The Ways of Eternity

by D.A. Dean

Chapter 17: The Warrior Emerges

  Horus dozed fitfully, nightmare after nightmare waking him. Clenching his jaw, he sat. Nalia lay curled beside him. Antuus lay stretched out at his feet. He searched through the blackness and saw just behind their table a warrior training with a spear, honing fine-edged skill.

  He rose. Pausing a short way off, he studied Teo, noting the precision of his movements, the intensity of his focused energy.

  Sweat glistening across his body, Teo turned to him and lowered his spear. "You should be sleeping."

  "So should you." Horus lifted a spear and stared into Teo's eyes.

  Teo took a step back. He gave his head a slight shake as if to clear it. "We'll use staffs."

  Horus followed to the hut, where Teo lifted two rods of wood whose ends he'd not yet sharpened and tipped.

  Teo handed a staff to Horus and moved back to his training circle behind the table.

  Horus cocked back his arm, holding the staff above his shoulder.

  "That's the stance you'd use if your opponent was coming at you from a distance. I'm going to teach you how to fight in close combat. First you have to learn balance."

  "I know how to balance myself."

  "Do you? Grip the staff toward the middle. Get used to its weight. Widen your stance." Teo tipped his head, his hair shining in the moonlight, and circled him. "Keep your knees slightly bent. No, you're holding your weight on your left leg." He gave Horus' hips a shove to the right and pushed Horus' chest back, bringing his shoulders in line.

  "Yes. I feel the difference."

  Appraising, Teo stood in front of him. "Better. Remember, keep your weight low. When you move, keep your shoulders aligned with your hips. You're tilting forward. Lean back. Find center."

  "I get it. Show me how to use the staff."

  "Come here."

  Horus took a step nearer, and Teo shoved him forcefully. Horus took several hard steps back. His brows drew down.

  "It won't matter how skillfully you can balance a weapon if you can't balance yourself." Teo slammed his hand against Horus' shoulder.

  Horus took a step back and held.

  Teo repeated the action, leaning into the blow.

  Horus' hips and knees twisted with his shoulders, his body absorbing the force, his feet remaining fixed in place.

  Teo grabbed and swung a staff, striking a sharp blow to the back of Horus' leg.

  Wincing, Horus hopped to the side, bent his knees, and brought his shoulders in line.

  "Naturally strong sense of center. That's an asset. Now balance the staff."

  Horus lifted it sideways and slid his hands to just behind the center of its length.

  "Angle it. Like this." Teo crossed his staff in front of himself, creating a diagonal from his shoulder to his hip, Horus mirroring, and spun the weapon, reversing its ends.

  Horus copied.

  "For today's training session, we're using staffs, but in battle, we'd use spears. Their tips would be up or forward. Widen your stance."

  Horus slid his foot in a straight line to the left.

  "Basic moves. First, watch my arms. Then, watch my feet. Finally, watch my eyes. You want to take in all you can to determine your opponent's intent and know his move before it's made." Teo demonstrated an under-handed kick of the staff, an over-handed slice, a thrust, a parry, a lunge.

  Horus circled, assimilating, in his mind emulating, and began to see the subtle connections in the initial movements and their conclusions. Keeping Teo's upper body in his peripheral vision, he gazed into Teo's eyes and noted the subtle shifts that announced intent. Slowly at first then with increasing speed, he put into action what he'd observed.

  Staring, Teo lifted his hand, and Horus stopped. He rubbed his hand over his mouth, silent. "Next lesson." He angled to face him.

  Horus confirmed his balance and brought his staff down toward horizontal.

  Teo gave a short, restrained thrust, and stepped back. "I'll do it again. Then you bl—"

  Staff slanted toward Teo's stomach, Horus lunged.

  Teo's eyebrows shot up. He angled his staff to block.

  Horus held a moment and stepped back.

  Teo cleared his throat. "Your eyes are glowing."

  "I'd never intentionally hurt you."

  "I know, but it's disconcerting. What's it mean?"

  "Don't know. Show me more."

  Teo squared his shoulders. "Right. In an attack, you can aim at any part of the body. You can also—"

  Horus lunged forward, arcing his staff around Teo's, stopping just before its end touched the base of his throat. "Like that."

  Teo blinked and pushed Horus' staff away. "Yes."

  Horus stepped back.

  "You use the tip of a spear to pierce and its side or blunt end to hit."

  "Or I can throw it."

  "Yes. You can use a staff or a spear to deflect. You can deflect a blow or—"

  "Like what you did. I wasn't going to hit you."

  "With training, blocking becomes second nature. You're picking this up fast."

  "I've watched you practice. Now it's making sense."

  "So I see." Teo gazed into the distance. He nodded. "We're going to skip ahead. Spears." He handed him one and commanded, "Find its balance and come at me again. Slowly."

  Spear angled toward Teo's chest, Horus inched forward.

  Teo circled his spear, catching and pushing Horus' weapon to the side.

  Horus retreated a step.

  "There are as many ways to deflect as there are to attack. You can—"

  Horus thrust his spear toward Teo's shoulder, and Teo jerked his spear up and to the side, blocking. Horus advanced, matching his steps to Teo's, lowering his spear toward Teo's thigh.

  Sweeping down his spear, deflecting, Teo jumped back. "My turn." He lunged, pushing Horus around the table and into the tall grasses beyond it.

  Panting, Horus deflected and scurried, deflected and scurried. He parried and lunged.

  Teo held up his hand. He lifted a brow and smiled. "Good. You can also use a staff or a spear to knock a weapon from your opponent's hand." He hit Horus' spear, slid his weapon down its shaft, striking Horus' fist, and gave a jerk.

  Horus' spear landed several feet away. A split ran from its shattered tip to the middle of its shaft.

