Chapter 2A midnight feast
About 20 Minutes later, Cara was washing her face in a small restaurant she had walked past countless times over the years, but until now had never entered. An old place in an even older building. She always wanted to go, she had not thought that it would be a stranger who would drag her here after she had gotten into a fight in an open street. Combat against a bunch of ruffians on a dark rain slick street at night, it did sound like a real adventure, but she had spent a significant amount of that time sitting on her bum…
‘Never mind, it’s over, I survived and I might have gotten a new master out it.”, she thought to herself, squaring her shoulders, enjoying the warm water flowing over her hands a bit longer. Then she saw her face and frowned. She finished washing her hands, reapplied her basic make-up, checked her face, liked what she saw, nodded to her mirror image and walked back into the restaurant.
In the main room Natalie had spread herself all over a table that could have seated 6 people. But it was almost midnight, the place was mostly empty and the way she was talking to the owner it looked like the two were old friends.
“Ah there she is!”, Natalie said, waving across the room. “Walter, that over there is Cara, tonight’s fightress in distress.”, she smiled, being her own best audience, while Walter just rolled his eyes.
“I wasn’t in distress!”, Cara protested.
“The bruises you’ll have by tomorrow will tell a different story”, Nat said.
“It was an unfair situation, it was three against one, and they did not even let me draw my weapon.”
Natalie and Walter exchanged glances. Walter just smiled, while Natalie snorted.
“Yeah,” she said, “thugs these days, no manners…”
“This would have never have happened in times of the union”, Walter added facing Cara but his eyes looking at Natalie.
“Oh fuck off…”, Natalie said. Walter just smiled, gesturing at Cara to take a seat.
Natalie still glowering at Walter said, “We need some food how about your special?”
Walter nodded and left.
“What’s the special?”, Cara asked her eyes going wide, imagining that this was some special treat that only the owners personal friends got.
Natalie, just shrugged. “What ever strikes Walters fancy that night, but it’s always delicious.”
“Oh…”, Cara said, her shoulders sagging slightly, she then winced, as her body, now sure that the imminent danger was over, was giving her the damage report, nothing major, but it was lengthy. But then Cara perked up again, “Your style, that was Liechtenauer style, right?”
“Er…” but before Natalie could say anything else, Cara continued.
“First you went into an Alber, coming closer to your foes, the first misjudged the distance to you and ran right into your counter.” As Cara talked her eyes grew ever larger, she took the fork in front of her starting to mimic the moves she had seen with it. “Later you used a very high Tag defence to keep projecting threat… and at the very end you used a Krumphau but while approaching from behind, I’ve never seen one played like that…”
Natalie, was now leaning backwards a bit her own hand inching towards her knife in case she had to defend herself against the retelling of her own fight.
“Someone knows her sources.”, Natalie said.
“Of course, you can’t know the art if you don’t read the sources.”, Cara said sitting up as she said it. “On the other hand, just knowing the words doesn’t make you a great fighter”, she added slowly deflating again.
Natalie nodded. “Without practising the art, the words are worthless”, she said. “How long have you been doing this?” Natalie gestured with her chin towards Cara’s large backpack.
“Four years…”, Cara said her head sinking.
“Four years?”, Natalie said, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible.
Cara deflated even more, wincing again, as her shame allied with her bruises. “Yeah, my master tells me that I don’t have any talent, but that I should not mind that so much, because we all have our limits and that’s nothing to be ashamed about.”
“Did he now?” Natalie asked, “What’s your teacher’s name?”
“Manfred Brumotti von Burg.”
“Never heard of him.” Natalie shrugged.
Silence fell over the table, as Cara began fidgeting, Walter came back with the food, two large plates of pasta, with a rich saffron and cream sauce and large pieces of meat.
“Enjoy”, he said leaving them to their awkward pause.
“So…”, Cara said, “When can you start teaching me?”
Natalie’s fork slipped out of her fingers and clattered on the table. “I am not your master, Cara!”
