Cassie held the sword like the foreign object it was to her. She didn't
understand how the sexy swashbucklers on TV made it look so easy! This
thing was freaking heavy, and the fact that she felt she might accidentally
kill herself at any moment didn't make it easier. Of course, this was only
the first day she had actually held the weapon. She and Ashley had spent
the past two days learning to relax their minds and improve their reflexes.
She was pretty good at that. But this! The only plus was that she got
to work with Saber. And the fact that Ashley wasn't doing too well with
HER sword either made her feel slightly better. She had a tendency to keep
dropping it and when she did, she would leap out of the way and begin
laughing. But their teachers were kind, and indulgent. They didn't get
angry or impatient. After all, they remembered when they themselves hadn't
been so good. Well, Saber had the nagging suspicion that Kyler had always
been good at swordplay and archery. He grinned at Cassie who was holding
the sword with two hands, able to lift it, but with very little grace and
agility. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, he strode over to her, a
slight smile still in his eyes.
"You're holding it wrong," he murmured. Cassie snorted and glanced over at Ashley who had accidentally driven the point into the ground and was having trouble pulling it out. Kyler came to the rescue, gave the handle a sharp wrench, and pulled it free. Ashley began laughing again.
Coming behind her, Saber bent down a bit so his head was resting against her shoulder, looking at the world from her unremarkable height. Cassie stiffened for a moment in surprise, but relaxed so as to accept his guidance. He steadied the sword with one hand while taking each of her hands in turn so he could position each finger properly on the hilt. Cassie bit her bottom lip again. Not to keep from laughing this time, but to stifle the breathy sigh that threatened to escape her. She mustn't allow him to see through her! This guy was definitely older than she was! 'This guy is far older than me!' she thought feircely. 'Ah yes, but this is the fourteenth century, not the twenty-first,' a sly little voice replied. Her conversation with herself was interrupted.
"Lady Cascada?" Saber's voice vibrated through her. Why was she being affected like this? She hadn't had a proper crush in three years! She had always been the strong one, offering her friends solid advice during their times of romantic woe. Now here she was practically melting when this guy she barely knew was showing her how to hold a sword......she stifled a groan as she took another look at his hands, and became sure that her mind was too fragile to handle the word 'sword' at the moment. "LADY CASCADA!" His face was now directly in front of hers. His bottomless grey eyes filled with concern. 'The color of the sea before a storm,' she thought dimly.
"Hmmm? What? I'm sorry. The heat of the day you know...." Saber's frown deepened. It was only just above freezing to his reckoning..
"Um, Lady Cas..."
"No, not Lady Cascada," she stated firmly. "That's not my name. It's Cassie."
"But Aiden said..." The slight glare she gave him made him stop. "Very well then....Cassie. Now let's see if you can grip it the way I just taught you." He took the sword away from her, and gave it back. Cassie placed her fingers precisely the way he had shown her.
"Very good," he said nodding. Apparently Ashley was making progress too, because a moment later there came a loud
"YES!" There stood Ashley, holding the sword aloft with one hand and pointing it towards the sky like some immortalized battle hero.
"All Right Guinievere!" Cassie called laughingly. Saber and Kyler looked rather alarmed. It was most uncommon for the ladies of the court to raise their voices in such a manner. But then again, they were taking sword fighting lessons. They were no common ladies.
"Well, I say that's quite enough for one day," Saber said.
"Yes, the day wanes, the sun grows dim," Kyler answered in his smooth, ever thoughtful voice. Ashley smiled. She had grown used to his poetic way of speaking, and she rather enjoyed it. It flowed nicely. As good looking as he was, Ashley was thinking about her stomach at the time. It was nearly time for dinner. Cassie seemed to be thinking along these same lines, only her head was turned wistfully towards her instructor. Ashley rolled her eyes, and grabbed her friend's arm. Cassie allowed herself to be dragged away, but her eyes never wavered.
Even Ashley found herself dressing with particular care that night. She wore the same exact thing she had worn for all of five minutes three days ago. The ice blue gown and silver circlet. She had grown rather fond of the thing. Cassie was already dressed and rubbing silk through her hair to make it all.....silky. This was a trick she had learned in one of her very addictive romance novels. She too was wearing the red gown she had arrived here in. She was in another world entirely, her green/brown eyes staring at nothing in particular as she brushed the extremely long waves. To Ashley, it looked rather difficult, and she was glad she had kept her hair shoulder length.
