Kirigan's POV
"Kirigan!" She screamed running to me as I held my hand up to keep her at bay.
"I'm fine Jane," I smiled, standing to my feet. "It was just a little pain."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Are you lying to me?"
I hesitated before picking up my sword and taking a few steps away from her.
As I continued my demonstration, I could see the fire in her eyes had gone down. It was as if she was scared of my every move, expecting something terrible to happen.
Finally, I came to a stop, the woman clapped her hands. "That was extraordinary!" she exclaimed. "You possess a skill that is truly rare. You are a warrior in every sense of the word."
I bowed my head in gratitude, acknowledging her praise. "Thank you for your kind words."
"But are you sure you're okay? You scared me for a second back there."
"I'm okay," was all I could say.
She stepped closer, a mischievous glimmer in her eyes. "Tell me, would you be willing to spar with me? I have some knowledge of swordplay, and I would love to test my skills against yours."
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her proposition. It was not often that I encountered someone who dared to challenge me. But there was a twinkle of excitement in her eyes, and I couldn't resist the opportunity to engage in a friendly bout.
"I doubt you've held a sword before."
She laughed. "Fine, you've caught me. But I'm sure I can whoop your behind."
I walked to the wall to pick up two wooden swords as I returned with my sword sheathed.
"Very well," I said, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "Let us see if you can match the prowess I possess."
I gave her a sword which had her scoffing. "A wooden sword? Are you being serious?"
"It's either that or you can forfeit."
"Very funny."
We took our positions, our swords ready to hit each other.
I would take it easy on her.
The training hall fell silent, the air thick with anticipation. And then, with a sudden burst of energy, we clashed, our wooden blades meeting in a loud clang.
The woman proved to be a not so bad opponent, her strikes quick and precise. She moved with a fluidity that took me by surprise, her attacks coming from unexpected angles. I defended myself with equal skill, parrying her blows and countering with calculated strikes of my own.
The dance of our battle continued, each of us pushing the other to their limits. We moved with light speed, our swords hitting each other's weapons. Sweat trickled down my brow, my muscles strained with exertion, but I refused to give in.
Time seemed to blur as we fought, the world around us fading into insignificance. There was only the sound of our breathing, the clash of wood, and the burning desire to emerge victorious.
As the battle raged on, I began to sense a shift in the woman's demeanor. Her attacks grew more aggressive, fueled by an unknown strength. It was as if she had tapped into a hidden well of strength, channeling it into her strikes.
I found myself on the defensive, struggling to keep up with her relentless assault.
"Whoa now," I chuckled, but it was like she was a different person. Her sword whirled through the air, each strike coming dangerously close to landing a fatal blow. I blocked and parried, my movements becoming more desperate as I fought to regain control. "Jane?"
But just as the tide seemed to turn against me, I saw an opening. I had to end this.
With a swift feint, I sidestepped her attack and delivered a powerful strike to her side but stopped midway while holding her sword. The impact of my sword to her side would have sent her sprawling to the ground but I was glad I had held back.
I stood before her, my chest heaving with exertion. Sweat dripped from my brow, mingling with the sweat that trickled down my arm.
The training hall was filled with an eerie silence, broken only by our heavy breathing.
"You are not bad," she said, her voice tinged with respect.
"I could say the same for you. Where did you learn to move like that?" I asked.
She shrugged which had me smiling.
"I have not encountered such skill in a woman in a long time."
She smiled, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Perhaps we could continue this spar another time. I still have much to learn from you."
I returned her smile, the tension of the battle dissipating. "I would be honored to continue our training. It is rare to find someone who shares my passion for the sword. The only trouble is that you are supposed to be blind."
That had her shrugging.
"No one said we could not practice in secret."
"If you end up getting caught, that's on you," I laughed.
And so, our spar concluded, we left the training hall together.
I held her hand and escorted her into the garden while she clanged her cane around like she really needed it.
"Sometimes I wish I could toss this cane away and show everyone I have a miracle and I can see."
"That would be dangerous."
"Yes, I know."
We passed a few elders who narrowed their eyes at me but I ignored them.
"You're all not on speaking terms," she asked.
"Not after what happened. What if you were truly blind? You could have died."
"But I didn't. I'm alive."
I smiled, looking ahead. That was a relief to know. Anytime I thought about the past when she was laying in bed, cold and lifeless, I almost thought it was over.
She was my only ticket to getting healed and I had lost her.
But now that she was by my side, I was willing to forgive the sins of the elders.