Chapter 5

Two posts today cause I missed a couple Mondays! :P Sorry!
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Aryanna and Kalya cleaned out the house, straightening and sweeping.
“Aryanna?” Kalya asked when they were done. Aryanna looked over at her from their room.
“Can I go outside and play?” Kalya asked. Aryanna thought a moment then shook her head.
“We need to go train, you had yesterday off, time to sharpen your skills,” she said. Kalya nodded.
“Are we going back out into the woods or going to the practice yard that some of the others set up?” Kalya asked.
“Why don’t we go to the practice yard, it’ll be better,” she said. Kalya nodded and hopped back and forth from foot to foot while she waited for Aryanna. Aryanna headed towards the door, putting her hand on Kalya’s shoulder. When they reached the training yard Aryanna paused for a moment, looking around and seeing who was there. There were a group of young men and women around her age standing a group talking, and another young woman her age was actually practicing. The group fell silent as they watched Aryanna and Kalya move across the training yard to a target farthest away from them.
“Aryanna, why are they staring at us?” Kalya whispered. Aryanna glanced over her shoulder at them.
“I don’t know, just ignore them,” she answered, not trying to keep her voice low. They moved closer to the target, standing only about fifteen feet away.
“Alright, here you are,” Aryanna said slipping one of her knives from it’s sheath and handing it to Kalya, who took it carefully.
“I just sharpened these last night so be careful,” Aryanna warned. Kalya nodded looking at the knife and testing it’s weight.  
“Do you remember what I showed you?” Aryanna asked crouching down so she was level with Kalya. Kalya squinched her eyes up, thinking hard.
“I think so, I have to hold my arm like this,” Kalya said lifting her arm, holding the knife by the tip. “And when I throw it has to be a fluid motion, no jerking right?” she asked. Aryanna nodded and patted her on the back.
“Don’t forget to find the center balance of the knife, and don’t forget the snap of your wrist, it’s not all in your arm,” she said. Kalya nodded and corrected her little hand on the knife.
“When your ready,” Aryanna said standing again. Kalya held the knife so it was a comfortable in her hand. She drew it back and released it with a snap. The knife struck at the very edge of the target. Kalya looked disappointed and then flushed and looked at the dirt as she heard a few laughs. Aryanna whirled around, glaring at the group. A couple of them were looking at the ground.
“Don’t laugh at the child,” one of the young men said. Aryanna just shook her head and crouched again, grabbing Kalya’s shoulders gently.
“Don’t listen to their laughing, I don’t know a single other eight year old who can actually remotely hit a target. You are doing well,” she encouraged. Kalya wiped a hand across her eyes quickly and met Aryanna’s eyes, attempting a smile.
“Now, your throw was good, just your aim was off, try it again,” Aryanna said slipping the knife out of her boot and handing it to her. Kalya shook her head.
“I don’t want them to laugh at me again, can we wait til they leave?” she asked softly. Aryanna shook her head.
“They don’t matter, ignore them, they are just being ignorant. If they do laugh at you again, I will deal with them,” Aryanna said. Kalya swallowed hard and hesitantly took the knife from Aryanna. She took a few deep breaths and stared at the target, not raising her arm. She slowly brought her arm to the correct position and in one fluid motion threw the knife. This time it was in the outer rings of the actual target. Even though she had done much better  there were still a few laughs from the other side of the training area. Kalya’s face fell but only a few seconds later she straightened her small shoulders and tossed her head, trying to shake off their mocking laughs. Aryanna whirled around and stalked towards the group.
“Do you all have a problem here? Why do you persist in laughing at her? Why don’t you stop?” she asked angrily stopping only a few feet away. One of the young men stepped forward, handing his sword to one of the others in the group, a mocking smile twisted his lips.
“You going to make us?” he asked.
Aryanna stared at him a moment. “I was thinking about it,” she answered, her voice cold.
He laughed and looked at the rest of his group. “Any of you want to see her try and stop us?” he asked and looked back at her, a sneer on his face. “Try it,” he said a few of the others spread out on either side of him.
“What do you have against us?” Aryanna asked. “Why are you mocking her efforts? Do you know any other eight year old who can hit even remotely close to a target?” she persisted.
“You two think you are so high and mighty, always keeping to yourselves. You think you are so much better than the rest of us Woodlanders, huh? Who says you can even use this training ground? You haven’t earned the right,” The leader said, he and the others advancing a few steps towards her. Aryanna frowned and shook her head.  
“You always stay away from everyone else and don’t let your sister play with any of the other children, she just follows you around, she reminds me of a little puppy, a pathetic one at that,” he sneered before Aryanna could say anything. Her eyes glittered dangerously, her fists tightening. “We don’t think we are better, we keep to ourselves because we have no other choice. And don’t talk about Kalya that way,” she said her voice low and deadly. The leader laughed shortly.
“Why don’t you make me?” he said. Aryanna looked at him for a moment, her eyes narrowed in thought. She balled a fist and struck him across the face. As she stepped away she crossed her arms, surreptitiously slipping her dagger from her left arm and holding it obscured from the rest of their sight. She backed away slightly, only to have them follow her.
“Aryanna?” came a wavering, questioning voice. Aryanna glanced over at Kayla then back at the leader, who had advanced slightly. She moved backwards again, never breaking her gaze from his, a slight smile on her lips, one that did not reach her eyes.