  Shaking the sting from his hand, Horus lifted another spear, threw back his shoulders, and crossed his weapon in front of his chest.

  Knees bent, Teo bent motioned him forward.

  Horus lunged.

  Teo deflected and spun. He thrust, forcing Horus forward to the table.

  Horus deflected, sidestepped, and lunged again, moving Teo into the grasses.

  Teo danced back and pivoted.

  Unable to halt his rush, Horus tripped past.

  Teo smacked the back of Horus' thigh with the side of his spear and held up his hand. "Twist, tumble, whatever you have to do. Never turn your back to your opponent."

  Rubbing his leg, Horus nodded. Again, he charged.

  Teo turned swiftly to the side.

  Horus spun. His feet slipped from under him, and he landed hard.

  "Never run unless you have no other choice. Let your opponent come to you. Use the force of your opponent's movement to your advantage."

  Ignoring his ankle's ache, Horus circled, Teo turning in place. Spinning to the side, he arched his spear off Teo's and swept around.

  "Good," Teo said, wiping his brow. He lifted the broken spear and pulled at its split, breaking the wood in two. "Now, I'll give you some ideas of what to do if your spear breaks or the only weapon at hand is short." He dropped the top half of the broken spear and balanced the bottom. "Watch."

  Teo demonstrated with the arm's length of wood, and Horus practiced. "Right. Give it to me and get another." While Horus lifted an undamaged spear, he tugged at the wood's splintered top, slightly widening it. "Now you're going to learn how t
o defend against a sword. Seht has one."

  "Which he used to kill Father."

  "A few of his followers may have swords, as well. Though his followers won't possess the level of physical strength Seht does, don't underestimate the damage any sword, held by anyone, can inflict. Lift your spear."

  Widening his stance, Horus yanked up his weapon.

  "If a sword strikes your spear between your hands, it'll break your spear and strike you. When you deflect, always try to hit the sword's side. This is important—don't let my weapon touch you."

  Horus slid his hands closer together, confirmed the spear's balance, and nodded.

  Teo lunged and lunged, Horus deflecting. "Disarm me." He landed several stinging blows before Horus was able to force the split piece of spear from Teo's grasp. "Do it again," Teo demanded.

  Horus deflected and lunged, waiting for an opening. Finally, finding one, he struck, sending Teo's mock sword flying.

  Nostrils flaring, Teo nodded.

  Their gazes met and held.

  Teo dropped the piece of spear. "Now, I'll give you some ideas what to try if you don't have a staff or spear." He took several steps away and crouched. "Come at me."

  Horus shrugged against the sweat rolling down his back, lowered the end of his spear, and edged forward.

  Teo swayed to the side and danced back, Horus pursuing. Seizing an opening, he grabbed the side of Horus' spear, darted forward, and pressed his knife to Horus' throat.

  Horus clenched his jaw. "Alright. Back off and let's do it again."

  "No. Figure out what to do. Or would you surrender?"

  Horus shoved him, dropped backward, and rolled. He leapt up and jerked his spear, hitting Teo's knife.

  Grimacing, Teo again grabbed Horus' spear. Holding its shaft fastened against his side, he slid forward along it.

  Horus jerked, pulled, and pushed his spear, but it was no use. Looking away, he scowled.

  Teo tapped his knife against Horus' chin. "You allowed the same maneuver twice," he reprimanded, gave Horus a shove, and stepped back. "It was a stupid mistake."

  Eyebrow lifted, Horus gave him a sidelong stare. "Show me what I should've done."

  "It's obvious. Still need me to think for you?"

  Jutting his jaw, Horus narrowed his eyes.

  Teo jerked his head, motioning him on. "If you think you can actually come up with something on your own."

  Gripping his spear, jaw clenched, Horus started toward him. He stopped, lowered his weapon, and leaned back. "You're trying to make me angry."

  "What, afraid you can't do better? Come on."

  "No. Tell me why."

  A smile flashed over Teo's lips. "You tell me."

  Horus looked into Teo's eyes, searching for the answer.

  "Nope." Teo stared at the ground. "Think it through."

  What had Nalia said? Horus tapped his thigh. "Anger affects control."

  "Yes. If you let anger creep in during battle, you give your opponent the advantage. Remember that." Teo reached for the spear.

  "Good. Now it's my turn without a weapon."

  "No. Now it's time for sleep." Teo caught Horus' shoulder, stilling him. "You have a strong sense of balance and a keen, almost uncanny, sense of observation. There were moments when it was as if you knew what I was going to do before I'd decided to do it. I'd say you inherited your father's instincts. Trust them. You're going to be a formidable warrior. At this rate, after six or seven more sessions you might actually be ready to meet an enemy."

  Horus drew a breath and nodded.

  They returned to their fire, their mats.

  Nalia shifted, sliding her arm over Horus' chest. "Baskets came. We'll have a feast for breakfast." She closed her eyes, her breathing deepening.

  Antuus pushed his paw against Horus' foot.

  Teo pressed Horus' shoulder with his and fell asleep.

  Horus lay awake, glad of them beside him. Apprehension pressed down on him, and question after question layered in his mind. He didn't even know what Seht looked like. How would he find him? That wouldn't be a problem. Seht would find him.

  What then? Was Horus prepared? What more must he know? Would he move on instinct? Surely Seht would try to strike before Horus was ready. What if Seht couldn't be defeated? Everyone seemed afraid of him. Horus covered his head with his arms.

  No, he couldn't afford this. He was going to defeat himself before he even met him. He had to believe he had a chance. He just wished he knew more about him, knew even one of Seht's weaknesses.

  A voice Horus didn't recognize drifted to him, asserting, "I can tell you."

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