Warrior Angel

[Tismri]

Vanea attempted to dodge the strike aimed at her shoulder, but moved in the wrong direction. Despite the blunted edge, the sword left a small scratch on the side of her face. However, she took advantage of knowing precisely where her opponent's weapon was and struck her own blade against his chest, sending him sprawling to the ground. He was gasping, winded by the force of her blow. When he did not get up for nearly a whole minute, the judges nodded, and the announcer stood from his seat. Magic amplified his voice so that the entire audience could hear him.

"Ladies and Gentleman, the victory of this round goes to the Warrior Angel, Lady Vanea!" Cheers erupted and hundreds of flowers rained down upon the floor of the arena. Vanea took ahold of the edge of her cloak and gave a dainty bow to all sides of the crowd.

He should not have hit you, Azure commented. She could feel his vexed outrage and soothed him.

It was lucky of him, but I cannot avoid every blow ever directed my way. Besides, had he not struck me, we would still be fighting. She took her leave of the battleground and into the bloodworks below. Though the violence of the arena matches had greatly lessened since Nasuada's rule began, the name remained out of tradition, from when the victors would smear the blood of their opponents on the walls. Many of the old stains could still be seen.

"Well done, as always, Vanea," the battlemaster told her. "Keep this up, and the only fair opponents you can face are other Riders." She smiled as he tossed her a bag full of coins.

"Thanks, Don," she replied, to both her payment and his compliment. She left the arena, her bare feet hardly making a sound upon the stone floor.

Where to now? Azure asked. Vanea could still see him circling above the arena.

Home, I suppose, she responded. It was getting late, and she had affairs to handle. The responsibility of handling her estate had fallen to her at a young age, and though she'd had much help from her most trusted servants, it was still a daunting task, especially when she added her battle training, and later her Rider training, to it all. She was lost in thought, calculating wages and mentally sorting out her adept servants from the inept ones as she walked through the streets of Ilirea.

[Trinn]

The battle had been intense and exciting. This was not Helena's first time watching a match, and she was always happy when the Warrior Angel took the field. She admired Lady Vanea greatly, envied her even. More oft than not, Helena looked to the sky to watch the great dragon circling above. The creature amazed her. Dragon were the most astounding creatures in Alagaesia. Nothing could rival there beauty. Even the brown dragons were marvelous. She stood and cheered with the rest of the crowd when Lady Vanea was crowned victor of the match. Sadly that was the last fight. Helena gathered her cloak about herself and filed out into the city.

The streets were loud and boisterous after the fights. Some people laughed and boasted to each other on the bets they had placed, others cursed loudly and stalked away. Those were the ones who had clearly lost much on a round. Helena never gambled any money. She simply liked to watch the fancy weaponry and the skills of all the fighters. And always she liked to see the dragon flying above. Not eager to go home quite yet, Helena lingered near the trinket stands. Merchants loved to sell in the nearby streets. All sorts of people came in and left here and the merchants benefited greatly from it. She stopped now to admire the colorful spun glass of an glass master. One item in particular caught her eye. A jade colored dragon with outstretched wings. She tenderly picked it up and held it up to the sunlight. The little ornament did not dare rival the beauty of a real dragon, but it was as close as a man could make.

Helena set the glass dragon down and continued on. After stopping at various stands, Helena began to prepare herself to head home. Before she had gotten far, she was astonished to spot Lady Vanea not far off. Eagerly Helena made her way over to the dragon rider. She made sure to pull her cowl well around her face. She didn't want her parents finding out that she was risking the streets alone.

"Lady Vanea!" She called out when she was close. "M'lady." and she curtsied to the Warrior Angel. "I just want you to know that I admire you greatly in the arena. You are wonderful with the sword. I only wish I could use any weapon as well as you did." Something began to squirm under her cloak. A silver ferret stuck his head out and climbed up Helena's arm to lay across her neck and shoulders. Helena reached up and pet dashing on the head absent mindedly.

[Tismri]

Vanea was drawn out of her thoughts by the sound of someone calling out her name. She was surprised to see a young woman eagerly approaching to speak with her. Her face was cowled, but Vanea thought she recognized the voice. She was not unused to being approached by adoring admirers as she left the arena, but she'd known this woman from somewhere else.

"Ah, well thank you," she replied to the compliments poured upon her. "I'm afraid you do me too much honor, though. My skills are perhaps a little above average." She watched as the little silver ferret made its way around the young woman's shoulders, and with that, she recognized the girl. "Oh, hello Dashing, you lovely thing," she said, stroking the creature's chin.

You call a rat lovely? Azure commented to her from above. He was already making his way to his roost at their home.

Of course. There is beauty in all creatures. Besides, Dashing is a ferret, not a rat. She heard his huff in her mind and could easily imagine the puff of smoke that went with it. She turned her attention back to the lady.

