Far Longer Than Forever

S1 Part 9

Past

As Grim and Derek are at the training grounds at the break of dawn, Derek still couldn't believe when he saw Grim hitting the target every time. "I still don't get how you're so good at that. Have you ever missed your target?" Derek asked with amazement.

"No."

When Grim took note of Derek shaking his head, he smirked and continued on with his archery practice. He soon stopped though when the guards around him were looking past him, so both Grim and Derek turned to see Odette making her way through the training grounds. Her long, flowing, brown hair was tied behind her back. Instead of a dress, she wore dark trousers, black leather boots, a leather vest, and a white blouse with a sword at her hip.

She had a pleasant smile on her face as she made her way over to Grim and Derek with her guard stationed a few feet away from her. Derek gave Grim a warning look as he nudged his shoulder to see the other guards staring at them as Odette approached them. It wasn't as if Grim and Derek didn't like her; they just didn't like all of the attention they were receiving, especially Grim, as he knew about the rumors circulating throughout the castle.

"Why are you here, Nora?" Derek asked, but he soon regretted what he said from the way it came out as she rose a quizzical brow. "I'm sorry. I mean...don't you want to get some sleep. You don't want to be here so early in the morning with us."

She then smiled at him as she told him, "I'm fine. I've had plenty of restless nights before. This isn't any different."

"Still," Grim began with a stern tone. "This is no place for you here."

"And why is that?"

She seemed almost insulted by the question, which aggravated Grim even more as he believed that her stubbornness and her willfulness was going to get her killed one of these days. He wished that she was a lot more mindful of her actions, because he already believed that Rothbart didn't have any good intentions with her. Grim certainly wouldn't want to see her situation grow worse. It was better for her to keep her head down and not draw much attention to herself just like what Grim was trying to do with Regina.

"Because you could get hurt."

It was a lame excuse since he knew Odette was already careless enough as it was, and even Odette was unfazed by it as she gestured to the sword at her hip. "You don't have to worry. I won't get hurt so easily."

"Just because you have a sword, doesn't mean you know how to wield it," Grim pointed out.

She nodded her head then and agreed with him. "You're right, but who says I don't know how?"

Grim wanted to convince her to go back, but it was already too late as Sinbad made his way through the soldiers and noted each one that was present, but his smirk grew when he saw Odette as he stopped walking and stared her down to which she did the same by giving him a cold stare. "Lady Nora, shouldn't you be practicing your embroidery instead of coming here? Would be a shame if you broke one of your delicate bones."

She smirked then, taking in his challenge. "Oh, I can handle myself just fine with a sword."

"Hmm, let's see how good you are then," Sinbad said as he drew his sword, while the men gathered around to watch the fight.

Odette was ready to draw her sword, but Derek was the one who warned her. "Sinbad has only ever been beaten by one man. He's practically untouchable. You don't want to fight him."