Alanna soaked in a large tub like cauldron and let everything sink in. Quite a bit had happened over the past several hours or days and her mind was unwilling to focus enough to calculate how long it had been. She looked over to the only thing that remained of the hag still hanging from the spear in the tree. Her last ditch attack had been a surprise to the druid and had actually managed to ensnare her in a curse. Yet, it did not accomplish much as she had achieved the means to nullify the curse. However, the curse was fast acting and once it took hold a variety of diseases was pumped into Alanna.
Given the expertise of the fog witch it should not have been a surprise. Yet, Alanna found her lack of personal experience with magical entities was still a blind spot in her combat awareness. She had thought the hag already deceased and with the power of hindsight it was obvious she had been mistaken. There were subtle hints and even if her memories were helpful in aiding understanding, her experiences in her current life were somewhat lacking. The attack, while affecting the druid, was easily countered by her new spell. However, the low mana left in the druidess's body was too low to fully remove the sickness that she felt.
So, after ensuring the hag's death she removed her disgusting clothes and tossed them into the fire pit then pulled water from the cauldron and with the soaps and oils thoroughly washed her hair and body with the cloth she requisitioned from the hag's belongings. Then she climbed into the tub and soaked in an effort to just relax for a few moments. Everything was overwhelming her yet she had resolved herself to her path. These tests were difficult and she had made errors in judgement that could have led to her demise. Yet she was also lucky and she knew that. She almost felt as if some unseen hand was directing her in subtle and not so subtle ways. She was being forged into a better version of herself but to what end she did not know.
How had she come to develop what was being called her mana body? It was intuitive once she understood what she was looking at. However, she had not had the same understanding when training with the dryad. Was it the stress of the situation and the pain that threatened her sanity that caused her to see things she could not see previously? Was it an unseen outside power directing her? Was it her own innate power directing her? She had no answers only more questions. Whether it was her own power or an outside influence directing her, one thing was clear, her answers were not going to be found through introspection alone and certainly not in an oversized cooking pot.
With a deep cleansing sigh she carefully made her way out of the pot and began drying her hair with the last of the cloth she requisitioned. The fire managed to take care of drying her body and she made her way to her pack to clothe herself. She had few in tact outfits left, with the exception of undergarments, so she decided on her more traditional outfits. After donning a léine and brat she took out a thicker pair of socks and fastened her leather boots to her feet. She was somewhat ready to go. She did not enjoy the longer léine so she had hers cut above the knee for comfort and mobility. It was not as comfortable to her as her leggings and pants but it was not uncomfortable either. The brat was hooded and folded several times which she found it quite comfortable. Whatever material it was made from was not any type of wool Alanna was familiar with. Although, that could have more to do with production methods then materials. After all, she knew modern wool was quite soft.
Once dressed the druidess picked up her pack and sword then moved to the hag and removed her spear from the tree. She felt a strange sense of completion when she pulled on the bone shaft. The spear just felt right to her for some reason that she assumed was her former life instinct's kicking in. The hag had mostly dispersed into mist to help fuel her spell but her clothing had remained pinned to the tree. Once the spear was retrieved the remains fell to the ground and whatever spec of the hag that existed finally fully dissipated.
The world of mists seemed to lighten by a noticeable degree and the overbearing aura receded completely. The mists were now somehow rejuvenating and Alanna felt her mana regenerating at a remarkable pace. She wasted no time in casting the cure spell every time she had the mana available. The multiple diseases that had taken root inside her after the curse took hold were slowly annihilated by the cleansing life energy of nature.
Alanna stood straighter and more vigor filled her weakened and tired body. She had not realized how badly the curse had affected her vitality. She was still functioning with the disease spreading through her but now that it was gone, she understood how badly it affected her attributes. Her mind was now much more clear and she understood how the curse had even affected her mentally. That curse was insidious and while a part of her wished she could utilize that power, the vast majority of her persona was glad she was unable to learn something so cruel.
Thinking about the hag and her twisted and hideous body, Alanna innately understood that there was a cost for using some magics. The more twisted the power the more twisted the practitioner seemed to become. She thought that it was likely the twist also affected personality but this was conjecture and colored by her single experience. It stood to her reasoning, and while perhaps not wholly correct, it was enough for Alanna to develop a hatred for the creatures.
The mist cleared completely and a swirling portal appeared at the entrance of the grove. This at least was something that Alanna had expected as Scáthach had explained the portal appearance when the trial was concluded. Alanna looked over the grotto to see if there was anything else worth her time but with her belongings secured there was not much that she desired from this place. No, she wanted nothing more than to put this hell behind her. She was grateful for the increased in her strength. Her understanding had increased significantly and her overall experience with different types of combat was enlightening. She was a better warrior and also understood the limits of the magic within her. After another deep breath she stepped through the swirling fog.
