As I was writing these chapters, it occurred to me that I hadn't written anything remotely fictional in nearly a year. School work does have a way of sucking out one's creativity. But as I am on break right now, I will endeavor to get as much writing in as I can. I do hope you enjoy the next few chapters; I just hope that it doesn't look to obvious that I'm rusty and really out of practice.


Chapter 12: Sharpness Is a State of Mind

Sathandra wiped the sweat off her brow with the corner of her sleeve. The desert heat was making it impossible to practice her archery and her arms felt as if lead weights were attached to them. Taking a deep breath she took aim and let loose only for the arrow to end up a foot away from the target. She glared and shaded her eyes from the sun; the rays were blinding her. If only she had her trusty Ray Bans with her. Oh waitaminute! Gran had packed for her and she specifically remembered seeing a hair dryer at one point. If there was a hair dryer to be found then why not a pair of sunglasses. And besides Tarseela had known she was going to be in the desert for a while. It made perfect sense. Sathandra ran back to her tent, she felt her spirits rise and her step was more purposeful than it had been all day. Finally, some progress!

"Okay, here we go. Suntan lotion, swimsuit, goggles? What the—hairspray? Hair dryer. What the heck is all this stuff? Okay, Gran, this is totally weird. Sneakers—glad that's normal—alarm clock, triple A batteries, glue. Ohmygod! Chocolate!" Sathandra tore of the gold foil and avidly bit into heaven. "Mmm...there's nothing better than food for the soul. I love you Cadbury."

"Ehem!"

"Wha?" Sathandra turned her head to see Thom standing outside the opening to her tent. She imperiously raised an eyebrow. This dude was disturbing her quality time with Cadbury. "Oh it's just you. What do ya want?"

Thom eyed her warily. Somehow the beautiful lady's appearance belied a prickly nature. Interesting. "Ma is asking for you. She said to wear something comfortable that you won't regret getting dirty. That's all."

"Now?" Sathandra forlornly eyed the bar of chocolate in her hand. "B-but—" She sighed then covered it and placed it in a box. She didn't want the ants after it. Were there ants in the desert? Perhaps desert ants? Ah, nevermind! "Fine. Lead on, Mister."

"Are you sure what you're wearing is suitable?"

"Uh yeah? I was wearing this for archery practice. Come on let's go." Sathandra marched out into the scorching daylight.

Thom shrugged and followed her, easily keeping pace with her slightly shorter strides. "I have a feeling Ma is after something far more...messy."

"Messy's fine. But I have a feeling the word you're looking for is painful."

Thom shrugged again. "Messy, painful, same difference."

"Huh. I always wondered what that meant. What does it mean?"

Thom shrugged.

"Is that the only thing you can do? Shrug?"

Thom stopped mid-shrug, then shook his head. "I am not allowed to say anything that may irritate, anger, or scare you, lest I bring my mother's wrath down upon me, no disrespect meant to either one of you lovely ladies."

"Thank you, Thom. It was nice of you to compliment me in such an obviously begrudging way. For that I might just keep you in my will," Alanna wryly interrupted. Thom and Sathandra stopped walking as they stared at the assortment of odds and ends around the training ring. Sathandra paled and suddenly whirled around.

"Shitcrapdammit. I think I'll go back now—hey! Lemme go!" Sathandra fought Thom's surprisingly iron grip around her middle as she attempted to escape the evil torture thingamajigs. She tried pounding on the redhead mage's shoulder but that didn't seem to faze him at all. So, in her desperation, she did what she swore she would never do unless for self-defence—although honestly this probably counted—Sathandra jabbed him in a pressure point and he immediately dropped her like a hot coal.

"Oi, what was that for? I can't move my arm! That's cheating!"

Sathandra suddenly found herself wrapped in purple glowy things. "Hey! That's not fair either."

"An eye for an eye, milady."

"Fine! If that's the way you want it..." Sathandra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She sought out the green ball of energy with its golden flecks. There. Gathering strands of green and gold, she spun them together to reinforce them then, there was simply no other way to explain it but in her mind's eye, she simply blasted her way out.

