After a short run, Annika executed a double handspring, landed soft, and mimed punching both of her friends with the backs of her fists.
“Show-off.” Sasha grumbled it.
“There’s not so much grass, but it’s very nice. You can practice your rolls, Sasha.” Annika rolled her hands to demonstrate. “Then the jump up.”
“Double roll,” Riley decided. “Come up, side kick, backhand.”
“Seriously?”
“You need to start combining the flips and tumbles with the rest. You’re wicked good with a crossbow, pal, but we all know you can’t always fight at a distance. Agility, mobility, power. Right, Anni?”
“This is right.”
“Make her do it first.” Sasha
jabbed a finger at Riley.
“You want me to do it first? I’m first.”
Riley slapped her hands together, rolled her shoulders, flexed her knees a few times. Then she sprang forward, landing on her hands, tucked into a roll, a second roll, then pushed up, kicking one leg out to the right, her arm with its fisted hand to the left.
Annika applauded.
“Don’t encourage her,” Sasha mumbled.
“You can do it, Sasha. Remember. Tight, tight.” Annika tapped a hand on Sasha’s belly. “Power there, power in your legs.”
“Okay.” Shaking her arms, Sasha blew out a breath. “Okay. Tight, tight, power, spring, roll, kick. Oh, God.”
She gave herself a short, running start, threw her body over for the handspring.
Annika nodded, then winced, because while the spring was very good, the roll went off-center, the second roll more off-center. So when Sasha tried to heave herself to her feet, she landed on her face.
“Damn it!”
“Ten out of ten for the face-plant,” Riley decided.
Sasha rolled over, gave Riley the beady eye.
“You did the handspring very well.” Annika crouched down, rubbed Sasha’s shoulders.
“Right.”
“No, I think left. This is left, yes?” Holding up her left hand, Annika wiggled her fingers. “You did the handspring, but then you tipped to the left on the roll, and more left on the next. You had no center, so no balance. I’ll show you, slower than Riley.”
She stood, didn’t bother with the running start but seemed to fold over like water from a pitcher.
“Tight, tight in the center,” she said as she tucked, rolled. “Keep tight, knees go loose to push up.” Fluidly, she flowed up to her feet, shot one leg out, one arm. Held the pose like a statue.
“Can I just throw rocks at the bad guys?”
“Sometimes.” Annika smiled. “But you can do this. I’ll help you. Tight, tight,” she repeated. “Like squeezing. Try.”
This time, though she stayed on her feet, Annika moved with her—gave Sasha a tiny nudge on the roll. “Squeeze! Tight! Tight, tight, and push!”
Sasha landed—wobbled, but landed. Regained her balance, executed the kick and backhand.
“Good! So good.” Annika applauded again.