Let’s Train

“Leave him be.” Wren moved toward the door. “If you are going to train with me, let’s train. Otherwise, go back to whatever rock you crawled out of and leave me in peace.”

Talon followed her into the room. He had avoided her for the last month, so he was curious to see how far she had progressed.

He was sure it was not far, but still, she had the foresight to use a stand-in for him. He felt a twinge of satisfaction at the thought that she cared that much about them to go so far.

“Ready?” Shorty’s voice broke their thoughts as the day’s training began.

***

“How are they doing?” Emerald asked, peeking into the control room. “I heard he appeared today.”

“Are they any good?” Evan was right behind her.

Shorty had called over to the house as soon as Talon and Wren had entered the training room and told everyone to get over there to watch. But that had been some time ago, and he had given up on them, focusing on the training happening before him.

“Not bad,” Shorty commented from where he was typing away on the computer. “He yells, she listens, they fight. Rinse and repeat.”

“Did I just hear what I think I heard?” Eric came into view as a string of curse words made their way through the thick walls of the control room.

“I do not know how she is putting up with his mouth,” Shorty said as he changed the Beings out. “He is quite rude to her, and do not get me started on his attitude. The man makes Carrie’s rage rants look like child’s play.”

Shorty turned to the gathering crowd that was peering through the large window, watching the scene below. “I do not get how she is not upset or distracted by it all.”

Another string of colorful language floated toward them.

“That does not bother her?” Emerald could not believe what she was hearing. “How in the hell would that not bother her?”

***

“You idiotic ninny!” Talon hollered out as Wren miscalculated and missed her mark throughout the entire combo they were practicing.

“Can you do nothing right, you bubbleheaded moron? Move. Left…now!”

Wren moved, and Talon stepped in, his dagger sliding effortlessly into the belly of the Being.

Talon gave a sharp twist and pulled the dagger straight up, neatly cleaving the Being in two before turning back to his own. He sidestepped the spikes, deflected the Being’s claws with one dagger, and used the other dagger to cut down the Being.

~The man is a machine.~ Wren could only watch his effortless moves and wondered how long he had practiced each to look so smooth.

They disappeared, and two more took their place, exact replicas of the first two.

“Let’s try this again and for God’s sake, do it right this time, you airheaded bimbo.”

Wren focused on the combination. She dodged the first move as she was supposed to but was not fast enough; her shoulder was nicked in the process.

“Can you move any faster?” Talon let out a growl as he watched the blood run down her arm.

“You are going to get yourself killed, and I will not be held responsible because my partner is an empty-headed, bird-brained nincompoop that cannot even remember a simple sequence of moves that she needs to, to stay alive! Damn it, woman! Open your ears and listen to what I am saying, or you are going to get us both killed.”

***

The group grew in the booth until everyone was there. They remained silent as they listened to him berate her for the next twenty minutes, wincing when his language became particularly foul.

“How is she not fazed by him?” Carrie shook her head. “I would kill you if you spoke to me that way.”

“I would expect nothing less,” Michael replied. “I knew she was poised and had patience, but this is the patience of a saint. She just takes it all in stride.”

“She is really good for someone who started with no experience. Talon needs to ease up a bit,” Eric commented.

“How often has she been practicing?” He looked at Shorty.

“I figure, if you count the hand-to-hand training as well.” Shorty did some quick math. “An average of six to seven hours a day, seven days a week, give or take an hour or two.”

Everyone turned as one to stare at Shorty. He shrugged in response.

“She is bound and determined to make sure she does not hinder Talon or get him killed protecting her.”

“Does Talon know this?” Emerald asked.

Shorty let out a snort. “The man would not even enter the same room she was in before this morning. Of course, he does not know this.”

“He is a fool.” Carrie was going to have a chat with Talon whether or not Lily approved. This was unacceptable by anyone’s standard.

“I am amazed,” Evan commented. “If she can keep up with Talon right now, make the corrections he is firing at her in the moment, and keep her composure from his behavior, they will be unstoppable by the time she finishes her training.”

There was no good way to explain what they were witnessing. Even though Wren was still a beginner, she and Talon were already syncing up moves faster than any of them had been able to do.

Add in her ability to make corrections so quickly, and the progress made in just the last half hour was beyond words.

They watched as Wren’s weapon sliced through the arm of a Being, just short of lopping it clean off. Talon growled out a correction, and Wren immediately corrected the move, taking the other arm off cleanly.

The woman was a machine, and the man was a monster.

“I wish he would lay off the language a bit,” Emerald commented after another bout of especially harsh language filtered through the speaker system Shorty had turned on when they had all arrived. “He is out of line.”

“Do not worry.” Carrie’s voice was low and angry. “When I am done with him, he will not dare to utter another disrespectful word toward any man or woman.”

Michael laced his hands through Carrie’s as her anger threatened to overpower his own emotions. “Remember to let him live to apologize,” he said.

“I will think about it,” came the answer.

***

Even as Talon berated her every move, Wren felt her emotions take a sharp turn; the frustration and anger faded as a sense of calm came over her.

As her emotions calmed, she could feel his emotions rise, swirling around her as they fought.

“Watch out!”

Wren threw up a barrier a mere inch from her face, the Being’s acid running down the barrier.

As a string of corrections and foul language came out of Talon’s mouth, Wren felt a wave of relief wash over her from his direction.

***

Talon could not stop the relief that rushed through him when Wren’s barrier stopped the Being’s acid.

~That was too close!~

Even though she did not react to his prodding, she was quick to respond to his corrections. He could feel a conflict of emotions coursing through her, the most prominent being one of calm.

Her emotions had been in turmoil for the last week. He knew it was his fault, but he was surprised that it was the most prominent emotion at this moment.

She should be feeling anger and frustration, but no, just calm. She acted like his treatment of her was normal, even expected.

He wondered, ~What happened to this woman for her to think this is acceptable? Is she even human?~