Sunday Morning in the Preserve

[mylandmyrules]

It had been a very intense training session as Nell showed off the vibroknife and the new skills she'd had drilled into her over the week. She'd even been willing, for the first time, to try a little sparring with Marc after her success with it on Odessen. She thought it had gone well. She hadn't panicked in any case.

But now was the time to dig her feet into the dirt, back against a tree, and let the land refresh her.

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

Marc had let Nell take the lead on what she wanted to do. Even with the sparring he stayed on defense. When he saw that knife, nice as it was, the first thing he thought of was whether Nell could keep someone from disarming her. But he didn't bring that up and instead let her build her confidence with using it.

Regardless, it was clear she'd built up some skills while she was gone, and that was good.

"Not bad," he told her. He took a long drink of water from the bottle he'd brought with him. He shrugged. "Even if you did get your ass kicked to get there."

[mylandmyrules]

"She said that's what happens when you train with soldiers," Nell replied. She shrugged. "It felt good. I wouldn't actually use the knife anywhere, but I think I should learn more with a regular knife. Maybe."

She stretched her legs a little and sighed. "I just want to feel like I can fight my way free. I don't want to slice anyone into pieces, so maybe I don't even need that."

[hasaknightjob]

"It's good to have options," Marc told her. "And to know you can take a hit. Getting hit's inevitable. Being able to push through is what matters."

Also better that she learned that from people other than Marc, since his fighting style in that regard was... not what most people did.

[mylandmyrules]

One day maybe she'd want to learn his style, but for now, this would do.

"I certainly took enough hits," she said a little ruefully. "But I got in some good shots there, too."

[hasaknightjob]

Marc sat down on the grass across from her. "It's like learning how to take a fall. Better to learn so you can handle it when it happens. Because it's always a when, not if."

[mylandmyrules]

She nodded. "That's what Venda said."

Nell smiled at him. "She also said that someone had done an excellent job showing me the basics."

[hasaknightjob]

Marc saluted her with his water bottle even as he said, "Maybe I should find whoever you're working with. They could teach me some basics too."

[mylandmyrules]

She laughed. "He's not your normal type teacher, he doesn't have a school or anything, I'm afraid."

[hasaknightjob]

"Probably doesn't even know what he's talking about then," Marc replied.

[mylandmyrules]

"Now that you mention it, he does look a little shifty," Nell mused.

[hasaknightjob]

"Not worth your time," Marc agreed.

[mylandmyrules]

"But then whatever would I do with my Sunday mornings?" Nell asked.

[hasaknightjob]

"Some people sleep in," Marc said. Though he didn't sound like he agreed with some people about that.

[mylandmyrules]

"Crazy people," Nell said. "The morning is one of the best times of the day."

[hasaknightjob]

"How'd you even figure morning on the trip?" Marc asked. His mental image of the whole thing involved being on space ships.

[mylandmyrules]

"We went through the portal to a planet," Nell said. "So I just got up as soon as it was light."

[hasaknightjob]

Shame about no space ships but that worked too. "Good trip? Lana said there was a crowd with you."

Yes, a handful of people counted as a crowd to Marc's way of thinking.

[mylandmyrules]

"I didn't see the others much," Nell said. "I did training in the morning with Venda and then did some exploring of the plants in the afternoon. Libby was there, though, and Summer."

[hasaknightjob]

"No idea who Libby is," Marc said. Summer he knew by name at least. Helped that Steven had met her.

[mylandmyrules]

"She's another student," Nell said. "Grew up a lot like me from what I can tell."

[hasaknightjob]

"Rural?" Marc guessed. Since "child bride" or "cult" was too harsh even for him to come out of the gate with, even if those were the first things he thought about Nell's background.

[mylandmyrules]

"She's not married," Nell said. "But it seems a similar religious... place."

[hasaknightjob]

Oh hey, it would've been a good guess if he'd gone with it. "She okay?"

[mylandmyrules]

"She seems to be," Nell said. "I don't think it's as... difficult as mine. Her family seems more invested in her well-being."

And if that didn't kill her to say.

[hasaknightjob]

"Guess that's something," Marc said. He kept his opinions to himself about the adults in Nell's life. And about families. "Ready for your own place?"

As far as he was aware she hadn't had a roommate in the dorms for a while, but that wasn't the same thing as having your own apartment.