FicWad

Prologue

"In the time of greatest need, there will arise a girl with the destiny to save the world. She will be well hidden and her powers will not manifest until near the Dire Hour."


"Jerome what does the prophecy mean?"


"Exactly what it says Dax. When the world needs a savior, a girl will arise to save the world and be that savior."



Chapter One: Training Morning
"Shahdee wake up lazy bones." Her mother shakes Shahdee's foot. The girl murmurs and mumbles protests.


"Mother, let a poor girl sleep."


"It's already past sun rise dear. Your lessons begin in an hour. And you know how Master Wolf doesn't like to be kept waiting." Shahdee's mother leaves Shahdee to let the girl get dressed in peace.


"I'm getting up." Shahdee rolls out of bed and shakes herself. She pulls her shift over her head and pulls on a loincloth and breastband. Shahdee pulls her training boots on, her training pants and tunic, covering her voluptuous hourglass figure. She brushes out her long black hair, and leaves out the streak of red as she pulls her hair into a high ponytail. Shahdee enters the main room of the ger and joins her mother and father at the table. Being chieftain of the Kutolah is a big job and has already started to turn her father's hair gray. Her mother works just as hard as her father as the tribe's midwife. Painfully missing is her elder brother Rath. He left the tribe a long time ago after a massive falling-out with their father. Shahdee missed him, but had to keep that to herself because her father had banned all mention of Rath. Anyone said his name and they were exiled from the tribe.


"Ah, the lazybones joins us." Night, Shahdee's father says with a smile.


"Now Night, you know she was up late helping me with a birth." Kaileena chides jokingly as she prepares a plate of food for Shahdee.


"Good morning father and mother. Thank you for breakfast mother."


"If I don't make you breakfast, you won't eat and it won't do to have you pass out in the middle of lessons again."


"No, but I admit I am a terrible cook, and father isn't much better."


"Good morning to you to Shahdee. What are you doing with Master Wolf today?"


"And describe it in the least graphic terms as possible." Her mother says.


"Master Wolf says he's going to show me how to stick someone in the ribs and draw the knife up or down without it getting stuck in a rib."


"I said least graphic terms Shahdee!"


"Sorry. I better go now, I don't want to keep Master Wolf waiting. Thank you for breakfast mother it was delicious."


"Your welcome. Shahdee!"


"Yes mother?"


"Your weapons?" Kaileena says, holding up the bag containing every weapon Shahdee owned. The bag was of a burlap-esque cloth and very large so that it could hold her swords as well as her smaller weapons.


"Oh, thank you." She takes the bag and goes to join up with the Weapons Master. Stopping a short way from the clearing where they trained, Shahdee gears up. She slings her sword across her back, adjusting the black leather strap so it's comfortable and can be reached easily in an emergency. She pulls her weapons belt on tight, checking her hand tritons are still in their sheaths. She attaches her hunting and killing knife to her thigh, pulling the straps tight so they won't slip down her leg. She then sticks one throwing knife in each boot and straps a couple more in a sheath to her other thigh.


Shahdee tried to recall who had been Master Wolf's students before her. The only people she came up with were Guy and Rath. Guy being the more recent student. Guy had left over a year ago to travel the world and improve his skill with a sword. The tribe had been understanding of his leaving. With Rath's, not so much.


At seventeen, Shahdee is already turning into a seasoned fighter. A near master with the sword, she's a master at throwing knives and hitting the target dead on. Shahdee's specialty though is hand tritons. It was the first thing Master Wolf began to teach her over a year ago when she first became his student. Shahdee is his near equal with the sword, his equal with knives, but with tritons she has no equal. The day Shahdee surpassed Master Wolf, she even surprised him, let alone herself and the whole tribe.


"Master Wolf." Shahdee inclines her head in greeting.


"Student. We will start the lesson off with sword work. Here are your guards, I hope you have been practicing."


"Yes, Master, I have been practicing." Shahdee says as she tightens the buckles on the guards.


"Good." Master Wolf flies at Shahdee with no warning. Shahdee pulls her sword out in a clean arc and blocks the hit. Shahdee returns by parrying anything Master Wolf tries to throw at her, forcing him back across the training field. She thinks she has him beat until he manages to get up under her guard and nick her cheek.


"You're getting better student." Master Wolf says, breathing fast and heavily.


"Are you alright Master? Was I going to fast?"


"No. You were going fine. You're supposed to be quick and agile and aggressive when you're fighting for your life. You've nearly mastered the sword now."


"Thank you for the compliments Master."


"They're not compliments girl, they're fact. I'm leaving in two days for my twice year visit to the Lorca. I have already talked with your parents and they have given their blessing for me to take you with me."


"I'm honored."


"Consider this a field trip of sorts. The chieftain's daughter is good with a sword and I want the two of you to meet."


"Yes Master Wolf. If I may inquire, what is the chieftain's daughter's name?"


"Lyndis. But everyone calls her Lyn."


"Sounds very proper and rigid."


"The name is and the girl isn't. Lyndis has values and morals like everyone, but they are her own and they are unique."


"Meaning what Master?"


"Lyndis is not your average young woman of eighteen. Neither are you. You both have the potential to turn into warriors of the highest ranking and caliber. The girls' your age and Lyndis' only think about getting married." Shahdee is very flattered by the Master's compliment.


"You flatter me master. What do we practice next?"


"Hand tritons." Master Wolf says with a grin.


"If you insist." Pulling her favorite pair of hand tritons out of their sheaths, Shahdee drops into a fighting stance. She allows her master to get within striking distance before rolling on her shoulder and kicking him in the rear. Shahdee crouches down again, ready to fight. The clash of well-made weaponry rings out in the mid-morning mist. Locking her blade with one of his, Shahdee sends it flying in the air where it lands in the ground with a dull thud. Seconds later she sends the other triton flying, leaving Master Wolf without a weapon. He comes at her martial arts style. Shahdee jumps out of the way and goes up behind Master Wolf and puts a triton to his neck.


"Do you submit?"


"I do." Shahdee carefully steps back and bows to her teacher. He returns the courtesy.


"You've gotten better. It took you only five minutes to disarm me today. Soon, no one will be your equal."


"Good work Shahdee! That's quite an accomplishment!" Kaileena approaches the two with a basket. "I brought the both of you lunch if you don't mind the interruption Master Wolf."


"I do not mind. Will you join us in the meal?"


"Thank you." Shahdee spreads out the blanket and her mother sets up lunch. After her mother says Grace, Shahdee digs in. While Shahdee eats enough for two, Master Wolf gives her mother a report on Shahdee's progress.


"Soon there will be nothing left for me to teach Shahdee. Like Guy, she's picked on everything remarkably fast."


"Now, is it because Shahdee is a quick study and practices whenever she can that she's picked up all these weapons in just a year and a half?"


"Yes. Normally, all the weapons she's learning, the sword, the hand triton, throwing knives, this would all take her years to master them to this level. Your daughter must have one hell of a destiny ahead of her."


"She must if she is as good as I just saw. Shahdee, stop eating so fast you'll give yourself a stomach ache."


"Sorry." Shahdee says, slowing down on the consuming of a roll.


"How do you stay so slim? You're eating enough for two people."


"I keep moving around."


"I ask you, Shahdee is practically a full grown woman and I have to remind her to slow down when eating."


"In my defense I am hungry." Shahdee says.