This is Part Two of the Prophecy Series
Chapter 2 A New Begining
Isabella woke at dawn, looking outside she knew it would be another hot day stretching she loosened up her muscles. She bathed, enjoying the beautiful warm water, then dressed quickly in soft worn leather boots, folded from mid thigh down to just below her knee. She dressed in her bikini and slid on a halter neck shirt and worn soft cut off breeches. As always her father's dagger was strapped to her leg. She brushed her hair and left her chamber, Ty at her heels. Isabella stopped in at Jasper's chamber, he was asleep when she entered. Opening the window shutters she gently shook Jasper. He groaned, covering his face with his arm.
"Wha, what time is it?" he mumbled.
"It be after dawn," Isabella said.
"Dawn," he mumbled. "It's so early Bella."
She grinned, "Get up and bathe. Then come downstairs. We will have breakfast," she said, before turning and leaving the room. Jasper grinned at the sight of her long, muscular tanned legs, exposed to his view, and the curve of her hips and behind through the short, tight cut off breeches. He was also appreciative of the expanse of her tanned skin exposed from the back of the halter neck. He sat up and stumbled into the other chamber to bathe. Isabella went across to the chamber set aside for Alice and knocked.
Alice called out. "Come in," Isabella opened the door and entered. The chamber was as beautiful as the others. Alice was seated at the end of the bed brushing her long wet hair. She was dressed in similar attire to Isabella.
"Good morrow Alice," Isabella said. "I did not think thou would be awake at this time," Alice grinned.
"I always get up this early. Isabella this place is wonderful."
"Come, there are others for thee to meet," Isabella said. They left Alice's chamber and made their way downstairs to the dining hall. The room was nearly full when they entered. The long table was covered in delicious fresh food. Several young men grinned at Isabella and looked at Alice with approval. They moved to one side to allow them to sit. Edward sat at the other side of the table, Nianva beside him. He gave both the women a grin.
"Thou are looking much better this morn, Alice," Edward said, grinning at her. Alice blushed and grinned back.
"Thanks," she said. "I feel a lot better today."
"I hope so Alice, for today begins thy training. Edward is to be thy sparring partner and he be a formidable opponent," Isabella said. Edward grinned wickedly at her. Alice simply raised her eyebrows.
"I am sure I can handle whatever he has to throw at me," the people crowded around them laughed and Edward joined in until what Isabella said hit him.
"Wait, Bells, thou are my sparring partner," he said.
"Aye," she said. "I know, but for the time being I am to be Jasper's partner. I need thee to teach Alice how to fight," Edward nodded, his eyes clouded slightly. Isabella reached for his hand over the table.
"Do not look so crestfallen my friend, I shall be back giving thee bruises before thou has a chance to miss me," everyone laughed. Edward grinned.
"Aye, I won't complain at watching thee give Jasper a few of those bruises too," he said, raising another laugh. The man in question suddenly appeared, his honey hair falling untidily as always. He looked devilishly handsome in dark breeches, leather boots and a soft shirt. People began to crowd around him, shaking his hand, patting his shoulder, firing questions at him. Isabella stood, ordering the people to give him room. She gestured him to sit beside her. He squashed into the crowded bench beside her. She gave him a smile.
"Are thou ready to train?" she asked. Jasper nodded.
"I'll give it my best shot," he said. Isabella stood up on the bench.
"I would like to introduce all of thee to a brave, strong young man, who have risked much, and seen much in his journey to join us in our fight against Victoria," she pulled Jasper up until he stood beside her.
"The Promised One is amongst us. He shall aid us to raise an army who shall overthrow Victoria and free our peoples. The prophecy shall come to pass," everyone stood and cheered. Jasper blushed and sat back down. They began to eat. Isabella leant over to Jasper
"We call this place Haven. Those that come here, have nowhere else to go. Here they find a home and a family. This be the rebel force," she said. "These people are my closest companions and lethal fighters all. They will teach thee much and will do anything they can for thee," Jasper smiled.
"Thou are lucky to be so surrounded by friends," he said, thinking of his home. His father was wealthy and all his life he never knew whether people wanted to be his friend for him, or because he was rich. Isabella smiled sadly.
"When this is over, who knows who will sit in these halls and laugh and talk? And who shall be with us no more, who shall walk the glades of the Port Angeles, free of fear and pain," Jasper puts his arm around her bare shoulders. She gave him another smile.
"I am alright. I just hate war, yet that be its nature. All know this and no one be here against their will."
They finished eating and Isabella led Jasper and Alice, with the others to the chamber set up for training. Jasper and Alice stared around in shock at the amazingly well stocked gymnasium. Large open windows ran along one side of the room, allowing the cool, soft breeze to fill the room. Along the other side of the room were all manner of staffs, training swords, shields, sparring pads and more. Jasper shot an excited grin at Isabella.
"This place is so cool," he said, looking over the training weaponry adorning the walls. He pointed to the windows though.
