The moment Rowan confirmed she was ready, Kaleia lunged towards her with the force of a fully drawn warbow releasing an arrow. Rowan struggled to dodge in time. Had it not been for the spike in anticipation from seeing Kaleia's chiselled physique, she would have taken a fist to her core.
The second attack was even faster. Rowan was able to evade it, but only just. Kaleia was taking a mile when Rowan’s anticipation gave an inch.
When the third attack came a fraction of a second later, Rowan betrayed her inclination towards dodging, instead stepping into the attack and accepting Kaleia's promise of pain. She couldn't escape the ancient woman's assault by running away. The only path to the other side was straight ahead.
One.
Two.
Three.
With Rowan closing the distance, Kaleia was forced to respond in kind. Her muscles were coiled like a serpent in waiting. When she released her hold on them, she lunged forwards with incredible speed. Rowan angled away at the very last instant, circling through Kaleia's attack. The fist that was heading straight to her gut was instead glancing off the bony crest of her hips.
Rowan rolled with the punches, spinning twice before coming to a stop. She was behind Kaleia, and the balance of power was shifting away from the older woman. While Kaleia was able to hold her momentum, she took her time turning to face Rowan again. Had it not been for Kaleia’s initial burst, Rowan would have capitalised on her apparent slowness, but she refused to give Kaleia another chance to catch her with her breeches down.
“I can raise the tempo when I have a better feel for Kaleia’s rhythm,” Rowan muttered to herself. She was bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet, anticipation flaring in the face of adversity. This time, when Kaleia rushed in, she was ready. Rowan hopped to the side and then again, shifting her weight back to the other foot so that she could follow through with her lead foot. She shifted her weight even further, twisting and arching herself into a roundhouse aimed directly at Kaleia’s back.
Kaleia stopped before the kick could land. She was turning into Rowan’s attack, her leading arm raised. In an instant, she had Rowan’s leg couched in her armpit. With her hold on Rowan secured, she continued spinning, launching Rowan through the air at one of the walls.
Rowan contorted her body as she went flying so that she could use the wall to springboard herself back at Kaleia. She remained airborne up to the halfway point, after which she tucked into a roll. When she returned to her feet, she leapt into a flying axel which landed with a satisfying thwack. It was her first solid hit against the venerable matriarch.
Despite there being enough force in Rowan's kick to knock out the average opponent, Kaleia remained standing and cognisant enough to retaliate when Rowan's back was to her. As if driven by feral instinct, she gripped the back of Rowan’s collar and pulled her down. She was aided by Rowan’s legs continuing to move from under her.
Kaleia whipped her foot against Rowan’s side just before she hit the floor. She could already feel the bruise forming. It was still better than the alternative. Any higher on her torso, and she would have been dealing with broken ribs in addition to any bruising. The blow also created enough distance for Rowan to scramble to her feet.
The next exchange went on for a good five minutes, with neither side landing a meaningful attack against their opponent. They were dancing, the beat of their footsteps establishing the rhythm, and their movements resonating in a brutal harmony. They were getting closer, their every attack missing by less than a fraction of an inch as the song neared its terrible climax.
For a moment, there was silence, a single empty note. Then the switch-up dropped in from heaven. The only defence that mattered was being the last one standing. Only by attacking could they build the crescendo of pain that would end their opponent.
Kaleia forfeited the match after Rowan kicked her with enough force to fracture her femur. It wasn't the only fractured bone that she or Rowan were suffering from, but it was the first to result in a potentially devastating end to the fight. One more kick and the bone could have broken cleanly in twain.
“You fought well,” Kaleia said, panting heavily. “Not quite enough to defeat me in my prime, but still impressive. At some point, you'll have to show me how you do while armed.”
“I cannae imagine how strong you were in your prime,” Rowan wheezed. Two of her ribs on her left side were creaking tenderly.
“You'll surpass me given time. You can already kick with more force than I ever could, but you can't punch for shit.”
Rowan cast her gaze shamefully to the side. “I've never had much reason to improve.”
“Well, you can start as soon as you're healed. Reia, please fetch the Evalantris Tea I asked you to prepare. Rowan and I will be needing it when the adrenaline fades.”
Reia bowed politely from the other side of the room, far away from where any of the fighting occurred. “Right away, ma'am.”
Her expression was professional and unfazed as she left. Seres and Alena, on the other hand, were completely gormless, and their faces were painted with a mix of shock and awe. Neither of them said anything, not even when Reia returned, or Kaleia requested a healer check over her's and Rowan's injuries.
