Just a Little Extra Training

[Tag for: Bastian Grym ]

Sidalee stood at the training grounds, the sun casting long shadows on the dirt beneath her feet. She tightened her grip on the throwing knife, feeling the cool metal against her skin. Her emerald eyes narrowed as she focused on the target ahead—a crudely drawn figure on a wooden board, already punctured by previous attempts.

With a swift, fluid motion, she let the knife fly, watching it embed itself into the target's center with a satisfying thud. Sidalee allowed herself a brief smile before drawing another knife from her belt. The repetition of the practice was soothing, a necessary ritual to maintain her precision and skill.

The training grounds were quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant chatter of other trainees. Sidalee preferred it this way—no distractions, just her and the targets. Each throw was a testament to her dedication and the years of honing her craft.

As she prepared to throw again, she noticed a figure approaching from the corner of her eye. She paused, turning slightly to see who dared to interrupt her practice, brushing a hand through her mess of red curls and a partial smile pulling across her lips at the sight of her Marshal Bastian Grym . “Marshal Grym, a pleasure as always.” Sidalee took to a knee for a moment, dipping her head respectfully before standing once again and moving toward the target to retrieve her blades.

Sidalee had been a great asset from the moment he met her. Perhaps chance had brought her skills to him or maybe it was fate. Regardless of how it had happened, Grym had been ever grateful that it had. Today he had information to share with her. Marshal duty. As he approached her he watched her practicing and was still impressed with her continual accuracy. He'd never seen anyone with the kind of precision that she had with a knife.

Of course he'd also been well aware of how absolutely stunning she was. Her skill as an assassin only made her more intriguing and an object of desire but he was sure that anything with a heartbeat would feel the same as he did. So far he'd kept his hands to himself...quite literally as he'd used the thought of her to get himself off more than once.

Marshal duty. Today he had something important to ask her. He needed to remember that.

He stood tall over her as she knelt before him, always repectful towards him as most were in Mont Daegal. He found himself hoping that she really did think his presence was a pleasurable but he was trying to remain purely professional today, as he'd always been with her thus far. It wasn't easy. It had been some time since his wife had died and he felt her absence physically more and more as each year passed.

He dipped his head briefly as he looked down at her approvingly before she stood once more and moved away from him towards her weapons. "I want you to accompany me to Roville," he said, getting straight to the point.

It most certainly was always a pleasure to see the man. Sidalee had a lot of respect for someone who could attest to the value of her skill and not make light of it. Plus, he was more than enjoyable to lay eyes upon. Though that, she would keep to herself. While not typically one to deny herself pleasure, she didn’t want to be the one to make that first move. He was her Marshal after all, and enough people already assumed there was something going on there with how often she was being given ‘preferential jobs’.

Ha, if they only knew.

Her status as an assassin relied heavily on her ability to avoid detection. And oddly enough, being an attractive young woman seemed to work in her favor there. People were too distracted by those green eyes, lovely freckles and red hair to notice she was dosing a glass with poison or slipping a dagger between someone’s ribs. She was effective and wasn’t bothered by the number of kills she made. After losing someone she loved dearly, she had turned herself into quite the weapon.

Bastian was quite possibly the only person she’d give her life trying to protect. So when he told her he wanted her to go with him to Roville, it wasn’t so much a surprise that she was being asked to come along, but that he had agreed to go at all in the first place.

“Of course, you know I’ll go wherever you send me.” She said with a firm nod, replacing the knives at her belt, green eyes moving to his face as she turned and strode back to him. “Might I ask ’why’ we are going to Roville?” Without her gaze even leaving his face she made an effortless throw of a blade toward the target, it just missed the center by an inch.

There was more to Sidalee beyond her beauty though. Her skill in something so deadly was definitely no small part of her appeal. As if reading his thoughts she tossed a blade at the target without even looking and was damn close to the middle. Blood rushed between his legs giving him a half erection which he definitely was pretending wasn't happening right now.

"An invitation my the Marshal there...guest right. I don't trust him obviously but...I'll admit I'm curious what he might have to say. I will be bringing some of my children as well as a show of good faith."

Sidalee prided herself on being observant, after-all; what good would it do to be an assassin who wasn’t hyper vigilant? Her skill with throwing knives was typically underplayed around people, not wanting to reveal all her skills. But Bastian was well aware of this talent. Clearly he wouldn’t have allowed time training wasted on someone with lesser talents. She glanced at the target and shook her head, frowning slightly at being a bit off her game. Was she distracted?