"Isn't that dangerous?" he asked. "Surely anyone on a ship would be able to see them," Isabella shook her head.
"Nay, to the outside world the cliff-face be naught but solid rock," Jasper nodded, and turned his attentions back to the weapon laden walls. Edward winked at Isabella and tossed her a staff. She caught, twirling it expertly in her hands. Edward beckoned her mockingly.
"Why don't we show these Earthlings what they are in for?" he said. Isabella grinned wickedly, advancing on Edward. They swung the staffs with skill, grinning at each other. Isabella gave a yell and leapt high, over Edward's head. Using her staff, she clipped the back of his knee, sending him to the ground. He flipped lithely to his feet, grinning at Isabella. He swung the staff in front off him expertly before striking out at her. Isabella saw it coming and raised her own staff and caught his before it crashed into her skull.
Edward and Isabella had been sparring for years, they never gave each other an inch, pushing the other to greater feats. Isabella threw Edward off and circled around him, her cheeks flushed with adrenalin. Edward gave a fearsome grin, rushing her suddenly. The staff's crashed together heavily, the force of Edward's momentum forcing Isabella to the ground. She kicked her legs up, catching him in the chest and sending him flying to the ground. She flipped to her feet and pressed the tip of the staff against his throat.
"Do thou yield?" she asked, grinning wickedly. Edward gave a laugh and nodded his defeat. Isabella moved the staff and pulled Edward to his feet. They wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders, smiling then looked at Jasper and Alice. They were looking at Isabella and Edward in shock. Jasper snapped out of it first.
"Damn, that was cool," he said. "You are going to teach me that Bells?" he asked. She grinned.
"Thou shall learn many things here," she said. She gestured Alice to Edward. "Do not look so worried Alice, I trust Edward with my life. He be a fine teacher," Alice covered her slightly apprehensive look with a confident grin, and stepped forward to meet Edward. Jasper stood near Isabella.
"We're going to start with those?" he asked. Isabella grinned and shook her head. "Nay, we are going to start with something a little easier," she said. She opened her hand and sent the stave back to the stands. Edward did the same. Alice watched him amazed. He grinned at her.
"You can do magick as well?" she asked. Edward nodded. Nianva stood at the front of the long hall. She was older than most of the others who had sought sanctuary here, and was a fearsome warrior in her own right. None had beaten her, and only several of the warriors who called this place home had even come close. She had told no one but those closest to her about her past, but everyone knew that she had learnt a strange form of combat from an ancient civilisation from a far away land. She led them in a meditation and stretching. Isabella watched Jasper and Alice as they followed the motions as best they could. The martial arts Jasper had learnt on Earth were similar in many ways the form Isabella had been learning from Nianva for years. As she watched she could see Edward begin to teach Alice. She was a quick learner, and Isabella could see he was impressed by her strikes.
It was hours later when Nianva finally called a break.
"Oh thank god," Jasper said, dropping to the ground exhausted. Isabella was a hard sparring partner, refusing to let him stop, pushing him to better his strikes. Alice hit the ground beside him, her face flushed. Edward and Isabella grinned at each other.
"I told thee they did not know what they were in for," Edward said, handing Isabella a skin of water. She took it, drinking thirstily.
"Aye, thou were right," she said, handing the skin to Jasper and Alice.
"So that's it for today right?" Jasper asked, as soon as he had finished gulping down water. Edward and Isabella both burst out laughing.
"Jasper, it is barely noon. After thou have had a break, Edward and I are going to teach the two of thee how to fight with swords," Isabella said. Jasper's face fell. He groaned when he remembered how heavy his sword was. Isabella pulled Jasper too his feet and handed him a practice blade.
"Come, let us begin," she said. Edward helped Alice to her feet and together he and Isabella began to show them the basics.
After several hours practicing with Isabella and Edward, Jasper left the galley some of the other men who had offered to teach him how to hunt, and catch fish, Isabella took Alice and led her up a series of stairs until they reached a small room.
"This be our distillery and surgerym" Isabella said. She led Alice to a small door set into the rock. When opened Alice found that it led to a small, well-stocked herb garden.
"I've always wanted to learn about herbsm" Alice said. Isabella grinned.
"Healers are much sought after here. It shall be good to have another person to aid me here," she said.
"Why can't you just heal people like you did with my nose?" Alice asked.
"To heal someone by touch, involves the healer giving the wounded some of their energy. To heal everyone that way would be far too taxing on a healer," Isabella explained. Alice nodded.
"But you can teach me how to heal people like that though right?" she asked. Isabella smiled.
"In time, yes. Yet thou use that gift only when thou must," she said. Alice nodded, agreeing. Isabella thought over all the time she had spent in here learning from Eric. He had taught her well, yet Isabella was a warrior at heart and knew Alice was better suited to healing than fighting. As Isabella began to teach Alice the basics of working with herbs, Eric, who had taken an interest in the young Earthling, entered and began to offer his own thoughts.