Chapter 15: A Day of Sparring
Nimbrethil opened her eyes and stretched in her bed. She had snuck back to the inn and climbed through the window of her room the previous evening. Bishop had unsettled her and she hadn't wanted to go back to the common room where he was sure to be. Unfortunately, she had dreamed about that stupid kiss they shared and hadn't gotten much sleep. Getting out of bed, she pulled on a pair of pants and a loose shirt and then headed down the hall to the common room. As soon as she walked in her uncle came over with a pot of tea and asked her what she wanted for breakfast. As he hurried off to make it, she spotted Bishop in his usual corner. Going over to him she stopped beside his table, and waited until he looked at her.
"What?" he grumbled at her and then scowled down into his mug of coffee.
"Grumpy this morning are you? Next time don't try to drink the Flagon dry," she smirked a little at him and heard him snarl but didn't catch any words. "I was going to ask you to spar with me this morning, but I guess I'll have to ask Casavir."
Bishop's head snapped up like it was on a puppet string and he glared at her. Spar with the tin can? She couldn't be serious, the man wouldn't be able to keep up with her. "Funny, I hadn't pegged you for one who liked to fight by the book, which is the only way the paladin knows how to fight."
"Well, better that than someone with a hangover who can't see straight," she snipped back at him. Putting on her best "I'm disappointed" face, she moved away towards where Casavir was sitting.
"After breakfast be prepared to get your ass kicked elf," Bishop called after her.
"Well, we'll just see who kicks who's ass ranger," she smiled a little as she looked back. Sitting down at the table she poured a cup of tea and waited for her breakfast. Shandra came over and sat across from her.
"If you're going to be practicing this morning would you mind if I join you?" she asked. "Khelgar has an extra sword and shield I can use."
"No, that won't do," Nimbrethil answered and saw the woman's face fall. "We need to get you your own armor and sword before you begin, something that you will be comfortable with. Otherwise you could end up getting hurt."
"I didn't think of that," Shandra paused as Duncan placed a bowl of porridge in front of the elf. "I just figured that it would be best to get started as soon as possible."
"We'll go get you some gear first and then we'll see," Nimbrethil told her in between mouthfuls. She saw Bishop looking at Shandra with an expression of disdain. Obviously he didn't think much of her learning to fight, but it was necessary. When she finished eating, she asked the others if they wanted to come. Not surprisingly all the men said no, and Khelgar actually shuddered at the idea of shopping with women. With the help of the other women, Nimbrethil sorted through the various items they had looted on their last trip, bundling up the stuff they would sell, before leaving the inn.
Their first stop was the armorsmith where Shandra tried on different types of armor. She found plate mail to be heavy but Nimbrethil told her that she would eventually get used to the weight and that, until she was accomplished at wielding a shield and sword, she would get hit often. The plate was the best protection for her. So she wouldn't be overburdened, she took the elf's advice and selected a smaller shield than what most sword fighters used. She figured that with practice she would get used to the weight and then she could get the bigger one.
The next stop was the weaponsmith to try different types of swords and see which one she liked best. As she tried them out she saw Nimbrethil haggling with the merchant over the price of a beatiful longsword. She finally settled on a longsword herself and joined the elf at the counter. "You're replacing the sword you just got already?"
Looking at her Nimbrethil shrugged, "The one I have isn't balanced well and it's made of steel. This one is perfectly balanced and because it's made of mithral, it's as strong as steel but half the weight. Not only that it has a couple of special enchantments on it that make it deal extra damage on impact." Then smirking a little she whispered, "Wait until Bishop sees this, he won't know what hit him."
Shandra frowned a bit at that comment, but said nothing as the elf paid for their purchases and started back to the Flagon. She wasn't sure what was going on between those two, but she didn't like or trust Bishop and felt that Nimbrethil was getting too close to him. She debated with herself again about saying something, but eventually decided to wait and see. She didn't want to get on the bad side of the elf for she had seen how she could get when crossed. She might find herself left to her own devices and that scared her more than she cared to admit.
******
After helping Shandra to put on her new armor and showing her how to adjust the straps for the shield, Nimbrethil went to change into her practice leathers. She had made them herself, with the help of her father, and they fit like a glove. Glancing in the mirror she saw how they emphasized her curves and was pleased. Bishop had spent much of the trip watching her every move and she couldn't wait to see his reaction. Both her father and Georg had told her that distracting your opponent, getting them off balance, was the key to every fight. Time to find out how much of a distraction she could be. Humming a little to herself she headed out behind the inn where there was plenty of room for sparring and saw Bishop waiting for her. As she approached, she saw his eyes widen a little as they roamed over her and she had to suppress a chuckle.
