Nana 9

Agility training had to be the worst. Surprisingly, her instructor was Nana. The first day of training, Daniel had opened the door and seen the woman standing in the middle of the gym in something flowing that brushed the floor. She had walked to her and stopped, waiting. At the time, Daniel was still in the throws of petulance. Refusing to talk, she stood and looked around the gym. Finally she sighed in frustration.

"I know why the gods chose you." She spoke without moving a muscle. In fact, Daniel would have sworn the voice emitted from a ghost.

"Please enlighten me."

Nana finally turned, "you don't deserve to know." She had walked past a stunned Daniel, picked up a jump rope and threw it at her, "jump until I tell you to stop."

"Seriously?" The older woman had only stared back at her, her porous white hair tied in a loose bun at the back of her head. Daniel huffed and began to hop, then jump. And why was she even doing this, she'd like to know. 

The vessel is weak and tight.

"Your body is weak and tight. I took you for a more active person," Nana appraised her with a critical eye.

"I am...in good...shape...for my...age." Daniel spit out between jumps.

"Weak."

"If I had...known...I was going...to be...possessed...by...a fox demigod...I would have...done...a better...job." She started jumping with more force.

"Of course it's all about you, Daniel." Her sharp grey eyes pierced Daniel with sarcasm.

"No..."

"Everyone's thinking about the future of the world," she snorted, "how stupid of us. Generations of men and women sacrificing, fighting, protecting, working, but we should have all known. It's all about Daniel."

"Give me a break." Daniel stopped jumping.

Hmmmm

"I didn't tell you to stop!" Daniel was stunned by her aggression and reluctantly started again. "Let's take my son for example. Before he could even crawl, I had to take him to the alter of the gods to find out if one day he might be brutally killed for the sake of seven billion people who would never even know his name. He started learning to handle weapons before he could run in a straight line. At ten, he had the weight of the world resting on his shoulders. He knew he had to produce and heir. His movements were restricted until the age of seventeen for fear of dark beasts and minions. He could trust no one." 

Daniel had stopped jumping somewhere in the middle, "Nana..."

"My darling sweet baby boy," she was far away, "he used to love running through the streets of old town. When my husband had business there we would take him. I would run with him. He was such a happy boy. One day while he was running, a dark beast appeared. Sevgili couldn't have been more than seven years old. It chased after him and I had to use my kit to rip it to shreds right in front of him." She looked at Daniel, "you should have seen his eyes."

"Nana, I'm so sorry."

"I don't need your sympathy. I need you to fucking jump."

Daniel stared into her cold eyes fighting back tears. Her gaze dropped to the floor and she took the handles in her hands and started jumping.

"The future of my clan and the fate of my grandson is in your hands. I'm going to work you so hard you will crawl to you room like a wounded dog to its grave. Your body will scream for mercy and you will take it. Do I make myself clear?" Daniel hadn't said a word. And work her that old lady had, until her muscles shook from fatigue.

It had only gotten harder. Stamina training, leaps, jumps, flips. Nana told her things though, things about her life and that of Sevgili and Kurt.

"Dogan was the firstborn son of Sevgili and Mir. Everyone expected him to carry the blood of Yalnız. Mir had taken him to the alter, but the gods answer was for her to wait. So we waited," Nana had Daniel bent backwards with a large rubber ball supporting her lower back. With her hands crossed over her chest, he was instructed to go down almost touching the floor with her back, then come back up and pop a grape with her teeth from the bunch hanging from Nana's hand. Frankly, she was glad Nana was talking, it kept her mind off the swelling pain. "Kurtarıcı was born and still no answer came from the gods. You can imagine our distress. Mir thought it was her fault because she was not the first vessel the gods chose."

"Enin." Daniel grunted before squeezing her abdominal muscles to lift her to the bunch of hanging grapes. She swore Nana had raised it again.

"Yes. She used to be very self conscious about it. Repeatedly they took Dogan and repeatedly they received no reply until a resounding 'no' came down. Little Tawny was around eight then. He was the cutest thing you have ever seen. Never was one for gab but when he liked something he was so animated. Needless to say, both his parents were always indulging him. Already proficient with weapons, at eight he was taken to the alter and approved as the heir of Yalnız." Nana cradled the grapes and ate a few, "that's enough."

Daniel had slid off the ball into a heap on the floor.

"His world changed that day, poor thing. The more he learned the more introverted he became. It broke Mir and Sevgili's hearts." She had sighed, "now, let's go for a run."

"Whaaa?"

