Chapter 23
I make my way toward the old abandoned building about half a mile back behind the academy and training grounds.
I found this place during one of my runs. Apparently it was the first training area when the academy was established, but after a bad fire and the deaths of a couple of students, the place was abandoned. In only a few decades, the building now resembled something you would see from a haunted movie.
I make my way through the new area of forest, feeling fresher from the nap I had earlier, and ready for a good training session tonight.
I needed to work off some of the agitation from today and what better way than feeling the cold metal of two beautiful elven daggers beneath my fingers.
I was going to miss my little clearing, but after the attack during the Halloween dance, there were more people making their way into the forest and getting nearer to it.
At first, I thought it was just some students looking for a thrill but they didn’t stick to just one area, almost as if they were searching for something.
My instinct told me after the second day, that I’d better move if I didn’t want to be caught training.
I came all the way to the forest behind the defence training grounds, and to the opposite side of the academy.
It takes a while longer sticking to the shadows and sneaking behind the academy and current training grounds to get here, but so far I’ve seen and heard no-one.
It was worth the time if I could train in peace again.
I push past the overgrown bushes and make my way down the broken pathway.
The closer I get, the more features of the old building I could see; overgrown ivy climbed its derelict walls with grey brick peeking out from beneath it, scorch marks ran the length of one side of the building, and small curved windows with tree leaves crawling from its now empty panes.
I make my way through its front entrance, an open space where only rusted hinges covered in ivy and moss are any indication that a door once stood here before.
The space inside is completely open, most of the old walls decayed with time or destroyed by the fire.
The moon sits above me, a large crumbling hole now where part of the roof once stood.
Trees sprout from every corner, with moss and green bushes covering most of the floor, only small parts of grey brick or old black tiles still visible, where nature hadn’t fully taken them.
Ivy and moss also climb up the remaining walls, with small flecks of brick peeking through here and there.
On the left side of the building– that's still partially intact –there stands a strange broken cabinet that lines half of its wall. It has hooks and clasps of varying sizes that seem to have once held the weapons here. And below it sits an old broken board with strange black marks hanging from the wall. The shape on it looks vaguely familiar, maybe some sort of magical symbol I’d seen before or some old family crest?
But I can’t fully make it out, as the rest of the board is burned and charred, with the wood cracked and large chunks missing from it.
There's a stairway still whole on the far right side of the building where the roof is still intact.
There seems to be less burn marks over there than the other half of the building.
But time and neglect has taken its toll as its wood is decaying, its bricks slowly crumbling and nature reclaiming it with large trees and shrubbery.
The floorboards creak as I make my way over the old decaying wood and to the centre of the room, with the sturdiest looking boards.
Pulling my hoody off, I place it on a nearby hanging tree branch before pulling out the beautiful silver daggers. I flip them back and forth in my hands.
I know I have to return them soon, but just for tonight, I could train to my hearts content with them in my palms. After today's drama, I deserved it.
Gripping the dagger, I shift forward in one swift movement, slicing through the air, as a ‘shing’ sound echoes out around the area. Then I switch to rapid thrusts, the sound of the blade turning to a tune almost like a whistle as it echoes throughout the open space.
I push harder, throwing a few bends and twists into my movements, battling all the memories from today; of those blue eyes, of Xander’s glare and Kane's cold voice. I move back and forth with the breeze running through the room, my movements growing more fierce with each strike.
Everything around me fades away as I lose myself to the rhythm I’ve created. The only sound I hear is the beating of my heart as I go to a place solely for me.
Gadriel’s POV
I watch on mesmerised by the small lithe figure in the near distance, a familiar face, but with a speed and agility I had not seen before.
Her small hand holds the daggers I’ve been searching for since I noticed them missing last Friday.
I had sworn I would make the thief pay heavily for taking them, but as I watch her with them now, I’m overtaken by a new feeling, one far from anger or retribution.
Her movements are nimble but swift. She was more skilled in combat than one her age should be.
I could tell the first time my eyes met those endlessly blue irises, that they held more than the years she carried. That they had seen and fought things her lips would never let free.
She twirls around before twisting into a backflip while thrusting the daggers outward midair. Her form and execution is almost near-perfect.
Her rosy gold-toned hair flutters with her quick movements, brushing back and forth about her cheeks as she moves.
Her piercing blue eyes are fixed on an unknown enemy before her, so focused, unnervingly so.
What was she seeing? What, or who was she fighting?
And why did the thought make me want to pick up my own blades and join her?
My brows furrow, my gaze still fixated solely on the small figure whose movements held so much strength.
With some help and some more training, she could become a threat bigger than whatever darkness plagues her now.
The thought has a small grin stretching at my lips.
I had seen the fight in her eyes when she fought those boys during class. She was a warrior, a fighter. She would push through whatever lay ahead, no matter how dark or bloody. They were the eyes of someone in battle, constantly watching their back, waiting for the next attack.
But the problem with constantly being on guard, is that there's no rest, no place to find comfort or peace. And she didn’t seem like the type to want someone to save her.
No. She wanted to protect herself.
And I could help her with that.
Her movements were good; strong, agile and quick, but she lacked experience.
She needed a strong partner. Someone to spar with and help her grow to a higher level.
Just from looking at her movements and how she works in class, I could tell she would learn quickly.
I take a light step toward her, and then another. The nearer I get to her, a strange feeling slowly begins to build within me.
