The Girl in the Cloak

Stamina

Fa stood over a large black cauldron the two had purchased with a bit of spare money. The girl had not wanted to because Fa was still healing and the infection wasn't gone yet. But Fa convinced the girl it was fine because the cauldron could help make her potions for her wound, which it did. Now she was cooking up something else. Some of the ingredients the girl recognized while others she couldn't even tell if they were alive or dead. Overall it smelt disgusting. The pungent concoction boiled away as Far continued to add ingredients.

"This, if I got the mix right, should give you an increased amount of energy. It should help you train for longer." She let the pot boil for longer than ladled out as many bottles of it as she could. It came out to about fifteen. Then, after taking the cauldron to the river to clean it, it started on a new potion. This one had a ruby hue to it. And the fragrance was delightful. It smelled of mint and berries. The fragrance made her feel light whenever she took it in.

"This one is to help you recover. But you can only drink it once a day. If you drink more than one you will not like the outcome." The girl looked concerned but didn't ask why.

The first day had come where they started training with it being a bounty. This was old school training. Working out and testing one's self as much as possible, all while being watched over by Fa. The girl started with push-ups, moved on to sprints, then punching a tree. She was doing things that Fa suggested. She felt funny punching trees and running, but trusted the advice of Fa. Everyday Fa added a new workout. The first two weeks were not that bad for the girl. But quickly after that, the exercises became intense. The reps were doubling once a week, the sets we're as well. And finally, the girl felt the need to use the potions made. The stamina potion tasted of rot but worked. The flavor lingered a long time but the results showed. She was able to, with the help of the potion, continue her work out for four hours more than her usual abilities aloud. After two months of training with this method, the girl decided to do the workouts while engulfed. The results were obvious. She was able to stay in the engulfed form for twice the amount of time.

Fa had finally recovered and was antsy to get some action.

"Are you ready for a test little kitten?" The girl nodded. It had been a long time since she was actually nervous about a spar. She wanted to test herself without the cloak at first. She charged at Fa staying low to the ground just like Torikk had taught her. She was faster now than the last time she spared with the old cat and she could feel it. When she reached Fa she decided to break right and try to quickly slide behind her. It was a technique she had never tried before. She knew it would work on someone with little experience. Fa proved not to be that person. When the girl looked up to strike a fist was already barrelling towards her. She barely dodged the strike. It was so close in fact that the rope she usually tied her hair up with ripped in half from the pressure of the strike. She said back getting some distance from Fa. The girls long white hair flowed down to the top of her thigh. She didn't let the strike affect her too much. She resumed her strategy again trying to slide around Fa. As she did numerous strikes flew in at her from above. The fourth and final blow hit her, but only as a graze on the arm. The shirt she was wearing actually tore from the strike. As the girl slid away she could tell Fa wasn't using her full strength but instead was using a large amount of speed to try to compensate for the strange technique Torikk had taught the girl. Again the girl rushed in the same place towards Fa but instead of sliding just raised her fist up to the sky. It didn't faze Fa in the slightest. She caught the girl's wrist and with the momentum of the strike flipped the girl over. She landed flush on her back, all of the wind flew from her lungs.

"You have gotten better little kitten. I remember watching you spar with Torikk he would be proud." The girl blushed hard. She knew that Fa was being sincere but the comment kind of upset the girl.

"It's not enough."

"What?" The girl's comment caught Fa off guard.

"I can't beat those two Horric on my own yet. I need to train harder." The girl was now holding back tears. Images of Torikk ran through her head. She wouldn't let another person she cares for die like that.

"They have been training for their entire lives. Lives that are longer than yours may ever be. That's why we have to work as a team."

"I can't!" The shout drew Fa back. "Torikk died because I wasn't fast enough Fa. I can't let his wife suffer the same fate." The girl's tears were rushing down her cheeks now.

"Little kitten, Torikk died because it was time. He was an old cat stuck on vengeance. I wish he were still alive too but he isn't. And we can't live in fear of ending up like him. He is waiting for us but we have to have stories to give him when we get there. And I know he will want to hear who your family is." The girl couldn't stop her tears. She merely embraced Fa and let them flow.