“But you obviously are a master. I have never seen someone use so many advanced techniques in such a chaotic situation”, Cara said, gesticulating wildly, again making Natalie inch away from her. “I know that I have no talent, but I love fencing and I have no problem with working hard. I spent my first 6 weeks only with footwork…”, she paused for a second, “and my footwork is still bad, but,” she said perking up again, “I will keep working on it. I’m not in a hurry, it’ll take as long as it takes”, she beamed nodding to herself.
“Your footwork, isn’t bad”, Natalie said, “You are just a bit rigid in your movement is all.” Natalie paused, closed her eyes, took a slow breath, “But I can’t be your master. I am still a journeyman myself”, she said gesturing at her staff and her trousers.
“But you could show me some basics? Answer a few questions…”
“Weeeell…”
“Oh, if you are looking for a master you can do much better than with her”, interrupted a man in a stylish suit, wearing a long coat, that was all the fashion in the Atlantic kingdoms to the west. A scabbard containing a bound long sword, was hanging from his belt.
Every corner of Natalie’s face discovered the existence of gravity in this very moment. “Now, you appear…”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Nat, and I am doing great, thanks for asking. And who is that friend of yours?”
Natalie gestured with a limp hand towards the man who had just appeared, “Cara, may I present to you, Robert…”
“Master”, Robert, added with a indulgent smile.
Clenching her fists and teeth Natalie added, “Master… Robert Cavendish Gutierrez… an… old acquaintance…”
Robert’s grin just grew broader with the introduction, he took a chair, which he turned around so that the backrest was facing forward. Natalie, rolled her eyes. Cara remained cautiously confused.
“Walter, old man! How have you been doing!” Robert shouted across the room, startling the other two groups of people in the room.
“I’m old, Robert, not deaf, but I’ve been doing well thank you. Red or white?”
“Walter, old man, you know me. I’m not a wine person, give me a beer, a big one.” This caused a few sharp intakes of breath from the other regulars, this place served wine and very pointedly no beer. Walter just laughed.
“Ah, one of these days you will develop a sense of taste”, Walter said.
“And what a tragic day would that be, because on that day I would stop visiting this place.” Somehow Robert survived saying this. Walter disappeared in the back.
Natalie held her face safely in the palms of her hands mumbling something into them. She peeked over the the tips of her fingers but Robert was still there so she retreated again.
Cara decided to smile. It was a worthy attempt.
“So, Cara, you are the chosen one, eh?”
“Chosen one?”, Cara asked.
“Natalie over here still has one last grand quest open,” he said still beaming, “before she can stop pretending to be a journeyman and finally”, for a moment his smile froze, Natalie glowered with one eye at him, between her fingers, “earn her rank of master.”
“Oh! A quest? For real?”, Cara asked.
“No, not for real.” Natalie’s voice came from between her hands.
“Well for you it might as well be, Nat”, said Robert, now much calmer, “, you need to teach before you can be recognised as a master. And time is running out…”
“I’m not that old…”, Natalie said.
Robert inhaled, wanted to say something, didn’t raise a finger, tried again, another failure. “Nat,… it’s not about you. Not anymore. Six months from now the allied fencing schools of Vienna will host a grand martial tournament and the grand prize is "Tutte le arti della scherma sono solo una. Come tutti i fiori che crescano da uno stesso albero."
“That’s the anonymous 45-7a XII manuscript!”, Cara said.
Robert and Natalie looked at her, Robert a-, Natalie be-mused.
“She knows her sources.”, Robert said.
“But there is only one manuscript”, Cara argued.
“Yes.”, Robert said.
“And there is no transcription.”
“Yes.” Natalie sighed.
“Isn’t that manuscript, like the most closely guarded secret of the Vera Scherma club.”
“It is.”, Robert said nodding, his smile returning and growing with each nod. “And me and Nat over here, really need that book for a little project of ours. Isn’t that right, Natalie?”
“Yes…”
“So I take it,” Robert said, “that you take this Cara…” he hesitated.
“Gibson Müller.”, Cara said.
“Cara Gibbson Müller, as your student?”
“Yes..”
“Well then I declare you almost master and student. You may now spar.”
“YEEESSS!”, Cara jumped up from her chair.
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