The Gift of the Lethe

Crossed Blades

Pallas swallows at that word, trying to hold back the fear that tingles at the back of her neck. "Not with spears, not yet."

"I could get swords, or some staffs."

Pallas frowns. She doesn't normally use a sword, so perhaps it won't bother her? "Could you- could you get both?"

"Of course." The girl takes a step away and then stops, turning back. "I never introduced myself, did I? My name's Thalia."

"No last name?"

Thalia shakes her head. "I don't use it. My mother . . . she wasn't the best person, and my brother died a few years ago. I have no reason to keep it."

"You could always make a new name for yourself, or take the name of someone you consider family."

That leaves a strange look on Thalia's face, but she quickly shakes it off. "I'll go get the equipment now. Stay here."

Thalia vanishes back into the camp and Pallas pulls on her spear charm. While she waits, it won't hurt to go through her forms. The spear expands in a flash, the shaft settling in her palm. She spins it, lunging forward to jab it at a tree. She turns away a heartbeat later, sweeping the weapon out in front of her in an arc.

It is pulled back into her side, where she moves into another form as easily as she takes a breath. Pallas closes her eyes and inhales, feeling the movement. She's stepping too far forward on her left, ease up on her steps. Her grip on the spear is too tight, loosen her fingers. Her side is open, tuck in her arm to protect it.

She listens to what her body tells her as she moves through the forms, fixing the errors she picks up on. There is the soft sound of leaves crunching from behind her and she whirls, her eyes flashing open. Thalia is standing there, a bundle of weapons in her arms. She lifts a brow, pointedly not looking at the spearpoint resting against the hollow of her throat.

"It's just me."

Pallas quickly lowers the spear. "My apologies."

Thalia smiles. "You're fine, I startled you." She pauses before adding, "You love it, don't you? Using a spear. You move like it's part of you."

Pallas dips her chin. "I do, and I'll be damned if I let your father take that away from me forever."

"Forever? Are you immortal again?"

"I regained it a few days ago, through a quest for Queen Hera. Shall we spar now?"

Thalia flashes her a savage grin. "Staffs or swords?"

Pallas tilts her head for a moment. "You choose."

"Warm up with a sword? Neither of us are too familiar with them, I think."

As Pallas nods in assent, the shaft of the spear in her hand changes, growing thicker. She looks down at it in surprise, finding a sword sitting in her palm rather than a spear. It maintains the same decorations as the spear, although their form has changed slightly. The hilt is wrapped in a shining golden leather, the aegis, and the base of the blade itself is stamped with an owl.

Pallas frowns at the sword and mutters, "You didn't tell me it could do this, Thene!"

A glance at Thalia reveals the other girl to be frowning as she lowers her bundle of weapons to the ground. "You didn't tell me that you didn't need me to get you a sword."

Still staring at the sword, Pallas replies. "I didn't know it could do this. Why would I, when my preferred weapon is a spear?"

"Why wouldn't you know about the capabilities of your weapon?"

Pallas shrugs. "Athena must have just forgotten to mention it." She twists it, feeling the grip. "Do you want me to use one of the other swords, or is this fine?"

Thalia hefts one of the swords and slides back into a ready stance. She grins. "What do you think the answer is?"

With a laugh, Pallas moves back into her own stance, holding her sword out before her. Thalia darts forward, angling her sword for Pallas' side. The metal gleams bright, almost blinding her, but Pallas lashes out with her blade to knock Thalia's aside. The girl quickly sweeps her sword back around to Pallas' other side.

It's blocked by the base of Pallas' sword, but only barely. Thalia is certainly faster than Pallas is with this weapon. But to be fair, Pallas last used a sword when she was what . . . twelve? That's when she truly started specializing in her spear. Her thoughts slow her down just enough for Thalia's next blow to slice into Pallas' side and she staggers. Thalia drops back the moment she notices, lowering her sword to the ground.

"Are you okay?"

Pallas touches her hand to her side, feeling along the wound. It isn't deep, but that may be because it is healing already. She pulls her hand away and inspects the blood on her fingertips. It's more gold than red now, whereas she used to only have the faintest tinge of gold to her blood. Pallas fingers it before lowering her hand and craning her head to examine the wound. It's already almost closed, barely more than a scratch. She looks up again and motions towards Thalia's blade.

"I'm fine. Shall we continue?"

Thalia lifts her sword and launches back into motion. She's faster now, and Pallas has to fully focus. A block, then a dodge. Strike and slash. Thalia spins away with ease, but not as quickly as she did before. It may have cost Pallas a wound, but it also gave her a minute to get back into the flow of using a sword. She puts Thalia on the defensive, but she's back on the offensive a moment later.

Thalia pushes Pallas back and back and back towards the trees. Perhaps Pallas would have been able to push her back again, just a little, but she misses something. The heel of her foot hits a tree root and she stumbles, her attention going to keeping herself from falling. When she's steady, she looks back to Thalia only to have a sword pointing at her heart. Thalia grins at her.

"I win."

Pallas lowers her sword. "So you did. That was very good fighting."

Thalia's cheeks go pink. "Thank you. You were skilled as well."

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When I wrote this, I really didn't think these two would click this fast. Does it make sense to y'all? What do you think will happen next? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~ Goddess of Fate, signing out