Alanna had been silently watching this exchange, with a feeling that something important was about to be revealed. Her suspicions were justified when Thom suddenly blanched. The bands of purple magic he had wrapped around Cassandra were expanding as if some equally great force was pushing from the inside. Then the bands snapped and it was Thom who was suddenly encased in a glowing green light. Alanna involuntarily closed her hand upon the jewel around her neck and gasped when she saw the blindingly bright light around the younger woman. This girl was probably not only god-touched. She had the aura of a demigod. "I should have known," she murmured. Then clapping her hands together, she raised her voice and said, "That's enough for now, children. Cassandra, it's time for your lessons to begin."

Sathandra dropped her assault and groaned, "Did my father put you up to this?"

Alanna grinned. "Maybe. Although, to be honest, I think I'm going to enjoy this. The gods do love me after all."

"What if I say no?"

"You can't. I was sent here by a god, and they always have their way. So that means I am training you whether you want to learn or not."

"I'd go along with it if I were you. Accepting it as early as now will make it easier for your sanity," Thom advised.

"Fine! But only if," Sathandra paused for effect and smiled impishly, "Thom trains with my father as well."

"Done," Alanna said.

"What? Wait! You cannot just answer for me!"

"I can and I just did. The gods are on my side, remember. Now run along and relay my orders to James that you train with him." Alanna made a shooing motion with her hand and Thom reluctantly turned his back and trudged away from them, all the while muttering to himself. "I heard that Thom and I will find out if you disobey me." Thom turned his head and looked at her incredulously. "You think it even crossed my mind to rebel against this unjust cause." Alanna merely raised an eyebrow in answer, and Thom sighed dejectedly, "HOWEVER. I didn't decide not to do it." He continued to grumble petulantly till he disappeared from their line of vision.

"So shall we? Let's begin with the stretches. A flexible body is a great asset in all of the fighting arts."

Sathandra thought her teachers back on Earth had known what they were doing. And in a way they did. But none of them had possessed even a tenth of the knowledge and skill that the Lioness was attempting to teach her. She learned to depend upon her body as a weapon first before she was even allowed near anything resembling a weapon. And the first weapon placed in her hands had been a stick.

The days went by in a blur. Sathandra would occasionally see her father, but most of her time was given to her training. The Lioness set a relentless pace, and when Sathandra brought this matter up, the Lioness fixed her with an intense stare and asked, "How much time to train do we have exactly? A few months at most. That is all. And you must learn as much as I can teach you. Let it not be said that when it came down to it, the Lioness did not teach her pupil enough to survive. Because survival is everything, and you do not win unless you survive. Don't listen to what those fools say about dying and glory. There is no glory in dying. And as for honor?" She shrugged, "There is honor only when you have done everything in your power and it is still not enough. But I mean for it to be enough because you must live. The gods have their eyes on you. You will be a fulcrum that will change the balance of the world. What you do will decide whether you restore it or destroy it completely."

Sathandra had backed off then. Alanna's declaration had shaken her and suddenly she wasn't so sure about herself. What was she supposed to do? All these people talked of fighting and dying. She had never thought of these things when Gramps first put a weapon in her hand. She was an actress. Barely out of her teens and she had to save the world?

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" Sathandra held the offending thing as far away as she could with both hands, knowing that if she took away one hand she would fall. "I'm supposed to practice the sword forms with this." She tried to hold up what seemed to be a sword—a very heavy sword. "This thing practically weighs more than me."

Alanna laughed. "It doesn't weigh more than you. And that's how I perfected my technique—with a sword nearly bigger than me. Of course, it should be easier for you. It's the same size as the one I used when I was a page and I am much shorter than you are."

"But I'm delicate!" Sathandra attempted to look pitiful and angelic at the same time.

Alanna only laughed harder. "Of course you are. You can hurl a spear farther than most men, but you're terrible at wrestling."

"Well, so are you," Sathandra retorted.

"But I'm good at everything else. Are you?"

"Hmph! Fine! I'll practice with it. But if my arms fall off, don't say I didn't warn you."

Alanna laughed and gave Sathandra a hearty pat on the back. Sathandra winced. "Don't worry. The pain starts to fade after the first few days."

"I was afraid you were going to say weeks," Sathandra muttered under her breath.

"Of course not. The pain starts to fade after the first few days then it starts all over again. We will continue our staff work. Then after that we have archery with different types of bows. Then there is fighting with the axe and different kinds of pole arms. THEN." Alanna rubbed her hands with glee. "We have jousting."

"Oh no. Oh no no no. Oh no no no no no. You have GOT to be kidding me!"