Stolen novel; please report.
The scene on the other side of the portal was similar to the rock blasted landscape she had been in prior to the land of mists. However, she found herself on a small cliff side that overlooked a rocky beach. It was dark now, and she could see a few hundred meters away on the beach Scáthach sat on a driftwood log and tended a fire. Alanna looked around and found a trail that led to the beach below and carefully made her way toward the warrior woman. She called out to her early so as not to startle the warrior but from the nod she received and the large woman's unchanged demeanor it was likely unnecessary.
When Alanna finally made it to the campfire she set down her pack and sat next to Scáthach on the log. The warrior looked Alanna up and down with a raised eyebrow before looking back into the fire. "You have changed." The warrior observed. Alanna let out a long sigh and shook her head. She was thankfully out of tears and despair and had begun to move past her traumas. "Yes I suppose I have." She agreed as she took in the warrior from the corner of her eye. There was no change to the strong woman even her clothing seemed to be the same. So, it was clear she did not have much of a struggle with her tests.
Scáthach had been speaking of the clothing but given the druidess' comment the older woman understood that her observation meant something more to her student. "You took quite a bit longer than I thought you would." The warrior said. "Tell me what happened." Alanna did not really want to rehash it now but she understood that she should reflect on every experience while it was still quite fresh. So, she began to speak and explain the events from the time they parted until they reunited. Time past slowly as Alanna shared her tale. She paused several times to consider her actions and what she could have done differently throughout her many fights. All the while Scáthach just listened and nodded along with the druid's self reflection.
It was quite the tale and the old warrior queen did not really know what to think about it. She had been through these trials several times and they were always the same. She had led several warriors to the land of mists and those that survived also shared that the trials were the same. She could not understand why they would be so different now. Even if the young druid was the reincarnation of the old one Nuada, the trial should not have changed. Some of the old ones had traveled the land of mists. The trials remained the same. She wondered, and not for the first time, what this young woman truly was.
The warrior stood and picked up her own shield and sword. "Come Alanna," she said. "Show me what you have learned." Alanna paused for a few moments before sighing in resignation and picking up her own spear. She did not want to spar after all she had been through the past—well she did not know how long it had truly been. "Hours maybe a day at the very least," she thought. However, she respected the warrior woman and would demonstrate the result of her trials and the impact they had on her spear fighting.
When they stepped a few meters away from the fire and indicated they were ready, Alanna did not hesitate. She swung her spear up from low guard and around from her right side swinging for Scáthach's head. The warrior frowned and brought her round shield up to absorb the impact while thrusting forward toward the opening Alanna's aggressive swing created. However, the druidess had extended the butt of the spear in front of her body and turned it toward the left while letting the head fall downward as it skittered off the banded iron shield. The ferrule on the butt of her spear hit Scáthach's spear head and knocked it upward and over the left side of Alanna's shoulder. The druid kept pushing forward and kicked her leg toward Scáthach. Scáthach narrowed her eyes and turned her body toward the left while trying to bring her spear head around Alanna's back. She simultaneously brought her shield closer to her front blocking a slash from the spear should the druid go for her side, and covering her front to absorb the kick.
Alanna leaned back allowing the spear to pass over her head and not allowing it to interrupt her thrusting kick which impacted hard into the large warrior's shield. Since Scáthach had to angle the shield slightly the impact was not fully absorbed and she had to back peddle to bleed off the impact of the surprisingly powerful thrust kick. The warrior raised her eyebrows and allowed the corners of her lips to curl upward in the slightest of smiles. The movements were not anything special but the combat awareness and nearly perfect precision in the movements was exactly what the old warrior was looking for in her students.
Technical perfection in a weapon art was not necessarily easy to achieve but it was also not overly difficult. What it did not do was teach the wielder to be an effective combatant. Only true life and death combat could teach this and no matter how realistic a spar was it was still just a spar. It lacked the conditions to bring about greatness. This is why Scáthach liked the lands of mist and their trials. They were truly dangerous to the participants. Death was a very real possibility and she had refused to take several young warriors who were supposed prodigies of the blade, bow, or spear. Simply because they were only technical fighters.
She was happy to see that the young druidess before her had developed a sense for combat. Fighting 4 or 5 people at once required more than just technique. Although technique is important, understanding the battlefield as a whole is equally important. Alanna moving out of the way of her strike and pushing her out of position was the correct follow up to her absurd opening strike. It also showed Scáthach that the young druid was starting to develop a tactical mindset. The old warrior smiled as the druid pulled her spear back up into a low guard while straightening her posture and flexing her leg muscles to pounce in once again. This young kitten had grown sharp claws and the old tigress felt something welling up inside of her that she had not felt in several generations. She was becoming excited for battle.