Later, she added flexibility training. Daniel had never been able to do any kind of splits before. Nana had preformed extensive physical therapy to correct deficiencies in her posture and increase mobility. Then started the tugging, pulling and core strengthening. It was hard, very hard, but she couldn't help thinking of Kurt when things got rough. And after Caninae whisked her into the gym during Kurt and Benoît sparing session, well, the power that he possessed! She was going to have to fight along side him.

Her obligations were obvious.

Today, she was to run for an hour after lunch then have core strengthening with Nana. She bounced down the steps and walked through the house in her spandex shorts, sports top and wide boat neck t-shirt. They were eating on the terrace today. She stretched her arms and wiggled them around before walking out the open terrace doors.

"Ah Daniel." Sevgili stood with outstretched arms. She was about to join him when she had the feeling that something was not right.

"Really? Daniel, you're still here, how pleasant." Her eyes cut to Adonia and her shoulders slumped. Dogan stood behind her.

"Hello Adonia, Dogan." Daniel went to Sevgili who taking her shoulders placed a fatherly kiss on her forehead. He added an extra squeeze. "Sevgili," she walked around to Mir and they touched cheeks, "Mir." She took her place beside Mir pulling out her chair.

"Good, your ready for you're run. You'll eat light today." Nana strolled out on Kurt's arm. Daniel felt self conscious whenever he was around. Plus, she wanted to be the one on his arm.

"Afternoon Kurtarıcı." She nodded her head. Surprise passed over his features before a small smile settled there.

"Afternoon." A soft gaze passed between them.

"Well, did I hear you will go for a run Daniel?" The bubble burst into a thousand pieces. Everyone was disagreeably forced back to reality.

"Yes."

"You're perhaps on a diet?"

Daniel sat heavily, "yes."

"I don't approve of diets. One should simply change ones eating habits. Besides, the food in Bağlılık is exquisite. And Mir always sets such a fine table." Adonia smiled at Mir.

"Thank you child. You have brought our son home." She patted Daniel's arm under the table.

"I told him we most definitely needed to return. I heard you went to the villa." She gave Sevgili a reproachful look.

"Just for the day," Sevgili watched as lunch was served.

"Did you go too Daniel?"

Just about to put a fork of food in her mouth she stopped, "yes Adonia."

"What a treat. I simply love the villa which is why I can't believe you went without me." Again to Sevgili.

"Well, next time Sevgili you must call her PA to check her agenda." Daniel advised. Adonia turned her full attention to Daniel.

"You enjoyed yourself?" Her eyes flicked to Kurt.

Daniel squared her shoulders, "as a matter of fact I did. The weather couldn't have been better, so sunny." She smiled, "we bonded over Sevgili's favorite drink, I swam with the kiddies. Delightful little dears. Had lunch on the pontoon, played music in the lake house." She leaned forward, "I was even able to drive the runabout."

Adonia' plastered on a fake smile, "how delightful." Daniel nodded as she chewed. "Anything interesting happen?"

Caninae reared inside Daniel, but Daniel kept her at bay. With a blank expression she asked, "how do you mean? Like did someone drown?"

"Oh god forbid. That would be horrible."

"Well I did try and turn us over, didn't I Tawny?" Her eye moved to Kurt.

He roused himself and hid his smile, "that you did."

Daniel cut her eyes back to Adonia and smiled. Adonia cracked one back.

"Eat and go run you little tart." Nana announced. Adonia switched her attention to the rest of the table and Daniel finished eating. She sat and listened to Adonia chatter for as long as she could then stood.

"Thank you for lunch, I have to go put in an hour." She scooped her curls up into a messy poof on the top of her head.

"Your iPod is on the table." Nana pointed. Daniel grabbed it and strapped it on. She put the buds in her ears.

"Thanks Nana." She made a show of kissing her forehead. In response, Nana whacked her on the butt. Then she bounced down the stairs.

~~

"What a pain." Daniel had her forearms on the mat. She slowly lifted her butt and then feet in the air. 

"Don't think about her, you'll loose your concentration." Nana held her hips stable.

"Caninae doesn't like her either."

"I'm sure you feel validated." She said flatly, "now hold still! Tighten these lower abdominals." Daniel concentrated on the exercise. "Don't stop breathing."

She was getting the hang of it. Her abs were tight and her legs straight. She had elongated her neck relaxing it and had evenly distributed the weight in her shoulders. Her breathing was becoming regular though she hitched a few times. This was not bad. She could hold this. Nana let go and stepped back.

"Tawny couldn't take his eyes off you as you jogged away. My guess is he was hypnotized by the way your ass looks in those shorts." She waited a moment, "he even licked his lips."

Daniel fell right over with a loud "umph."

Nana bent over cackling.