Another oneshot. Takes place only a few days after Guy marries Catrine as they settle in to their new lives as Lord and Lady of Locksley together. I just wanted to explore how Catrine learns to fight... or at least who instructs her :)

Rated T for innuendo.

Enjoy!

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The thin, slightly damp sheets stuck irritatingly to Catrine's back as she rolled over in bed lazily. Already just a few days into her nuptial week with Guy and every muscle in her body ached and contracted uncomfortably. Catrine massaged the backs of her thighs, stiff and sore from what Guy had made her do last night. Chuckling and dozily shaking her head, she looked around her bedchamber. Their bedchamber.

He was gone, somewhere. But Catrine felt no worry or anxiety; at least this meant a bit of a break for her from their newly wed pursuits. Tenderly, she sat up and stood alongside the messy, romped bed and began dressing herself, ready to explore more of her manor as its new mistress. Of their new manor. Her stomach rumbled with hunger as Catrine fastened the last buckle of her black bodice. Food was now her first priority.

Making her way down the steps of Locksley Manor, Catrine called out for Thornton in her loud, clear, and commanding voice. The aging servant ran from the kitchen, "Yes, Lady Gisborne. What is your bidding?"

Catrine laughed as a slight smirk teased at her mouth, the servant's obedience reminding her of her newfound power, "Right now, Thornton, a warm meal would be most welcome." And with a deep bow, Thornton strode back to the kitchen, his voice echoing through the manor as he ordered the others around to prepare their mistress a meal.

Immersed in her own self-satisfaction, Catrine paced slowly around the manor, brushing off the chairs, straightening the objects lying on the table, and finally gazing out the window. From across the field, she could hear distinctly patterned clanging and scuffling.

Curious, Catrine made her way out the door, despite the intoxicating smell of roasted meat now coming from deep within the manor. The distinct clash of metal meeting metal echoed in her ear, sending a pang of fright through Catrine's heart. She knew the peasants did not take kindly to their new lord and lady of Locksley, but an uprising or an assassin would be uncalled for and unforeseen. Sprinting off across the stretch of grasses, Catrine ran up the nearby hill, seeing two figures battling each other—one: the tall, muscular and dark man she had just married. With hard, swift blows, Guy beat back a peasant man, tall and lanky, but obviously skilled with a sword. For a moment, it seemed her husband had the upper hand.

"Guy," she called out, her voice edged in panic as she ran up behind him, lifting her skirts for speed. In a split second, Guy hesitated for a moment, hearing his name, before he roughly whacked the peasant on the back with the broadside of his blade.

"Point for me, Dirk," he scowled at the scraggly face before him before turning around, smirking at the panic-stricken look spread across Catrine's face. "Good morning, my love. You're up earlier than I anticipated."

"Wh-what's going on, Guy?" Catrine managed to stammer out as her eyes flashed from Guy to the peasant breathing heavily behind him.

"Training," he replied with a sniff. "Need to practice strength and form somehow. Even though fighting a mere peasant isn't much of a challenge," he added, as he looked sidelong at Dirk, wiping sweat off his high forehead on his stained, questionably red tunic.

Dirk let out an agitated grunt, "Master Robin used think me excellent competition when he rightfully kept his lands for years."

Guy spun on his heel, gripping his sword even tighter, "Robin of Locksley thinks any competition he defeats excellent." Catrine chuckled at his words, knowing it accurate of her childhood playmate and cousin.

His face darkening red, Dirk drew his blade back again and whacked Guy smartly in the stomach. Guy shoved Catrine out of his way with a pained groan. But she only strode back beside him once he let go.

"You'll pay for your insult and your arrogance, Guy of Gisborne. Robin of Locksley is twice the man, noble and master than you," Dirk taunted as he wound up for another blow.

Guy met Dirk's blade with his own, fighting back all signs of effort and pain. "If he is twice the man, then why would such a caring master abandon the town and the people he loves for years?"

Dirk's eyes flickered in response, "He will return, and when he does, you will be in very different straights then… master," he spat back, spinning his sword around in parry and striking again, "You and your… whore."

Anger burned in Guy's grey eyes as Catrine felt her own fury igniting. Guy's gloved fist clasped tightly around the peasant's forearm, and Dirk cried out in surprise and pain.