"Dear Helena, there is but a simple way to learn how to use a weapon. Find a teacher from whom to learn the basics, and beyond that, keep practicing." She gave a sly smile to the girl she knew from meetings of the court. "But my, do your parents know that you are watching such a gruesome affair?" She considered for a moment. "Accompany me home; if your parents ask, you have been my guest today, for that would be the truth."

[Trinn]

Helena's eyes widened. Of course Dashing would give her away! The ferret accompanied her to all things, including court meetings. Her heart thumped anxiously as Vanea spoke knowingly to her, but then she was washed in relief when the noble rider gave her an out. "Gladly!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "I feared you might give me away to my parents. They would frown upon my outings, surely. I simply cannot help it." Now that her secret was out, and she had an alibi, Helena tossed off her cowl and shook her hair out. The air on her face felt nice, but she still felt nervous being this bold in the open. Making good on Vanea's request, Helena looped her arm through the other Lady's and started down the street.

"You have no idea how I long to be a great swordsman. I envy you, Vanea, truly. My parents have forbid any sort of sword training. It is not lady's work, they would say. I'm a prisoner in my own home. I'm an adult but I take orders like a child. If I had the wings of a dragon to fly away upon, I would do so and fly far away to a new freedom. New Doru Arabea sounds marvelous. You and your dragon have been there?"

[Tismri]

Vanea smiled as Helena confessed her wishes to her. She took ahold of the girl's arm as she continued toward her home. She understood the girl's desires, but also envied her. She had yet to know what it was truly like to be the lady of the house, with all the accompanying responsibilities and burdens.

"Sword training is not a lady's work?" she asked with a light laugh. "Then how they must despise me. I have been a sword maiden nearly as long as I have been the lady of my house." She considered the girl's excited questions at length. "Yes, Azure and I have visited New Doru Araeba. We trained in some length on what it means to be dragon and Rider. I could not stay long, though. I should not leave the care of my estate in the hands of my servants for an extended period." She turned a corner down a mostly empty street. Though this was a darker part of town, it was the quickest way home from the arena. "You should not be so hard upon your parents. They love you, and you never know how long you will have them." Her voice remained steady, but her expression showed a little remaining sorrow. It remained only a moment before she resumed a pleasant expression.

"I may speak with them. It is unreasonable to expect you to remain completely defenseless. Guards can only keep you so safe." As if to prove her point, she heard the sound of a blade being drawn behind them, the point being placed against her back. A small weapon, perhaps a dagger.

"I don't want no trouble," a male voice said. "Just give me your jewelry, and you can keep going." Vanea glanced at Helena for a moment before she released the girl's arm, grabbed the man's arm, and twisted until he fell to the ground, crying out in pain. She drew her sword as a precaution, though she doubted she would need it.

"You're obviously no professional thief," she commented. He stared up and seemed to recognize her armor.

"Forgive me, Warrior Angel!" he cried out, "Mercy! I have a wife, and she's great with child." Vanea gazed at him for a long moment.

"What has driven you to this?" she asked him. "You must have earned some money before turning to thievery."

"I...I was a stablehand, my lady. But my lord turned me out when his favorite horse died. Claimed it was my fault." Vanea sighed, seeing his honesty. She sheathed her sword and gave him a hand to help him up.

"Fortune must be smiling upon you today," she told him. "It happens that I have need for a new stablehand. Come to my estate tomorrow, and Garen will draw up the contract. I promise, I will treat you fairly." She took the bag of coins she had earned from the arena that day and poured him a handful. "Go on. Thievery is hardly a profitable enterprise anyway." He bowed low to her, thanking her profusely, and turned to return home. Vanea turned back to Helena with a smile.

"Now, where were we, my friend?"

[Trinn]

A cold chill trickled down Helena's spine as she turned slowly to face the thug. He was a middle aged man who had obviously been through hard times. She might have felt bad for him, if not for the fact that he might slice her throat. Her worry appeared to be in vain. Quickly Vanea leaped into action and regained control of the situation. Helena had her hands to her mouth in reaction to the suspense and fear she felt. Would Vanea slay the man on the spot? Perhaps bind his hands and turn him in to the guards? What she did instead Helena could never have predicted.

Wide eyed, Helena watched as the man walked away, unscathed and gracious. "That... that was outstanding, Vanea!" Helena exclaimed, grabbing the Warrior Angels arm. "You didn't seem afraid at all. I'm amazed. Please, Vanea. I know now that I must learn to use a sword. I know also that I want you to be my tutor! Please, tell me you will?" Anxiously she searched the noble ladies eyes for a hint of her response.

[Tismri]

Vanea was a little taken aback by Helena's enthusiasm, but was rather pleased by her praise. She smiled as she calmly continued to lead the way to her estate.

