A Court of Scars and Steel (Completed)

Chapter 12 - Feyre

I rub my eyes, rolling into the male body on the bed next to me. I smile but sigh. We've got Aelin to deal with, and who knows what else.

It's been a week. Nothing important has happened. It feels like the calm before the storm.

With that depressing thought, I climb out from under the covers. Rhys groans behind me and murmurs something about the time and me. I laugh.

"We're busy again today, what with Aelin and Hybern," I mumble, pulling on the Illyrian leathers, "and right now I have training with Cassian."

Rhys grins at me as he gets out of bed. "I can't wait to see how that ends."

"He'll give me a few bruises as usual. I can promise you that's how it's going to end."

Rhys only wiggles his eyebrows tantalizingly. "Probably."

I laugh and he does to.

Half an hour later Rhys drops me off at the training room. Cassian, like usual, starts me on punches. I'm unfortunately almost done, which means I'm almost to the part when Cassian beats me up, when Aelin walks in.

We both stop and stare at her. She's started to regain weight from her time with her aunt, but she still looks weak.

Aelin just smiles and sits on the wall. She gestures to us to continue.

We do, and soon Cassian moves me on to blades, but I can't stop thinking about the woman sitting studying us, and our fighting.

After a while, I'm bruised, and even Cassian admits that it wouldn't really be beneficial.

"Can I spar with you?" A voice asks. I turn to see Aelin holding two blades, grinning, not at me, but at Cassian. Cassian, the best warrior in Prythian.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Cassian asks bluntly. "I am the best warrior in Prythian."

Aelin merely gives him a cocky grin. "You were."

I gasp quietly at her impudence. She hears it and gives me a cocky grin. Cassian gives her a glare. "Fine, but girl, you'd better be ready."

Aelin replies with a sweet smile, and struts into the ring. "Feyre darling, count us down."

Gritting my teeth at the nickname, I quickly warn Rhys of the situation down the bond and suggest he appear. I then yell, "3, 2, 1, Go!"

And they're off. I've never seen anything like it. Where Cassian strikes, Aelin parries. She doesn't go on the offensive though I've seen several chances for her to do so. She seems to be waiting for something.

I feel Rhys winnow in behind me, and I swear I hear his jaw drop open in shock. Quite the battle, I murmur to him through the bond.

Rhys grimaces. I've never seen anyone fight like that and she hasn't even gone on the offensive yet.

I nod, pressing backwards into the comfort of his body as Aelin goes on the offensive. And Cauldron, what an offensive.

Her blades are a whirl of motion. Stabbing, parrying, slashing, they're everywhere.

Cassian falls back, conceding two, three steps. I can hardly believe it. This malnourished, tortured stranger barely healed is beating Cassian.

Cassian must realize he's about to lose to, as he uses a red shield to hold off Aelin.

She backs up and cocks her head at the Illyrian general. "Are you sure you want to play that way?" She asks.

He grins. "Well, it does give me an advantage over you."

Aelin smiles, a chilling, terrifying thing. I suddenly remember the flame she used the first day, and I wonder exactly what the extent of her magic is.

Suddenly, Aelin launches herself at Cassian, and that is a truly terrifying sight to behold. She is a demon with those blades.

Cassian now uses his Illyrian power, sending arrows and blades at her, but she just dodges them all, and somehow she is still pushing him backwards.

By this time, the others have appeared, Azriel apparently carrying in Amren and Mor.

Amren is grinning slightly, and I remember they're from the same world. No wonder Amren is like a mini-demon.

Azriel looks mildly shocked, though he keeps his emotions hidden. If I'm being honest, we're all slightly shocked that this petite slip of a woman before us can take on full warrior Cassian using his power, and is currently beating him.

Drawing my attention back to the duel, Aelin slips around one of Cassian's depleted looking red shields. She manages to give him a slash on the arm. Surprisingly, first blood.

Cassian is nearly backed up to the edge of the ring by now, but he's still battling fiercely. Aelin gives everyone a wicked smirk, and worry starts to grow in my stomach.

Oh gods, what trick does she have up her sleeve. Cassian sees it too, and I see his face blanching slightly.

I get my answer seconds later when a wall of flame surrounds Cassian, melting through his shields.

Rhys looks at me, but I shake my head. It's not me. My eyes travel to Aelin, and my suspicions are confirmed as she steps through the wall, the flame parting around her, and holds her blade lightly to Cassian's neck. "Surrender."

The fearsome Illyrian warrior gulps. "I surrender," he whispers. Immediately, the flames disappear. Aelin extends a hand to help Cassian up.

"Nice duel," she teases. Everyone stares at her.

"How did you learn to fight like that?" I ask softly.

Aelin glances at the floor, the smile instantly falling off her face. "I had nine years between the fall of my kingdom and my journey to Wendlyn. I picked up a few skills then."

Still not a very open answer, but hinting at a tough life, if her numerous scars don't already prove that.

I give Aelin a sympathetic wince. "I lived in a town just south of the wall. My family was very poor, and I supported both of my sisters and my father by hunting."

Aelin's eyebrow twitches upward. "The wall?"

"In our world, there's a wall that separates the Fae and humans."

"So then how are you Fae?"

"That's a long story," Rhysand stays tightly, and a look of something flashes on Aelin's face. She nods her understanding.

Rhysand guides me inside for breakfast. Aelin and the others follow us.

Breakfast is very tense and silent. Rhys and I get up to leave when Aelin asks, "Is there a major conflict in this world?"

I very nearly stumble into Rhys. "Why do you ask?" I manage.

"Because you all seem very tense. Azriel has news he is practically dying to share, Amren is very impatient to get back to doing something, and you two literally rushed out of here."

Rhys strokes my back. "There is. A Fae island off our coast believes we should return to the times when humans were our slaves. Hybern plans to bring down the wall."

Aelin nods. I sense pain in her eyes, and I remember what she said about this Valg king Erawan threatening her people for the third time.

We go to turn away, when suddenly Aelin says, "Will you bring me on a tour of the city?"

I nod, and a smile lights up both of our faces. "See you in fifteen minutes."

A/N Aha! My longest yet. 1207 words.