I watch her movements quicken, almost to a blur as she pours everything into them. Her own rhythm forms as she loses herself to it and falls into another world.
Stalking closer, I stick to the shadows. I get as close as a few yards from her, before she twists around, her gaze narrowed to the shadows where I lay with the blades flicked in my direction.
Never before had someone so quickly noticed my presence when I did not want them to.
I step out of the shadows and enjoy the way her eyes widen, the fierce glare she wore just seconds before now filled with surprise and…worry?
Her gaze flickers to her hands.
Ah, my daggers.
She palms them, a hesitancy in her as she clutches them tighter. I could tell she didn't want to part with them. It seemed she also had good taste in weapons.
She quickly straightens herself and meets my eyes.
I take another step closer, when suddenly she speaks up.
“I know how this looks…” Her gaze shifts from me to the daggers still clutched in her small hands.
“I didn’t–I mean…” She sighs before shaking her head, “I had my reasons for taking them, but I know it still wasn't right. I’m sorry, sir.” She slowly lifts the daggers, a hesitancy in her movements as she extends them toward me, her little blue eyes never leaving my elven daggers as she hands them over.
I take them from her, holding back the grin wanting to stretch across my lips at the small slump to her shoulders and slight pout to her rosy lips.
“I’ll take whatever punishment you deem fit.” Her chin tilts down, a small frown lacing her lips.
I flip the daggers in my hands, a wistful look making their way into her gaze with my small movements. She must really like them.
I twist them back around and hand one to her, keeping the other.
“Show me how you use it.”
Her eyes widen slightly before a warm smile takes hold of her.
I freeze, the image before me catching me off guard.
Her face lights up, a sparkle shining in those deep blue eyes that pulls me slightly closer. Her full rosy lips curve upwards, a smile of genuine happiness pulling at her cheeks as her face transforms. It becomes so bright and captivating, I have to stop myself from moving closer.
I shake my head and pull myself straighter to turn away for a moment.
It was just the excitement in her eyes that caught me. The pure joy and warmth in her smile and the feeling of comradery. An appreciation of similar interests…that's all.
I push away the unfamiliar feelings and thoughts as I turn back toward her.
And we begin.
I lunge forward, trying to catch her off guard, but she side steps me, twisting as she does to then lash out toward me. I turn, catching her blade with my own as we clash, sparks flying with the force of the metal blades hitting each other.
Her attacks are strong, with no hesitancy at aiming for my vital points, but she still lacks precision.
We break apart, taking a step back from one another as we take our time to size each other up, both waiting for the next attack to come.
Her eyes search for an opening. And this time I can’t stop the grin forming on my lips.
She was like a tiger, prowling around her prey, waiting and watching as she slowly stalked closer.
She suddenly strikes from my left, noticing the old injury on that side. I see she's also observant.
Unfortunately for her, that's exactly what I wanted her to see.
Our blades clash again and she quickly retreats.
She noticed, even though slightly late, that it was a trap.
Her reactions and observations were quick, and her ability to adapt even quicker. A rare feature for someone her age.
She would make a worthy partner.
A new sound plays in my ears as we clash, a small symphony playing in the background of my mind as we spar.
Our movements quicken, our blades swift and bodies nimble, as we almost dance back and forth through the old desolate building around us.
Neither of us giving in or slowing as our breaths begin to quicken, the night air growing cold and sharp around our now tiring forms.
I hadn’t felt this kind of exhilaration in many years.
Time passes as we become lost in our own world, a fevered gleam in her narrowed blue eyes as we move together. One I’m sure I too mirror.
Suddenly movement from beside us pulls us to a halt.
I grip my blade, taking a step toward the overgrown bush, when suddenly a large grey owl flies from its green leaves, carrying a small mouse between its claws.
A light chuckle rings out behind me.
“Be careful, I hear they scratch.” A gentle smile spreads across her lips, her eyes curving into crescents as she watches the owl fly into the distance. She wears a more relaxed expression, as if something heavy had been removed from whatever burden she's carrying.
Her eyes meet mine and for a brief moment she stills with whatever she sees, before quickly turning her gaze away, a slight pinkness coating her cheeks.
Something unfamiliar stirs in my chest with the look, before I push it away.
“It's late. You should get some sleep.”
She whips her head back, opening her mouth slightly, before closing it again.“You can’t be late for your day classes.”
“I always attend-” She begins.
“Good. Then get some rest inbetween, because I won't go easy on you, even if it's late at night.” I look around the old building, even in the dark of night, I could see its broken and decaying features.
Even abandoned there was great beauty in the nature that had consumed it, bringing new life to what was one burned and broken.
It seemed the perfect place for us to train.
I turn back to her, her eyes wide with a slight surprised expression pulling at her small features.
“You need a sparring partner, don't you?”
She quickly nods her head as a small grin tilts my lips.
“Then we’ll continue again tomorrow. Be prepared… Micai .” I turn away and head toward the old entrance as she grabs her hoody and joins me.
We make our way back to the academy in silence, surrounded only by the sounds of nature and our own contemplation.
A peaceful moment I haven't had in a long time.
We slowly make our way through the shadows and toward the girls dormitory, where I stay as I watch her make her way in through the back door.
A small chuckle leaves my lips as I watch her make light work of the doors lock and heads inside.
I couldn’t wait to see what else this small one could do.