Chapter 7
I walked out of my room quietly, my footsteps not making a sound on the cold floor. I couldn't believe I had behaved in such a fashion. I grew up on the seas! I had been outside on the rigging in worst storms than that. Why did it scare me now? I exited the cottage, still wrapped in a cloud of my thoughts, unobservant to anyone or anything around me. Despite how much I hated it, I did fear storms now. Ever since I had been through the one in that little dingy… I shook my head, trying to get rid of the all too clear memory that played through my head. I sat in the garden for a while, breathing in the earthy scents that I loved.
"There you are Ti." Daja stuck her head out the door, "We're about to eat, better go wash up." I nodded and smiled before going and washing my hands like Lark and Rosethrone expected strongly of everyone.
We had just sat down when Niko burst through the door. He was smiling and happy as he greeted us all. "Wasn't that a nasty storm last night? Shame Tris wasn't here, she would have loved it." He sat down and Lark handed him a plate.
Briar looked over at me as the conversation revolved around the storm. I didn't look at him, too proud to even recognize that I had been frightened in the least last night. How would that look, a proper sea-fairing girl afraid of a little storm on land. It's not like they were that dangerous. I waited until I could safely leave the table without being stuck there through the whole meal or without upsetting anyone. I went out into the garden again and relaxed in the sun.
I must have dozed off because next thing I knew, I opened my eyes to see Briar. He was just outside the garden with Daja, fighting. Daja had her staff and Briar had two knives, one in each hand. I sat up and moved over to where I could see them better. Both of them fought with fierceness and friendliness that seemed to contradict it's self. I was enjoying watching them when Briar looked up and spotted me.
"Hey Ti," Daja said, after she saw me. Briar had put his knives away and was walking towards me. Daja grinned and swatted him in the butt with her staff. She laughed as he threw water at her and they were both soon slightly wet.
"You're good; I didn't know that you were allowed to fight here." I said, as they both took drinks from the well. Daja looked up from her drink and smiled.
"Do you fight at all?" I nodded and stood up when Daja motioned for me to join them.
"What do you fight with?" she asked.
"A little bit of everything, mostly knives, swords, daggers and such. I've had to fight with ropes before and that was different, especially on a ship when the wind is kicking up strong."
"Well let's see what you can do." Daja said, twirling her staff, "Briar, give her some daggers." He handed me two daggers that were in his boots, but didn't seem too happy about fighting with me. I rested the daggers in my hands and felt the weight, trying to figure out everything that I could do with them with the length, shape and weight.
Daja attacked first. She came at me with her staff aimed at my head, but I raised the daggers and ducked under her. Briar came after her, it was clear he was hesitant to attack me, but I wasn't. While Daja had him distracted, I snuck around and attacked him from behind. Soon we were all fighting each other, trying to gain alliances, but always planning on betraying them. Soon we were all sweating and out of breath from the physical and mental work.
I lay on the ground as Daja threw water onto all of us. I started to laugh as Briar seemed a little flabbergasted. Daja took a deep breath and held her hand out to me again. She pulled me up with a strong, sharp yank.
"Let's see how well you can fight with your bare hands you skinny little thing." She laughed as I stood and placed Briar's knives on the ground, out of the way. Briar reluctantly put his down and approached us.
Daja attacked first, and soon we were all in a pile, wrestling, flipping each other, trying to get the upper hand. I watched the way Daja and Briar fought and started to try some of the things they were doing, while throwing in some of my own moves that I had picked up in different countries. Some how I ended up on my back with Daja above me; I laughed and pulled my legs up to flip her over me. Now she was on her back with a shocked look on her face and I was above her.
"Whoa, how'd you do that?" She said looking up at me. I laughed, "If you surrender I'll show you." She gave a suspicious look and then shook her head. "No way," We fought each other for a while longer before everyone surrendered. We all lay on the ground, trying to get out breath under control.
"You have got to show me how to do that." Daja said, sitting up and looking over at me.
"Alright, but you have to show me some of yours; I've never seen such a style and I've traveled all over the world." I stood and moved out of their way before showing them some of the kicks I knew, especially the ones that I had to be on the ground for.
We spent the next hour or so, showing each other different moves and such. Soon we were all trying each others moves and messing around. That was when Rosethron came out. She was watching us for a while before calling us into lunch. She seemed un-phased by the fact that we had been fighting, but then again she had watched Briar and Daja grow up. We all cleaned up outside, since Rosethorn refused to let us inside until we cleaned up.
