The greenery cleared away from their vision as the tree spared. The houses of the hamlet were not much farther away. Loren cursed every single moment of the past few hours she spent with Isabel. She wished she could just erase all the meaningless information she just heard during her torture. The shops in the mall, the beauty salons, he beloved pet, the mansion she lived in and all the parties she was present. It seemed like an endless hell for her. And for the first time, she felt tired.

The only good thing about this was it made Isabel entirely forget about herself, which let her dictate a faster tempo.

Sigh. "Finally." Said Loren, as they reached the edge of the houses.

"Wierd, I thought you said it was farther away." Hearing that, Loren turned towards Isabel with a grim smile.

"Since we are here so early, we have more time to train. Right, Isabel?" The reminded Isabel what Loren was holding for her. The worst, excises.

There was not much to see around here, most of the building looked like warehouses and many paths met here. It was common for folk around here to build outposts like these. Such places were used as collective trading posts, so the merchant didn't have to climb the hill-sides. It was better for everybody this way. Since the villages around the valley gather here once or twice around a year to trade. It made the process safer, and also they didn't have maintained that many roads for such purposes.

"Loren, why there is nobody around here?" Asked Isabel.

"Trades usually happens around middle spring and fall. Otherwise, only hunter and foresters show up time to time." Explained it Loren.

"But can we stay here?" These question started to annoy Loren. She had to change Isabel's view on the world or it will swallow her whole.

"Yeah. Just don't set the thing on fire. Lets set up a camp inside one of them and begin your training with a little running." Isabel frowned, but the puppy eyes didn't move Loren.

The buildings were placed around a wide circle so markets could be set up in the middle. They chose a smaller one with fewer windows since Loren was sure Isabel couldn't climb a ladder just yet. But first, she had to walk and run properly even if the ground was not flat.

After they prepared for the night and dusk was at least an hour away. The training could finally begin.

First, she made Isabel run a few laps around the buildings. It was fun for a minute, but Loren got bored with the heavily panting girl. So, while she did the remaining laps, she picked up her longsword and examined its blade.

"Rubbish. This needs to be reforged. There are too many spots where it chipped." She ran her eyes up and down on the sword. "Hey, this one was made by me!" She said and laughter outburst from her. Seein the big piece the sword was missing on that part made Loren feel superior over it. "Hah, no match for me." The self-admiring stoped when Isabel dropped by and used the sitting Loren back as support.

Loren felt as two large soft orbs pressed against her back. "Isabel?"

"Yeah?" She gasped for air.

"Are you sitting on me?"

"M-hm."

"Girl, you just made a grave mistake. You rump is huge."

"Hey!

"Do a few more rounds."

"Don't want to. I'm tired." Whined Isabel.

"Either this or you get fewer portions."

Growl "You are not helping." Said Isabel to her stomach.

She slowly stood up and started jogging. Loran attention went back to the sword.

The sun reflected on the sword alongside her skin which gave her an idea. She was not sure if it was a good one, after what she did to the tree, she thought it could work. The fixed the blade of the sword with her legs in an upward angle and she put her on the back of the sword. She pressed her arm down heavily as slowly run her arm on the back of the sword.

The grinding of the metal was unique and unmistakable. She was sharpening the sword.

"Loren?" Isabel was back, but Loren was lost in the process. "Loren?" The feeling was somewhat pleasant almost ticklish. "Loren!" Isabel shouted.

Her hand finally stopped. She looked up, and she saw the frightened Isabel. Loren stood up and hugged her. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Said Loren in a calm tone. "How about a snack and we spare a little?"

Isabel nodded.

--- ----

They stood in front of each other in the circle that the houses made. Isabel had a shield and a mace at hand. Loren uses her sword with its sheath on it. Isabel seemed nervous since this was her first time sparing.

"I'm going to hit your shield. All you have to do first is to make sure you have a good grip on it. If you just hold it then you arm will twist and if you are lucky only the shield will hit you. You can holt the shield closer to yourself, but then it will block your view." Loren finished her short lecture.

She wielded the sword with one hand and took a swing at Isabel. The sword met the shield and Isabel felt the force it put on her arm. Her grip was good enough to keep the shield from turning, but she lost her balance and fell on her back.

Loren was worried for a moment, till she saw she started to stand up. "At least you put you behind a good use." She mocked her.

"Very funny." Isabel frowned.

"Second, you have to keep your balance and watch out for your footwork. Others would say this in the opposite order, but with your height and weight, it's not likely that a human will knock off your feet."

"I get it. I have to lose weight." She rolled her eyes. "And what about other races?" Asked Isabel.

"Good question." It made Loren happy to see some sense in Isabel. "It comes down what weapon your foe uses and not what race they are. But there some favoured tactic. Giants go for crushes and heavy attack, Elves tend to use fancy footwork while they jump around to find a weak spot, centaurs favours charges, and dwarves... Dwarves go to kneecaps." This statement made Isabel giggle a bit. "Of course there are other races, but these are the well known."

"What about you?"

The question made straggled Loren a bit. "Ugh. Well, it's not much they know about gargoyles, they are mostly savages." Loren looked down on herself.

"You don't look like one." Isabel tried to cheer her up.

"Thanks. Oh, right almost forgot. Beastfolk savages too alongside minotaurs." Said Loren, with a playful smile.

"Hey!" They looked at each other and laughed.

"Shall we continue?" Ask Loren and she got a confident nod from Isabel.

"Good. Now come and try to hit me with the mace. And if I'm close just push away with the shield."

Isabel walked up to Loren, she didn't feel like running or charging at her. Loren already shook her head seeing her attitude. But then out of the blue, the mace appeared in her sight and head towards her face. She bearly had time to react, she leaned backwards just in time when the mace reached the just where her head was. Loren tried to step back to regain her balance but Isabel pushed her with the shield. Loran landed on her behind.

She was shooked, she knew she lost her skills, but the difference it made in reaction time was baffling. She looked up to Isabel how stood there a cocksure smile as she looked down on her.

"Looks like someone is not using her weight?" Isabel mocked Loren.

"Yeah-yeah. I am a little rusty, that all" Loren stood up, she felt her cheeks red. She dusted herself and turned to Isabel, who just burst into laughter.

"What?" Ask Loren and Isabel pointed with the mace where she felt.

In the ground, there were two small sized bowl holes. Loren felt embarrassed for a moment, but Isabel's laughter made her happy somehow.

"Maybe you should drop a few stones as well." Said Isabel between to laughs.

"Alright, that's enough. Let's do it again, but now I will swing a few times as well."

The two traded hits and blows for a few minutes and ended up with a few bruises before the sun hides behind the mountain range.

--- ----

They didn't start a fire tonight. Isabel finished her meal and went to sleep, Loren sat down not far from her covered with the blanket she was supposed to keep watch, but she felt into her meditative state before Isabel.

"Loren?" Isabel quietly asked. The silence was her answer. Isabel couldn't wait any longer. She pulled her bag closer to herself and pick out the two snack she got earlier in their way here.

--- ----