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To Train A Dragon Rider (Distain2003 & darkangel76)

They descended into a large clearing at the base of the mountain, a large stream trickling past the cabin set back against the rocks and down into a small lake across the clearing from the cabin. The beast landed and let out a soft groan as he felt the riders quickly slip form his back. Clearly he was pleased to be freed from the riders and soon be free of the saddle that had been bound to his back.

Thanos slipped from his back and quickly undid the straps for the saddle and it fell on the far side of the dragon with a heavy thud. A quick statement in the tongue he seemed to prefer using and the dragon was in the air flying up the mountain leaving the pair alone. Turning he saw the balled fist as she longed to strike him and he smirked under his mask he had driven her to rage the first step of his plan.

"Well go ahead I wont stop you, your going to have to learn to fight sooner or later so why not start by taking a swing at me. " He stood perfectly still completely ready and willing to allow her to unleash her furry on him. Fists never scared him, from the fists of great warrior to the firsts of this young woman. They would not cause permanent damage and he needed to see how strong the woman was if he ever intended to train her.

"I am not your trainer here i am a man teaching you how to survive so if you feel the need to lash out go ahead. " He hissed he wanted her to attack him he wanted to see the rage inside her be released. He was ready for her and would do his best to keep the fury of her attack going as long as she could hold the rage up. He set his feat ready to counter her blow and send her off balance in the other direction. He wanted to embarrass her and make her more and more angry.
 
Liana’s fist froze in mid-air as the dragon rider spoke to her. But his words only angered her further. Blood boiling, rage growing, she swung at the man with all her might, giving in to his taunts. It was the first time she’d ever tried to hit anything, let alone anyone. And she really wanted to hit this man.

As Liana swung, she saw the dragon rider shift his stance. But it was too late to change anything. She’d already thrown all of her body weight into the swing, her momentum too strong to stop. Her fist did indeed make contact with his arm, but the blow was a weak one and soon she found herself falling down and landing, hard, onto her backside.

With a yelp, Liana fell and looked up at the dragon rider. He looked pleased with himself and that only made Liana angrier.

“You bastard!” Liana shouted getting up. This time she charged at him, both hands balled into fists. Before she retired for the evening, this man was going to be hit by her and that hit would hurt. She had no idea how she’d pull off such a thing, but she silently vowed it to herself. And with that vow came determination. Yes, she’d show him.
 
He smirked as she attacked feeling the light tap from the glancing blow on his arm. She was faster then he had anticipated something he was pleased to see. When she stood and charged again he smiled he could work with this anger he could use it to fuel her training. As she came at him again he again side stepped his hand moving to her waist gripping her sword belt and undoing it as she came in. The belt coming lose in his hand as he brought a knee up into her stomach. The blow was far from devastating but it was enough to lift her from her feet and send her flipping head over heals onto her back behind him.

As she stood he tossed both their blades to the side lading near the house he did not want either being tempted to use them in this fight for power. His empty scabbard dangled on his hip as she stood and continued to attempt to prove she could hit him and make him feel it. "Use your anger focus it do not let it control you. Channel it into your blows don't let it cloud your mind. " He snarled as she cam at him again his hand moving to her waist again gripping her bet and turn with her. As she twisted to make the punch he twisted her the other direction and lifting hard on her belt causing her blow to go just wide and her to spin to the ground like an arrow rolling off a table.

He moved so swiftly with flawless control for his motions not waisting a single muscle twitch in the struggle between the pair. For several long minuets the struggle continued as he tried to get her to focus but was only succeeding in pissing her off more. He had to admit the way he was fighting was rather arrogant and could cause a good deal of frustration. Soon she was filthy covered in dirt her close stained by the grass her arms and face filthy from being tossed harshly into the dirt.

As she charged in again he moved in a new way instead of going around her and redirecting her he remained in her path. His arm slipping under hers and his hand locking into her hair, twisting behind her and driving her to the ground. His grip on her hair was firm and causing her hair to ache slightly the way he gripped her arm was twisting her shoulder the wrong way. He was not twisting her hard enough injure her but simply putting an end to the battle as it had gone on to long.

He landed on top of her his feet resting on her thighs pressing them firmly into the ground as he sat on her butt. His free hand gripping her only free limb and moved it to her lower back holding it there firmly. He was pressing her entire body into the ground her cheek her chest stomach and legs all being driven into the ground. "Enough, the fight is over! I am going inside and making something to eat. There is a lean-to on the side of the cabin take the saddle there before you come inside. Leave this in the dirt. "

He was calm his breath barely labored as he moved and stood releasing her quickly and moving from her. He kept an eye on her until he was free of her striking range. Once he was clear he turned gathering his sword and going into the house leaving hers laying in the dirt next to the cabin. He did not expect her to come in he knew she had many issues to work out and the beating she had taken would probably make lugging the hundred plus pound saddle difficult for her.
 
Liana was beyond angry now and when the dragon rider tossed her onto the ground once more, she’d just about had it. Suddenly, he placed his body on top of her own, preventing her from being able to move. It was something she hadn’t expected at all. She wriggled her body beneath his, desperately trying to move, but it was no use. She couldn’t. She could feel the brunt of his weight on her backside, the weight of him heavy, though not as heavy as she’d have guessed. It was almost odd. She could also feel him pressing down on her thighs, his hand gripping one of her own and bringing it down slowly across her back.

Suddenly, Liana felt hot. Her skin flushed a deep shade of pink. The air surrounding her and the dragon rider was cold, but at that moment, she hardly noticed, her focus solely on the feel of him on top of her. She wanted to remain angry, she wanted to hit him, hurt him. But as she laid there, underneath him, unable to move, she found those feelings ebbing away. A strange sort of calm overtaking her instead. Face flushing, she waited to see what he’d do next, if anything. He’d said the fight was over. But was it?

