Chapter 754: Targeting Weaknesses (Part One)
Outside the ancient fortress, Thane quickly guided Ashlynn to an area of the forest that was directly north of the tower she’d claimed for her coven. It was, in fact, the very same stretch of forest she’d planned to clear in order to plant a more diverse selection of trees that would be nurtured by her coven in the same way that Amahle nurtured the sandbox trees, blackberry vines and other thorny plants of the Briar.
When she arrived with Thane, Ashlynn was momentarily shocked by the scene of devastation that greeted her within this stretch of the forest. Branches lay strewn about the ground and on their way to a small clearing they passed several whole trees that had snapped and fallen in the tempest of the previous night’s storm. The ground underfoot held a thick layer of freshly fallen leaves and cedar needles, muffling their footsteps and adding an eerie quiet to the forest.
"I, I did this last night, didn’t I?" Ashlynn said, swallowing heavily as she realized how destructive the tempest had been.
"This forest has seen worse than last night’s storm," Thane said, pointing to vine-covered stumps scattered about the forest. "A century ago, it was a firestorm that swept through the Vale. Fifty years ago, it was the worst blizzard I’ve ever seen and far more than just trees collapsed under the weight of that much snow. The old and the weak fall when a tempest rages, but they make way for the young who will replace them."
"There you go again," Ashlynn said, shaking her head at the vampire knight. "Sounding ancient and wise. But I understand," she said, looking around at the devastation. "This is a reminder to keep control of my power, but I shouldn’t mourn the losses so much that they paralyze me. This too is part of nature’s rhythm."
"Good that you understand," Thane said, tossing a practice blade to Ashlynn and drawing his own sword. "Now, listen carefully. I’ve never seen Owain fight personally, but he has a habit of abusing his training partners and Marcel has been able to gather a bit of insight from people who have suffered his notion of ’practice,’ so I have a rough idea of what you should expect when you face him."
The instant Thane began his lecture, his demeanor shifted and his amber eyes sharpened, becoming much more focused as he began to prepare Ashlynn to face the man who had tried to murder her.
"Owain favors power with both hands on his sword," he said, taking an aggressive, high guard position with one foot slightly extended and the pommel of his sword held even with his chest. "He has an advantage of height against you and he’ll try to use that to batter you down, raining blows at your head, neck and shoulders," he said as he launched himself forward, swinging down at Ashlynn’s head as though he was splitting a log with an ax.
-CLANG-