First Lesson

Alexis opened her eyes in the darkness of the room. The cold seeped through the wooden walls, and every breath turned to vapor. In the other bed, Ireena slept wrapped in blankets up to her chin.

She hadn’t been able to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, the claws came back, the blackened teeth, the smell of turned earth. And Miladi’s scream. She had spent most of the night staring at the ceiling, listening to Sinnos snore through the wall.

She got up carefully. The stitches in her side pulled as she sat up, and she had to stay seated for a moment, breathing, before getting to her feet. The floorboards creaked under her, but Ireena didn’t stir. She dressed in silence, fastening her leather armor with practiced movements, and went out.

Laghai was leaning against the wall of the hallway, motionless in the half-light. His eyes followed her as she passed, but he said nothing. Alexis gave him a brief nod and kept going toward the stairs.

Downstairs, the common room was empty. The fire in the hearth had burned down to embers that barely lit the tables. Alexis crossed it and went out through the back door.

The air outside hit her like an icy punch. The fog, thick as always, crept between the trees.

Beside the stable there was an open patch of ground, covered in wet grass. From the pile of firewood stacked against the wall she picked out two straight, sturdy sticks. She weighed them, tested their balance. They weren’t perfect, but they would do.

She took off her cloak, left it on the fence and began to warm up. She stretched the muscles that were still complaining about the day before, rolled her arms, flexed her wrists. Every time she twisted her torso, her side reminded her of the stitches. She did it anyway.

When her body felt ready, she went back inside.

Laghai was still in the hallway. He probably hadn’t moved an inch.

Alexis opened the door to the room. Ireena was sleeping on her side now, her red hair spilled across the pillow.

“Ireena,” she said quietly.

No answer.

“Ireena,” she repeated, a little louder, and touched her shoulder.

An unintelligible grunt came from under the blankets.

“You said you wanted to train.”

“Mmm… what time is it?” Ireena mumbled, without opening her eyes.

“Um… it’s early. But if you want to keep sleeping…”

Ireena’s eyes flew open and she sat up.

“No, no. Give me a minute, please.”

She got up, tangled herself in the blankets and started dressing in a hurry. Alexis turned toward the door to give her some privacy.

“Ready,” Ireena announced after what was, at the very least, five minutes.

They went down together. Laghai watched them pass without a word.

Outside, the cold made Ireena shiver.

“It’s freezing,” she murmured, pulling her cloak tighter. She noticed that Alexis was wearing only her leather armor. “How are you not frozen?”

“You have to keep moving. In a few minutes you won’t feel the cold as much.”

They walked to the open ground. The darkness was beginning to give way, just barely, to the pale gray that passed for day in Barovia. The trees were black shapes against a sky slightly less black.

Alexis picked up the two sticks.

“Before we start,” she said, studying Ireena, “I need you to relax.”

“I am relaxed.”

Alexis pointed at her shoulders.

“You’re all tense, Ireena.”

Ireena looked down at herself, as if only now noticing how stiff her own body was, and tried to loosen up by force.

“No… no… not like that,” said Alexis.

“Then how?” Ireena asked.

Alexis took her by the shoulders and pressed her thumbs right where they met her neck.

“Feel that? It’s hard as a rock.”

At the touch, Ireena went even stiffer.

“Now it’s worse,” said Alexis.

Ireena let out a short laugh, and something in her shoulders gave way.

“Better,” Alexis said approvingly, and let go of her. “Now, the sticks.”

She fetched them and handed her one.

“We’re going to practice with these, because in the beginning it’s dangerous to train with real weapons. Once you have more control, you’ll be able to use your rapier.”

Ireena nodded as she took the stick.

“The first thing is learning how to hold it,” Alexis went on. “Watch.”

She showed her the grip: fingers firm around it, but not rigid. Ireena copied her.

“Like that. Now, the defensive stance.”

Alexis set her feet apart and held the stick diagonally in front of her, ready to block.

“Your first instinct always has to be to defend yourself. Before you think about attacking, you have to be able to protect yourself.”

Ireena tried to copy the stance. It came out crooked, but it was a start.

“More weight on your back leg,” Alexis corrected.

Ireena moved her foot the wrong way. Alexis stepped closer and nudged her ankle with the toe of her boot until it was in place.

“Like that. And the stick higher. It has to cover your torso and your head.”

They made several adjustments until the stance was acceptable.

“Good. Now I’m going to attack you, very slowly, and all you have to do is block. Ready?”

Ireena nodded, though she had gone stiff again.

“Breathe,” Alexis reminded her.

She stepped in and swung slowly at Ireena’s right shoulder.

