me up like that."

As we make our way back, I wonder if I should tell Jack about the multiple winds I called when I did it mentally.
Not that I don't trust him.
It's just that, I already told him about calling them mentally, and he's going to the mistress.
If I tell him about calling more than one gust, he'll probably tell her to.
Before I tell anyone, I'll have to do some research, I can find a library, I can just ask Jack when we get to  my temple.
What am I talking about!?
I can just use the wind to get there. But then I realize I've actually never traveled by wind alone. It can't be much different from going with Jack, it'll actually be less awkward.
I'll go tomorrow.

"Ready?" Jack asks calling the wind.
"Yep," I say.
The wind pulls us closer, and because we were even feet her apart, the wind sorta slammed us together, pressing me against his chest.
"Oops,"
"Um..."
"Sorry."
If I don't do something, I think Jack will accidentally press his lips against my cheek. So I quickly place my hands on his chest, hating myself when his touch sends a warm tingling feeling, up my arm.
I shiver.
"Cold?" He asks.
"No," I say to the floor, or technically my hands on his chest, cause were glued together, and there's no were else to look but him.
The wind sweeps us away, and we land on the lawn of my shared temple.
The wind releases us, and I quickly pull away. Jack must've felt as awkward as me because, he says a hassled goodbye, and the wind sweeps him away.

Once I reach and close my door, I collapse on the floor, and hate myself for liking a small, small, small, small, very, very, smaaaaallll part of it. But I have bigger things to worry about now.