CHAPTER TEN #2
Darren rubbed the back of his head. "Probably when I became yer friend years ago," he said, then laughed, taking the whole thing in his stride.
Cailean snorted, then made a gesture that he wanted a serious answer, so Darren added, "But seriously, I'm nae sure how ye got the upper hand. I was doin' me best."
Cailean nodded. "Ye would have beaten most people, I admit it. But… well, let's see if someone can work out how I had the advantage. Mary?"
Maeve looked up, surprised to hear him address her. "Me?"
"Aye, ye. Why do ye think I was able tae beat Darren when we're of at least equal skill level?" Cailean did not say it like someone who was bragging; he sounded genuinely interested in how Maeve would answer.
Maeve really wanted to make a good impression, so she ran over what she had just witnessed in her head.
The first impression was that it had been two impossibly good fighters clashing, and that Darren had been overcome as if out of nowhere.
But as she rewatched the fight in her mind, she noticed something.
"Ye won because ye ken how he fights," Maeve said slowly. "That's it, isnae it? Ye ken the way he tends to favor attacks from the left, and ye were able tae adjust tae make sure that ye could counter it."
Cailean rewarded her answer with a warm, genuine smile that made Maeve's body tingle just to see it.
It felt like she was standing in the sun in a way that had nothing to do with the morning light that was shining upon them.
"Very good," he said. "That's exactly it.
We all have wee quirks that we rely on, and as warriors, it's our job tae identify not only our opponents', but also our own. "
There was some general muttering that followed this announcement, and Cailean let it pass before he spoke again.
"So we're gonnae learn tae cover our own weaknesses today," he said. "We need tae learn how tae be versatile in combat, and that starts with learnin' to make our disadvantages intae advantages. I want ye all tae hold yer swords."
A general noise sounded as everyone instantly obeyed, Maeve included. Even though her hands hurt, she didn't hesitate before she held the sword tight.
"Good. Now, switch them tae yer other hand."
There was a moment of confusion, then slowly, everyone started to obey.
There were some general noises of confusion and comments about how strange it felt to hold the sword in the non-dominant hand, and Maeve could soon see it was going to cause an issue for several of the fighters who were here to try to operate in this way.
But strangely… this wasn't going to be an issue for Maeve.
She was not skilled, not by any means, but what little training she had experienced had prepared her for this moment.
Senan had learned early on that Maeve was equally dominant in both hands, something she'd known since she was a child, and so he had made her practice with both since the start.
She knew that there would be no sudden reveal that she was better at fighting with her left hand rather than her right but, unlike the others, she would have no disadvantage either.
The thought made her heart leap. Could she have more of a chance?
Darren returned to the group, and Cailean called for everyone to switch partners. A large warrior named Seumidh stood before Maeve, his sword brandished in his left hand.
"Ready?" he asked her.
Maeve held her sword in her own left hand, nerves but also a strange excitement pounding in her chest. "I suppose so. Let's go."
By the time the session ended, Maeve was still as beat up and exhausted as ever, but as she sat down on the grass to catch her breath, she felt a strange kind of satisfaction.
As well as Seumidh, she'd fought several others, and while she hadn't won a single sparring match, she'd come closer to it than ever before, and even managed to land a few hits.
The switch-up had not disadvantaged her, but it had definitely thrown the others off, and that filled her with a kind of confidence that she'd never felt before.
Could this be the secret? If she could find her opponents' weaknesses and force them somehow to fight without their usual strengths, could she really find a way to win?
Cailean approached her after a while. "Are ye all right?" he asked.
Surprised that he'd approached her again, Maeve nodded, getting to her feet. "I'm fine. Why do ye ask?"
Cailean gave her a small smile. "Dinnae tell her I told ye, but Patty told me I had tae check in on ye. Ye did well today, by the way."
Maeve rolled her eyes, making a mental note to scold her friend lightly for interfering, but not feeling seriously offended.
It was nice to have a chance to talk to Cailean, even if it was for a reason that might be otherwise embarrassing.
"Thank ye for the compliment," she said.
A thought came to her then, and half in jest but half in earnest, she said, "Wait… can I ask ye somethin'?"
"Ask," Cailean said with a nod.
"Did… did ye do this for me?"
Cailean blinked, looking genuinely surprised by the question. "Do what for ye?" he asked, puzzled.
Undeterred, Maeve, still in a half-joking voice, said, "The switching of the way we fight. Ye gave me an advantage, or at least removed some of me own disadvantage. I ken ye noticed I was strugglin', and I thought…"
Cailean was already shaking his head. "Me methods had nothin' tae do with ye directly," he said, gently but firmly.
"Me job is tae make sure that everyone is performin' tae their peak.
That's why I had Darren, the best of us, act as me partner for the demonstration.
Remember, I dinnae have time for one-tae-one trainin' durin' our daily sessions. I've a whole army tae care for."
Maeve immediately felt chastened by the way that he shut her down, wondering if it was possible to bruise her ego any more than it was already damaged after her weeks of failure.
Cailean had only mildly rebuked her, and his words had been entirely fair; it had been foolish of her to center her own challenges in his decisions, which were being made for the whole warrior faction of the rebellion.
But then, who could blame her for thinking this way?
She'd never been a part of anything before.
How did she know what it was to work as part of a unit?
Despite her embarrassment, the way that Cailean was watching her and the realization that she was now part of this group was enough to wipe it away.
"But… if ye have some time tae spare this afternoon, then come and meet me at the stables," Cailean suggested. "I have another way that I might be able tae help ye tailor yer trainin' tae yer strengths — and yer weaknesses."
"Ye'd do that for me?" Maeve asked, her shock making the words fall out of her mouth before she could even think about them.
Cailean shrugged. "Will ye be there?"
Before she could respond or Cailean could say anything else, someone else called for Cailean, and after bidding her a polite goodbye, he turned and jogged off toward Fergus. He turned back and gave her a quick smile, and Maeve's heart fluttered in her chest.
Yes, she'd meet him this afternoon. And whatever he had prepared, she and her ego would both be ready.