"Do you know what this whole training sequence thing reminds me of?" Ashley inquired trying to find the right angle for her circlet.
"Hmmmm?"
"Mulan! You know, that whole Be a Man song." Cassie brightened. Mulan was her favorite animated movie in the whole entire world.
"Hey, youre right! I wish we could learn to fight with bamboo sticks. That is so cool!" She lifted her skirt above her knees and attempted a kigh kick leaping thing off a bench in front of a mirror. It didn't work well. Undeterred, she got up off the floor and began to hum the song Ashley had mentioned. Soon, she was singing it softly. Ashley joined in, and they lost their heads. They were marching around the room, and were getting very into it.
"Be a man!"
"You must be swift as a coursing river!"...............
A light knock sounded at the door.
"Damn," Cassie whined.
"Ashley? Cassie? Are you decent?" It was Aiden.
"Yes!" Cassie called while Ashley pulled open the door. To both of their amazements, none other than Saber and Kyler stood behind the small girl. Saber was in a loose fitting red shirt, his weapons, for once, were somewhere else. His hair looked somewhat more tame as well. Kyler, as always, looked impeccable. He was wearing nothing other than pure white, but his shirt caught the light on occasion, and Ashley suspected that little threads of silver were woven in here and there. Cassie was rather embarrassed, and tried to hide her cheeks which were very flushed from exertion.
"We've come to escort you." Kyler bowed gallantly. Saber inclined his head, feeling rather awkward.
"We noticed that you turn many heads in the great hall," he added. "We agreed that you might feel safer if you had your trusted trainers to accompany you." 'Awww that's so sweet of them!' Ashley thought.
"Actually, It was all Saber's idea," Kyler said bluntly. Saber reddened slightly. Only Cassie noticed this. Ashley could feel Kyler's eyes on her, and she became very grateful that she had worn this dress. And of course, Kyler was busy pursuing the girl in blue. The pale color contrasted nicely with her slightly darker skin, and brought out the color of her cheeks. He stepped gracefully up to her, and led her gently from the room.
Ashley felt much more comfortable entering the great hall with this man next to her. The oboxious leers were greatly reduced. Not to mention, she just felt so proud that she was standing with him. His perfect radiance practically lighting up the room. Neither girl could care much about the rising of Darnoc at that moment. Others, however, were in reality, and were growing worried.
"You're holding it wrong," he murmured. Cassie snorted and glanced over at Ashley who had accidentally driven the point into the ground and was having trouble pulling it out. Kyler came to the rescue, gave the handle a sharp wrench, and pulled it free. Ashley began laughing again.
Coming behind her, Saber bent down a bit so his head was resting against her shoulder, looking at the world from her unremarkable height. Cassie stiffened for a moment in surprise, but relaxed so as to accept his guidance. He steadied the sword with one hand while taking each of her hands in turn so he could position each finger properly on the hilt. Cassie bit her bottom lip again. Not to keep from laughing this time, but to stifle the breathy sigh that threatened to escape her. She mustn't allow him to see through her! This guy was definitely older than she was! 'This guy is far older than me!' she thought feircely. 'Ah yes, but this is the fourteenth century, not the twenty-first,' a sly little voice replied. Her conversation with herself was interrupted.
"Lady Cascada?" Saber's voice vibrated through her. Why was she being affected like this? She hadn't had a proper crush in three years! She had always been the strong one, offering her friends solid advice during their times of romantic woe. Now here she was practically melting when this guy she barely knew was showing her how to hold a sword......she stifled a groan as she took another look at his hands, and became sure that her mind was too fragile to handle the word 'sword' at the moment. "LADY CASCADA!" His face was now directly in front of hers. His bottomless grey eyes filled with concern. 'The color of the sea before a storm,' she thought dimly.
"Hmmm? What? I'm sorry. The heat of the day you know...." Saber's frown deepened. It was only just above freezing to his reckoning..
"Um, Lady Cas..."