"Whore…" echoed through Catrine's mind as she stepped beside the two men, ground her teeth in determination, wound up her own fist… and met face with knuckle right into Dirk's cheek.

The sickening crack of bone sounded, and Guy's eyes opened wide at his wife's strike. Dirk crumpled to the grown right before him, his own clouded, dirty blue eyes wide and trembling in pain and shock. Catrine pressed her foot against his already swollen and red cheek, "We are your master and mistress now; do you not agree… Dirk was it?" she asked, digging the toe of her shoe deeper into his broken jaw. Dirk screamed in pain as he nodded furiously in agreement. "Good," Catrine smirked as she stepped away, meeting Guy's burning gaze. Burning in amazement and in stirring excitement for what his wife could do.

With a bellowing yell, Guy called for his steward, and Thornton came immediately, responding to his master's call. "Thornton, lock this thing up in the stocks," he growled as he planted a kick in Dirk's side, "And leave him there until he rots. He will learn what it means to not show proper respect to this village's lord and master."

Thornton reached down to assist Dirk to his feet, careful to appear not to show too much mercy. Dirk clutched at his jaw as he sent Guy a furious look. As Thornton began leading Dirk away, Guy ordered him to wait. He looked his wife up and down beside him, seeing her blush under his gaze.

"Give me that," he ordered, pointing to her sash about her hips. Slowly, Catrine reached for the knot behind her back with a smirk. Her eyes beckoned to Guy silently, sliding the fabric around her body as her hands continued to work the knot.

"I think I may need some help, my love," she breathed.

Guy chuckled quickly as he stepped up to her, bracing her against him, running his hands along her hips to her ass and finally her back. Unlacing the knot quickly, he placed a lingering kiss at the base of her neck, pulling away from her and turning around to face the two men once more.

"Hold out his hands, Thornton," he barked, wrapping the thin black material around his left hand deliberately. Dirk struggled against the old man trying to follow Guy's command, grunting inarticulately through his broken and swollen jaw. In a fluid effort, the peasant pushed Thornton back, only to find fingers pressing inexorably against his cheek as he turned back to face Guy once more.

Catrine smirked as she pressed even harder, digging into the wound she inflicted. "Hold out your hands," she ordered through clenched teeth, and Dirk obeyed. Guy grabbed his wrists, binding them together tight with Catrine's sash, barely drawing his eyes from her face to look at his own hands.

"Take him away," he barked as he shoved Dirk back towards Thornton. He stood watching their figures recede back towards the manor. A soft chuckle tickled his ear as hands wandered around his waist. He leaned back against Catrine, enjoying her attention as she continued to explore him all over.

"You're so tense, my love," she whispered, feeling his muscles contract and ripple under her hand as she began to rub and caress the skin beneath his jacket.

Guy chuckled, flexing his abs under her anxious fingers. "The shame of it is, now who am I going to train against?"

"How about me?" Catrine asked as she stepped away from him to Dirk's abandoned sword lying on the ground nearby. She grabbed it by the hilt, testing its weight and balance in both hands.

"You? You want to fight me?" Guy smirked, drawing his blade back out from his scabbard. "Have you ever even fought before?"

Catrine smiled and moved her blade in front of her face, saluting her opponent. Then she maneuvered the blade purposefully around her, first with the right, then the left; now twirling the blade with the wrist, then the forearm, then the entire shoulder. She moved closer and closer to Guy who held his blade at the ready. In a second, she swung the sword, stopping the blade a hairline from Guy's, the metal slicing through the air. Catrine panted a bit from her exertions, "You see, I watched my brother and father practice. Picked some up myself."

"Not bad," Guy commented, knocking the blade quickly away from his own. "But I hope you never really have to defend yourself. That's what I'm here for," he flashed a charming smirk.

"All the same," Catrine smiled, saluting Guy once more, "Do you think you would condescend to teach me, my love?"

"If you wish… but only in exchange for something," Guy placed his blade on hers now at attention, running the metal against its entire length. "One service for another?" he suggested, his voice sly.

Catrine laughed, beating back his blade and thrusting towards him from the side. Guy's eyes opened wider in surprise at her strike. "Fair enough, but let's make it interesting. First strike with the broadside wins. And by winning, I mean getting to decide exactly how the service is to be… rendered?"

Guy chuckled again, louder this time, "You're on."

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