Selena stood in the training grounds, a hand on her sword. Across from her stood her partner, Beruka, absently spinning her ax. Their mistress had ordered them to train together...and after seeing Beruka rip apart a dummy for the nth, Selena decided to challenge her.

"First to draw blood wins," Selena said with a grin as she drew her sword. "Good luck, I'm pretty good."

Beruka stared at Selena blankly. "Luck is for those with little skill."

Selena frowned and growled. "Oi! Shut up! Let's go!"

The red head spun her sword and stepped back, lowering her stance. She charged forward, using her momentum to help swing her sword down at the tealette. There was a loud clang that rang through the still arena. For a moment, the two were still, Beruka's defensive stance easily holding off Selena's attack, the only hint of motion was the slight tremble in their weapons.

Selena leaned into her sword, forcing Beruka to take a step back to keep her stance. She advanced, hooking her foot around her opponent's front foot. Beruka's eyes narrowed and she turned her blade, Selena's blade sliding down the ax head. She hooked her weapon around Selena's...and they both pulled at the same time. Selena's weapon was ripped from her grasp as Beruka was knocked off balance and fell backward.

Beruka dropped her weapon and rolled backward, landing on her hands and feet. She stared at Selena, the red head swearing she saw a hint of enjoyment in her usual blank grey eyes. She burst forward, kicking up dirt as she moved to grab her ax. She was fast, well adjusted to the weight of her armor, but Selena was faster. The red head ducked to the side, dodging the upper cut. She burst forward, slamming her pauldron into Beruka's head, the only unarmored part of her.

The wyvern rider stumbled backward, dazed from the smack, but mostly unharmed. She put a hand on her jaw, making sure nothing was broken before spinning around, having to lift her ax once again to avoid another slam from Selena. She was strong...but predictable. If Selena was going to do the same thing, so was Beruka. She turned her blade, hooking the sword...and then Selena smiled. Selena turned her blade, bracing it between her hands...and she pushed her blade upward. She flung the ax away from the two, the blade landing embedded in the sand a few feet away.

Selena shoved Beruka away and spun her sword, moving to stand between Beruka and her weapon. "I win."

Beruka looked between Selena and her weapon...she didn't have the speed to get past her...any attempt to retrieve her weapon would end in being thrown back. But maybe she can even the playing field. "I'm not bleeding yet and neither are you."

Beruka burst forward, Selena guarding exactly how she thought. She assumed she was going for her weapon...she didn't expect Beruka to charge her. Beruka grabbed her waist and, with her momentum, they both toppled to the ground. She slammed Selena's arm to the ground, forcing her to release her grasp on the weapon.

Selena glared up at her partner and growled playfully. "Dirty…" she grumbled. She clenched her hand, grabbing a fist full of dust. She hit Beruka in the side of the head, forcing Beruka to pull a hand away to wipe the dust away. Selena chuckled and kicked Beruka off of her. The armored woman landed with a wheeze and grunted as Selena pounced on her. Their hands interlocked as Beruka tried to keep her from completely pinning her.

"I win," Selena said.

Beruka shook her head, then tugged Selena closer, slamming their heads together and again, throwing Selena away. Both of them scrambled to their feets and grabbed their weapons...once again their blades clashing with a sharp sound.

This went on for a while, both giving all they could, without trying to kill each other, but neither taking an inch on the other. Scrapes and bruises appeared on their bodies, but neither of them managed to draw blood. They only paused for Beruka to stop a nosebleed they agreed didn't count. On Selena's side, this was mostly on competition...she needed to win. Beruka...was unsure why she humored Selena...though she caught herself humming whenever Selena got back up after she knocked her down.

Their sparring match ended when a sharp voice called out to them both. "Beruka! Selena!"

Beruka and Selena released their grapple and looked over towards where Garnet had been sleeping this whole time. Beside the lazy brown dragon...stood Camilla.

She walked up to her two retainers and looked down at them both. "What are you two doing?"

"P-practicing?" Selena offered with a shrug. "L-like you...told us to…?"

Camilla grabbed the redhead's arm, showing her torn sleeve and bruised arm. "I told you to train together, not beat each other black and blue."