Just then, the dragon rider released Liana. Oddly, she felt a sense of loss as he let go of her, allowing her to move. He looked at her as he stood up, ordering her to take the dragon’s saddle to the lean-to adjacent to the house. She eyed him as he walked away, leaving her there in the dirt as if she were something worthless. Once he was out of sight, she scowled and slowly stood up.

It was hard to stand now. She’d been resting on the ground underneath him and now her body just felt stiff, sore. Groaning as she stood up, she slowly walked over to the saddle. She tried to pick it up and carry it, but the weight of it was too much for her arm muscles at that moment. She wondered if the dragon rider had known she’d have trouble after their little fight. Knowing him, he did and he was have a laugh about it inside the little cabin at her expense.

Liana heaved a sigh and tried again to lift the saddle. Her eyes began to fill with tears of frustration and so she gripped the saddle with both hands and began to drag it along the ground. It was difficult going, but she managed to be able to drag it somewhat. After what seemed like forever, she managed to get it inside the lean-to.

More than exhausted, Liana trudged to the front door of the cabin, the one the dragon rider had gone through when he entered inside it. When she opened the door, the scent of food filled nose. She was famished, tired, sore. Dropping into the nearest seat, she looked at the dragon rider, giving him a glance letting him know that she was hungry and ready to eat something. Her eyes still showed anger, however. And she hoped he saw it. He might have thought their fight was over, but in her mind. It had just begun.
 
The inside of the cabin was fairly simple 2 couches sat flanking a small table with a chair at either end of the seating area. A large wood burning stove sat in the corner a fire going inside filling the cabin's ground floor with heat keeping the cool outside air at bay. The furniture was quite nice considering it was a small cabin in the middle of no where a small stair case lead up to the second floor where the bedrooms where. Thanos had already lit a small fire in the stove in each of the bedrooms up stairs to warm them for the night ahead. He had enough wood to last a few days if they burned all day but they would need to gather more soon.

The house was filled with the sent of the small stakes he was frying in the small kitchen across the cabin from the front door. He had killed a deer the night before and brought it here so he would have food when he returned today from his trip. Soon he brought out the 2 plates and a small cask of ale setting it in the middle of the table on the tray he moved to the couch. The found was not going to be as good as she was used to but he was far from a terrible cook he had been doing it his entire life.

With out a word he filled his glass with ale and took a plate as he sat down on the couch only a few feet from the young woman. His hands began to move to his wrists slowly pealing down the heavy leather gloves that protected his arms and hands from ropes and blades. His hands where very pale as was most of his body being hidden from the light in the armor all day made it hard to get a tan. Small scars dotted his hand from rope burn and small cuts from combat thought they seemed to be in good shape despite the old damage.

His hands then went to his face and gently unhooked the mask that had hidden his identity from her since they had met. Once the 2 small loops where removed from the tiny hooks on the side of the mask it slipped into his hand and then found its way gently to the table. He clearly had not shaved today or the day before dark stubble showed over skin and slightly masked the burn mark on his cheek around the size of a gold coin. He remained silent as he took his first sip in hours and let out a happy sigh before beginning to eat the meat and vegetables that had been placed before him.
 
Liana watched the dragon rider finish up cooking the steaks. Though she was still angry with him, the sight of him cooking, for the both of them no less, touched her in some small way. He didn’t have to do any of that. He could’ve told her she had to fend for herself, forced her to find her own food and figure out how to prepare it. The fact that he hadn’t and was being gracious enough to prepare something for her was… nice.

The dragon rider set the food down on the table, along with a cask of ale and some plates and glasses. Liana sat there in silence as he set the table for the two of them. He then filled his glass with some ale and sat himself down only a few feet away from her. She just sat there unmoving, silent, watching everything he did without uttering a single word.

The silence was almost deafening, but Liana was glad of it in a way. She was still upset, despite the dragon rider’s efforts in preparing them their meal. Though less so than she had been when they’d been fighting earlier. Suddenly, the dragon rider removed his gloves revealing his hands. They were pale and scarred, the hands of a true warrior.

Liana continued to watch the dragon rider as he set the gloves aside and began to move his now revealed hands to the mask hiding his face. She was curious to see what he looked like underneath the black armor. All day now, she’d only been able to see his eyes, those dark, frosty eyes that seemed to be filled with such bitterness and fury. Slowly his fingers worked at the hooks and loops until they were unfastened. He pulled the mask off, revealing a rather handsome, yet battle-hardened face. His hair was dark, matching his eyes, and he had stubble on his face indicating that it had been a couple of days at least since he’d last shaved.

Liana’s breath caught in her chest at the sight of the dragon rider’s face. The corner of her lip quirked upward ever so slightly as she admired him. The beauty she saw in his face hardly matched his manner; it was quite perplexing. She couldn’t help but stare at him as he heaved a sigh and began to eat the food set before him. He turned to look at her just then making her jump and turn away.

Biting down on her lip, her cheeks reddening, she went for her plate and made like she was ready to eat. She was indeed very hungry, though she’d nearly forgotten when her pale eyes were finally allowed to see the dragon rider’s face. Her heart was racing within her chest, her stomach fluttering. She blinked several times and busied herself by reaching for the cask of ale and pouring its contents within her own glass.

