Kiera
Weeks passed and she spent a lot of time with her friends and looking forward to the spring season. She and Voronwë spent a lot of time together and Kiera was glad to be there for him while he worked through a difficult time. Maewnis had left her mark on him emotionally and he tried to keep busy and away from Rog's house. They talked often about what happened as Voronwë did not get to truly enjoy his first time with someone. Instead of being upset and letting it affect him, Voronwë spoke to her and Tuor and worked through his feelings.
Kiera was proud of him for going through such a difficult time and her blood boiled when she heard about what Maewnis did. Instead of going slow and letting him feel comfortable, she rushed him and made him feel overwhelmed. It was over before he could enjoy himself and Maewnis made it worse by belittling him for it being his first time. It took a lot of talks with her and Tuor, but Voronwë promised himself that he would not try again unless it was with someone he trusted. Kiera had even offered to spend a night with him, but he declined and told her that he needed time.
Her weekly meetings with Maeglin had begun and it was well worth it to make Maewnis remain quiet. To her surprise, she enjoyed her weekly visits with Maeglin. He was insanely curious about everything and made her constantly sketch things out for him. The first few evenings together, tried both of their patience as he was like a toddler and constantly asked why and how. When she did not have a good enough answer for him, he grew frustrated. They finally came to an understanding as she sketched out simple things for him as they started with the basics. Even that was fascinating to him as she held all of her drawings close to his chest. His eyes sparkled when they spoke about machines and other inventions of her world. Kiera warned him that it might take him years to figure it out.
Maeglin waved his hand nonchalantly at her, "I have forever. I am immortal."
The Sunday afternoons with Ecthelion came to an end, but they were replaced by early morning runs together. Kiera was excited to start for several reasons, but also due to the warmer weather. It was about mid-April when she came downstairs to start her training. Ecthelion was eating breakfast with them as he waited for her.
"Good morning," he smiled pleasantly at her. "I hope it is alright that I join you for your meal. I wanted to tell you about your first training day."
"Of course," she exclaimed. Kiera sat down at the table and piled on a hearty breakfast of meats and fruits. "I can't wait to start training."
Tuor laughed, "the excitement will wear off shortly. It is going to be hard work and you will get extremely frustrated but it is necessary."
Ecthelion nodded in agreement and said, "I have spoken with Cadweth and she has agreed to change your lesson time. We will run together every morning and then you can bathe before you head to your lessons. Your lessons will have a break for a mid-day meal. We don't want you to eat right before your training lessons. Afterward, you will join Glorfindel in his training grounds. Each day you will train with him in the afternoons, but today will be a demonstration first. We realized you probably have never seen a sparring match or a real sword fight. I will join you today and spar with Glorfindel in the beginning."
That made her choke on her food as she coughed, "you're going to spar with Glorfindel today just so I can see a match?"
He shrugged, "we often spar together. We are evenly matched in terms of strength but I beat him often because I outsmart him."
He gave her a cheeky grin and a wink. Kiera couldn't wait to watch them fight as she knew it would be glorious. Eager to start the day, they finished up the meal and headed outside. It was a pleasant spring morning and they walked over to the wall and started to stretch. After a few minutes, Ecthelion led them up and began a slow jog.
The cool spring breeze filled her lungs as she began. It wasn't bad, but after a while, she had to stop and catch her breath. When she glanced around, she saw that they were only by the back gates, making her feel extremely embarrassed.
Thankfully, Ecthelion stopped with her and gave her an encouraging smile. "You are doing well," he commented. "The first day is always the hardest. It will get easier."
"I am doing terribly," she gasped out. "I didn't even make it one lap around at a light jog. I ran for days straight with Tuor and Voronwë."
Ecthelion bellowed out a hearty laugh. "Do not be so hard on yourself. You were running for your life and safety. The adrenaline kicks in and helps push you along. You would be surprised at what you can do when you are faced with difficult situations. I am not expecting you to be a fast runner. We are building up your endurance, but here sit with me for a moment and rest."
He moved closer to the edge of the wall and sat down near a break. Kiera sat next to him and swung her legs out over the wall. The sun started to rise above the mountains and they both watched the sight. Neither one of them spoke until the sun had made its way above the mountaintops.
