Pride Pt. 06 - Santaria

Aleron still needed to check the wineries which had been owned by the first victim, Lord Montagne. With the sun setting, and a promise to his new best friend fresh in his mind, he decided to let that rest until the 'morrow.

He absentmindedly scanned a notice board in the central square as he passed it, one advertisement in particular getting his attention.

"Art of the sword instructor... Females only?" Aleron spoke the words of the notice aloud, inquisitively.

The price was high -- obviously intended for nobility -- but it intrigued him all the same. Anyone asking this kind of coin for a couple of hours a week had to either be on the brink of insanity or very confidient in their tutorage. He thought this might be good for Natalie if he was going to be busy for the next few days, potentially weeks, while he worked on the case.

As much as he didn't want to admit it, he wasn't the best teacher when it came to swordplay. Everything he had learned was in the field rather than in a classroom, and he often relied on showing Natalie how she should turn or swing instead of telling her. He studied the address of the notice, deciding to return to the inn a little later than expected.

--

Natalie heard the rough double-knock at the door, which was her father's signature "modesty knock" ever since he'd caught her pleasuring herself in Beaumont. Luckily, she was mostly clothed already, expecting him here around an hour ago.

"Come in, dad!"

The door of the suite swung open, a dark-skinned, lithe woman beside her father. Natalie felt a pang of jealousy and heartbreak in her chest before he spoke.

"Hey, honey," he greeted warmly, stepping inside with his new companion. "I'd like you to meet Salasia... your new sword instructor, if you think it's okay."

Natalie exhaled quickly then, not realizing she had been holding her breath. Just a teacher. Okay.

But she had not only appreciated Aleron's efforts in her fighting education, but actively looked forward to that meaningful time they spent together every morning.

"Greetings," Salasia said quietly, bowing towards her. Natalie gave her a quick nod and a glance before turning to Aleron again.

"But daaad, I thought you were my teacher?" she asked whimperingly, not intending it to sound so childish. Natalie had, unbeknownst to Aleron, been quickly gaining an enjoyment from swordplay, and promised to practice each day even if Aleron was busy. She figured she didn't need a professional.

"Salasia is an expert instructor, though. It'll do you some good, plus I might be busy for a while. I'll still need to test her, of course," Aleron grinned, the woman bowing towards him with an unreadable face.

Aleron walked over to the corner of the room, throwing one of the wooden swords over to Salasia. She caught it without looking, holding it skyward behind her back as she continued looking towards Natalie.

Salasia's demeanor frightened the girl. Just a bit.

"Do I get a say in any of this?" Natalie whimpered childishly.

Aleron grinned, picking up the second practice sword. "Well honey, if she can best me... why not try it? She has tons of recommendations, clients around town if you're unsure."

Natalie shrugged, then slumped her shoulders. "Spar, then."

Aleron nodded towards Salasia with a smirk, Salasia returning a mocking smile in return. They stood across the room from each other, both unmoving, both not wanting to make the first strike perhaps.

Natalie noticed her father getting anxious, and he struck at her first with a heavy backhand strike, almost faster than she could track. Salasia spun away from the blow, avoiding the wood by inches.

Still spinning, she thrust her sword at Aleron, the man knocking it away and hopping a step back from Salasia as she performed a leftward pirouette, making a high horizontal strike towards Aleron as he positioned his sword to block it. Mid swing, Salasia instead crouched and struck him against the thigh, the practice sword making a loud thud against his leg as Aleron hopped away on one foot. The feint had come as a surprise to Aleron and Natalie, the swordmistress's movements but a blur.

Salasia returned to her original stance -- with her sword behind her back -- and smiled confidently. Aleron quickly regained his composure, moving slowly towards her for the second bout. He kept the woman's feet in the corner of his eye this time; his pride refused a second loss. Aleron struck again, just a feint as he pulled his sword back and side-stepped.

Salasia had not reacted to the movement whatsoever.

Aleron held a visage of perplexion until Salasia counterattacked, swinging twice in an X towards him, which were deflected simply. Without stopping, she spun backwards while thrusting her sword towards him, Aleron again countering the blow, then stepped backwards himself to get out of her range.

