The Steele Wolf

After another day the same as before with no news, I felt more restless inside.  I was soon pacing the main room like a tiger in a cage. The more I paced the more my anger grew at being useless. Hemi was sitting in an overstuffed chair with dainty pillows and the huge clansmen looked out of place while his eyes were half closed in sleep. I worried about stopping the Raven, finding Tenya, and Joss’ sick mother. At every sound I heard, my eyes would fly to the stairs to see if Kael had returned with news of where to begin. I was wound tighter than a bowstring about to be loosed and I had to find a release for my pent up energy and nerves. I saw Hemi’s eyes flick back and forward watching me. An idea hit me.

I marched over to Hemi and held my hand out to him. “All right, hand one over.” I demanded angrily.

“I do not know what you mean, Thalia. What am I to be handing over?” He spoke slowly, as if he had no idea what I was talking about, but his eyes knowingly twinkled in mischief. After all, I was my father’s daughter.

“A weapon, you big lug. What do you think? And don’t even pretend that you don’t have one hiding on your body. Just because you don’t have your giant pack and axe does not mean you aren’t armed. Otherwise my father would never have sent you with me.” By this time my foot was tapping impatiently and Hemi’s grin grew wide in merriment. He slowly reached inside his large leather vest and pulled out a small silver spoon and handed it to me.

“What is this? Hemi, what am I supposed to do with a spoon?” I stuttered at what he handed me. “Do you want me to feed my enemies?” Why in the world are you carrying this in your vest?” My eyes widened in shock.

“I keep it to use for the cinnamon drink the girl brings me daily. I like to eat the topping with a spoon.” Hemi turned red and in an instant a picture of the giant bearded man scooping off the cream topping of the drink and eating it with a dainty spoon made me chuckle out loud. As I recalled his first day drinking it he ended up with the topping all over his beard.

“What do you want me to do with a spoon, Hemi? Be reasonable.  Hand me over a weapon NOW or I’m going to go find the biggest mallet and bash your head in.” I wouldn’t really and he knew it but Hemi loved to tease me as if I was still a small child. Slowly, he stood up and walked into another room. After a few very long minutes he returned with a wicked glint in his eye and two large broom handles. I could tell by the stray pieces of straw clinging to his pants that he had shucked the brooms like they were corn to make two makeshift staves

“Hemi!” I admonished. “The Jesai family is going to be angry with you!” Hemi continued to walk over to me and handed me the broom.

“Nonsense, I gave one of the servants some money to run to the market and buy two new brooms. They should be back before anyone notices.” He smiled at me.

“Why not give me the knife that I know you have hidden or a different weapon?” I challenged him as I weighed the broom in my hand experimentally before spinning it in the air.

“Because, my clan leader’s daughter, I have to make sure that you don’t get injured,” He joked before moving a side table out of the way. “Even if you did almost win the Kragh Aru and fought in a battle at the pass, I still need to make sure you don’t injure yourself.” I glared at Hemi until he looked down at the floor and then back up at me. “or me.” He made a motion with his hand around his neck. “I like my head where it is.”

I made a playful swipe at Hemi’s head and he ducked. Even though I had started out the exercise frustrated and needed the physical exertion to blow off steam, Hemi’s well thought out playful banter helped alleviate most of my anger. I realized how much like my father I really was.

Hemi met each of my strikes but wouldn’t return them full force. “Come on Hemi, if you don’t engage me in battle how will I ever defend myself?” I shouted as I rolled on the ground around him and swept the staff at the back of his knees. Hemi missed defending himself and fell backwards over the staff. The wooden floor rumbled as his giant frame kissed the wood. I leaned over his prone form and taunted him as best as I could. “Come on, Hemi; don’t let a girl walk all over you. Show me what you’ve got. Fight me like you would my father.  That’s an order.”

Hemi looked at me wide-eyed from the floor and grinned at me. Like a flash he swung out his own stick and sent me flying to the ground behind him. Now both of us were on our backs looking at the ceiling and before I could even blink I saw his staff come flying down towards my head. Rolling to safety I dodged the downward strike. Hemi was already on his feet and this time he was taking me to task.

Jumping to my feet, I grasped the wooden broom handle between both hands.  I was put on the defensive as Hemi used the broom like an axe, chopping away using all of his strength. My fingers rang with each impact and I heard the wood split in two from his last strike. Stunned I looked at two halves of the broom in my hands and opened my eyes wide as he swung the broom straight at my head. I leaned backwards and felt the wind from the swing brush my face.

My heart raced with adrenaline and I crossed both sticks over my head to block a downward head strike. I tried to twist them and follow through by bringing Hemi’s staff to the ground and spun my body into his arm to break his hold. It worked.

Hemi smiled at me, his face beaming with pride. “This calls for some refreshments. I think I’m going to go find us some more of those nice drinks.”

I laughed as Hemi lumbered down the stairs toward the kitchen.

“Nicely done, I’m impressed!” My face turned to the voice and I saw Xiven leaning against a wall, his dark hair covering his eyes as he studied me. “Now, can you do it again against someone younger and faster?” Xiven picked up Hemi’s staff that had rolled over to his boot. He kicked it up in the air, caught it with one hand and broke it over his knee into two even pieces in one fluid movement. I swallowed in nervousness.

“Um, I’m not that good, I just got lucky. I just needed to exercise and now I’m done.” I turned to put the pieces away.

“Come on, Thalia. I’ve finally found someone to spar with and you won’t even give me a chance. No one else will. Mona hates anything physical and I’ve been bored. What do you say?” he pleaded. I looked over Xiven and saw a familiar look of anxiousness and something else. It was similar to how I felt earlier when I was about to explode.

“Fine, but just one round.” I shook my braid over my shoulder and squared my feet, adjusting my hands around both sticks. Xiven was a ball of pent up energy and he danced around on the balls of his toes and did a few feints before engaging. He was fast and I was constantly trying to keep him in sight. I would swing towards his arm but then he was gone. I aimed for his head but I was two seconds too late.  I was hit in the back by Xiven and a verbal taunt that I was slow.

I shook my head and tried to clear my sight to focus on him but it seemed as if I were trying to fight through mud. Again I barely brought up my arm to block an overhead hit, but then his other arm shot out and jabbed me in the solar plexus. Gasping, I bent over and tried to regain my breath; I saw stars. Biting my lip to hold back my anger, I stood up and was knocked clean on my rear. Once again I was staring at a spinning ceiling. What was going on? How come I couldn’t even touch him? Rolling over I crouched, sticks up in a defensive stance, and this time I concentrated on Xiven.