Page 6 of Her Ivory Flame

Silas had recovered it when he got her out, but she had never put it back on in the last century. Survivors' guilt was heavy on her heart most of the time, the entirety of her people slaughtered and she was the only one left. Her friends, her family, everyone she grew up with were now dead and the thought of putting on her armor was too much to bear.

Her sword however was the last relic of her people, the Sword of Ljós (light), gifted by their fallen god many millennia ago. It was the royal sword of the Valkyrie people in which her mother had gifted her right before the battle and could only be wielded by someone of her bloodline.

Her fingers shook as she reached for it, her palm finally wrapping around it and the hilt vibrating in her grasp in acknowledgment. She could feel a small flicker of her power surface and then disappeared.

Maybe she could get her power back, but at what cost?

Pulling it from its sheath, she gazed at the weapon she had long since hidden. The black metal that forged the blade glistened in the moonlight coming through the window, showing the carved ruins of her people down the center of it. The sapphire jewel on the silver hilt pulsed a low light and she knew the blade was speaking to her, giving her the answer she had been struggling to find in herself all night long.

Slipping her leather boots on she snuck out the door and walked into the boarding line of trees to her old training circle. She had built it when she first settled here, but found it hard to use back then with her mind so broken from torture.

She only had on her cotton shirt and pants but the night air was warm enough. She didn’t mind it.

Sword in hand with the hilt still pulsing, she let her first strike land on the wood post next to her. Something snapped back intoplace, the movement flowing through her body and she could feel the tingle in her bones. The blow landed right where she wanted, the sword chipping a small piece of wood onto the ground at her feet. She pulled back and wielded another blow from another angle with the blade landing again on target.

“Would you like a real challenge?”

Alyra spun around to see Silas leaning against a tree with his own sword in hand.

Thanking the darkness of the forest, she could feel color rush to her cheeks as her eyes surveyed his shirtless body. His ab muscles shadowed perfectly under the small amount of moonlight in through the canopy of trees and his leather pants fell low along his hips. She had seen him shirtless before, but he had definitely been working on his muscles over the last year.

“I thought you were asleep?” she breathed and forced her eyes to look up at his. A smirk crept on his face and she knew he could sense her faint arousal.

“I’m a light sleeper. I heard you leave and got curious.” He moved from the tree and walked towards her. It took all she had not to look away from his face as he approached. “Come on, let's see what you got.” A cocky smile pulled at the corner of his lips and raised his sword in front of him.

“Ok, but don’t start whining when I kick your ass,” she teased and pulled her sword up to mirror him.

He lunged first, sword swinging towards her right side. She moved her feet to balance and deflected the blow quickly, countering back with a stroke around her other side, narrowly missing his shoulder.

“Alright princess. Good start.”

She had not been called that in a long time.

Tightening her grip she sliced the sword above her head towards him, his blade clashing against hers before his body spun and kicked her feet out from under her. She landed with a thud to the ground on her back, sword bouncing out of her hand.

“But you are rusty.” He grinned before reaching his hand out to help her up. Once on her feet she grabbed the sword from the ground and looked at him again, the smug grin still on his face.

“Well, it has been 99 years since I’ve picked up a sword,” she said, her eyes unintentionally going to his abs again.

“I’m guessing the same amount of time or longer since you’ve done other things?” he teased, her eyes quickly going back to his face.

“My sex life is none of your business.”

“Well when you keep looking at me like that it makes a male wonder.” The grin surfacing again.

“You’re just… distracting, that's all.” She smirked and stepped back further, sword ready.

“Uh Huh.” he chuckled and readied himself again.

Without another word they continued exchanging blows, metal on metal echoing through the woods. He knocked her to the ground a few more times, but she was able to return the favor towards the end of their sparring. She could tell it was slowly coming back to her, but she knew she was going to need a lot of practice to get back to her former self.

After being knocked down hard once again, her back landing on a large rock, she decided it was time to cease practice for the night. Her chest burned when taking in her deep breaths, exhaustion taking over.

“Let's call it a night.” she panted.

Silas walked to her and held out his hand once more. “I’m taking this as a sign you will come back with me?” His eyes pleading.

She closed her eyes, taking in one last deep breath in the forest she loved so much before responding.