Note: Thank you again to Liter Knight for her careful editing!
Chapter 13
Siobhan stood in the practice arena, sword in hand. Gwen had called it a practice sword but it was metal rather than the weighted wooden blades she was used to and it was still slightly sharp. She had removed her Erasad. She felt bad about removing it, but it was bulky and would have slowed her down. She had only been wearing it for an hour or so, just long enough to meet Elaine and for her and Gwen to tell her about Lucy. Elaine had known Carla and Lucy when they had both been human and the prospect of finding her sire's lost sister made Elaine throw herself into the search with an enthusiasm Siobhan found very reassuring.
Gwen faced her from twenty paces away. After Elaine had left Siobhan had nothing to do but wait for her return, and so Gwen had coaxed her into some sword practice.
Gwen went into a loose stance, sword forward, "Alright, lets see what you can do."
Siobhan smiled as her blood began to sing.
Gwen came for her and their swords met with a steely rasp that Siobhan had always loved. They moved smoothly together, swords flicking and testing. They were feeling each other out, getting to know each other's style. It was like a dance, a way to get to know your partner's body, but for a very different purpose. As they fought, Siobhan's respect for her opponent grew. Gwen was the finest swordswoman she had ever faced. Siobhan was considered the best the daughters had to offer, and had only been defeated a handful of times by their most experienced members, but Gwen moved with a practiced skill and a fierce, adaptable style that put them to shame. Siobhan's far greater reach should have given her an advantage, but Gwen fought with an aggressive style that made it hard to use her long arms to their full effect, and Gwen used her lower center of gravity to get under Siobhan's guard and constantly keep her on her back foot.
As they fought Gwen began to speed up, her movements becoming almost a blur. Siobhan struggled to keep up and did her best to predict where Gwen would strike so that she could get ahead of her and compensate for her speed. She succeeded for longer than she expected, but it was an uphill battle and eventually Gwen scored a cut across her thigh. Pain flared in her leg as she stumbled back.
Gwen stopped, "That's blood."
Siobhan fought down a glare as the pain in her leg turned dull.
"You okay?" asked Gwen.
"You're so fast. There was nothing I could do."
"So were you."
"What do you mean?"
"When did you first notice me getting faster?" asked Gwen.
"When you tried that four cut sequence to my legs."
"Oh wow! At that point we were already moving about... let's say three times faster than normal. I was gradually speeding up to see how fast you could go."
Siobhban blinked. She hadn't noticed at all.
"That's amazing! I can't think of any Mircalla other than me that was that fast right after being blooded. And there was something else going on. It felt like you were anticipating my sequences."
"You always try to anticipate what your opponent will do," said Siobhan.
"Truuueeee, but this was different. It didn't feel like you were guessing."
"If you say so."
"Would you like to go again?
Siobhan hesitated. The fight had been exhilarating. Feeling the changes to her body, her new strength, was a welcome distraction to all her woes. She had been so focused on the curse of her new existence she hadn't thought about the new power she now had at her command. She thought of the terrible power Adrian and Gwen had displayed, the rumors she had heard of what the vampires were capable of. She felt a surge of excitement at the idea those powers could be hers. She squashed that excitement ruthlessly. She couldn't afford to be seduced by the blood that had been forced on her. But losing herself in the intricacies of combat was helping her forget what she had lost, what she was still missing.
"Are you sure there's nothing we can do to look for Lucy?" asked Siobhan.
"We will look for her, I promise. But right now we should wait here for Elaine. She knows everyone and she's great at ferreting out gossip. The fastest way to figure out if Lucy is in the camp is to wait here so Elaine can find us faster."
Siobhan looked down at her leg. The wound was gone. She looked up and Gwen was looking at her eagerly. Siobhan realized it mirrored her own anticipation.
"Alright. Alright, perhaps one more."
Gwen smiled, her fangs glinting in the night.
They came together once more and Siobhan lost herself in the motion of body and blade. Gwen was a flickering fire, shifting constantly around her, trying to find a way past her guard. But Siobhan was different now, too. Fighting was making her aware of changes to her body and mind. She had always been coordinated but now she moved with surety and skill beyond anything she had felt before, every movement a perfect distillation of her will. She felt Gwen's intentions in the currents of the air and the play of light across her sword and her own blade moved where it needed to be. Siobhan felt the excitement at her newfound power growing again. She tried to crush it, but as the fight continued it became harder and harder not to enjoy her new strength.
"What are you two doing?" asked Elaine.
They were startled out of their battle fugue and Gwen's guard faltered. Siobhan's control slipped and it was almost as if her sword sought blood even as she tried to fall back Siobhen's sword sliced across Gwen's ribs and she gave a yelp.
"Oh, I'm so sorry."
"That's okay," said Gwen. She windmilled her arm and the wound closed, leaving a pale strip of skin through the slice in her shirt.
"That was poor form on my part," said Siobhan.
"It's fine. It happens," said Gwen.
"You two are fighting? Now?" asked Elaine.
"Well, what were we supposed to do? Play a song?" asked Gwen.
Elaine shook her head. Siobhan had only talked to Elaine briefly, when she had arrived at Gwen's tent, and she wasn't sure how she felt about her. She was charming and genuine but there was a hardness to her that Siobhan was wary of. She reminded Siobhan of her cousin that collected gossip like stones. To be thrown wherever they did the most damage. But when Gwen had requested her grandchild's help Elaine had instantly swung into action, so Siobhan pressed down her unease. Lucy was all that mattered.
"Alright, I didn't find Lucy," said Elaine, "But I did find three other Daughters of Morgen that were captured and made thralls by members of the house. Maybe one of them knows something?"
Siobhan had to fight to keep her voice calm, "Where are they? Are they alright?"
"I didn't get a lot of details but I'm sure they're fine..." Elaine hesitated "... they are all going to be blooded though. Maybe not right away. It's up to each Mircalla to decide when to sire but Sophia made it clear they are all to join the house."
Siobhan felt a surge of fury. Each of her sisters was going to go through the same indignity, the same violation, that had been thrust upon her, and there was nothing she could do. If she tried to intervene, her new house would turn on her and her tenuous status among the blooded was the only thing that was going to allow her to save her love when she was found.
