CHAPTER 13
I hurried home along the town road for about ten minutes before I saw the comforting lights of home. My lips and wrists were swollen from Guy's assault, and I nearly broke into tears for the third time that day upon seeing Father, who had been pacing outside the house. He hurried towards me and threw his arms about me. "Nyssa, I was very worried! Why did Scarlet take so long? Are you all right?" He held my face as I nodded, still shaken.
"Will was a perfect gentleman. We had a altercation with Sir Guy and he defended me," I said.
Father's eyes darkened to a dangerous green hue. "Damn Guy of Gisborne. Damn him! What happened—"
"Master Edan!" Will called out, coming round the bend to our house. His sword was sheathed, and his brow damp from sweat. He carried a small pouch, which I assumed held our forgotten dinner. He looked at me quickly. "Master Edan, I am sorry I was not able to help Nyssa sooner—"
"On the contrary, Scarlet," Father said. "She said that you defended her honor. And I am most grateful for it."
Will slowed his pace, breathing heavily. He bent over from the waist, trying to catch his breath form running. "I'm so sorry that it happened. It was my fault; I was trying to impress her with a simple dinner. I should have taken her straight home, Master Edan."
"Oh, Will," I said. I ran to him and put my arms around his shoulders, more for comfort than affection. "You were wonderful." Will was taken aback, but allowed me to embrace him before he stepped back politely. Father looked at both of us, a slight smile on his face. Will held up the pouch. "This was to be dinner, but I leave it for you and Nyssa. I should have protected Nyssa and instead I was busy showing off."
"You did what any young man might have done," Father said slowly. "And Nyssa seems grateful, which means that I am as well. Will," he said, "thank you for protecting my daughter from that blackguard."
"Yes, Master Edan," Will said. I could tell that he was still humiliated by the whole event, and wanted to make everything right. "I will leave you now."
"No, Will, you will come inside this instant and share supper with us. I won't allow this favor to go un-thanked," Father said firmly. Will looked relieved, and starving. He unbuckled his sword, leaving it outside the door and strode into our house for the first time. I busied myself with organizing the meal he had brought; bread, cheese, some dried beef. Father brought in raw vegetables from the garden and I washed them hurriedly. All of us were ravenous as we sat down and feasted at the meal, and none spoke for several minutes. An air of calm descended as the pangs of hunger and stress died away. Will drank a cup of Father's mead, his eyes tired now, and leaned back in his chair, his legs crossed. Still munching, Father asked,
"How did you handle Gisborne, Will?"
Will smiled a bit. "I disarmed him, gave his sword to the tavern keeper who is my friend, and told him to go back inside. He will get it back once he's eaten something and had no more drink."
"I didn't know you had such skill with a blade," Father said. "Gisborne is a skilled knight, and one of the best swordsmen in Nottingham."
"Well, when you grow up around swords I suppose you pick a few things up," Will said shyly, glancing at me. I shook my head at his modesty. "And Gisborne was quite drunk," he added.
"Oh, stop," I said, "You know the ways of a sword."
"I could teach you," he said quietly.
Father and I both looked at him. "You mean, as well as making my sword?" I asked.
"It's no good if you can't use it," Will said. "I can show you some basic defense moves and if you like, other more aggressive ones."
At first uncertain, Father nodded. "It sounds as if you might need them," he said, "especially if Gisborne decides to have one too many pints again. I wish I could always be there to protect you, Nyssa, but it's better if you can do it for yourself." He smiled at Will then. "Right. I'll allow her to come to you twice a week for sword study, once you've completed your work."
"Shouldn't take long," Will replied. "And we have other swords she could practice with until I've finished hers. Tomorrow after market is over is fine with me, if Nyssa has the time."
My first lesson was terrible. I was ready to tell Will that he needn't make my sword after all.
Will showed me basic parrying defensive moves, which at first felt a bit like dancing. I balanced on two feet with my left forward, and practiced the steps. But once there was a heavy metal object in my hand, it became hard to focus on more than one thing, and as he thrust at me and I tried to parry I invariably missed blocking him. He was very careful to stop his sword before it hit me, but my own frustration with myself grew. It was nearly out of control after half an hour, and he told me to rest. I tossed the sword down and threw myself on the ground. "I'm miserable at this. Admit it."
"You've only just started," Will said, sitting beside me. "I've been practicing since I was five. I'm supposed to be better than you."
