Chapter 13 #2
He squeezed her shoulder in a final sign of comfort before walking back to the camp.
A few minutes later, Eldric was already lying on his side, snoring.
She lay down on her sleeping mat but convinced herself she would not be able to fall back asleep.
Instead, she stared at him. Watching the man sleep in peace, Alissa felt overwhelmed with guilt.
She had been so affected by her daughter’s condition and unpredictability of it all that she let her bad temper win. Eldric was not at fault for any of it.
The memory of him lying over her just moments before and his intense gaze burning into her crashed back without warning, her heart racing once again.
She grunted; she didn’t need this kind of distraction.
Alissa tore a sheet of paper out of her notebook.
She wrote something down and tucked it in the palm of Eldric’s right hand while he slept.
Giving up on her own sleep, she stood up and walked to where Freyah struggled to stay awake. She put her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Go get some sleep, Frey. I’ll take over now.”
“It’s not your turn yet,” Freyah said, barely stifling a yawn.
“I know, I couldn’t fall back asleep.”
“Does that have anything to do with whatever was happening back there?” Freyah nodded toward where Eldric was sleeping, her eyebrows raised.
Alissa blushed and nodded. She hadn’t realized her friend was watching the whole commotion with Eldric—him lying on top of her when she woke him abruptly and their argument right after.
Freyah had seen everything out of the corner of her eye, trying not to meddle but paying just enough attention to make sure Alissa was safe.
“What was that about?” Freyah frowned, assessing her friend.
“I just…” Alissa trailed off. “I thought I had found a clue to help Dhalia, but it was probably nothing.” She shrugged, a sad smile tugging at her lips.
Freyah looked at her with sympathy and took her hand in hers. “Let’s keep ourselves optimistic, Lissa. This is only the beginning. We will find Dhalia’s cure. I’m sure of it!”
Alissa felt extremely grateful to have Freyah by her side in moments like this. It was selfish of her, of course—her friend was risking her life to save Dhalia. Yet she couldn’t help but feel blessed by her company.
“We will,” she whispered, squeezing her friend’s hand. “Now go to sleep, Frey. You can barely keep your eyes open.”
A few moments later, Freyah lay comfortably on her sleeping mat, but only after Alissa insisted several more times for her to do so. Even as Freyah walked back to the campsite, she kept glancing over her shoulder, checking on her friend.
That was the kind of person Freyah was, always putting her well-being second to the good of others.
Always worried about everyone else but herself.
Freyah was the kind of friend who would give up her life to keep Alissa and Dhalia safe.
Alissa’s eyes filled with tears, and she smiled as she realized she would easily do the same for Freyah.
157 DAYS UNTIL DHALIA’S DEATH DATE.
“First and foremost, understand the weight of the blade. A well-balanced sword is an extension of your arm, not a burden,” Eldric said, his hands on his sword for emphasis.
“Maintain a firm grip to allow for flexibility and quick reactions to your opponent’s attacks.
” His fingers traced the path of an imaginary strike through the air, showing the importance of controlled strikes. His black hair fell over his eyes.
Freyah watched him intently, using her small dagger to mimic his movements as a perfect student. As for Alissa, she stared at him with her eyebrows raised and arms crossed over her chest.
“Knowing how to maintain your stance is crucial,” he continued, tapping his feet on the ground.
“One foot forward and the other back to help you keep balance. Remember to shift your weight before you attack and be ready to adjust if needed.” He threw the sword up and grabbed it mid-air.
“Every motion with the sword should flow naturally. Always remember, focusing on your opponent is key. You want to anticipate their moves as best as you can.”
He demonstrated a few attack techniques and stopped. “But if you reveal your own intentions too soon…”
Eldric unleashed a flurry of strikes upon the air with the same sword Alissa had stolen from him when they first met. The shining blade cut through invisible foes, whistling through the air. His muscles tensed as he dodged and rolled on the ground away from nonexistent hits.
Only after the series of exaggerated movements did he finish his sentence: “…then be prepared to die.”
“Wow.” Freyah sighed in awe, clapping her hands frantically, astonished by the Royal Guard’s skills.
Although Eldric was an undeniably skilled swordsman, his ability and control of the blade did not seem to impress everyone, because Alissa was leaning forward with her hands on her knees as she laughed her eyes out.
“That’s funny to you?” Eldric asked, panting—the physical effort of doing cartwheels to dodge nonexistent blades would do that to anyone.
“Slicing the air and rolling on the floor away from no one?” she said, still trying to contain her laughter, but it was too late. Her eyes even teared up. “I’m sorry, but yes. That’s hilarious!”
Eldric’s eyes focused on a distant point.
“When you’re on the battlefield, you’ll see that all the ‘air slicing,’ as you called it, could be the difference between life and death.
When you feel your sword buried deep into a man’s guts and feel the hot blood stain your hands and clothes, you’ll think back on this moment when you should’ve—”
Before he could finish his lecture, Alissa drew an arrow—not aiming to hit him—and shot it past his face. The arrow hit a tree close to where Eldric stood.
He looked back at the arrow and then again at Alissa in disbelief. “Why would you do that?”
Alissa shrugged, unsure what to say. The truth was, she’d acted on impulse. She wanted him to stop talking, because Eldric’s vivid description of the killing reminded her of the very real possibility she would have to confront more attackers in the future.
Freyah gasped. “Alissa! Are you crazy? You could have killed him!”
Alissa clicked her tongue. “Oh, come on, Frey. I shot at the tree. I was never going to hit him! You know I never miss a target.”
Eldric landed his index finger on his lower lip.
Alissa had been interested in learning how to fight in the past; she was the one who had asked him to teach them.
He didn’t know why she found it hard to engage in the lessons now.
Maybe his teaching methods weren’t as good as he thought they would be.
But Eldric was not so willing to give up now; this had become a challenge for him.
He would teach these women how to fight, even if that was the last thing he’d do.
“Okay, I propose a deal. If I manage to get this dagger pressed against your beautiful neck before you hit that tree with your next arrow, you’ll take my fighting classes seriously.
You’ll do everything I say from now on. You’ll not interrupt me, give any unsolicited opinions, or make fun of me and my methods. ”
“What if my arrow hits the tree before you do that?”
“If you win, I’ll do as you wish until we arrive at our destination.”
She raised her brows, welcoming the challenge. Eldric was good with the sword, but so was she with her bow and arrow.
Freyah watched it all develop with little rapture. She had become accustomed to ignoring Eldric and Alissa’s occasional banters. Instead, she continued practicing the moves she had just learned.
When Alissa nodded in agreement, they simultaneously moved.
She rushed to draw her arrow while Eldric took his position next to her, aiming for her throat.
He slid on the ground in her direction, passing between her legs to quickly stand up behind her.
He held her tight by the waist, his fingers digging into her skin while Alissa’s arrow already flew through the air, aiming at the tree.
One second before the arrow struck the trunk, the cold steel of Eldric’s sword sent a chill through her body. She couldn’t see it; rather, she felt his damn smile—just as the other night, when his dagger had been on that same spot.
“Looks like you enjoy having my blade against your throat, darling,” he whispered in her ear, as she was trapped between his chest and the sword pressed to her neck.