"It's about time you got here," Bishop growled, trying to hide the fact that what she was wearing had an affect on him.
"That eager to get your butt kicked are you?" she drawled amusedly. She heard the clash of steel on steel and looking over saw Shandra was sparring with Casavir.
Following the line of her gaze, Bishop snorted as the farm girl clumsily swung her sword at the paladin. "You really think she can learn to defend herself?"
"She has to learn because otherwise she'll be a burden to the group," Nimbrethil answered. "I have enough problems of my own and those I can't count on in a fight will be left behind at the inn. I didn't go to all the trouble of rescuing her from the gith, only to lose her in a stupid fight later on because she couldn't defend herself." Moving to a spot about ten feet away, she drew her swords and readied herself, arching an eyebrow at Bishop in challenge.
Bishop drew his own weapons and gave her a feral grin, then paused as he saw the gleaming blade in her hand. "New toy?"
"Just a little something I found this morning," Nimbrethil smirked at him, eager to test her blade against his. "Caela ie'lle, Mellonamin" (Have at thee, My Friend).
"Seasamin, Aier" he replied as he began to circle her. (My pleasure, short one)
Nimbrethil eyed him as she waited for him to make the first move. Some would take the view that letting your opponent strike first was a mistake, but practicing with Georg had taught her the value of letting them commit to a course of action and then countering it. She was smaller and not as strong as a human and therefore had to be cautious in any engagement with them. She could not stand and trade blows all day and therefore had to take a more defensive posture. Therefore, when Bishop lunged forward she was ready for him and countered his stroke easily. They continued to move around each other, their swords clashing as they parried and thrust, neither one managing to get the upper hand. After several minutes she could feel a pleased grin come to her face as she realized that the new sword was making a big difference in this battle.
Bishop couldn't help but respect how much better she had become in the short time they had been sparring together. She was learning faster than most and was already almost equal to him in skill. He knew it was the new weapon she had bought that was making the most difference, but there was no denying she had improved in other areas as well. He found himself grinning a little at the thought that he had finally found a worthy partner, at least on the practice field. It remained to be seen how well they worked together in battle.
Shandra had paused to catch her breath, for moving in plate mail was tiring. She saw Casavir had fixed his gaze on Nimbrethil and Bishop as they sparred. She turned to observe them, hoping to pick up a pointer or two, even though they were using a different style. As the two moved and clashed, she couldn't help but admire the grace and speed they displayed. It almost looked as if they were dancing, not fighting. As their match continued, she saw the other companions had come outside to watch them.
Casavir frowned as he watched the way the ranger was attacking Nimbrethil. The intensity of the match had increased in the past couple of minutes, and some of the strikes he made came very close to hurting her. He also saw that she was responding in kind and his concern was heightened. This was not the way people practiced, it was bordering on an all out fight. Could the ranger be trying to hurt her? He bit his lip, unsure whether or not he should intervene.
Duncan had come outside to watch and felt his concern mount as he saw Bishop and his niece sparring. It didn't look like any sparring match he had ever witnessed. First the intensity level was too high, and second they were trading insults with each other, with each one being nastier than the last. When Bishop had managed to knock Nim off her feet, he assumed that it was over. To his shock, the man continued to attack her as she lay on her back. Seeing that made his blood boil, and without a second thought he ran over and shoved Bishop from behind, sending the man sprawling to the side.
"What the hells do you think you're doing?" Nimbrethil yelled at her uncle as she got to her feet.
"He had you in a totally defensive position. He could have seriously hurt you," Duncan protested.
"So? What of it?" she snarled. "I told him to keep attacking even if I was in a totally defensive position. Do you think that an enemy won't do the same thing if they had the chance? How else am I to learn how to handle myself in such a position?"
"You told him to fight this way?" Duncan asked, stunned by the comment. "That's not the way people practice," he said angrily.
"Maybe not your way, but it suits me fine!" Nim snapped angrily.
"This is supposed to be a sparring match Nimbrethil," Casavir spoke up as he came over. "Duncan is right, you could have been seriously hurt."
