"Okay class, today is the day, the day we learn how to swim" Said the instructor as he pointed to the river in an outlet near the clearing.
The students were excited, it was the first day that their training didn't require them having to fight each other, which was good, but some were not to excited.
Raina looked nervously at the water as it flowed gentle with the wind. It wasn't that Raina was scared of water, it was just that without her left leg, it would make it difficult for her. She had almost mastered her land training, but now it was time to move on into other territories.
"C'mon Raina, you can do this, like father said, fear is nothing but an excuse for why you can't do something. So, I can do this, I can do this, I can do this" She thought to herself as she repeating it in her mind.
Kindoji saw the worry on his friends face, and he could see why too. He puts her hand on her shoulder...
"Don't worry Raina, my father knows about your leg, so he made sure that we are in a shallow area so you don't have to worry about not being about to swim as well as the others, or drowning" Kindoji said trying to lighten her mood.
Raina feels a little more confident now that she knows the water isn't too deep, for some reason, she had known that, but it always made her feel better that Kindoji cared enough to check up on her.
Then the instructor calls the students near him to tell them what they must do...
"Okay class, you are all at the age now when you learn how to swim, and to do this, you must do certain movements with your arms and legs to flow with the water, don't go against it or that may result in too much stuggling in the water and you tire quicker, are you ready?" the instructor says as he goes in the water to demonstrate.
The students nod theirs heads to show they understand.
"Alright, start of by getting your body stable into the water, then proceeded to then start moving your legs to help you move forward in the water, then your arms help you you steer" the instructor said as he demonstrated propelling himself through the water.
He then told the students to start practicing with their arm movements and their leg, which still made Raina nervous, even though her artificial one was supposed to be able to float and be light weight.
She slowly steps into the water until it's about waist deep, which helps her nerves a bit. Just like the instructor explained, she started to even out her body and then began to move her arms as she strokes forward, she is successful.
Now onto her legs, which prove to be a challenge for her. Raina tried to match her movements of her right leg to her left, but it didn't work.
She looks down at her legs In the translucent water, then looks at the other (pre) teens. Some of them have already gotten the hang of their legs and arms and we're starting to swim, and the ones that weren't still could move their legs and stay a float, even Kindoji had started swimming a little.
Raina looms down at her artificial left leg for a while, and then comes up with an idea.
"Okay, I know this maybe a risk, but what if I try to swim without my artificial one, it could work" Raina thought for a bit, then she made up her mind and decided to do it.
She slowly trudged onto the bank of the river sat down. Then she slowly pulled her artificial leg off of the nub of leg she had left. Then, hopped over to the river and stated with the instructions that she was given to do.
She started but evening her body out (she wobbled a little, but balanced herself with her arms). Then started to stoke her arms forward with the current and she started to move forward a bit. Now with her legs. She then started with her right leg, it proved to be a challenge, but she managed to do it, but her left leg nub, had a hard time adjusting to the movements.
"C'mon, up, down, up, down, up, down" She instructed herself.
Then, after a few tries, she finally gets it. She starts to propel forward and move with the current and is soon swimming.
Kindoji looks over and sees that she has actually done it, he feels good knowing that he helped her conquer her fear.
"I knew she could do it" He thinks to himself with a small blush on his face.
Suddenly, the students attention is toward the teacher, where he blows his Ram horn, but it's not time for a break.
"Everyone, out the water, high current ahead, I can see it!" The instructor said as the students begin to come a shore, but Raina was having difficulties doing so, she swam out a little farther than the others and still had trouble steering without one leg to help her, and with the current coming her way, she was in trouble.
She tried to come near shore, but it was too late, she was starting to sweep with the current. She tried to cry for help, but couldn't because the water was blocking her cries.
One of the students saw Raina flowing down River...
"Raina's still in the water!" one of the students cried
But before the instructor could go and get Raina, Kindoji Already ran near Raina's location, then he had jumped into the water to save her.
Kindoji was to fast to catch up with, so with a cautious gleam in the prince/instructors eyes...
"Be careful my son" He yelled out to Kindoji.
Kindoji was in the water a few feet behind Raina, she was unconsciously floating done the river.
He sped up the movements with his legs and arms, he almost got her by her leg, but didn't get a firm grip and she got loose.
Kindoji had one more idea left. He managed to swim ahead of Raina a few feet, then finds a rock and grabs onto it and see her coming up. When she came up near the rock he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her onto shore and managed to swim to shore with one arm.
Once he made it he put Raina on the ground to see if there are any signs of life. Raina's tan skin was very pail and she was unresponsive, so he puts his ear to her chest and listens...her heart is beating.
"She must be unconscious, I must get her back" He thought. He then puts Raina on his back and carries her back to the opening where the class is.
He arrived back to the opening where the instructor runs up to Kindoji with Raina on his back, the class starts to crowd near him.
Kindoji puts Raina on the ground and tells his father about what he did and Raina's current condition. The instructor/prince listens to her heart, then knows what to do.
He flattens out his hand and overlapped them into a cross position, then he placed them on her chest and press up and down.
After a few presses, Raina started coughing up water and starts coming back. The class began to clap with awe and gasp...
Raina sits up and looks around a little confused, but then remembers what happens...
"What *cough, what happened?" Raina asked as she looks around at her peers who look at her with relief and awe.
The instructor puts his hand on Raina's shoulder... "Well Raina, you gave up quite a scare, but the other students can explain it to you better.
