The Unpredictable Blade

The blade arced across and the warrior backed off before it could land. His face grew furious and drew his own sword. In that instant something flashed through the air and into the man's arm. The sword fell to the ground as he held his bleeding hand. A knife was embedded in his hand. The entire group looked around only to see trees. Another knife came to the man's knee and he feel backwards. When he landed something glided besides Renaya. He was taller than her and had on very simple linen clothing. His hair was dark and his face was turned away from her. He kicked the warrior the head and then drove his other feet down to finish him. The rest of the warriors charged their swords outstretched.

The man calmly stood until the first warrior came in range. The movement was so fast it was if he expected the coming strike. As the sword came down to where the man used to be, He gripped the ball of the thumb and yanked. The sword came away and he grabbed it and stabbed the man in the chest. Blood splattered onto him, but he was still in motion. The second man's strike came forward in a lunge. He held onto the dead man's shoulder, turned him towards the blade, and threw. The warrior collided with the blade with a sickening sound and they both fell. The dark haired man had already picked up the first warrior's sword in time to parry the next warrior. The sound of metal screeched as the blade moved across each other. A strike was coming down again, but the man was faster. He sidestepped and lopped the man's head off in a spray.

The largest warrior now came from behind with a overhead strike. The man barely got his sword up to deflect the blow, but the strength of the strike knocked the weapon away. The large warrior came with a fury, his face now lit up in victory. The man did not seem concerned. He pivoted and sidestepped towards Renaya. The large warrior came forward with a flurry of blows. The man was now up against the stunned woman. With their bodies almost touching, he spoke, "I'm borrowing this for a bit." He yanked the sword from her belt and advanced towards the rabid strikes. The weapon in his hand seemed to fly all over as he pushed forward, matching strike with strike. The large warrior was now becoming pushed away as he was now trying to defend. The dark haired man's movements were precise. His steps were gentle as if he was in a strange dance. His arm moved in unison with the blade. The strikes given were complex with feints and parries, and occasionally he would step in and out. The man had his blade lowered towards the ground. This move triggered the large man to come down with all his might, but it was exactly what the man wanted. In one single movement, he had oriented himself to the warriors side and slashed across the man's throat. He gurgled as he fell. The man just stood there and swung the blade in a simple arc to fling the blood off. He then wiped the blade carefully once with his shirt to clear the rest of it. The dark hair man casually walked towards Renaya and turned the blade over, hilt facing her, and offered it. "You have a fine weapon here. Very balanced and strong," his voice was calm, almost cold. His gray eyes peered into her face in consideration.
 
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Renaya narrowed her eyes and she then blinked as the sword fell to the ground from the warrior's hand and she then looked in the direction the knife had come from, she looked at the man that was standing there and she swallowed once, her eyes widened as he moved so fast and she was certain that he had been struck but was shocked to see that it wasn't so. She watched as he fought the men and she then blinked as their bodies almost touched and she couldn't help but blush slightly.
"Hey!" She shouted as he yanked her sword from the belt and she stood and watched in awe as he fought the large warrior. She looked at the warrior as he fell to the ground with his throat slit and she then looked at the man and she took her blade again and she sheathed both her blades in their holsters. She was speechless and she didn't know what to say when he complimented her blades and when he was looking at her. She had never seen a man fight like he had done and she had never witnessed someone make such swift movements as this man did.
 
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After a few more seconds, he seem to be satisfied with what he saw, and walked towards the two fallen men. He kicked the dead one over and put his foot to the man's neck. The fallen man gasped as the gray eyed one pressed harder. The man demanded something in a their foreign tongue, and the fallen man choked out an answer. This seems to satisfy the man as he pressed down with a crack. He showed no emotion as he turned away to retrieve his two knives. Melina laid on the floor, still unconscious. The man seem to notice her for the first time. "Carry her to my house. Just keep following this path. Its just a bit farther," the man ordered while he was looking through the large man's body. "I'll be there shortly after I clean up this mess." His face was still unchanged. Working with the dead bodies didn't seem to bother him.
 