Those green eyes returned to her Marshal as he spoke and she nodded, casually twirling a blade in her hand. Had she not been an assassin or in the military; she would have made a decent thief. She had quick hands, lightly scarred and calloused from years of working with a blade, but almost what some might call ‘dainty’, if not for their lethal talents. “Ooh, so I get to be a glorified babysitter?” She teased, a flash of playful mischief crossing her eyes as she tossed the next blade and hit dead center. “I would be insulted if I wasn’t asked to be part of the protection detail, my Lord… when do we leave?”

While she most definitely worked as an assassin, Sidalee was known to pose as a personal guard when necessary. She didn’t see it as a demotion or a misuse of her skills, quite the opposite. She knew he trusted her to protect him and his family, and she would. With her life if necessary. “Who would you like me to be responsible for on this trip?”

Grym enjoyed that was bold enough to tease him. Most were far too afraid to upset him or treat him disrespectfully but Sidalee wasn't worried about that. He was glad for it too. It was nice to be treated more casually sometimes. Yes, he enjoyed being feared to an extent, he needed people to trust him to do what was best for them but sometimes it was nice to feel like a person and not like just a Marshal all of the time. He even cracked a little half grin at her tone, his eyes sparkling.

"We'll leave in 3 days," he told her. "And in spite of my children being in attendance, you will be responsible for me and only me," he explained. And damn did he wish that meant more than just physical protection.

While others might not risk even a playful teasing or jest with the man; Sidalee had spent enough time with him to know he would appreciate her playfulness. Plus, if there was a chance at getting him to smile; she was going to try. Despite her determination to not be the soldier who was sleeping her way up through the ranks, she was very much a woman; that partial grin was great, but those sparkling eyes?

Damn.

Sidalee focused her attention back to the target and gave a gently nod. “I shall be ready then, my Lord.” She said with a dip of her head, glancing back to him as he spoke. Of course she had been personally responsible for him before, and she was more than up for the job. She would need to work out a bit of stress before they left for the journey. “Protecting you is the highest of honors.” Sidalee took a knee again, bowing her head to the man. Her red hair shifting from the slight breeze.

Grym was very aware in this moment just how long it had been since he'd enjoyed a woman's touch. Sure, as Marshal, he could have a different woman in his bed every night but that idea just didn't appeal to him. He could take care of himself when the need arose, even if it was far less satisfying. Grym wasn't the type to just go for whoever was available and eager. He had high standards in what he wanted and good looks were only a part of those standards.

But he was letting his mind get away from him again. He'd probably need to relieve some stress before they left as well if he wanted to remain focused. He bowed his head slightly to her as she got back on her knee. He should have just acknowledged her and walked away but instead he stepped a little closer to her so she was right as his feet and looked down at her. He reached down to lift her chin up towards him. It wasn't the best choice, because seeing her in this position with her pretty emerald eyes looking up at him was definitely arousing.

"I'll see you in a few days then," he said, forcing himself to release her and stepping back. He gave her one last look of approval, glad to have such a skilled woman at his disposal, and departed. His hand tingled from where he'd touched her and the blood was rushing below his belt.

There weren’t many Sidalee would bend a knee to, but Grym was definitely at the top of that list. She knew how to play her part in public and such, but there was something almost sinful in how good it felt for him to step closer, to feel him lift her chin and for her to look up at him with those mischievous green eyes from this position. Sidalee wasn’t a vain woman, but she was very aware of the allure she possessed. Hell, it was one of her best assets for her work as an assassin! It wasn’t simply in her looks, but how she carried herself. A confidence that resonated throughout her. The combination of green eyes and red hair was just an added bonus.

She remained on her knee a moment longer, watching the Grym’s form as he left before rising gracefully to her feet. She knew exactly what she’d done, the effect she had on him, and it gave her a quiet sense of satisfaction. It wasn’t arrogance, but a well-earned confidence. She understood men like Grym—the way their minds worked, the way they fought against their urges, especially when it involved her.

Her fingers lightly traced the spot where his hand had lifted her chin, still feeling the lingering heat from his touch. Sidalee wasn’t naïve; she saw the way his gaze had shifted, how the firm line of his jaw had tensed ever so slightly. He was a man of discipline, but even the most disciplined soldiers had their moments of weakness. And that flicker in his eyes? That was the crack she liked to keep just wide enough.

A slow smile tugged at her lips as she glanced toward the direction he had gone. “In a few days, then.”. She echoed softly to herself.

With a practiced exhale, she turned back toward her duties, her steps measured and deliberate. Sidalee thrived in this world of unspoken desires and control, where words carried as much weight as actions. She was good at what she did—both on the battlefield and in the quiet spaces between the lines. And if Grym thought he was the only one who needed to relieve some stress before the journey, well, he wasn’t entirely wrong. But Sidalee had always been patient, biding her time until the right moment presented itself.

[END OF THREAD]