Of Master and Apprentice (Book 3)

Chapter 12

Luna woke up the next day not feeling very eager to learn the art of swordsmanship. Reluctantly, she got out of bed and got changed. Down at the tavern, she and Miranda were given free breakfast as the innkeeper was aligned with the Resistance.  After taking their last bite, they walked out of the inn and that's when they saw Janus.

"Aren't you supposed to be heading back?" Luna asked.

"I've had a change of plans," he answered. "I told my wife, and she's alright with it. Besides, the north is starting to get more dangerous with the demons' invasion. Think I'll stick around with this side of the rebellion."

Again, Luna found herself worrying about the girls and Europa. The news of the conscription she heard the other day terrified her even more. Those girls can't fight, and even if they were trained, what are the odds of them surviving a battle?

"Luna!" Miranda called out after she walked several feet away from her. "Come on, we have training to do."

Luna caught up with Miranda. She looked back at Janus one last time and he gave her an encouraging gesture. Miranda led her to the docks just as they had trained the day before.

"You know what," Miranda said. "Let's train on one of those ships, instead of risking falling into the water."

"Good idea," Luna agreed.

The two of them boarded a freighter only to find people using it as a training ground. It appears that the people of Seabreeze Landing were joining the Resistance. They clashed their wooden swords and other weapons with their sparring partners'. Miranda and Luna stared at the spectacle for a brief moment before finding their own grounds to train on.

Miranda trained Luna everyday, some days on a ship, some days on the wharf. She could tell that her apprentice wasn't catching up very quickly, but within a few days time, Luna could already hold her own in a fight, though being nowhere near the skill level of her master. Training would only stop for lunch and dinner with a few minutes break whenever Luna felt tired.

A week had passed since they began training. That morning, Luna woke up to see that Miranda whom she's been sharing a room with wasn't there as she usually would be. Perhaps, she'd already gone to the usual training spot. She quickly got changed before heading down for breakfast. Right after that, she went to the wharf to see recruits training in archery. She watched from a distance as they nocked their arrows, drew their bow and released it in hopes of hitting the target.

"Thought, I'd find you here," Miranda said behind her.

Luna turned around to see Miranda in full leather armor. She had a sword belted on her waist and on one hand she was holding another sword. "So where do we train this time? On a ship? The wharf?"

"The forest," Miranda stated a different answer. "I think it's about time you hold on to one of these." She handed Luna the sword she was holding.

From what Luna could tell, the sword had a red coloured handle with a red sheath to match it. The guard and coin-shaped pommel were both of the same yellow colour. Luna took the sword by the scabbard and slowly drew it, exposing the blade. She felt its weight on her hands, somehow she knew that with that sword, her life would change. A girl who was once a baker, would become a hunter. The hands that were once covered in flour, would be drenched in blood. The girl who was once defenseless, would in turn defend those whom she loved.

"Thank you," Luna said.

"Shall we?" Miranda said.

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What will they encounter in the woods? Stay tuned to find out. If you enjoy this story consider adding it to your library. Don't forget to leave a vote and comments ☺️

I dedicate this chapter to LittleRogueQueen of whom I was a judge of in an award. She had a pretty interesting story do check it out.

-Zyrofern