Liana looked at the dragon rider from out of the corner of her eye. Finally needing to break the silence, she asked, “You know very well who I am, dragon rider. May I finally know your name? So that I don’t have to refer to you as ‘dragon rider’ any longer?” She brought her glass of ale to her lips and took a sip. Immediately, her eyes watered and she swallowed it down. She had all she could do not to spit it out, it was so strong, so bitter. Once the liquid was fully swallowed down, she couldn’t help but cough, bringing a hand to her chest, trying her best not to pass out.
 
He laughed silently as he saw her jump rolling his eyes slightly before returning to his attention on his plate. It was normal for people to stare at the burn scar on his cheek that was why he had the mask built to cover it. He was not ashamed of the scar but he was tired of people staring at the large circular burn on his cheek. When she asked his name he smirked finishing his bite before leaning back into the couch letting out a soft sigh.

"Actually princess you would be surprised how little i know about you. The people of Phier don't know much about the kings daughter and I have been to busy to pay attention to the royal family. " He spoke softly taking his glass and taking a long slow drink enjoying the bitter ale that he was barely able to get in the barracks. The military did their best to keep the drinking away from their men in the base to avoid the fights that would come with it.

"My name is Thanos not that it matters. " He said softly before returning to his food not for once thinking that the young woman may not have known about his past. It was the story to tell at the base and every single soldier knew about his betrayal of Phier he only assumed that it was the same in the castle. He saw the looks he got when he would enter the towns of the area and assumed that was the reason.

Finishing his meal he stood and took his plate and glass to the sink tossing it in along with the pans from cooking. He soon filled a large pot and set it on the oven in the kitchen to heat while she finished. The water pump on the sink creaked loudly as he filled the sink with some cool water to offset the hot water that would be added soon. He left the kitchen slowly and grabbed his gloves and mask walking past her and to the stairs. "I cooked you get to do the dishes. " He said as if it was a prearranged agreement with a calm and relaxed tone. He moved up to his room leaving the door open so that he could hear if she called for him.
 
Liana watched in silence as Thanos walked away and headed on up the stairs. She was speechless. He claimed to be of Pheir. How it came to be that a dragon rider from Pheir ended up fighting for Azur, let alone be assigned to train her, she had no idea. It astounded her completely. Tilting her head in thought, she wondered how the other dragon riders treated him. Being from Pheir, he had to be considered an outcast. She was willing to bet that very few of them trusted him. So, why would someone in whom they held little trust was assigned to be with her, to train her - the princess and only heir to the throne of Azur? It was rather perplexing.

Trying to absorb the little information Thanos had divulged to her, Liana couldn’t remain angry at him for how he had been earlier. So, she stood up, still deep in thought and went to work on clearing the table and getting ready to wash up the dishes they’d dirtied with their meal. She removed the hot water that had been heating up and along with the cooler water in the sink, she washed everything and then set everything out to dry. Washing the dishes was actually relaxing for her, gave her a chance to unwind and mull over everything that had happened to her that day, not to mention process what she’d learned about Thanos.

Liana found the dragon rider curious now. She feared him, hated him. But were her reasons for such emotions justified? She was beginning to wonder. And she found herself trying to see things from his perspective. Even the things that seemed to make no sense to her. Just then, she looked over and saw the blade Thanos had handed to her back on the battlefield. She went over to it and picked it up, holding it for a moment, trying to get a feel for it. The thing felt awkward in her hands. She’d never touched anything like it before, never had to.

Biting down on her lip, Liana walked over to the stairs and glanced up them. Everything seemed quiet, so she quietly went over to the door and opened it up, stepping outside into the cold night air. The chill was a rush as it struck her fair skin. Blade in hand, she held it up and looked at it. She had no idea how to use the thing, but she felt the need to try and get comfortable holding it. So, delving into her memories of watching fencing matches, she tried her best to imitate what she could remember. Of course, she was sure she was doing things incorrectly and inefficiently, but right now, that didn’t matter to her. All that mattered was trying to get used to how it felt to hold such a weapon. And that perhaps by doing so, she could maybe help make her lessons with Thanos that much more bearable for him.

Thanos. An ex-warrior of Pheir. His face was burned into Liana’s mind. There was so much beauty in it, despite the scars. There was one she noticed in particular, though it was mostly hidden from view since it had been a few days since he’d last shaved. She wondered what would make such a mark. Whatever it had been, she was sure it had to have been painful and the thought of that made her shiver. Slowly, as she danced about with the blade, her anger ebbed away a little more and she found some of it being replaced by a strange sort of admiration.

When Liana finally decided she was finished dancing with the blade, she headed back inside the cabin. She laid the weapon back down from where she’d picked it up and made sure everything was in order before heading up the stairs to her bedroom. The stairs creaked as she walked up them, so she hoped that the noise wouldn’t wake Thanos. She feared that if it did, she’d just get yelled at again and it had been a long day and she knew the next day would be even longer. Heaving a sigh once at the top of the stairs, she headed toward her bedroom.
 
Up stairs Thanos slipped into his room and slowly began removing the pieces of his armor one at a time. The arms and shoulders coming off by themselves and laying on a table near his bed where he stored his armor. The next piece of gear to be removed was his belt holding the sword to his hip it to was laid next on the table and he began stretching as he removed his armor. His body was awakening quickly from the tight confines of his armor and it felt good to have his skin exposed to the air. Even if he was still wearing the vest sleeveless breast plate that kept his most of the scars on his right side hidden.

Six buckles on both his breastplate and pants loosened his armor enough to be removed leaving him standing there in just a simple pair of thing shorts. Every piece of his armor laid on the table not far from his bed along with his sword. He moved to the dresser and put on a shirt and a pair of pants since he had company in his home. Once he was set for the evening he sat down in a chair facing the large window that looked over the lake. Picking up a book that looked to be older then the pair of them combined he began reading taking in the history of the dragons from a text written long ago.

