02/1 - Pike Problems

Wren's pike ricocheted off the armor with a metallic ringing sound. She paused in her attack, momentarily dazed. The wooden training dummy seemed unfazed by her brutal rush. Using her pike now as a prop to steady herself, she glared at the dummy. The dummy's blank face stared challengingly back at her, clearly taunting her feeble blows.

"So that's how it's going to be, huh?" She readied her pike again. Yelling a fierce "Have at you!", she charged again. The point of the pike bounced up and down with her steps until CLANG! It bounced harmlessly off the dummy's breastplate and slid to the right. The sudden twist of the weapon caught Wren off guard, spinning her sideways as she tripped over her own feet. She hit the mulched bark floor hard, her breath whooshing out as her head slammed into the ground.

As the buzzing in her ears cleared, Wren thought she could hear a clapping sound in the distance. She sat up groaning and peered around. As she blearily stared at the figure standing on the sidelines, she groaned again and flopped back down on the ground as recognition set in.

"Master Cartak..."

Cartak slowly stopped his mocking applause and began to walk towards the fallen Wren.

"Young Wren. You appear to have been defeated." Cartak's eyes crinkled in hidden amusement as Wren moaned again. She clumsily got to her feet and began brushing the dirt and bark off her backside.

"Are you injured?"

Wren winced a little as she met Cartak's gaze. "No, master. Well, actually, I think I might have bitten my tongue."

Cartak did laugh at this. He tousled Wren's already disheveled fiery hair.

"That may in fact be an improvement." Wren glared at him, her short, slight figure seeming even shorter next to Cartak's tall, muscular build. He gestured to her as he turned towards the training area entrance.

"Come, young one. You must get yourself into a presentable state. One of the True Masters is here to see you."

Wren's amber eyes boggled. "A True Master?", she thought incredulously. Her mind pondered the significance of the words. For a moment, following Cartak, she thought of being nervous. Then she scoffed. She didn't believe those child's tales about the True Masters' supposed god-like powers anymore. Besides, what quarrel had they with her? She was nothing more than a school girl who wasn't interested in school.

Shaking her head to clear the last of her trepidation, she trotted obediently after Master Cartak as he led her back to her rooms. After seeing her safely there, he waited at her door as she hurriedly changed into her dress uniform and brushed out her hair. Her mind kept buzzing in circles between excitement at meeting a True Master and confusion over what they wanted with her. As she rushed back out her door, Master Cartak quickly looked her over and nodded. She automatically followed his lead, unable to shake the nagging feeling of impending doom as they began the long walk to the meeting hall.