Chapter 14: Post Practice Wrap
Seeing Vasilya and Cirilli huddled together on the hammock Atalaya takes in Vaz’s arm draped over her shoulder and how relaxed they both look in each other’s company. Handing Cirilli her cup, she places the practice swords near the crate. She carefully gets on the hammock and scoots into position on the other side of Cirilli. Retrieving her cup of water she takes a few more sips and hands it back. Her fingers fumbling with the straps on the gambeson, she opens them and pulls the quilted jacket away from her body muttering to herself, “I must be more tired than I thought, climbing up here without taking this off.” After struggling a bit and making the hammock sway, she removes the garment and unceremoniously tosses it towards the crate that Boz had been sitting on earlier.
Sipping on the water, she lets the two katas unfold in her mind, watching as she moves from count to count. After reviewing them several times she looks up to see what the others are doing. Seeing Cirilli and Vasilya looking at her she startles. “Is everything okay?” she asks.
Vasilya waits until Atalaya settles back into the hammock and then replies, “That was going to be our question. Where did you just go, Atalaya? You didn’t answer when we talked to you.”
Atalaya shifted slightly, so that she could ruffle both Cirilli’s and his hair. “Sorry. I didn’t hear you. I was reviewing the katas Inman was helping me with. Just making sure that I remember them, and the things that I need to work on. Visualizing them helps me to make them become my normal movement patterns, not something that I have to think about as I am doing them.”
Vasilya looked at her with worry fleeting across his eyes. “You are not planning on practicing them again, are you? You have been out there all afternoon. You’ve done enough for today.”
“You are right. I’m done. I wanted to do some pell work, but… I just don’t have the strength for anything more today. Especially if I want to be able to use my arms tomorrow.” Smiling at Vasilya, “I do know my limits. I’m not going to push myself to the point of damage.”
Atalaya focuses on Cirilli, “So ‘Daughter of my Heart,’ what do you think of the kata work? Did you enjoy your lesson today?”
Boz leans back with his far hand tucked behind his head, watching the girls talk. Cirilli sat up to talk to Atalaya. Despite the look of excitement on her face, Cirilli's eyes looked tired, "It's not as bad as I thought it would be! I mean it's still hard, and I am sore." Her voice gets soft, "but it's just not what I was expecting." She perked back up, "I learned a kata and I can do it with you now! Do you really meditate while doing that? I mean how?"
“Yes, you did learn a kata today. The first one for the shortsword. And I am looking forward to you joining in on that kata when we do group katas.
“How do I meditate while doing a kata? Hmm, that is a complicated question. It seems very obvious when I am in the middle of it, but to explain it…” Atalaya tries to gather her thoughts. “Well for me, at least, I seem to use meditation during katas in two different ways. In the first I start by actively pushing away the distractions around me and reach my center and then allow that calmness to help me remember what I am supposed to be doing. That is what I use the most when learning new katas, like I was when I worked with Inman just now.
But when I am performing katas that I know well, and don’t have to think about the moves anymore, and choose to, the movement itself takes me into my center and sets my mind free so that I feel like I become one with the movement. I kind of leave the place where I am, and just exist in the dance of the kata. The longer I dance, that is, perform the kata, the deeper the state becomes.”
She stops and takes a breath. “Remember, this isn’t just happening to me. I choose to allow the process to take place. Did you see me stumble a bit as I finished the last longsword kata?”
Cirilli listens carefully, “So, it's like my grip bags I practice with?”
Atalaya thinks about how she is having Cirilli use the grips. “Yes, it’s a bit like that. But also it is like what we did this morning using your focus token and my voice.”
Cirilli thinks a bit and then asks, “So, what happened then, when you finished the kata?”
“I had been in a deep state of meditation as I started the last kata. I generally would have done two more sets of that kata. There are usually 8 basic katas for each type of weapon fighting style. I had a master in Oleascoa that would have us do all eight katas with our main hand and then reverse them back to the first kata. Then we would do the same katas but leading with our off hand. So, for the shortsword I would perform sixteen katas with the right hand, then sixteen katas with the left hand before pausing. With the longsword I would grasp it with a right hand grasp, complete the sixteen katas and then place my hand in the opposite positions to lead the movement with my left hand for the next sixteen katas.”
“Today though, I wanted to work on the katas for two shortswords so I only did half the katas I normally would have. However, my body was not ready to stop, it thought that I had more work to do and I didn’t start pulling myself back soon enough. It’s like if you are going down a set of stairs and misjudge which step is the last one. You think that you are at the bottom, but really you have one more step to take. You stumble a bit as your foot searches for the floor. It was like that. My body thought it should still keep doing even though I was telling it to stop.”