All the students then look for Kindoji, but he isn't there. Raina looks for him too, but then the students tell her what Kindoji did and how when he did save her, he carried her back here and told them what happen to you.
When they finished explaining, Raina's expression is shocked, not only did Kindoji save her, but he had ran off before he could thank him, she had almost forgotten how shy he was.
She then gets up and tell the instructor that she must find him, the instructor gives her permission to leave, so Raina goes of in to the woods to go and find him.
Raina looked around in the woods, she called for him while she was searching for him...
"Kindoji?" " Kindoji?"
Raina searched for a few more minutes. She then saw Kindoji sitting under (ironically) a cherry blossom tree. He was sitting under the tree with a gleam in his eyes looked up and saw Raina and smiled.
When Raina came up to Kindoji to see him, Kindoji gave her a warm hug, Raina blushed a bit and smile.
"I'm just glad that you're okay, you scared me a little Raina" He said still embracing her with a hug.
As they let go, Raina's heart began to speed up, Kindoji was also doing the same and was feeling quite nervous himself.
Raina then clears her throat...
"Well...um...I-I just wanted to thank you for...um...you know...saving me, that was very brave of you'.
Kindoji heard her, but a little distracted by her hazel eyes and her curly hair, he couldn't help it, but then is back to reality
"Um...Oh, You are welcome Raina, o just didn't want to see you hurt because...well...Raina, I think I...um..l-like you" Kindoji said as he started to sweat a little with his hand behind his back.
Raina heart rate sped up a bit more, she was a little shocked, but she realized what she had been feeling for some time, it was love.
Raina looked at Kindoji, she looked down n his dark brown eyes and skin. They had been friends ever since her very first day at warrior school, he had been there when she had her fever and lost her leg, and had rescued her when she was in the water flowing down River.
Soon she found herself getting closer to his face, Kindoji's face was getting closer to hers. There faces got closer and closer until...their lips meet. Kindoji then puts his arms around Raina's waist, and she puts her arms on Kindoji's shoulders. The kiss lasts for a few moments, then slowly, the release from each others embrace as the sun rays leak through the cherry trees on the two.
They then look at each other in a nervous yet humble manor. They then proceed to walk back to class in silence, but caught up in each others thoughts.
A few hours later...
It was evening time, and it was supper time in the palace. Everyone was sitting cross legged on the floor onto the wooden board table. Jack looked at Raina and saw that she was in deep thought, Jack's parents noticed it too.
'So, how was your day at school today Raina?" Jack asked as he began to chew his food.
Raina thoughts were interrupted by her father's question.
"I was grea-...um...I mean good, I learned...um...how to swim today a little today, but I might still need a little practice you know... because of my leg" Raina said with a bit of a nervous tone.
Jack smiles, he is happy that his daughter is determined to get better, but could obviously tell her mind was else where.
"Raina, is there something you want to tell me?" Jack asked as he put down his piece of food.
Raina panicked a little, she didn't want to worry her father about how she had kissed a boy today, and she didn't know how he would react.
"No, I'm fine father" Raina said as she finished the last of her food, she the thanks her grandmother for the meal and bows in respect. She then walks down the hall to her room.
A few hours later...
Raina had just finished bathing and had on her night kimono looking up at the starry night sky, she couldn't sleep. Her mind buzzed around with the thoughts that had happened earlier that day, she couldn't get it off her mind.
"I know what you did today Raina" A voice said to Raina. Raina turns to her side to she someone looking at the window outside with her...it was Ashi.
"Oh, hi mom, am I in trouble for doing that, I mean...I didn't mean to...I mean I did!, but you know" Raina said a little confused as she looked nervously at her mother, trying not to sound too suspicious.
Ashi smirked a bit, she knew her daughter was growing up and would experience things like this.
"I understand Raina, and it's a natural thing to feel like this, but I assume that you father alright gave you "the talk" alright" Ashi said as she gives a bit of a stern look on her face,.making sure that Raina is to stay away from that sort of thing until she is married.
Raina gave a disgusted look on her face, but knew her mother's good intentions...
"Mother, I promise to stay far, far away from that for a long, long, long time" Raina said as she looked up at the moon now.
"It's just that...well...I don't know how Father will react to it, I mean, hhow is he going to respond knowing that his only daughter was out at school kissing a boy, a very kind, very sweet, very brave boy" Raina said as she started off in thought once more and began to blush.
Ashi couldn't help it, she laughed a bit at her daughter, it reminded her of her reaction to her feelings when she first meet Jack, except there was no evil "mother" conscience to tell her that she was distracted.
Ashi placed her hand on Raina shoulder...
"Don't worry Raina, I'll tell your father about what happened today, now you better get some rest young lady, we won't want those thoughts spilling out of your head" Ashi said as she wins at Raina, then, with the winds gentle blow, Ashi dissappeard.
Raina smirks a little, she was glad to have a understanding mother like Ashi to guide her about things like this. She then hops into bed and dozed off to sleep, and dream about the events that happened earlier that day.
Back in Jack's room, Ashi had returned to Jack with the report about what happened to Raina, Jack sat up, anxious to hear what Raina was thinking about.
"Is she alright?" Jack asked as he looked with a face of concern.
Ashi looked at Jack with a "prepared yourself" kind of face...
"Jack, I think our daughter is just growing up..."