Another Spain Picture!

Another two weeks I spend intensively training with Blue. During the nights, I sneak around. Sometimes I try and play the cello. I've been trying to get better and I think I have been. Other times I hang with Iona and we talk into the night. Sometimes I head around on my own, walking around the mountains. Of course, I do get some sleep. I still get nightmares on some nights, but others are thankfully dreamless.

"I think you're ready," Blue says as I slam his body into the floor. I've have been beating him for many matches over the past three days.

"Yay!" I shout as I jump in the air. I have certainly been feeling so much better. Blue has been pushing me really hard over the past two weeks and it's paid off. I actually feel that with his intense training, that I am better than before. My body doesn't ache as much either. The more I train and get stronger, the more I heal. Of course, our training hadn't only been practising with weapons. I had also been doing lots of exercises. He would make me run miles and miles along with other unique strength building exercises.

"One more," he says, standing up and picking up the training sword. We don't use actual weapons, we use ones which are just as heavy but won't cause as much damage.

"I want you to use your power as well, but strategically. Like I've been teaching you for the past month." I nod my head.

"Oh and I'm not holding back this time," he grins.

"What, you were holding back?" He doesn't answer, he only lunges toward me in a move faster than I've ever seen him do. I am quick too, bringing up my weapon to block him. I hiss as he keeps swinging the sword at me. I manage to block each attack but only just. He is so fast and strong and I don't get much of a chance to attack myself. I growl in frustration as he takes out my legs and I fall on my back. I role over as he plunges the sword into the ground where I just was. Quickly I flip my body up and duck under his flying blade before trying to mack a jab of my own. We continue like this for a while, our swords clanging. He strikes and strikes, but I am always able to block. That is until he disarms me and sends my sword flying across the field. I don't hesitate. I swing my leg, putting all my strength into a kick. I aim for his chest, but like I predicted, he blocks it the area before I could hit it. Meaning my kick hits his hands and sends his sword flying also. We stare at each other before I move. My hits and kicks are quick but so is he. We dance and twist around each other in our intense battle. I remember his lessons. One of the main ones being not getting frustrated.

Both of us start to tire, which is when I start using my magic to try and affect him more. I manage to square a kick in his chest, causing him to fly backwards and turn up some of the grass as he slides along the ground. It is in those few moments he is distracted, I summon my magic. Drawing from one of the waterfalls beside me, I throw it at him as he races back toward me. It knocks him off his feet. I turn the water to ice around him, trapping him to the floor. We are both weak and tired. Though I know he is still incredibly strong. I can feel the ice breaking as he uses his strength to try and get free. I let out a shout as I force more of my ice magic around him. It gets thicker and he gets colder and soon his struggles are useless. I grab my sword and run over to him, pressing the tip of the blade into his neck.

"Well done, are you going to let me out now?" He asks. I remove the ice that surrounds him.

"I'm very impressed," he grins and slaps me on the back. I'm exhausted and I can tell he is too.

"Have the rest of the day off. I'll see you tomorrow. We will work on throwing weapons and aim instead so bring some of your throwing blades and daggers." I nod my head and begin to walk away.

"You've done well today, Isla. I am very impressed." I turn and grin at him.

"Thanks for teaching me," I say and head back to my room, bathing strait away.

I wake to a tingling in my body.

"Again?" I ask, looking over at my sisters. Over the past month, the NightShades have tried four times to enter our lands all at different areas of our coast. All times, our magic stopped them. We get out of bed and head straight to Lady Indira and tell her that they are trying again.

"I'll send a message to the queen," she informs us. "She will send the warriors to watch and make sure they don't breach our lands." The other Royals come into the office too as well as some of the High Families. Apparently, Maryanne had had a vision of the attack and woke up everyone in a panic. So we all wait in nervous silence, waiting to hear back from the queen. Eric comes over to Tanya and pats he shoulder. She takes his hand and gives it a squeeze.

"We'll be fine," he tells her. "Your magic is too strong for them." I smile at his sweet gestures. I sigh, rubbing at my left pinky finger which holds the ring.

"Why don't you take that off Isla, if it's hurting. I'm sure it will still work even if you are not wearing it," Eric says to me with a frown. The ring burns my skin everytime the magic is activated.

"I'm not sure if the magic would work, but I can't take it off anyway." I sigh. "It's pretty much melted into my finger. It is stuck there for good."

"Doesn't that hurt?" Lady Indira asks. I shrug.

"It doesn't even begin to compare to the pain of the Blackroot," I say, shuddering at the memory. Darcy Scoffs and I roll my eyes. Since the party, she has stopped being quiet and distant. Now, she is back to her old nasty self but ten times worse. We've had a few little disagreements in the past few weeks.

"Anything you would like to say?" I snap at her.

"More like something I'm sick of you saying. "Ohh nothing hurts as much as when I was poisoned, I'm not as strong as I was before I got sick, I almost died. Blah blah blah," she snaps. "No one cares about you and the fact that you got poisoned in the first place just shows how really weak and pathetic you really are. I mean, you can't even go a full night sleep without screaming a waking the whole academy. You are pathetic," she grins. "And the High Queen is stupid for thinking you could do a better job than my family," she grins cruelly at me. I take a deep breath, trying not to react and trying not to believe what she is saying. Don't let her get to you, she's lying and just trying to get under your skin. She wants a reaction from you. I have to keep reminding myself.

