Anniya 14
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" Excuse me? Sir?"
Sir Alan finished a duel. A short, blonde girl stood in front of him. He sighed. All these Noble Woman came in, thinking they could hire him to teach their bratty sons how to sword fight. But, after all, he was one of the greatest swordsmen in the world. But Alan taught talent. He made Masters, not talent less weaklings. He turned to the girl.
" Look Milady, I'm not teaching yer son how to play if he's not even brave enough to come beg for a lesson. And no gold will tempt me, before you get out your--."
" First of all, I'm 15 years old. I have no sons. Second of all, I want you to teach me."
Sir Alan stared at the girl for two seconds. Then he burst into laughter.
" What? You think I'm joking? I'm bloody serious!," the blonde snapped back. Alan noticed for the first time that the girl had an accent, her words not perfectly clear.
" Milady, even if I did teach you, I am going on a Caravan to Etai."
" Is that suppose to make a difference? I go with you on the Caravan, and you teach me."
Alan studied the petite blonde for a moment.
" Milady, give me one good reason why I should take you on?"
The girl drew herself to her full height, obviously expecting the question.
" Because I'll work harder then any other boy you've tried to teach before. There won't be a night when I'm not out practicing. Because if you take me on, you are going to get one hell of a swordsman. And because if I do succeed, the credit goes to you."
" Have you ever handled a sword?"
" Sir, I have never even touched a sword."
Alan hid a smile. The girl's honesty was so.... honest, it was almost appalling.
" But Sir, I can assure you that I will learn, and once I learn, there will be no stopping me.
" Milady, forgive me, but you must understand that I usually do not take on students over the age of ten, and I have never taught or even considered teaching a woman. And by Kyrria's dying breath, if you want to become a knight, I would sooner-."
The girl laughed. It had a crystal, ringing sound to it, making it sound like bells. But girls who were as pretty as this girl was, with a laugh that sounded like a goddess's, did not simply take up sword fighting. In Alan's lifetime, he had actually had one or two plain, poor, ugly girls come up and beg for a lesson. But never, in his life, had a pretty girl that looked well off, come up to ask for sword training.
" You honestly think that I'm asking you this so I can become a knight? So I can wave a sword around and cut my hair and spend the rest of my life pretending I'm a boy? Actually, my Sir, I have higher goals then that. And I can only accomplish them if you agree to teach me," the girl told him, pursing her lips.
Alan smiled. In a strange way, she reminded him of a forty year younger female version of himself. Then he took the girl's hand and kissed it.
" Sir Alan of Camdyn."
" Anniya of Kyrria."
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Anniya didn't know how if West and John were still alive. She knew that they would be seemingly mad at her if they were; she was to go directly to Robert.
West knew Anniya; he just didn't know her quite as well as he thought he did. Anniya was not the sort of girl that would start begging for meals and selling herself in the streets after being abandoned, as West worried she would. And she certainly wasn't going to go plead to Char and Robert, as West had hoped. No, Anniya, was the sort of girl who took charge of her own destiny. And it started with Sir Alan. Though Alan had spotted remarkable talent in Anniya, he didn't tell her.; she was a natural, memorizing the 5 Juna's and the 8 Amida's in the time period of a month. He didn't know where she kept herself in the day; but late into the night he could look outside and see the tiny blonde practicing. Why a girl her age had chosen to do this, he never asked and she never offered.
That month, a fever swept through Kyrria. It didn't really concern Anniya, but for awhile Alan worried that he might have a girl with the effects of the fever, do want to take up something as crazy as fencing. But after awhile, Sir Alan found that it was certainly not the case, though the fever would certainly be something to worry about later.
" By god woman, you are a natural! A pure natural! Do you know how long it takes normal students to get up to your level? At least three years! Not a month! Do you have any advice?,"
Alan would exclaim. Anniya had already mastered another 6 Stanton attacks. The blonde girl would grin.
" Switch to girls. You'd be surprised how much more accomplished fighters you'd have."
Alan would laugh, and they would go back to dueling again.
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" Hey there missy! While your tidying up, would you mind getting me a cup of ale?," a redheaded boy that looked around Anniya's age asked.
She self-consciously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. About twenty boys and two other teachers, excluding Alan, stood in the courtyard. Her first practice with others.
" Actually, I'm here to learn, and if you want your ale, go get it your bloody self!"
The boys gaped at her for a full two seconds before bursting into laughter. Anniya glared at them, and held her chin up as she took out her blade.
