Choices and Consequences

Chapter 3

On the way to drop Vi off at home, I can't help but think of today's events some more. Now noticing the little errors that I could have easily missed if I hadn't known my surroundings.

Vi is running off ahead of me, not having a care in the world. I look to the side and see that there is a darkness in the trees. "Vi!" I yell, "Stop!" As I yell, she turns around to look at me and as she does a pair of hands come down from the branches and catches her.

Suddenly Vi is gone from my sight. As I run to the spot she disappeared I see the darkness moving towards the center of the community. I run as fast as I can to catch up to the darkness, and gradually catch up; bringing myself to just below it.

I look up and see Vi slung over the shoulder of a very tall woman. She is tall and very well built, she looks like a fighter, no, she looks like Aresia. "Aresia?!" I call out, still running below them, "Let her go!"

The person holding Vi speeds up and drops down in front of me on the path. "You want her? Fight me for her. Part two of your initiation starts now." Aresia claims, still holding Vi over her shoulder.

I look up at her from beneath my bangs and calculate the situation. "I have to think this through, if I act irrationally I might hurt Vi."

Slowly I turn and walk around Aresia, watching how she reacts to my movements. As she watches me I look for a spot of weakness, waiting patiently. Until I see it. Her weakness. Vi.

With Vi's extra weight Aresia can't move as fast as she normally would be able to. But taking into consideration that she is a skilled fighter and I am not, it's a very small weakness, but a weakness nonetheless.

Hiding my intent from Aresia, I continue circling her and watching, waiting until she drops her guard just the tiniest bit. soon she stops watching me and I make my move.

Swiping fast I drop down and slide her feet out from beneath her. I watch as she loses balance and falls to the ground with a thump. Then as fast as she has fallen I have pulled Vi from her grip and have her pinned to the ground.

I look down at her, with one hand gripping her hair, pulling it into the ground and my other holding her hand above her head. her other hand is down by her side which is trapped by my knees pressing into her sides.

"Well done Savahna. I shall let you pass part two of initiation. Though your skills need better work, but we can work on that." With that she uses her hips and flings me off of her.

Believing that this is part of the initiation still, I keep hold of her hair and wrist and pull her down with me. Her back now pressed against my front as I lay in the dirt and wrap my legs around her torso, still trapping her other arm.

"It seems I have under estimated you Savahna. Release me and we shall walk back together."

I let go of Aresia and push myself up off the ground, dusting myself off. Silently I walk over to Vi and tap her cheek gently, waking her up.

"What happened?" She mumbles as if coming out of a trance.

"I used you as part of Savahna's initiation." Aresia explains quickly and to the point.

Vi looks up at me with wide eyes. "Y-you chose warrior?" She whispers in awe.

"So you haven't told her." Aresia pauses, looking me up and down. "At least I now know that you can keep a secret. Vi, is it? Can you make it home from here on your own? I need to speak with Savahna alone." Aresia says, extending her hand down to Vi, helping her to her feet.

Vi nods and starts to run back to the community, not looking back once.

Slowly I turn to Aresia, keeping the mandatory distance of an arm length from her. Following behind her I feel myself calm down after our face off, finally able to think through what I had done.

"Savahna, explain to me why you kept your hold on me after I had told you that you had passed the second part of initiation."

Thinking my answer through, I start to explain. "I heard what you had thought about my current skills. I didn't intend to do more, but you saying that made me feel unworthy in your eyes, so I felt the need to prove myself." I explain, letting her mull over my words before I continue. "Since I felt I needed to prove myself, I felt that I needed to actually take you by surprise, or at least attempt to."

"I see." she replies. "Well, I am proud to say now that you have prove yourself." Moving closer to me she drapes her arm across my shoulders. Immediately I stiffen up, as in the community it is unheard of to be so casual like this with someone other than family. Aresia notices my reaction and starts to laugh.

" You can relax Savahna, you are a warrior apprentice now. There will be no ceremony, but you may now speak freely of your choice. As you are now an apprentice, you must start getting use to being this close to other people."

I stop dead in my tracks. "Apprentice? Does that mean I am done initiation?"

"Yes, as of today I will be taking you on as my new apprentice. Do not fret, I am sure by now that you have heard of past initiates." She motions for me to continue walking beside her. "Well I am proud to say that you are the very first initiate to impress me with just two tests. Most people take five or six before I am satisfied that they belong."

"Five or six? If that's the case, then what makes you so certain that I am ready to become an apprentice already?" I question cautiously.

"I sense something in you, I sensed it the moment that you found me in the tree on your first initiation. Most initiates don't have this spark until later in the process, but you, you've had it from the beginning."

"This sense, what is it?" I ask as we emerge from the trees and start into the community.

Aresia looks over at me and starts to walk away from me, motioning for me to leave her. "I can't tell you that, you must find it for yourself. Remember the ring I gave you, look to it and you will see."