He was completely unaware that the woman he was to be training was out side practicing with her new blade. He would have been proud to see her taking her training into her own hands but he would have never told her that. When she came up the stairs he turned to look out the door staring at the door to her room. When he saw her come back inside he noticed the sweet on her brow and could tell she had gone to blow off some steam in one way or another.

"We will be getting up early we have a lot to do tomorrow, be ready to work very hard tomorrow. " He said softly his shoulders turning showing her that he had changed into something lighter though it still had long sleeves that went to his wrists. "If you need something you can either knock on my door or go find it yourself i will be up late." He said softly before settling back into his chair he had to figure out how he was going to teach someone to do what he did. He had chosen this life to avoid having to train or coddle someone but that choice had backfired yet again.
 
Liana stopped in her tracks, totally startled, when Thanos spoke to her through his partially opened door. She had expected him to be asleep by now, so when his voice sounded in the hallway, she’d nearly jumped out of her skin. Sweaty, tired and trying to relax herself, she just nodded silently and turned to open the door to her bedroom so that she could enter it.

Gently, Liana shut her door behind herself, hearing the latch catch. She leaned back and pressed her back up against the door, heaving a sigh. Heart racing, she felt disturbed. For some reason, when Thanos had startled her, she found herself looking at him differently than she had earlier. It unnerved her, made her almost uncomfortable. He’d divulged such little information about himself, but for some reason they’d had an impact on her. She wondered if that had been his aim or if it was merely coincidence.

Biting down on her lip, Liana closed her eyes. Thanos’ face was burned into her mind. At least now, her image of him wasn’t nearly as daunting as it had been with all that armor on, concealing his features. Shaking her head and blinking, she began to wonder what sort of things he had planned for her the next day. She knew it would more than likely be more difficult than this day had been, but she was curious as to how so.

Weary, Liana pushed herself fully upright and walked over to the bed. She removed her tunic, pants and boots until all she had on was a simple undershirt of sorts. She pulled down the blankets of the bed and sat down on it, stretching and letting out a yawn. She was so very tired, especially after practicing with the blade. Plus, she had no idea as to how early Thanos would wake her up. Though, if she had to guess, it would be early.

Liana brought her legs up on the bed, the sheets cool on her warmed skin, still pink from the exertion of practicing with the blade. She pulled the blankets over her body and snuggled deeply into them, resting her head against the pillow. She laid there for several moments, just staring at the fire blazing dimly in the fireplace on the other side of the room. As she stared at the flames, her mind wandered to the dragons she’d eventually have to learn how to handle before finally settling on Thanos. His face burned into her mind, her heavy eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.
 
Thanos was up reading for another hour before moving to the wall that he shared with the hall. Dozens of signate rings pressed into small slits in the wall to hold them in place decorated the wall. Thanos knelt and began to pray softly, he did not know if there was a deity who could hear him though his suspicion was against it. He did know that if their was he wanted them to know about his friends. For nearly a half hour he named every man on that wall and listed two reasons why they where good men.

He never prayed for forgiveness for either himself or the lives he had taken as he was not sorry for what he had done. He simply explained that their sins where committed for a just reason and should be over looked. After several long minuets he stood and moved to the bed pulling back the covers and setting down. Brushing his hair back out of his face with his hands he laid down and pulled the covers over his head. He was glad to finally be able to lay in a real bed and it caused him to groan happily.

The sun was not yet up when Thanos opened his eyes in the morning letting out a soft groan he sat up and stretched. Moving into the middle of the room he began to stretch, each muscle group in his body was given a good long stretch so he could work today with out hurting himself. Once done with his morning stretch he put on some thicker clothing long brown pants and a heavy long sleeve shirt and left his room. Taking his sword with him he closed the door behind him and used the sheathed blade to knock on her door. "Wake up breakfast will be ready shortly. " The entire time he was speaking his blade firmly rapped on the door.

He quickly made his way down stairs and began cooking. It would be a hearty meal with eggs potatoes and small medallions of of steak. It was more then most would eat for a simple breakfast but he had plans to keep the pair busy today so they would need some energy to do so. As he cooked he strapped his sword belt onto his hip he did not like to ever be with out his blade.
 
Liana awoke to a loud pounding against her door. Letting out a low groan, she pulled the blankets up over her head. The pounding continued and she could hear a low voice speaking to her. Suddenly, she sat bolt upright, blinking several times. Slowly, it was registering that she was no longer in the castle, no longer in her own bedroom or bed. She was somewhere unfamiliar, in a remote cabin with the dragon rider, Thanos.

Looking toward the wooden door of her room, Liana swallowed. She pushed the blankets off her body and shivered at the sudden rush of cold air against her skin. Almost instantly, goose bumps appeared all over her body. She was cold and the fire heating her room was nearly out. Frowning, she dangled her legs over the side of the bed and let her bare feet touch the cold floor. On tip-toe she walked over to the fireplace and picked up some of the wood that had been piled near it and added it to the fire.

Liana heaved a sigh and wrapped her arms about herself. Glancing about her room, now that there was a little bit of light peeking in through the window, she took in her surroundings. The room was small, simple. There was the bed she’d slept in, the fireplace with a small pile of wood nearby it. There was also a small dresser and a tiny mirror above it. Next to the bed was a little table and by the window was a chair, the one she’d tossed her clothes upon the night before. Tilting her head, she retrieved her clothes and put them back on. They did little to warm her body, but she wouldn’t complain.

