56 Price for Experience

The adults finished their meeting the next day. Most of our guests left first, but my uncles and aunts remained for a while longer. We tried to inquire about their meeting, but all we got was silence. "Anyway, now that you came out, there's something I'd like to say. Me and Tara will be going to Sedon after all", I informed my parents. "Huh? Why the sudden change of mind?", mother asked with a rather annoying grin. "Wipe that grin off your face, mom. Drak asked me to make a special something for him. I plan to stay in Sedon for a while, until the whole project is completed… I'll probably ask Master Ama for some help as well", I explained.

"Hmm? What sort of project?", father asked, confused. "Take a look beneath the cliffs. That's the sort of thing I have in mind. Though replicating those slides and tunnels will not be possible at Sedon, I already have a different idea. Anyway, just wanted to tell you guys", I replied. Father suddenly disappeared for a few seconds, then appeared back next to me.

"Oh you mean something like that? Not a bad idea, did you make it?", he asked. 'Yea, he is fast… I mean that was like what? A few seconds?', "No, Suly did. She took the inspiration from your water channels in Apium, and a few other things. Either way, the Formations required shouldn't be overly complicated, but it can take me a week or something like that. I'll be gone for more than a month for sure", I added.

"I'm sure it will be great. We are also happy that you found something to do, since me and your mom are leaving for a while. Crow will be in Sedon, so ask him if you need anything. I'm sure Ama will be able to help you as well", father replied. "Huh? You guys are leaving too?...", I asked, surprised. There were some regrets, but a promise was a promise.

"Yea, now that I'm back, everyone needs to discuss things with me. Moreover, the sooner we get this over with, the sooner we will return. Then we can visit our family in the Endrosian Empire, alright?", he explained. Besides nodding in agreement, there was nothing else for me to do. Though my parents stared at me for some reason.

"Look at our little daughter, dear. She's acting all grown up and whatnot. I'm surprised you don't complain, but that is great news. We will be going now, so come over here", mother said while beckoning to me. "You take care of yourself, alright? Tara will be with you, but don't take safety for granted. Mommy's proud of you", she added while hugging me. "I know, go already before I start complaining", I replied.

"Frosty, wake up. We have a job to do", father called out. "Walk", Frosty's reply was cold as usual, but father didn't seem fazed by that. "Sure, we can walk… Hey guys! Wanna hear an interesting story? During our travels, me and Frosty found another...", an ice breath suddenly landed next to my father. "You are noisy, you know that?", Frosty stood up while spreading his wings.

"Hey, you changed your mind? Works for us really well. Anna, take care of yourself, alright?", father said. "I'll be fine, dad. Worry about your own problems", I replied with a wave. "Mommy didn't forget about your little scabbard, so don't worry. I'll finish it during the journey. You will get it, after we return, alright? Take care of yourself sweetie", my mother added, then bid me farewell one last time. 'I actually forgot about that scabbard… Oh well, I have my sword right now, so it doesn't matter to me that much'. Frosty was really a show off. He slammed his wings to produce a powerful gust of wind, then ascended into the skies.

"What about you guys?", I asked my uncles and aunts. "We have to leave as well, but we'll see each other at Sedon. Dawn, you are staying with Anna. She's going to travel to Sedon anyway, that means you can all go together, alright?", uncle Crow said, then we bid each other farewell.

"Anna child, make sure your Formations are well executed and working properly. Test your course as much as you can, before letting others use it, alright? Harlin and Jira will stay with you guys for a while though. He wants to show you a few swords moves from what I heard. Take care of yourself, and study hard. You make us proud", aunt Alicia said. Suly, Leran and uncle Lazar bid me farewell as well, then left.

Uncle Ulon had to stay though. Someone had to take care of my father's garden, and no one else had the knowledge to do it. With most of our guests gone, the place became quiet. "Hey, Anna. Ready to learn something new?", uncle Harlin asked, breaking the silence. "Yes! What will you teach me today?", I inquired. "Today, I will teach you about the flow and rhythm of your attacks. I will also show you how to use the stances more dynamically. This will be very useful to you", he explained.

My uncle demonstrated what he meant, then explained in more detail. In simple terms, each attack had to be fluid and follow a certain rhythm. For example, once I cleaved, stabbing wouldn't be the best choice for the next attack. The position of my sword would be too far off, hence disturb the rhythm and flow. He told me to think ahead, and adjust accordingly to my opponent. A good example would be the use of rise followed by a curve from the bottom. Stopping the sword midway, would disturb my flow. The longer my sword could stay in motion, the more effective my chain would become.

There were no flashy moves or techniques, but a proper way of carrying out multiple attacks in sequence. Though it looked simple when uncle demonstrated, it wasn't that simple after I gave it a few tries. Uncle sparred with me a few times to get a real feel for it, but it wasn't any better either. "You will get used to it, but more importantly, you have a major weakness. This sort of friendly exchange is good for the basics, but not for a real fight. You lack the experience of the real world. There is simply no way around that, but to participate in real battles. In reality, your opponents will use everything they can to bring you down. I'm holding back a lot when fighting against you, a real opponent wouldn't do that", uncle explained.

