"Shall we commence?" I asked, unsheathing my sword as Minyelaírë took her scimitar from her hilt and did the same, taking that as a yes.
Minyelaírë struck first, leaping over me in a remarkable feat of acrobatics. I caught most of the movement as she landed by my side, aiming for my foot as she drove her scimitar to the ground. I quickly pulled my leg out of the way, as she jumped again, to the side, and attempted to slash at me.
I twirled to the side, my sword arm extended, barely avoiding the slash. However, the tip of the blade quickly grazed my shoulder. It stung a bit, but I did not mind it, as I, now at Minyelaírë's sides, attempted to elbow her in the back.
Minyelaírë jumped forward quickly, and feinted a slight sword slash before she moved to place her scimitar carefully over my neck, However, I turned in a 360-degree arc, avoiding the scimitar, and a clash of metal told me that I had struck Minyelaírë's scimitar with my own. Yet she dived under it with such speed! She was behind me now, and caught me by the ankle.
I slowly fell to the ground, my hands catching the fall, as I turned my body to face the sky, and drove the scimitar into the ground before me. Quickly, grabbing the hilt with both hands, I hoisted myself up, jump kicking Minyelaírë in the stomach as she jumped over me. I saw a faint hint of surprise in her eyes, and they also showed that she was also slightly impressed by this trick. I groaned as I felt one of my legs sinking into the mud and her weight came down upon my shoulders, and I almost lost my balance. Reacting quite fast, I used all the force I had to spin my other leg around and kick a landing Minyelaírë in the hip. The scimitar in the ground still, I used this distraction to pull my leg out of the mud and my scimitar as well, and she now engaged me directly.
The ring of metal was to be heard as our scimitars clashed. There was a long, gruelling silence as I attempted to overpower Minyelaírë, my eyes deeply black. Yet, suddenly, there was a flash of white and my eyes burned. Sand! I coughed and dropped my scimitar.
"Fine fine, I concede." I said, still retching, My eyes watering, I saw Minyelaírë playfully putting the flat side of her scimitar on my shoulder. She dropped down and handed me my blade as I attempted to blindly feel my way to the stream next to me.
"In a real battle thou wouldst be long dead, even before the sand hit thy face." Minyelaírë said matter-of-factly, "Thou agility are too slow. However, thy movement are more than improvable and thy fencing was very good."
I felt myself proud, as I cupped my hands and dipped them into the stream to clean my face.
"Thank you." I said appreciatively, as Mercandur came fluttering down to my shoulder.
Turning around, I saw Minyelaírë perform a one-handed handstand. Amazed I peered at her, slowly mumbling, "I could never do a handstand like that."
"It is all a question of balance." Minyelaírë told me, getting up. I attempted to do a two-handed handstand on my own, however, in this state, I knew I was too weak to try, and I rolled over to avoid hitting my head on the terrain. Minyelaírë snorted but laughed. Slowly she told me about that I and Vardarianna should learn the different tongues of Haradaic soon. I learned one greeting of the Haradaic tongue, "As-salâm Aleikum." I slowly said, trying to pronounce it right. I got it wrong on some occasions, but Minyelaírë nodded eagerly as I apparently pronounced it right. "We aleikum as-salâm." I replied to myself. Minyelaírë smiled.
Soon I started questioning her about Harad, learning about forced marriages in Harad (to my disgust) that women were oppressed, and about the wondrous tales of the Sharisad and Ahmad'sunni.
"The Sharisad are the dancers of Harad," Minyelaírë said, laughing once I told her that a Haradhrim had once told me this in his travels, "They have mastered the art of dancing and can enchant folk, so they say."
"And the Ahmad'sunni?" I asked, interested.
"Female warriors. They have proven themselves as warriors to the various tribes in Harad."
"Is it hard to become both?" I asked Minyelaírë. She had told me that she was a Sharisad and Ahmad'sunni among the Haradrim, respected. These two types of women had rights, apparently.
"One does not become a Sharisad over night," She stated, "It takes decades of training to do so. I have danced for the people of Harad for a thousand years in various palaces, for the sons of the sons."
"And an Ahmad'sunni?" I asked.
"An Ahmad'sunni... I would say that is easier." She stated. However, we were soon interrupted by the arrival of a man I would come to know as "Edstan", an excellent Knife-fighter. Minyelaírë and this man soon entangled in combat. And who, of all the people in Middle-earth, should barge in, than Tyelepoma? Alarmed, yet sighing in relief once I saw that Mercandur had hidden himself, I held my scimitar up, preventing him from interfering the fight.
After quickly greeting each other, he began to tell me of how different I was, how I had no pride. I pointed out that we were all Elves, after called Minyelaírë "that", and that some things should be judged based on skill, not race. He agreed slightly, before arrogantly telling me that it was an unhonourable fight, just as Edstan had sand in his face. I scorned him by telling him that I would use anything necessary to prevent myself from dying. After that he left, saying, "I am taking my leave, there is no glory to be found here.", and pushing past my scimitar chuckling slightly. I smiled after him, knowing that my antidote worked, and that he was indebted to me now. Yet.... Glory?! What use was glory to Elves?! That arrogance again... I sighed, continuing to watch the fight between Edstan and Minyelaírë.
((I'll update this and detail it more when I aren't feeling so lazy ^^ to see the fight between Edstan and Minyelaírë, please go Here.))
