I watched Aphiwe thrusting over and over exactly how I taught her. I approached and as soon as she saw me her face brightened. She straightened up and pced the butt of her training spear on the ground and stood straight. “Sister! I have been training!”

  I smiled at her and bent down to be face to face with her and scented the air. My mark had faded a bit and a little regret burned in my heart that I wasn’t there to make sure she was of my scent. I scooped her up by the armpits and pulled her to my chest. She squealed lightly as I rubbed our cheeks together and nuzzled into her neck marking her once more.

  Aphiwe squirmed and giggled at the attention before I set her down and she got serious again. “You haven’t been around much Sister.”

  I frowned at her and knew it was true. I had promised myself that I would be learning how to care for pups but my drive to gain more power as fast as possible was filling my chest. “I know Aphiwe, I have been working hard to be stronger. I’ve found a unique way to gain strength quickly. You know I must be strong for all of you.”

  Aphiwe looked away, “Melokuhle has been training and correcting my form. Did you see me?”

  I nodded and rubbed behind her ears gently, “It is very uniform. That is good progress for such a young pup. Now that you know the thrust I will show you the next move.” I walked to the spear and grabbed a practice one for myself.

  “You are too small yet to practice with a shield and spear at the same time. Instead you are learning the two handed fighting style. The danger of such a style is that people can slip past the tip of your spear and get close to you. So you must learn the ways to fend off such people.” I walked next to her as she glued her eyes to me. “It is not cowardly to give ground in battle, we are going to teach you the retreating strike.”

  I assumed the base stance I already taught my young charge and felt my body rex into the familiar stance. I imagined in my mind the enemy charging at me. I thrust forward imagining the person slipping aside and coming at me. In my minds eye I watched as I sprang back sweeping my spear low to tangle in the legs of my phantom opponent. Recover and thrust down into my fallen opponent.

  “You rush backwards and sweep towards your opponents legs, not too low but at the knee. The ankle is too easy to lift out of the way or stomp on your spear tip. You unch back, sweep, and thrust into the fallen enemy. If you spring back and the enemy doesn’t follow you thrust once more towards the throat.” I set the spear to stand and looked at Aphiwe. Now do this, sweep left and kill the fallen opponent.” I cradled the spear in the crook of my arm so I could smack gently onto the areas she didn’t move correctly.

  Aphiwe’s thrust was good, then she tried to spring backwards and tripped over her own ankle nding on her backside with a whoosh of air. I jabbed her belly with my spear gently, “You just died. Do it again.”

  I watched as she stood and assumed her stance again. Aphiwe assumed her stance and I id the spear across her shoulders. “We need to change, you will practice the retreating spring.” I pressed her knees into a bend and stopped her. With one hand on her colr bone I helped her unch herself back a step. I looked at her and smacked her inner ankles to spread them apart.

  “You must nd in a strong stance. Without a strong base you lose strength.” I watched with hawk eyes as she bent her legs too deep and I smacked her knee gently, “Too low. It’ll wear your legs out.”

  She moved again with guidance and nded slightly better but stumbled after a heartbeat. Her backfoot had slipped. I frowned thinking about what I was missing in her training. She was clumsy, young though, no one would be able to see her agility until she awakened. “Hold Aphiwe. I’m rushing you. Come follow.” I walked to the line of the circle and banced the center of my feet on it without effort.

  “Bance Aphiwe,” I tapped the line with the tip of my spear. “Line up your feet and take a step towards me.”

  She stepped and wobbled. I tapped her just strong enough to get her back to center. I walked backwards effortlessly as she walked towards me with her bance wavering. Each time she looked like she would fall I remembered all the times my mother would let me fall and scrape my skin raw on the dirt. You should let her fall. I swallowed and couldn’t bring myself to do it. I corrected her with taps and helpful stability.

  “Continue going in the circle. I’ll be right behind you.” I walked behind her this time and took a deep breath while watching her every move. Memories of stinging sharp pain from the harsh switch my mother used in my training left phantom kisses on my skin as I caught Aphiwe’s every stumble.

  “Am I doing ok Sister?” Came the shaking unsure voice of my young charge.

  “Two more circles and we will change to the next thing. When you are ready, go faster.” The doubt in the girl was pin as she went in a circle without speeding up. The second circle she took one half step faster. I couldn’t catch her as she spilled across the ground.

  I stepped to her and set the spear aside. She bounced back quickly and brushed herself off. I turned her to me and looked at her body. Scrapes were all along her knees and the base of her palms. I could see the light tears in her eyes and my heart clenched gently.

