Workout Partner

Rosalind, Earnest, and Coltia all woke up early in the morning, since Rosalind and Earnest turned in early last night, and Coltia never seemed to be tired. The three had breakfast together and told the innkeeper to tell the knights and priestesses to come to old knight Arthur’s house at noon. From how worn out they looked yesterday, it was a safe bet that most of them would be sleeping in late today.

The next step of the plan was to explain their version of events to the knights and priestesses, at least one that didn’t include the fact that they were currently imposters. That left a few hours of free time before noon. Earnest decided to go back up to his room and swap back to Alesia. She could probably use a good stretch and a hot meal. Rosalind decided to go out and train. She had started to get back in shape and didn’t want to stop now. Coltia decided to go out and entertain the children, which would probably help earn some trust from the knights and priestesses if they happened to see her.

And with that, the group split up until noon. Rosalind went to her usual training spot, which was out of the way and seldom disturbed, but was surprised to find Adeline there. She wasn’t just standing around either, she was in the middle of exercising herself. Rosalind considered leaving, but her choice was quickly taken away as Adeline noticed her onlooker and waved at her. It would be more suspicious to leave at this point, so Rosalind went and joined her.

“Good morning mother Adeline. What brings you here so early?”

This was the first time Rosalind saw Adeline out of her priestess garb. She was dressed in plain clothes that looked easy to move in, and showed off her amazing figure. Rosalind couldn’t help but take in an eyeful again.

“Oh, you don’t have to call me mother, just Adeline will do fine. Sister would also be fine. I’m not that old you know? I was looking for a place to exercise without bothering anyone. Oh, I hope I’m not bothering you.”

“Of course not. I’ve used this place for training as well, it’s no bother at all.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I was hoping that we could be good friends. Your body, your muscles, I can tell that you have worked very hard on yourself. I can’t say I have too many female friends that share my enthusiasm, so I’d like to get to know you.”

Rosalind was a bit taken aback by the forwardness of Adeline, but she knew that the real Rosalind would jump at the opportunity to befriend someone like her.

“I’d love to get to know you too. I have to admit, I’ve been a bit… preoccupied recently and have neglected my physique, but I’ve been regaining my form as of late.”

“Oh of course I understand Rosalind. There are times when my church duties require all of me, to the point that nothing is left. Say, why don’t we exercise together, it’ll be fun and we can learn from each other!”

Rosalind didn’t really want to, the more she talked with Adeline, the more chances she could make a mistake and get found out, but she was in too deep at this point. She accepted Adeline’s offer with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. Adeline seemed genuinely excited to have a workout partner, and quickly introduced Rosalind to some of her techniques.

Adeline had already been mid-set when Rosalind arrived, so it was the perfect time for Adline to take a stretching break, and to have Rosalind start her own workout with some stretches. Rosalind and Adeline stood apart, facing each other. Adeline demonstrated a stretch, explaining in detail which muscle groups it targeted, how it should feel, and its benefits. Rosalind mirrored her movements as closely as possible, and was surprised to find some of the stretches were unexpectedly effective, targeting places that she hadn’t covered before.

Adeline turned out to be a very hands-on instructor, lending a helping hand whenever Rosalind’s form was wrong and correcting it with a kind, but firm touch. Well, it wasn’t just incorrect form that had her touching Rosalind. If she had good form, sometimes Adeline would touch the muscle that was being stretched, and give her compliments. Rosalind had heard that women were more… touchy with each other, so she assumed that this was normal enough behavior.

By the end of Rosalind’s stretching, she felt pretty refreshed, but slightly violated as Adeline’s hands had run over most of her body in the process. Her arms and shoulders probably wouldn't bother her, but the way she touched Rosalind’s stomach, legs, and ass… felt a bit too intimate for her. Adeline on the other hand didn’t seem shy about it at all, she seemed single mindedly focussed on teaching Rosalind.

After being taught some new stretching techniques, Rosalind felt obligated to take the teaching role next. She picked up her sword, and explained her routine sword training to Adeline, who listened with great interest. Sure she didn’t have a sword to use herself, and likely wouldn’t have one anytime soon, but she paid close attention nonetheless.

Rosalind wanted to reciprocate the hands-on guidance that she received from Adeline, so she offered the sword to her. Adeline declined, reasonably saying that she didn’t want to hurt Rosalind nor herself with her unskilled hands. Rosalind thought of Ricard’s wooden sword, still hanging on the wall of the misfits’ base, a bit too far to retrieve for Adeline’s use. She looked around her surroundings, and found a fallen tree branch that might be of use. She stripped off the twigs and loose bark, and broke it to about the right length, then handed it to Adeline.

Adeline mimicked Rosalind’s movements clumsily, as she wasn’t used to swinging anything around. Rosalind did her share to correct Adeline’s form, straightening her shoulders, positioning her leg the right way, showing her how to use her hips, Rosalind didn’t shy away from being hands on with her student. Adeline turned out to be quite the bright pupil, picking up the corrections quickly.

Rosalind showed Adeline the basics, which she showed great appreciation for. Even though she didn’t plan on wielding a sword in the future, she promised to find a wooden sword back in Lindow. Adeline said that variety was key for consistent body training, not just for the body itself, but for the mind too.

With new techniques in mind, both of the women decided to move on to the heavier part of the workout. After all, they couldn’t call it a day without breaking a sweat right? The two went about their own routines near each other, chatting a little between sets or while taking small breaks, but for the most part they focused on pushing their bodies to the limit. Well, Rosalind’s focus was mostly on her own body, but she couldn't help sneak glances at Adeline.

After some time, both of them were spent and Adeline suggested going back to the inn bath room to wash off the dust and sweat. Would the real Rosalind agree to bathe with someone she had just gotten to know? Probably not, but this Rosalind agreed. After all, it was an opportunity to witness Adeline’s most natural form. The two walked together back to the inn, cheerfully chatting along the way. Rosalind was surprised how comfortable she had become with Adeline in such a short time, but then again Adeline was a priestess, so it made sense how comforting and friendly she was.

After entering the inn, Rosalind noticed the knights eating together at a table. She quickly checked in with them, on whether the innkeeper told them about meeting at old knight Arthur’s house at noon, and they confirmed that the innkeeper remembered to tell them. Rosalind left them to their meal and went to her room to get a fresh set of clothes, and Adeline did the same. The two met again and entered the bath room together.