Renaya swallowed once as she looked at the man when he walked towards the two fallen men, her eyes widened a bit as he put his foot over the man's neck and she turned away her head slightly when she heard the crack. She then looked down at Melina and then up at the man and she nodded once before she crouched down and put Melina's arm around her shoulder before she stood up and she then slowly made her way in the direction the man had told her. "What just happened...? And what did he say to the man...? It sounded like a demand..." She thought to herself and then sighed heavily.
"Come on Melina, time to wake up." Renaya said once they were close to the house and she gently tapped Melina on the cheek to try and wake her up, still having Melina supported against her, of course while she walked.
 
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Melina woke up with a headache. She spoke groggily, "What... happened?" Her mind was still disoriented. She felt something pressed against her. She looked to see Renaya holding her up. "Why are you..." she couldn't quite finish her sentence as a spell of dizziness hit. After a few moments she regained some composure. "I'm okay you don't have to support me," she said while moving away from Renaya. After walking a bit, she remembered hearing a yell and it frightened her to the point of fainting. She looked at Reenaya with questioning eyes.
 
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Renaya looked at Melina and she waited before she continued to walk once she saw that Melina could hold herself up and she then looked forward. "It's better if you don't know." Said Renaya and she looked towards a house that she could see in the distance. "We need to get you to lay down, you might've gotten a concussion." She then said and she looked over her shoulder, she continued to walk until she reached the house and she then waited outside.
"That man... is he the one that I'm looking for...? But Melina said that she had never seen the man wield a weapon... And this man -clearly- knew how to handle a blade." Renaya thought to herself and a heavy sigh escaped her lips. Her cheeks started to blush slightly when she thought about when hers and the man's body were almost touching when he grabbed her sword and a small twitch was seen in her eyebrow afterwards. "Get a grip of yourself, Renaya! Geeze!" She thought to herself.
 
((All this time I've spell your character's name as Reyana instead of Renaya. Such a goof. I've fixed it on all my posts. Did you notice?))

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea. A lie down would be quite nice," Melina replied sluggishly. She looked ahead, and sped up. "We're here!" her voice was now surprisingly cheerful.

The home was not that impressive. It was a sturdy house built mainly out of wood. It probably was large enough to fit three decently sized rooms. The outside of the house had the normal assortment of cut logs for a fire, and a few hung skins. Melina rushed inside and jumped onto the bread. She felt giddy until her head pounded from the sudden motion. Her eyes fell closed as she pulled the blanket closer. The inside of the house was ordinary except for the addition of several filled shelves of books. They held a broad range of topics from farming to the tenants of ancient Knight orders. The house however did not seem to be that lived in. Perhaps a few basic necessities such as the bed and stove were used more frequently, but everything else had a thin layer of dust.
 
((...You have? I didn't actually notice that! xD))

Renaya looked around a bit as they entered and she looked at Melina before she stepped outside again. She folded her arms and looked up at the sky that was peeking through the tree-tops and a gentle breeze passed by. She took a deep breath and shut her eyes to cleanse her thoughts and once she was done, she opened her eyes again and she kept staring up at the sky, a million other thoughts now invaded her mind. She was unable to rest and she always felt more relaxed out-doors then she did being inside a house. She rubbed the side of her head for a moment, a faint blush was still visible on her cheeks and she then lowered her hands to her hips while she leaned back against the wall.
 
The gray eyed man had finished with his grisly business. The bodies of the Uvi warriors and their equipment now flowed across the river. He made the the most of the traces of the fight was no longer visible to the normal eye. There was so much to do yet so little time. They have gotten too far into the forest this time. Now he had to contend with the stranger. It was fortunate that Melina was unconscious. She was already a lot of work to deal with before, but if she had seen him then he could not have imagined what he should do. He pondered about the new woman. Her red hair and swords had already distinguished her from the rest. He could not guess at why she was in Helden. She could be a challenger, but that couldn't be. She barely knew how to wield her sword. Her stance was off and her grip was too tight. "It doesn't matter. I have a duty to perform," he spoke to himself quietly. He decided he will act after he figured out the stranger's purpose.

