The Name of Names

~Seven: Sparring~

The next day dawned promising, signaling Vanya's testing. Arising early, she changed into a wrap-around tunic that came to slightly above the knees and black pants. She strapped her curved sword to her waist, and grabbed the case of her bow, slinging it across her back.

Kaldar woke up slightly, and Vanya spoke easily, You can come when you are done resting.

With a deep hum, Kaldar fell back asleep as Vanya put her boots on, and proceeded out the door to the training grounds.

Clangs of sword against sword, twangs of bows being shot faster than the human eye could see, and yells, shouts, and cheers greeted Vanya's ears as she approached the fields, the noises slowly getting louder.

Pairs of elves were sparring, both men and woman alike, and in some cases, one elder elf was holding off several younger ones with ease.

Everyone was occupied on the field, fighting or watching, except for one elf, at the very end of the field. Vanya assumed he was the one who was to test her, so she walked over to him, keeping to the sides to avoid getting in the way of the fighters.

Before she was quite there, the elf looked up, seeing her approaching.

"Where is your dragon?" he called out, forgoing the typical greeting, which surprised Vanya.

"Sleeping still." She answered, resting her hand on her sword's hilt and ready to spar.

"Ah, they are sleepy creatures indeed!" Something about his mannerisms seemed humorous to Vanya, and she barely withheld a smirk from her face.

"Atra esteldi onu Thelduin." Vanya spoke the first line of the greeting, trying to prompt him slightly.

"Ah, Mor'arnir lifa hjarta onr," he responded easily, and Vanya decided to forego the third line, feeling slightly miffed that he would not correct her, since technically, as a Dragon Rider, her rank exceeded his own.

"Shall we begin then? Sparring first." He answered his own question, unsheathing his own sword with ease. His sword was slightly curved, thin yet strong, and had a single, small blue gem imbedded in the hilt.

"Aye, you see the gem?" his smile was stretched across his face, revealing straight white teeth, "First time I used magic was to dig in the earth to get it. Forged it into the hilt myself."

"Indeed." Vanya raised her sword in a fighting position.

He followed her example, and started edging to her right side. She turned to face him, making sure he wouldn't get to her exposed side and strike.

And suddenly, as she turned, the fight was underway. He lunged forward, quick as a cat, and Vanya sliced her sword through the air to block his own.

A loud clash sounded as metal hit metal, and it became a battle of strength as each pushed against each other.

Ducking and ejecting her sword from the clash, she darted around, aiming a slice at his back. Her sword hit his own however, as he had twisted his arm around his back to get his sword to block her own.

Spinning around, he sent a flurry of blows at her, and she was forced on the retreat, desperately blocking each blow, before ducking under one of them and jabbing at his exposed stomach.

Again, his blade knocked it aside, sending it grazing past into empty air. The elf took advantage of her unsteadiness and tapped the flat of his blade against her back.

"That'd have made a scar to rival that of the Shadeslayer's himself." He commented matter-of-factly, and Vanya growled deep in her throat, temper rising.

Swinging her blade in a horizontal arch, she aimed for his legs, planning to say something along the lines of, "And now you have no feet."

But a 'clang' rang out. Blocked again. She looked up and saw him smiling, with his sword pointed down and blocking her swing at his ankles.

Energy surged through her and she sprung to her feet, attacking with vigor, refusing to give up as each of her swings clanged against his blade.

Eventually, she stepped back a few paces, taking a break, and beginning to circle him. He matched her movements, and suddenly barked out, "Brisingr!"

Vanya leaped out of the way, dropping into a roll to escape the blast of fire which had been sent her way.

"Very good." he commented, his sword still in the ready position.

Vanya was just about to attack again, when the floor beneath them rattled as it seemed a giant stepped on the ground. Turning, she saw Kaldar walking towards them, holding his wings at an awkward position. Vanya almost laughed, guessing he was still sore from the dive he had performed the previous day.

"Any time you're ready," the elf trainer commented, a small smile still playing on his lips. "I take it that's your dragon? Unless there's another Rider staying here that I'm unaware of?"

Vanya turned back to face him, realizing her mistake. If she had actually been fighting a real opponent, she would have been dead.

Of course, she growled to herself, I would've been dead anyway.

Kaldar noted her current mode, asking, How goes it?

Just wonderful. She snapped back.

Kaldar said nothing, instead seating himself near where they were practicing. Several elves came up to him, speaking to him aloud, when he answered by projecting his voice to them.

Vanya barely lifted her sword in time to block the trainer's blade, only seeing the movement out of the corner other eye.

Barzul, she growled, using the dwarvish curse.

I didn't know you knew Dwarvish. Kaldar commented from the sidelines, watching them spar now.

Oei, well now you know. Vanya jabbed her sword tip at the trainer's face. In response, the trainer swished his blade up and across his face, sweeping the blade away. Remembering what happened last time, Vanya dropped to the floor, rolling away a few paces, the swoosh of a blade sounded above her. She leaped to her feet again, blocking his swing at her, pushing back with all her strength.

The fight continued for what seemed like hours to Vanya, and soon she grew tired, while her opponent showed little signs of weariness. In that time, she had been tapped by the flat of his blade several times, whereas she hadn't managed to get past his guard.

Eventually, he raised a hand in the air, the smile that Vanya had grown to be irritated by still on his face. "Enough," he said casually, sheathing his sword.

Frustrated and tired, Vanya lunged out with her sword, smacking the flat of her blade against his side.

"Now you're cut in half," she said lowly, almost daring him to challenge her.

He raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Well, I hate to remind you, but I think you're probably in tiny pieces by now."

Vanya slammed her blade into her sheath. "What's next," She demanded, ready to move on from sword-play.

"That's where another elf will take over; in magic. Of course, I could do it myself, but there are others who have more expertise in it." He smiled, "Farewell, then!" he said, going over to Kaldar first, and saying something to him before leaving.

What did he say to you? Vanya demanded, going over to the grey-white dragon and sitting criss-cross next to him.

He said hello, and that it was an honor to meet me, as well as spar with my Rider, Kaldar answered, a tone of amusement hidden in his voice.

She breathed out a big breath of air, and looked across the field, where the elf trainer was clasping hands with another elf, before they separated, him going one way, and the other elf coming to Vanya.

It's been awhile since I have updated! This chapter was one of my favorites to write, I love the new character 😂 but what did you think of him? When I wrote this a few years back I did have some vague ideas of a backstory and would love to give him a stand-alone fic if anyone would be interested!