The Lessons Begin

"You're almost there," said the owl in Rudsis' mind.

He was walking in the woods in silence. Sometimes, a bit of whistled melody would escape his lips, but it was cut off abruptly. There were things in the forest, and he didn't want to attract them.

"Where are you?" He was clearly annoyed. "You were supposed to guide me."

"Aw. Have you been feeling lonely? I can't be with you all the time, Rudsis. I have other things to do."

"Go, then! Why did you come back to me if I'm almost there and you can't spare time."

"Because you need to turn a bit to the right to stumble upon the witch's cabin. Otherwise, you'll go past it and never even know it."

Letting out a tense exhalation, Rudsis adjusted his heading while still walking. "Is this enough?"

"A bit more, dear."

"And this?"

"There you go. I never told you, Rudsis, but I'm glad you survived the ubtirs. Things should go relatively well from here."

"How would you know? And what are you? Are you an ubtir as well?"

No answer came.

"Hello?"

Nothing.

"Pfff." Rudsis let air out thorugh his lips dismissively and kept on walking. It still took him the better part of the morning, but he finally came to a part of the forest where the trees did not stand as close together. Soon, he saw the cabin in the distance, and rushed towards it.

"Witch!" He shouted standing in front of the cabin. "Come out, witch!"

Afena stepped out of her home to look intently at the warrior that had come seeking her help. In one hand, she held a stick of wood that had been carved to look like a medium two-handed sword.

Rudsis looked at the woman as she slowly approached him, circling around, but leaving a berth between them. Her gaze was that of a wolf studying an unknown element in its territory. The tip of the wooden sword she held almost touched the ground.

"You've come," she said.

"If you expected me, you know why I'm here."

"I do." Afena lifted the sword above her head and brought it down in an elegant slice to adopt a fighting stance. "Try to strike me down with your sword."

"I didn't come to attack you, witch. I came seeking your help."

"I am offering it. Try to strike me down, or leave."

"There's no time for this." Rudsis dropped everything he was carrying, but kept the sword in his hand, holding it by the piece of cloth he'd wrapped around the center of the blade. "The folk of the city need to be freed."

"They will be," Afena said patiently, unmoving. "Once you learn how to fight, they will be."

"I am a guard!" Rudsis pulled the wrapped cloth off the sword and held the blade clumsily in one hand, pointing it away from Afena. "I have been fighting my whole life."

"Very well. Strike me down."

Had it not been for the memory of his sister, Rudsis would have very likely charged at the woman in front him. But he promised himself he would never be his father.

"What was the point of coming here if you will not help me?" he demanded.

"I am helping, but you cannot see it. That is your fault, not mine."

"I will not attack you."

"I agree. Whatever you try to do with that sword can't be taken as an attack. You're like a baby playing with a knife, and will hurt yourself before hurting others."

"And you know how to handle it?"

Slowly, pausing between each word, Afena taunted, "Strike me down."

Grudgingly, Rudsis held the sword with both hands by the hilt.

"At least you know where your hands are supposed to go," she teased. "Let's see if you know how to move them."

Agilely, Rudsis strode towards the woman, sword held parallel to the ground and back. He thrust, and Afena blocked by lifting her hilt above her head, then bringing it down in a diagonal, downwards slash to counter attack. The wooden sword tapped Rudsis' neck, where Afena held it firmly.

"A slash to the neck," she said. "I'm sure you've dealt that kind of death before, and would think you would not like to suffer it yourself."

Brusquely, Rudsis slashed horizontally this time. Afena saw it coming, ducked under the swing, and thrust to place the tip of her sword on Rudsis' abdomen.

"A stab to the gut. Do you know how slow and painful that death is?"

Rudsis tried to push the woman away with his hand. Afena let him put his hand on her shoulder, but spun with the force of the shove. Rudsis stumbled forward, and Afena finished her spin by thwacking his back.

"Very few people are lucky enough to keep using their legs after someone cuts their back," said Afena. "If they survive after being treated, that is."

"ENOUGH," Rudsis shouted. "I DON'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THIS THING, FINE. BUT MOCKING ME IS NOT HELPING ME. ALL I NEED IS A SPEAR AND A SHIELD."

"No." Afena lowered her wooden sword. "You do not understand, warrior. I am not mocking you. I am showing you how I will help you. You cannot defeat Treni with a spear. Not with one made of glass, at least. Only metal weapons that have been enhanced with magic can kill gods."

"Then we will get a metal spear, witch."

Afena scoffed. "Do you know what it costs to get a metal weapon? Humans cannot get it. We would have to barter with beings you don't know, and even if we lower the price as much as possible, it would still cost you dearly." She pointed at Rudsis' sword. "That one, for example. Do you at least know its name?"

"It's a thing." Rudsis shook the sword in his hand. "Things don't have names."

Afena shook her head and shrugged. "It does, and it's written on the underside of the guard. Padrinspite, if I remember correctly."

Rudsis turned the sword over and saw the word written beneath the guard. He looked at the witch, frowning. "How did you know?"

Afena ignored the question. "You will face Treni with that sword. Do you think you'll survive her first attack if all you do is swing it senselessly like you just did?"

Understanding, Rudsis nodded. "But the folk…"

"You can go and get yourself killed, man. Then who will free the folk?"

"But there must be something we can do now. Treni is going to start sacrificing them."

"If you think of something, let me know. But just like a farmer needs to turn to other sources of food while his crops grow, so do you need to learn to fight with a sword. Now come stand next to me. You have much to learn and practice."

Rudsis did as the woman instructed. She held out her hands for Rudsis to see how she held her wooden sword, and showed him some quick, simple swings.

"This is very delicate," said Rudsis.

"Swords kill delicately and easily if you know how to use them," said Afena. "Brief movements allow you to not get tired as quickly."

"How do you know all this? Only kings are supposed to have swords."

"Who do you think taught the kings of the past to use them?"

"You? I mean...you witches?"

"We witches," said Afena unaffected.