As Allaine awoke, she could only think of one thing-training started TODAY.
Sighing, she slipped out of bed and spotted, lying on her table, a fold of
clothes and a note. Picking up the parchment, she read,
*'I thought you might need these for today.' ~Jaike *
Placing that aside, Allaine unfolded the cloth. She saw now what he had meant. There were brown breeches, a baggy white shirt, and a green over- tunic. She also noted knee-high boots on the chair. Shrugging, she slipped these things on, fetched her training sword, and headed out to the practice courts.
~*~
Upon arriving, Jaike waited, and then took her sword.
"What's this?" he asked, almost with disgust. Allaine faltered slightly.
"It-it's my sword," she replied. Jaike carelessly tossed it aside.
"That is NOT a weapon," he told her seriously. "Here, use this." He handed her a long sword, and she clumsily took it. It was longer than her last one, obviously, and heavier too. Its blade gleamed, announcing to all of its sharp blade. The hilt of which she grasped was a duller silver than the blade, and was grooved to fit her hand. One Emerald gleamed in the center.
"Now, hold it like this," he instructed, taking her into his arms as he positioned her hands. She breathed in deeply, savoring his musky, forest- like scent, as his smooth, creamy hands moved over hers. Quickly she shook herself from this lovely daze, and focused back onto what she was doing. Jaike was saying something..
"..And don't ever forget, *always* be prepared, and ready if something may get you from behind. Allaine? Are you listening?"
"Yes, of course," she quickly lied, although it wasn't a *total* lie, for she had heard the last part of the sentence..
"Then what did I just say?" Jaike demanded of her, although he forced to hold back an amused smile.
"You said, 'Don't ever forget, *always* be prepared, and ready if something may get you from behind. Allaine? Are you listening?' Yes, that is EXACTLY what you said." She grinned mockingly at him. "Anything else?" Jaike only shook his head, amused, and they moved on to archery.
"Now, today you'll only learn how to handle weapons properly, because that is the first step, all right?" She nodded. "This is a bow, and you handle it like this." He demonstrated, left hand grasping the etched spot in the center of the wood, and the right hand pulling back the bowstring to his ear. "But you must be quick. You don't have to be now, for I assume this is your first time, but in a battle, you must swiftly, like this--" Having a quiver of arrows on his back, he quickly reached back, notched an arrow, and shot it into an isolated tree's trunk. "-and shoot. But don't shoot just yet."
Jaike then removed his quiver and strapped it onto Allaine, and handed her the bow. "First we'll work on the positioning." Again, just as he had done with the sword practice, he took her into his arm as he positioned the bow. Although this time Allaine was prepared, and almost held her breath to keep on the task she had been given. Jaike sensed this, and released his grip on her.
"Allaine, what's wrong?" Jaike worriedly asked.
"Nothing," Allaine almost giggled, but restrained from doing so. She silently bit back on her lip, to keep from smiling. "Now what do I do?"
Puzzled by her behavior, Jaike continued by notching an arrow, and instructing on how to position it. Once Allaine had and arrow in the bowstring and had pulled it back, Jaike stepped back and looked her over.
"You're a natural, Allaine," he told her, impressed. "Everything you're doing is exactly right! You're going to be an excellent archer someday."
"I am!?" exclaimed Allaine joyously, ecstatic, letting go of her string. Suddenly realizing her mistake, she turned to watch the arrow fly high up into the sky. "Oops," she murmured, face turning a deep shade of red. Jaike only laughed with much mirth.
Although, as he looked up, his face paled as he screamed, "Allaine, watched out!" and dove at her. When she looked over to where they had been standing, the arrow that she had shot was straightly pointed into the ground. Feeling very guilty, she turned to see Jaike suppressing much laughter.
"That's NOT funny!" growled Allaine as Jaike let loose, curled over on the ground, holding his sides, hooting with laughter. "It's NOT," repeated Allaine as she got up and stormed away.