"No, not Lady Cascada," she stated firmly. "That's not my name. It's Cassie."
"But Aiden said..." The slight glare she gave him made him stop. "Very well then....Cassie. Now let's see if you can grip it the way I just taught you." He took the sword away from her, and gave it back. Cassie placed her fingers precisely the way he had shown her.
"Very good," he said nodding. Apparently Ashley was making progress too, because a moment later there came a loud
"YES!" There stood Ashley, holding the sword aloft with one hand and pointing it towards the sky like some immortalized battle hero.
"All Right Guinievere!" Cassie called laughingly. Saber and Kyler looked rather alarmed. It was most uncommon for the ladies of the court to raise their voices in such a manner. But then again, they were taking sword fighting lessons. They were no common ladies.
"Well, I say that's quite enough for one day," Saber said.
"Yes, the day wanes, the sun grows dim," Kyler answered in his smooth, ever thoughtful voice. Ashley smiled. She had grown used to his poetic way of speaking, and she rather enjoyed it. It flowed nicely. As good looking as he was, Ashley was thinking about her stomach at the time. It was nearly time for dinner. Cassie seemed to be thinking along these same lines, only her head was turned wistfully towards her instructor. Ashley rolled her eyes, and grabbed her friend's arm. Cassie allowed herself to be dragged away, but her eyes never wavered.
Even Ashley found herself dressing with particular care that night. She wore the same exact thing she had worn for all of five minutes three days ago. The ice blue gown and silver circlet. She had grown rather fond of the thing. Cassie was already dressed and rubbing silk through her hair to make it all.....silky. This was a trick she had learned in one of her very addictive romance novels. She too was wearing the red gown she had arrived here in. She was in another world entirely, her green/brown eyes staring at nothing in particular as she brushed the extremely long waves. To Ashley, it looked rather difficult, and she was glad she had kept her hair shoulder length.
"Do you know what this whole training sequence thing reminds me of?" Ashley inquired trying to find the right angle for her circlet.
"Hmmmm?"
"Mulan! You know, that whole Be a Man song." Cassie brightened. Mulan was her favorite animated movie in the whole entire world.
"Hey, youre right! I wish we could learn to fight with bamboo sticks. That is so cool!" She lifted her skirt above her knees and attempted a kigh kick leaping thing off a bench in front of a mirror. It didn't work well. Undeterred, she got up off the floor and began to hum the song Ashley had mentioned. Soon, she was singing it softly. Ashley joined in, and they lost their heads. They were marching around the room, and were getting very into it.
"Be a man!"
"You must be swift as a coursing river!"...............
A light knock sounded at the door.
"Damn," Cassie whined.
"Ashley? Cassie? Are you decent?" It was Aiden.
"Yes!" Cassie called while Ashley pulled open the door. To both of their amazements, none other than Saber and Kyler stood behind the small girl. Saber was in a loose fitting red shirt, his weapons, for once, were somewhere else. His hair looked somewhat more tame as well. Kyler, as always, looked impeccable. He was wearing nothing other than pure white, but his shirt caught the light on occasion, and Ashley suspected that little threads of silver were woven in here and there. Cassie was rather embarrassed, and tried to hide her cheeks which were very flushed from exertion.
"We've come to escort you." Kyler bowed gallantly. Saber inclined his head, feeling rather awkward.
"We noticed that you turn many heads in the great hall," he added. "We agreed that you might feel safer if you had your trusted trainers to accompany you." 'Awww that's so sweet of them!' Ashley thought.
"Actually, It was all Saber's idea," Kyler said bluntly. Saber reddened slightly. Only Cassie noticed this. Ashley could feel Kyler's eyes on her, and she became very grateful that she had worn this dress. And of course, Kyler was busy pursuing the girl in blue. The pale color contrasted nicely with her slightly darker skin, and brought out the color of her cheeks. He stepped gracefully up to her, and led her gently from the room.
Ashley felt much more comfortable entering the great hall with this man next to her. The oboxious leers were greatly reduced. Not to mention, she just felt so proud that she was standing with him. His perfect radiance practically lighting up the room. Neither girl could care much about the rising of Darnoc at that moment. Others, however, were in reality, and were growing worried.