We parted ways with Kara's group at a crossroads just before the Great Forest's edge. They had a delivery to make to the east, while we continued north toward the beast-kin settlements.
"Safe travels," Kara said warmly, embracing each of us—though Sara stood stiff as a board during her turn.
"Try to loosen up," Luna whispered to Sara with a wink.
"I'm perfectly loose!" Sara protested, which made everyone laugh.
After they left, our smaller group felt oddly intimate. Just Sara marching ahead with her bow at the ready, Isola managing the pack mules, and me trying to walk normally in this body while the angel floated invisibly beside us.
"Finally," the angel said. "Now we can work on our tsundere project."
I muttered, "She's not a project."
"What?" Sara called back sharply.
"Nothing! Just... talking to myself."
Sara frowned. "Elinalise, can I ask you something?"
My stomach dropped. "Sure?"
"Did you hit your head recently? You're acting strange. The Elinalise I've heard about would never reject advances, yet you've turned down every man who's approached. And you seem... uncertain about everything."
"Maybe I'm trying to change?" I offered weakly.
Sara stopped walking and turned to study me. "No, it's more than that. You move like you're not used to your own body. You mutter to empty air. And sometimes you react to things that aren't there."
Isola jumped in. "She's been through some spiritual experiences recently. Very transformative."
"Spiritual experiences," Sara repeated flatly.
"Very spiritual," Isola nodded seriously. "Life-changing, even."
Sara looked between us suspiciously but let it drop. "Whatever. We should focus on—GOBLINS!"
A group of eight goblins burst from the underbrush, crude weapons raised. Sara immediately nocked an arrow while I fumbled for the sword at my hip—a basic blade Isola had bought me.
"Stay back!" Sara ordered, then paused. "Wait. Elinalise, you're supposed to be a legendary swordswoman! Draw your blade!"
"Right!" I pulled out the sword, nearly dropping it. The weight felt all wrong in my hands.
"What are you—" Sara released three arrows in rapid succession, dropping goblins. "Just use your magic then!"
The angel whispered, "You have both sword skills and magic in this body. Feel for it. The muscle memory is there."
A goblin charged at me. Instinct took over—my body moved on its own, the sword suddenly feeling right as I parried and riposted in one fluid motion. The goblin fell.
"Finally!" Sara called out, her arrows finding targets with deadly precision. "Use what you know!"
But the moment I started thinking about it, the grace vanished. I awkwardly swung at another goblin, barely managing to hit it while Sara's arrows finished the rest.
"Pathetic," Sara said bluntly, retrieving her arrows. "You clearly have the skills, but it's like you've forgotten how to access them properly."
"Maybe you could... teach me?" I suggested. "I mean, help me remember?"
Sara's expression softened slightly before hardening again. "I'm an archer, not a swordswoman. But... I know the basics. And as your guard, I should ensure you can defend yourself."
"I'll pay extra," Isola offered quickly.
"Not money," Sara said. "I want to know what's really going on. Why you're acting so strange."
I exchanged glances with Isola, who shrugged.
"I... had a spiritual awakening," I said carefully. "I'm trying to be a different person."
"By forgetting how to use a sword you've supposedly mastered?"
"It's complicated."
Sara stared at me for a long moment. "Fine. Keep your secrets. But I'm teaching you what I know, starting now."
For the next two hours, Sara drilled me. While she was primarily an archer, she knew enough swordwork to correct my stance and form.
"No! You're overthinking it!" She moved behind me, her hands adjusting my grip on the sword. "Combat is instinct, not thought. Your body knows what to do—stop getting in its way."
Her arms came around to guide my practice swing, her body pressed against my back. The angel floated nearby with a mischievous grin.
"Notice how she's been 'correcting your form' for two minutes now," the angel whispered. "She could have stepped away after the first swing."
Sara suddenly jerked away, face reddening. "You're hopeless! Try your magic instead!"
During a water break, the angel pulled me aside (mentally, since Sara couldn't see her).
"Okay, crash course in tsundere flirting," the angel said. "Rule one: compliment something she's genuinely good at, but casually. Rule two: challenge her. She likes competition. Rule three: get in her personal space during training—she's using teaching as an excuse to touch you."
When we resumed training, I tried the angel's advice.
"Your shooting earlier was incredible," I said casually while practicing sword forms. "The way you had three arrows in flight at once? Beautiful."
Sara fumbled with her water flask. "I— that's just basic technique! Any archer could—"
"I couldn't," I said, stepping closer. "Maybe you could teach me archery too? Since my sword work is so hopeless?"
Sara's face went red. "That's—you should focus on what you already know first!"
"But you're such a good teacher," I said, deliberately stretching in a way that drew her eyes. "Your hands are really steady when you're guiding me."
She jerked back. "Of course they are! I'm a professional! This isn't—stop making it weird!"
Isola was watching with undisguised amusement. "You two are adorable."
"Shut up!" Sara snapped. "This is training!"
"Very hands-on training," Isola noted.
Sara grabbed her bow. "I'm going to scout ahead!"
But before she could flee, I tried one more of the angel's suggestions. "Sara, wait. Could you show me that stance one more time? I think I almost had it."
She hesitated, clearly torn between escaping and her duty as a teacher. Duty won. She came back, positioning herself behind me again.
"Like this," she said, her voice slightly strained. "Feel the balance through your core..."
"You smell nice," I said without thinking.
Sara practically teleported away from me. "I'm going to scout now!" She fled into the forest.
The angel high-fived me invisibly. "Perfect. She's flustered."
"That was mortifying," I groaned.
"That was progress," Isola corrected. "Did you see how red she got?"
When Sara returned, still slightly pink, she announced, "We'll camp here tonight. Tomorrow we reach the beast-kin village."
As we set up camp, I noticed Sara positioning her bedroll where she could see us but far enough to maintain distance.
"Tomorrow," the angel whispered, "we turn up the heat. Trust me, she's almost at breaking point."
"I heard you muttering again!" Sara called out. "Are you sure you're not ill?"
"Just thinking about tomorrow's training," I called back.
"We'll see if you can handle it," Sara said, but there was something in her tone that made it sound like a promise rather than a threat.
The angel grinned. "Oh, she's definitely cracking soon."