"I used to think I would never weld a sword well enough," Ecthelion admitted. His eyes remained fixed on the mountains as he spoke. "All the high lords and royals in Valinor were secretly trained to wield one. By the time I learned, I was so far behind everyone else that I thought I would never catch up. When we left Valinor and walked across the Helcaraxë, I was terrified."
"The further we got away from Valinor, the feeling started to sink in. I was unprepared and I had no idea what waited for me here. As we lost more and more people on the journey, the fear consumed me. Without Glorfindel's help, I would have been lost."
Ecthelion looked away now and said, "the first battle happened right as we set foot in Middle Earth. It was the first time I saw orcs and all I could do was stare, frozen in fear. The little training I had, did not prepare me for the sight. They were gruesome creatures, and so unlike an elf, I thought I was dreaming and it was a creature dreamed up in my nightmares." He shivered and swallowed hard. "It was the screams of the women that woke me. Blood-curling screams that rang out in my ears. It was enough to shake me out of my state and then I made the split-second decision to fight. The battle was soon won, but I had only killed a handful of orcs. The troubled thought that settled with me was that some of the orcs were better fighters than me. By the skill of others and some luck, I survived."
Finally, he turned to her, and his face was stricken with grief. "When we settled in Mithrim and then Nevrast, I trained relentlessly. I fought against everyone who would spar with me and I lost more times than I won. I threw myself into my training while the others like Glorfindel partied and explored the surrounding areas. I made the decision for me because I never wanted to feel that fear again or to be helpless."
He smiled and the sadness drained from his face. His eyes twinkled as he said, "I was very hard on myself. I pushed myself every day as I thought it was never enough. No matter how many people I beat in fights, I still thought I wasn't good enough. That drive made me develop other skills while fighting. I continue to look for advantages and weaknesses of my opponents. I can study them and figure out how to defeat them quickly." Ecthelion reached out for her hand and took it in his. He squeezed while holding her gaze. "I see that same determination and drive in you. I admire that about you. I know you will do well but just give yourself a break every once and a while. You have plenty of time to learn as we are safe in this city."
Kiera smiled and squeezed back affectionately. Curious, she asked, "are you still scared now? When you go into battles are you still fearful or are you confident in your skills?"
His face turned to shame. He pulled his hand away and turned away from her. Refusing to look. Perhaps, that was a little too personal of a question for her to ask. Just as she was about to tell him to forget it, he spoke.
"Yes," he said softly. "I am still scared at times."
Still refusing to look at her, he stared out at the plains. "I still have that fear every time I go into battle. I was hoping that in time, it would lessen and eventually diminish. It has not. Even though I am prepared and have become a great swordsman, the fear still takes hold. I do not know where the fear stems from. Perhaps, I am scared of ending up in Angband, or I am scared of the doom of Mandos. If I am honest, both are equally terrifying.
Surprised, she asked, "I thought elves are immortal? Don't you just go to the halls for a short time and then get re-embodied?"
Ecthelion still didn't look at her as he shrugged half-heartedly. "I have no idea now. None of the exiles know what awaits us in Mandos's halls. The doom hangs over us and part of it states that should we arrive in Mandos's halls, we will wait a long time and yearn for our bodies again. I am not sure how long that will be or if the Valar will ever forgive us. It could be a few centuries or a millennia. Many of my fellow exiles prefer not to linger on the doom, but they are not the ones who are on the front lines risking their lives."
That possibly made her sad for him. He would give everything, including his life to protect the people, only to stay in limbo forever. Kiera thought back to the future she knew. Glorfindel returned, but he was a special case. Beyond that, the details she knew were foggy and she had to think hard to remember anything else. Unfortunately, she couldn't remember or she just didn't know. However, Kiera believed that the Valar would not keep them in the halls forever.
"I don't know a whole lot about this world but I like to believe that the Valar are merciful and forgiving. They did forgive Morgoth after all, so I can't imagine they would hold everything against you. I don't think you should be scared of Mandos's halls. I think it is a place of healing and forgiveness. Not a prison."
Finally, he turned to look at her, but his face held a blank look. "I want that to be true," he whispered as he closed his eyes. There was a deep longing in his voice as he said, "my heart hopes for it. Longs for it. Yet, I am still not sure. My mother and father are there, along with the rest of the exiles, but I have no idea what the halls are like. Námo never let us in when we lived in Valinor and he would never take in any elves to train. It is the one place that is still left as a mystery for us. I try not to linger on the thought, but it creeps up on me before a battle."