Once fully dressed, Liana slowly pushed open her door and made way for the stairs. They creaked as she walked down them, making her wince a little at the sound. It was as if they were announcing to any and all present that she was approaching, ready to be mocked and ridiculed for her lack of experience and her naïvete.

Liana caught sight of Thanos making breakfast. He seemed rather content preparing the food, as if lost in thought. She wonder what he was thinking, what he was planning. She couldn’t help but smile a little as she watched. But then she frowned. She began to speculate his thoughts and was pretty sure they had something to do with her training. Probably partly about what to do first with her and partly about how unfortunate it was that he was the one stuck with fulfilling such a task. The thought of being labeled a failure before she’d even begun made her feel ashamed. She wanted to be angry like she had been the other day. But she was still too tired for such emotions to come to the forefront.

Heart pounding, Liana walked toward Thanos. In a soft voice she spoke, “Good morning, Thanos. I hope you slept well.”
 
He remained silent as she came down the stairs the stairs announcing her presence as she came down for the morning. Breakfast was nearly complete when she finally decided to speak to him and he did not respond his mind was still lost in thought. He turned plating the large breakfast that wanted to wash over the sides of the plate and handed her one. Turning he went to the table in the living room and sat down still allowing his mind to wonder about the day and exactly where to start with her.

Finally deciding as he ate with some haste that they would begin building the young womans strength this morning then train her with a sword in the evening. He moved quickly after his plate was empty and vanished into a large closet down stairs the sounds of heavy rustling coming from deep inside. After about 5 minuets he emerged a large bow saw placed over his shoulder crossing his chest with the blade out. A large ax that looked like it had to weigh 10 pounds in his right hand clutched firmly as he moved.

"We need wood for the fires it will make a great way for you to build your strength. When you are done eating meet me outside. " He said softly but sternly clearly having slipped back into his cold murderous persona trying to remained the hardened soldier he struggled to become. He moved outside quickly and around to the back of the house placing the ax in a large wagon before dragging it around to the front of the home. He would force her to pull it in an attempt to build up her strength he also wanted to exhaust her today to force her to build endurance.

He stood outside looking up to the skies out of habit scanning for an impending threat from above. He was a perfect example of not being able to take the war out of the man. No matter her where he was he was always ready for battle even here hundreds of miles from the nearest enemy soldier. He remained nearly motionless until his charge left the home behind him he then turned to face her. "Okay drag this to the tree line and lets get a tree down. " He said turning and walking off to the edge of the forest leaving her to figure out how to get the wagon to him.
 
Liana blinked. Thanos couldn’t be serious! The wagon had to weigh at least two times her own weight, much more than the saddle she’d had to drag to the lean-to the night before. She was still sore from that ordeal, not to mention the practice session she’d done with her blade in an effort to ‘try’.

Cold, sore and frustrated, Liana walked over to the wagon, watching Thanos walk away from her, heading toward the trees. She stared at the wagon, dumbfounded. Knowing it would be of no use, she pushed on it with all her strength. The thing would not move, the wheels barely rolling. Backing away from the wagon, she walked around to the other side and tried to pull on it instead. Still nothing. There was no way she could move the thing. Not with brute strength. She was too small, her muscles soft, weak and delicate.

Biting on her lower lip, Liana looked up to see Thanos staring back at her from several yards away. She was sure he was smiling at her. A vicious smile meant to annoy. She was sure he knew that there was no way she’d be able to move the wagon. She wasn’t stupid. And she could see full well that if she continued to try to push or pull the thing, it would only make her more tired and sore than she already was. In other words, it would make her more useless. She wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction.

Leaning against the wagon, Liana drummed her fingers along its side. She wasn’t sure what Thanos was getting at. He had to know that she wasn’t strong enough to push or pull that wagon. Just like he’d known the night before with the dragon’s saddle.

‘What’s he trying to do?’ Liana wondered to herself.

Finally, deciding that he was trying to test her in some way, Liana began to glance all around for anything useful. Suddenly, her eyes fixed upon the small clothesline over by the cabin. Immediately, she ran over to it and picked it up. She attached one end to the wagon and then began searching for extra rope, anything that could be pulled. She’d show him she wasn’t stupid. Smirking, she began to assemble a small pulley system to help make it a bit easier for her to get the wagon over to the trees. Given what there was available, she could see that moving the thing would be difficult. But with the simple pulley system, at least it would be manageable.
 
Thanos was pleased watching her struggle against the heavy cart he knew it would be a challenge but it was not one that was unsurmountable. He stood watching her struggle in vain to pull then push the stubborn wagon along the ground. He had done it many times and knew it was not easy but it was possible for anyone with the will to get it going and keep it going. When she left and tore down his clothesline he growled ind dissaproval, this was a way to build her strength not prove she was smart.

He walked over to her with a purpose his foot falling heavily on the ropes in her hands holding them down. "You where not told to find a way to get it there, you where told to push the damned thing there. This is not me proving your a weakling or you proving your witty. This is me trying to turn you from a sheltered, spoiled brat into someone who can kill. " He snarled at her his hands moving to the rope and grabbing it before moving to her wrists.

He yanked her to her feet rather roughly and drug her over to the wagon tossing her to the ground rather roughly. With great care her wrapped her wrists keeping her sleeve between the rope and her skin. With in moments he had lashed her hands to the back of the wagon and climbed inside taking the remainder of the line in one hand. "Now push the damn cart to the tree line and ill untie you until the your going to keep trying. "

He snarled bringing down the rope over her shoulder causing it to send a stinging twitch down her back to her bottom where it snapped sharply and would surely leave a welt. He watched her intently and the moment he felt she was about to call out against this plan he brought the rope down again striking the opposite side of her body and butt. He meant business and she needed to learn to handle pain if she wanted to be a soldier.
 
