The Dragon Rider's Curse

Better Learn Fast

The next day was more of the same. I ate breakfast with the twins, then rushed to meet Professor Callum who would barely stop for lunch. He was at least kind enough to pack a lunch for me as well under the guise of not wanting to waste time by going to the mess hall. Then he would lead me to the training field to meet with Dominic. This morning however, I had gotten a surprise. I had been too tired when I got back to my dorm to notice last night. But the tiny room had things in it now. The closet had uniforms that fit me perfectly and clothes from cool summer garb to warm winter clothes from standard uniforms to training clothes. Also some new boots, belts, a cloak, and another satchel made of fine leather. There was quill, ink, paper and some books on my desk and an extra warm blanket on my bed in a silvery color. I had worn the training clothes all day and that evening saw Dominic was wearing that same sleeveless leather shirt he had yesterday.

"i***t. Got to show off and flex his muscles whether I wish to see it or not." I mumbled under my breath as I left Professor Callum to climb over the fence and head his way.

Dominic smiled as I came closer and this alone should have been a warning. I went from walking toward him several yards away to flat on my back in the dirt with his knee in my chest and dagger at my throat. I have no idea how he moved so fast and his knee was preventing me from getting my breath back that had been knocked out of me.

"Are you going to get me off you kitten or just bare your teeth?" Dominic taunted.

This trifling man was already on my last nerve. I had woken up that morning wanting to reach a truce with Dominic. But that didn't look like it would happen. I reached up and grabbed him by his family jewels. Dominic sucked in a breath and eased up on his knee slightly.

Now that my breath was back, filling my lungs with sweet air, I glared up at him. "You push on that dagger or refuse to get off of me I will twist and yank. Takes 50 pounds of pressure to remove a man's balls, but it doesn't take very much to permanently cause damage and unimaginable pain. Well unimaginable pain for a man I mean."

"You have a lot of experience handling men's balls?" Dominic growled, a growl that turned into a hiss as I adjusted my grip.

"I have more experience than I want and less than the male species would like." I squeezed slightly. "Time is ticking. Get off me."

Dominic removed the dagger but didn't move a muscle from his hips down. He looked down where my hand was and sucked in a breath. "Think you could ease up. I can't get off you with that grip of yours." I let go and Dominic leapt off me as if he was on fire. I knew he just didn't want me getting another grip on his family jewels.

"Tonight we should do some sword play. You have shown you know how to grip one. Can you fight with one?" Dominic tossed me a wooden sword handle first. I snatched it out of the air and assumed a defensive stance.

"Nope." Dominic came over and kicked lightly at my right foot slightly back and I fell forward. I would have face planted if Dominic hadn't caught me first. However his strong arm was right across my chest. I mean really there wasn't much torso those monster melons didn't dominate. Dominic pushed me upright hastily removing his arm so fast I nearly fell backward. I steadied just in time. "See how easy it was to unbalance you? Your stance needs to be tighter and under you not splayed out like newly hatched duckling." Dominc grabbed my hips and moved my legs into a position I immediately felt more comfortable with. My feet slightly wider than a shoulder width apart the right slightly behind me.

"Ok now show me a block." Dominic said standing back to watch me.

"Block what?"

Dominic rolled his eyes. Then he waved his hands and the strange symbols on his arms began to glow. The glow flowed down to his hands and formed in a ball between them. With a flick he sent the ball to a few feet in front of me. The glowing ball grew until is form into a glowing see through person with a sword. I was so fascinated I didn't notice when the glowing person jabbed at me. I yelped and jumped back startled, which made him laugh. It hadn't hurt, it just surprised me.

"Blocking only." Dominic ordered, watching the way my body moved as I blocked a blow from the ghostly foe I was up against. The glowing form never stopped moving making it hard to pick out features, but it felt familiar somehow. Dominic watching my every move didn't help my concentration because it made me self conscious for some reason.

I received two more gentle touches from the glowing sword. However the smack on my butt was not. Dominic had used the flat side of his wooden sword like a paddle on my butt!

"Keep your ass under you. Stick it out and an orc will bite it off." Dominic snapped.

The next smack from him was to my right calf. "I said keep that leg under you." Right shoulder smack. "Stand up strait." Left knee smack. "You bend it that far again and you risk injury." Finally, after roughly two hours of this, Dominic waved the glowing sparring partner away. But then he pulled roughly on my hair yanking my head back so I was looking up at him. "You also need to cut this off. It is so long an enemy will not hesitate to yank you around by it to get in a fatal blow. Dominic looked for a moment longer but released my hair before I could get good and mad at him.

"Lesson over." Dominic said as he was walking away disappearing in the dark.

I groaned as I trudged toward Wonderland to say good night to the twins and tuck them in. Then back in my room I filled the bath tub and soaked trying to ease the less painful aches. The welts already showing up wouldn't be appeased so easily. I sighed as I relaxed all the same. I was about to fall asleep in the tub when a soft knock sounded at my door. Stratled I jumped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around me. I cracked open the door to find the hall empty. I opened it wider to peek my head out and the hall was completely empty. I knew the other rooms were occupied as I could hear sounds and snoring through the night but I left so early and got back so late I hadn't seen anyone on my dorm floor. At my feet was small brown bag. I dumped it out on my desk, a tin jar and note spilled out. The note said "Use this ointment for any welts." Then the note had what might have been a word but blotted out with ink. I held it up so the lamp shown through the back of it and saw the quill imprints that looked like someone had started to write Sorry but changed their mind after the second r. This had to be from Dominic. I opened the jar and was surprised to find the ointment smelled faintly of roses. Was that a coincidence? It had to be. Not like Dominic had time to make the ointment from scratch with roses added and then package and deliver it. I hadn't been in the tub that long. Still, it was nice to have something that smelled like the high ladies that used to shop in the market. High enough class to have slaves or servants but not high enough to have someone to do the shopping for her. I slathered it on my many, many... Many red angry welts, not able to get some hard to reach ones. The only place welt free was my breasts. The pain immediately began to fade with a tingling under the skin. Within minutes they already looked better even if they weren't completely gone. I changed into pajamas and fell fast sleep. I dreamed I was laying down in a meadow full of roses that scented the air, as a massive dark shape lay breathing on the edge of the meadow.