"Well, that hardly had anything to do with my sword skills," she explained. "I could tell from the way he spoke that he truly wished us no harm, and that he was nervous about his actions. However, if you so truly wish to learn, I would be honored to teach you what I know. But, in exchange..." She took a few steps to think about it before remembering something she had heard before. "I understand you are fluent in elven? Regretfully, that is one area I have not grown proficient in. As I said, Azure and I were only in New Doru Araeba long enough for some basic training. I only know a handful of words. Would you be willing to teach me this ancient language in exchange for your sword lessons?"

[Trinn]

"Yes!" Helena agreed instantly. "You have a deal, Lady Vanea. I will teach you Elven, and perhaps another language you have interest in. I speak dwarven as fluently as elven and our human tongue. And urgalian as well, though not quite as well. Their vocal chords vary slightly from ours, which makes pronunciation sometimes difficult. There are also a few wandering tribes that have interesting dialects. The tribe Nasuada's family came from, and then there's a bunch called the Ayati. Very interesting, the cultures that fill our great Alagaeisa." Realizing she was at risk of rambling on, Helena closed her mouth and instead smiled excitedly. Books and learning had been her friends for most of Helena's youth. Fortunately she was fascinated by languages, and that had occupied her lust for adventure for a little while. Languages and animals. Hawking was always a fun past time, and she had learned much of animal husbandry from her own estates stable hands and hound masters. She was still determined to learn whatever other languages could be discovered. Did the Ismalian's have their own language? She would need to find out. "Thank you, Vanea, truly. You have given me a joy I haven't felt in quite sometime."

[Tismri]

OOC: I suddenly get the feeling that Helena and Serena would get along very well. lol

Vanea chuckled as Helena excitedly spoke of all the languages she had learned, amused and a little surprised. "You are quite a cultured one, aren't you?" she asked as she opened the gate to her estate. Azure sat waiting for them in the courtyard, and he leaned toward Vanea as she entered.

You took your time getting here, he complained, though good-naturedly. She smiled, putting her hands under his chin as she rested her head on his warm snout for a moment.

I got caught up. It seems I'll have something to keep myself occupied with for quite a while.

What is this? You're actually excited about something for once? Azure hummed with contentment. Though she acted no differently, he could tell Vanea was happier than she had been in weeks, with someone near her age to talk to and something new to look forward to now.

"Helena, meet Azure. I'm sure you both are very excited to meet one another." She smiled at Helena; judging for her earlier comments, meeting a dragon was likely one of the girl's greatest dreams.

Well-met, Helena, he greeted her. He eyed the silver ferret around the girl's neck, briefly contemplating whether it would make a tasty snack, though he quit as soon as he felt Vanea's disapproving frown.

"If you would like to come inside, dear Helena, I can have some tea made for us while I write a letter for your parents." She gave her a mischievous smile. "After all, they might be curious as to why you express a sudden desire to spend a few hours every day with me."

[Trinn]

Helena approached the dragon cautiously, enraptured by it's great beauty. Though she knew the creature was intelligent, her animal instinct towards it was fear. She could not bring herself to draw to close, lest the invoke it's wrath by her disrespect. Instead she admired him at a safe distance. Dash squeaked and ducked back into the cloak. The poor little ferret was terrified, and rightly so.

This was the first time that Helena had ever been able to admire a dragon on the ground. Always she had only seen them at a distance as they flew above the city, to and from the castle to see Queen Nasuada. She wondered now how anyone could dare face a dragon in battle without feeling fear? She admired the dragon as much for his beauty as his ferocity. His scales shone and glittered like hundreds of sapphires, and his spikes and talons were pure ebony. His colors were so rich and heady that Helena felt truly dismayed. She was a child again in the presence of this great creature.

Azure? It was a handsome name, Helena thought. But thought became impossible when a sudden voice boomed inside her head. Startled, she stumbled backwards and fell hard onto her bottom. Realizing her mouth had also fallen open, Helena quickly shut it. "The pleasure is all mine, Azure. she replied, thinking to use the ancient language. She hoped somehow that would impress him. Or at least make her seem like less of a stuttering child. In her awe she did not hear Vanea call out to her to go inside. Instead her eyes remained fixed hesitantly on Azure.

[Tismri]

Vanea paused at the door and turned around, wondering what was keeping Helena, until she realized the woman was still captured by the sight of Azure.

I think she's quite taken with you, Vanea commented to him, returning to where Helena had fallen. She laughed softly so that her friend would not hear.

I am quite flattered, he said to Vanea, But she is not my type. She's not nearly outgoing or independent enough.