Liana’s eyes widened as Thanos suddenly approached her. The look in his dark eyes sinister, beyond angry. Fear instantly washed over her entire body and it began to tremble. She could see he was restraining, and that only added to the fear she felt. He yelled at her sharply and ripped the rope right out of her hands.

‘What did I do?’ Liana thought to herself, confused, terrified.

Grabbing at her, Thanos tossed her over by the wagon, his eyes emanating malice. With a grumble and sneer, he began to tie up her wrists with the ropes she’d been trying to use for her pulley system. He then tied her to the wagon and climbed inside it, adding to its weight. She looked at him, her eyes wet with unshed tears, her face filled with bewilderment. She hadn’t meant to anger him. She just wanted to show him that she could get the wagon to the place he’d demanded she get it to. The wagon and axe were too heavy, she needed to figure out some kind of way. Had she known her actions would spur on such a reaction, she’d have done something different.

Just then, Thanos snapped one of the loose ends of the ropes at Liana, whipping it so that it struck her shoulder, back and bottom. She bit down on her lip as pain coursed through her body. Wanting to cry out, she turned to look at him. But for some reason, he snapped the other loose end of rope along her other side. This time, she couldn’t hold back the cry.

“Please!” Liana begged, her legs wobbling a little as her body processed the pain Thanos had just caused her. She looked into his eyes, but all she could see was a coldness, an anger that was solely directed at her.

Wanting to vomit, Liana turned around. She couldn’t look at Thanos. The fear and hatred she’d felt the other day for him was returning in full force, drowning out any feelings of admiration and compassion that had slowly started to form. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she tried to walk toward the tree line. The ropes cut at her wrists, despite the fact that the sleeves of her tunic were between her skin and the ropes themselves. The bite in the air only making it worse. Trying to walk forward, wrists hurting a little, she couldn’t move. The wagon was too heavy. Even if the axe and Thanos hadn’t been inside it, it still would’ve been too heavy for her to move.

Liana glanced over her shoulder. She could’ve sworn she saw Thanos grinning at her maliciously, enjoying the fact that she was suffering from pain and humiliation. She felt less than human, like some sort of wild animal, being bound and forced to move something she clearly couldn’t move. More tears fell and she began to whimper. She hated Thanos. She hated him with all that she was. If she’d been strong enough, she knew she’d enjoy hurting him at that moment. Again, she tried to walk forward, but it was no use. The wagon wouldn’t budge. All that happened was that the ropes cut into her wrists. That and the exertion she made in trying to move the wagon and its contents only made her muscles ache and cramp up.

An hour, if not more, went by and Liana was still unable to move the wagon. She was sobbing by this point. Her legs and arms felt like they were on fire they were so sore, her wrists were bleeding from the ropes. Sweat covered her from head to foot, soaking through her tunic, only adding to the strange chill she felt from being hot from her efforts and the stinging coldness of the air. Her eyes were red-rimmed from the crying and her lower lip was bleeding from biting down on it. Still, she couldn’t move the thing.

Ready to collapse and wanting to die. Liana tried to pull the wagon just one more time. She let out a scream as she tried, the wagon moving barely an inch before her body fell to the ground as if it were lifeless.
 
Thanos stood and watched her try in vain to move the heavy wagon and he rolled his eyes. If she would not have let her emotions get the best of her he was certain she would have been able to do it even with him inside. Grumbling he got out and untied her moments after she collapsed shaking his head this was going to be more of a challenge then he thought. He reached under her and scooped her up laying her gently inside the back of the wagon and then moved behind it it.

Throwing a heavy shoulder into the back the wagon began rolling slowly soon shifting his weight and began pushing it with ease. It was like a giant stroller for him pushing around the young woman who he needed to break down and build back up if she was ever going to be a soldier. Once the wagon had reached the tree line he reached inside and took the ax, he said not a word to her not wanting to push her to far to fast. It was to late to scare her away and break her permanently he now had to train her no matter how troubling it would be.

He vanished from view from the inside of wagon moving to a tree a dozen or so yards away and began scoring the tree with the ax. Once he had cleared the bark away he raised the large ax and brought it to bear on the tree a loud crack filling the area as it sank into the tree. Moving slowly he took the saw and tossed it to the side so he could move more freely. The falls of the ax began ringing threw the forest much faster now only seconds apart as he chopped the nearly 2 foot thick tree down.

Soon the sounds of the ax faded to the soft hum of the ax as he sawed away the last bit of the tree so it would fall safely. A few moments later a loud crack filed the forest and the tree groaned as it began to fall to the ground. The sound of fracturing branches and the heavy trunk slamming into the ground broke the silence. He was going to give her plenty of time to recover from his abuse before he forced her into working again. He began cutting the thick tree into small pieces kicking each round of wood away from the tree as he made his way up the 40 foot length to the bottom of the branches.
 
Slowly, Liana opened her eyes. She was in the bed she’d slept in the night before. Turning her head, she saw that it was still light outside and began to wonder what time of the day it was. Her head throbbed and her eyes were sore. As she shifted her body to sit up, she let out a low groan. Her entire body ached and her wrists stung like someone had dowsed them in salt water. She looked at them and saw the rope burns and bruises marring the flesh. Closing her eyes briefly, trying to adjust to the pain she felt throughout her body, she moved to sit up. She let out gasps as she did so.

