Tavaar - 5th Edition

The last post was an over long post which ended with Tavaar inviting Khaiu and Shello to the next Gahrem Village bonfire. I will try to make this one shorter. I was lazy on the last post and merely copied the text without comment. It was late.

Here we have Khaiu offering Tavaar the chance to have him train her. At first she is irreverant, but soon she realizes Khaiu may actually hold the key to her real improvement as a warrior.

Tavaar laughed at him. “Very good. Now, what do you want to talk about? Not kissing, I gather?”

“No. I want to talk to you about your sword training.”

“Sword training? Khaiu, this is a bonfire. We’re supposed to be having fun.”

“We’ve been having fun. Or haven’t you enjoyed it?”

“I have. But that’s all the more reason not to stop.”

“We aren’t stopping. We’re just taking a respite.”

“Why? Because I’m good with a sword?”

“You are more than good, Tavaar. You are great.”

She grinned and snuggled close. “I thought we were going to talk about swords.”

Khaiu finally gets Tavaar to pay attention, at which point she accuses him of not trying his best to beat Shello in their championship match. Khaiu's explaination is that when he fights Shello he wants to fight him at his best, and so he coaches him to be better. He then challenges her on who she has fought best against. Having just won the championship this year, Tavaar considers her final match first.

“I fought very well against Manya this year.”

“Yes, you did. You showed great improvement. So that was when you fought your best?”

“I suppose so.”

“But?”

“Well, I don’t mean to diminish Manya, but I felt like I had more to give.”

“Then has anyone taxed you to your limit?”

Tavaar's smile evaporated. “Yes."

“Who?”

“Shello.”

“Shello? Shello made you fight your best?”

“Yes.”

“And yet you lost? How so, Tavaar? How could you have fought better in defeat than victory? And tell me something else: which fight was the more satisfying?”

“I guess I enjoy my battles with Shello more.”

“Why?”

“Because I know I am fighting as well as I can.”

“Let me ask you something else. Why don’t you fight your best against others if fighting at your best is what pleases you?”

“I want to. Only, I win before I can touch the height of my skill,” she said.

After Khaiu convinces Tavaar to let him train her, he lets her know that he is also training Shello, and Klarissa of Swords. Tavaar is unable to hide her jealousy of Klarissa, but Khaiu coaxes her out of it, at which point Tavaar decides to return to their earlier play. Unfortunately, Khaiu has led them away from the light of the fire, so play is not allowed.

She leaned forward, intent on taking him in her arms, but he was ready for her. His hands took hold of her just below her arms and he held her at bay.

“Not in the dark. We don’t need that kind of trouble,” he said.

“Let go of me and I’ll show you exactly how much trouble you can get in.”

She struggled to free herself, but Khaiu held on. Tavaar was impressed. There weren’t many who could defeat her strength. Still, she wasn’t trying all that hard. She giggled and continued to struggle. Then Khaiu did something which truly impressed her. Without letting go, he took his feet off his thighs and stood with a single, fluid, movement and held her above him at arms’ length. She gave a cry of surprise when he stood, but laughed as he marched back to the light.

“Okay. You’ve got me back here. Now what are you going t do?” she asked.

She regretted her teasing at once. Khaiu’s fingers began moving, poking into her sides just below the arms.9 (There is a note stating that Tavaar being especially ticklish came as an accident, but that it was useful in subsequent tales.)

“Khaiu, no! Don’t, Khaiu! Khaiu, stop!”

She squealed and screamed and struggled to get free, but Khaiu’s tickling was without mercy. They drew a lot of attention, but no one came to her aide. She was helpless. Finally, Sashwa and the others arrived.

“Tavaar, what have you been doing?” asked Sashwa.

“I wondered where she had gone,” said Ahzbah.

“Looks like she’s been enjoying herself,” said Chahma.”10 (There is a note stating that, at this time, Sashwa and Tavaar's relationship was unknown and that the plan was to have a group of four. I think it worked better with just the two of them.)

“Help!” Tavaar screamed.

Shello stepped forward and crossed his arms. “Khaiu, don’t you know how to treat a lady?”

“No. Show me,” said Khaiu.

Tavaar felt Khaiu shift his weight and knew what he was about to do. She screamed again.

“Khaiu, no!”

He didn’t heed her. She knew he wouldn’t. It was all up to Shello now.

With a mighty heft, Khaiu tossed her like a doll. One moment she was looking down into his grinning face, the next she was looking up at the stars, her arms flailing helplessly. Shello caught her. He didn’t do a great job of it, though. She had been waving her arms and legs as she flew, so instead of catching her with one arm behind her back and one under her legs, he caught her with one hand at her shoulder and the other on the thigh of one leg. Tavaar hadn’t ceased flailing, either, and so she knocked him off balance. Shello instinctively tried to better his grip. The result was she was turned with her back to him. He had his left arm around her shoulder and his hand against her breast. His right arm was between her legs and his hand pressed low on her stomach. He fell over backward with her on top. She felt his grip tighten as he hit the ground and winced.

For a short moment they lay without moving while everyone stood over them laughing. Then Shello relaxed and his hands slid away. Tavaar turned so she was looking down at him.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “You? How do you feel?”

“I feel fine.”

“You ought to, considering where he had his hands,” said Ahzbah, drawing a tremendous laugh and making both Shello and Tavaar blush.

Khaiu came and knelt beside them. “So, that’s how you treat a lady, is it?”

“You bet it is,” said Ahzbah. “Would you care to try it on me?”

“You have to be a lady first,” said Tavaar.