A/N: Next part of Embers of Sacrifice is *still* not done, it seems my mind really likes a young Rowan!
Chap two
Rowan's sword clashed into Lorcan's, the clang reverberating through the stone training room. He shifted to the right, raising his sword defend his open left side, just in time to stop Lorcan's blade from cleaving him in half.
Lorcan stepped back and Rowan took a deep breath, sweat dripping down the back of his neck. "Not bad, boyo." Lorcan said with a sharp smile, "You're getting better at protecting that left side."
Rowan just nodded in response, poised to go again.
Noticing that Lorcan's still hadn't picked up his sword again; Rowan lowered his back down as well.
"I think that's enough for now and let's practice some hand to hand combat." Lorcan continued, and Rowan couldn't help but smile in anticipation. That, he knew, was an area their skills were much more equal.
"Aren't you scared to get your ass handed to you again Lorcan?"
Lorcan's answering glare caused Rowan's smile to widen even further, "You just got lucky last time kid, don't go getting too confident."
Rowan huffed a laugh and looked away, glancing through the window at the evening sky. Confident? Yes. Overconfident? Nope, he knew he was good, "We'll see about that, Grandpa."
Shaking his head at him, Lorcan beckoned him back into the practice mat circle, "Okay kid, how about we make it interesting then? Let's bet on it."
Rowan nodded and tried not to smirk as he used his hand to wipe the sweat collecting along his brow, "If I win, again," Lorcan's glare intensified, "then you have to tell my father and Queen Maeve that I am an…" Rowan paused for effect, "amazing, prodigy-level fighter."
Lorcan's mouth tightened at that but he just exhaled through his nose and nodded, "And if I win?"
Rowan raised his eyebrows. Fat chance of that happening.
Lorcan seemed to think about it for a second, and then he finally smiled with all his canines visible, "If I win, you have to jump off the castle wall, into the water…" Rowan smiled thinking how easy that would be in hawk form but then Lorcan's next phrase drew him up short, "In just your human form."
Rowans jaw snapped shut.
Now that… that could be problematic. Rowan's smile disappeared as he realized that he could possibly die doing that. "Isn't that, a bit… you know? Deadly?" He asked gesturing to the hundred eighty foot drop through the window.
Lorcan just huffed and answered, "Scared of a little air, boyo?"
Rowan glared at him as he started stretching out his arms, "No. It's fine, let's do it."
He was not going to back down. Besides, he'd win. Or so he hoped.
Rolling his neck, Rowan got into position across from Lorcan: knees bent, legs shoulder width apart, hand in lose fists in front of his chest. Bouncing on the balls of his feet, he waited for Lorcan to make his first move.
He didn't have to wait long.
The fist came at him from the side, so fast it was nearly a blur. Raising an eyebrow, Rowan neatly dodged the arm and with practiced ease, swung at his opponent's ribs. From there, it was all instinct.
Step, duck, kick, dodge, dodge, punch, step.
Until with a slightly unhinged look on his face, Rowan realized that Lorcan had placed his weight incorrectly on that last punch. That meant he had left himself open to a getting his legs kicked out from underneath him. Rowan, not one to ever waste an opportunity, did just that.
Lorcan's body hitting the mat and Rowan's quick pounce to keep him pinned, was music to his ears. Lorcan's glare though? That had to take the cake for one of the greatest things he'd ever seen.
They stayed that was for a second, Lorcan's jaw tightened in anger and dare he say it? A bit of embarrassment. Rowan opened his mouth to taunt him and rub some salt in the wound but someone suddenly started to clap behind them, loud and slow.
Reaching down to give Lorcan a hand to help him up, Rowan said with exaggerated swagger dripping from his voice, "So I think your declaration should be in the middle of the hall, during the next ball. What do you think?" without turning around or waiting for Lorcan to answer, Rowan told the newcomer, "Hope you enjoyed the show."
The stranger came to stand outside of the mat and he felt himself stiffen as the person's scent wafted around him. Sweet, with an edge of burning wood.
Oh Gods, not her, please, not her.
"Oh you bet I did, Hawk boy."
Shit.
By then, Lorcan was already standing, indignation rolling off him in waves. That, and only that, let him miss Rowan's telltale widening of the eyes and suddenly racing pulse.
"What you saw there was beginner's luck, Princess. And you can bet, it'll never happen again." Lorcan then shifted his gaze to Rowan, his glare assessing and deadly.