He came to his home and saw the woman leaning against his wall. She seemed to be thinking about something with a serious face. The distance between them closed quickly. "I assume Melina is sleeping in my bed," he said without much intonation. He once again eyed the stranger up and down. She looked southern to him. He guessed she came from the desert. The important question for him now is why is she this far east. He would have to question her.
 
Renaya blinked a bit as she snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the man speaking to her and she looked at him as he closed the distance between them and she raised an eyebrow as he eyed her up and down. "Most likely, yeah. I told her that she should probably lie down as she might've suffered a concussion." She said and she moved away a bit as he got close, she wasn't so comfortable with them standing so close to each other. She sat down on the ground with her legs pulled up close to her body and she rested her arms over her knees.
"You got rid of the bodies and made sure there was no evidence of what happened, didn't you?" Renaya asked as she looked forward, not at him, but at their surroundings.
 
"Good that makes this easier," he said. When she sat down, he continued standing. He still did not trust her. Her inexperience may only be a ploy to lower his guard, but once again he noticed that her position had no tactical advantage. She held her knees against her body as if she was uncomfortable. There was no possible movement that would help her lunge forward. Perhaps if the balls of her feet were grounded and she leaned further, a possible strike could be possible. But all these speculations were pointless. From everything he saw up to this point, she had barely any combat capability. Her question surprised him.

"Yes," he answered curtly. "Now I get to ask a question of my own. Why are you here?"
 
"I came here after I had heard stories of a man that lived in the forest. My mind instantly thought that it would perhaps be someone who could teach me a thing or two with the blades, but Melina told me that she had never seen you wield a weapon, so I might've been mistaken... but I know for certain now that I was not mistaken, no person who's never held a blade before would be able to wield it like you did with my blade." Renaya said as she looked forward when she spoke and she then lowered her gaze to her knees.
"I came here... seeking someone who can train me to wield my blades properly and who might be able to teach me how to fight..." She then added while she brushed some hair from her face but it quickly fell back and she let out a brief sigh.
 
"Then you have sadly wasted your time. I'm no master swordsman. I do not even own a single sword. The most most dangerous things I have are these knives and they are as basic as you can get." He flashed his two knives from somewhere and made them disappear. "What reason do you have for even learning to fight. I'm pretty sure you can get by without touching a single blade. Surely you have plenty of other pursuits to follow other than such a bloody path," his voice was now gentler as if he was trying to soothe her.
 
Renaya smiled faintly, but it wasn't a smile of happiness but a smile of sadness and she looked up at the sky. "This is the only path I have. I carry the blades in memory of my father and I need to learn how to wield them properly so I can finish what he started and so that I can defend myself. Where I come from, it's either kill or be killed. Hunt or be hunted." She said and she then glanced up at the man.
"For me, it was either run or be killed, while I had to leave my family behind to their fate." She added before she looked forward again. "The way you wielded that blade and the way you handled yourself spoke of a man that's skilled in battle, however, I will not waste your time if you cannot help me. I just wish to stay at least for the night, I have traveled far in over a week without getting any rest, I've slept half an hour at most."
 
