Chapter 7

What am I doing? Tivon was following Elias down the path to a clearing in the woods. I don't know how to fight. I'm useless. He looked at Elias walking in front of him. I don't want to embarrass myself in front of him. Elias stopped and Tivon almost crashed into him.

»We're here.«

Tivon looked before Elias. They were still in the middle of the woods, but there was a clearing, a big enough space to practice.

Elias turned to Tivon. »Do you already know how to use any of the weapons?«

Tivon considered it. Before his accident, he had trainings. Sword fighting, bow and arrow shooting and learning to ride a horse. Finally, he said to Elias. »My father taught me something, mostly how to shoot with a bow.«

Again he told part of a truth. His father did train him a lot before the accident. After it, he was never present at his studies. The general of the royal army, Ivan, took over his training. He was patient with Tivon, but because his vision passed on his right eye, he had trouble coordinating everything around him. Eventually he gave up on that.

»Well, I don't have a bow here,« Said Elias. »But I have swords.« He took both of his swords from his back and gave one to Tivon. »Show me what you got.«

He lowered his sword and waited for Tivon to make his move. His elegant pose threw Tivon of the track a little. He gripped his sword and launched at him, Elias blocking the attack. Tivon tried again, moving his sword the other way. Elias blocked again. Then Tivon took a big step forward launching his sword towards his right arm, but missing him quite a bit. Elias didn't even have to move.

»That would do if you aimed it a bit to the left.« Tivon sighed, knowing that it was because of his eye. »And you fight weird.«

Elias slapped Tivons left hand with a flat part of the sword which he had opened in front of him.

»You need to fight like a pirate.«

Tivon opened his arms. »As you can see, I'm not one.« He said annoyed.

Elias smiled. »Fighting is like a dance. Avoid my step.«

Tivon didn't know what he meant by that, but when Elias stepped towards him, Tivon subconsciously stepped back.

»Good.« Elias smiled, he stepped again. »Now, again.« Tivon avoided it again. He was focused on Eliass walking.

»Now you do it.« He let Tivon took a step towards him, Elias avoiding him.

Elias carefully rose Tivons head with his sword. »Try not to look at the ground. Keep your eyes on me.«

Tivon blushed as Elias fixed his grip. He stepped forward, drawing his sword to Tivon. Tivon managed to block it, following and avoiding Elias step.

»Hide your left hand behind your back.« Said Elias. Tivon obeyed.

Tivons heart was beating fast, but he never felt more alive. The fighting in the kingdom was nothing like the fighting with Elias. He smiled to himself.

Elias noticed that and before Tivon could realize it, he grabbed his right arm and twisted it behind Tivons back Elias then pulled himself closer, rotating both of them around, one leg wrapping it around Tivons leg, unable his movements, his sword gently pressed against Tivons neck. They were standing face to face, looking into each others eyes, their noses almost touching. Tivons face heated as it had never before.

»Don't think about a duel as brutal fight. Think of it as a dance.«

Something moved in the forest and they heard distance talking, and before Tivon could do anything, Elias released Tivon, put his mask on and chained his hand to Tivons. He did it just as the pirate crew came through the dense forest, Pit in the lead.

»Look who it is boys.« Said Pit with a big satisfied smile. »It's shary and The Grímur.«

A laughter rose amongst the pirates.

»What do you want Pit?« Asked Elias irritated.

Pit came closer to them. »Nothing, just checking on ya.« He looked at Tivon. »Don't want anything happen to shary.«

Tivon scowled at him. Pit turned around to the crew.

»Why don't ya help us by the ship? The boys would appreciate it.« An agreeing Ay rose amongst them.

»Every time we land in Dalelry I have time for myself. That was the deal.« Said Elias.

»The deal that no one was a part of.« Elias was ready to punch him, but then Pit said. »You shouldn't even be here.« Elias stopped. »You should've been dead.«

Tivon noticed Elias fists loosened.