Seeing the confusion on Cirilli’s face Atalaya thought again, trying to rephrase what she was saying. “When you were meditating with me earlier this morning, do you remember me telling you that when you wanted to come out of the meditation to just feel along the lacing at the edge of the token?” When she saw Cirilli nod, she continued, “I had you do that so that you could slowly bring your awareness back to the room, right.?” Cirilli nodded again. “And it took you a while to come back into the room and to be aware of me, right?” Cirilli nodded again. “Well, you could say that I misjudged how long it was going to take me to come back to the ship. And then I needed to make a quick jump back.”
As Atalaya spoke and explained, Cirilli leaned back against Boz, her eyes tired. She tried her best to understand. It sounds like even Atalaya can't come out when she wants to. But she says it's in my control. Cirilli looks a little conflicted.
Boz looks at Atalaya and mouths the words, “she's tired.” “How about we clean up and relax properly before whatever and whenever dinner is?” he asks.
Atalaya nods. “I’m too tired to try to explain anyway. I’m not making much sense and Cirilli is tired out too. It was a long day for her. I see the others getting ready to take the training equipment apart and downstairs. Let’s move Cirilli to a crate and take down the hammock and put it away. Then, I at least need to clean up. My skin is starting to itch with all the salt from sweating all afternoon. I wonder if Inman can do his magical thing again and clean the gambesons?”
“Let’s hope so, or yours will surely stink up the cabin,” Boz teases, holding his nose as he waves imaginary fumes away from his face.
Atalaya rolls her eyes and playfully swats at his hand. “We could always leave the port hole open,” she teased back. “Get down, and then I’ll pass Cirilli down to you.” Boz nods and quickly clambers out of the hammock and reaches up to receive Cirilli.
Cirilli stirs a bit as Boz starts to move. “It’s okay, I can get myself down,” she sleepily announces as she struggles to move into an upright sitting position and then wiggle to the edge of the hammock.
Atalaya steadied her a bit as she prepared to climb down. Boz reached for her waist to help her ease herself onto the ship’s deck. She wobbled a bit as she first stood up and then smiled at both Boz and Atalaya. “I’m fine.” At the looks of disbelief she added, “Really I’m just tired. I think I am going to go to my cabin and rest for a bit.” With that, she picks up her gambeson and throws it over her shoulder and gathers her shortsword and her practice sword and slowly makes her way to the stairs.
Atalaya watched Cirilli head off and when she started down the stairs sighed. “Poor baby. She looks exhausted.” Handing Vaz her cup, Atalaya swings herself off the hammock, landing lightly on her feet. Taking back the empty cup, she places it with her swords. Together she and Vasilya unfastened the hammock, rolled it up and put it away in the crate. A quick look at the practice area showed that it had been broken down and cleared away also. “Let’s head down to our cabin. Everything is done up here,” Atalaya said as she reached for her gambeson and swords. “Ugh. This really does stink,” she added as she adjusted the gambeson over her shoulder. Vasilya picked up his own gear and followed her belowdecks.
Chapter 15: Inman and Nevil
Inman turns to Nevil, "Shall we go clean-up?" Nevil sighs, hair sticking to her face, "Absolutely, I am spent." And sweaty and gross.
Sorrow grins with a job well done and makes his way to help pick-up. He unlashes a pell and carries it over one shoulder down below to the spare crew quarter that has become the "equipment closet".
Inman unlashes the second pell and carries it downstairs. Nevil lowers the hanging point target and follows behind Inman and Sorrow with the training sleeve and several swords.
Passing through the galley Inman enters the cabin he shares with Nevil. Placing his hands on the sides of the wash basin pitcher, he warms the water and pours a bowl. Nevil enters and closes the door behind herself with a tired sigh. Quiet time. Almost reading Nevil's mind, Inman smiles to himself as he begins to unfasten his leather armor watching Nevil remove her gambeson. "We did a lot this afternoon," he starts.
Nevil nods with a smirk and a heavy look, "It was a really good training day wasn't it." I like this new gambeson. She eyes the gambeson and drapes it, heavy with sweat, over a chair and walks to the end of the bed. Sorting through the chest, she pulls out fresh clothes and lays them on the bed. "I don't know how Atalaya did so much. She was endless," Nevil adds.
