Chapter 760: The Crimson Knight and the Witch
When Sybyll reached the stretch of woods where Lady Nyrielle had told her Ashlynn would be waiting, she was momentarily shocked by the scene of devastation that greeted her.
Great gouges had been torn in the earth, leaving trenches deeper than she was tall and more than three paces long in the sodden earth. From the way many of them had filled with water, it was clear that they had been made the night before, or perhaps a few nights ago during the intense storm.
Whole trees had been torn in two from their trunks to their tips and several trees bore circular impressions as if they’d been hit with a boulder thrown by a Tuscan or some other giant. What little underbrush remained looked like it had been trampled beneath the hooves of dozens of horses, crushed into the soft earth or torn from its roots and hurled across the clearing.
And standing there at the center of the clearing she found Thane’s familiar armored figure along with a shorter, blonde woman in armor who could only be the Mother of Trees. The two of them were standing at close distance with their blades pressed together as Thane demonstrated a half-swording technique, grabbing the sword by the blade with his off-hand in order to thrust toward a gap in a visor or between plates.
"Teacher Thane!" Sybyll called excitedly as she set down the heavy chest she’d been carrying with a solid -CLANK- before she rushed toward the man who had helped turn her into the woman she was today.
"Looks like I’m ’ere on time," she said, throwing her arms around his armored figure as soon as he stepped away from Ashlynn and giving him an embrace that was fierce enough to make his armor creak in complaint. "Mistress Nyrielle was worried you wouldn’a last a second night."
"I might not have," Thane chuckled as he unlatched his helm and pulled it off, revealing a face that was as handsome and charming as it had ever been with a smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eyes that held a significant measure of pride for his first pupil.
"Dame Sybyll Hanrahan," Thane said, giving a light hearted bow with a dramatic flourish. "May I present Lady Ashlynn Blackwell, the Mother of Trees, and betrothed of our Mistress Nyrielle," he said as he straightened up.
"Don’t let her gentle look at the moment fool you," he added. "If she hadn’t offered me a spoon’s worth of her blood tonight, I wouldn’t be looking nearly so spry."
"Dame Sybyll," Ashlynn said, holding out her arms and offering an awkward, armored hug to the towering woman who nearly matched Thane for height. "Nyri has told me a bit about you. Thank you for coming to help me train."