Embers of the past [Training and Flashback]

[Danika]

Day 10 of Fall of 507 AV



Danika was up early, dawn had not yet broken over the silent city. She knew Jay was around at this time, practising in the training hall.
She made her way silently, whips by her side, once arrived she unclipped her whips , passing them form right to left hand and vice verse. Jay turned cracking his whip and grinning, he was almost as good as his father,born between blades he just seemed to have a natural talent for weapons.
She had just started dualwielding whips and since he was left handed it was good for her to copy him. She smiled back at him, he was ,she had to admit a quite good looking guy, sandy blonde with bright green eyes, not too tall and proportionate and a strong jaw.

He turned towards a wooden boards were different knobs and points potruded. Jay didn’t talk,or at least he almost never talked. He swung his arm up in a forward crack and it latched on one of the knobs. Danika copied him with her left hand swinging her arm up and forwards in a fast and fluid notion, elbow pointing at her target. The whip was now extended behind her, then stepping forward with her opposite leg and swung forward jerking her wrist then jerking back so it latched onto the same knob. Left or right she could get it right most of the time but the problem was, well, together.

A whip in each hand, she tried resulting in a tangled mess while Jay laughed softly. She decided not to trust her instincts but t rely on the precise order of things. “Up, back, foot, forward, latch” The result was one whip latching while the other flopped to the floor. She frowned thinking about the exercise her mentor used to get her used to handling two different things together “One eye has to see a falling stone, the other a fallen one” She focused on the task ahead muttering “up, back.fli…DAMN!” .
She had to settle for the next best thing, swing first one then the other a split second later to give herself time to think “Up,up,back,flick left,right,forward left,right,step,latch left, right”
She grinned ass it worked even though it didn’t feel so coordinate. She repeated 10 times to be sure she had mastered it and that it wasn’t only luck.


In the mean time Jay had pulled on heavy gloves and leather armour, she grinned as she flicked her whip in his general direction, he jumped out of the way towards her, she tried to swing back, but it was too late he had reached her, his hand wrenching her only weapon from her’s.
He tripped her up deftly pinning her to the ground; she responded by kicking him furiously trying to bring her legs under him. She pushed with all her might and he fell back, but he didn’t let go of her, her arm was still in his iron grip, the result was Danika being dragged across the floor.
She spat dust at him trying to claw him off barely managing to free a hand she pushed his hand away. Without missing a beat she let go squirming forward to free her legs, arching her back she managed to dig her knees into his chest. He was staring at her, she followed his gaze down to a mostly unbuttoned cleavage .Using the distraction she pushed herself up, bouncing away from him panting slightly.

She pretended to look away and then threw herself at him, pinning him to he ground slightly dazed. He winked at her before head butting her, she fell back blinking while he tried to grab her arms, she grimaced from the slight pain and caught his knees up twisting, bringing him back down in a submission, she clasped his head and softly said “Dead”
But he didn’t give up, he pushed her head away now pinning her to the ground. She couldn’t resist him in this position he was just too strong.

She was trying to get her breath back when she felt a hand creeping up the length of her body, Jays eyes were fixed on hers…Eyes couldn’t lie. He cupped her head, and it seemed ages later when he finally decided to kiss her, his other hand running up her leg. His closeness felt different, they had often scuffled on the floor but this time she felt, embarrassed maybe but happy. There was a distinct straining towards not against like unarmed combat. His breath o her neck made her shiver at first as the first rays of dawn illuminated the hall. In her perfect world a glacier came towards her in her mind in the form of her father and brother, she opened her mouth “My…” He shushed her, of course he knew already.
She yelped as she glimpsed Meara on inner balcony overlooking the training hall.

Meara was her friend and one glance from her indicated that there were people coming. “Jay, Come now, time has caught up with us” She muttered while she prised him away aware of the blush starting at the base of of her neck. She didn’t want to say really, so she got up quickly and darted away.

[Danika]

When she was changed and somewhat calmed down she went down to the training hall were Oleg, her brother was being tutored by Jay’s father Marcus. Oleg was a good wrestler and proud of it. “Sis, good to see you!” He called out to her she greeted him without missing a beat taunting him slightly while her eyes searched for Jay. “Olly I trust you can beat me this time!”

“Oh sis,shoudnt have said that” He came up to her gripping her shoulders head to head, she adopted a defensive position knowing her brother was as fast as a snake. It was then she spotted Jay loitering behind Oleg’s friends, noting the distraction he sprung forward clasping her leg. She fell with her elbows bent and cursed herself for being so soppy. She abandoned all pretence of wrestling and went for unarmed combat, so she could hit and kick freely.
And she did viciously, but Oleg just laughed and got up “Not yet sis, not just yet” He grinned and helped her up oblivious to the jeers his friends were directing at her.