Inman waves his hand over his armor, then Nevil’s gambeson, removing the sweat and dirt. "You noticed too?" He asks.
Nevil pulls off her boots and nods in agreement, "I am convinced that something divine works in her. She just doesn't see it yet." Then, stepping near the wash basin, she unties and removes her tunic and undershirt. The air feels wonderful on her damp skin, almost chilly after the heat of the day.
Inman was pulling his garments over his head as Nevil shared her suspicions. He sits to remove his boots and looks up to notice Nevil's bare and defined back. His eyes hold split attention as he continues, "You should be proud with how well you did with Cirilli today. It was beautiful to watch."
Nevil wets a cloth in the warm water, rings it out, and begins to bathe. The warmth feels good on her chilled skin. "She's an easy student in many ways. I don't think it even occurs to her to not do as she is told."
Inman walks to the chest and pulls out fresh clothes as well. "Just the right age I guess," he offers inspecting a new tunic.
Nevil breathes deep as she washes her face, "No it's more. She opened up about the harshness of her life in Parabor." Turning around to look at Inman's reaction, "she was concerned you would hit Atalaya when teaching her today. The conversation went from there."
Inman pauses while stepping out of his breaches. He looks up with great concern. Nevil continues, "yeah, on top of the whole cult thing, her parents were shits, and it seems a good bit of the adults in her life, too."
Inman walks behind Nevil and reaches around her with a second cloth. Wetting it, squeezing it with his fist. Nevil notes the veins on his hands, still swollen from work. "Lots of firsts today then, he said."
Nevil hoping to lighten the mood, "Yes, speaking of which, do I need to congratulate you on accepting Atalaya as a pupil?" She teases with her back turned.
Inman laughs, "I could ask the same of Sorrow," he retorts.
Nevil considers as she rinses the cloth. That's fair. I deserve that. "Still jealous?" She asks.
Inman with a serious but soft voice, "Not one bit, because he doesn't get moments like these with you." They both smile. In silence Inman begins to wash Nevil's back. The warm cloth over her shoulders and spine, the coolness of his breath on her wet skin as he draws near to rinse the cloth again and again. Imagining what Inman looked like behind her, Nevil's mind wandered to earlier, then her heart ached, remembering what she realized watching Inman’s forms. My love and equal. No one else has been both. Even Nathan... Nevil leans on the cabinet, weak with emotion, a few tears fall from her eyes.
Inman pauses, noticing her brace on the cabinet. He is unsure if he has hurt Nevil, "Maggie, are you alright?" Nevil is frozen, not sure if she is ready to speak her truth, embarrassed from her emotion.
But Inman guides her to turn to him. Ignoring her bareness, he sees only her softness and wet eyes. Brushing her face with his thumb, "Maggie why? How bad was what Cirilli said?"
Nevil wiped a tear with a half chuckle, "It's not Cirilli. It's me." Seeing Inman searching her eyes in confusion. "It’s been a long time since I've seen your full katas. They are beautiful... I love you."
Inman smiles, "I feel the same way when I see you practice. It's hot as hell. But that's not what you mean, is it."
Nevil laughs with sniffles, "well that's true. It does set light desire." Then Nevil chokes on words, "but you're my love AND my equal. No one else has been both."
Inman’s eyes well, "Nathan?" Nevil shook her head, "A good man, but not my equal." Nevil's heart aches beyond reason with her admission, "Inman, I have loved others, but not like this. This is different."
Inman gently pulls Nevil's forehead to his as he whispers, "Maggie, I know. That's why I waited."
Shirtless and bare to each other, they stood. Then Inman draws her to him, feeling her words run through him, and he kisses Maggie as if no other desires exist. Moments later, between breaths, he looks to the bed, "Do you…"
Nevil considers, "the others... dinner… the galley."
Inman smiles softly, "I don't care. This moment is ours.”
Chapter 16: Vasilya and Atalaya
As Atalaya and Vasilya exit the stairs, Vasilya takes the gambeson from Atalaya, “Give me your practice swords too. I’ll just take these to the room we have been storing the practice items in. No need to have them in our cabin. He makes his way into the common area as Atalaya turns towards their cabin.