As if realizing that he wouldn't turn around and face her, Aelin slowly walked around the edge of the mat until she stood directly in front of him. He could practically feel the heat of her eyes leaving a trail of goosebumps on his chest as she sultrily looked him over. "Somehow, I doubt that."
Lorcan's eyes glazed in anger and he looked ready to pounce on the princess to defend his skills as a fighter, but then as if realizing who he was talking to, his shoulders relaxed and he just acquitted, "Maybe so, your highness." It must have killed him to admit that.
Meanwhile, Rowan had finally glanced back up at Aelin. And he felt his mouth go dry, blood leaving his head and venturing south. Gone, were the frilly dresses she had worn when in meetings and around the city. Instead she wore a - dear Gods - she wore a tight black leather suit that left nothing to the imagination.
He felt himself unconsciously look her over. Her shapely calves, wide hips, tiny waste and those breasts just begging to break free of their restraints, his breathing became shallow.
It had to be a sin for someone to look that good.
As if she could feel his eyes on her, just like he had felt hers, Aelin stalked over to him and cocked her head to the side, bearing her creamy neck as her plait fell off her shoulder – Rowan clenched his jaw as he realized just how badly he wanted to bite her. Right. There. – and she said, "Like what you see, Hawk boy?"
Still stalking towards him, now just feet away she lowered her eyes and looked at him like she wanted nothing more but to have him her way, "Because let me tell you, Rowan…" He swore he would never get over the way those lips moved as she said his name, some instinctual part of him nearly purring at the possession laced in her voice. She took a solitary finger and moved even closer to him, leaving just a few inches between them. And slowly, not changing that look in her eyes, she dragged a sharp nail lightly over his bare chest and put her mouth by his ear, her breath tickling its sensitive tip as she whispered, "because I do."
His breath hitched in response and he could practically feel her smirk as she stepped back and looked at her nails, like she had done nothing, like she hadn't just caused a burning trail to spring up from where she had lightly scratched him all the way down to his groin.
Mala save him but he would let the world burn if he could ever get her to something even remotely close to what those eyes promised.
Unable to answer, he just gulped, his adam's apple bobbing up and down with the motion.
In the background he heard Lorcan bark out a laugh. That it seemed, snapped Aelin out of whatever she was thinking, and she turned his back to him.
Leaving Rowan with a perfectly good view of her shapely –
Snapping his eyes up, he specifically tried not to think of that part of her. Instead he concentrated on Lorcan, who seemed to be talking.
With something close to mirth in his voice, Lorcan said, "Anything we can help you with Princess?"
Rowan glared at him. Screw Lorcan for basking in Rowan's growing mortification and the blush slowly creeping up his neck. He was a healthy male damn it. He couldn't help but be attracted to her.
Still not looking back at Rowan, Aelin answered, "Oh, I was just wondering if I could steal your sparring partner." She rolled her neck as if to loosen it, "It seems that since I've been here, I've been remiss in keeping up with my normal training routine."
Lorcan scrunched up his eyebrows in surprise, "You mean…" He looked her up and down, as if to size her up, "You want to fight?"
Her smile was more a show of teeth than anything else as she noticed the look, "Don't let my size fool you, Lorcan." Then turning her head back at Rowan, she winked, "I have a hell of a bite."
To his credit Lorcan tried to cover up his answering laugh with a cough. Rowan realizing how bad it would go with they started to fight, started shaking his head no at the male. Please, please, please no he practically screamed with his eyes.
"So what do you say, can I have a go at him?"
Lorcan seemed to consider it for a moment and then noticing Rowan's expression, his face turned positively evil, "Hand to hand or with weapons?"
Shit.
She nonchalantly shrugged at him, "Doesn't matter, I'll kick his ass either way."
Rowan made a small note of protest but neither of them noticed. Suddenly, Lorcan's nostrils flared as he smelt something in the air and with a startled laugh, and an almost pitying look thrown at Rowan, he turned his head towards Aelin, "He's all yours Princess."
Walking out of the circle, Lorcan just kept shaking his head and laughing to himself, until finally he snorted and clapped Rowan on the shoulder earlier anger seemingly forgotten, "Good luck, boyo."
Before he could analyze what just happened, Aelin's attention was on him and he nearly forgot his own name.
The way she moved, made her breasts bounce with every step. And that hair, so startlingly light against her tight black suit.
But, but she was just so… well, not physically intimidating. At least, not from a purely fighting perspective.
Otherwise? His tightening pants could attest to her intimidation levels in other ways.
He was about to voice his skepticism but one look at her eyes that were practically taunting him to say anything in protest, had him wisely snapping his mouth shut.