Kiera reached out and squeezed his arm. He blinked his eyes open and stared down at her with a smile. She matched his grin as she said, "I think it is best not to worry about it or linger on the thought. You can't do anything to change it but you will meet it when it comes. I have faith that everything will work out."
She let go of his arm and got up. When she stood, she reached out her hand, which he took easily and she pulled him up. "I think I need to keep running though. I enjoyed our break and thank you for sharing with me. I am glad you feel comfortable enough to share personal things with me."
"Of course," he replied cheerfully. "Come, we have four more laps to complete before we are done."
Kiera mouthed 'four' in horror which made him laugh out loudly. He was still chuckling at her as they began a slow jog. This time, Ecthelion kept himself just far enough ahead of her to keep her motivated. House after house they passed until they jogged past the front gate. Once that happened, Ecthelion started sprinting until she caught up to him, then he slowed down to a jog. The intervals continued, and all she could focus on was not stopping.
After the next lap around, she was drenched in sweat and her feet ached. The third lap was brutal as the internals stretched on longer, but Ecthelion kept encouraging her to keep going. When they started the last lap, Ecthelion took off running and she barreled on full steam ahead to try and keep up with him. She pushed through the pain and struggled to breathe, but finished the lap.
Ecthelion was waiting for her where they started and she collapsed on the ground, panting. Kiera flopped to the ground and rolled on her back. The cold stone felt heavenly and she heard him move above her.
Ecthelion's face came into view above her as he said, "nice job today. I look forward to running with you every morning. Soon you will be keeping up with me and we will run laps around the city without stopping. Let's stretch and then you need to get changed and get to your lesson."
She groaned and he cackled with glee. He was enjoying himself a little too much, but she like seeing him happy. Eventually, she rolled over and pulled herself up, and made her way down the stairs. They stretched together, but she knew she would be hurting tomorrow. Kiera said goodbye to him as they went their separate ways.
When she got into the house, Lewiel was waiting in the entrance hall and she asked for some hot water. Tuor's handmaiden brought her a steaming pail as she followed her up the stairs to her room. Once she deposited into the tub and left, Kiera stripped down and soaked in the hot water.
After a long, relaxing soak, she got dressed and headed out of the house for her lesson. Cadweth was waiting for her as usual but told her about the new lesson plan. The first half would focus on learning new words. They would break for a meal, and then in the afternoon, she would be speaking in full sentences. Excited for a change of pace, they begin the new plan that day.
She left for lunch and joined Voronwë at the table. His eyes lit up when he saw her and said, "Tuor is eating with the king and Idril again. I was at the market this morning helping my uncle and then I'm going to go to the shop after my meal. How was your morning run?"
Everything looked delicious and her stomach rumbled as she worked up quite an appetite. While she loaded her plate, she said, "exhausting. I know the first few weeks are going to be brutal. I will just have to plow through it."
He smiled and they spoke while they ate. After the meal, they walked together until Voronwë left her at the library. Cadweth began again, but this time, they spoke back and forth to each other. Her tutor corrected her sentences and words until she felt that was enough for the day.
Kiera rushed home after and got changed into training clothes. She didn't have a weapon yet, and Glorfindel told her she would not receive one for a long time. So she left and headed towards his house. When she got there, she turned towards his training grounds and heard the clashing of swords. Her excitement increased and she rushed into the area.
A few elves were sitting on a nearby bench, but Glorfindel and Ecthelion were sparing. She was in awe from the first moment and stood frozen in the doorway, just watching them. They moved so gracefully that it almost seemed like a dance. It was nothing like movies or tv shows as there were no outlandish movements or witty banter. No, Glorfindel and Ecthelion were deathly quiet as they prowled around each other fighting relentlessly for an opening. They kept a good distance between them, and only moved closer when they were ready to strike.
Oh, and strike they did. Glorfindel took the offensive and drove aggressively at Ecthelion. The force and quickness of the attack surprised her, but not as much as Ecthelion. He moved so fast, dodging the attack, and struck back just as hard. Glorfindel blocked him, but then they quickly moved away from one another. There were no fancy spins or big jumps, but their footwork was incredible. They were light and quick, but they planted their feet for a strong attack and defense.