Well, we actually plan on changing that. Vanea reached down to help Helena back to her feet. "Come now, if you keep staring at him, you might just make him shy," she said slyly, knowing nothing could ever make Azure shy of anything. "Perhaps one day we can go for a flight together...that is, if you aren't afraid of heights."

[Trinn]

With Vanea's hand on her helping her up, Helena was finally able to tear her eyes away from Azure. She had felt nearly hypnotized by fear and admiration combined. "Thank you, Vanea. I'm sorry for acting like such a child. I've never had the pleasure of meeting a dragon before and it was, well, a little overwhelming." They were at last able to enter the estate, and Helena took one last look back at the dragon. Perhaps she could get used to his magnificence over time. Her eyes snapped back to Vanea at the mention of flying. "I'm afraid the mere thought of it frightens me nearly witless." She admitted sheepishly. "It's not that I don't trust that the dragon, that is, that Azure will take good care of me, but, I'm just a little afraid of heights." She bowed her head and looked at the ground, feeling embarrassed. Of course she had daydreamed about flying on dragon back before, but after having met a dragon and having the literal truth of it there before her eyes, she realized that flying might not be the romanticized foray she had always imagined. Her hope was that after training with Vanea for a while, she would become a little more like the Warrior Angel and grow a sense of fearlessness and courage.

[Tismri]

Vanea completely understood Helena's hesitation. "I felt just the same," she mentioned, leading the way to a drawing room. "When Azure grew large enough, he was so eager to fly with me. It took him so much coaxing before I even climbed on. That first flight was one of the most terrifying and exhilarating days of my life." She gestured for her to sit as a maid followed behind.

"Liah," Vanea said, "Be a dear and bring some tea for our guest here. And send for Garen. I have some orders to place." The maid curtsied and left the room as Vanea took a seat. "Now, to plan for your lessons. How does two hours every afternoon sound? We can spend the first on sword practice, and the second we can spend with you teaching me languages. That would give you time to reorder yourself before you return home." She gave a knowing smile. "I'm sure your parents would protest our lessons were you to show up out of breath, hair a mess, and maybe flushed and sweaty."

[Trinn]

Helena smiled at the maid pleasantly as Vanea gave the girl orders. Tea sounded quite excellent right now. It might steady her nerves after meeting Azure. To Helena's embarrassment, she noticed also that her hands were trembling slightly. Quickly she clasped her hands together and set them in her lap. She did not want the renowned Warrior Angel to see her so strongly effected. She was relieved that Vanea went straight to planning.

"That sounds quite well thought out." She agreed. "That will give me time to get myself in order as you say. I'm sure my hair will be awry, and if I don't break a sweat I will be disappointed in myself!" Helena's heart thrilled with excitement. She imagined herself fighting in the arena alongside Vanea, participating in a team duel. They would face all sorts of foes but rise victorious every time! Dashing crawled out of her tunic and settled once more on her shoulders. It seemed he was recovered from his meeting with the dragon as well. "Thank you again, Lady Vanea. I know my parents are thinking of marriage proposals as we speak, so perhaps this will hopefully persuade them to hold off on any such thing for a while longer."

[Tismri]

Vanea smiled at the girl's exuberance, glad that the girl was so excitable. She only hoped that she would be willing to see their training through to the end. Too often when things became difficult, people would simply quit. But she had high hopes for Helena.

When her friend mentioned putting off marriage arrangements, Vanea was surprised. It seemed very unlike a girl her age to shun the idea. Even Vanea herself would occasionally daydream about courting one young lord or another she met; at least until Azure hatched. Then her life became too complicated to really think much on it. But in spite of that, she still hoped to marry someday.

"I am certain they only wish to see you happy, Helena. The longer you live with them, the longer both you and they will feel like you are still a child. I have no doubt were my parents still alive, they would have arranged some sort of marriage for me by now."

She turned as she heard the door open, and her elderly butler entered, carrying a tray of tea. Vanea greeted him. "Ah, Garen, there you are. I have a few things to go over with you." He inclined his head before setting the tray down and preparing a cup just the way she liked it, with just a touch of cream and honey. "First off, I have hired a new stablehand. He should be arriving tomorrow morning. See to it that you introduce him to Pietro; should I be busy at the time, I trust you will be able to handle agreeing upon his wages. Also, I need to make an order from the carpenter. At least a pair of wooden practice swords, if you would. And lastly, I will need some stationary; I must draft a letter to Lord and Lady Toros." Garen nodded as he handed her the teacup, and she knew he'd already memorized her requests and would carry them out perfectly. It still amazed her after all these years how he could manage to keep all of her affairs in order; there were days when she struggled to even remember all her appointments for the day. She would be absolutely lost without him.

Once he was finished with his attention on his lady, Garen returned to the pot and cup on the table and turned to Helena. "And how would my lady like her tea served?" he asked her.