So with a sigh, he got into position.
Her face was blank as she stood across from him, hands clenching and unclenching in anticipation.
Just to get it over with, Rowan swung first. Purposefully slowing his arm down to at least give her some of a shot. The scorching pain surrounding his fist, had him regretting his decision as he swore. But as quickly as the flames appeared, they were gone.
Startled he looked up at her.
"Don't." Her face was set with a deadly calm, "Don't go easy on me."
Still shaking his hand to get rid of the phantom heat, he just nodded and hoped that her kingdom wouldn't hate theirs too much if she came back bruised or bloody.
Getting back into position, he took a deep breath and went to quickly kick her legs out from under her, expecting an easy swipe.
He met nothing but air. And then he felt the punch to his kidney. Eyes wide in surprise, he didn't have a chance to recover as she turned his original move back on him and he fell. His back hitting the dark mat with a resounding thump.
A second later whe had both of his arms pinned underneath hers, high above their heads. Her left knee dangerously close to pressing against his crotch, her chest pressed against his. Wincing, he knew that his quickening breath had nothing to do with physical exertion. Eyes tinged with anger, she glared at him. "That hawk boy, is for making me waste a perfectly good outfit at the docks."
He gulped again, wishing his tongue wasn't as heavy as a house in his mouth so he could apologize to her. He hadn't meant to stand her up the other day, but he just hadn't been able to get himself to face her, alone. He literally had not been able to leave his room from nerves.
Before he could get his mouth to work and apologize, she had already pushed herself off of him.
He slowly got to his feet and finally having control of his own vocal cords again, he said with a bite to his voice, "Again." It did not matter who she was, no one, no one got one up on Rowan Whitethorn that easily.
Instead of answering him, Aelin looked over at Lorcan, "Ooh, looks like the baby bird's beak can bite."
Lorcan laughed and Rowan practically growled, "Best two out of three."
She just huffed a laugh and got into position.
This time, Rowan swung full speed at her right side as he lunged. Her eyes widened in response to his quick attack but somehow she still managed to duck in time. Not giving her a chance to recover, he swung with his left arm, which hit her squarely in the ribs.
Her answering growl and punch had him staggering back.
Damn, for such a petite thing, she was strong.
With practiced ease, Rowan lunged back toward her aiming for her face. Aelin ducked, and rolled off to the side. Rowan shifted and caught her fist in his hand, inches from his face. Without breaking momentum from his turn, Rowan took that wrist, twisted it and pushed her towards the wall, trying to pin her against it.
As if anticipating that, Aelin used his body as leverage and planted both of her feet on the wall. Then pushing off of it, she quickly flipped herself over him and landed lightly on her toes.
Rowan inwardly smirked as he used that same exact momentum to swing his legs blindingly fast and swiped hers out from underneath her. Then, before she could jump back up, he took both of her feet in his hands, twisted them and heaved her underneath him. With her face to the mat, he pinned her.
And round two goes to me.
He moved his head so his mouth was just centimeters from her ear and with the adrenaline rushing through his systems he forgot for a moment, who exactly was underneath him, and whispered, "That Fireheart, is for calling my Hawk boy."
He gently let her go and got up. He offered her a hand to help her up but with her face promising future violence, she just swiped it out of the way. He just laughed in response.
Crossing her arms across her chest she said, "Looks like were tied," and then scrambling for what to call him this time, she paused and smirked, "Buzzard."
Oh the things he'd do to those lips.
Not giving him a chance to answer or recover, she came at him again. Though this time, he noticed her hand was wide open. Her eyes alight with assured victory.
Instead of the telltale sting of a slap like he was expecting, Rowan saw a wave of fire come at his face and he ducked in response.
What the hell?
Then straightening up, he looked her directly in the eyes. She wanted to fight dirty? With magic? He could do that.
Rowan gathered his power as she went to throw a flame at him. It came at him and then stopped as it met a solid wall of air and ice.
It was her turn to look surprised. But just as quickly as it came, her expression turned into something akin to delight with a slightly feral edge.
And just that quickly, their hand to hand combat turned into a war of magic.
Rowan had never thought of using his magic as a weapon but it seemed to be second nature to him. He met every single one of her flames with a burst of ice and air. Neither of them cared who was around them as the danced their deadly game.
She released a wall of fire, he smothered it in response.
He released a javelin made of ice at her, she burned it without a blink of an eye.
But then suddenly, she created a circle of fire around them. Her arms raised high above her as her magic, burned, burned all around them.
