Unveiled

~ Chapter 5 ~

As Naya walks into the stables of the castle from Nocturna, the stable hands greet her politely and she walks to the back of the stables where a beautiful white stallion sways in his stable. She walks up to him and as she puts her hand on his nose he stops swaying and looks at her.

A few days ago she asked Clara where the stables where and she showed Naya the way. Clara is still very shy and keeps her eyes away from Naya. She has told Clara that it is ok to talk directly to her, but she insisted that she would rather not. Why? Naya does not know.

As Naya entered the stables for the first time, a stable hand introduced himself to her as William. He has short cropped, brown hair and warm eyes. He looks a lot like Clara, but she doubts that they are related. Clara is shy and soft, while William is fearless and energetic. William showed her to Poncho, the white stallion she is standing in front of right now.

Poncho is very welled behave, unlike Shirley when it comes to other people, he just gets bored very quickly.

Naya takes the bridle and opens the stable door. She strokes his nose and then puts the bridle over his head. She leads him out of his stable and she saddles him up. A lot of stable hands wanted to come up and help her, but she waved them away. She is more than capable of doing it herself. She tightens the straps under his belly and she leads him outside where she mounts him and rides for the snowy forest.

The cold bites at Naya's cheeks but she doesn't care, she just keeps going. Riding is the only time she really feels free without breaking the rules. They pass through the trees and stop at a clearing in the middle of the forest. She straps the reigns around a tree branch and take out her sword from the saddle.

Naya has been training in this clearing ever since they arrived. Her uncle, Lord Julias Foltenhearte, has trained her ever since she was eight years old. Lord Julias is Naya's father's younger brother and one of the high members of the court of Tendora. Julias has always understood Naya and was never one to stand in her way. In fact he was usually the one who helped her, when everyone else refused. Naya has her parents who also understands her, but sometimes they are sidetracked by running the kingdom.

Naya practices a few maneuvers until she hears rustling in the trees. She raises her sword toward the sound and slips smoothly in the battle stance. Poncho's ears point in the opposite direction. She takes a few steps back so that she can keep an eye on both sides of the clearing.

Naya relaxes when she sees it is just her uncle that emerges in to the clearing from the right, where she heard the sound. He smiles at her, his dark eyes turning lighter, warmer. He dismounts and approaches Naya.

"It looks like you have gone ahead without me," he says. She shrugs. He raises his sword at her and without warning, attacks. She saw it coming, because he keeps doing it at the start of every session. One of the first lessons he taught her was to observe her opponent. If she did not observe her uncle, he would have caught her every time.

Naya stops the blow and he looks at her between the blades. "You have been paying attention," he says, not surprised at all. She grins. He strikes again and she deflects the blow. He keeps doing the same. He attacks and she defends. Thinking that he will ware her out like always, but she has grown stronger, faster and she has the advantage of youth.

It looks like he is wearing himself out. Then Naya strikes. He moves out of the way, but she sees it coming and turn arounds immediately and strike, stopping her blade just inches away from his head. He grins and looks at her curiously.

"Again," he says. She retreats and start again.

For the rest of the day they spared and he stopped Naya a few times to show her what she did wrong and teaching her a few new techniques, when he thought she mastered what he had already taught her.

"You have improved a lot these past six years," he says proudly.

"I could be better if you would stop going easy on me." she replies. He stalks away, packs away his sword and mounts his horse.

"Who said I was going easy on you. I never did and I never will. You would have never learned anything if I kept going easy on you," he says and was gone. She smiles at herself. She walks to where Poncho was standing and puts the sword in the saddle.

She mounts Poncho and starts heading back to the castle.