Ten years have passed since the barbarians from the mountains attacked Syanay's village and left her orphaned. It was Thett, the warrior in King Heloan's army that found her after the siege of her village. A girl of eight standing in the ruins of her family's hut, covered in dirt, ash and the blood of her parents.
To her advantage, Thett was the only one who had seen her.
She saw him walking towards the hut, stepping into the huts still standing. When he reached her hut, he stood and stared at her. The hut was simple and had completely crumpled to the ground.
Thett looked around and saw that no one was near. He quickly climbed through the rubble to her, knealing when he reached.
"What are you doing standing in the open like this?" he asked her desperately. "Don't you know you're marked?"
Thett reached up and wiped the tear wet ash from under her eyes.
"You must hide, and quick," he said looking around. "If some one finds you, they will kill you as a bad omen."
Syanay didn't move.
"Go now, hide," he said to her.
"But what will happen to me?" she said, her eyes filling once more with tears.
"Go to the forest, there is a large rock just over the first hill. Sit there and I will come for you after the sun has set. Now go."
She had done as he ordered, and he had come for her after the sun had set, just as he promised.
She was now at the age of eighteen, she had grown into a beautiful woman, and with the training of Thett, a great sword fighter. But there was more in her heart then she wished to express.
Although Thett had been like a father to her, she saw him as more then just that. He was also her teacher and elder by thirteen years. Still she had the instincts of a woman and a yearning for the touch of a man. She loved Thett, there was no doubt in her mind about that, and it wasn't just the fact that he gave up so much for her. Mostly his loyalty to King Heloan and was now considered a traitor to the crown. She knew he was a good man, and so, she vowed that no man would ever have her, only Thett. And if Thett would not have her, she would die never knowing a man's touch. That was her sacrifice to Thett.
Syanay stood in the center of Thett's "Training" room. A large grey stone room 50 feet long and 20 feet wide. Thett had built the room himself to train Syanay in the art of combat. The walls rose 10 feet, lined with windows at the very top to allow the sun to light the room no matter what time of day it was.
Hanging from nearly every inch of the walls were swords, axes, war hammers, bows, quills of arrows, targets, and other assorted weapons, there was also a four tiered shelf of smaller throwing knives. Thett left no weapon out when it came to training Syanay. There had to be over two hundred weapons in this one room, and Syanay had used every one at least once.
Training wasn't her purpose in the training room today. Meditation was her purpose today. She had to clear her head from the confusion and flood within her.
She had awaken early this morning to find Thett in his bed, nearly naked. She had sat on the edge of his cot, tracing his many scars with her fingertips, hoping he wouldn't wake. With every scar she traced, her want only grew. After what felt like forever, she left Thett, dressed, and came straight here.
Now at midday, she still stood stone solid, her head down and repeating the chant Thett had taught her over and over.
"A warrior must see that what can not be seen, a warrior must hear what can not be heard, a warrior must be at peace with himself and the world, give me calm," she whispered over and over again.
Although her mind was a jumble of thoughts of love, her ears didn't miss the high pitched whistle of a blade cutting through the air. With quickness that impressed Thett to no end, she drew her own blade and spun on her heels, raising her blade to block the blade coming at her.
The sound of metal striking metal echoed off the walls.
"Very good," Thett said with a smile. "I didn't think you knew I had entered."
Syanay smiled. "I heard you draw your blade."
Now Thett was impressed. He had drawn his sword nearly twenty feet before reaching the door to the training room.
"That's impressive, but means nothing," Thett said not letting the pride in his trainee show.
They stepped back from each other, keeping their swords at the ready.
"You still have a long way to go before you can call yourself a warrior," he said taunting her.
"Perhaps I've already learned enough, but just don't want to hurt the pride of an old man," she said back.
"Not likely," he said, wanting to smile. "No woman will ever be a warrior."
Syanay took the first swing, but Thett blocked. The sounds of sword play filled the room. Finally, Syanay made the mistake of a downward swing when her balance was off slightly. Thett dodged to the side and bent down. He reached out and knocked her feet from under her. Syanay, did a flip in the air so she would land on her feet. When she did land, Thett was ready and swung his sword, striking her in the chest with the side of the blade.
Syanay fell back into the wall, surprised and winded. When her back struck the wall, her shoulder hit the shelf, rattling the knives. Syanay couldn't move as Thett slowly walked toward her.
"Fancy acts will not save you on the battlefield," he said. "It's all here," he said pointing to his head. "And here," he pointed at his chest.
