Chapter 205 A Long Journey (1/2)
”She has to be hiding in the copse of trees on that hill over there” Snowcloud's eyes held a look of grim determination ”It's the only place nearby that offers cover and a good vantage point If you can distract her, I'll go around and attack from the back”
Her knuckles whitened as she reflexively tightened her grip on her sword After th and swordser treated the weapon with disdain Now, she wielded it with as much confidence as she wielded her spells
Arran looked out over the dense wilderness that lay before the landscape was thick with brush, but froht — the tree-topped hill was the only place that gave both shelter and a good view of the area
He gave Snowcloud a quick nod ”Let's do this”
Sheas she silently crept toward the hill It only took a few er see her, but that didn'tit would take her to get into position
After a quarter hour, Arran decided it was tiather Fire Essence, preparing to attack
His first Fla the area around with large splinters of wood The second arrived an instant later, tearing through two of the san toa Force shi+eld with his left hand while he continued to launch Flaht While the copse was already ruined and ablaze, he did not stop his attacks — if their enemy was there, the distraction would be sorely needed
While Arran advanced, Snowcloud e copse She headed forward at once, sword drawn and ready to strike
But then, Arran saw it — a figure appearing at her back, a raised blade in its hands
”Behind you!” he called out
Snowcloud ed to turn just in time, and for a few brief seconds, she held off her attacker But despite her furious defense, the fight was lopsided, and she fell before Arran's hasty Flamestrike even reached their foe
Arran rushed forward, already forure raised its hand — Brightblade's sign that the exercise was over
At this, Arran breathed a secret sigh of relief Whatever the reason, he was happy to have escaped the thrashi+ng that facing their teacher entailed
As Snowcloud got back to her feet, Arran began to head to his two coood stroke of fortune had saved him from another painful defeat
Ever since they departed the Sixth Valley half a year earlier, hidden within htblade had made Arran and Snowcloud face her in battle hundreds of times
Sometimes they were ahtblade ht for every step forward before inevitably defeating the over her victory
At tione into secluded training for the next decade, as the Valley's Elders had been told Between isolation and Brightblade's teaching methods, the former certainly seeh Brightblade's training methods were, their effectiveness was beyond question She often ic and Snowcloud only her strength, and the constant practice had seen Arran's skill increase with leaps and bounds
Perhaps his Fla as Snowcloud's, but the difference was no longer the vast chasress had been at least as astonishi+ng, if not htblade's skill as a teacher
In the week before they left, the Patriarch had spent several days having long conversations with Snowcloud, and she had been silent and morose for several weeks afterward She had refused to discuss the matter with Arran, but he understood the Patriarch had talked about her parents — and it was obvious the neasn't good
Her spirits eventually ied inside her She began to study Body Refinement and swordsmanshi+p with a fervor that bordered on fanaticis even in the few ot each day