Liana sat on the edge of her bed for several moments before attempting to stand. Every so slowly, she pushed herself upright and off the bed. Her muscles quivered and shook as she stood up, letting her know that they’d been pushed well beyond their limit. Wincing, she took a few steps forward. She felt a little dizzy, like the room was spinning. And the pain in her head was excruciating. Once at her door, she stopped and leaned against it, her hand on the knob. She wondered how she’d gotten into her room because she didn’t remember going there. And given the state she was in, she was certain that she couldn’t have gone there on her own. Not without assistance.

Eyes watering from the pain, Liana twisted the door knob and opened her door. Slowly, she stepped out and into the hallway. Her entire body hurt so badly, her wrists feeling as though they were on fire. She gripped the hand rail when she reached the stairs and leaned on it for support. Muscles shaking, she began to step down the stairs one by one at a glacial pace. Each step took such an effort, caused so much pain. The stairs creaked loudly as she slowly moved down them.

Finally, Liana reached the bottom of the staircase. The cabin was empty, so she slowly walked toward the door. Tired from the energy it took to move from her bedroom to the front door, she leaned against it and panted heavily. She was out of breath, dizzy, aching. Letting out a slow and painful exhale, she opened the door and looked outside.
 
Thanos cut the tee to the base of the branches wanting to save them for her to used for strength training. He had placed her in the bed to give him room to load the wagon to get the wood back up to the house. Soon he had loaded the 20-30 pound lumps of wood into the wagon and tossed the ax inside. Burring his back into the wagon he began pushing it back to the house. He wished he had a horse to help him do this but it would be a waist to have a horse around this home. It would just get stolen or eaten with no one to watch over the poor beast.

It took him nearly an hour to push the large heavy wagon up to the house parking it around the back next to the lean-to where the wood was stored. He slowly rolled out 2 logs and stacked them to be split sinking the head of the ax into the large chuck of wood. Turning he then moved into the house his legs aching sorely closing his eyes relaxing as he walked around to the front door.

He nearly walked into the girl, opening his eyes only moments before walking head first into her. He stood there calmly preparing for her to lash out and attack him for beating her and harming her. He fully expected and accepted the fact that she would hate him. All that mattered was that she learned what it took to do what he did every day, to prepare her for the horrors of war. He did not want to sugar coat it and have her be slain the first time she saw the field.

"Well... Have at it... I know your going to scream and yell about it so go ahead." He said he was to tired from felling the tree to argue with her right now he just wanted to go inside and relax for a minuet or two. His eyes noticed how she was standing and realized she was struggling to stand. Moving into her picking her up rather abruptly he carried her inside and laid her onto one of the couches before moving to the other and doing the same.
 
Liana laid on the couch, silent for several moments. She looked over at Thanos who laid down on the other couch. He seemed exhausted, though not even remotely as much as she was. Then again, he was bigger, stronger, used to such physical exertions. Twisting to her side, she let out a groan as pain radiated throughout her body. Letting out small gasps, she propped herself up a bit.

“One day I’ll move it,” Liana said, her voice a bit raspy from her earlier sobs and shouts. “You’ll see. One day.”

Liana let herself drop back down against the couch once more, her body so tired, so sore. She had no idea how she’d ever be able to move that wagon given her size, but if Thanos thought her capable, then she had to at least try. Again, the thoughts of him yelling at her, tying her up, were all but a distant memory.

Clearing her throat, Liana spoke, “Thanks for helping me to bed.” She paused a moment. “And I’m not going to say I’m sorry that I couldn’t move that damned wagon,” she added. “But I will say that next time I’ll try harder.”

Liana didn’t expect her words to mean anything to Thanos. In fact, she expected him to merely snort and roll his eyes at her, thinking her a pitiful waste. But, she felt that they’d needed to be said. She needed for her own thoughts on the situation, now that she was able to look back on it with a clearer mind, to be known, heard.

Head pounding, Liana rubbed at her temples, her wrists stinging as the moved them. Again she looked at them, the wounds raw and throbbing. She needed to wash them and bandage them up. Sitting up slowly, she decided to try and head for the sink so that she could tend to her wounds and hopefully make them heal that much faster. At this rate, she’d never be able to properly train and Azur was counting on her. She didn’t want to let them down. She didn’t want to let Thanos down.
 
Thanos laid there and listen to her explain how she would get the wagon moving next time. He was not sure anymore if she could or not at this point but she needed to try. He was glad she was so determined to prove herself it would make this easier in the long run. Though her emotions would make things a challenge in the long run but it was going to be quite the challenge.

"Tomorrow your going to take the limbs off the tree i cut down today with your sword. Your goal is going to be to remove them with one swing with as short of a motion as possible. When your able to do that you have a decent chance at learning to sword fight. " He said still laying down his body ached and he knew that he needed to get out and do some more work before he went to bed. "You also need bring in wood in the morning so we can keep this place warm tomorrow. "

He knew he sounded like a slave driver but she was proving to be quite determined to please him and all these small tasks would help her build up her strength. He had groan up working to take care of his family and it had helped build up his strength holding and his grip. His eyes fell on her and scanned her from she certainly did not have the build of a fighter she was not made for fighting he wished he could prove that to her. She belonged with a family not out killing people.
 
Liana was grateful that Thanos didn’t mock her, be it with words or expression. If he thought her words silly or meaningless, he at least didn’t show it. He then told her about the tasks he had in mind for her the next day. It sounded difficult, and feeling the way she did at present made it seem like it would be even more so. She knew full well that her muscles would still ache the next day, but she also knew she’d try harder unlike earlier in the day with the wagon. This time she’d do her best not to let him down.

Liana nodded. “All right,” she replied softly, gently poking the wounds on her wrists.