"Enough!" Eric shouts at his sister whilst holding back a seething Tanya. Darcy glares at me then grins wickedly then spits in my face. The room erupts and no one can stop me from flying toward her. My fist slams into her face before I feel a pair of strong hands dragging me away from her.

"Let me go, Toryn," I growl. Serenity isn't as quick to get to Tanya as quick as Toryn got to me, however.

"You disrespectful, spiteful, little bitch!" Tanya screams as Tanya kicks her in the stomach, sending her flying across the room. Serenity is then able to grab Tanya and pull her back.

"Let me go Serenity, that bitch needs to be taught a lesson!" Tanya growls.

"Not this way," Serenity says calmly to Tanya.

"She spat in Isla's face, she is going after our sister and when she goes after one of us, she goes after all of us!" Tanya shouts. 

"Tanya, stop," I sigh after I calm myself down. I smile at my youngest sister. Toryn lets me go and I walk over to her, giving my fiery little sister a hug.

"Thank you for sticking up for me," I say to her.

"It seems I'm the only one who does, I can't believe you two don't," she glares at Toryn and Serenity. I chuckle.

"No, they just think more rationally than us," I tell her as I wipe spit off my face. Eric has hold of a raging and bloody Darcy and Iona has gone to get Aspen. Everyone else is still in shock and don't really know what to say. Aspen appears with Iona and looks around slightly disorientated. Then she spots her daughter and gasps.

"Darcy? What happened?" she gushes as she sees the blood covering her face from my punch.

"Those crazy dragon bitches attacked me!" Darcy shouts.

"What?" Aspen looks around at me, confused.

"I'm sorry," I sigh.

"She deserved it," Eric says to his mother. "She spat in Isla's face and said all sorts of vicious things," Eric growls.

"Oh shove it, Eric, you're only on their side because you're trying to get in the littlest dragons pants," she snaps. Everyone gasps and Eric looks mortified. Tanya growls again and I manage to grab her before she attacks Darcy again. 

Aspen looks mortified. 

"I'm so sorry Isla," she says and comes over to me, hugging me softly. "And to you Tanya," she says.

"Are you serious?" Darcy shouts. "I'm your daughter, why aren't you comforting me!" she shouts as tears begin to pour from her face. "Why do you love them more than me?" Aspen turns.

"You,"Aspen's voice is angry. "You are..." she scoffs. "I didn't raise you to act like this," Aspen spits at her daughter. "To say such disgusting and hurtful things. You are a disgrace. You are coming back with me right now." Aspen turns to me.

"Again, I am sorry Isla for what my daughter has said. Though please refrain from breaking my daughter's nose next time," Aspen sighs. "I know she may deserve it, but take it on me. A good ruler does not react to unkind words with her fists." I nod my head, feeling disappointed in myself. I feel like I've failed.

"I'm really sorry Aspen, do you forgive me?" I ask.

"Of course," Aspen smiles softly. "Now, I had best get this one home and teach her a lesson about respect," she says. "Iona, would you mind?" Aspen asks as she grabs hold of her daughter. Darcy doesn't say anything, she just cries.

"Don't worry you lot, I'll make sure this doesn't happen again," Aspen assures and then she and Darcy disappear. The room stays silent for a few seconds. Tanya growls angrily and walks out. Eric has a confused look on his face.

"Should I go after her or will she not want to see my face?" he asks.

"Go after her," the three of us say at the same time. He nods and runs out of the room after Tanya.

"That was tense," Daniel says, walking over to Serenity and placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Yeah," she grins and then sighs.

Lady Indira speaks up.

"I think you all need to head back to your rooms and calm down. I've just heard word that your magic worked and their bid to get onto lad has not been successful. That is enough excitement for one night," Lady Indira sighs as she rubs her head. We all nod and head back to our rooms.

"I wonder what caused that outburst," Toryn says as the two of us walk back together.

"I don't know," I sigh. We stop when we hear the sound of crying. We turn to look down one of the corridors and see Tanya and Eric.

"I'm so sorry I hurt your sister," she says. "I feel so ashamed of myself. I couldn't help it, I just get so angry," she cries.

"It's okay, she deserved it," Eric tells her.

"She didn't deserve that," Tanya mutters to him. He just wraps her up in a warm hug.

"You know what she said isn't true, especially about me wanting to..." she lets out a sad chuckle.

"Of course I know it isn't true," she tells him.

"Tan," he says, tucking her hair from her face.

"I don't blame you for how you acted. You are fierce and you protect the ones you love. That is what I love about you. You are passionate, loyal and caring. You may not go about things in the best way, but you do these things for the right reasons." She smiles up at him.

"You love me?" she asks with a risen eyebrow. He stays silent for a few seconds, realising what he just said.

"Yeah," he finally says. "I do." Tanya grins. It is a completely dazzling smile.

"Good," she tells him. "Because I love you too," she tells him. I've never seen him smile so happily before. The two embrace and Toryn and I stop listening in on their conversation and leave them to their privacy.

"I'm happy for them," I say. Toryn nods his head.

"Me too, though I think I best have a little chat with him tomorrow," Toryn says whilst cracking the bones in his fists.

"I think both of us need to have a little talk with young Eric," I grin wickedly. Toryn's grin matches mine and we walk back to our room.