Kate had changed into her Colosseum outfit and was shuffling her toes over the warm sand that covered the floor of the practice room before looking up at Tellka who was stretching. "So what are we working on today?"

"Anything you want." Tellka finished her stretches and twirled her staff as she stepped up to the younger woren. "You're really getting a lot better, Kate."

"Thanks?" The younger woren swayed uneasily where she was standing before looking over at Tellka. "Um... I think I may actually try and fight back today. Go easy? Please?"

"I always do." The older woren chuckled a moment before dropping into a fighting stance. "Alright Kate, give me your best shot. I want you to actually hit me today."

With an uneasy nod, Kate dropped into her own fighting stance, swaying back and forth lightly as she considered Tellka and her actions. The older woren was the first to start off the fight with a charge at Kate, thrusting forward with her staff and then bringing it into an upward slice. Kate gave a startled yelp and lept to the side, avoiding the attack.

"Come on, Kate, don't just dodge me!" Tellka pulled back for a moment before leaping at Kate again, bringing her staff down in a hard bash. Kate rolled out of the way and hopped back onto her feet, immediatly met by her opponent who had her staff ready. With a yelp, Kate kicked her leg up, catching Tellka's staff and dislodging it from the woren's grip, sending it flying over the heads of the two fighters and landing with a clatter on the ground. Tellka looked over to where her weapon lay before turning to Kate.

"Nice." The older woren smirked before leaping over Kate's head with a graceful flip and landing behind her, making her way quickly over to recover her staff. Kate turned and dropped back into a fighting stance, her ears flicking for a moment before she charged at Tellka, swiping out with her claws in two quick jabs. The older woren evaded the move easily and countered with a low swing, catching Kate in the side. The younger woren let out a grunt and tumbled to the ground, rubbing her stomach.

"Ouch..."

Tellka tsked. "Come on, Kate, I know you're tougher then that. Show me your real fighting skills!" She helped Kate up who twitched her tail lightly.

"Tellka... you know I hate fighting..."

"Oh it's in your blood." Tellka rolled her eyes. "Come on! Just open yourself up to it, you'll see!" Kate pouted but gave a slight nod as she dropped back into her fighting stance.

'Give me all you've got.' Tellka's voice echoed through her head and suddenly the woren charged. Kate dropped into a crouch, her tail flicking lightly, and as her opponent approached she suddenly launched herself into the air, flipping over Tellka and landing perfectly. Taking only a second to regain her balance, Kate whirled around in time to find Tellka's staff swinging through the air at her. By reflex she brought her arms up and blocked the blow, leaving a stinging sensation tracing up her arms. With a whimper she backed off a moment and rubbed her wrists, looking up just in time to duck a swing from Tellka again.

'Stop distracting yourself and stay in the fight!'

But Tellka...

Another blow to the stomach caused the younger woren to double over with a grunt. In an instant she felt Tellka moving around her and then a hit to her legs sent Kate tumbling to the ground with another yelp. Rolling onto her back, she looked up in time to see Tellka swing down at her. 'Move!'

In a reaction that was more of instinct then training, Kate rolled in time to dodge Tellka's attack. With a flick of her tail, she pushed herself up into a crouched position by the older woren and delivered a sweeping kick that knocked the warrior off balance. Tellka staggered a moment to regain her stance, but not as quickly as Kate had managed to jump back up into a standing position behind her. The young woren delivered a high kick that caught Tellka in the back of the head and sent her staggering forward, then pounced, tackling her to the ground. The two wrestled for a moment before Tellka managed to flip Kate with her staff and pinned the younger woren. She let Kate catch her breath for a moment as she grinned down at her.

"You did pretty good."

Kate managed to pause in her panting long enough to mutter out a 'thanks' and Tellka chuckled. "Catch your breath." The older woren hopped up and paced a few steps away from Kate, leaving her lying in the sands, panting. "You really have been getting better though. Aside from not having been in an actual fight since Frank."

"Myah..." Kate rolled over and pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Frank..." Her tail flicked lightly. "You know, he's been acting kind of strange lately. Like something's been bugging him or something... but then a few minutes later and he's just back to normal Frank. It's weird." Kate's ear batted lightly as Tellka turned to her.

"Really?"

"Yea. I don't know... anyway, he asked me to the school dance today." She finally managed herself into a standing position, brushing the sand from her outfit. "So, I'm going to go with him." Her tail waved lightly.

"Uh huh..." Tellka smirked as she looked over at Kate. "And is that all?"

"Huh?" Kate blinked for a second, her ears batting. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Kate. I'm your guardian, I can read your mind." The older woren chuckled. "What else did Frank say?"

"... we're going star gazing again tonight..."

"Again?" Tellka rolled her eyes. "Landon, I'm coming with you this time."

"Tellka..." Kate pouted. Tellka just shook her head.

"No... I'm coming with you! Look it's not like you can try and buy me to stay home with any more practice times." Tellka chuckled. "You're still paying me off from last time."

Kate heaved a sigh. "Isn't there anything?"

Tellka paused, her ears flicking as she thought for a moment. "Well... actually..."

"Anything! Just name it!"

Tellka's ear flicked again before she looked at Kate with a grin that made the woren regret her words. "Anything? Alright then... Kate, I'm signing you up for a fight on Saturday. And..." the woren jabbed a finger at her apprentace, "you'd better win this one or I'm coming with you to the dance."

"Uh..." Kate stared at Tellka in amazement before smacking her forehead with a groan. "Why didn't I see this coming..."

Tellka just laughed. "Come on, there's a lot of practice you need to have now before that fight tomorrow."

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