Swordplay

[Isabelle Valentina]

Isabelle woke late Wednesday morning, watching the soft morning light reflect of the panes the window. Her Charms class wasn't until later in the afternoon, so she figured she'd stop procrastinating and practice what she loved most: fencing. It had been too long since she'd last laid eyes on her precious epee. Her fingers twitched in anticipation. The only question was, where to go?

There was the Quidditch Pitch, but no, there'd be too many students around. The gardens were hardly appropriate; too many flowers. Isabelle's mind drifted, and she tried to rack her memory for a spot that was secluded yet scenic. She needed somewhere that filled her with energy and made her feel alive, where the wind whipped through her hair and the sun streamed down.

Hey deep brown eyes flew open; the cliffs! They were perfect, and the added drama of waves crashing against stone would only improve the mood. Giddy with excitement, Isabelle discarded her traditional Gryffindor uniform for clothes she would be able to move more easily in. After securing her long chestnut hair into a braided bun, she examined herself in the mirror. She looked every part the fencer in sleek black tights and a body-hugging white top. Thank goodness it wasn't too cold outside.

After grabbing a quick bite to eat at the Great Hall, Isabelle sped towards the cliffs, hoping they were fairly emptied. It's not that she didn't mind anyone watching, it's just if one wasn't familiar with the sport they might find it weird. They obviously just don't understand, she thought with a grin. It was a cloudless day, and a brisk wind flew through the trees. Birds shone black against the turquoise sky, and the smell of salt lingered in the air. Isabelle breathed in the nature, feeling adrenaline shoot through her body.

After a brief pause, Isabelle decided to forgo the chunky fencing mask. It felt more natural without all the padding anyway. Gripping her epee tightly with her right hand, Isabelle made her way onto a small clearing about ten meters from the cliffside. With great lunges and parres, the sword whipped through the air, slicing and bending and chopping. It looked as though Isabelle was locked in an intricate dance, she felt her body and soul become one with the weapon. Without meaning to, she deviated from the regular routine, adding her own flourishes. This is what it felt like to be alive, this is what it felt like to be free!

After twenty minutes, Isabelle clutched her side, panting. Strands of hair were falling out of her bun, and she could feel a drop of sweat roll down her temple. Sticking her epee in the ground so that the hilt waved in the air, Isabelle sat wearily on the ground. "Good work today," she said to her sword, giving it an affectionate pat.

 

[Isla MacNiall]

The young Ravenclaws was still on their beds. The sun already had shone at the horizon like five hours ago. Isla, the not-so-neat girl of the first year girls, was already perching at the side of the bed, her stomach laying at the soft, almost like tempurpedic, bed. When her alarm clock went off, head first, Isla made her way to the floor. "Ouch!" She groaned irritably and the only word she could have said as she heard groans around the dorm. Isla even had a chance to silent the clock with her head throbbing like hell. She totally forgot to take off the alarm every Wednesday, that day of the week is one of their off days. The other one was Monday.

Standing up from the floor, she adjusted her eyes from the sun that was coming at the window next to her bed. Isla thought of staying in bed but she thought of the morning routine her and her dad did. Fencing is her sport and so does horse back riding, as there are no horse around, she was thinking to go at the cliffs and do some free styling using her foil. Showered and ready, dressed in her girly outfit, not thinking to dress up properly for fencing, went to the great hall with her foil in hand and took a small breakfast. Isla looked around if she could spot some of her friends but with no luck, only Katherina was there and reading a book again.

Rolling her eyes, she finished her breakfast, said goodbye to Katherina and took off outside of the great hall. Isla made her way to the cliffs as she wiggle and played with her foil, there are three weaponry in fencing; Foil which you only get to use from the torso, neck and to the groin, Sabre can only attack above of the body while the Epee targets the whole body. Isla is one of the youngest Fencing player that represents the Scotland nation, her favorite weapon is the foil because of the easy target on the neck and groin. As she was at the slope of the cliffs, her breath was getting out of her wow, this is a hike she thought to herself, a smile creep on her lips but it was fun though to have exercise one a week.