"Then what am I supposed to do?", I asked, unsure. "Well, we are not asking you to kill people of course. The other way to gain such experience is through hunting. You will be going to Sedon, right? Take no provisions with you, and hunt all the way there. Ognars should be in the scope of your strength, especially since there will be a few of you. They usually travel in groups too. You will need to be crafty, otherwise the whole group will attack you", uncle replied.

I didn't like the idea of hunting. Doing it once with my mother, made me aware how much I didn't like it. "I understand this might be difficult for you, though that is how the world works… We hope that you kids will never be pushed to take someone's life, but you have to be prepared for that possibility. Someone will have to take over from us, right?", uncle tried to encourage me.

"I know uncle, it's just…", I started but then uncle added, "Your father once told me that I was naive. He was right. I was naive as well as blind. I wouldn't even notice when someone used me for their own twisted agenda. Once he helped me realise that, the world in front of me changed. One day, you will come to understand this as well. Perhaps you will have no choice, or perhaps it will happen naturally. No matter which path you take, someone will be there to obstruct you. We want you to be prepared for such an occasion".

"I understand", I replied with a slight nod. "Alright, let's go for a few more rounds", he added. Our little practice lasted for a good while, but the progress was rather slow. I would usually stumble or choose a wrong attack which broke the flow. Uncle told me it wasn't something I'd learn in an hour, therefore there was no need to feel down. "This should be enough for now, you'll make improvements as the time passes. Other than that, your basic attacks look great and precise. Your stances and holds are perfect, you just have to practice the flow and rhythm. Me and Jira will stay for a few more days. This should give you an opportunity to ask questions and spar with me", he concluded.

With my practice completed, I focused on the Formations next. There were a few things requiring my attention, which made me focus on that until the evening. "I'm tired… Oh, hey guys. Can I ask you something?", I asked Dawn and Tara sitting not that far away. "Sure, what do you need to know?", Dawn replied. "... Let's take a walk before that", I added.

Once we went outside for a little walk, I asked the question on my mind. "Did you guys kill anything… or anyone?". Both of them looked at each other, then back at me. "Why the sudden question?", Tara asked, a bit confused. "Well, I just wanted to know", I replied. "If you're asking about hunting, then yes. I think it's safe to say that both of us hunted", Dawn replied while Tara confirmed.

"... I'll be honest with you, since you asked. I did kill others", Dawn added. I could feel my breathing getting rougher, the thought of taking someone's life didn't sit well with me after all. "From your reaction, I can tell you are scared. That's normal, I was scared as well. Sometimes though, you just have to do it… I guess we never talked about my job, but I'm part of a team that catches or executes criminals. Yes, the North is peaceful now, but that doesn't mean bad people ceased to exist. I don't kill innocent people, I'm not a murderer. The people we chase aren't innocent. They did a lot of bad to others", she explained.

Dawn told me all of that without a shred of hesitation on her face. She was prepared to take life, if the situation required it. "I only hunted for food though, but don't be mistaken Anna. My parents might be craftsmen, but most of my childhood was spent with warriors. If my life was in danger or someone attacked me, I would kill without hesitation", Tara said. '.. Would I kill, if someone was after my life? Or would I let them live, even though they tried to kill me?', I asked myself.

"What prompted that question? Do you intend to kill someone?", Dawn asked. I shook my head vigorously, "No, I don't want to kill anyone… It's just that, everyone talks about it as if it was normal…". "I wouldn't call it normal, rather a necessity. Killing someone feels bad, but what if there's no other choice? What if the scum doesn't deserve another chance? … Anna, no one will ask you to execute people. No one asks me either. I'm not some sort of murderer who goes around, and kills people randomly. We do it when we have to. Just like Tara said, once someone attacks you, they are throwing their lives on the line", Dawn explained. I understood all of that, but my mind didn't want to accept it.

"You asked us that question for a reason. Did your uncle tell you something?", Tara probed. "Well, pretty much the same thing as you guys… I can probably get over hunting, but killing someone?", I replied. "Maybe you won't have to do that in your entire life. Though I doubt it. You want to travel, and that means meeting all sorts of people. One day, you might simply encounter such a person and they will try to harm you. A choice of your life or theirs will stand in front of you. That is what you have to be prepared for… I guess that is what your uncle tried to convey", Dawn replied.

"Let's change this topic. How about we talk about your father, Anna?", Tara proposed. "Yea, you can talk about him all day and night. I mean, he has a wife, so get over it", I replied, putting the previous topic behind us. "She's right, you stared at him all the time. Have some decency, you know?", Dawn added. "That's not true! I didn't stare at him that much…", Tara protested. We had a laugh at her expense, before retiring for the night.