Seeing them spar made Kiera swallow hard. She had hoped to be able to defend herself, but seeing these two made her realize that she was severely unprepared. They were said to be the best, but they were on a different level entirely. To be trained by them was a great honor and she would do everything they told her and work hard.
She moved over to stand next to the other elves and they all watched, mesmerized by the fight. In her new spot, she finally got a full glimpse of Ecthelion's sword, which made her gasp loudly in surprise. The noise caused Glorfindel to glance in her direction, which gave Ecthelion an opening. He struck and had his sword under Glorfindel's throat in seconds.
"Yield," Glorfindel grumbled.
Ecthelion laughed and pulled his sword away. Kiera clapped enthusiastically with the others. He pointed his sword over to the elf at her right and asked, "what have you learned?"
He replied quickly, "to strike when your opponent is distracted."
Ecthelion moved his sword to the next elf, who said, "wait out your opponent. Let them wear themselves down and wait for a moment to attack."
Ecthelion moved again to the next elf, who said, "strike hard and fast. Do not hesitate when you have an opening."
Finally, Ecthelion moved to her and she stammered, "you're amazing."
Everyone laughed, but all the elves agreed with her. Her cheeks flushed, but she was only a little embarrassed. Ecthelion was incredible, they both were actually.
Ecthelion just grinned at her and then called to the others, "dismissed. Same time tomorrow."
The other elves left and Glorfindel came over to stand next to Ecthelion. Without thinking, she blurted out, "can I see your sword?"
Glorfindel grinned, "of course."
Kiera waved her hand dismissively at him, "not yours. Ecthelion's."
Glorfindel pouted while Ecthelion looked surprised. He walked over and handed it to her. It looked nothing like the curved blade from the Hobbit. It was long, straight, but very well made. The hilt had several blue gems along with diamonds and there were delicate runes with Elvish carved on the metal. It must have been in Quenya because it didn't look like anything she had seen. Her grandmother used to think that Orcrist was Ecthelion's sword, but now she had the perfect opportunity to find out.
"Does it have a name," she asked eagerly?
He watched her with confusion. "Orcrist, the goblin cleaver. It is the mate of King Turgon's blade. It was given to me when I became the warden of the gates."
She gasped in awe at it and she caught the shared glance between the two elven lords. Curious, she asked, "does it glow blue when orcs are around? I hear there are some swords here that do?"
Ecthelion stared at her hard. "Yes," he replied slowly with a hint of suspicion. "All the lords of the city have swords that glow. Maeglin and Rog invented it. When he first came to the city, he trained under Rog and they worked together creating many swords. Glamdring and Orcrist were the first two successful swords created. They offered them to the king and when I was awarded warden of the gates it passed to me. The guards who patrol the mountains also have swords that glow. It is a critical advantage for us as the caves around the mountain have colonies of goblins. Did you hear about my sword from someone?"
That made her freeze and she quickly replied, "yup. I heard it was awesome. I wanted to see it."
The look he gave her made her realize that he didn't really believe her, but she avoided his gaze and continued to admire his sword. Glorfindel coughed, "would you like to see mine?"
She handed back his sword and nodded. Glorfindel handed his over. It was similar to Ecthelion's sword, but it was more detailed and lavish. The hilt was solid gold and had a large golden flower carved in the center. Many yellow gems encircled the design and embedded in the hilt. On the actual metal, there were only a few runes and words carved in. She held it for less than a minute before handing it back to him.
Glorfindel pouted, "you don't like mine?"
Kiera shrugged and offered him a small smile. "It is nice, just a bit to much for my tastes."
Ecthelion laughed at him, but then they both looked at her. He said, "you will get your own sword eventually. Perhaps, you should ask Celebrimbor to make you one as he is a great smith. You could ask Maeglin but I am unsure if he would. He is the best sword smith in the city followed by Rog."
"I can ask Maeglin," she grinned happily. "We have weekly meetings now and I can see if he will make one for me. Cele prefers to make jewelry. I asked him a while ago about making a sword and he admitted that he doesn't like to."
Glorfindel chuckled, "you will not need one for a while. I will not let you fight with one until I know you will not hurt yourself or others. Now, what do you know about sword fighting?"
"Nothing."
Ecthelion smiled, "we will start from the very beginning then. Come stand with us and we will begin."
Kiera walked closer to them. Ecthelion and Glorfindel stood across from each other with her in the middle.
