The day Hannah dreaded arrived. Toni would be joining them during the fight tonight. He'd been practicing with the twins for a couple of weeks when they had time to. How to judge the battlefield, react to certain scenarios, and everything the three could really run through.
Still, Hannah did not want him to come.
She swore to his grandmother that she'd keep him out of harm's way. Though she was no longer a knight of Lady Efreit, she still intended to keep that promise. But Toni needed to join them. He gained experience from playing for crowds of people and learning new instruments, not dances for his lovers. He needed another way to gain experience. This was the only real way.
"Master Toni," Hannah got serious. The dancer was wearing his normal uniform, something they'd need to change in the future. "Don't be rash. Listen to the twins. And make sure to stay back."
He smiled up at her. "I know! We've been through this."
Hannah nodded her head, then knelt on one knee. She took a moment to truly judge him before continuing. "Yes, but repetition is the best way to learn and remember. Just like an instrument."
Toni nodded, and his smile grew wider. "I promise. I'll listen to Elsie and Ana. I'll stay with them the entire time."
"Good," Hannah exhaled. She motioned for Lily, who was holding something for Toni. "This will hopefully only be for decoration." Lily handed over the object obscured by cloth. Hannah unwrapped the cloth to reveal a decorative sword.
Toni's eyes widened. He was stunned and was at a loss for words. He examined the sword, noticing the beautiful design. It matched his style almost perfectly. "Wh-where did you get this?"
Hannah grimaced. "A parting gift from Victoria." She held the short sword up for him. "She wouldn't allow you to go in unarmed. Thank her the next time you see her."
"I-I will," Toni reached out for the blade. The hilt guard covered his hand with an intricate design. Wreaths and music notes were all over the guard, with blue gemstones decorating the pommel. He pulled the sword from the scabbard, noticing how heavy it felt. The blade was slender and elegant, with surprising weight to it. "It's beautiful…"
"Yes," Hannah smiled up at him. "Apparently, it was supposed to be an upcoming birthday gift. But after we left, Victoria had the smith make it into an actual sword."
Toni held it up and felt the weight in his right hand. He knew the type of sword, the rapier. Used by duelists and worn by nobles. It was surprisingly balanced between the handle and hilt. He slowly moved it in the free air.
"Careful," Hannah chided him. "It's real. And you need to treat it as such."
Toni nodded and pursed his lips. He ran a finger down the flat of the blade, finding his grandmother's seal at the base. "I-I don't even know what to say."
"Thank you to Victoria and to your grandmother, the next time you see her," Hannah stood up with the scabbard. She moved Toni's left side and wrapped the belt around his waist. "I'll teach you how to use it after this fight. For now, get used to it being in your hand and by your side."
Toni nodded. He waited for Hannah to be done adjusting the belt before sheathing it. It weighed on his left side, making it harder to balance. "Going to be different dancing with this."
"Ideally, you'd have it out while you dance," Hannah chuckled. "Incorporate the sword into your dances. That way, if something bad did happen, you'd have it in your hand already."
"Okay!" Toni smiled up at her. "Thank you, Hannah."
"Why are you thanking me?" Hannah placed her hand on his hip. "I only delivered your gift."
"For everything," Toni looked up at her with his innocent eyes. "Abandoning your position to take me to Restol. Joining Claire's group on my whim. Everything."
"Well, to be fair, your mother asked me to," Hannah chuckled softly.
"Still!" Toni insisted. He embraced his knight in a tight hug. "Not everyone would drop everything."
Lily, who'd been standing beside the two for a while, felt a bit awkward now. She felt as though she was intruding on a moment between them. She did her best to stay silent and not ruin the moment.
"I guess, master," Hannah mumbled. She could feel her face flush from his praise. She was starting to understand Claire and Ursa's enjoyment of praise just a little. It warmed her heart to hear it come from Toni. "Praise me more."
Toni pulled back from the hug and stared up at her. He contemplated saying more, but this felt more right. "I love you."
The snarky comment Hannah was going to say in response died upon hearing those words. Her expression softened, and she took a moment to recover. She smiled warmly, "I love you, too, Toni."
She then leaned down and kissed the dancer. She nearly lifted him off his feet while doing so. By the time they slowly parted, Lily had shuffled towards the door. The awkwardness had taken its toll on her, and she wanted to leave without disrupting them.
"Wait," Hannah called for her. "You're part of this, too."
Lily paused as the two turned towards her. They opened their hug up for her to join them. Lily hesitantly walked towards them and joined in the three-way hug. She sank into it and let the awkwardness and embarrassment flow from her.
"You were the first one I met," Toni chuckled. "Though you weren't very talkative."
"Your blessing made it hard for me to think," Lily mumbled. She hugged the two tightly. "I kinda wish I could join you, too. Felt better when I was helping directly…"
"Mayb-" Toni tried to talk, but Hannah cut him off.
"You do more than enough," Hannah pulled Toni's face into her chest. His words were muffled by her breasts. "You make sure we come back to warm food and potions to treat us. Plus, we get a pretty woman to return to."
"I know," Lily squirmed. She wasn't used to getting compliments still. "But Samira kind of changes that."
"Well, now there are two pretty ladies to return to," Hannah chuckled. She finally let go of Toni and let him speak.
"Sorry, got too excited," Toni laughed. He squirmed out of the hug, leaving the two women. "I know it's a lot to have one non-combatant out there."
"Yes," Lily nodded. "My one experience was an extremely special circumstance."
"And it may happen again," Hannah let go of the alchemist. "It may be a good idea for us to teach you and Samira some martial arts or how to use a weapon."
"Not a bad idea," Jasmine responded. She'd come in to check on them. "Lily was able to use her slingshot quite well. Maybe a small crossbow?"
"That could work," Hannah rubbed her chin. "Makes aiming easier for her. We have to figure out what Samira's magic is like when purified. Maybe it has some offensive magic."
"Maybe," Jasmine nodded.
"I doubt she'd want to join the fight," Lily mumbled. She thought about Samira's mental state and what conflict could do to it. "Given her mental state and all."
"Someone needs to maintain camp," Hannah nodded. "We'll have to wait and see."
"True!" Toni was bouncing in anticipation. He wanted to get outside and swing his new sword around. He wanted to test its weight and try dancing with it. "Um, we should get ready, right?"
"Indeed," Jasmine smiled. "We'll work on your form after this fight."
"Already have a plan, don't worry," Hannah chuckled. She followed her master out the door, leaving Lily and Jasmine.
Jasmine waited for them to leave before she spoke. "Do you really wanna join us?"
"A little," Lily replied sheepishly. "Maybe not as a combatant but as a second healer. Our fights will get longer, so it could strain Ana."
"True," Jasmine pursed her lips. "We'll find a middle ground. Have to see how Toni does first."
"That's okay," Lily nodded. She walked up and hugged Jasmine. "I just want to help more. Maybe it's the trolls bringing back memories of last time. I was horrified seeing Claire's state."
"I was too." Jasmine hugged her tightly. "I thank Her everyday for Claire surviving that."
"No wonder I've been so antsy," Lily mumbled.
"It's okay," Jasmine hugged her tight. "Watching Toni swing his sword around like a little kid will probably help."
Lily sighed. It did bring a smile to her face. "Yeah. It probably will."