Beruka nervously rubbed the bruise on her cheek. "We were...then Selena challenged me to a spar and we got carried away."

Camilla frowned and sighed. "What am I ever going to do with you two?"

Selena rocked on her heels and decided to point out something she probably shouldn't. "...you sent us out here to learn how each other fight...right? Well...then...what better way than to fight each other?"

That earned her a good smack on the head. "I meant learn to fight TOGETHER, not against each other!" Beruka snorted as Selena was scolded, then shrank away when Camilla turned her sights on her. "And you should've known that."

"...sorry…" she mumbled out an apology.

"Pair spar against Peri and Laslow. Or Effie and Arthur. Or hells, just stab the training dummies! Just...I forbid you from dueling each other."

Beruka twitched a little, but nodded all the same. "Yes, Lady Camilla."

"No!" Selena said defiantly. "Peri is crazy, Laslow is too easy, Effie is just...annoying, and Arthur defeats himself. This is the most fun I've had in years."

Camilla's eyes narrowed as she stared down her newest retainer. "Are you defying me?"

Selena opened her mouth to respond...but it was Beruka who spoke first. "...she's not wrong...not entirely. Laslow and Arthur no longer provide a challenge, and you, Peri and Effie provide too much of one. We are evenly matched...fighting each other, while not ideal, might be the only way we can improve…"

"B-Beruka…" Camilla blinked in confusion. While she was growing accustomed to Selena arguing, but ultimately obeying her orders, but Beruka usually obeyed without complaint. "Would you disobey me too?"

Beruka flinched at that question...to disobey would be to fail. "N-no Lady Camilla, of course not, I-..." Beruka paused, searching for the words to express herself.

Selena quickly picked up the statement. "Please Lady Camilla, don't forbid this. We didn't hurt each other." She stepped back to avoid Camilla grabbing her. "We weren't seriously hurt. A few bruises and scrapes aren't hurting anyone. And Beruka and I had fun, we learned so much about each other."

Camilla looked between her two retainers, then sighed. "If you can show me one thing you learned about each other, then I may change my mind."

Selena smiled and nodded. "That's easy. Despite being right handed, Beruka leads with her left side. While giving her more powerful swings, it leaves her back open. You can tell where she's going to by watching her left foot."

Beruka flinched and put a hand on the small of her back...she could feel the bruise from when Selena slammed her pommel there during one of her charges.

Camilla nodded, impressed with what Selena said, then her gaze shifted to Beruka. "And you? Did you learn anything?"

Beruka paused and thought for a moment. She decided to say something in turn. "Selena leads with her pauldron...while giving her charges more oomph...if you hook it with a weapon with longer reach, her body will follow where you push it."

Selena flinched and rubbed the back of her head. "...your gauntlets hurt…"

Camilla sighed and crossed her arms. They hand learned something about each other...and there was a light in their eyes, hidden behind the shame of disobeying and disappointing, there was a light of battle that she was intrigued by.

The larger woman sighed and put up her hands. "Alright, alright...I will allow you to do more of these spars. If you allow me to moderate these fights."

A large smile grew on Selena's face and she jumped into the air. "Ah! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Beruka allowed a small on her face and she hummed softly. "...thank you, Lady Camilla," she said gently.

Camilla nodded and put her hands on her retainer's shoulders. "I just can't stand to see you two hurt...but if it makes you happy, I can at least make sure you do it safely." Camilla pulled the two into a gentle hug, then she turned back to the castle. "Well, come on you two, let's get you two healed up, at least make sure Elise thinks you can still fight if need be."

"Yes, Lady Camilla," both retainers said obediently.

Selena put an arm around Beruka's shoulders as they walked behind their lady. "...I saw that light in your eyes…" she said gently.

"Hmm?"

Selena smiled and leaned closer. "You have fun fighting me...I know you did."

"...if you say so…" Beruka muttered. Selena leaned in and kissed Beruka gently. Beruka allowed it, leaning a little into Selena's warmth. But her mind was elsewhere, at her hand rubbing her wrist, thumbing the blade she had hidden in her armor, her mind drifting years to the past...and she felt an anxious energy in her body.