“Come on Adrin, leave the girls alone,” one of the other young men called from where the group had started. Adrin looked over his shoulder, breaking his gaze with Aryanna.
“Don’t tell me what to do, Caran!” he said angrily. Aryanna took a few swift steps back towards Kalya before Adrin turned back around. She glanced behind her again and saw Kalya holding both of Aryanna’s daggers, one clenched tightly in each hand, her little face set determinedly. Aryanna dropped her hands to her sides, flipping her dagger around so the flat of the blade was pressing against her forearm, the handle held in her hand, still not able to be seen by the youth advancing on her.
“Aryanna, what should I do?” Kalya asked, her voice small and afraid. Adrin laughed coldly again when he saw the daggers in each of the little girls hands.
“Do you think you are a match for me little girl?” he sneered. Kalya didn’t answer, just swallowed hard. Adrin made a threatening move towards Kalya but Aryanna was quickly blocking his way, staying between them.
“Don’t go near her, don’t try to go near her, or I will hurt you,” Aryanna snapped. She moved one hand behind her, slowly so as not to distract Adrin. Adrin leaned towards her.
“I’m not afraid of you,” he said and smiled mockingly and continued advancing. She continued backing up as Adrin moved forward. Kalya jumped forward suddenly and pressed one of the daggers into Aryanna’s hand and then just as suddenly backed off again. Aryanna smiled and brought both of her hands out, spinning the daggers around in her hands and taking a stance. Adrin took a step back in surprise.
“Don’t take another step,” she snarled.  He looked quickly around for a weapon, the mocking smile gone from his face. One of the others handed him a dagger. The smile reappeared on his face and he flipped the dagger around arrogantly.
“Remember, I said I wasn’t afraid of you? You are asking for it now, you don’t threaten me and get away with it,”  All the others took their weapons out. Aryanna’s eyes flicked about, taking in their advantage in numbers and strength. She drew her gaze back to Adrin, knowing he would make the first move.  He took a step forward and she launched herself at him. He barely brought his dagger up to block her attack. She attacked and then backed off, leaving him with a superficial cut to his arm. He looked at the tear in his shirt and thin line of blood appearing. His face flushed angrily. The others moved forward to attack her but Adrin stopped them with an outstretched arm.
“No, she and her little sister are mine,” he snarled.
Kalya gasped slightly but held her ground slightly behind Aryanna.
“Someone get me my sword,” he shouted. Aryanna’s eyes widened slightly but she didn’t say anything, just glared at him, keeping her daggers at the ready. Her daggers wouldn’t be a match for his sword. Some one came up to him, handing his naked sword, keeping the sheath. He tossed the dagger point first to the loose dirt and swung his sword in arcs, smiling coldly at Aryanna. He lunged at her, swinging his sword over hand at her head. She blocked it with both knives crossed and then with a heave threw the sword off, moving to the side, his momentum carried him forward but he had a back cut as he continued forward, causing her to quickly jump out of the way. He followed her, slicing and cutting at her. The onlookers held their breath and stayed silent. She barely managed to stay away from his deadly blade by ducking and dodging, trying to use her daggers as little as possible, knowing that if she blocked wrong his weapon would shear right through them. She kept trying to get in close where his blade could do nothing but he kept a tight defense around himself while still managing to attack her. Within a few moments of the heated fight Adrin managed to disarm Aryanna. He continued slicing at her even though she was disarmed. She dodged his blade while backing up trying to put as much distance between them as she could. But she was unable to watch behind her. She heard the warning cry from her sister too late and tripped over a large rock and landed on her back. Her breath coming heavily she tried to get up but Adrin kicked her back down.  Adrin stabbed his sword into the ground and pressed a boot to her throat. Aryanna took his foot in both hands and struggled to lift it off of her throat.
“Stop!” Kalya was shouting over and over, her voice cracking. As her struggles got weaker Adrin lifted his foot off of her but straddled her stomach, one knee on either side of her torso, and began striking her in the face. She lifted her arms, trying to block him but he just pinned her arms to the dirt. Just as he lifted his fist for another blow someone grabbed his arm.
“That’s enough Adrin! You have had your fun, let them be, they do not deserve this!” the person said crouching beside him, his voice firm. Adrin wrenched his arm from the persons grasp and looked at the young man.
“I didn’t take you for the type with a back bone, Sheridan,” he snarled. Sheridan shoved him off of Aryanna and stood. Adrin leaped to his feet angrily.
“How dare you,” he shouted. Sheridan held his ground.
“I think she has had enough, and the child certainly doesn’t need to watch as her sister is beaten,” he said firmly, stepping over Aryanna and standing between Adin and Aryanna.  
“Stand aside Sheridan,” Adin snarled.
“Look, they didn’t do anything to you, the girl barely cut you, it’s superficial and will heal in about a week! Let it go, you started the fight,” Sheridan said calmly. Adin turned around with a growl.
“Watch yourself Sheridan,” he said as he turned around. He turned back around and looked at Aryanna, who had propped her herself up and was leaning on an elbow. Kalya had run over and was talking softly to her.
“You two had also watch yourselves,” he said and stalked away from the training yard.