»You're nothing special Grímur. You were nothing then and even with that mask, you are nothing.«

Tivon didn't quite know what exactly Pit was talking about, but he could feel Elias uneasiness. He stepped forward.

»Says the one who does the least work on the ship.« Everyone went quiet, even Elias looked at Tivon.

»What did ya say shary?«

Tivon didn't know what he was getting himself into, but he had to do something for Elias.

»I said you do the least work. You just stand around stalking others who are just minding their own business.« Pit wanted to contradict, but Tivon didn't let him speak. »I've spent enough time on the ship to notice. You enjoy bothering others.«

As he was talking, Tivon brushed his finger against Elias. Elias looked down and saw Tivon pointing up. Elias looked up and right above the crew he saw a rihhive, hanging from the branch. It was heavy with buzzing rihs and even a slight stir would cause the rihhive to fall on pirates.

As Tivon was mocking Pit, Elias carefully grabbed his knife attached to his left thigh.

»I think that others could agree on that.« Continued Tivon.

Silent murmuring rose amongst them. Pit looked at them. Tivon persisted on »And if I was you I would start to look around for myph leaves. You will need them.«

Tivon gave the sign to Elias, but he didn't need it. He knew exactly what he needed to do. He threw the dagger into the branch and the rihhive fell right on Pit. Tivon pulled Elias away into the forest.

Panic rose amid of the group as the rihs attacked them. They started screaming and running away.

Elias forced himself to smile. »Maybe you really are smart.«

A little rih flew to them, Tivon carefully put his hand in front and the rih flew on his arm.

»Rihs aren't hostile bugs. If they didn't panic and move that much, they wouldn't attack them.« Said Tivon looking at the rih that then flew away.

Elias put his mask off. »What about the myph leaves?«

»If they sting you, the myph leaves help ease the pain and the swelling.«

»Good to know.«

Tivon stood up, but Elias grabbed his hand. »Thanks.«

Tivon smiled. »I had to do something. Now they won't bother us anymore.«

Elias unchained them and smiled. »I think we had enough training for today.«

Tivon smiled back and nodded.

Tivon was lying on his back looking at the night sky. The night was quiet, and even though the waterfall was right beside them, Tivon couldn't hear it. The pleasant warmth from the fire suited Tivon. Elias came and put the wood for the fire down. He laid down beside the fire.

For the rest of the day Tivon was thinking about what Pit said to Elias. What did he mean when he said that he should've been dead? He knew it wasn't the right thing to do, but he still asked. »Earlier, when Pit said that you shouldn't be alive. What did he mean by that?«

Elias was quiet.

Tivon knew asking him was a bad decision. »I-if you don't want to talk about it-«

»You know when I told you I've been with this crew since I was six?« Interrupted Elias.

»Yes?«

»I don't remember a lot of it, I just knew that The Rose Sparrow attacked the town I lived in. My parents and I almost managed to escape, but they found us. I was kicking and moving so much in the pirates hands that I almost managed to escape two times. I remember looking at my parents, they nodded towards my belt, where I had my father's dagger.« Elias reached to his belt and pulled out the dagger. »He gave it to me and taught me how to use it. So I took the dagger and cut the pirates hand, trying to run away again. But he crossed my path. Sabur, the captain of The Rose Sparrow. He gave me a proposal. Join them and I live, or I die.«

He went quiet, still tossing the dagger in his hands.

»Why did you choose to join them?« asked Tivon, but he already knew the answer.

»Because living is better than giving up... Better than dying.« sighed Elias.

»I'm sorry if you didn't want to talk about it.«

Elias smiled and looked at Tivon. »It's okay. It was nice to talk about it after fifteen years.«

»You never told anyone?«

»I had no one to talk to.«

Tivon looked at the sky. »Then why tell me?«

»Because I trust your stupid blushing face.« Smiled Elias.

Tivon turned red. »I'm smarter than you.«

Elias put his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. »Yeah, yeah, we'll see.«