A Time of Blood (Of Blood and Bone #2) - John Gwynne Page 0,84
her that it was because she had not killed Sorch.
“You showed mercy,” Aphra had said.
“Think,” Kol was saying. “You have a new weapon now, you must learn to use it.”
He was talking about Riv’s wings. That was what this whole training session was about, helping Riv to adjust to her wings, and to learn how to use them in combat. She thought she had, but sparring against Kol made her realize how much more there was to learn.
“There are strengths and weaknesses to having wings,” Kol continued, pacing around Riv. “The main weakness is that we are a bigger target; there is more of us to hit, and therefore injure. Also, our wings are vulnerable, they cannot be armoured or protected, so you must always be mindful of that. And for you, you must remember that you will not fit through spaces as you used to, that your wings are wider and taller than you, and you are wide enough already.”
Riv was already learning that, had discovered that sitting in chairs was difficult, and that some doorways were not wide enough for her, though fortunately Drassil had been built by giants for giants, so that was rare.
“The great strengths of wings in combat is speed and directional change,” Kol continued.
I think you just demonstrated that, Riv thought glumly.
“I can see you are judging my capabilities by your own ability, your own concept of speed and movement, and that of humankind,” Kol said. “You stabbed where you expected me to be. You must make allowances for that, and in time it will become automatic. You know most combat is too fast for thought, it is set reactions, drilled into us. So, you must drill hard, because the Kadoshim are as fast as us Ben-Elim, and you are going to be fighting Kadoshim.”
“Best way to learn is to do,” Riv growled, and attacked Kol, pulsing her wings to speed her cut at Kol’s chest, a diagonal sweep that caught his hip as he swayed right. Riv grinned and followed with a stab and slash at his belly and thigh, Kol stumbling backwards, but just when Riv thought she had him, Kol was gone, the grass swirling from the beating of his wings and his feet disappearing over Riv’s head. She stabbed up and missed, glimpsed Kol looping over her, alighting behind her.
With a snarl, Riv leaped into the air, her wings powering her up, out of Kol’s range, twisting to turn and face him, slashing down at his head. Kol blocked the blow and then he was in the air, too, both of them spiralling higher, swirling around each other, the crack of their practice swords a rapid discordant beat.
Riv swept in close, stabbed at Kol’s chest. His wings folded in tight and he just seemed to drop from the sky, her blade stabbing fresh air, then his wings were extending and he was cutting at her legs, striking her ankle and calf, rising up behind her to stab her in the back.
Riv resisted the urge to leap at him, cling onto him and batter him with her fists. Instead she took a shuddering breath and flew a few wingbeats out of range, calming herself, thinking about the technical lessons being taught here.
It’s about fluid motion, about speed, and using that speed to attack the flanks, striking from unexpected angles. The unseen blow is what ends the fight.
She gritted her teeth for another attack.
“Enough,” Kol said, raising a hand. He was hovering in the air, wings beating lazily as he looked down at the weapons-field. Riv followed his gaze and saw that Erdene had ridden into the field with a large entourage behind her, making for the archery range. She saw Bleda riding at Erdene’s side. He was staring up at her, and for a moment Riv remembered how she had smiled at him when he had arrived at the meeting with Erdene. She had felt like a fool, and something else, as if some bright, fragile thing within her had withered when she got no response from him.
But he spoke out for me, when Erdene said I am an abomination.
She rolled her shoulders to ease the ache from hovering in the sky as emotions broiled in her gut.
“I must talk with Erdene,” Kol said. “Do not stray far, I must have you at my side in the Ben-Elim Moot.”
“Huh,” Riv grunted at Kol’s back as he tucked his wings in and dived down towards Erdene.