Across the Wildlands (Book One: The Wildlands)

Episode Nineteen- The Teacher Meets Student

Sparring with Cicero was a foreign concept to Alex. Even if it was for training, she felt like she was facing off against her family. Someone who was going to have high expectations of her, and she knew she was going to have to put her all into the training session.

Extending the bo staff out beside her, Alex familiarized herself with the weight of it. Each staff was different, and it took a moment for her to get used to it. There wasn't one she could find that matched her height closely, either.

Beggars can't be choosers, Alex thought. Rollo's were always much taller than her. And, if she could manage, Alex would find a way to make it work as well.

"Why did you decide to spar with me?" Cicero asked as they bowed to each other.

"I'm honestly not sure why we haven't been," Alex admitted. She took up the beginning stance for the drill Cicero had chosen. Basic defense blocking.

"Hands further apart," Cicero said as he struck out toward her legs. "And I suppose that's on me," he continued, addressing Alex's comment.

Alex followed his instructions and fixed her hands before she blocked the hit. The sharp crack that followed echoed through the room. "It's not all on you," Alex corrected. "We should have both been working together better."

They exchanged a few more blocks through the same drill before Cicero aimed the hits toward her abdomen. Slower movements increased in speed the more Alex became comfortable. Their footwork brought them around in wider circles.

Cicero started changing up the drills and aiming for her head, abdomen and legs in different intervals. The changes were quick, but Alex adjusted and managed to keep up a majority of the way through. Until Cicero tricked her with a fake hit toward her head.

The bo staff snapped across her shin. Alex jumped away and bit down on her tongue to keep from yelling out a slew of curse words. There were still other people training in the room, and she didn't want to completely embarrass herself in front of them.

"Ou-ch," Alex growled out, emphasizing the latter part of the word with a louder tone to her voice.

Chuckling, Cicero spun the bo staff beside him. "You were getting too confident. The drills may be easy to you, but they're still important."

"I think I remember why I chose Rollo for this part," Alex said. She bent down and rubbed her shin, the tender skin most likely already bruising underneath her exercise pants.

"They don't know how to challenge you like I do," Cicero added.

"No, but now I do," Rollo called from where she was sitting at the edge of the mats. She and Ace exchanged a smug look.

Alex stood back up and took her stance. She ignored the pain in her leg, though with each step it felt like the staff was rapping across her bone again. A challenge was good for her, and exactly what she needed.

They started the drill; the same three movements over and over. Cicero switched up from the head, abdomen and legs. He faked a few times, but kept the tricks to a minimum. Until, Cicero apparently noticed Alex falling back into being too confident.

Swinging the staff, Cicero distracted Alex with a fake hit to the head. Instead of landing a blow, he hooked out his leg and caught Alex behind the knee. She fell, hard, onto her backside.

A groan rattled in Alex's throat. "I don't think I want to spar with you anymore," she said. The staff loosened from her grip and landed beside her as she dropped back on to the mat with a huff.

Cicero's figure loomed over her, a hand outstretched. "Always get back up," he said.

"I'm too tired." Alex sighed. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her breathing. A cramp burned in her side.