Quest of the Bounty Hunter: Kidnapped

Klieria

Klieria made sure to wake before dawn to write a letter of what she had learned for the bounty hunter.

With her quill, she quickly wrote out the following in code:

Princess is buying dragons for her father. Don't know why. I'll look more tonight.

Klieria took one of the homing pigeons out of the cage the bounty hunter had given her. These would, as Klieria was told, fly back to where they were raised, an old hidden tavern as the bounty hunter had told her.

She tied the letter to its foot and then released it out the window. Watching it fly towards the rising sun suddenly made Klieria wish to be more free. To practice sparring everyday. To travel where she wanted to.

Disbanding these thoughts, Klieria turned from the windowsill and dressed, leaving the knife in its pocket in her boot. Today she would try to find out more about King Ewill.

After fixing Princess Marie's hair and bringing her her breakfast, Klieria asked what Princess Marie wished to wear that day.

"Actually, Ria, I have to ask you something." Marie said twisting her hands.

"Yes, my lady?" Klieria asked politely.

"Do you know anything about swordplay?"

Klieria froze. Did the princess find out about her hobby? Was it just a question? Should she tell the princess that she practices as much as she can and secretly loves to fight? Would that draw suspicion and alert the princess to her real motives inside the castle? Alert her that Klieria was a spy?

"I know a little, Your Highness." Klieria said.

"That's good enough." Marie said with a smile. "But I wish to practice in secret."

"Why is that, if you don't mind me asking, Your Highness." Klieria said.

"I don't mind you asking, but I can't give you an answer, Ria." Marie said with a look of guilt on her face.

What is she hiding? Klieria wondered. "Sorry, my lady."

"Don't be sorry. Can you find me some trousers and a shirt? I don't want to be fighting in a dress." Marie asked with a small laugh.

"Of course." Klieria answered. "I think I have an extra pair."

Hurrying to get the outfit and her sword, Klieria wondered why Princess Marie had such a sudden interest in swordplay. Normally women didn't practice such sports, not to mention the princess.

As she re-entered the princess's chambers, she asked, "Do you have a sword, Your Highness?"

Marie jumped up from her desk with an expression on her face that was full of guilt and aroused suspicion. "Yes, I do."

Klieria paused and looked at Marie. She was definitely up to something.

"Here then, my lady." Klieria said handing her the trousers and shirt.

"Thank you, Ria. Where shall we practice?"

Klieria thought for a moment before responding. "The old art gallery. No one's been in there for years, Your Highness."

"Good thinking. And Ria, please, don't call me Your Highness or my lady. Just call me Marie."

"Of course, my la- Marie." Klieria said. The name sounded weird on her tongue. "Meet me in the gallery."

Several minutes later, Marie and Klieria were standing in the middle of the gallery, both of them sweating before they had even begun there fight.

It had taken all of their efforts to slide the extremely heavy stone statues that had decorated the room to the sides by the walls. That left a wide open space for them to spar.

"The first stance in a fight is your dominant foot forward and your non-dominant behind it in a semi-lunge. This puts your side toward the opponent and therefore less of a target for them to hit." Klieria explains as she steps into the first stance and gestures for Marie to follow. "From here, generally, you would wait for your opponent to make the first move, but if they are experienced as well, they would be waiting for you to make the first move."

"What would you do if no one made a move?" Marie asked questioningly.

"Eventually, someone will make a move. If it has to be you, start with a thrust toward their dominant leg. If they swipe at you, parry it across your body like this." Klieria says. As an example, she thrusts her sword towards Marie's leg stopping a few inches short. Marie jumps back a little in surprise. "I thought you were actually going to stab me." She laughs a little, but steps back into position to watch Klieria block an imaginary sword.

"Now, you can also feign an attack to one side then swing your sword under theirs and bring it up to attack their unguarded side, arm or leg on the other side." Klieria shows what this would entail. Marie follows suit with the same move; now she is more sure of her skills and swipes more deftly.

"Good. Keep attacking like this until you can find a weak spot in their defense such as with you, because you are right handed you have trouble defending your right leg. If I were attacking you for real, I would feign for the left shoulder so you would bring up your sword to block it leaving your right leg completely vulnerable, then I would swing it around and cut your leg clean off."

Marie cringed at this swipe before standing up straight and looking Klieria in the eye. "Where did you learn about swordplay?"

Klieria hesitated before answering truthfully. "I watch the soldiers practice in the courtyard outside my window every time that I can. Then I teach myself the moves they are learning inside my room."

Marie looks at Klieria for a second before speaking again. "Interesting. I never took you to be a fighting type."
"I never took you to be a fighting type either, if you don't mind me saying, princess."

Marie's eyes grew distant and the next words she said almost seemed as if she was speaking to herself. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."