Mentorship

"Get up, small one."
"But it hurts." She wheezed.
"It will hurt much more if you do not get up."

The snow fell gently around them, the wind blowing softly and causing the falling flakes to dance back and forth. The sun hung low in the sky behind a blanket of grey clouds, embracing the land with a frigid hold. The evergreens swayed in the gentle breeze, casting long, dancing shadows over the training field.

The girl staggered to her feet, coughing and trying to catch her breath. The sharp blow to her stomach had knocked the wind out of her, nearly sending her to wretch as she clenched the sword in her hand. The towering Khajiit stood before her, uninjured as he stared at the girl with an unimpressed gaze.

"Stand and fight Ali'sad." He spoke in his deep, gruff accent.

Colleen grit her teeth, furrowing her brow and grasping her blade tightly. She lunged for her mentor, slashing the steel down towards his body viciously. Unfortunately, her savage style stood no match for the Khajiit's reflexes, the latter easily slipping out of the way of the blade and replying with a quick fist of his own.

The Nord girl fell to the ground holding her throat, gasping shortly and clawing her free hand at the snow, eyes wide. Ali'sad stared down at her with vehemence. He stepped towards her, his plated form clanking in the wind as he grabbed her by the collar and lifted her to her feet.

"What is this, small one? You cannot even pose a challenge to Ali'sad, no?"

She tried to spit at him but could not, coughing and wheezing from the sheer lack of oxygen. The Khajiit dropped her in the snow. "The small one is weak. The small one has far to travel before she can survive. The small one will never make it at this rate."

Colleen pushed herself upright, pursing her lips and doing her best not to seem winded. She would not let her mentor see her weakness. She would not appear weak. She would prove that she was stronger than him, better than him. Some day, she would overcome him and they would see who would laugh.

The Khajiit stared at her battered form as she rose to her feet. Ali'sad turned around and began to tread through the snow, kicking up powder behind him that was carried off in the wind. He did not look back as she struggled to her feet, stumbling along after him. He would not accept her weakness and she would not show it.

She held her stomach as she staggered along after him, trying to regulate her breathing in the dying light. She might be beaten but she would not be bested. She would prove her strength and, eventually, she would prove her superiority over her mentor. Ali'sad was harsh, but she would prove him inferior.

They tread quietly into the sunset.