The Dragon Knight; The Awakening of the Legend

The Awakening of the Legend (Chapter 7)

I don’t know if this was what Robin meant but after a week I knew the basics of sword fighting. That didn’t mean I was good at it.

Robin had asked Vadmin if I could train more with him during this week and that Vadmin could train me longer next week. I didn’t especially like it but it wasn’t like I had a choice.

During this week sword training went slower than I expected. It was even more difficult than dancing; the foot work was even more complicated, even the way I held my sword was crucial.

“I really didn’t see what foot work had to do with it, I mean as long as I don’t trip over them, who cares?!” I said to Robin one day, when he corrected me for the hundredth time that day.

He didn’t really answer to that but the smile on his face made me worry. “Oh dragon! What is he going to do?” I thought to myself. Robin told me to do the movement over again and again, when suddenly he told me to freeze in my movement. I did as he said, only my eyes moved to follow him circling around me, and my chest rising as I breathed.

The he pushed me and I almost fell to the floor if his elfish reflexes hadn’t caught me.

Why in Tien’s name did he push me?!

He made sure I was back on my feet again before explaining. “And that is why foot work is important.” He said that during a fight my opponent might take advantage of my lack of foot work, if it wasn’t good I could be brought off balance and there might by the slightest chance that I lose my head because of it.

Lucky for me, the knights had not been in the castle for several days, the King sent them to Delstaten Solen to see if they could fix my mistake. The only thing I didn’t like about my father sending them was the fact that they could use any possible argument necessary, including me marrying the eldest prince. Poor me! I hadn’t told anybody but it was pretty obvious that there was going to be a war.

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Today I didn’t have sword fighting; Vadmin would teach me some simple magic after he spent yesterday explaining that elements and magic were two completely different things. I didn’t really listen; I just nodded once in a while and pretended to listen. I knew they were not the same, elements were some divine people which had just gotten the name of elements.

Marie-Anne wasn’t afraid of Zjarr anymore and brought me now my food in my new apartments and always came when I needed to put on a dress, other than that she had a lot of free time.

I had just finished eaten the bread, eggs and tea Marie-Anne had brought me when someone knocked on the door. I got up, thinking it was my maid again, but it was Robin. What was he doing here?

Letting him in, he walked past me and went to sit in an armchair. I took the leftovers of my meal and placed them in the little kitchen before walking into my room to change out of my nightgown and into my now usual clothes.

“What are you doing here if I may ask?” I said loud enough for Robin to hear me.

“Now that was formal.” He laughed for a moment. “I’m coming with you to Vadmin’s lesson. Since my father and I left Álfar before just after my fifteenth birthday I didn’t really get a chance to learn magic. My father taught me some but he is often busy so…”

When he mentioned his fifteenth birthday I realized I had no idea how old he was. So fifteen when he came nine years ago; twenty-four, almost twenty-five!

“Waouh! You’re old!” I blurted out. “I’m sorry that was tactless.”

“Don’t worry about it. You just seemed surprised, why is that?”