Ireena raised her stick, but too late and at the wrong angle. Alexis’s stick touched her before she could defend herself.

“Too slow. Again.”

She repeated the same attack from the same angle. This time Ireena reacted a little sooner, but the block was still weak.

“You have to put some strength into it. Don’t just raise the stick: push back against my attack.”

She attacked again. This time the block was firmer.

“Better. Again.”

They kept going. Alexis varied the attacks: high, low, left, right, always slowly, always giving her time to react. At first, Ireena missed most of the blocks. Then, almost without either of them noticing, she began to miss fewer.

The sky slowly lightened, from black to dark gray and from dark gray to pale gray. The fog was still thick, but now they could see each other’s faces. Somewhere nearby, the ravens began to caw.

“You’re getting better,” Alexis said after a particularly good block. “Now I’m going to go a little faster.”

She picked up the pace, without overwhelming her. Ireena had to work harder, and her breathing grew heavy, but she kept blocking.

“Good,” said Alexis after a string of blocks. “You’re anticipating better. Now…”

She threw an attack at mid-height. Ireena blocked it with a movement that came more and more naturally. But instead of stopping there, her body kept going on its own: from the block it flowed into a quick counterattack, without a thought.

Ireena’s stick struck Alexis’s side with a dry crack.

Right where the stitches were.

Alexis doubled over, the air hissing out between her teeth, and pressed a hand to the wound.

Ireena dropped the stick, her eyes wide.

“No! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” She rushed over. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean… I didn’t… it just happened and…”

“Wait, wait,” said Alexis, raising a hand. She still couldn’t straighten up.

“The wound… I’m so sorry, I…”

“Ireena.”

Her tone stopped her.

Alexis took a couple of deep breaths and slowly straightened. She felt her side through the leather. No dampness: the stitches had held.

“That was really good,” she said, and the smile won out over the grimace of pain.

“What? But I hit…”

“You hit me. Yes. You blocked and countered without thinking. That’s exactly what you have to do in a real fight.”

Ireena blinked.

“R-really? I did it right?”

“You did it right.”

“I did it right!” Ireena repeated, louder and louder, and suddenly she was laughing, an open, careless laugh. “I hit you! I really hit you!”

“Yes…”

“I’m sorry! But also… I’m not sorry! Because it was good. You said it was good.”

Alexis laughed too, even though every laugh tugged at her stitches.

Slow applause made them turn around.

Kaleb was leaning against the frame of the back door, a mocking grin on his face, clapping.

“Lovely show,” he said. “But Sinnos says we leave in half an hour. Go get some breakfast.”

“We’re coming,” Alexis answered.

Ireena, still elated, went to gather the sticks and Alexis’s cloak.

“You know,” said Kaleb, walking over to Alexis, “I’m starting to think these training sessions are going to be very entertaining to watch.”

“You’re not invited,” Alexis answered flatly.

“We’ll see.” Kaleb winked at her and went into the tavern.

Alexis stood there watching him go, frowning.

“Thank you, Alexis,” Ireena said as she settled the cloak over her armor. “For teaching me, and for not getting angry when I hit you.”

“There’s nothing to be angry about. You did exactly what you were supposed to do.” Alexis paused and looked at her. “Although next time I’d appreciate a warning.”

Ireena giggled.

---

Inside, the group was already gathered around a table. Sinnos was chewing on bread while he went over a crumpled map. Laghai was drinking hot tea from a metal cup. Pancracio was adjusting the straps of his pack with meticulous care.

They all looked up when the two of them came in.

“Ah, the early birds,” said Sinnos. “How was training?”

“I hit Alexis,” Ireena answered with a smile, before Alexis could open her mouth.

There was a silence.

“You hit… Alexis?” Sinnos repeated, looking from one to the other.

“Right in the stitches,” Kaleb added, sitting down. “I saw the whole thing.”

“It was a great counterattack,” said Ireena, beaming.

Across from her, Alexis was lowering herself into her seat with some difficulty. Ireena covered her mouth.

“Sorry.”

Laghai looked up from his cup for the first time that morning.

“Good.”

“Well, well.” Sinnos studied Ireena with something like respect. “Who would have thought?”

“You must have a natural talent, Miss Ireena,” said Pancracio as he handed her a cup of coffee.

Ireena turned to him, flattered.

“Thank you, Pancracio.”

“All right, half an hour,” said Sinnos, back in his commanding tone. “Eat fast. We have a long road ahead of us.”

Breakfast went on amid the clatter of plates. Every so often, Alexis noticed Ireena making small movements with her hands under the table, as if she were rehearsing the block and the counterattack.

And every so often, when their eyes met, Ireena smiled.

And Alexis caught herself smiling back.