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Emil sits at the base of an old willow tree, the branches and leaves drape around him to create a curtain, shielding him from the outside world. In front of him, the leaves dip into the pond and the water tugs at them gently. A temporary sanctuary while he studies old texts from rotting mages as his brother and his friends discuss important magic business he is apparently ‘too young’ to worry himself with. He scoffs and scribbles in his notes.
He’s so caught up in his own thoughts that he doesn’t notice the alarm cry of a small bird and the fluttering of wings before a row of branches are peeled back and the sun’s light trickles into the tree’s shade. Emil lifts his head and stares wide-eyed at a pretty girl he recognizes as Professor Arthur Kirkland’s newest apprentice, Michelle.
“Sorry! I didn’t realize someone was here.”
He opens his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by her.
“Oh, you’re Mister Bondevik’s pupil, yes?”
He closes his mouth and raises his knee to rest his chin on. “Yes. That’s me.”
Michelle kicks the dirt at her feet then slips past the willow branches to make her way towards him.
“I’m Michelle, Mister Arthur’s apprentice.” She holds out her hand for Emil. He grips her hand and gives it a brief shake. “Emil Steilsson.”
He lets his hand drop to his side. “I’ve heard about you from Lukas. He says you are more skilled in sword-fighting than you are in magic, is that true?” His eyes lower to the hilt of a sword resting on her belt.
Michelle laughs. “Yes, that is true! I was originally studying as a knight before I stumbled into the world of magic.” She leans against the willow, eyes still on Emil. He gazes back at her.
“I have friends who teach me sword-fighting.” He looks down at her sword again and gestures towards it. “Can I see it?”
Michelle shifts and looks down at it. “Oh, sure!”
She unsheathes her sword, and the thin metal of the blade catches the sunlight filtering through the branches. She gently holds the sword in her palms and tilts it towards Emil to see.
Emil stands to get a closer look. Her sword is fancy compared to the ones he’s seen that weren’t used for ceremonies. It has a long thin, sturdy blade with a protective hilt that curves around the handle.
“It was a parting gift from my old mentor.”
He nods, taking in the decorative qualities of the hilt.
“Do you want to duel?”
He takes his eyes off the sword and looks up at Michelle. “What?”
“You said you know how to sword-fight and well… I’ll be honest. There’s no one around here willing to duel with me. That or Arthur is working me to death.” She steps closer to Emil, eyes big and sparkling. “Will you duel with me? Please! If I don’t duel with someone I think I’ll die!” She pauses and then grumbles, “If Arthur’s lessons don’t do it first.”
He blinks. Taken aback by her sudden complaining. “Oh.” He’s really supposed to be studying right now. He looks down at his discarded texts and notes. He would rather bite off his fingers than continue reading the dense old text.
“I’ll duel with you.”
Michelle squeals and jumps around. He worries that the blade still in her hands will cut her or worse, fly out of her grasp and stick itself in someone. She stops her celebration just to put her sword back in its sheathe and she swiftly grasps Emil’s hands and pulls him close to her.
“Thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Emil’s cheeks burn. “You’re welcome,” he stumbles over his words as he looks away from her.
She giggles and lets go of his hands. “Follow me. I’ll lend you one of my swords.”
Emil follows Michelle through the various halls of Professor Arthur’s manor. He’s been inside a few times. The portraits and objects from places he’s never been decorating the walls always impressed him.
Emil slows down when he hears talking from the closed doors they're about to walk past. He can recognize the muffled jabbering of Professor Arthur through the door and he slows to a stop. Michelle notices and looks over at him.
“That’s Mister Arthur’s conference room where he has important meetings.”
Emil notices her eyeing him.
“I just want to listen in.” He notices Michelle look down the hall. “I’ll be quick, I promise.”
Michelle sighs and joins Emil in pressing her ear against the wooden double doors. Emil couldn’t make out what was being said, only vague droning and the occasional cacophony of multiple people talking at once.
“Can you make out anything?” He asks.
Michelle shakes her head. “Nothing.” She looks at the handles and then at Emil again. She brings her fingers to her lips and grips the handle. She turns the handle slowly and pushes the door open just a crack. The crack is too small for either of them to make out much, except for silhouettes, but they can hear a lot better now.
“-should not be dampened by whatever the Crown thinks is moral!”
A noise of hesitation is made.
“You have something on your mind? Speak.”
“I understand your concerns, I really do, but let’s think about this from the Crown’s perspective-”
“I’m going to throttle you.”
The room quickly erupts into shouting and scuffling. Emil can’t make out what’s being said anymore beyond petty insults. He grumbles and tries to focus on anything worthwhile.
His ears lock on the sound of footsteps growing closer to the door. He and Michelle quickly pull their heads away and scramble to the wall.
“Hm. No one closed the door…” The person says before the door is snapped shut.
Emil lets out the breath he was holding in and leans against the wall.
“Hey,” Michelle whispers to him, “let’s go.”
Michelle takes her stance, one foot in front of the other and sword out and tilted downwards. Emil takes his own stance, gripping the short sword in his hand.
Michelle steps forward. Emil steps back. They circle each other, trying to find a weakness in the other’s defence. Then, Emil swings his sword down. Their blades clash, and the tip of Michelle’s blade licks his shoulder in a swift movement.
With a pained hiss, he pulls away and reaches for his shoulder. “Ow…”
“It’s not deep is it?”
Emil takes his hand off the wound and looks down at it. There was only the smallest smudge of blood. He shakes off the pain, it’ll be easy to heal later.
“No, just surprised me is all.”
Michelle smiles and the two go back to their sparing. With each swipe, her blade nicks and slices his skin, even when he blocks her attack, a new wound appears.
Unable to land as many hits, Emil huffs in frustration and his anger gets the best of him as his strokes become more swift and heavy-handed.
“Hey!” Michelle’s leg buckles as she blocks one of his attacks. “Maybe we should take a break!”
Emil clenches his jaw and steps away from Michelle. “Yeah. Sure. Ok.” He shifts his body away from Michelle and turns his attention to fretting over his cuts.
Michelle rubs her arm and walks towards Emil. “Sorry, I should’ve gone easier on you.”
Emil glances at her.
“Using an enchanted weapon isn’t fair.”
Michelle rubs her arm again and looks away. “Ohh yeahh.” She laughs. “I forgot about that little detail.”
Emil rolls his eyes and turns towards her. “Next time, I get an enchanted sword too.”
Michelle lights up. “Next time? You mean you want to duel with me again?”
“Sure, I mean-”
“Hurray!”
Michelle squeals and jumps up and down around him.
“Wh- Hey, calm down.”
Her burst of excitement catches him off guard. He reaches towards her and tries saying something else when he’s interrupted.
“There you are.”
Michelle halts and the two of them look to over to see Professor Arthur walking towards them.
“Emil, Lukas is waiting for you in the front.”
Arthur gestures to the manor as he stares at Emil. “You’re free to clean yourself up before you leave.”
“Thank you.” Emil looks to the manor and then to Arthur. “Is the council over?”
Arthur’s lips twitch and he pinches the bridge of his nose. “No. It will probably be a week before anything worth comes out of these discussions.”
Emil nods slowly. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then, Michelle. I’d be happy to spare again.” He looks over to Michelle as a wide grin grows on her face.
“I would love that!”