The praise got to Maeve in a strange way, and a glowing orb seemed to light up in her chest at the words, brighter even than the sun that was now shining down upon them. She was not used to feeling pride, only embarrassment, fear, and shame, but now she allowed herself to accept the well-earned praise with grace. Perhaps there was a time and place that she could be proud to just be herself, and perhaps that time was now, and that place here.
"Cannae believe Mary beat ye down!" someone called, and Mary turned to see Ferda and Darren standing together at the side of the training grounds. Darren was the one who had called out, teasing his friend. Darren winked and added, "Until Cailean got ye pinned on the ground, Mary. I suppose ye're nae a miracle worker."
"The real miracle is that ye made it out of bed before lunch," Cailean called back, and general laughter sounded from the crowd that had grown around them. Many had arrived during their fight, and Maeve was stunned to see how many people had been watching their little bout — and cheered forher.
"She's a danger," one of the woman warriors called out. "Mary, I'll send ye after me husband if he keeps up stealin' the blanket every night."
"Nae wonder Senan took ye in," a man added. "I bet ye threatened him with that sword and tripped him intae a burn. He was probably drippin' wet and ready tae drown when he finally agreed tae take Mary as a student."
That caused much more laughter around them, but rather than taking the teasing personally, the buoyancy of the success and praise made Maeve see it for what it was — good-natured banter from people who might soon be her friends. Maybe even her family.
Ferda called out, "Cailean, are ye needin' a wee rest after that?"
"Rest is for those who've got time," Cailean retorted. "And it seems like I'm gonnae be quite busy for the rest of the day." He nodded toward Maeve. "After all, I've got a new student tae train — if she doesn't overbalance me again."
"Ye'd better watch yerself," Maeve told him daringly, inspired by the lighthearted mood around her and her own good mood. She theatrically pointed her sword toward him and said, "If I have me own way, ye'll never be fully balanced again."
Cailean grinned. "Is that so? Bring it on."
* * *
The morning's training was not just the two of them, which Maeve was reluctant to admit made her secretly disappointed. She'd enjoyed the bond that she and Cailean had formed in that strange, intimate battle, but she knew that she needed to be flexible and ready to take whatever was thrown at her. Cailean organized the gathered warriors into pairs, matching her up with Fergus Bruce first, then Darren, then another rebel and another.
As the morning wore on, Maeve became more achingly aware of the bruises on her body and the tiredness in her mind, but her spirit did not falter. She threw herself into each battle with renewed determination, taking the blows when she failed but allowing herself to feel pride and satisfaction when her clever tactics or quick dodges succeeded. Unfortunately, as the morning wore on, the former was more noticeable than the latter. She was not a trained warrior, and exhaustion quickly began to overtake her.
"Ye're fallin' behind," her current partner, a rough but kind man named Jock, pointed out with a laugh. "I've knocked ye on yer behind thrice."
"Aye, and I keep gettin' up," she replied, then pounced toward him again, her sword drawn.
Jock laughed and met her sword with his.
Each of the others teased her as the sparring continued, but after some time, the teases gave way to genuine camaraderie and maybe even respect. By the time she faced Darren again, the other man simply said, "Ye're doin' a damned better job than anyone expected."
"Good," she panted. It was all she had the energy for.
After a while, they stopped the sparring, but the day's training wasn't done yet. Cailean ordered them all to run laps around the training field, taking the lead himself. Maeve could not believe the effortlessness with which he seemed to be able to run after all this time training, and her body screamed with the effort, but she gamely threw herself into the run along with everyone else.
This was when it became clear that she was well behind her peers. Her muscles screamed at her and soon her run became a jog, then not long after, a stumbling walk as she struggled to keep up. Cailean eventually indicated that she should stop, but though her aching body longed to agree, she stubbornly kept walking, determined to finish just as many laps as everyone else even if it meant she had to crawl the final circle. Thankfully, it didn't come to that, though when she made it back to the middle of the field, she collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily.
"I did it," she said to nobody in particular. "Naebody can say I didnae."
"Tae Mary the determined!" Darren called out, and someone else cheered.
"We're done for the day," Cailean announced after a while. "At least for the mornin' session. Everybody should go rest and get themselves something tae eat, and we'll resume after lunch."
Maeve's body cried out in agony at the idea of doing even more, but instead of showing it, she burst into laughter. Some others around her began to laugh too, and Maeve began to realize the real kind of warmth and camaraderie which was truly surrounding her.
Sitting back, Maeve rubbed her aching hands together, feeling their stiffness as she laid her sword to the side. Others who had taken part in the training were also sitting down on the field and gathering their energy, so Maeve did not feel ashamed for just sitting around, though she did catch more than one of them looking at her with concern.
Was this it, then? Was this what life was to be? Maeve remembered herself as a young girl, lost in the world, without anyone to help her, and wondered how that little girl would feel if she could see her now. Would she have even believed what she was seeing before her? Probably not. Young Maeve had never believed that she would account for anything.
But looking around her now, she wondered if all that she had been missing for her whole life was her place. Could this really be it?
"Room for me?" someone asked. She looked up and saw Cailean standing over her again, his broad shoulders blocking the sun and casting a shadow over her. "I'd like tae talk tae ye, if ye're willin'."
Maeve looked up at him and smiled. "I suppose I'd be wrong if I told me own teacher tae go away," she said with a chuckle. "But I hope ye dinnae expect a full conversation. I'm knackered."
"Och, ye've energy in ye yet," Cailean told her, his mouth quirking into a half-smile. He held out a hand like he had earlier. "On second thought, though, let's not sit and talk here. I want tae go for a walk. Will ye come with me?"
