3. Puzzle Pieces

Training to enter the academy, Brooke breaks down physically and emotionally after working too hard. Now her father forbids her from combat. What will Brooke do? Combat is her life.

Brooke panted as she kneeled on the ground gripping the hilt of her sword. Before her heart beat, she and Rogue met by swords again. Her skin burned against the merciless wind and the air treading upon her lips felt like ice. Rogue did not stop because that’s how Brooke wanted it. He’d not shown a hint of concern and Brooke was glad. She had practiced since the early morning. It was night now. Brooke feared the rejection of the academy more than her father’s scorn. The audition was in two days. Not much time left.

            A shiver snuck through Brooke and her sight blurred. Rogue stepped back onto his rooted leg. He began to look like the trunk of a tree and the mountains appeared to merge with the dark sky. Rogue lunged at her. Brooke staggered forward and Rogue nearly sliced her face in two. Brooke retreated into basic stance. Her shoulders shuddered as she struggled to hold her sword in place. Then, she saw it, she hated that she saw it. Rogue’s eyes flushed with concern and he seemed to hesitate. Brooke gritted her teeth and frowned. He lunged at her. “This is madness!” he scorned as their swords clashed. Rogue leaped away from her and Brooke flustered with irritation. 

            Brooke did not listen. She raised her sword and pointed its tip towards him. “Draw your sword, Rogue.” This wasn’t like Brooke, but her desire fueled every action. Rogue refused to move for a few seconds before Brooke charged at him. If he was not going to continue, she would. His blade faltered against her blade in an anticipated surprise. Brooke brought Rogue’s sword down. In a quick motion, she leaped up and spun, slamming her sword against Rogue’s sword. He propped it up to guard. Brooke crouched low and brought her blade upward and with it yanked Rogue’s sword away from him.

            Rogue gave Brooke a worn smile. “I applaud your stamina.”

            Brooke nodded and sheathed her sword, taking in a deep breath of air. The coldness brought relaxation on her lungs as her body collapsed on the field, and she sat with her legs laid out to the side of her. Rogue went to stash his sword inside the house. He returned with one of his fur jackets, its sleeves large enough to snuggle a bear. Then again, Rogue had giant’s blood in him; he had told Brooke one time as her mother introduced the two. Brooke hid her eyes within her bangs as she thought of her mother.

            Rogue held the jacket over his arm and looked at Brooke. He shook his head and wrapped the jacket around the freezing, exhausted woman. “Why don’t you come inside, Brooklyn?”

             “I can’t,” she huffed. “Dad will kill me if I don’t get home.” She attempted to position her legs to push her up from the ground, but they merely twitched as if refusing to obey her.

            “I can always talk to your dad,” Rogue offered.

            Brooke just shook her head and they sat there in silence. Rogue stood there as if waiting for Brooke to say something and the something slipped from her mouth. “Why did she leave?” She wanted to clasp her hand over her mouth but her fingers would not budge. Her words exposed something she repeatedly stuffed into darkness. She wanted to retreat within herself at the words she asked, she screamed only to get echoes and echoes of either no answer or insufficient answers. Answers that never satisfied her. She wanted to know. She had always wanted to know. Brooke asked Rogue this before and he always delivered the same response.

            “It’s not your fault, Brooklyn," started Rogue. “Your mother missed out on an incredible woman you’ve turned out to be.” Rogue glanced at the sky. “It’s time for you to go.” Brooke stumbled to rise. Rogue scooped her up from the ground and began to follow the Lavender Stream.

            Her eyes widened and she flinched from the sudden warmth. “Wh- what are you-” she stuttered and turned away. She did not have the strength to move. “You don’t have to do this.”

            “As long as I’ve known Rain, she’s always been a mysterious woman,” he said as he carried her through the small forest. “As long as we’ve been friends, she’s still like a puzzle and her family and I her pieces that made her whole.”

            “It’s so unfair,” Brooke mumbled.

            “I know,” Rogue replied.

The rest of the way, Rogue was silent. Rogue knocked on the door of Dad’s house. Her dad answered and gasped. “Brooklyn!”

“She is unable to walk sir, please allow me inside.” Her father nodded and stepped aside. Rogue carried the woman to her room and laid her on the bed, tucking her beneath the covers.

Brooke sank into the cotton cloth, a relief washing over her at the soft touch. Her head stopped hurting and her muscles relaxed. The bed felt like a screwdriver, unwinding every part of her. She let a sigh escape her and she swallowed. “It’s ok, Brooklyn, it’s ok to be human,” he said to her. He left the room before she could object, closing the door behind him.

