Jade Rewritten, part three

I don’t know why I put Jade across the hall from me. I know Laley’s going to kill me. Arik and Sebb will never let me hear the end of it. Maybe it was because she’s just so damn captivating. I barely even know her name, this is ridiculous. I sigh to myself, then grab my weapons belt and put it on, yanking it tight. I attach my sword sheath, nearly breaking the leather straps.

I head to training, where many of the recruits are waiting. They are all wearing the standard recruit attire, gray tank top or shirt with black pants similar to ours, but simpler and less heavy duty. Most of the girls are wearing the tank tops, as well as about half of the guys. Jade is wearing a tank top and perusing the weapons rack. I go up behind her and say gruffly, “Hurry up. We’ve got limited time.”

Jade jumps, startled, before turning to me, irritation sparking in her gold eyes. She clenches her fists, delicate muscles rippling up her forearms. “Could you back off a little? I’ve been here for ten seconds,” she spits at me. I square my shoulders and lift my chin. “No, I won’t back off. Hurry up,” I snap. She may be attractive, but I won’t take disrespect like that from a recruit. A muscle jumps in her jaw, but she says, “Yes sir,” and turns back to the weapons rack. She grabs a long sword and turns back to me. “Since we have so limited time, General, let’s get going.”

I simply shake my head and head to the center of the training room. “Do you know how to use that thing?”
She gives me a “bitch, please” look before nodding. “Of course I know how to use a sword. What do you take me for, an idiot?”  I shake my head again. This girl has no respect for authority at all, does she?

“Attack me.”

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” she mutters before charging at me. I dodge easily, expecting her to keep coming right at me, but she darts to the side and taps my side with her sword.
I blink, not having expected her to be that skilled.

“So how did you become a First Class? I could have lopped you in half just then.”
I glare at her, then order her to attack me again.
She tries the same trick, but this time I’m ready for her. I block her sword with mine, pushing the blade down to the hilt and sending her sword skidding across the floor. I rest the tip on her breastbone.

“Like that.”
She simply smirks at me before going to retrieve her sword.
Again, I tell her to attack me. She comes at me slowly, then at the last minute charges. Our blades lock again, but this time she presses back hard so that our swords end up almost perpendicular to the ground and our noses six inches apart. I jerk my sword away and bring it up on her left side. If I’d been trying to kill her I would have.

“Clearly you’ve got a gift in swordplay. Let’s see how you do in hand-to-hand,” I say, sheathing my sword and undoing my weapons belt. I toss it on the ground and kick it so it slides to the wall. Jade does the same with her sword.

“Attack me,” I order. She does so, wrapping one arm around my waist as she hits me, pulling me to the floor. She presses down on my stomach so I can’t breathe, much less do anything to stop her, and swings one leg over so she’s sitting on my stomach and pins my wrists above my head. I glare at her and flip both of us over so I’m in her position. “Now try to get out of this,” I challenge her. She smirks up at me and lifts her head, and I am convinced that she’s about to kiss me, so I push myself off of her quickly. “No no no,” I say, panicked slightly. I look back down at her to see that she’s laughing. “What was that all about?” she asks, getting to her feet. “Nothing,” I say firmly.

“You thought I was going to kiss you, didn’t you?” she teases, leaning towards me. I take a step back. “No,” I say carefully, “I’m not going to take any risks.”  Why the hell am I explaining myself to a recruit?! I sigh. “It doesn’t matter. We’re done for today anyway. Meet me in the front hall in two hours,” I say before going to where my weapons belt fetched up against the wall and snatch it up before stalking out. I head to my room two floors up, and get halfway down the hall from it before my head starts spinning. My previous girlfriend had been just like Jade, except her name had been Rena. Fierce, flirtatious, unreasonably strong... And Jade had pretended to be about to kiss me. I couldn’t deal. Maybe I’ll have Mell take her over... I shake my head and lean against the wall, pinching the bridge of my nose. I try to force the memories of Rena out of my head.