Her words brought up his own memories. It sickened him how similar her situation was compared to his own. However his was an end and he was the product. She had just begun this journey. There was just too much to accomplish and he was overwhelmed. Time teaching this... He peered closer. She was young. Perhaps four or five years under him. She seemed so fragile and weak. There was so many openings that could be exploited in her and not just physical ones. Her mind was not hardened. She clearly had no defenses, yet... He saw something strange. He saw a reflection. Something his father once said to him when he was young. He could not recall the words, but they were a warm comfort within his heart. Tears began to trickle. It has been too long. He thought he was finished with this weakness, but perhaps a small part of his past still lingered still. He took a deep breath and turned away. "You may stay here for the night. I still have not decided what to do with you, but you will know by tomorrow." With another intake of air, he slowly let it go. The feelings welling up no longer pained him. The cold seeped within and he was calm. There were other tasks to perform. He was about to leave, but a strange thought bubbled forth, "What is your name?" The question was unexpected, but today was a strange day. The Uvi. This girl. Too much has happen. Something has changed. For the better he could not know.
 
Renaya blinked slightly as she heard his words and she smiled gently as she inclined her head. "Thank you so much." She said and she then stood up as she looked at him. "My name is Renaya." She answered and then tilted her head. "What about yours?" She asked curiously while she brushed some of her short fringe from her face but it soon fell back to hide one of her eyes.
 
The question had somewhat caught him off guard. He should have expected the same for asking. When was the last time he had given his name. Another thing that had escaped his thoughts in all his work. He faced her once more. Her eyes were shadowed behind her hair, but he suspected her gaze was intent. "My name is Khavar." The words left him like a long lost possession. He knew he had it, but due to disuse it had become forgotten. The name brought about memories of his family. He quickly shut those down. Remembering would do no good. He had to move now. "You may sleep now. You look tired. I will be back later." Khavar walked away. He was unsure if he would return. The Uvi had gotten close and he needed to clarify a few of his own questions.
 
She nodded once at Khavar and she smiled gently. "Thank you, Khavar." She said and she then walked into his house, since Melina was sleeping in his bed, Renaya walked over to one of the corners and she sat down with her legs pulled up close to her body and her back rested against the wall, soon enough, she had fallen asleep.

Renaya was squirming a bit in her sleep and her eyebrows quivered, she was having nightmares and now they were all blurring together. She woke up with a terrified gasp and sweat dripped from her forehead, she quickly looked around as she took panting breathes and her heart was going miles a minute. Once she had gathered herself and realised that she was safe, she leaned back against the wall again and she placed her hand against her forehead while she looked at the floor, a sad and frightened frown having formed on her face. She looked out the window and she estimated that she had gotten at least three hours of sleep and a heavy sigh escaped her lips as she looked at the star filled sky in a pondering manner.
 
His business was done. Khavar had seen the extent of the Uvi's range. Their camp was closer than he imagined. Perhaps they will be able to mobilize in a few months. Perhaps sooner. He shuddered at the destruction they can cause if they aren't stopped. Again he wished his father and mother were alive. They would surely be a great help. There is only so much a single man can do. He played with an idea. If he could manage to train that... He remembered her name. Reyana. If she was able to help him then this would be much easier, but still difficult. Khavar stopped himself. It was a foolish hope. She would die like any other. The Uvi was not a force to be trifled with. Even with more time, he could not properly get her to a good fighting condition. She barely could hold those blades she carried. But it was that driving hope. That gnawing feeling within that continued to drive him forward. Was it her words and story that gave him the idea. Certainly she was special. He could see that, but did not know how. Could she fight alongside him? The thought was utterly wonderful. To lessen the burden he carries. Khavar then remembered his father. "It must be a curse. A curse that I was born and trained for. A curse carried by my father and inherited by me. Surely the gods have forsaken my family. This cursed destiny." The words were bitter and tasted horrible in his mouth.

He had finally returned. Mud and blood had covered his clothes. Khavar could not care. Weariness wrapped itself around him like a heavy chain. It had been almost three hours. After entering Khavar just fell down inside his home, barely four steps in.
 
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Renaya snapped out of her thoughts and quickly looked towards the door as Khavar entered, when he fell down, she quickly stood up and ran over to him. "What happened?!" She asked, being concerned as she saw the mud and blood on him.
She tried to place his arm around her shoulders to then help him over to a chair so he could sit down before she looked around for where she could find something for him to drink.
 
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