Sorceress' Blood

by Carl Purcell

  “Thank you again for the dress.”

  “There’s no need for that. I understand how out of your hands things are. You’re my guest here. You need me. I’ll take good care of you and Ashley, so don’t worry and save your thanks.” Lord Edward shuffled cards for a while without thinking but eventually put them down and never picked them up again that day. Lord Edward wanted to know more about Rebecca and asked her a lot of questions about her family and her childhood. Rebecca never thought they were very interesting to talk about but she did anyway, and she held Lord Edward's attention the whole time. Rebecca was glad to talk to him and when the next day came she was just as happy to talk to him about anything and everything.

  Lord Edward was always polite and proper but at the same time he managed to be casual and Rebecca always felt comfortable around him. She had been tense for so long, even before all this started, that she'd forgotten what it felt like to really relax. The thought occurred to her that she might be here forever but it didn't feel as if she was a prisoner of Lord Edward. She didn't even feel like she was just there because of Ashley any more. Rebecca was there because she was there and she was a personal guest of Lord Edward. No, that wasn't quite right either. Rebecca was there because she was Lord Edward's friend and he was a dependable kind of friend and, even though he was the only one she had, that was fine.

  On the fourth day Rebecca was dressed in her shirt and jeans again. The dress needed washing now and she only had two things she could wear. She considered asking Lord Edward for more but she didn't know how to go about it and it didn't seem right, even if they had become friends. Rebecca soon found out that she didn't need to worry about that, however. When she arrived the receptionist looked up from her computer screen, smiled and said.

  “Lord Edward isn't in today. He's been called out but told me to tell you that you are free to explore the grounds. Would you like someone to show you around?”

  “Oh,” Rebecca uttered and then took a moment to think. “Yeah, I guess so. At least someone to show me where I can get breakfast.”

  “Alright.” The receptionist said something else that Rebecca assumed was English but it might as well have been gibberish. Then she picked up the phone and spoke to someone. The conversation was short and when she was done she looked back at Rebecca and said

  “One of the Knights is coming up.” Then she began typing on her computer again.

  “Thanks. I'll just wait here, then.” The receptionist didn't answer her.

  Rebecca watched the clock in the waiting room tick away the minutes and exactly six and a half minutes passed before a Knight stepped out of the elevator. He saw Rebecca, the only person in the room who wasn't a knight or a receptionist, and approached her. The first thing he said was something in Chinese and Rebecca wondered if this athletic-looking man with a thin face, thick, scruffy hair and goatee was expecting her to respond in English.

  “Oh, sorry!” he then said. “I am not so used to speaking English. They tell me on the way up that I need to but sometimes I forget.”

  “No worries.” Rebecca said and stood up. “I'm Rebecca.”

  “I am Jin Hào.” His voice changed when he pronounced his name, as if he were speaking Chinese again and not English with a couple of Chinese words.

  “Jin Hào?” Rebecca echoed, trying to get her pronunciation as close to his as she could.

  “That is correct. Please call me Jin.”

  “Just Jin? Alright.” The receptionist looked up from her computer again and said something to Jin in Chinese then turned back to her computer. Jin smiled at her without saying anything and then turned to Rebecca.

  “I will show you to the dining hall.”

  “Thank you.”

  Jin said nothing and he didn't eat anything. He just sat quietly and waited for Rebecca to finish. Rebecca spent breakfast either looking into her soup or looking out the window. Outside the window she could see knights standing in the grass going through routines that reminded her of Tai Chi but they moved faster and sometimes practised in pairs. One would strike, one would block, one would get kicked and then get thrown. They all moved smoothly and acted by rote. When Rebecca had finished eating she watched them for a while until Jin finally spoke.

  “Would you like me to show you the castle?”

  “I want to do that.” Rebecca answered.

  “What?”

  “What they're doing out there.” Jin looked out the window and then at Rebecca.

  “You want to fight?”

  “I want to learn. Last time I was in a place like this I spent a week sitting around doing nothing and it was boring. I want to do something while I'm here and it might as well be what everyone else is doing.”

  “Oh.” Jin looked at Rebecca with the expression of a man slowly translating words in his head. He was thoughtful and maybe even a little puzzled. Then he stood up and nodded at Rebecca. “My orders are to make you comfortable and, if you want to learn, then that is what you get.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You wait for me outside the door. I will go and get what we need.”

  Rebecca did as she was told and waited out the front of the castle. Jin arrived shortly after, holding a long knife in his hand. Jin handed it to her and Rebecca held it up in front of her and examined the blade. The edges were blunt but it was solid steel and she could see the blurry reflection of her face in it. Rebecca took a couple of steps away from Jin and stabbed the air a few times. Jin took it back from her and swiftly swiped at the air with it.

  “Have you ever used a knife like this before?”

  “I've never even held one. The closest I've come is a carving knife.”

  “We use these ones for practise. They won't cut but they can still hurt. Follow me.” Jin led her out into the long grass out the front of the castle. Rebecca was glad Jin chose right there where they were alone and had not taken her to join the knights training nearer the farmer village. “First thing you learn is how to dodge. You have got to keep your eye on me and move as quickly as you can.” Jin took up a grounded stance and held the knife reversed in his hand. Rebecca stood awkwardly and waited. “Are you ready?”