Syanay finally caught her breath and stepped away from the wall. She relentlessly swung at Thett, turning as she did in order to back him against the wall. She finally had him where she wanted him. He was now where she was. She lifted her sword for what would be the fatal blow, but before she could bring the sword down, Thett reached and grabbed the shelf. Before she realized that he had her where he wanted her instead of the other way around, Thett pushed the shelf over.
The shelf struck Syanay in the shoulder, knocking her to the ground. The shelf fell on top of her, pinning her to the floor. Thett stepped away from the wall and stood over her.
"As I said," he said as he lifted the shelf off her and pushed it away. "A woman will never be a warrior."
Thett started to turn and walk away, but Syanay wasn't done with him yet. She reached out and pulled his legs from under him. Thett fell face first to the floor, his sword skidding across the stone floor. Syanay grabbed a knife and pinned him down, sticking the point of the blade against his throat.
"Yield to me," she yelled through clenched teeth. Their noses were only inched away from each other and Syanay could smell his sweat.
Thett stare up at her. "By the Gods, you are beautiful."
Syanay relaxed the pressure on the blade against his throat. She had waited for him to say that for too long. She pulled the knife from his throat and knelt closer, wanting only to kiss him. Then she felt it, The sharp point of a blade in her ribs.
"You're dead," Thett said, then pushed her off him. Thett slowly got to his feet, leaving Syanay on the floor.
Syanay could no longer keep her feelings hidden. She began to weep as Thett crossed to his sword and lifted it. He looked back at her as he resheathed it.
"You let your feelings show too much girl," he said. Now feeling sorry for what he had done, but not letting his own weakness show through.
"Dam you," she cried looking up at him. "You're evil."
"No, I'm your teacher," he said walking away from her. Thett reached the door, glanced back at Syanay and saw her still on the ground weeping. "Now clean up."
Thett opened the door and walked out. Syanay screamed as she picked up a knife and threw it at the door behind Thett.
Outside, Thett was facing the door as the tip off the knife exploded through. The blade vibrated a moment. Thett reached up and touched the blade.
"I'm sorry Syanay," he whispered before turning away. He walked away from the training room and into the forest that surrounded his hut.
Thett had no idea where he was headed when he left the training room, but found himself in a small clearing. Running through the clearing was a thin stream. Thett sat on a fallen tree and stared into the rippling water, lost to the world. His only thoughts were of Syanay and her screams of frustration as he left her in the training room.
"She is ready," A voice said from behind him.
Thett jumped at the voice, he hadn't heard the woman walk up, but once he realized who the owner of the voice was, he knew why. But he realized who it was too late. He was already on his feet and sword drawn. As he spun, the sword struck a large tree branch that sagged to the ground from a large tree ten feet behind him. The force of the blow knocked his shoulder at a strange angle and popped the improperly healed shoulder from the socket. Pain forced him to hold the sword low and shaky.
"What are you doing here you vial temptress?" he growled to the woman behind him.
The woman was beautiful. Long flowing blonde hair, large breasts, tanned skin, and dressed in a long flowing white gown that emphasized all her womanly features. To look at her, one would never guess she was thousands of years old. Her given name was Cree, but men called her The Oracle, or any insulting name they could.
"I have been called many names by many men," she said, her voice as sweet as a chorus of angels singing softly into his ears. "But only when you insult does it hurt so."
"I asked you why are you here?" he growled. He had had too many dealings with this woman, and he was tiring of her company already.
"I have come for the girl," Cree said smiling. "The one you trained behind my back."
"You knew I would when you told me I would find her," Thett said, the sword lowered. The pain in his shoulder was too much to bear, but he didn't trust Cree.
Cree slowly crossed to him, her smile growing. "I had hoped you would, but the time has come for her to go to King Dennacor. As you knew it would."
"I will not send her to her death," Thett said. Beads of sweat rolled down his brow.
Cree now stood before him and saw he was in pain. She reached up and gently caressed his cheek. "Your shoulder, it still bothers you?"
"You should know," he answered trying to raise the sword, to no avail. "You did this to me."
"I had to teach you a lesson for not listening to me," she said slowly letting her hand slide down the side of his face to his neck. When her hand reached his shirt, she let it slide underneath, then under the leather patch that was suppose to keep the shoulder in place. She then grasped his shoulder and grabbed Thett's head with the other. With a quick jerk, Cree popped the shoulder back.
