❆ ❆ ❆Chapter Eighteen❆ ❆ ❆

Aela’s “Training”

[Snow]

“I'm ready!” Snow radiated confidence. Aela said this ‘special’ training would be difficult, but how difficult could it really be compared to killer wolves, huge golems and killer frost blooded giants. Snow was ready for anything and was confident she could handle whatever Aela could throw at her.

“Alright, first, hold this.” Aela pulled an icy spear out from the ground, the spear was more like a crystalline shaft that barely resembled the shape of a sword, and tossed it at Snow.

“Easy!”

She spoke too soon.

Snow caught it and immediately crashed into the ground… After a moment, she popped her head up from the snow and shouted, “Why is this so damn heavy!” Snow struggled to lift herself up, let alone the blade.

“It's condensed. Get it off the ground so we can begin.”

Snow heaved for about five minutes until she was finally able to bring the sword up to her waist level.

“Ok.. I.. got it!” Snow exclaimed.

“The first thing we will do is movement. I want you to dodge all my attacks for the next ten seconds without dropping that sword. You drop the sword, we start again. You get hit, we start again. Got it?”

Being taught by a frost veteran was the top dream of her eldest sister, Gravis. But after holding this world-weighted blade, Snow thought, Perhaps Lussuria was right - maybe Gravis was a masochist after all.

“Got it!” Snow prepared herself.

Aela’s eyes flashed blue and she raised her hands. Six frost chains emerged from the ground behind her. The chains all hunched over portraying the image of aggressive snakes.

“Woah, those chains look like Warden Flora’s chains.” Snow watched as each snake swayed back and forth. Was Aela going to notify her when the attack was coming? “So, are you going to tell me when-” Snow’s question was already answered when one of the chains silently lunged itself at her.

Snow tried to move but the sword was so heavy she almost fell over. The chain slammed into her right thigh. It didn’t peirce but it felt like she got hit by a brick.

Snow fell to one knee.

“Hit!” Aela declared. The chain pulled back to Aela rejoining the rest.“Get back up!” Aela shouted with a disciplined tone. It was like she was a different person, like an actual soldier. “I said UP! And don’t drop the sword!”

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“Rgh. Alright!” Snow gritted her teeth, forcing herself up. She could already feel the bruise in her thigh.

Once Snow was fully back on her feet, she continued watching the dancing chains. This time the leftmost chain lunged at her. Snow put all her weight in shifting to the right. Snow looked down at her side to see the chain barely graze her. “That counts as a dodge right?! See Aela, I can easily do this-” Snow looked up to see two more chains flying right at her. One slammed into her chest and another slammed into her right arm, knocking her clean to the ground along with the sword.

“Hit aaaaand hit!”

“That was dirty!” Snow cried out.

“You lost focus. I said ten seconds, that was two. Now UP!”

The training went on for hours. The most Snow could get up to was four seconds, and Aela didn't even release all six chains. Ten seconds seemed outright impossible. It was the sword’s fault. Bearing this amount of weight made dodging so much more difficult. Snow was exhausted. She didn't know how many hours had passed but it had to have been several by now.

“Aela can we stop for the day? I could barely manage to stand, let alone hold this thing any longer.”

“No, we go until I am satisfied.”

Aela started again, this time she initiated with two chains and Snow barely dodged them.

“You are finally getting it. See, not impossible.”

Snow was panting. She didn’t want to get hit because she didn’t think she would be able to get back up. One thing Aela made sure to lay on early was to never celebrate. Snow didn't smile or pat herself on the back from the compliment. Her eyes stood focused on the chains.

“Two…Three…”Aela was counting.

The next wave of attacks came, two more chains launched themselves one after the next. Snow imagined a small box around herself, or rather, the sword. If she focused on keeping the sword static in one spot, she could move her body around it and dodge much easier. Snow dodged both chains with ease.

“Four…”

Finally, Snow had developed a strategy that was working. She passed her record of four seconds. Confidence beamed from her face once again and Snow couldn't help but taunt. “That was easy!”

“Five…”

Three chains shot out all aimed at the center, specifically, the sword handle. Snow tried to shift the sword to the right. That's when the fourth chain launched itself aimed at her right foot. Snow gasped, Aela must have caught onto her strategy and was attacking the weakness of her structure. Now, since Snow was forced to move the blade, her feet were predictable since she had to use them to hold up the new position. The fourth chain was destined to hit her leading foot.

Snow was too far in to give up though.

Just before the fourth chain made contact, her leg continued its movement into a slide. Snow stopped when she was in a squatting position. The fourth chain flew right under her, missing its mark. A successful dodge.

“Six.”

The next chain shot out, aimed at her left foot now. Snow slid her left leg in the opposite direction, forcing her into an even lower squatting position. The chain flew under her. Another successful dodge.

There was one more chain poised to be released, but Snow was stuck. She was too low and had to fight against gravity just to stay standing. Aela had moved her like a puppet, using her own strategy against her.

“Seven.”

The last chain flew out, right at her center.

“Damnit!” Snow was doomed, she couldn't adjust herself anymore. If she couldn't move her body, maybe she could block? Snow tried with all her might to raise the sword in a blocking position. The sword inched up.. And up.. And up…

The sword met the oncoming chain, but it was off by an inch. The sword grinded against the side of the chain as it slammed into her chest, knocking her on her butt.

“Hit.” All the chains retracted to Aela before swirling back into the ground. “Good effort. We are done for today.”

At the sound of those words Snow fully collapsed onto the ground. She never thought that training would ever end. Her shoulders were on fire and her fingers were sore. Her arms felt like they were being lifted up by clouds after dropping that weapon.

“Thank the goddess, that’s over…”

“We resume at first light tomorrow.” Aela said as she grabbed the training sword and stabbed it into the ground, her eyes reverted to silver afterwards.

"Gods damn it…"