So much power, he couldn't help but think. She had a dizzying amount power
The wall of fire seemed to reach high above them as it started tightening in closer and closer. The heat rose and Rowan began to panic. He didn't know how to counter it, it was so hot, so bright.
In the distance, he could feel Lorcan swear as he told them to stop.
Aelin ignored him.
Her face was calm as she made the circle even smaller around them.
Rowan desperately tried to smother the fire by manipulating the air. But it was too hot, he couldn't think.
In a voice that was filled with the confidence and held strength of a future ruler in it Aelin said, "Yield."
Rowan glared at her, still trying to fight back her fire with ice but everything kept turning into steam as it appeared.
She took a step closer to him, the fire swirling higher and higher until it turned to a dome around them. Every step she took, the heat notched up even more.
The flames turned blue as Rowan fell to his knees in front of her. She cocked a hip as he fell and said, "Yield."
He just glared up at her. The fire was scorching now and she was barely fazed as it rubbed against her arms and legs, somehow not burning her or her clothes.
Still on his knees, Rowan suddenly smirked as he realized something.
Looks like you're all bark and no bite Princess.
And then Rowan sprang back, through the wall of fire. He felt the burn for a millisecond and then it stopped. The wall of fire parted at his back as Aelin's face shown with surprise. He was right, she didn't actually want to burn him.
It was his turn to smile with a feral edge back at her. It was almost as if no one had ever had the balls to do anything like that before. Rowan just bared his teeth at that look, adrenaline like liquid courage running through his veins.
Her answering growl sent a jolt of pure electricity through his body.
And as she was about to pounce at him physically he felt a dark power steal over both of them, freezing them where they stood.
He looked over at Lorcan then, just realizing that he was still there.
Lorcan's face was blank and deadly, "Enough. Your fight is over." He released them.
Aelin started to answer but then took a look around the room and stopped. There was shattered glass and scorch marks everywhere from where their powers had been thrown around minutes before.
They looked at each other, then. Both slightly shocked at the scene around them.
I think we may have gone a little too hard. Her look seemed to say.
He answered. Trust me that's not all I have to give, Princess.
It seemed that whatever stopped him from talking to her out loud with any sense of normalcy did not stifle his mental abilities too much.
She let fire engulf her slender hand, Oh really? Care for another round?
He just let an invisible wind shift around them in answer.
Her smile turned predatory.
"I said, that is enough!" Lorcan yelled, his power thrumming through the room.
Funny, how they both kept forgetting about him.
"Whitethorn, I order you to back down and get out." He pointed at the door.
Before he could answer him and tell him to shove it, Aelin laughed like they had not just been in a heated mental conversation said, "No worries guys, I can see when I'm no longer wanted. No use for you two to stop training."
With a flick of hair over her shoulder, Aelin went to walk away before either of them could answer. Her hips moving enticingly back and forth, like she did that kind of fighting every day.
And damn them all to hell, that might actually be true.
She stopped in the doorway and crossed her arms across her chest. Raising a single eyebrow, she silently beckoned him to follow her.
All Rowan could think about was just how enticing she had looked with the fire whipping around her just moments ago. He wanted to see how far that power could go, he wanted to see is he could match it. So he followed her out the door, screw training.
He wondered what she was thinking about as she didn't say anything as they walked back towards the castle. She went to turn left and lead him somewhere upwards but before she could, they both heard a distant, "Princess Aelin!" come through the crowd. She gave him a quick look and then sighed dramatically, putting her hands on her hips. Rowan followed her stare to a man that was purposefully striding towards them.
He came up to her and before he could say a single word she drawled, "Let me guess? Queen Maeve requests my presence?"
Rowan could feel the temperature drop as he remembered right then who he was talking to. Mala save him. She was the heir to a throne and an ambassador to his kingdom to boot! So clearly miles out his league. Clearing his throat to try and get the frog that had once again decided to live in his throat, he took a step back.
Something in Aelin's body language shifted as her gaze drooped and then hardened when she noticed the change in him. Good, Rowan couldn't help but think, she realizes it too.
Hurt seemed to momentarily flash across her face. Just as quickly as it showed up, though, it disappeared and Rowan could practically convince himself it hadn't been there in the first place.
Aelin started to walk away her fingers curling in a come hither motion to the man. Quietly, the tall human man followed his monarch towards the castle.
Scratching the back of his neck, he just stood there in the center of the road, watching as she disappeared.
A/N: Review please! Let me know your thoughts or your favorite line! Also, I NEED A BETA, so if anyone is interested let me know!
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