" A mighty fine jest, missy! Who's teaching you? A stable hand?," the redhead gasped, laughing still.
" Sir Alan of Camdyn," Anniya told him evenly, trying her hardest to ignore him.
The boy's expression changed.
" You jest! No knight as great as Sir Alan would take on a stupid little girl!"
Anniya looked sharply up, clenching her hands onto her plain white skirt. Shut up, she mentally told the boy. Anniya couldn't afford to mess up because of her temper.
" Oh, she's too frightened to say anything. Speak up, honeysuckle. Hasn't big men like Sir Alan and the other masters inspired you to fight? Or did you think that sword fighting is advanced sewing?"
Anniya's temper snapped. So much for trying to remain silent.
" Actually, I'm learning a lot from strong inspirational men like yourself. Until a moment ago, I was unaware that pigs could grow to be 6 feet tall. But, now meeting you, I understand that pigs indeed can grow to that height."
Anniya smiled sweetly, saying the words with a caustic edge. The redhead stared at her.
" But anyway, thanks for informing me, honeysuckle," Anniya told him, emphasizing honeysuckle.
" Who are you to think that you can talk to us like that? Who are you, anyway? A little wannabe knight? If you think that's what you're going to be, girl, you are dead wrong. First of all, the King doesn't let girls in, in case that slipped your delicate little mind. Second of all, if he did, he wouldn't let a dwarf in," a dark haired boy snickered. The rest of them laughed.
" You think that's what I want to be? So I can wave around a sword like a stick? So I can sit and write poetry all day and grow to be roughly the size and weight of a baby giant? So I can go prance around in expensive boots and wave a bow around and shout, " Look at me! I'm a bloody Pig in a pair of boots? I think not. But oh, I'm sorry. I've just described what you all are going to be in a few years," Anniya said sweetly, knowing perfectly well that knights were the opposite of what she was describing. These lunatics probably wouldn't care, just as long as recognized the insult. The dark haired one sighed, taking out his sword.
" Prepare to fight. I hate to fight a woman, even a street rat like yourself, but----."
He was cut off as Anniya struck at him from the side, throwing him off balance. He stumbled back, surprised at the attack. Anniya circled him, daring him to strike. Sure enough, He lifted his sword to strike back, but Anniya had expected that. She parried and ducked, striking his sword back. The dark haired boy's eyes narrowed, and he began swinging madly. The scene was so comical Anniya almost laughed. She blocked his swing and dodged to the right. The boy lunged, the tip of his sword missing Anniya by a centimeter.
A strike came in a blur. Anniya felt her eye's widened, and desperately tried to keep the sword from slicing her face, gritting her teeth as she pushed upward. It was no use, and Anniya found herself becoming closer to the ground. The boy laughed, and said something to his friends.
" What did I tell you? This girl can't fight."
Anniya heard only that remark, but it was enough. She couldn't fight. She couldn't read or write Kyrrian, barely speak it. She wasn't a Lady. She wasn't a peasant. She wasn't what any normal female should be. But by God, if there was one thing she had thrown her heart into, it was the fight.
With a burst of energy, Anniya threw the sword off of her. Everyone else stared as Anniya's wrist twisted back and forth, forcing the boy back more and more. He had finally reached the perimeter of the courtyard, no where to turn. With one last desperate attempt, he flung insults.
" Demon! Witch! Enchantress! Little blood sucking bastard!"
Anniya gritted her teeth, and thrust at his neck. She flung every curse and insult she had learned from West and John, as well as a few of her own.
" Back at you, you bloody, stupid, demented, spoiled, nasty, blood sucking little--."
" Anniya! What in gods name are you doing?"
Surprised, she turned around. The three masters, Sir Alan included raced toward her.
" Anniya, might you kindly remove your sword from Godfrey's neck?," Sir Alan asked her.
Anniya abruptly dropped the blade.
" Come with me, please."
Anniya held her breath. Here's where she got it.
When they were a safe distance away, Sir Alan turned to her.
" Anniya of Kyrria, I am absolutely appalled," he told her. Anniya nodded, and began explaining.
" Sir, it honestly was not my fault. He insulted my pride and myself, and challenged me, so-."
She was cut off by laughter.
" Dear girl, I'm not reprimanding you for what you did, although I bloody should, considering you could of killed Godfrey. Sir Amiens, another one of my fellow masters, has been training Godfrey for ten bloody long years. Godfrey is one of his top students, with complete promise; a future knight, if he shapes his chivalry up. You beating Godfrey is nothing less then absolutely phenomenal. It's almost magical. I must ask you, how did you do it?"