Eager to begin, she waited, but they just held their swords by their sides. Glorfindel asked, "which is better? A heavy sword or lighter?"
She groaned. She had a feeling they were serious about no swords until she was ready, but she had not excepted questions. "Lighter," she replied.
"Why?" asked Ecthelion.
"Easier to move. Easier to carry and use for longer periods."
Whether that was the right answer or not, she didn't know. Glorfindel moved on to the next question. "Do you want to be closer to your opponent or far away?"
She thought back to their match and went with an answer she thought was correct. "Far away but close enough to strike."
"Why?" asked Ecthelion.
"So you are not too close to your opponent in case they strike and also give yourself space to move."
Ecthelion nodded, "good but not great. You need to maintain the distance during the fight. It will not be possible all of the time, but having a distance protects your life. Do not get close to your opponent unless you are going for the killing blow. You need to constantly be moving, but your actions and movements need to have a purpose. This is not a dance. This is a deadly battle that will cost you your life. One wrong move, one wrong step, and it is over. Do you understand what I am saying?"
His words settled deep in her stomach as she understood the gravity of the situation. This was life and death and she knew that. "Yes," she gulped. "I need to do this and I understand." She paused and added softly, "I don't want to be helpless."
Ecthelion moved quickly and stood in front of her. His eyes grew dark and the look on his face made her shiver. He got extremely close to her, to the point of towering over her, and glared down at her.
"You are helpless. You will never be able to defeat me. You are a weak mortal compared to even the best men. No amount of training or skill you do in your lifetime will come close to mine. You will never match my strength or height. You should give up now because you will always be helpless. It is better for you to be a coward and save yourself than to put your life in harm's way trying to be a hero."
The kind lord was gone and in its place was the hardened soldier. Kiera shrunk back from him, but he just stepped even closer to her and hissed, "you will never be a hero. Your actions on the battlefield will never be remembered in songs or tales. A single orc would wipe you out in a second and your name will be used as an example of what not to do. You will always be remembered as the pathetic mortal who had a delusion of grandeur. A woman's place is by a man's side and raising the children."
His words struck a nerve and she would not let him push her around. She was going to do this, with or without his help.
"Fuck you," she snarled.
His eyes flashed with anger. He lowered his head down so he was at eye level with her. "What did you say to me?"
She gritted her teeth and met his glare with one of her own. This could have been a test, or he might actually believe some of what he said. Either way, she wouldn't put up with it.
"I said fuck you. It means get bent or get fucked, whatever. I'm not doing this to be a hero. I care about my life and I need to be prepared. I am not stupid enough to run into a battle where I know I will die. You can play the hero all you want. I want to live, but I know I need these skills to do so in this world. And fuck you for that sexist comment. I am my own person. I don't need a man to make my life have meaning or to protect me."
Her words had little effect on him as he got right up in her face. She could feel his hot breath on her and they were so close, she could see the deep blue of his eyes. His words came out as a whisper, yet they were as sharp as a blade, piercing her heart. "You will always need a man to protect you. Better you realize that now and accept it."
"Fuck you."
With speed she had not seen before, Ecthelion dropped his sword and picked her up with ease. He smashed her back hard against the stone wall and locked her arm to the wall with his. The look on his face was murderous and his mouth formed a thin line. His grip was strong and her wrist felt like it was on fire in his grasp.
He got close to her again while she thrashed against him to get loose. "Beg for Glorfindel's help. You are no match against me and the only way you are going to get free is if he helps you."
Kiera glanced up at Glorfindel who was watching the scene with his arms crossed. He seemed to be waiting for her to speak, but she wouldn't give in without a fight. She thought quickly about her options and did the only thing that might work. Kiera brought her knee up hard into his crotch.
Ecthelion groaned out in pain but kept hold of her arm. Kiera tried to bring her knee up again, but he moved his free hand to stop her. That was the distraction she needed, as she used her free arm to elbow him in the face.
It was over quickly, and he fell to the ground clutching his face and crotch. Kiera moved away from him but winced as Ecthelion groaned out loudly on the ground.
Glorfindel winced as well and commented, "well done. I was not expecting that. I think you may have got him a bit too hard though."
Ecthelion managed to get on his knees but he buried his head into his arm on the ground. The other hand was still clutching himself and Kiera hoped he was alright. Glorfindel wasn't moving, and she couldn't wait any longer.
