Chasing Sparks

Chapter 25.2

It was night, the first night out of camp. The first out of seven before they reached their destination. The journey would take about a week according to Neels.

Quizi was fast asleep next to the fire. Neels and Wren, on the other hand, were wide awake, as Neels took Wren through the basics of using the spear. Neels was currently demonstrating the basic forms to Wren, a form being a series of strikes and blocks made against an imaginary opponent.

Neels carried an identical spear to the one Wren was given and demonstrated the form beautifully. Moving with perfect balance and grace. He sometimes performed the forms slowly with great care. At other times he moved with such quick short sudden movements that were almost impossible to follow.

It was hard to believe the two distinct sequences were done by the same person. The slow graceful movement one moment, contrasting fully with the sharp explosive movement he saw in the next. The slow forms were beautiful to watch and Wren could see the perfect balance maintained by Neels throughout. The same form then done at speed looked vicious and deadly, the quickness of his strikes was frightening. Wren inently watched both types.

When it was his turn, Neels immediately started to correct each and every one of Wren’s moves, making small little adjustments everywhere. A slightly longer stride here, more of a twist there, less of a turn here, loosen your grip there. Wren wasn’t sure what difference these tiny changes made, but he listened carefully to what he was told and made the adjustments.

Hour after hour Wren practiced, with Neels watching closely. But as Neels tired, he left Wren to practice alone. Being an enduro affine meant Wren was able to continue practicing long after everyone else had called it a day. Wren applied his full attention and effort to each repetition of the form over and over again. Be it fast or slow, he practiced diligently, what he’d been shown.

When Neels awoke from his rest, he could still Wren practicing in the moonlight. He watched the boys movements carefully for a while and noticed some improvement already. A fast learner to be sure.

He then walked over to where Wren was currently moving in slow methodical steps, and gestured for Wren to stop and join him.

Wren slowly brought his spear to rest in front of him and slowly bowed as he had been shown, before looking at Neels.

“You clearly have talent for the spear and have made improvements in just one night,” Neels said by way of encouragement, “But the physical movements are only half the story. And probably not the most important half.

“The most important aspect of fighting is mental, controlling your fear. I could repeat the forms you’ve seen in exactly the same way, even if there was a dragon standing twenty paces away. You however would be a shivering wreck barely able to move. And I mean no disrespect.”

Wren took none.

“It’s just that you are not Hun,” Neels continued. “People think our ability to fight comes from our size and strength but this isn’t true. Our power comes from having no fear. But to truly fight with no fear you must accept death. Even the tiniest fear of death will weaken you in a fight. We must die before each fight then we fight with nothing to lose.”

Neels let those words linger and hang in the air for a while before continuing. “If you die before you fight then you have a chance to live. That is where doing the forms help. You must lose yourself to the movement, whether fast or slow, lose yourself to the steps. When your mind is focused only on the move and there is nothing else except the movement. That is when there is no you. No Wren. Only the movement of the fighter. That is when you have died.”

Neels looked Wren in the eye and said calmly, “If you truly wish to become a warrior Wren, you must learn how to die.”

Wren didn’t say anything. But the idea of giving yourself fully to what you were doing in the moment. That he understood. He did it every time he ran.

“You can continue practicing if you have the energy. I will continue to watch by the fire, but you should get a little sleep before the sun comes up.”

Wren nodded. “Thank you for your help, tonight.”

Neels just shrugged and walked off to sit by the fire.

Wren continued with the forms, using a little of the sparks energy to heal his tired limbs and blistered hands. He only stopped when Quizi gently tapped him on the shoulder. “Time for my fearless warrior to get some sleep,” she said.

Wren knew she was making fun of him. He was probably still the worst fighter north of the mountains and probably for a good way south too. One night of practice wasn’t going to change that but that wasn’t what caught Wren’s attention. Quizi had said ‘my fearless warrior’, ‘my’.

But am I really yours, he thought. He knew he wanted to be.