*****
The healer had Kaleia taken to the nearby university hospital. Alena left with her grandmother to ensure she was okay and getting the care she needed, as her injuries were serious enough to warrant a period of medical supervision, especially when her age was considered. Even if her fractured bones were ignored, the possibility of a concussion or intracranial bleeding was too high when either could be deadly without prompt and proper treatment.
Rowan, on the other hand, got away with braces and supports for her fractured bones, where effective, and a collection of salves and tonics for everything else. She was also given the standard suggestion of bedrest for the first few days, followed by light activity until she healed enough to do more.
While Rowan held off on following the healer’s advice regarding proper bedrest — she was too emotionally charged to do nothing besides resting — she didn't ignore it completely. She still did nothing strenuous, opting to instead do activities that would engage her mind without requiring much movement. As such, much of her day was spent reading, and playing board games and card games with any combination of Seres, Reia, Lochlan, Liadra, and later, Alena.
When Alena first returned, she challenged Rowan to a game or two of Ruun so that they could talk one-on-one.
“How is she?” Rowan asked after initiating the first game with the Sage's Second Gambit.
“High as a cloud,” Alena responded, taking Rowan’s bait. “They took her into surgery to stabilise the fracture in her leg.”
Rowan winced at the thought of needing surgery. “Sorry.”
“You don't need to apologise, silly. This is what she wanted. Didn't you see her smiling from beginning to end? Granted, I couldn't see what either of you were doing at the end, but I just know she didn't stop smiling, not even once. Plus, she wasn't showing any signs of concussion or internal bleeding by the time I left, and she still has most of her faculties intact despite being on enough pain medication to knock out a Vhoraks.”
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“I still feel bad. I didnae mean to kick her quite so hard.”
“She thought you might think that, and she told me to tell you, ‘If you didn't end the fight then and there, we might have both ended up in the hospital with even worse injuries.’ She also said something about being ready to plan the wedding when the time comes.”
Rowan’s eyes went wide. “Already? I dinnae think we're ready for that.”
“I think it's just her way of saying she approves while making you sweat a little bit.”
“Are you sure she wasnae trying to give me a heart attack, instead? I'm going to be feeling her approval for the better part of a month.”
“She likes you, and my heart is racing knowing you did all this to show how serious you are about us.”
“I'd do it again, but maybe not until I'm healed.”
“Good. You don't need to go around crippling yourself to prove you care. And with that, victory is mine.”
Rowan nodded as Alena took her spy with her vanguard, leaving her general defenceless. Having not quite processed her defeat, Rowan went to move her own vanguard, only to realise it was missing.
“Huh? That's not right? How about? Nope, you're gone too. When did you? No, you couldnae have. How?”
The Sage's Second Gambit had not only been countered, any semblance of it ever being used was lost in a massacre of white marble.
“The Sage's Gambits are a favourite in the Azure University. There are entire books on how to counter them and on countering the counters. If you want to defeat me, you'll have to be less predictable.”
*****
By the time Rowan and Alena retired for the night, Rowan was barely awake. The tonics were great for the pain, but they also required a lot of energy to be effective. Or perhaps they just felt draining; Rowan wasn't sure. Alena helped her up the stairs and got her ready for bed. Then, it was morning.
Rowan spent the next day in bed. Her entire body ached in ways she didn't think was possible. It wasn't something the tonics could treat. The ointments helped, but only enough to stop her from going insane.
Seres kept her company when Alena left to check on Kaleia. Out of everyone, she was the most concerned with Rowan’s current well-being. That isn't to say the others weren't concerned; they just didn't have the same context as Seres, let alone the bonds of sisterhood between her and Rowan. Alena was a close second, but Lochlan and Liadra saw Rowan the Ardent before they saw Rowan the girl, and Reia was still getting to know them.
“Are you sure you don't need anything?” Seres asked.
“I'm fine, Seres. Reia's making soup and trifle for lunch, so I'm good for food, and Alena lathered me up with ointment before she left. All I need from you is company and conversation, for which you are already doing a phenomenal job.”
“I could get you some tonic?”
“I've still got another hour before I can take my next dose. Honestly, Seres, I've got everything I need right here. That includes you.”
“I know. It's just the last time I saw you push yourself this much was when we escaped the caves, and that had you in and out of consciousness for the better part of a week.”
“I'd argue this was more on par with finding Tehri, but I get your point. I actually pushed myself harder than I did during the escape in both cases, but I'm stronger now and in much better shape.”
“But why do you have to push yourself so hard? I understand with Tehri, and I get why you would want to prove yourself to Matriarch Kaleia, but why does that mean you need to get hurt?”
