SPARRING PARTNER

The lad, Bynarr, got himself into a stance ready to spar with his sword. "What are you waiting for? One round?"

"Uhm… Alright!" She exclaimed, pumped. Red thought that at least with Bynarr, the playing field would be, in every sense, fair.

Under the guidance of the silver full moon, surrounded by the humungous trees silently cheering them on, and the whistling of the brook's waters that reminded them that they were not alone, Bynarr and Red focused all their attention on each other, gauging… waiting.

They pranced slowly, tracing an invisible circumference in a stance ready to jump and attack given the right timing.

'One of Sir Karyk's very first lessons this week was to be mindful of your enemy's movements, intentions and wait for the perfect timing… the timing…'

She slowed her breath into a calmer pace. Every inhale and exhale she took reverberated in her ear. She's become too focused that she could trace the pathway of her trickling sweat by her temple.

But whatever happened, she never tore her gaze on the lad in front of him. He might look like a tame, benevolent lad, but her instincts told her that he had some good sense with his sword. His movements also proved that point.

Likewise, the lad never left his gaze from hers. All of his senses were heightened, as attested by the bulging veins on his forearms and a slight knot of concentration on his forehead.

"What, are you not attacking me? Ladies first." He breathed almost inaudibly, as if afraid to disturb the calm of the night. "I can only choose to defend."

Red scowled and scoffed, "Don't treat me differently. So what if I'm a girl? Are you looking down on me?" Saying that she's pissed would be an understatement.

Impulsively, she surged forward with a battle cry, "Hayyahh!!"

Without any program or routine, she swung left then right, repeatedly, and randomly inserted some jabs here and there. She didn't want to be looked down upon. Who would be pleased to be at the receiving end of such treatment? She's been training like any other warrior these past two weeks. She deserved some acknowledgment for all her sufferings. Hell, her muscles were still sore as a reminder.

Bynarr motioned to defend. He blocked all her attacks with his sword effectively. As she pushed through, his thin lips could not help but stretch into an amused grin. It fanned the flames of the girl's fury even more.

Red blazed with unparalleled energy as she saw his amused smile. Honestly speaking, his grin wasn't of the taunting sort yet she was still slighted by it.

"What are you smiling at, Bynarr? Huh?!" She sped up, her movements became sloppier.

Bynarr continued to block her attacks, but his smile exploded into a fit of laughter. He stopped his movements as he laughed boisterously, but furious Red did not.

The window she's been waiting for had opened. 'Now!'

"Ow! Ow! Ahahahaha!" Bynarr strangely continued laughing despite being hit.

She hit him on the arms, and as a finishing move, pointed the edge of her wooden sword on his neck. Bynarr raised both arms in the air, still laughing hard that some tears threatened to brim over his eyes from too much laughing. He panted from laughter, not from the sparring.

"What's so funny? Hmph!"

"Nothing. It's just that, you're too cute! Ahaha." He answered. By 'cute' he meant something else. He flicked her forehead with his fingers.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"Your punishment. You did everything wrong the moment you attacked." In a more serious disposition, he explained his insights, "I wasn't goading you on purpose when I said ladies' first but you nevertheless got offended by it. You see, the art of the sword is not just physical. It's also a combination of psychological and emotional play. That's where tactics and strategies come in."

His tone increased in energy, "But even if I was not trying to lure you into a trap, you have volunteered to trap yourself. Your attacks were all flimsy and terrible. If I had the guts, I would have pinned you to the ground quite easily."

"Why didn't you?"

"As I said, I don't have the guts."

"Are you stupid or are you just kind-hearted? I bet you can't even hurt an insect. Oh, wait, you flicked my forehead! That hurts! It still does." She kept on massaging the point of attack.

"Hahaha! It was just a friendly banter among friends."

The two fell into a comfortable silence. The bubbling of the brook was the only source of noise that they both welcomed since it soothed their weariness away.

"Bynarr, teach me more! Spar with me every day! Please?" Red clasped her hands and blinked her doe eyes.

"Hahaha! Everyday? I might be busy, you know." He told her that sometimes he did errands for the elderly ladies downtown if they needed fixing in their house especially if the grandfather in the man in the household was already in old age too.

"Woah. You really have a heart of gold." Red clapped slowly. She wasn't teasing, though. She's in utter awe at him.

Bynarr only shrugged. "I'm like an adopted kid of Torrine Town. I don't have parents but the kind citizens of this town chipped in and raised me up until I'm this big." He threw her a gratitude-filled smile then shrugged again. "It takes a village to raise a child. Now that I am capable, I have to return the favor even in small ways as long as I could."

Red's eyes sparkled as she studied him. She had not met a person with almost the same life story as hers. She almost blurted, "Me too! I grew up not having parents!"

But she stopped herself short before she had to take it back and explain more than she would have intended.

As a safe stance, she only bobbed her head in acknowledgment.

"Well, then, I'll just wait for you here. Same spot every single day. Don't feel pressured if you cannot come. I can enjoy the scenery for a few minutes and then I'll just leave. No big deal."

"Alright, then!"