Another day of training // ENG

"Yeah." he nodded. He'd rather not talk about his family, lest he spoke too much of them and got kicked out for being what he really was... a Lokitan.

A small smile and she held the staff between both of her hands. "I think I can do it without falling this time."

He nodded. "Good. Then let's go, again. Now you can try to attack me."

A nod and she lifted the staff, looking somewhat confused as she decided to go for the easiest blow, which was just to go straight for the head, a blow easy to block, especially since she was so slow that even a 5 year old would've been able to stop the blow.

Yeah, he blocked it without even looking. "Faster. Just do it like you mean it. Even if you hit me it won't really hut with these. Besides, I've got my mail on underneath. Just go straight to it."

She nodded again and closed her eyes for a second to focus, then opened them and angled a blow against his side, this time it was bit faster and harder, but it was clear that she was still not even using half of her strength.

He sighed, and blocked it. Again. "You've still not really going at it. C'mon."

"I'm trying." she defended herself and tried going for his ankles instead, with the same power as before.

He actually stopped that with his foot. "You're holding back."

"I am not!" she defended herself again with a huff. She lifted a hand to brush away her hair, since it had fallen down in front of her eyes.

"I don't believe you're this weak. Show me what yuu've got."

"I am trying!" she sighed and tried to lift the staff high enough to aim for his shoulder, this time harder since she was getting quite annoyed with him.

He blocked it again, but smiled when he felt the force. "Good. Keep going."

She didn't take her time to think, but instead chose to trust her instincts as she aimed for the knee on the opposite side of where she had just aimed for his shoulder.

Even if he didn't fall, that hit connected, and he grinned. "Awesome! Just keep it up, you're doing great!"

She tried to keep her focus as she tried to make a combo, just like she had seen him do early. At first she aimed for his shoulder again, then towards his stomach, and at last she aimed for his ankles. She did it with as much speed and power she could, although it took away her breath and made her unsteady on her own feet - one blow and she would fall.

He blocked them, but the last one only barely. "You're getting the hang of it," he complimented her with a grin. "That was a close one."

By that time she had dropped the staff, her hands on her knees as she stood bend forward, gasping for air. "Tha-That is harder than it looks." she said with a small laughter.

"Yeah. You move around a bit more when you fight wit a staff or spear than with anything else. Especially since it's offense as well as defense."

She nodded and then picking up the staff again as she straightened her back, looking at him with a quite bright smile. "It's actually quite fun." she laughed and then without warning made a blow against his side.

"Woah!" he grinned and jumped to the side, barely dodging.

"Always expect the unexpected, isn't that like a rule or something?" she laughed, still a bit out of breath.

"No, not really, but it's good advice, non the less." he grinned - and made an attack of his own, aimed at her thigh.

Although she had just lectured him about being prepared, then she wasn't ready herself, and as she tried to block the attack, then she slipped and - once again - fell down on her back. "Ouch... that hurt." she mumbled, then sighed.

"Well, you said it yourself." he smiled, shrugged, and reached out a hand to help her up again.

"I know." a smile and she gladly let him help her back up on her feet. "Stay prepared, at all times."

He nodded. "Yeah. Now, let's continue..."

Time: 5 pm

Almost three hours later, they were done with training, and Fenrir'd gotten a fair amount of sweat on his brow, which he wiped away. "Good, good, you're really starting to get the hang of it." he smiled. "So we'll continue in the forest, tomorrow at 4 pm, right?"

The moment they had gotten the message that training was over, then Lucy had actually collapsed on the ground. "Sure." she mumbled, her eyes closed as she was gasping for air. She couldn't remember the last time she had been this exhausted, and the worst part was that she actually loved it and wanted to keep training like this, every day - although still she wanted to practice with her bow as well.

He chuckled a little when he saw that. "You want me to fetch some water for you?" he asked.

"If it's not too much trouble." a small exhausted smile as she sat up, finding a tree to lean against.

He smiled, nodded, and ent inside to fetch some water for her. Soon enough, he returned, and handed the large glass of water to her. "Here."

"Thanks." a smile and she gratefully took the glass and took a sip from it, sighing relieved. "Just what I needed." she laughed, and then spotted her dog coming towards them. "Charlie! Come here!" she called, and soon the dog stood by her side, but as soon as he saw Fenrir, then he started growling loudly.

"Really?" he sighed as he looked at the dog. "I'm not bad, y'know." Or well, depended whether you would call a dark magician bad.

"Charlie. Stop it." she said in a firm voice, but the dog still growled, lowering his body as if he would attack Fenrir if he got any closer. "Charlie!" she raised her voice, but to no use.

Fenrir just sighed and sat down, his magpie landing on his shoulder once more. The magpie tweeted at the dog, as if to tell it to shut up, too.

Slowly the dog laid down, his growling lowering, but it was still there, and he kept his eyes on Fenrir.
Lucy sighed. "I'm sorry. He usually isn't like this. The only other time I've seen him act like this was when we once met a Lokitan in the forest. He went crazy and nearly attacked the guy." she shook her head.

"Really? Why? I mean, there's so few of them now, they can hardly harm anyone any longer." If she only knew...

"I'm not sure if there are only a few. My aunt told me that she sometimes hears the hunters from other villages talk about the Lokitan-clan, and how the clan seems to still be growing, and that it is angry and wants everybody dead. That's why we fear them." she lowered her voice as she spoke, softly petting her dog so he would eventually stop growling.

"Hmm. Well, who can blame them... The kingdom did exile them to live out there. I'd be angry, too." his smile had disappeared, and he made sure to look thoughtful instead of angry, even if he really was getting a little angry with the memories of his early life resurfacing.

"It's not the kingdom's fault that the king threw out his own mother's clan!" of course she had already heard the tales of this country more than a few times, honestly then she never really heard about anything else. People didn't really have much to talk about, since most subjects were forbidden.