"No, Allaine wait!" called Jaike, amusement still ringing in his voice. "Wait!" He got up and ran to catch up with her, still laughing all the way.
*'I thought you might need these for today.' ~Jaike *
Placing that aside, Allaine unfolded the cloth. She saw now what he had meant. There were brown breeches, a baggy white shirt, and a green over- tunic. She also noted knee-high boots on the chair. Shrugging, she slipped these things on, fetched her training sword, and headed out to the practice courts.
~*~
Upon arriving, Jaike waited, and then took her sword.
"What's this?" he asked, almost with disgust. Allaine faltered slightly.
"It-it's my sword," she replied. Jaike carelessly tossed it aside.
"That is NOT a weapon," he told her seriously. "Here, use this." He handed her a long sword, and she clumsily took it. It was longer than her last one, obviously, and heavier too. Its blade gleamed, announcing to all of its sharp blade. The hilt of which she grasped was a duller silver than the blade, and was grooved to fit her hand. One Emerald gleamed in the center.
"Now, hold it like this," he instructed, taking her into his arms as he positioned her hands. She breathed in deeply, savoring his musky, forest- like scent, as his smooth, creamy hands moved over hers. Quickly she shook herself from this lovely daze, and focused back onto what she was doing. Jaike was saying something..
"..And don't ever forget, *always* be prepared, and ready if something may get you from behind. Allaine? Are you listening?"
"Yes, of course," she quickly lied, although it wasn't a *total* lie, for she had heard the last part of the sentence..
"Then what did I just say?" Jaike demanded of her, although he forced to hold back an amused smile.
"You said, 'Don't ever forget, *always* be prepared, and ready if something may get you from behind. Allaine? Are you listening?' Yes, that is EXACTLY what you said." She grinned mockingly at him. "Anything else?" Jaike only shook his head, amused, and they moved on to archery.
"Now, today you'll only learn how to handle weapons properly, because that is the first step, all right?" She nodded. "This is a bow, and you handle it like this." He demonstrated, left hand grasping the etched spot in the center of the wood, and the right hand pulling back the bowstring to his ear. "But you must be quick. You don't have to be now, for I assume this is your first time, but in a battle, you must swiftly, like this--" Having a quiver of arrows on his back, he quickly reached back, notched an arrow, and shot it into an isolated tree's trunk. "-and shoot. But don't shoot just yet."
Jaike then removed his quiver and strapped it onto Allaine, and handed her the bow. "First we'll work on the positioning." Again, just as he had done with the sword practice, he took her into his arm as he positioned the bow. Although this time Allaine was prepared, and almost held her breath to keep on the task she had been given. Jaike sensed this, and released his grip on her.
"Allaine, what's wrong?" Jaike worriedly asked.
"Nothing," Allaine almost giggled, but restrained from doing so. She silently bit back on her lip, to keep from smiling. "Now what do I do?"
Puzzled by her behavior, Jaike continued by notching an arrow, and instructing on how to position it. Once Allaine had and arrow in the bowstring and had pulled it back, Jaike stepped back and looked her over.
"You're a natural, Allaine," he told her, impressed. "Everything you're doing is exactly right! You're going to be an excellent archer someday."
"I am!?" exclaimed Allaine joyously, ecstatic, letting go of her string. Suddenly realizing her mistake, she turned to watch the arrow fly high up into the sky. "Oops," she murmured, face turning a deep shade of red. Jaike only laughed with much mirth.
Although, as he looked up, his face paled as he screamed, "Allaine, watched out!" and dove at her. When she looked over to where they had been standing, the arrow that she had shot was straightly pointed into the ground. Feeling very guilty, she turned to see Jaike suppressing much laughter.
"That's NOT funny!" growled Allaine as Jaike let loose, curled over on the ground, holding his sides, hooting with laughter. "It's NOT," repeated Allaine as she got up and stormed away.
"No, Allaine wait!" called Jaike, amusement still ringing in his voice. "Wait!" He got up and ran to catch up with her, still laughing all the way.