Kiera leaned down next to him and said, "I'm sorry. I wasn't sure if this was a test or not but I have had some self-defense training in my world. I hope I didn't hurt you. Are you ok?"
He shook his head but she couldn't see his face. Finally, Glorfindel walked over to them and helped Ecthelion up. There were tears in his eyes and a red mark on his face. She felt dreadful. Glorfindel helped him to the bench and left the training grounds for a moment. The silence was awkward and Kiera knew that Ecthelion was in no position to speak, so she moved over and sat on the other end of the bench.
His eyes were closed and his hands were in his lap covering himself. This was not how she was expecting the day to go. They sat in silence for a while until Glorfindel returned with a wet cloth in his hand. He dropped it in Ecthelion's lap, who moaned out in pain.
Glorfindel winced and asked, "are you alright, or do you need a healer?"
"Healer," he choked out.
Glorfindel didn't wait and sprinted off. The guilt was settling in and she burst out, "I'm sorry. I feel terrible and I didn't mean to do it. It's what the training prepares us for and we practiced a lot during the classes. I assumed you would block it, but I think I might have hit you too hard."
He closed his eyes again and didn't say anything. The silence was painful as they waited for a healer. She became anxious as they waited, unsure if he would be upset with her or hate her for what happened. A little while later, Glorfindel returned with an elf in white robes. He was tall and had bright green eyes and brown hair. He glanced at her for a second, before he kneeled in front of Ecthelion.
"I heard you got hit in the testicles," the elf said. "Usually, the pain would have subsided by now. I can give you a healing session but you know what that entails."
Ecthelion just nodded but kept his eyes closed. Glorfindel pulled her up from the bench and grabbed her shoulders to turn her around. They faced the doorway together, creating a wall for Ecthelion and the healer. Kiera looked ahead to give them privacy, but she was curious as to how healing worked here.
Glorfindel must have guessed her thoughts as he said, "the healing sessions don't take long but they need actual contact of the area causing pain. Cadunir trained under the Valar and is one of the best in the city. He heals all the guards and lords."
A soft, white glow emanated behind them followed by a soft voice singing a melody. It was over quickly and the healer passed by us with a nod. They both turned around and she saw Ecthelion smiling at her. Without thinking, she rushed to him and barreled into him with a hug. Surprisingly, he hugged her back tightly and she sighed with relief.
"It is alright," he said softly to her. "I was not expecting that at all. I did not know you had self-defense lessons and I was trying to teach you an important lesson."
They pulled away from each other, but their eyes met. Ecthelion brushed a piece of her hair from her face and behind her ear as he said, "you need that passion and desire to learn. We cannot teach you that. You have to want it. Your typical friendly and easygoing attitude needs to be left when you learn to fight."
He squeezed her arms tightly as he stared deep into her eyes. "Do not hesitate. EVER." He passed, to let his words sink in a minute. His voice was filled with passion and fire as he continued, "do not allow yourself to show mercy. You will never get mercy in return. You need to fight everyone, even your friends. Fighting is life or death and you cannot make mistakes. You need to use everything to your advantage."
His voice softened and he squeezed her shoulders gently, "I did not mean what I said to you. Not a word of it. Please understand that. I was trying to make you angry to see if you would respond to me. I was baiting you so I could put you in that position. You did pass my test and I am so thankful."
"However," he added. "You will never be able to beat me on raw strength. You have to use your brain and outsmart your opponents and use any advantages that you have. You are small, less strong than a man, but light and quick on your feet. There is no honor in sword fighting. You must play dirty, use tricks, and use your opponent's weaknesses against them. This is what you must do to succeed, as you will never be able to beat some opponents on raw strength alone. This is the most important lesson. We can teach you the forms, techniques, and endurance but you need to work on this skill above others. Do you understand?"
"Yes," she replied firmly.
He let her go and said, "good. Glorfindel is going to teach you the basics. I am helping you with endurance and we will both help you keep your mind sharp. Once you finish your basic training with Glorfindel you can join the others as they take turns sparring. This is necessary, as you can learn more from other people. I think we are done for the day though."
Ecthelion left her to walk over to grab his sword. Glorfindel smiled, "tomorrow we will start with form. Same time and place but I am excited to train you now."
Dismissed, she left the training grounds and walked home. Not as eager as she once was, but more determined than ever.