The People of Magic

6

Fairouza woke up to Caball nudging her cheek, she looked at the window and saw it was still dark out but the sky was beginning to lighten, "Thank you," she told the Sprite groggily and got out of bed. She took a step to the bathroom but nearly fell over, she grumbled and stopped, she rubbed at her eyes and gave herself a quick shake before continuing to the bathroom. She washed her face and performed her ablutions and then she went to pray Fajir. As she took the prayer mat in her arms she realized she did not know which direction she was to pray. Looking around she picked up a stone and decided to attempt a simple spell Vadoma had taught her a long time ago. The stone gently floated in her hand and turned to the direction she needed. When she was done with her prayers she donned a white shirt and her blue serwal she fastened with a belt, she heard a knock on the door just as she wrapped her hijab. She unlocked the door and Caball bounded out, Stephen stood and for a moment he seemed embarrassed, "Should you not be wearing your coat?"

She chuckled, "My coat is too richly made, I do not know how the women in your land dress but I am dressed plenty," she put her shoes on and left the room.

He walked behind her and they went downstairs, once they were out the door she saw him grab two staffs – or rather they seemed to be the handles of two old brooms.

They walked away from the cottage to a clearing that was nearby, "I don't know how and what you intend to teach me," she informed him.

He sighed, "Honestly, I don't know..."

"Have you ever been in battle?" she asked.

He nodded, "Unfortunately I have," he confirmed. He circled her for a moment, his hand absently stroking his beard as he scrutinized her, she didn't care much for the scrutiny and she could feel her face growing warm.

"Stop looking at me like that," she told him.

"I apologize," he said, she could see his own face was gaining a shade of pink. "I'm trying to figure out where to start..."

"Staring at me like that is not a place to do so," she stated.

"Again, I apologize," he sighed and crossed his arms. His expression suddenly lit up, "Oh." He turned and took one of the broom handles he had brought with him and he handed it to her, "Since you and Freyja will be using Staffs as weapons perhaps the best way to start is to see how you'd fare with one..."

She held it and frowned, "So... what do I do with it?"

He took the other and smacked her legs, it was not a hard smack but it shocked her, "Stephen!"

"Try to hit me," he told her.

"What?"

"I said hit me –"

"I don't want to hurt you," she said.

A silly smirk appeared on his face, "To be hurt by my Lady would be an honor –" she didn't like the way he was talking so she swung at him. An action he quickly blocked. "Is that how I can get you to hit me? Flattery?" he asked.

"Your manner of speech is infuriating," she informed him, "and I am not your lady –"

"We did discover recently that you are, in fact, as much of a princess as Freyja is –" she swung at him again and he dodged that. "You're batting at me as if you were sweeping and you saw a rat –"

"You are behaving like one," she countered.

He chuckled and held his own up, "Hold it like this," he had his hands firmly on the broomstick, "you see this way you have motion to hit behind you if you need it..." She adjusted her hands and he nodded, "Now – try to hit me again – and do not hold back..."