Chapter 22
Duncan became aware of the presence of another Immortal and put the book he was reading down on the coffee table. The door to the loft opened and Dani walked in "Do you ever get used to that feeling?" she said. Duncan stood up with his head on one side she noticed that his eyes seemed to hold both worry and anger. "Where have you been?" This annoyed Dani as it sounded like he was scolding a child, at first she thought about not telling him but when she looked into his deep brown eyes her resolve crumbled. "I decided to take a walk after seeing Maria.it was a little more difficult than thought it would be.sorry I didn't realise the time". Dani could see that he was already dressed for a workout. "I'll get changed" she said, Duncan didn't say anything but Dani noticed that he had his sword and a black case laid on the coffee table in front of him. For the first time everything became very real to her, this was her life now. Nothing was said as she changed into her sweats and followed Duncan down to the Dojo. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------
The Dojo was eerily silent when they entered usually this time in the afternoon it would be alive with activity but Duncan had closed the dojo for the afternoon. Duncan walked into the centre of the room; Dani could see that his face had become very serious; she joined him standing a few feet away.
Duncan held the black case in his arms "I want you to have this" Dani stepped forward undoing the sliver clasps on the case and slowly lifted the lid. "Wow!" Dani exclaimed. Inside the case nestled in the white silk was a sword the hilt was golden with the blade concealed within an ivory blue and gold scabbard. Dani gently removed it from the case. Duncan put the case to one side and picked up his sword. "This looks really expensive.I can't take it" she said.
"You must.unless you have one you haven't told me about.You can't be without a sword.not now.it has to be part of who you are now.Take it out from the scabbard"
Dani removed the sword, she could see that it was shaped the same as Duncan's but the handle was different. She held it in front of her; she went to touch the blade.
Duncan put out his arm "No.only ever handle a sword by the handle never put your hand on the blade" he said, as Dani held the sword, she was surprised that it wasn't heavy.
Duncan backed away from her moving his sword rhythmically from side to side "Take the sword in your right hand and move it.get the feel of the blade" Dani did as Duncan said moving the blade feeling how it cut through the air. "Now try to attack me" Dani hesitated, Duncan thrust his sword at her she only just managed to deflect the blow with her sword "Good, but you can't hesitate or you're dead.Again"
Dani's arms were aching by the time Duncan said, "That's enough for today" Dani was really relived, she hadn't want to ask to stop, Duncan had been so serious, his eyes had been eerily empty, he seemed a completely different person to the man she made love with this morning. Dani left Duncan to tidy the dojo while she went up to the loft.
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Dani let the warm water cascade over her aching muscles, she had thought that she was fit but today had been really hard work. 'I don't know if I can do this.' She thought 'what would Li Tse say about all this?' She smiled to herself as Li Tse's voice filled her head 'Always look for the good in your life.forget the bad.life's too beautiful, little one'. She had tried to follow what he had taught her but these last few days had been a real test, looking for the good, well finding Duncan was one but she was sure Li Tse would say that still being alive was the main one. Would he still have said that if he knew how she was going to have to live from now on?
Suddenly, she was overcome with feelings of despair, fear and sadness, she crumpled to the ground sitting on the floor of the shower, as the water cascaded around her, she hugged her knees and sobbed, 'With others around it's so easy to fool them but when your alone you have to face your demons, face your true feelings' she thought.
When Dani came out of the bathroom Duncan could see that her eyes were red from crying, he walked over and put his arms around her. Dani had hoped that the sound of the running water had disguised her sobbing but by Duncan's reaction, she knew that it hadn't. As he pulled her closer she could feel that she was losing control again, she went to pull away but Duncan just held her tighter "Your not alone with this.talk to me" Dani's eyes started to cloud over and she felt the tears starting to form. Duncan could feel that she was trying to coke back the tears, he pulled back just enough so that he could gently raise her face to look at him, gently he wiped away the single tear that had just starting to fall. Looking into his eyes through the mist of tears that was threatening to overwhelm her "I'm sorry.it's just all becoming very real.what my life will be like."
"Your doing fine.I'm proud of you" Dani buried her face into Duncan's chest and he caressed her hair "Shall we go out for something to eat?" Duncan asked. Dani looked up at him "I'm not hungry.would you mind if I had a lay down.I've had a headache since yesterday.and I can't seem to shift it.but you go" Duncan brushed her cheek with his hand "Are you sure?" Dani nodded "I'm not much company at the moment anyway", Duncan watched as she walked over to the bed, he picked up his coat and looked back at Dani before he left.
Joe's Bar
Joe looked up as Duncan entered the bar "Hey Mac.how's it going" Duncan smiled as he walked over to where Joe was sat. Joe could sense that something was troubling Duncan "What's up Mac.you look like something troubling you?" Duncan pulled out the chair opposite Joe, turned it round and sat with his arms folded across the backrest "Joe.have you ever known for Immortals to get headaches?" Joe looked at him quizzically "who's got the headache?"
