Born Immortal

Born Immortal Chapter 29

Astyr was starting to get used to picking herself up from the ground. She seemed to be landing there quite a bit lately.

The February weather was mild enough to let her practice her fighting skills outside. Glin had been forced to give up teaching her how to handle her Alfar powers after the incident with Hakon during the Christmas holidays but he insisted on working with her, and Hakon by extension, in other areas that he felt were important.

Laure had taken over teaching Astyr about how to manipulate energy and under her patient and experienced tutelage, Astyr had become passably proficient in doing many things that normal Alfar did on a regular basis without even thinking. Things like absorbing energy constantly and using it to pass through doors or make objects fly to her on a current of energy.

Glin, being the second-in-command of the Alfar Royal Guard, had decided, since he refused to sit back and have no hand in Astyr's training at all, that he would teach her how to protect herself. He had been slightly put out when he realized just how skilled she already was in martial arts, archery and swordplay; but he simply declared that she would have to practice daily for any of that to be of use.

This wasn't particularly difficult to manage since football season had ended and with it, the afterschool practices for the cheer squad and the football team.

And so, yet again, Astyr found herself getting up after being thrown to the ground by Glin.

"That was a good one," Jenny called out to Glin in a happy cheer.

Jenny was an almost constant presence now. Glin picked her up for school in the morning and she would come home with them afterwards, staying until it was almost suppertime. Her parents wouldn't allow her to stay later and Frey wasn't too happy about her being around all the time either. Frey had tried to bring up the matter with Glin, saying that it was reckless of Glin and indiscreet but Glin was Alfar royalty and far too used to doing what he pleased to listen to his host.

So every afternoon Astyr would find herself out on the patio in the backyard being attacked by her surly and distant cousin as his human girlfriend cheered him on and Hakon watched in displeasure from the side.

Hakon was not pleased with Glin's insistence on training Astyr and was always ready to step in whenever he felt the Alfar prince was being unnecessarily rough.

"That was not a good one." Hakon said in a menacing growl. "That was cheating." Hakon stepped over to Astyr and pulled her up to her feet before turning to face Glin.

"Keep it clean or you'll find yourself facing me instead." Hakon growled.

Glin just grinned, "Like that would bother me." 

Astyr was tempted to zap Glin with a bolt of energy but she had to resist the urge with Jenny there. All of Astyr's "special" lessons had to be done inside, in the billiard room, while Glin made sure to keep Jenny out of the house. Astyr didn't even want to think of how he might be keeping her busy. They had become one of those couples that were annoying to even be around; they never went anywhere alone and they were almost always holding hands or worse.

Astyr brushed herself off and stepped in to diffuse the situation, "It's not a problem, Hakon." She put her hand on Hakon's shoulder and gave him a little pull away from Glin. "If I ever need to use any of this, it's not going to be with rules and referees." She gave Hakon a small smile that she used only for him and continued, "Glin's only making me better; don't worry about it."

Glin narrowed his eyes as Hakon smiled back at Astyr and took her hand from his shoulder and brought it up to his lips.

His green eyes were smoldering at her as he said, "I just worry about you, that's all. I don't want you to get hurt."