"I'm not used to being bad at things," I said with annoyance. "Everything from carding, knitting, crocheting, anything to do with wool that's creative, I knew almost immediately. This—" I said, gesturing at the sword, "is pointless. I'll kill myself before I save myself."
"No, you won't," Will said kindly. He gently touched my shoulder. I tried not to flinch. "It's just like the path in the forest; you don't know it yet. You will."
I sighed, irritated. "I feel helpless and vulnerable. I hate it." I hugged my knees to my chest, unaware that I had told Will something I never admitted to myself. "Gisborne made a fool of me the other night, and I could do nothing, nothing to defend myself, and I still can't today!"
"Give yourself more than a day, Nyssa. You can't expect to be perfect right away," Will said. "And don't blame yourself for the other night. I saw you trying to fight back. Gisborne is just like his crest, a big wolf, so his strength will win every time. You have to be more like…a fox, and use his size and strength against him. You'll learn how. Now, up again." Will handed me my practice sword, a big heavy thing, and I rolled my eyes in annoyance. We faced one another again in a fencing stance.
"Now, if I was Gisborne," Will said. "I would probably charge you like this." He moved suddenly towards me, and I instinctively stepped back. "No, don't give him the advantage. You can't let him intimidate you into a corner or you'll have a repeat of last night. Don't step back. Step to the side and around in back of him. Then you've got the advantage." Will drew my arm up with his so that I stepped forward but to the left, and then turned me around. "Now I'm behind you. Parry left," I actually remembered how this time, and blocked correctly for the first time that day.
"Good!" Will said enthusiastically, smiling. "When you're fighting someone bigger than you, they will by default move more slowly. Whatever way that they try to move, see if you can always get in back of them or to the side. If you have to fight aggressively, don't find yourself in a corner or you've lost already. Be quicker and drive him back, don't let him drive you."
I smiled. "Will, you really are wonderful."
"And keep your guard up!" Will said suddenly, raising his sword and swinging at me. I blocked right and swung back. "Never assume that it's safe." He blocked my swing easily and then disarmed me with the same circular movement he'd used before. I groaned and rolled my eyes. Will kept the point of his sword eye level with me and urged me to move back. I stepped back again, but he said, "Don't let me move you back, Nyssa, remember. If you move left or right without your sword I can cut you in half. What can you do?"
Thinking quickly, I feinted left and then dove right, rolling underneath his blade. He nicked the back of my calf, but I had still escaped. "And now you're behind me," he finished. "Nicely done." He bowed deeply from the waist and smiled fully at me, his hazel eyes warm, as he reached down to help me up. I smiled and took his hand, attempting to brush leaves from my hair. And then it happened.
His sword tip came up again, lining up with my collarbone. Unsure of what this next lesson involved, I tried to hold my ground, but he forced me to move back against a tree trunk or be impaled. My eyes searched an escape, but he was too quick and blocked my first attempt. He continued backing me up until the cool point of the sword rested on my frantic pulse. Fear took hold of me, and I swallowed. Then he dropped his weapon and stepped closer to me.
"I told you never to assume it's safe," he said darkly. He was close enough that I could feel his breath on my neck. "Why didn't you listen?"
I swallowed again. "I thought the lesson was over," I answered, trying to sound playful. In truth, the last time I had seen this side of Will was when he had told Sir Guy to let me go. I felt him lean closer to me, as he rested his sword in the earth, and my eyes flicked to it.
"And I thought that you liked danger," Will responded. He leaned a bit closer, his breath tickling the shell of my ear. "Did you change your mind?"
I couldn't respond. It was too much like something Guy would ask and that twisted my insides apart. This was, in fact, exactly the way he'd pinned me last night. Did all men take lessons in how to do this? I felt myself scowling, before I tilted my chin up to Will's face. "Perhaps," I said softly. "It is so alluring in some." Will's eyebrows shot up and he regarded me quizzically. I raised an eyebrow back and reached up, gently letting my finger trail across his cheek. Intrigued, he took another step closer.
"And not as much in others," I said quickly, stomping on his left foot. He cursed as he went down, still trying to hold his sword for balance, but I moved around him and ran up the forest path towards home without warning. As I fled, I tossed over my shoulder,
"Never assume it is safe, Will Scarlett!"
I heard the sound of his laughter mingled with a curse.
"Right! Day after tomorrow then!"