Anniya shrugged, wiping her brow. The room was unusually hot.
" He made me mad. I didn't really think."
Alan shook his head.
" Try and think. Because after all I have seen in this past month Anniya, it's becoming apparent that you aren't only just a natural with a remarkable talent. I believe it's more of a magical ability."
Anniya stared at him before laughing herself.
" Sir Alan, that would be in your dreams. And I have never in my life heard of a magic involving swords. And I have no fairy blood in me. At all."
Sir Alan peered at her curiously.
" Perhaps it is not fairy blood. But indeed, Anniya of Kyrria, there is something magical brewing in you. For no normal human being can possibly be that talented with a sword. Are either of your parents friends of the fairies?"
" My parents are dead," Anniya said flatly. Sir Alan was taken back.
" My apologies, milady. I won't trouble you anymore, but please-- think. Magical abilities can come in handy. Just be aware of them, at least."
" Maybe I don't want magical abilities. And besides, it was all plain luck."
Sir Alan shook his head.
" Plain luck does not beat a ten year student in a month's practice. Anniya, you are indeed blessed, whether you wish to believe it or not. Think back-- what were your parents like?"
Anniya felt slightly annoyed- she couldn't really remember what they were like. That's only
because you tried to shove every memory you had of them out of your mind,
That's not true. You remember everything from that day, the color of your dress, the weather, the
location, the people. You remember everything- you just don't remember. You remember how
you were near a brook, and..........
" Anniya! Anniya darling! We have to get a move on it! We only have a day left before we reach
the forest!,"
" Here I am, mother!," Anniya heard herself call out. She felt her blonde hair warm from the sunlight. She heard more voices, then her own voice again.
" But I want to play more, Father!"
" Perhaps while your mother is gathering water, you may play hide and go seek with her," Anniya heard her Father say, his voice close now. She clenched her fist, trying to make the voices disappear. But Anniya had tried to hide them for too long. They had surfaced, and they wouldn't leave until they had put a testimony to what had happened.
" I'll tell you what. You can wear my necklace, and if I get lost, I know I'll be able to find you, alright?," her mother told her. Anniya twisted, knowing what would happen next.
" We need a Healer! Someone get a doctor, She's hallucinating! It's the fever!," Anniya heard someone call faraway.
There were more voices. She was in the tree. Then it came. The smell of blood, the smoke, the slaughtering. The accumulated memories flashed in front of her eyes-- the ponies running away- the first elf's neck being broken- the slaughtering, the bloodshed, the awful, horrible bloodshed--the burning of all that remained of her life-- no food, no water, no shelter- more memories flashed, becoming more and more recent. She saw Hattie begging her to run back for her change purse, John being hit by the arrow, West being knocked out and taken away by soldiers- Soon everything was a blur, and Anniya was caught in the midst of it. the only thing she could make out anymore was the evil gleam in the eyes of the Ogres, and their honey slick words, trying to tempt her into being eaten alive. But worst of all, she saw everyone crying out to her for help. Reaching and grabbing for her, only to be pulled back by Ogres. But their voices rang loud in Anniya's ears. She clamped her hands over her ears, trying desperately to shut them out.
" Stop it, Stop it, Stop it! There was nothing I could do! There was nothing I could do! I didn't know what to do! It's not my fault, it's not my fault! Stop it!," Anniya shrieked, willing the scene away.
Over the voices, Anniya heard one that sounded distant and faraway at the same time.
" She has a fever of 103 degrees, and delirious. I don't think she'll make it through the night," the voice said. Were they talking about her, Anniya wondered. She suddenly caught a glimpse of a dark creature swooping down toward her. With relief, she was it was only Gleex. But there was something wrong with Gleex. His eyes had a blood thirsty gleam, and he wasn't friendly at all. Anniya grabbed for her necklace, certain that all would be fine if she could show Gleex her necklace. Fumbling for it, Anniya realized with horror that her necklace wasn't there. When she looked up, Gleex suddenly burst into flames.
Anniya was burning, burning with the remains of her parents, and the elves. Burning into ashes, reduced to smoke. She opened her mouth to scream for West, for Robert, for Char- no sound came out. The flames licked her skin- the Ogres circled her, closing in, smiling, coming closer and closer, their fangs gleaming..........