She grinned back as she picked up her two whips, coiling them, the walking up to Oleg’s friends standing in front of them in a confrontive manner “Do you have something to say? Or jeer at? Pray inform me…” She took some steps forward forcing them to back down, she added “I thought not”

Marcus called from across the hall “Danika, stop dilly-dallying and start warming up. Oleg, pare up with…with Jay would you?”
Danika ran up to her weapon master and started warming up her eyes fixed on Oleg and Jay. She started by running in the same spot and warming up arms,torso,knees,feet and legs. She then warmed up her neck watching Marcus referee the wrestling match. Oleg won of course; he was faster than Jay even though he was maybe a little less strong.

Marcus sent her through the usual acrobatics drill, focusing on the flexibility of the back. She was happy when Jay left the training hall, she could concentrate more without letting her mind stray to the early morning encounter.

Near lunch time Meara made her way towards her, and brought her to one side. Danika was soaked through with sweat, her black hair sticking to her head, her face flushed.
“I knew it” Giggled Meara “It was soo predictable…all that physical contact and”
Danika interrupted her “Be quiet!”
“So, what ye going to do?” Asked Meara raising an eyebrow.
Danika made a face “I don’t know damn it”
Meara looked thoughtful “Dangerous, dangerous”
“I know that” Snapped Danika stalking back to her weights.

She started a long series of pushups, her mind fixed on the anger she felt. Her arm muscles protested as she slid to her haunches panting.
Oleg was sitting crossed legged examining a throwing star.
Danika needed something physical and violent to tune down, while Marcus focused on Oleg for some time. She stalked up to one of his bystander friends and asked to no one in particular “Any takers?” A dark eye youth chuckled and raised his hand.

[Danika]

She smiled as he started towards her, and neatly sidestepped grabbing him, locking her elbows just under his chest, she threw herself back into a bridge sending him into a spectacular throw.

It was then Marcus came back and with a challenging air told her to show him a leg throw.
Starting head to head hands on her opponents shoulder, she whipped a hand and moved his elbow upwards thus entering on his exposed side, sliding to one knee she locked his legs in her arm and got up, her head and shoulders glued to his side and helping her while she unbalanced him.
Marcus commented “Your back has to be straighter, try to catch both legs as well, and get up sideways”

She tried with both hands but it was sloppy, Marcus shouted “see, see you’re dragging your foot, you have to get up, lift your knee from the ground! Push with your head, your HEAD!”
“I forget” she muttered helping the youth up.

She tried again this time pushing and with a thud he fell to the floor.
Marcus grunted "I want leg defence now Danika…two laps of the room then 5 leg defences repeat till I tell you to stop”
Leg defence was throwing yourself to the floor, replacing your legs position with your arms thus taking away the possibility of a leg takedown. The first times it came easy but when fatigue stepped in she became red and her knees hit the floor as her legs sagged a bit further every time.
When she almost had enough Marcus called her, it was lunch time. She sat down panting.

She ate lunch in silence as Oleg and his friends jested, it was a plain meal but she wolfed it down. She had about 2-3 hours spare time then as the food digested.
She took the opportunity to sit in silence by the top floors window and just…relax and let all matters wash away. She hummed slightly long melodious notes letting all slip away, she was a cliff and all her worries were washing away like a waterfall of thoughts.
She recited, she dint actually sing she just let her voice reach its most melodic tone.

“Heart on a stick
a shiver in his step
neither rights nor lefts
just straight ahead
steady, sturdy
onward
upward”

“Is it not cold...
climber?”
Oleg finished the poem in his low masculine voice and chuckled softly as he came level to her, he sat down beside her and looked out over the lawless city and said “Why do I find you alone and sad sweet sister?
It was a childish game but they never stopped playing it as the grew older, she loved Oleg at best when they talked like this.


“Because the wind has betrayed me”She started

“Then I will hunt the wind down and bring you the raise of the sun in a diamond glass”Oleg replied in ernest

“Then I shall sing you an epic woven of dreams” She said making a motion with her hands

“Then I shall listen sweet sister” Said Oleg tapping his ears

“Then I shall sing of moon and water” Continued Danika without interrupting the flow

“Then I shall listen sweet sister”Repeated Oleg

A smile formed on her lips
“Then I shall ask you what ills become you”

“Then I would talk of the blackened dreams”Oleg said in a sad tone

“Then I give you a tear of mine”Said Danika touching her eye

“Then I would wear it and never go astray
In misty woods or tormented ways
You shall always lead my way”


She broke the spell and said laughing “Not likely Oleg”
He joined her laughter and patted her head.

She got up and said “Don’t worry, I would tell you if there were any problems” And with that she sauntered away.

[Danika]

Danika stepped outside and made her way across a street where she was presented with a horrible seen. A cat had torn out what seemed a litter of little rats from the gutter, the ginger was happily tearing the rodents to pieces. She started forward and savagely pushed the cat out of the way, the ginger screeched and tried to scratch her but Danika was quicker. In the mess of bodies she spotted one who was still moving, she carefully picked it up ignoring the flies that covered the mother’s body. She got up and said viscously to the cat “MINE”.
She returned to her home and after a few quarrels and bickering she kept the little rat. She never knew what moved her to such a decision or why she stopped that cat but as a fighter she had learned to trust her instinct and never question it. The rat, after named Atlas grew up into a healthy young grey rat surviving against all the odds of life.