Although, Rogue and Dad tried to whisper, the walls, thin as paper tattled the argument between the two concerned men. “I can take no more of this!” said Dad. “She’s exhausted herself to the point she can’t even walk; I’ve tried to be encouraging about this.”

“I understand, Benjamin,” said Rogue.

“Do you?” Brooke heard Dad’s tromping steps, hard and angry on the wooden floorboards. “I’ve lost a wife; I do not want to lose a daughter too.”

“I cannot deny her what she wants; I made a promise to Rain to care for Brooklyn.” Rogue cleared his throat. “I am simply trying to be supportive of her in the way that I am able.”

“I do not see how you can support this suicide!” Dad started to raise his voice. The whisper had turned into a yell. “Why couldn’t she just settle for a normal occupation; I have many positions open.”

“Brooke loves challenges, Ben, you ought to know that.”

“Well, she ought to love safety too,” mocked Dad. “Dashing back and forth in a diner sounds a lot less dangerous.”

“That’s not for Brooklyn,” Rogue said. He was right. Dad owned two large businesses and had many positions available for her. She could always settle, work at the diner or some simple job, save up enough money, buy a car, buy a house, get married, and have two kids, but of course; that was the goal list for the average woman in Alagracia. That or go to college and be some smart advocate of society, a teacher, a CEO of some over-the-top company, a firefighter, an engineer, an architect. This was not Brooke. She did not like mundane things and strongly disliked patterns. Working for the royal family had the excitement, the thrill she sought. Protecting. Fighting. Money that was her own. It was funny how Rogue understood that part of her more than her dad did. Although, Dad did not really understand much about Brooke, perhaps, in that way, Brooke was like her mother.

“No more, Rogue.” The words made her gasp. “No more training, no more combat.”

“That’s not fair, Ben; she is a grown woman after all.”

“A grown woman under my roof and I forbid it.” Brooke wanted to get up and say something, something in her defense. She needed the training. She desired it. She motioned to get up, but sleep grabbed her and she fell unconscious into her sheets.

Author's Note

Dear Reader,

I wanted to make you understand the fight against Brooke. She and her father are at odds with one another due to Rain's absence because each has found different ways of coping with it. One finds solace in a lover and another on a battlefield. Brooke's dream of going to the academy is a lot like someone trying to be a basketball star or a rapper. It's pretty hard and a one in a million chance. However, Brooke is determined to achieve her dreams no matter how hard she has to train. What do you think about that? I wanted that conflict to resonate throughout this chapter and the next when Brooke strikes a deal with her father.

Also, the conversation between Rogue and Brooke during the fight was meant to draw out the premise of this story. I wanted Brooke to be human and remain human to prove that being human was not so bad. In fantasy, the protagonist is always some super being, but I wanted to break the cliche. That is why Rogue makes reference to being human is okay. Also, Brooke is insecure about being so human too. Maybe I shouldn't have been so forward with that.

I chose that picture because of the puzzle pieces. Rain was a big puzzle that no one could figure out. Rain was a pretty distant person, but she had a reason. Why? Read and find out.

Thank you for reading.

Sincerely JazzSoulKeke,

God bless

Reviews

[SquinklaPsyOps]

Ooh wow, this is one of those awesome novels that keeps the reader interested through the whole chapter. I really like the character's descriptions, they are unique with their own original style. What I like about them is that their names have a double personality as you read them in the story. I am truly impressed with your work and looking forward to reading more. Thank you so much.

[Larry Dyson]

this section needs much more explanaion and details....it could perhaps be a complete chapter to itsself...maybe here ..or in another place..----." A shiver snuck through Brooke and her sight blurred. Rogue stepped back onto his rooted leg. He began to look like the trunk of a tree and the mountains appeared to merge with the dark sky. Rogue lunged at her. Brooke staggered forward and Rogue nearly sliced her face in two. Brooke retreated into basic stance. Her shoulders shuddered as she struggled to hold her sword in place. Then, she saw it, she hated that she saw it. Rogue’s eyes flushed with concern and he seemed to hesitate. Brooke gritted her teeth and frowned. He lunged at her. “This is madness!” he scorned as their swords clashed. Rogue leapt away from her and Brooke flustered with irritation. “You are human, Brooklyn,” Rogue continued. “If you die, your dreams go along with you.”