  “No worries, I can help.” I pressed my hands against her cheeks and kissed her forehead gently channeling the healing magic I had into her. The young girl sighed gently as the energy flooded her. I pulled her away, the scrapes were gone leaving the barest hints of scars much like my own.

  I swallowed the kisses of pain I remembered and pat Aphiwe on the head. “There. I’m going to stop correcting you. While you practice I will be here to heal you.”

  “Did Ade heal you?” Aphiwe looked at me with luminous wide eyes.

  “Go practice.” I turned her shoulders and brought her back to the line.

  I stepped away fighting inside myself. I wasn’t toughening her up. Was that the right thing? Ade would push her harder. The young girl caught herself when she stumbled.

  …

  Pain fred in my calf as Mother smmed the ft of her switch against it. I had stumbled again. Her voice filled me, “You have to be strong! The strong don’t stumble.” I straightened and started to run along the circle once more as Mother kept pace with me.

  SNAP!

  The side of my leg bled from this hit as the welt formed instantly. The side of my shin was bloody from all the times I had already been hit. I focused my mind the best I could and stared at the line forcing my feet to be pced perfectly to avoid the stinging pain. I was so engrossed in the focus I didn’t see the staff being swung at my head.

  It crashed into my forehead sprawling me into the ground. “You were too focused! You must be aware of your surroundings!” My head swam as I went to my feet and stumbled. Again the switch struck the soft flesh of my calf as my leg went out of line. “Run! Run or be punished!”

  I started to run again. The swimming of the world made it so difficult and my legs were beaten harder for each step I failed. I ducked another staff and leapt over another. My lungs burned from breathing the hot air as I was pushed harder. Thirty ps ter I was stopped. I looked at all the blood stained dirt around the circle’s lines as both my legs bled and stung like a thousand ants were eating my skin.

  “Good, you’ve done the best of all my children.” The warm strong hand nestled between my ears and scratched me just the right way as I closed my eyes. All the pain was nothing compared to these moments. “You are worthy of being born of my womb. Now, work the stones. The pile needs to move across the training yard by the rise of the sun. Do so and you will dine with me.”

  Thoughts of my mother feeding me filled me with determination. Her praise was like gold, rare, valuable, everything I wanted. “Mother, what else may I do for you?”

  “You will be my strongest warrior at this rate. When you ascend you will be stronger than most.” I watched as she pulled out the water pouch and handed it to me. “Drink daughter, drink and work hard.”

  …

  Aphiwe was bent over holding her knees and covered in sweat as I approached. I pced my hand between her ears and scratched lightly. Those ears flicked back and forth as she rexed. “Drink little sister.”

  She took my waterskin and drank deeply, the water running down her chin and neck. She was gasping and tired as I rubbed her on the shoulder. Her brilliant smile made something flutter in my chest. “What else can I do to be stronger?”

  “Lift the stones, bring them across the training ground. Do as much as you can and I will bring you to the feast hall and we shall eat together.” It was what I always wanted from Ade. “Would you like that?”

  “Will Melokuhle and Bongani be there?” Aphiwe looked at me imploringly. A selfish part of me wanted to horde this time with the young girl. I didn’t know why it was all I wanted to pick her up and hold her to me. “Please?”

  I wavered then looking into those deep brown eyes, she isn’t done. All the stones must be moved. “Yes, we will go get them together.” You aren’t pushing her enough!

  I took deep calming breaths as I watched Aphiwe pick up the first stone. Her legs quivered and her arms shook but I could see the concentration on her face. Mother would have struck me for being too focused. My hand twitched towards the spear. I swallowed and put the shaft back on the rack. Closing my eyes I pushed away the feeling of failure. I whispered, “I will find a new way to strength.” A lifetime of pain filled my mind as I looked at the hundreds of phantom wounds from switches and staves.

  Clenching my fists I looked at the young girl. A deep breath of air filled my lungs as I brought the waterskin to my lips. “I am strong. I will control my destiny.” The others won’t be happy with you when they return. When they smell your cock has been in all their women. “I am strong.”

  I walked to the board to practice striking and pulled the new techniques impnted in my mind and started to familiarize myself with punches and kicks. I didn’t feel the pain from striking the hard wood, I was numb from such things. Aphiwe will need this.

  I pushed thoughts away, losing myself to the rhythm as my body grew faster with every movement. The knowledge of strikes ended in my mind. Stopping I felt a new stream of ideas enter my mind. Ways you can bend someone in your hands, push them to breaking points until they submit. I smiled to myself. There are people I could definitely practice with my mates. While getting stronger.