Slowly, Liana stood up. Her legs were shaky, wobbly, but she walked over to the sink so that she could wash out the cuts marring the flesh at her wrists. The water caused her to gasp a bit, but within moments, she got used to the feel of the water over the raw skin. She then picked up the soap and rubbed it until she had a nice, thick lather on her hands. She knew the soap would sting, but it was better to endure that than to chance an infection. So she rubbed the lather over her wrists, whimpering a little at the pain. When she was satisfied that the wounds were clean, she rinsed her wrists off and patted them dry with a coarse towel.

Liana turned to look at Thanos. “Are there any bandages lying about that I can use? I’d really like to wrap up my wrists.” She gave him a small smile, trying to hide the pain she felt with the slightest of movements of her body.

Making her way back to the couch, Liana heaved a small sigh. She wondered if Thanos would make her do anything else that day or if he’d let her rest for the tasks waiting for her come the next. Sitting down, she looked into his dark eyes, waiting for him to answer her.
 
He nodded and stood up moving to the closet again dropping to a knee he and beginning to search. Soon he returned with a large spool of cloth and returning to the couches and setting down with a sigh. Tossing the roll over to her it landed with in a few inches of her on the couch. He knew he could not just give in and call it a day she had not done much to earn time off. He finally nodded and stood again taking a deep breath and moving to the door she getting ready to make the move.

"Once your done there meet me outside we need to work on your stamina or you won't last a minuet in a fight. We are going around the lake it is about 5 miles you can decide your own pace." He spoke softly stepping outside relaxing as the cool air hit his skin it felt great on his tired muscles. Closing his eyes he began to stretch his legs again he did not want the tired muscles to get injured on their jog. This would be need to become a nightly ritual if he wanted to help her train and get stronger and faster.

Once she finally come outside he began to walk at a rapid pace down to the lake he took care to stay close to her so he could help her or defend her if need be. He knew there where dangerous animals in these woods and moving around this close to night time could be rather dangerous. As they moved along the lake the area was quite nearly perfectly still save their breathing and tired foot falls.
 
Liana’s legs were a little steadier after the short rest, but they were far from perfect. She heaved a sigh when she saw Thanos immediately headed toward the lake as soon as he caught sight of her. ‘He certainly doesn’t waste any time,’ she thought to herself. Giving her dark hair a flick over her shoulder, she followed his lead.

Thanos’ pace was much quicker than Liana’s. But he’d said she could move at her own pace and she intended to. She’d try her best, but if she felt any pain, any unmanageable pain, she’d slow herself down without hesitation. And she didn’t care what he thought of that. The way she saw it, so long as she tried her best without compromising herself completely, she had to be doing at least a little something right, a little something to be proud of.

Liana finally reached the lake and began her light jog around the inky black waters. She was sure they were cold, much like the air. Hugging the shoreline, she moved as fast as she could without hurting herself further. Thanos was already a good distance ahead of her, but still well within view. She glanced up at the sky. It was still light outside, but she could see that dusk would soon be upon them. No doubt fully engulfing them by the time they made it around the lake entirely and back up to the cabin.

Thanos was pulling farther and farther ahead as Liana jogged around the lake. She tried to regulate her breathing, but it was tough. Her lungs hurt, her body still so very sore. But she pressed on, doing her best to follow. She noticed him slow down a few times, allowing her to catch up a little and for that she was grateful. Though it also burned her that he had to do that. It only proved his points more, points that she wasn’t suited to become a dragon rider.

Honestly, Liana had no idea if she was suited to become a dragon rider. It definitely wasn’t a life she’d choose for herself if given the option. But she knew the risks when she secretly placed her name in for the lottery. Now, she had to answer the call, be there for Azur, her people. She hoped she could live up to the task at hand and make everyone proud. She didn’t want to fail, be considered a joke.

Liana’s pace slowed as she continued her jog. She developed a stitch in her side and her legs were starting to tremble once again. Regardless, she didn’t stop; she held form. It was hard, but she managed, though she wondered how much longer it was until she made it full circle around the body of water. She hoped it wasn’t too much.
 
Thanos kept his pace slow to keep the young woman in sight not wanting to out pace her to far. The jog around the lake was little more then a leasurely walk for him as he preferred to run then jog. He kept a close eye on her waiting for her to fall and give in for the time being. Seeing her beginning to lag even more he paused and went to the lake bending down deep he began to splash water over his face and back. His clothing was soon soaked as he cleaned himself in the chilly waters of the lake. Once she was appon him he began walking along side of her silently, they had less than a mile to go and he was not going to let her quit now.

He walked facing her silently making sure she knew he was watching knowing that she would not let herself fail in his sight. Deciding to change the way he was training her focusing on getting her body used to the exertion before focusing on the strength aspect. She was still months away from even meeting a dragon let alone learning to fight on one. He hoped she could make it if she was going to ruin her lovely form to sculpt it for battle she would need to use it.

As they reached the house he grabbed her arm lifting it onto his shoulder wrapping his arm around her lower back taking her weight from her. He knew her body was drained and he was not going to force her any more, the sooner she got into bed again the sooner she could be ready in the morning. He carried her weight up the stairs to her room and gently laid her onto the bed with out a word. Moving to the door he closed it behind him he was tired and wanted to get some sleep.

The moment her door was cloths he began removing the clothing that had clung to his sculpted form peeling the shirt off like it was extra skin. Tossing the wet rag over next to the fire place he stoked his fire and stripped down to his shorts. Once in just his shorts he moved to the bed and crawled inside, his body to tired to bother reading tonight.
 
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