somewhere | b.blake ✔️

1x08✔️

"I am found as your daughter, as your child
As one purchased by your blood
And though there's nothing I can add to such a perfect sacrifice
How can I offer you less than all my life?"

- One Life to Lose, Laura Story

*****

Seeing Smith after the torturing of probably someone he knows is terrifying for Ash. She's on edge the whole training session, her movements stiff.

After the third time failing to block a simple punch, Smith pulls back and stares at her with quizzical eyes. "What's wrong?" He asks after a few seconds.

"Nothing." Ash replies quickly.

"So you're just going backwards with progress now?"

"I guess?" Her reply sounds more like a question than a statement. He picks up on it probably before she even does.

"That's not how it works." He deadpans. "So I'm going to ask you again. What's wrong?"

"SomeonefromyourclanwasabductedbymypeopleandtorturedandItriedtostopitbutcouldn't." She rushes out in one breath.

Smith blinks about four times before responding. "Come again?"

"Okay," Ash says slowly, breathing in and out a few times and putting a safe distance between the two in case he doesn't handle anger well. "Please don't hate me, but people from my group kidnapped someone who you probably know and tortured him. I'm so sorry I tried to stop it but I—"

"Ash, breathe. I'm not mad."

She pauses in her rant, "You're not?"

"No." His voice is calm and there's no trace of anger on his face. "It is not your fault what your people do."

A breath Ash didn't even know she was holding comes out as her body sags in relief. "You don't know how much better I feel knowing that. My friend Octavia and I are trying our best to figure out a way to get him out, I promise."

"Good." Smith walks over to a box Ash didn't even realize was on the ground and opens it, picking out two sticks of what looks like bamboo if Pike's classes back on the Ark did her any good.

"I think it's time we begin fighting with these." He tells her while handing her one of them. "These are what we use to train swordsmen before we actually give them the sword. It's just like sparring with these, but instead of throwing punches, try to hit somewhere on my body with the bamboo stick, okay?"

Ash nods in confirmation to show she understands, placing her hands the same way his are placed.

"Okay, begin."

*****

Ash's arms ache and there's blisters on her palms from holding the stick so long, bruises coating different parts of her body. She doesn't even think she landed a single hit on Smith over the two or three hours the two sparred.

It'll take some adjustment for her to get used to the bamboo fighting, but she thinks she can do it.

That's at least what she tells herself as she, Jasper, and Monty crack nuts for people to eat.