The Skabelse

All Great Things Must Come to An End

Rowan swiftly grabbed her sword from her tent and met her cousin in the open space by the creek. It flourished with thick green grass and was shaded by the tall red woods. It was perfect for sparring. There wasn't a single rock or hill to trip on unlike the cobblestone courtyard they sometimes used back at the Glade.

The two cousins grasped each other's forearms and squeezed tightly-a tradition the Daughters had before any training match.

Rowan grasped her precious blade and pulled it from its hilt and sliced through the air a few times, warming up. Hearing the soft sound it made as the sharp metal cut through the air gave Rowan goosebumps. Too long had it been since she had a proper fight.

"Ready cousin?" Darsa asked grinning. Rowan returned it and nodded, "Aye," and the match started.

Rowan made the first move as she quickly stepped forwards and swung her blade at her cousins flank. Darsa parried the blow, then returned it just as fast. Rowan expertly blocked it, then ducked and swung her right leg at Darsa in hopes to trip her but she knew better and leaped over her limb. Darsa prepared to bring the flat of her blade down onto her cousin but as she brought the sword up, Rowan swiftly evaded the blow and stood up, striking her in the gut. It was very common for the Daughters to use both their swords and their bodies as weapons during a spar and a battle. Darsa gasped as she lost her breath but still smiled as Rowan sported a cocky grin. She wouldn't let her dear cousin get away with that so quickly. Thrice Darsa thrust her sword but each hit never met its mark. Rowan was too quick and could predict her moves as if she were reading a book.

On and on the cousins fought and soon they drew a small crowd of both menfolk and their kinswoman. Bjorn had heard the clang of their blades in the distance and even stopped what he was doing to watch his mate spar with her cousin. He was very impressed with her as he closely watched the way she could both swiftly  attack and evade. She made it look easily as her body moved so fluidly as if she were dancing and not sparring with a heavy sword. Even from the distance he could see her toned muscled flex and tense with each movement. They had been at it for a while and only now was she losing her breath.

He had never seen someone fight with such skill and manage to look so mesmerizing at the same time. On the battlefield his fellow brethren fought with malice and brute force, only depending on their strength to win their wars. The men of Rorik were known for their large stature and sizes and many tribes feared them just as they did the Daughters of the Glade. Very few thought about what moves they would make beforehand and Bjorn prided himself that he was one of them.  As he watched Rowan, he imagined what it would be like to fight alongside her in battle against their foes; he would take her over twenty men any day.

As Rowan twisted around to slam the flat of her blade against Darsa's side, Darsa moved at the last second using Rowan's momentum to throw her off. As Rowan fell forward, Darsa brought her elbow up and hit Rowan in the square nose instantly drawing blood. As Rowan spit a mixture of both saliva and blood, and as it ran quickly from her nose Bjorn couldn't help but notice how glorious and wild she looked and was satisfied that their offspring would come from her for he knew it would be a strong child indeed. Adrenaline coursed through her body and she charged once again at Darsa with unrelenting force.

The girls continued  training, each gaining minor slices and cuts as the time went on. Darsas muscles grew tired, as did Rowan's, but hers even more so. Darsa could hardly parry her attacks and just as she was about to attempt one last time to overcome her cousin, Rowan deflected her blade and brought the flat of her own to her cousins neck, earning her victory. The crowed they had earned erupted into claps and the two cousins hugged as they panted for breath. Darsa rubbed the top of Rowan's head as she had bested her and Rowan chuckled, allowing Darsa to get some sort of victory over her.