Walking into the room Atalaya shoos the cats out and closes the door. Placing her swords into the bag of holding, she sits on the edge of the bed to kick off her boots. Peeling off the tunic she drops it to the floor as she stands to push off her leggings. Looking at them on the floor, she can’t quite decide what to do with them. Walking around them she picks up her pack and calls for a clean set of traveling clothes and small clothes. The soft forest green tunic calms her jangled nerves; nerves that she hadn’t realized were bothering her. Fingering the ash leaf border that her mother had embroidered along the hemline and neckline flashes of her mother making clothing for her family crossed through her awareness. Placing the clothing on the bed she looks around and finds the metal wash basin. She puts this on the desk and reaches for the water pitcher and finds it empty. Muttered curse words fall from her lips in an interesting mix of Elvish and Gurrish with an occasional word in Abyssal thrown in. A long resigned sigh slips out as she regards the clothing she had stripped off. As she reaches for the tunic the door to the room opens.
Looking up, she sees Vasilya enter the room, carrying a tray with a large pitcher, some clean small clothes for bathing and two cups of herbal tea. Using his foot, Vasilya closes the door securely. His eyes light up as he sees Atalaya startle with his entrance. He quickly crosses the room and places the tray on the desk and turns back to Atalaya. His eyes track down and back up her half dressed body. Stepping closer, his index finger traces the blush covering her cheeks, “You can’t still be blushing in my presence, can you?” His finger lifts her face towards him as he gives her a gentle kiss. Stepping back, he hands her one of the cups of tea. “Here, drink this and relax some. You worked yourself hard today. And without any breaks.”
Accepting the tea, Atalaya enjoyed the first sip. Her eyes widened. “You put an awful lot of sugar in here, even for me.”
“You need it. You didn’t take any significant breaks and while I saw you eat a couple of those pieces of fruit during the afternoon, it wasn’t much. So drink that. All of it. I should have taken the time to find some more fruit, but I wanted to get the water back to you.” He takes his hand and guides the cup in her hands to her mouth for another sip. After she has drunk about half the cup of tea he allows her to return it to the tray. “Come on, let’s clean you up.”
Pouring the warm water in the bowl that Atalaya had already found, he looks around. “Do you have clean clothes?” Then he sees the pile on the bed and smiles. “Okay, you do.” Opening the chest, he pulls out several towels. “Come here,” he says as he holds out his hand. “You need to finish disrobing so that I can wash your back.”
If anything, Atalaya’s skin flushes to a deeper shade. An amused smile crosses Vasilya’s face as his fingers trace along her neck and shoulder. Turning her away from him, he waits for her to remove the chest bindings. Once she does, he silently wraps a towel around her waist. His eye crackle with amusement which she cannot see as he asks, “Do you need help removing the rest? I’m available.”
Atalaya bats his hands away, “I’m fully able to take care of that by myself.” She tosses her last two pieces of clothing at the pile of dirty clothing. She reaches for a washcloth which she wets and then wrings out.
“Thank you,” Vasilya says as he plucks it out of her hand and starts washing her back. “You need to finish your tea now.”
As he moves the cloth over her back, Atalaya’s resistance to help evaporates and she reaches for the tea, savoring the sweetness as she allows Vasilya to clean her back. When she replaces the cup, Vasilya smiles to himself. “Good. The other cup is for you too.” When Atalaya makes no move to pick it up he adds, “You should pick it up and drink it.”
Atalaya shakes her head. “Not yet. I will a little later.” As she feels Vasilya move to rinse off her legs she stops him. “I can reach the rest of me.”
Vasilya mutters under his breath in Gurrish. Atalaya understands most of what he is saying; something about “difficult women” and the “need for patience.” He reaches for the tray, takes the second cup of tea and places it in her hands. “Drink. You didn’t drink enough for all the work you did in the heat today.” He returns the cloth to the water, rinses it out and continues his self appointed task.
When he finishes he wraps Atalaya up in another towel and carries her to the bed. “Wait here.” He opens the port window, allowing the breeze into the room. Returning with the basin he carefully hands it to Atalaya, climbs onto the bed, tosses the used water out the window and sets the bowl down. “Do you want the window opened or closed?" he asks Atalaya.
At her request, he leaves the window open. Refilling the basin and quickly cleaning himself, he pulls on some clean clothing. His dirty clothes join the pile of dirty things and he searches through the chest to find Atalaya’s jar of lotion that she has been using for massages.
Returning to Atalaya he shows her the jar of lotion. “Let me do this for you. You are going to need it. Please lie down.”
“You’re right. I will. … I do need it, Especially my shoulders and upper arms. If you are offering, I am accepting.” She lies down, removing the one towel he bundled her in, but leaving the one around her hips in place.
Vasilya, a little surprised at her easy capitulation, takes advantage of it and immediately sits beside her and starts the massage.
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