Natalie already knew she'd accept Salasia's tutorage, as did Aleron. But the man held a fierce look in his eye, one Natalie hadn't seen yet. One carnal, terrifying look.

He stepped towards Salasia once more, feinting an overhand strike, stepping back, then throwing a horizontal strike from the other side. Salasia blocked the blow, twirling away from it as Aleron stepped forward still, slashing away her next thrust and delivering a backhand blow towards her neck. Salasia crouched, sweeping his legs with hers.

Aleron would have lost his footing, then, if he hadn't lifted one of his feet in anticipation. He struck again, overhand. Salasia blocked it; once, twice, then rolled away, thrusting towards the empty air between them and performing another pirouette to bring herself back to her stance.

Natalie didn't quite catch the next strike Salasia attempted due to its quickness, but the sound of wood on wood told her that Aleron had deflected it. He then counter swung directly at Salasia's sword, knocking it loose from the woman's hand. Salasia stood up, hands behind her back, and nodded toward Aleron.

"Alright... You'll do. You'll do indeed," Aleron confirmed between breaths. "Natalie?"

"Y-Yeah. Absolutely."

"Excellent. Natalie, I'll see you here at ten tomorrow morning," Salasia said.

Natalie lifted an eyebrow, unfamiliar what a 'ten' was in terms of time. "Um?" Salasia frowned, then looked towards Aleron.

"Ten of the clock, Natalie. You must have heard the bells during the day? Ten is when it strikes ten times," Aleron explained patiently, giving her a smile.

"Oh. Of course," Natalie blushed, wondering how she hadn't made the connection sooner.

"You'll need proper fighting attire. Looser than those," Salasia nodded towards Natalie's tight leather pants. "You can pay me after the first week, Aleron."

"Sure thing."

"Also, Aleron, I would prefer more space to work with than this after the first week. We could always do this in a park, but my instruction falls better in a quiet location."

"Alright. I'll look for something, and let you know."

Salasia bowed twice more humbly, once for Aleron and once for Natalie, bidding farewell before departing the room with little fanfare.

Natalie immediately fell to the silk mattress once the ebony warrior had left the room.

"Ooof!" she exclaimed, splaying her arms about the sheets. "You have great tastes in beds, by the way," she giggled, poking her head from the mattress to look at Aleron. He was just now unstrapping his gauntlets and greaves from his person, to settle in for the night. The next day would likely prove eventful, and he needed rest.

"Could you have requested a room with two of them, at least?" he asked half-sarcastically, his eyes gazing through the window towards the merchant square below.

"Coulda," Natalie squeaked with a hint of playfulness. She stuck her tongue out at him when he gave her a stern look, then shared a laugh with him as he set his crossbow neatly against the wall. Aleron decided not to ask why she hadn't ordered a room with two, nervous of the answer.

"So how'd your day go? Catch any murderers? Save a countess?" Natalie asked playfully. She had missed him, and was just now realizing she would be missing him most days; his reason for reaching out to a professional sword instructor. To keep her busy.

Aleron shook his head, sitting two arms lengths away from her on the bed. "No and no, I'm afraid." He watched her wiggle about atop the mattress for a moment with a smile breaking on his lips, then decided to ask a question he knew the answer to.

"Although, my investigation is pointing me to a couple of wineries around town, and it got me wondering if you'd want to come with. Maybe we can make a night of it, huh?"

"Definitely! Can I get a dress? I really don't want to show up in," she frowned, then ran a hand along her tan tunic, "this."

"Sure," Aleron chuckled, noticing it was newly acquired just in the last day, "How much of my gold are you spending, any way?"

Natalie rolled towards him on the bed, fluttering her eyelashes at him. She'd been feeling quite playful around the man as of late.

"Does it matter?" she pouted.

"Fight it!" the losing side of Aleron's mind thought.

"I guess not," he shrugged, absentmindedly running a hand along her cheek. He soon brought it lower, but only to nudge the girl to the far side of the bed. "I need to sleep. You just... stay over there."

Natalie huffed.

"A little further," Aleron smirked. She scooted not an inch away, then slid under the silk sheets, undressing herself out of his sight.

"Night, honey," Aleron said before blowing the room's remaining candle out.