This passage was written in less than two hours, or even an hour. The time is immediately following Tavaar’s interaction with Klarissa. It’s main purpose was to draw Tavaar closer to Khaiu than to Shello. I think it succeeds. It also reflects the first time I really began to realized Sashwa’s role in Tavaar’s life. Not only were they impish, saucy and sassy, but they were also very suggestive with each other. This new dimension would form a strong base from which their love would show.
They stood facing each other, waiting for the signal. Tavaar was nervous. Not only was Khaiu a superior warrior, his eyes told her he was still put out with her over the joke she and Klarissa had played on him and Shello. With anyone else she would have expected the anger to be a distraction. With Khaiu, she did not. It would only give him focus. The signal was given and the fight began. Tavaar began moving to her left. Khaiu turned, but he did not step.
“You have opened yourself up to attack,” he said, coolly.
“I have not.”
His sword snapped forward faster than she expected. She blocked it, but only after it grazed her side. She grimaced, but the pain left quickly.
“Get your mind on the fight,” said Khaiu. “Were my blade steel you would now have a severe wound.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Be attentive!”
“No. I mean about what happened earlier.”
His sword flashed again, catching her on her arm. She parried him away, but her arm throbbed.
“Get your mind on the fight! You are now dead in a real fight. Do you understand? This is not about mock battles and championships. It is about staying alive.”
She was angry now, but she didn’t let it be her master. Drawing on the things she had been taught, she channeled her anger. Then, while Khaiu was in the midst of his tirade, she struck. To her disappointment, he not only parried her attack, but he didn’t even pause for breath, finishing his tirade while he fought.
“Good! Make your anger an ally instead of an enemy. It has power. Take the power, but leave the rest. The rest will hamper your thoughts and slow your actions. The power gives you strength and speed.”
“I know!” she said, launching a furious attack.
She was a bit more successful this time. At least he shut up. But he was laughing! It wasn’t mocking or derisive. It was the laughter which comes from joy. But it was still laughter. Yes, she was probably going to get beat, but before she did she was going to take that damned smile off his face.
They continued, and soon Khaiu was issuing warnings to her even as he had Shello the year before. It wasn’t distracting, though. This was Khaiu’s style in their training sessions; constantly barking out commands. Tavaar found it calming. She was able to press, and once she noted a look of surprise in Khaiu’s eyes, which was followed by one of his rare, but charming, smiles. Khaiu’s assaults were frightening. Only his shouting of commands helped her keep focus. She blocked them – but barely. In the end – she lost. His blade came against her cheek and paused just long enough for her to know it. It had felt like a lover’s caress.
She immediately ceased fighting. She sighed and smiled. Then she stepped forward to kiss her vanquisher.
“Why are you smiling? You have just been killed,” said Khaiu.
“Didn’t you know, Khaiu? To die at your hands is every girl’s dream.”2 (the note here says: This was the moment I knew Tavaar loved Khaiu and not Shello.)
“You relaxed your defense again. We are going to have to work on that.”
Tavaar sighed. “You know, you can stop coaching me now, Khaiu. The thing is over. I would like to give you a kiss, but now I’m not so sure.”
“I wouldn’t,” said Chahma, who had arrived with Sashwa and Ahzbah. She turned on Khaiu. “What are you crabbing on her for? She fought you better than anyone, and all you do is criticize.”
“Not exactly your gracious winner, is he?” said Ahzbah.
Khaiu looked embarrassed. He glanced at Tavaar’s friends and then looked at her.
“You’re right,” he said. “I apologize. You fought well, Tavaar.”
It wasn't too many days after her defeat to Khaiu that Tavaar tested for training with a flamesword. This is another short passage.
This was a passage I was going to write earlier. I’m glad I waited. It allowed me to introduce other elements. That Tavaar and her friends are not exactly proper is already known. That Chahma is a reluctant follower is also known. What we find is that Tavaar’s wantonness does have its limits. On a minor note, this is the first appearance of Tavaar’s carriage.
Odelmaar began with a quick strike, catching her on her arm. She blocked part of it, but had been too eager and overreacted. Her father was right: it hurt. When he paused, she launched her own attacks. She had little hope in actually striking her father, but that was not her purpose. She wanted to watch how he defended himself. She had seen blocking moves many times, of course, but watching from a safe distance was one thing. Watching as a warrior engaged in battle was another. On and on they fought. Like Khaiu, Odelmaar constantly barked out commands, mercilessly inflicting pain to emphasize his points. Being hit was not only painful, it was frustrating and humiliating. This increased her anger and her resolve.
There was a subtle move she had seen Khaiu use on occasion. It involved a clear deception of wrist movement. When executed well it was very difficult to defend. Even Shello struggled with it. She thought she knew how it was done. She had practiced it with her mock weapon. She decided to try it.
She didn’t execute it perfectly, but her father was unaware of the move and was caught by surprise. She caught him across his legs and he yelped before recovering and sending a flurry of fire back at her. To prove it had not been an accident, she did it again. Having seen it once, Odelmaar was better prepared, and this time she did not strike home. She hadn’t executed it well anyway. The smile on her father’s face, though, told her he was impressed.
When the testing ended, Odelmaar called for a carriage to bring Tavaar to Fire Lake, where she could enjoy the warm and healing waters. To Tavaar’s delight a beautiful princess carriage came around the corner. It was sparkling white with black leather seats. The larger seat faced forward. A smaller one faced it, allowing for as many as four or five to ride in comfort and elegance. The driver sat high on a bench for two, and the back had places for groomsmen. It was pulled by a magnificent, shiny black mare with no white whatsoever. The thick feather around her feet had been combed. Her main and tail were done up splendidly. Tavaar gasped with joy.