“Because I'm not good enough. Not yet. When the time comes, I'll need to push myself even further, or we'll never be well and truly free from the Good Lords. As long as I keep experiencing repercussions for going all out, be it aching muscles, or broken bones, I can strive for more, and the stronger I am, the less likely I am to die.”
Seres marched to the foot of the bed from where she had been anxiously pacing, and she stood there imperiously. “Well, I'll just have to become stronger as well then, won't I?”
“As long as you can keep yourself safe, that'll be enough. If you want to go further, do it for yourself instead of battle. My heart would ache if you raced ahead of me or you went out of your way to put yourself at risk.”
“That's how I feel when you pull stunts like this.”
“I know, but if you were to do something like this while we were both fighting, it would put us both at risk. That's why I need you to be careful. It's also why I'm not asking you to do nothing at all. The thought of you being completely defenceless is an even worse prospect.”
“I'll try, but I need you to tell me if you need anything.”
“I'll do my best.”
*****
On the third night, Alena made sweet love to Rowan as she applied the ointment. By the fifth day, Rowan was back on her feet. A couple of days later, Ædarik, Ashley, Dave, and Deilin all visited. They were all surprised to see Rowan as beaten and bruised as she was.
“Alena told us about your sparring match with Matriarch Kaleia, but this is so much more than any of us were expecting,” Ædarik admitted.
“How did she even hit you?” Deilin asked. “You're an Ardent, and she's like a hundred.”
Rowan laughed softly. “I was about to say you look absolutely radiant, Deilin, but now I'm not so sure.” The tallest of the ladies was growing more and more into her femininity with each passing day, and the confidence she had in herself was practically oozing out of her. That isn't to say she wasn't still incredibly shy, judging by how her cheeks were getting redder from Rowan’s barely veiled compliment.
As Rowan hadn't actually answered Deilin's question, Alena took it upon herself to explain, but not before clarifying her Grandmother's age. “She's one-hundred-and-fifteen, and she has the Gift of the Gladiator. She's been cultivating her abilities ever since she was a child. Despite her age, her mind is still incredibly sharp, and her body is in peak physical condition. She still tries her hand against Ferran commandos every now and then at the request of Prince Sovereign Geri of Clan Tel’Færis.”
“You could have told me all that when she challenged me,” Rowan laughed.
“Would it have changed anything?” Alena replied, her voice carrying the note of an apology.
“Not really,” Rowan admitted, “but I might have been a little more prepared. She probably wouldn’t have gotten the drop on me right at the start.”
“Sorry. I didn't think she'd go that far.”
“You dinnae have to apologise. In hindsight, you gave me enough hints for me to not be blindsided, and I still underestimated her. It’s a mistake I never intend to repeat, no matter the opponent.”
The conversation eventually drifted on to more casual topics, such as how Ædarik and Ashlin were progressing in their relationship, or what Rowan, Seres, and Alena were going to be studying when they started lectures in the new year. They even touched on some of the juicier bits of campus gossip, a subject Davra was well versed in.
They spent the entire afternoon chatting the day away. When the sun started setting, Ædarik, Ashley, Davra, and Deilin took their leave. As they were saying goodbye, Davra whispered something to Rowan.
“My parents wish to meet you and Seres. I'll let them know you are recovering from some injuries, but I don't imagine you want to delay seeing them too much. Let Reia know when you're ready, and she'll send word.”
“What are you whispering about, Davra?” Alena asked, having just hugged everyone else goodbye.
“I was just telling Rowan how you like to be nibbled,” Davra replied audibly.
Alena turned crimson faster than Rowan could blink. “I do not! No hugs for you!”
“Methinks the lady doth protest too much. Remember that Rowan is still healing, so be careful not to wear her out too much. I know how feisty you can be.”
Alena was quickly inventing a new shade of red as she fled the foyer.
“Remember what I said, Rowan, and be good to Alena. She's my best friend, and I don't know what I would do if you hurt her.”
“I know.”
The four guests left the estate a few moments later. When they were out of sight, Seres asked Rowan, “What was that about?”
“Davra's parents, Maia and Varik, were sending us a message. They're ready to meet whenever. We just need to let Reia know, and she'll send word.”
“How does next week sound? I don't want to go while you're barely healed, but we've been waiting for what feels like forever. No, scratch that, I shouldn't be asking you to push yourself. Not after what I said the other day.”
“Next week is fine. Lochlan and Liadra will be there if we get into trouble, and I should be well enough to fight if we're attacked. I also promise we'll only go if I feel ready. We could even get a healer to check my progress.”
“I'm gonna hold you to that.”