Page 5 of Journey to the Elderoak
“No,” he said, chuckling.
She scoffed and tried to shove him playfully, but he was so strong he didn’t even move an inch with her effort. Instead, he snatched her wrist and tugged her closer.
“Nice try,” he said, eyes roving over her face. “You must do better than that if you mean topush me over.”
“We haven’t started hand to hand combat yet,” she whispered. “Maybe you should teach me.”
He leaned closer, lips hovering near her ear. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
A shiver went down her spine as he leaned back and looked down at her, a challenge in his eyes. She swallowed, unable to break his stare, as he watched her a moment longer before letting go and turning away.
“Alright, let’s learn,” he called over his shoulder as he strode to the straw mats laid out on the deck.
“Wait…now?” She hurried to catch up.
Casimir stood in the center of the makeshift ring and turned to face her, tying his hair back with a leather strip. “Yes, now.”
Ava joined him in the ring, shifting on her feet. Why was she so nervous? Probably because the very large, very attractive and sometimes flirty general of her kingdom’s armies was about to get more hands on than they had so far in the last six weeks of her training. Sure, he coached her on the sidelines through the obstacle course and taught her how to wield a sword, but this was different.
Shaking out her arms, she rolled her neck back and forth. “Okay, what do I do?”
“Try to punch me.”
“I don’t really know how to throw a decent punch.”
“I figured, but I need to see how you do it so I can fix your technique.”
She steadied herself. Pulling her arm back, she shot her fist forward, aimed at Casimir’s chest. He caught her hand, freezing her punch in the air.
“That was worse than I expected it to be.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Now, let’s fix your arm position. You need to keep your wrist straight or you’ll break it.” He lifted her armand adjusted it, holding her elbow at a ninety-degree angle with her forearm parallel to the ground. “Punch like this.” He moved her arm forward, keeping everything aligned. “Try it,” he said as he stepped back.
She punched the air several times, practicing the move. Despite the muscle she’d gained the last couple months, it felt awkward and weak.
“Better, but it still needs work. Now, you need to adjust your stance.” He walked around and came up behind her, placing his hands on her hips, and she tried to ignore the way her body heated at his touch. And the way his fingers dug into her hip bones with the subtlest pressure. And the way he smelled. And…
“Ava, are you listening?”
“Yep!” Her voice came out higher pitched than she’d intended. “I’m an excellent listener. Your best student.”
“Mmm hmm,” he said, giving her the tiniest squeeze as if he could read her mind. “Pay attention. Place your feet shoulder width apart, like when you’re wielding your sword. Put your foot slightly forward, the one on the same side as the arm you’ll punch with.” She did as he instructed. “You’ll face your opponent at a slight angle. Keep your fists at chin height and your elbows close to your body.”
“Okay,” Ava said, her voice coming out hoarse.
“Now throw a punch when I tell you to. Keep your core tight and rotate your hips. Ready?”
She prepared herself.
“Now.” Ava punched the air again, Casimir turning her hips in time with her strike. “Again.”
She repeated the motion several times, Casimir not releasing her as he coached her through the moves. Once she had the movement down, he let go and walked back to face her again.
“Punch me as hard as you can,” he instructed.
Ava balked. “Where?”