  “I guess,” Rebecca said and looked down her body. Jin answered by raising his blade up, stepping forward and bringing it down on Rebecca. She screamed in surprise. She flinched and threw her arms up in defence.

  “You were not ready,” Jin told her. “And always focus on your opponent. Feel what your body is doing so you can watch theirs.” Rebecca was about to ask him to go easier on her. She'd never been in a fight and her only experience with a knife was worlds away from this. The idea of learning like this was intimidating and Jin wasn't making it pleasant by lecturing her at every opportunity. She thought about telling him off and then considered finding a library where she could read. Sure, that was boring but at least it was safe and it was quiet. But if she was going to do that, she might as well pack her bags and go home. A weakling couldn't protect Ashley. Rebecca nodded to herself with new resolve and prepared. She didn't feel like running away any more. She didn't feel like running away ever again. When all you do is run you get stuck in Middle-Of-Nowhere China with nothing to wear but some men's clothes that are too big. What next? Stuck in Egypt with no clothes? She'd run out of world, eventually. Rebecca kept her eyes on Jin. She felt her weight lift up from her feet and she was light. She clenched her fists and waited.

  Jin came at her again, swinging his blade across. Rebecca could only see the knife in the corner of her eye but she saw the way Jin stepped and his shoulders swung. This time she jumped back and saw the polished metal cut through the air and nothing more. Then something happened inside her. Something primal, instinctual and even a little familiar possessed her and, when her feet were back on the ground, she leapt forward with all her strength. Her fist struck and Jin stumbled, trying to regain his balance. Rebecca took the opening. She swung again. Her fist travelled a full semi-circle. Jin found his grounding just in time. He blocked with
his free hand. Jin moved in and struck Rebecca with the handle. She stopped her offence and put a hand over her solar-plexus. She coughed and wheezed, swaying on her feet. She wanted to scream at Jin or to start swinging again but she just didn't have it in her. She was breathing heavily and that was about all she could manage.

  “You are a lot stronger than you look,” Jin said. “But that is all you are right now. Learn to block, learn to move and then learn to strike.” Rebecca kept panting and spat fragments of words that even she couldn't decipher. “What?”

  “That...” she paused to breathe again. “… hurt.”

  “If I was your enemy, it would kill you.” Rebecca wondered if she was supposed to be grateful that she was still alive. She didn't feel very grateful, if that was his intention.

  When she had recovered Rebecca practised dodging again and restrained herself from trying to go further than Jin had showed her. Then she learned how to step while keeping her full balance and how to block Jin's attacks. By lunch time she was starting to feel confident in her skills.

  “One more thing and then I will go and get us some food. This time I will attack you with a horizontal attack.” Jin switched the knife to a forward grip and walked Rebecca through the technique. “Are you ready?”

  “Yeah. Let's do it.” Rebecca pictured it in her mind and focused on Jin. Inside herself she could feel fear turning her stomach in circles. She took deep breaths and tried to ignore it. Jin attacked. The knife came at her throat. Rebecca immediately stepped forward into the attack. She jammed his attack with one arm at his wrist. The movements began to flow effortlessly as Rebecca grasped Jin's wrist. She turned parallel to him. Her other hand came up, open palmed. It struck Jin's biceps and then gripped it. Jin's whole arm became twisted over and when Rebecca pushed, his hand was forced open. The knife fell to the ground. Rebecca shoved Jin forward. He stumbled forward. When he was stable and spun around, Rebecca already had the knife in hand.

  “Good.” Jin said. “Now we eat.”

  After lunch they returned to their practice. By then word had spread that Jin was teaching the foreign woman; a few knights stopped by to watch her. Rebecca quickly felt her confidence failing when she realised that she was being watched. Jin must have noticed because he stopped in the middle of attack and whispered to her.

  “Ignore them. Ignore everything.”

  “What?”

  “Pretend none of them are watching. Keep focused on what you are doing. Don't let the rest of the world in. Focus on your practise and what I taught you. There is nothing else in the world. There is just the fight and nothing else.” Rebecca nodded and took a deep breath. She wasn't sure why but it felt like the right thing to do. Her eyes narrowed into a focused stare at Jin. She steadied her feet and flexed her fingers a few times. She couldn't even remember why she'd lost focus or confidence any more and she continued her practise with the same determination that she'd had before the onlookers joined them. Rebecca never noticed that after that the group grew and they muttered amongst themselves, impressed by Rebecca's strength and movements. Even though she didn't look especially impressive, it became obvious her baggy clothes were hiding a strong body.

  When the sky had become too dark to continue the instruction they went inside and headed for the dining hall where Rebecca had eaten breakfast. She ate her dinner with the knights and found Jin to be more talkative, even if no one else tried to talk to her. All of them looked at her though with the same interest that one has when watching the strange behaviour of exotic creatures in a zoo enclosure. Rebecca was too tired to notice their gawking. When she left the dining hall and arrived at her room she found another thin box sitting on her bed, waiting for her. A card on the top read:

  Rebecca

  Thought you may be in need of some more clothing. Consider this an apology for being unable to entertain you today. I hope you enjoyed whatever it is you did to pass the time.