Duncan ran his hands over his face "Dani.she's had it since yesterday" Joe sat back in his chair "I can't say that I ever have.I could do some checking.but she has been through a lot lately, Mac"
"I know Joe.but something just doesn't feel right" Duncan said as he stood up "You not going to stay for a drink Mac?" Duncan shook his head "No.I want to see if Dani's OK.call me if you find anything"
Duncan became aware of the presence of another Immortal and put the book he was reading down on the coffee table. The door to the loft opened and Dani walked in "Do you ever get used to that feeling?" she said. Duncan stood up with his head on one side she noticed that his eyes seemed to hold both worry and anger. "Where have you been?" This annoyed Dani as it sounded like he was scolding a child, at first she thought about not telling him but when she looked into his deep brown eyes her resolve crumbled. "I decided to take a walk after seeing Maria.it was a little more difficult than thought it would be.sorry I didn't realise the time". Dani could see that he was already dressed for a workout. "I'll get changed" she said, Duncan didn't say anything but Dani noticed that he had his sword and a black case laid on the coffee table in front of him. For the first time everything became very real to her, this was her life now. Nothing was said as she changed into her sweats and followed Duncan down to the Dojo. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------
The Dojo was eerily silent when they entered usually this time in the afternoon it would be alive with activity but Duncan had closed the dojo for the afternoon. Duncan walked into the centre of the room; Dani could see that his face had become very serious; she joined him standing a few feet away.
Duncan held the black case in his arms "I want you to have this" Dani stepped forward undoing the sliver clasps on the case and slowly lifted the lid. "Wow!" Dani exclaimed. Inside the case nestled in the white silk was a sword the hilt was golden with the blade concealed within an ivory blue and gold scabbard. Dani gently removed it from the case. Duncan put the case to one side and picked up his sword. "This looks really expensive.I can't take it" she said.
"You must.unless you have one you haven't told me about.You can't be without a sword.not now.it has to be part of who you are now.Take it out from the scabbard"
Dani removed the sword, she could see that it was shaped the same as Duncan's but the handle was different. She held it in front of her; she went to touch the blade.
Duncan put out his arm "No.only ever handle a sword by the handle never put your hand on the blade" he said, as Dani held the sword, she was surprised that it wasn't heavy.
Duncan backed away from her moving his sword rhythmically from side to side "Take the sword in your right hand and move it.get the feel of the blade" Dani did as Duncan said moving the blade feeling how it cut through the air. "Now try to attack me" Dani hesitated, Duncan thrust his sword at her she only just managed to deflect the blow with her sword "Good, but you can't hesitate or you're dead.Again"
Dani's arms were aching by the time Duncan said, "That's enough for today" Dani was really relived, she hadn't want to ask to stop, Duncan had been so serious, his eyes had been eerily empty, he seemed a completely different person to the man she made love with this morning. Dani left Duncan to tidy the dojo while she went up to the loft.
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Dani let the warm water cascade over her aching muscles, she had thought that she was fit but today had been really hard work. 'I don't know if I can do this.' She thought 'what would Li Tse say about all this?' She smiled to herself as Li Tse's voice filled her head 'Always look for the good in your life.forget the bad.life's too beautiful, little one'. She had tried to follow what he had taught her but these last few days had been a real test, looking for the good, well finding Duncan was one but she was sure Li Tse would say that still being alive was the main one. Would he still have said that if he knew how she was going to have to live from now on?
Suddenly, she was overcome with feelings of despair, fear and sadness, she crumpled to the ground sitting on the floor of the shower, as the water cascaded around her, she hugged her knees and sobbed, 'With others around it's so easy to fool them but when your alone you have to face your demons, face your true feelings' she thought.
When Dani came out of the bathroom Duncan could see that her eyes were red from crying, he walked over and put his arms around her. Dani had hoped that the sound of the running water had disguised her sobbing but by Duncan's reaction, she knew that it hadn't. As he pulled her closer she could feel that she was losing control again, she went to pull away but Duncan just held her tighter "Your not alone with this.talk to me" Dani's eyes started to cloud over and she felt the tears starting to form. Duncan could feel that she was trying to coke back the tears, he pulled back just enough so that he could gently raise her face to look at him, gently he wiped away the single tear that had just starting to fall. Looking into his eyes through the mist of tears that was threatening to overwhelm her "I'm sorry.it's just all becoming very real.what my life will be like."
"Your doing fine.I'm proud of you" Dani buried her face into Duncan's chest and he caressed her hair "Shall we go out for something to eat?" Duncan asked. Dani looked up at him "I'm not hungry.would you mind if I had a lay down.I've had a headache since yesterday.and I can't seem to shift it.but you go" Duncan brushed her cheek with his hand "Are you sure?" Dani nodded "I'm not much company at the moment anyway", Duncan watched as she walked over to the bed, he picked up his coat and looked back at Dani before he left.
Joe's Bar
Joe looked up as Duncan entered the bar "Hey Mac.how's it going" Duncan smiled as he walked over to where Joe was sat. Joe could sense that something was troubling Duncan "What's up Mac.you look like something troubling you?" Duncan pulled out the chair opposite Joe, turned it round and sat with his arms folded across the backrest "Joe.have you ever known for Immortals to get headaches?" Joe looked at him quizzically "who's got the headache?"
Duncan ran his hands over his face "Dani.she's had it since yesterday" Joe sat back in his chair "I can't say that I ever have.I could do some checking.but she has been through a lot lately, Mac"
"I know Joe.but something just doesn't feel right" Duncan said as he stood up "You not going to stay for a drink Mac?" Duncan shook his head "No.I want to see if Dani's OK.call me if you find anything"