NOTE: I found Tavaar's carriage at Justin Carriage. The pictures have changed since I first found the website, but Tavaar's carriage is still there. It just isn't white anymore.
“A reward. For an excellent effort,” said Odelmaar.
He was smiling broadly at her. Tavaar had no words. She flung herself into his arms, headless of her pain.
“Get you gone to the lake now,” he said, giving her a kiss and a pat.
She started for the carriage, then turned. “Father, may my friends join me?”
“As you wish. The carriage is yours to keep.”
“Thank you, Father!”
Tavaar takes Sashwa, Ahzbah and Chahma with her to Fire Lake. They find a secluded place and go skinny dipping. They aren't there long before Khaiu and Shello arrive.
“This ought to be interesting,” said Ahzbah.
Sashwa laughed. Chahma looked nervous and crouched low in the water. Tavaar, who happened to be sitting in water nearly to her neck remained unflustered.
“Sit down, girls. It looks like we have company.”
The two brothers walked to the water’s edge.
“You’re a bit bold, aren’t you?” asked Tavaar.
“We didn’t mean to be,” said Khaiu. “We had hoped to get her earlier and surprise you.”
“We’re surprised!” said Ahzbah, drawing giggles from Tavaar and Sashwa. Chahma shivered in her arms.
“That’s not what I meant,” said Khaiu. “We weren’t coming with the hope of watching you undress or see you naked or anything like that.”
“No,” said Shello. “We knew Tavaar flamesword tested today and we wanted to give our congratulations.”
“How did you know we were here?” asked Sashwa.
“We saw the carriage pass by the Great Hall, but we were too far away to call. So we hurried cross country,” said Khaiu. “This is a nice, secluded place. Perfect for nude bathing.”
“And you ran all that way just to give Darling a kiss?” asked Sashwa.
“Yes. We did,” said Shello.
“Well, come on then,” said Tavaar, holding out her hands.
“Under the circumstances, I do not believe it would be proper,” said Khaiu.
Tavaar laughed. “What does that matter? Your coming here is hardly proper.”
“It was an accident!” said Shello.
“Yes,” said Tavaar, wryly. “You seem to have a lot of them.”
“I notice you’re not leaving,” said Ahzbah.
“You’re looking at a lot of trouble, if we tell,” said Sashwa.
“What do you mean, if we tell?” said Chahma.
“Don’t mind her. She’s with us,” said Ahzbah.
“So, what are you going to do?” asked Tavaar.
“What do you want us to do?” asked Khaiu.
“You came to give me kisses. I still haven’t got them.”
Khaiu sighed. “Are you serious?”
“We’ll have to tell if you don’t,” said Sashwa.
“And we each want a kiss,” said Ahzbah.
“Ahzbah, no!” hissed Chahma.
“What do you say, Khaiu?” asked Tavaar.
“Before you answer, know this!” cried Ahzbah. “You and Shello must strip down, too.”
Chahma gasped, but Sashwa and Tavaar laughed.
“Now what do you say?” asked Tavaar.
“That the conditions are tempting. However, to be caught would bring serious trouble upon us all. Are you really ready for husbands? There are four of you and two of us. The family has never allowed such marriages to occur.”
“Maybe its time the family changes its thinking,” said Tavaar.4 (I will only give part of the note: It was no accident this comment was given to Tavaar.)
“You play a dangerous game, Tavaar,” said Khaiu. “You are counting on me to refuse and take Shello and leave. But you fail to realize the power of your own allure. You wear the water like shimmering silk, and though it be clear, your form is not. The wind disturbs the surface and shields you from our eyes.”
“Would you like me to stand?” asked Tavaar.
Khaiu paused. “Yes. But don't. There would be no going back.”
Tavaar no longer felt like jesting. Yet neither did she feel ashamed.
“Why did you come to the water, Khaiu? You say you did not wish to see my nudity, yet you could have left. We would never have known you saw us.”
“We didn’t see you,” said Shello. “Not really.”
Khaiu held out his hand and Shello quit speaking. “What Shello says is true enough. There was a point when we saw you in the water, and we could tell you were undressed. But we were still afar and could not – make out all details. At that time we could have left and you would never have known.”
“But we would know,” said Shello.
Khaiu silenced him again. “We would know, but you would not. Somehow, that seemed more unseemly than having you ‘catch us’. So we left the water and came through the trees, calling out as we neared to give you time to cover yourselves with water. Perhaps we were wrong, but the choice cannot be undone.”
“It is an odd way to think,” said Tavaar. “Can you be sure your reasoning was not clouded by desire?”
“No.”
Tavaar smiled. “Then I accept your words as truth and release you. Get you gone. You may kiss me another day.”
“Thank you,” said Khaiu.
“Thank you,” said Shello.
They turned to leave, but Tavaar called after them. “You know, you're always going to wonder what would have happened?”
“Always is a long time,” said Khaiu.
“Are you saying you’ll forget this?” asked Sashwa.
“No. I expect we shall even regret out choice. But it is the right choice.”
The two brothers turned their backs and disappeared into the trees. After they had gone, Sashwa splashed Tavaar.
“Why did you let them go? They would have given in.”
Tavaar remained thoughtful. “I know.”
2 comments:
ooooooooo sassy girls! :O lol
Yeah, I know what you mean.
Tavaar's friends (Sashwa in particular) often got out of hand. Sometimes Tavaar did, too. But since this was all backstory, and a first draft, I often let them go where they wanted.
The result was I often found myself shocked by my own writing and had to retake control, as it were. I think this is what made writing about Tavaar so much fun.
By the time we catch up to where I left off some of the behavior goes beyond sassy. I'm not sure I'll have the courage to post what I wrote then. But as that decision is still several weeks away I won't worry about it now. I'll take the Scarlet O'Hara approach. "I'll think about that tomorrow."
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