This tale is beginning to reach a culmination. As such, there's a little less sex and more action. It contains light amounts of oral sex and sexual intercourse between man and wife. As always, I appreciate comments about what you like and what you don't. Thanks.
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Ailene fenced with Frang, going back and forth on the training grounds. They had worked hard every day she was there, working with Isobel and the other students first thing, then with Frang, putting the finishing touches on her training with him. While working with him, she frequently gave up more ground than she gained, Frang still too good, but she was proud of the progress she'd made. This morning, Frang touched her six times, but she'd touched him four. The training of the others had finished a half hour ago and they were going about their own business, but others had stopped to watch. Her own students were particularly proud of her performance against Frang who none of them could touch. Their attitude towards her had completely changed from one of dismissal to one of eagerness to learn, just as it had with Isobel, who was nearly her equal.
One of the guards warned of riders approaching and instantly everyone was more alert until they could see it was Bjarkë and two other men from Lady Luck. However, Ailene grew even more tense. Bjarkë wasn't supposed to return until Stuart and Thorburn returned; perhaps it was bad news. She relaxed when Bjarkë smiled and greeted everyone, laughing and happy. If either of his nephews were injured he would not be this calm, this merry. She sighed with relief.
Bjarkë noticed Ailene and Frang looking at him and realized they were waiting for news. He excused himself from the crowd around him and rode up to them.
"The hunting went well, Laird, and all parties returned unharmed. We can discuss the details later." He glanced around at all the listening ears and they took notice of his look and asked no more at present.
"It's good you've returned, uncle. Lady Ailene has learned about all she can from me. All she can do is continue practicing, but she needs to start working against other weapons, starting with heavier swords and working up to axes."
"Why not put her against one of the less experienced claymore users?" Bjarkë asked.
"Ailene can't get better fighting against lesser opponents. She should also compete against someone with excellent control of their blade so she doesn't get hurt too badly if she slips up, particularly at first. Until she gets used to fighting against heavier blades, I'd expect her to get whacked a few times. Best if it's from someone with fine control of their weapon."
"Aye, I'll help the lass out."
"Why don't you partake of food and rest before you start," Frang said.
"Thank you, I will. I'm both hungry and thirsty," Bjarkë replied.
Bjarkë went inside and Ailene asked Frang, "Are you sure I'm ready for this, Frang?"
"You need to start working against heavier weapons sometime and there's no one better to work with other than Thorburn. You're already better with the rapier than most of the men in Scotland. You lack experience against other types of weapons which you can only gain by doing it. You're more than qualified to start. Before you begin, there's a couple things to think about. Bjarkë is much stronger than you are. One of the things he'll be trying to do is use his superior strength against you by beating your blade aside to open an attack. Yours is the far lighter, but swifter, blade. You're best defense against this is not to let his blade hit yours. Move it out of the way. Let him expend himself on his attacks with the heavy weapon. Retreat, drop or raise your blade as necessary to make him miss. His attack cannot succeed unless he hits your rapier. When you must deflect his blade as you will for any thrusts or overhead strikes, let his blade slide down yours and deflect his point where his strength is least effective, at the tip, with your hilt where your strength will be greatest, right at your wrist."
Ailene nodded in understanding.
"He'll be using a dulled blade," Frang said, "and attempting to strike with the flat of his blade, not an edge, but you'll want a leather helmet and leather girdle to protect your sides. You're going to end up with bruises. Bjarkë is too good to avoid any damage, but bruises now are better than slashes later. Don't lose focus if you're hit or the next bruise will be worse. You're almost as good as me and I was able to beat Thorburn, although I'm sure it would be more difficult now. He's probably been visualizing what he'd do differently because he's going to be up against more and more of this type of weapon as it gains popularity. He may take it up himself if he's convinced of the benefits of doing so. Heavy weapons were the way to go against armor plate and possibly even chain mail to an extent, although my point will go through the chain links if it's not too fine, at which point the throat becomes my target. But as heavy armor started to go, the rapier became the superior weapon. It's a totally different style of fighting, which Thorburn wasn't used to, but he's smart and so bloody strong. If he used the point of his claymore, he might have done some damage as he handles one like most people could a light sword such as yours.
"The axe is another weapon you should get used to fighting. It's still used by a lot of warriors. You have the reach advantage over short handled axes and a speed advantage over long handled ones. You can't let an axe hit you. If it does, you're dead. Like a sword, it's a swinging weapon, and heavy, and you have to avoid it until you see your opening. I'll show you how to fight one before you try it. But it's speed and length against a short axe and speed and recovery time against a long one. Avoid the swing, recover, get your blade in the meat before they can recover against the momentum of their own weapon. That's where the ability to retreat with balance becomes handy. You go back to avoid the blade and immediately forward before they can reverse the swing. Most axemen still carry a shield, so you've got to be quick. They'll use the shield to protect the torso, so you may want to bleed them a few times in the legs. Do you understand, lass?"
"Aye," Ailene replied.
"Now Bjarkë saw Thorburn get beat, so he'll be cautious. I expect he's also considered how to defeat your lighter weapon. He hasn't survived this long by being stupid. But he's not used to the speed of it. You can't be unless you practice against it and he hasn't yet, though he's watched a lot. I expect you'll have to do a lot of retreating to start so we'll give you lots of room. Let him tire himself out by swinging his heavy sword, but don't be fooled. He may play at being more tired than he is. He's savvy. Make some feints to see how tired he really is. Don't get suckered by a ruse."
"I understand."
"Take a moment for some water and to cool down, but don't let your muscles get stiff, keep moving around to keep loose. I'll find a small leather jerkin and helmet for you."
"Aye. Thank you, Frang."
Ailene had a small cup of water and started walking around the practice ground, trying to stay warmed up. Bjarkë returned before Frang found what he was looking for. Ailene kept moving, but began to study Bjarkë as she paced. Bjarkë was close to fifty, the younger brother of Thorburn's mother, but he was a seasoned warrior who'd fought in numerous battles. He wasn't as tall or strong as Thorburn, but she knew no men who were. She rolled her shoulders and stared intently, thinking of how he would fight and how she wanted to counter each move, visualizing his tactics as she'd observed them while watching him practice.
Bjarkë noticed her intent interest and smiled, nodding to her. He started twisting and stretching himself. When he'd moved around a bit, he started picking up the practice swords until finding one he liked the balance of; swinging it about. Ailene was a bonny lass and he knew Stuart had picked himself a winner. He'd watched how hard she worked with Frang and how good she'd become. She was definitely someone he could respect. To a certain extent, he was sorry he hadn't worked against Frang to see how he might fight against this new fangled weapon, but he was about to find out.
Frang returned with a leather vest and a small helmet which he fitted over Ailene's head. He helped her into the vest.
"Remember what I told you, lass. Go slow. Be wary." He patted her on the shoulder. He handed her a rapier with a flattened tip so she wouldn't accidentally stick Bjarkë with a sharpened point.
It seemed everyone had stopped what they were doing and started to gather round. As the primary weapon's Master, Bjarkë had worked to train most of the older men there and everyone had felt the side of his blade often, to their great misery. They looked at the tiny woman facing Bjarkë and could not imagine how she would fare well against the grizzled veteran. The younger men who'd been working with Frang and Ailene with the rapier gave her a slightly better chance because they knew how good she was, but looking at their comparative size, it seemed impossible she could win. Only the men who'd actually witnessed the fight between Frang and Thorburn thought she had any chance at all. After all, she was a woman.