"Oh please paladin, if you're looking for a damsel in distress to help go coddle the farm girl," Bishop sneered in disgust. "Nimbrethil's anything but."
"What you did was not honorable in a sparring match Bishop," Casavir snarled at him.
"Honorable? Do you think that enemies such as the gith and demons we encountered give a damn about honor?" Bishop said in disgust.
Before the two men could continue the argument, Nimbrethil stepped between them. She was furious at the interference and unable to maintain control of her temper. "You can spar however you want Casavir, but don't dare try to tell me how to handle my own session," she yelled at him. Looking around at everyone she growled, "If anyone interferes in one of my practice sessions again they may just find themselves with some wounds of their own to patch up. Do I make myself clear?" Without waiting for an answer she turned and stalked off back to the inn, slamming the door behind her. Going to her room she removed her swords and belt and then paced back and forth, fuming at the bunch of them. She was not some flimsy, helpless, female who needed to be protected. She had been taking care of herself for over half a century, longer than any of them had been alive. How dare they tell her how to conduct her business? When someone knocked on her door she ignored it.
"Nimbrethil, can I talk with you?" Shandra's voice asked.
Yanking open the door she motioned to her to come in before resuming her pacing. "If you've come to lecture me too I suggest you forget it."
"No, I actually came to sympathize with you," Shandra retorted in amusement. She saw the elf stop and stare at her in surprise. "I know how you feel. Men always seem to think that no woman is capable of taking care of herself. It does get to be annoying after a while. Though I don't have a great deal of experience, even I could tell that Casavir was holding back with me. I asked him why and he said that I wasn't like other women he fought, that he needed to be more careful." The farmer couldn't keep the annoyance out of her voice.
Before she could say anything, Neeshka and Elanee came striding in. Nimbrethil realized that they must have witnessed her little outburst and felt an embarassing flush heat her face. "Not exactly the cool, competent leader was I?"
All three women burst out laughing at that. "Honestly Nimbrethil, I think you didn't go far enough with them. I would have probably punched them," Neeshka said in between bouts of laughter. "I mean, I have been taking care of myself for most of my life, but there have been some men in the past that seemed to think I needed help. As if!"
"I agree, men can be a bit overprotective sometimes," Elanee chimed in, her laughter more subdued than the others. "You just have to not let it bother you and continue leading your own life. You have to admit that even you need the protection someone the size of Casavir or Bishop can provide at times."
"That doesn't mean that they have to always treat you like a whimpy girl. If you give them a chance, they will put you in a dress and stick you in the kitchen," Shandra told them, still irked by Casavir's earlier comment. "I mean how many women did you encounter when working for the City Watch?"
"I only saw a couple others besides Brelaina," Nimbrethil replied. "While it is true that men are better suited for some things, not every situation calls for brute force. A little finesse can and does go a long way in some situations."
"When we found Casavir up in the Sword Mountains, the only woman in the group was Katriona, in case you forgot," Neeshka pointed out. "I've noticed this among most races. Very few women actually go out to fight."
"That may be because they don't wish to do such a thing. Which doesn't mean all women are of the same mind," she said thoughtfully. "While amongst the elves it is common for women to fight alongside the men, it is not so in human society," Elanee told them. "I am sure the same held true in West Harbor."
"Actually, it is more common amongst mere villages to find women in the milita, although granted not as many as in elven villages," Nimbrethil clarified. "Living in and around the Mere can be extremely dangerous. Many learn to fight in some way, if only so that they can get themselves out of danger should they need to. However, few go so far as to actually become members of the militia. It is this that seems to perpetuate the idea that fighting should be left to men."
"Still, the fact remains that amongst humans and most other races, woman are still considered to be more useful as wives and child bearers than as fighting companions," Shandra smiled a little at the looks of disgust that crossed the others' faces.
"Ugh, being a stay at home mom sounds sooo boring," Neeshka rolled her eyes.
"Well, hopefully they got the point and stop trying to protect me all the time," Nimbrethil sighed. "Can we talk about something else?"
Laughing they began making suggestions, and soon the confrontation with Casavir and Duncan was pushed to the back of her mind. She knew that most of the reason for the protests had been because they didn't like Bishop for whatever reason. Still, that didn't give them the right to tell her what to do and she hoped she wouldn't have to remind them of that again. As the afternoon wore on, none of them had any idea that life was about to get very complicated for all of them.