A Knight of Nowhere

Chapter Seven - Rivalry

"You doing okay?" Lady Lysa asked, resting an oddly sympathetic hand on D'maya's shoulder. She hadn't pegged Lysa as being cruel per se, but, not as someone overly sympathetic either.

"I'm fine," D'maya replied. "Thanks." D'maya continued to gaze over the rim of the pit. Her eyes fixed on the centre of it, where the current combatants were. Lady Judith and Ser Lian. Judith held her legendary sword - Nightbringer - in both hands, staring down Lian with her darkened blade. He, on the other hand, preferred a stranger tactic... a rapier and dagger combination. It could work, yes, but it took an extreme amount of skill to the point in which it's validity was frequently called into question.

"You sure?" Lysa asked. Her voice being one of care. "You are facing your brother in your first bout." That was something D'maya was looking forward to... Lyris, on the other hand, was quite disappointed, considering his Irregularity had been ruled out of the occasion. "I know it wouldn't be my preferred starting fight!"

"Yeah," D'maya said. Standing from her initially crouched position. Her eyes gazed away from the ongoing fight and over to her brother, who was currently eyeing up the arena with some frustration on his face. "I'm just worried of what the next few months will entail, that's all," D'maya added. "But fighting Lyris... no, I'm not all that worried!" She turned to Lysa, noting the smile that fell upon her face.

"Confidence is good," Lysa said. "Just don't get lost in it." Lysa took a sip from her flask, judging from the smell, it wasn't alcohol. "I want to let you in on a little secret," Lysa said. Prompting D'maya's interest further. "I grew up in the arena's, which let's be real, is a glorified version of these pits. But one thing I've learned is to watch my opponent relentlessly. Eventually, you find a tell, something that clues you into their strike. Typically them stepping before they do, or their eyes," Lysa got slightly more enthusiastic when she got to this part. With a glint coming to her eye. "The eye's are a really good one. Some say they reflect the soul, I say they show you exactly where they're looking. Once you get good enough, you should be able to read them quickly and accurately."

"Thanks again," D'maya said. Flashing a smile Lysa's way. D'maya still wasn't comfortable with smiling, she didn't like the way that it made her feel. People had told her that this feeling was supposedly meant to be happiness, bliss even. But that was far from how it made D'maya feel. It made her feel weak... exposed.

"So," D'maya continued. "What was life like in the arena's?"

"In a word?" Lysa asked. "Brutal. Fun but brutal. You never really think of how willing someone is to beat you in a duel until you see it in their eyes. Reflected in the eyes of some people, you don't see a duel, you see a hunt. You just become an obstacle to them. I was lucky the fights were just to first blood in my early days, otherwise, I would have likely been torn apart."

"Is that how?" D'maya needn't finish her sentence, Lysa knew what she was going to ask.

"Yes," she replied. "It is." Lysa raised her left hand, showing that her ring finger had been completely severed. "My fault, of course. I was an aggressive fighter, I preferred things to be over before they could start. That aggression paired with my youth became recklessness, and well, the rest is history."

"Well known history, considering you are of course the fabled Knight of Thorns!" Lysa laughed slightly. Pushing some of her hair behind her shoulder.

"Please," she said. "Nicknames have little in the way of fighting. Though, I suppose they may help somewhat. Still, even the Knight of Thorns has a few cuts! Ones that Chryssa certainly won't let me forget," Lysa said looking to her blade. To ordinary people, this gesture would have meant nothing. But to Nobles, especially of House Kamir, it meant a whole lot. A Shinai.