"I'm not as fragile as I look you know."
Nyssa al Ghul glanced up from her desk at Ta-er al-Sahfer, the League's newest member. The golden haired woman was soaked in sweat, still clothed in her training gear. In her left hand dangled the staff she so often favored.
"I never said you were, but you have to pay your dues like all new recruits. "
"But I'm not a newbie. I can do things…." Sara stopped when she noticed the hardness of Nyssa's stare.
Nyssa got up from her seat, "You're raw and still need to work on your abilities. I brought you here because I saw potential in you. We may be friends but there are rules here. I cannot take you on this mission tomorrow, we've already discussed this." She placed her hand on Sara's shoulder and tried desperately not to glance at the sweat that was slowly making its way down her face and neck.
The mission they discussed was to eliminate a business man in Thailand who was infamous for trafficking children. Her father didn't always go after such men but this one struck a nerve although he wouldn't tell Nyssa why. But she didn't need the why, if her father deemed him someone to kill it was her duty to do so.
"I'll fight you for it," Sara said shrugging Nyssa's hand off of her. "If I win I get to accompany you and if I lose I will train like a good girl and wait my turn."
Nyssa shook her head, "Ta-er it doesn't work that way, you can't just…"
"Sara...my name is Sara. I know the league gives us new names but you and I..."Sara hesitated for a moment then continued. "I prefer you call me my real name."
"Sara," Nyssa said with a gentler tone, "I can't just take you with me. Father would be.."
"Angry?," Sara said her blue eyes lighting up. "Something tells me you do everything Daddy says. Doesn't that get boring? You remind me of my sister Laurel. She's a daddy's girl too."
"Daddy's girl? I've never thought of myself that way," Nyssa said with a look of confusion.
Sara responded with laughter and Nyssa couldn't help but laugh with her. Sometimes she felt like Sara's laugh would be the death of her.
"You are a temptress Ta-er al-Sahfer," Nyssa said as she walked back over to her desk. She reached down underneath and pulled out a staff of her own. "Do you know why I named you that?"
"It means yellow bird. I assume because of my hair."
"You are partially right. There was a bird I adopted as a child. Found it while I was on a rare excursion into the woods. Father was teaching me about herbs and their purposes, I would gather some every day." Nyssa talked as she unbuttoned her black shirt to reveal a black sports bra underneath. "Anyway I found this injured bird and took him in, nursed him back to health. He used to sing to me once he started getting better, every morning. I never caged him because I thought it cruel and I also thought he would never leave. Then one day I came home to find my beloved bird gone. The young woman who cleaned our home had left my bedroom window ajar. Father had her beaten because I was so distraught. I didn't want him to but it felt justified to my hurting heart."
Sara closed the distance between the two of them, their faces inches apart. She took her empty hand and raised it gently to hold Nyssa's cheek. Nyssa sighed and leaned into it.
"I loved that bird," Nyssa said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You don't have to cage me, I'm not going anywhere," Sara said as she pressed her lips against the other woman's.
The kiss was soft and meant to console but Nyssa could feel her heart speeding up with desire. It was not as if they hadn't kissed before but something about this time felt different, like there was more meaning behind it from Sara. Nyssa knew her own heart but she hadn't been sure about her yellow bird before, now she was. It made her feel giddy and she pressed against the other woman harder making her intentions known with her mouth. Sara responded by kissing back in kind. Lost in the moment it took everything she had in her for Nyssa break the kiss before things went any further. Sara's eyes were glazed over with desire, her lips plump and slightly reddened from the intense turn the kiss had taken.
Rather than bask in the glow of her new discovery Nyssa decided to use Sara's distraction as a teaching moment. Reluctantly she changed her stance and swept out with the staff she had been holding. Sara was instantly knocked to her feet. Her face was full of confusion but then replaced with a look of understanding. She smirked and jumped back up assuming a fighting stance as well.
"Nice move Nyssa, although we both know it took everything in you to stop," Sara teased as they began circling each other.
"A true warrior is never completely caught up no matter the situation. Never forget that," Nyssa said as she moved forward swinging the staff towards Sara's head. The blond was swift and dodged it but not before kicking out to knock Nyssa back.
Nyssa smiled as she fell but disguised it with a grimace. She used her staff to get on her feet and used a full assault as she lunged at Sara, swinging the staff with supreme dexterity. Sara did a good job holding her off, giving just as much force in her blows as she took.
"I'm impressed Sara, you have learned much in your training," Nyssa said as she slowed down.
Sara smirked and did a slight bow before returning to a defensive stance, "I learned from watching you. Your movements are precise and beautiful, I can only hope to one day be such a good fighter."
Nyssa allowed herself to smile, "You flatter me, but that doesn't mean I'm going to allow you on this mission."
"Oh I wouldn't dream of you allowing me to do anything," Sara said putting her hand out with a come forward gesture.
Nyssa raised her staff again and moved in Sara's direction. They circled each other again, this time more serious. Both women raised their staffs and began battling. Their grunts echoed off the walls in the room. Although impressed with how well she handled herself, Nyssa knew she was playing around with Sara. If she used any of the deadly moves she knew so well the blond would have been knocked unconscious by that point.
"You're holding back," Sara yelled over the din of the banging staffs.
"We are playing a game Sara, I am not trying to hurt you."
Sara shook her head and lowered her staff, letting it drop to the floor. "This isn't a game to me Nyssa. I want to prove myself worthy."
Nyssa lowered her staff as well, "You are here, is that not proof enough?"
"I'm not talking about being worthy to your father."
Understanding came over Nyssa as she thought about Sara's attempts to impress her over the last few months, her insistence on joining the mission. It all made sense but she needed confirmation.
"You want to be worthy of me?"
"Yes. I know what your father thinks about me. That I'm undisciplined, come from a background of privilege and know nothing of hard work. Always joking, I mean I laughed at the man the first time he showed what he could do. It was due to nervousness but he hasn't forgotten," Sara said shaking her head.
Nyssa dropped her staff and rushed over to Sara. She grabbed the young woman into her arms and hugged her close.
"You are perfect to me, you need not prove anything to him. In time he will see, we will show him," Nyssa said into Sara's ear.
Sara stepped back and looked into Nyssa's eyes. Nyssa felt herself staring back into the blueness of Sara's, they reminded her of the ocean. Feeling vulnerable she turned away but Sara embraced her from behind. Nyssa stifled a moan as she realized how perfectly their bodies fit together.
"Perhaps you're right Nyssa, I'm not ready. But with you as my teacher I will be soon," Sara said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"That's not protocol, all students must train with..."Nyssa quieted at the feel of Sara's fingers on her lips.
"I want you to train me and only you."
As if in trance Nyssa nodded as Sara let her go. She reached down to pick up her abandoned staff and before she knew it the blond did a spinning kick and knocked her legs from under her.
Standing above her with a look of triumph Sara raised an eyebrow, "A true warrior should always be on guard. Tsk, tsk."
A laugh exploded from Nyssa's mouth as Sara walked away triumphantly.
"See you later master," Sara yelled back at her.
Nyssa's laughter calmed down but she continued to smile at herself. Master, she liked the sound of that coming from Sara's mouth. Maybe being a personal instructor wasn't such a bad idea after all.