Master and Student - 7th Sea Fanfic

"There is still time to change your mind, Kirsten." The speaker stepped quickly and deflected a rapier

to the side of her. Her manner was casual and easy as she prodded her opponent's defenses. "There is no lack of demand for Eisen bodyguards."

The younger woman focused nearly silently, breathing heavily and blowing a strand of blonde hair out of her face. The blonde's rapier flashed. Her opponent leaned back lightly and let the blade slip past before rotating on her heel bringing the butt of her dagger to blonde's back and sent the blonde stumbling ahead off balance. She whipped about with a wild lunge which was parried easily while the tip of a dagger touched to her shoulder.

Both duelists separated briefly as a flutter of dark hair slipped down to the ground. Eyes turned to look at the lock and then saber was sheathed. The cloth of her dress swished with the motion of the older woman walking toward a mirror at the side of her room. Once there, she used the dagger to slice a lock of her hair from the other side of her face, putting her hair to something like symmetry. "Well, you managed to slip through my guard, some congratulation is in order."

The blonde nodded and took a long breath before sheathing her rapier and dagger. "Master Bello. Can I call myself a true Eisen if I've never seen the land of my parents?"

Bello smiled and walked over to cup Kirsten's cheek in her left hand. "Your blood remembers your home even if you have never walked it. Never fear for that. If this is about proving yourself a true Eisen..." 

Kirsten turned away and walked toward a table filled with books covered in tight-handed script and detailed illustrations of horrific monstrosities of stitched together corpses. "I've studied. I've trained."

"I'm well aware. I've been your master for ten years and most of your library mysteriously matches several books missing from my own." The voice was teasing wrapped around clear pride.

"And I've faced the beasts in the flesh and come out victorious."

"Oh, Kirsten, it was a few walking corpses climbing out of a shipwreck. They are the least of the threats you will face in your homeland." 

She walked over to the book Kirsten was staring at and turned the pages until it lay open on two pictures depicting a person with blood dripping from their mouth and a massive wolf-like beast that walked on two legs.

"If you seek to be a hero, there is plenty of good to be done and danger to be faced here in Avalon. The peace Queen Elaine has made is fragile and if it is lost, a refuge for many is lost with it."

"You tell me Eisen is in my blood but ask me to ignore it's pain. I may be a pebble cast into an avalanche, but I will do what I can."

"Och! Kirsten! Are you finished prancing around up there?" 

The Highland brogue bellowed up the stairs, heralding a tall and stout woman with dark hair, shot through with lines of grey stepped into the room. Her clothes were stained with old oil stains and soot, she caught sight of the dark-haired Bello and winked, leaning against the wall before speaking. 

"Mistress Rachele, good to see you again. This lass has preparations to make for the journey, but perhaps we can catch up on old times." She wiped at her forehead and then rubbed her hands on her trousers.

Rachele smiled and shook her head then walked to the wall to set her saber and dagger hanging from it. "I have three students for a reading lesson in fifteen minutes and a royal cousin to instruct in fencing two hours later."

Seona tsked and shook her head. "Such a shame. Teaching has made a ruin of a fine reunion." Her head inclined over toward where Kirsten was wiping her face with a cloth. "We got the passage on Houghton's ship."

Kirsten straightened and looked over toward her. "You told me that we had that a week ago."

"I was confident," Seona said smiling.

"Well, at the very least you are not going alone into hell," Rachele noted as she straightened her sleeves. "Seona, keep watch over my student. Kirsten, watch this crazy woman's back."

Kirsten nodded seriously.

Seona took in Rachele's appearance and hummed before continuing to speak. "Did you something with your hair?"

"Someone did," Rachele confirmed. "How much of a sweat did Houghton break."

"Do I kiss and tell?" the Highland woman asked.

"Yes," Kirsten said deadpan. "Yes, you do."

Rachele nodded and smiled. "I concur."

"I offered my services to repair his navigation equipment, thank you very much," Seona said seriously though she continued after a pause. "The man's butler has much better endurance anyway."

"Probably how you knew the equipment needed fixing." 

Kirsten sighed, face flushing as she walked toward the door.

"Kirsten," the blonde woman paused. "Be sure of your motivations and intentions. It can mean the difference between life and death." 

"Yes, Master Bello."

The young woman could feel the eyes watching her as she climbed up to the room that she'd lived in since coming to the school. Her fingers rubbed against each other and her teeth pressed into her lower lip. Once in the room she walked to the window and gripped the sill with a faint creaking sound. Spread out below were the neighborhoods and streets of Wandesborrow. The docks were behind her, visible from the other side of the building leaving her looking back the green and pleasant land she was saying farewell to, perhaps for the rest of her life.

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, calling to mind the stinking flesh and rotting visage of the creatures she had helped destroy not more than a month ago. Her shoulders grew stiff and she couldn't tell whether it was from how she was leaning into the sill or just from the exertion of her last spar with Master Bello.

"I am committed to this path."

Daughter of Eisen - Table of Contents
The Land of her Blood - Second Entry