A grumpy panther

In the morning, you and Ferra leave Alex once again sleeping in. She immediately takes your hand, smiling at you. It’s not long before the two of you run into Victor. The dark skinned panther man nods in greeting. “Good morning, Nicholas. Walk with me, would you? I would like to speak with you.”

You nod, turning to walk with him. Ferra gives your hand a squeeze, and you smile at her. Victor leads, heading in the direction of the training area. You chuckle, glancing at him. “Planning on taking me up on that sparring match?”

He nods.”I am, and how serious it gets depends upon your answers here. You spoke with Melora alone yesterday. What did you talk about?”

You shake your head. “Not your business, honestly. If she wants to share it with you, she will, but I won’t violate her trust like that.”

Victor frowns. “She refused to tell me as well. However, she has also told me that she plans to join your crew when you sail out to attack prison ships.”

You start in surprise. “That’s news to me! I would gladly bring her along, if that’s what…”

He interrupts you. “I do not approve. I don’t think she will be safe with you, especially at sea.”

You shake your head again. “You’re not her warden. She is an adult, and a seer. It’s her decision. As for her safety, between Alex, Ferra, and myself, there’s no way harm could come to her.”

Victor sighs. “Ferra’s loyalty is to you, and Alex is bonded to you. It falls on you to protect her if she accompanies you. And so, you must prove yourself to me, or I will not allow it.”

As the three of you reach the training field, you find a small crowd already gathered, including Melora. Once again, despite her blindfolded eyes, she seems to sense your approach. With a smile, she steps forward. “I’m sure Victor has been talking himself up this whole way. Don’t worry, he’s just puffing himself up after Ferra embarrassed him yesterday.”

Victor grumbles under his breath, and Melora laughs. “Regardless, I’ve never had someone fight over me before. I guess that makes you my champion, Nicholas!”

She steps up and kisses you on the cheek. There’s murmuring from the crowd, and even a couple cheers. Smiling, she steps back, and Ferra kisses your other cheek before moving to stand beside Melora. You glance at Victor, and see a bit of annoyance on his face as he draws his axe and shield. You note with interest that he’s using his own axe rather than a training weapon.

You look around. “Can I borrow someone’s sword?”

As someone hands you their blade, Victor looks confused. “You’re not using your own? That blade at your hip seems to be high quality.”

You chuckle. “Using Caliburn would be cheating. It would be aunt Clarissa’s greatest creation if she hadn’t also created Ferra. Besides, you wanted a test of my skills, not my weapons abilities.”

You take a few test cuts with your borrowed sword. A bit longer and heavier than you prefer, but serviceable. You nod to Victor, who sighs as he takes up a fighting stance. You roll your shoulders, dropping into a crouch with your blade crossways in front of you. You smile, tensing for the fight. His dark eyes focus on you, and he speaks the same word that began his fight with Ferra.