Once at the top, she could tell someone was there as she heard someone talking. The scenery at the top of the cliffs was breath taking even though the hike there was already breath taking, almost killing her. Isla saw a girl, on her full Fencing attire. Isla frowned, thinking and looked at herself from toe until her shoulder; she was dress in a casual attire but the girl was in full swing on her Fencing attire. Whenever she free style, Isla only wear casual clothes as she doesn't have anyone to practice with. Though, she could get her chest protector, Isla just found something useful on her charms class book that she practice and practice at the library. It was a summoning spell, she just have to say the name that she wanted there and it will come to her.

Isla then went to greet the girl with a smile, "Hello?" the greeting was more of a question. She looked at the weapon the girl was suing and it was an epee, the weapon that targets the whole body. "You play the same sport as I do? Are you in the Olympics?" She asked, excited on her part.

 

[Isabelle Valentina]

Isabelle looked up, a strand of dark hair falling in front of her eyes. Brushing it back, she saw the Ravenclaw girl from her flying class. She was pretty, with thick brown hair and bright aqua eyes. The girl spoke with an accent, which delighted Isabelle, who loved listening to foreign dialects. She smiled up at the Ravenclaw, and was pleasantly surprised to see a foil tucked under the girl's arm. Never would she expect to find another fencer at Hogwarts; she could barely find them in New York!

Isabelle laughed lightly at the girl's question, flattered she thought she was in the Olympics. "Not yet, but I was in training. Everything's kind of on hold now that I'm at Hogwarts." Isabelle got to her feet, pulling off her leather gloves. "I'm Isabelle, by the way. Gryffindor first year." She surveyed the girl with her deep, chocolate eyes. If she remembered correctly, Margo said she had met a Ravenclaw girl. Maybe this was she.

"It's great to find someone else who fences here," she said, extending her hand for a handshake. "I was actually desperately in need of a partner, you know, just for some light practice." A wind swirled up from the sea below, whipping both girls' hair across their faces. Isabelle was glad she put her hair up. "Sorry, but I don't think I caught your name?" She asked, smiling gently at the girl.

 

[Isla MacNiall]

She smiled, not many people she met tries to go to the Olympics but this one is trying hard and she can see potential about her. "Hey, now you can continue going to the Olympics. I'm here, I know everything. Well, not everything but I try though. I'm competing on the next Olympics but the Prime Minister of New Zealand might ask me to represent his country which suck." Isla told her as she draw her foil forward. She then switched her foil to her left hand as the girl named Isabelle draw her hand to her for a shake and an introduction.

Isla took the young Gryffindor's hand and shook it. "Isla MacNiall ... Ravenclaw, first year as well. And muggleborn if you have grudges toward my kind, I just want to let you know before we became friends even though you're a Gryffindor." She introduce herself and caution Isabelle as well of her blood states but in a jokily way. She could see that the young lady has nothing to do with does stereotypical Slytherin students and if she's ever just like them, Isla might as well poke her with Isla's not-so-pocky foil.

"Light practice? I'm up for a hardcore one. Me and my dad always do fencing every morning since I was six. Participated in the Olympics until now but since parents are not allowed a visit inside the school, my foil is stuck on my luggage deep down." Isla sighed and pursed her lips. The morning air was pleasant and her hair sweep her face, Isla brushed her hair with her hand. She then drew her foil when she changed the hand that was holding the foil. "Anyways, why did you pick this spot? I mean it's pretty windy ... and high going down and the hike is a monster. Since flying lesson, I became a freak, I hate tall places like here, though, I like the scenery and the clock tower as well."

It wasn't because of the flying lesson she became phobic of heights, she lied on that part. It was Eugene who made her like that, Isla almost killed Eugene in anger but Eugene was the one who almost killed her. But she couldn't get mad at her best friend, isla would just demand for an ice cream before the village visiting is over or ask him to be her date for the Halloween ball.