  Lord Edward Halford

  The box contained pink silk pyjamas. The colour was not her favourite but they were comfortable to wear and she found them infinitely more comfortable to sleep in. Rebecca was asleep almost as soon as she was lying beneath her blankets.

  Rebecca awoke the next morning at sunrise.. She hadn't known why she'd woken up until she heard someone knocking on her door.

  “Who is it?”

  “Jin.”

  Rebecca opened the door for him. “What's going on?”

  “We go running.”

  “What?”

  “We go running. Through the fields, up to the foot of the mountain, then around and then back.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Five thirty.”

  “You're crazy.”

  “No I am not. Come on.”

  “Alright.” Rebecca was too tired to argue and she didn't imagine she could persuade him otherwise anyway. “Hold on.” Rebecca closed the door and changed her clothes. They were clean and still warm as if they'd only just come out of a clothes dryer. She joined Jin outside her room again.

  “Now put these on.” Jin handed her a set of weights. A boyfriend she'd had for most of high school was always wearing similar things. They strapped onto your ankles and wrists but otherwise functioned just like lifting weights.

  “Are you joking?”

  “No.”

  “How long is this run?”

  “Don't know. I never measured it.”

  “You want me to run to the mountains and back at five thirty while wearing weights?”

  “Yes. Well, we can jog if you like.”

  “Oh that's so thoughtful of you. Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!” Jin either didn't understand the sarcasm or just ignored it.

  When they began their jogging the sun had not fully risen. As they rounded the castle and headed along the winding, dusty path towards the mountain Rebecca looked for any farmers working the fields. Not even they were awake yet. Behind her, towards the Tower, she could see that the knights had woken up already and were hard at work training. They were doing push-ups with a surprising and impressive synchronisation. Rebecca turned to look in front of her again and, when she noticed the mountain wasn't getting closer in any hurry, her spirits sank. She looked down at her feet and silently apologised to them. Down was the safest direction to look. There were no mountains trying to outrun her in that direction. Jin had no such trouble and started to run ahead of Rebecca.

  “Hey, wait up!” Rebecca called after him. Jin slowed down and gave Rebecca a big, toothy grin.

  “Sorry. I am used to running as fast as I can. That is more fun.”

  “How can you even go that fast carrying the extra weights?”

  “You get used to it. After a while it feels more natural than without them.”

  “Good to know.” Rebecca sighed. Eventually the mountain did start to get closer and larger. There were fields on both sides of Rebecca with unrecognisable green vegetables growing. By that time they were both breathing heavily but Rebecca could go on no further. She slowed to a stop and, unable to keep on her legs, sat down.

  “This is too much. You do this every morning?”

  “No. Squires have to perform this run without stopping before they are accepted as knights, so they run it every day for training – but the knights do it less. We spend more time on actual combat training than on conditioning.”

  “Do you ever get to use it?”

  “Use what?”

  “All that fighting you learn. Do you ever get to really use it?”

  “Some of us do. The lucky ones retire without ever needing to use it. The unlucky ones use it a lot and the very unfortunate use it once and we never see them again.”

  “You don't want to put any of it to use?”

  “Of course not. We spend our time preparing to fight a battle that will decide the fate of the whole world. Every time we have to fight, it means our enemies have come closer to their goals. Every time you fight there is a chance you will lose. None of us want to take that
chance and so we hope that the battle never comes.”

  “Makes sense. If you ever actually have to fight that battle it means the world is on the edge of destruction, right?”

  “That's right.” The silence that followed was sombre and it bore the uneasy truth of the danger that was always growing closer. Hoping to lighten the mood some, Jin spoke:

  “Lord Edward's great-grandfather came to China to build the order. He sailed here alone and in secret. When he arrived he found that the Thralls were already here and were spreading their influence across the country. Within a month they had discovered who he was and came to kill him as he slept in a poor village. They destroyed the whole village and killed every man, woman and every child. The people who helped him escape that night were found and executed in public as a message to anyone who might see Lord Edward's grandfather. The Thralls tracked him across the country but eventually lost him in these mountains. He spent unknown days wandering lost on the mountains, lost and alone. We're told that, when he reached the peak of the mountain, he had a vision. His ancestors – the brothers who defeated the sorceress – showed him the way beyond the mountains to where he would build his castle. That is how he came to this place and to the farmers who were living here. When he arrived he began to build the castle himself. When he needed help he went to the village and in exchange for their aid he made the land more fertile and helped them prosper. When it was finally done he took the healthiest, strongest boys of the village and trained the first knights. That is how we came to be here.”

  “Is that true?”

  Jin responded by shrugging. “It is a story and it is the only one we know. Whether or not it is all true does not matter, because it gives us meaning. Not even the noble Halford family can stand alone in this world and so all of us – the knights, the sorcerers, the farmers – must work together. It is also why this mountain is important to us and why we use it for our training.”