Wild Warriors: A Shadowhunters Fanfic

2. This Guilty Blood

The next day came with sunshine and a small glimmer of hope. Thanks to Isabelle's console the night before, I was feeling much better about the situation with Jace and Aldertree. As much as I hated to admit it, Aldertree did know what he was doing.

A few hours before noon, I took Clary down to one of the larger training rooms with me. She had never been in this part of the Institute and I wanted to show her- and train with her.
She followed a few steps behind me, still a little confused.

"You seriously want to train right now Cara? We have to get to Jace before Aldertree does!"
I turned around to face the small redhead. Then I grabbed a wooden staff off a rack of weapons and threw it to her. She caught in with both hands and looked up at me as if she was asking what to do next.
"Training is important," I told her. "So listen to what I'm going to tell you. And learn."
Clary nodded as I picked up my own staff off the weapons rack. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Aldertree and a few of his men leaning over a table that was holding a map. I turned away before he could catch me looking.

I glanced at Clary and assessed her stance.
"Your legs are too close together...that's better. Your base needs to be balanced, but not so that you can't move quickly."
As I said the last sentence, I took three quick steps towards Clary and struck her staff with my own; first high, then low, then high again. I moved so fast that she barely had time to register what I was doing, much less where I was going to strike. My second blow knocked her off balance and the third one put her on her butt.
She glared somewhat playfully at me and took my extended hand that pulled her back to her feet.

"You need to be ready for anything. Don't watch my weapon, watch me. You can learn to read your opponent and tell what their next move is."
"How? I've only had a few months of practice," Clary said. I smiled at her.
"Don't worry, you're a quick learner. Just follow me."

For the next half hour the two of us sparred; Clary picking up as many things as she could, and me teaching her as much as I knew. I had been right when I said she was a quick learner. By the end of thirty minutes, she was getting the hang of reading someone's movements.
I was vaguely aware of Aldertree watching the two of us as we sparred. I didn't do anything to keep us out of his sight but I also didn't make it seem like we were trying to prove something to him.

In the middle of one of me and Clary's rounds, Izzy joined us. Her long hair was pulled back into two braids and she was wearing tight pants and a black tank top. She watched as Clary and I sparred for a few minutes and smiled gracefully when I was able to knock Clary on her butt again.
Clary stood up with my help and pulled a face when she saw Isabelle smiling.
"You do it, then," Clary offered. "It's not as easy as it looks."
"I know." Isabelle refused Clary's wooden staff and instead unwrapped her silver whip from around her wrist.

Clary stepped back and Isabelle took her place in front of me.
"Be careful; you have eyes on you," Isabelle referred to Aldertree, who was behind me. I hummed in response.
No less than three seconds went by before I took half a step forwards to lash out with my staff. Isabelle deflected my blow and ducked the roundhouse kick I sent her way. She used the flat palm of her left hand to push my leg up, attempting to unbalance me in the middle of my roundhouse. I lost my balance for a split second before jerking myself up and taking a few steps back.

Izzy's whip flashed as she sent it a little too close to my arm for comfort. I dodged it just in time and flicked it back towards Izzy with my staff.
We circled each other and tried not to smile. I attacked first again, aiming for her knees with one end of my staff and for her shoulder with the other end. Izzy let out a soft noise when my staff hit her shoulder but she managed to avoid getting her legs knocked it from under her.
She stepped back and spun into me, her left arm blocking my next attack and sending me backwards. I ducked under her wheel kick and turned my back to her for half a second to right myself.