Family and Footwork

Over the next few days Vel visited his newfound sister often. At least once per day. She fascinated him, and he felt some responsibility, a duty, as well as a desire to bond with her. It wasn’t going all that well though.

Their initial openness had worked wonders, but she had closed up a lot since then, and Vel wasn’t sure how to proceed. He didn’t want to alter his new sister’s mind before he had any chance to know it. So far, he’d barely even looked at it.

“You’re more distracted that I’ve ever seen you, my lord. I am not sure there’s much point in this, if your mind is elsewhere, I would rather be too.”

Vel let the point of his sword drop and inclined his head in apology to Fal. The two were mid-spar on the Fury’s deck, but Vel really wasn’t present in spirit, his teacher was right.

“I apologize, Fal. I meant no disrespect, and you know I appreciate you taking time to help me improve. There’s just… something on my mind.”

Fal didn’t say anything, just raised his eyebrows. Vel had only told Dina and Fionne about Catalia’s parentage. It wasn’t something he’d ever intended to share with Fal… and yet, under the weight of the man’s quiet patience and those expectant eyebrows, that resolve shifted. Somewhere between wanting to keep it hidden and needing to speak it aloud, he found himself talking.

As was his way, Fal listened in silence. The kind of silence that invited you to fill it, that drew words out of you until you’d emptied your heart. And Vel did. Fortunately, no one was within earshot; the crew kept a respectful distance from the two warriors.

Vel finished the story, leaving out only the detail of him forcing himself on Catalia. The former mercenary was aware of Vel’s harem, but even so, he’d feel weird mentioning that part. It felt good, liberating even, to tell the quiet man (almost) everything. Vel wasn’t entirely sure what he’d expected from Fal, but it hadn’t been wisdom. And yet, that was exactly what he received.

“Family is a gift, Velas. Many never realize how precious it is. You’ve found someone who may become part of that blessing for you, and to whom you may be the first real taste of it. That isn’t an opportunity that comes often, and it isn’t one to take lightly.”

Vel nodded, stunned. The bald man wasn’t done surprising him yet though.

"My advice would be to take it slow. Let her set the pace, if she allows any pace at all. But do not let her halt your progress entirely. She has had no one before; the one person who should have been her family failed her. She will have built walls. And if those walls threaten to stop everything, do not be afraid to push just a little."

Again, it was all Vel could do to nod. But then a question occurred to him.

“But how hard do I push?”

Fal smiled at that, and Vel finally picked up on an undertone that had been present throughout the advice, but which only clicked now the with the smile. The older man looked and sounded wistful, as if a shadow of some distant memory rested on him.

“That is the key question, and sadly one I cannot answer. You will have to figure that part out as you go.”

Fal clapped his hands together.

“Now, with that burden shared, are you ready to return to your lessons? Your footwork could still use some improvement.”

That surprised Vel.

“It could? I thought I was doing great. I can certainly go toe to toe with you any day.”

Fal nodded, his expression serious.

“Your footwork is good, very good, even. But it isn’t great. Don’t misunderstand me, my lord. You’ve made incredible strides, especially considering how short a time it has been since you were first afforded the use of two legs, but I am certain there is still further for you to go.”

The man took a deep breath, as if choosing his next words with care.

“Your footwork is good, but you could excel so much further. In this, strangely enough, your strength, speed, reach, and mastery of your upper body are detriments. They make you such a formidable **** in battle that your very good footwork doesn't need to be great. But if you pushed it, truly made it great, you could rise higher yet.”

Vel found himself not entirely convinced, and Fal picked up on it.

“Let me propose an exercise, my lord. We will both lay down our weapons and stick our hands into our belts, pinning our arms to our sides. Then we attempt to touch one another with a shoulder, anywhere except the other’s shoulders. Each successful touch counts as a point. Does that sound agreeable?”

It did sound good to Vel, at least until Fal began dancing around him with effortless grace, landing three quick touches before darting nimbly out of reach or slipping behind him. Somehow, the broader, less agile-looking man racked up a total of five touches before Vel managed his first.

They stopped after that first and final touch, both out of breath.

“A point well made, Fal. I shall redouble my efforts.”