Call to Arms (The Girl In The Arena Book 1) by Lara Lee Hunter Page A

Illuminate me! Explain this to me because I feel like you’re laughing at me and I don’t like it!”
    Hector said, “Nobody is laughing at you. You will fight none of these men; these are gladiators. Your battles will be against those who are convicted, who are sentenced to die in the Games. Or at least, your first battles will be. If you survive those then you will move up to the next tier. Then you will be fighting against those who are seasoned by battle; this is only one of the training fields. On the other side of the wall there are others. Those convicts who have survived their battles are trained over there just as are gladiators are trained over here.
    “Also over there, are those who were Culled, but deemed unfit or they were too rebellious, or they committed some other form of treason. Or they were just found to be perfect to fight. However they wound up there that’s where they are.”
    “How am I supposed to know how to fight somebody if I can’t see them fighting?”
    “That is part of being a gladiator.” Kale looked around him, his eyes scanning those fighting there in the courtyard. “We need to find a weapon that will suit you. You do not have the arm strength that these men do. And you don’t have the body strength either. You need to be able to keep somebody at bay; if they get you on the ground you are dead.
    “A sword might be ideal, but a sword is usually not any good against a mace.”
    Reena asked, “What is a mace?”
    Hector pointed to a man swinging one of the spiked balls on the chain and stick combination. “That is a mace.”
    Crap. How was she supposed to fight against somebody holding one of those things? It looked incredibly deadly, and if that was just one used for training instead of actual battle she was in a lot of trouble! “Could I use one of those?”
    “Yes, the training ones.” Hector stepped one sandaled foot into the sand. “The ones used in the arena are far heavier, almost ten pounds heavier. It surprises a lot of the people on the other side of the wall.”
    “You mean the Game is fixed.” Reena knew that accusation would not be taken lightly and it wasn’t. Hector grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her so hard that her head flopped about on her neck her hair flew all around her face.
    “Don’t you ever say that! If you are ever heard to say that out loud you will be murdered before you can ever take your next breath or step, do you understand me?”
    Hector let her go, and she stepped back dizzy and slightly sick. She had to blink several times to clear her vision and Kale stood there looking at her, his face unreadable.
    “I understand.”
    “Then let’s begin,” Kale said.
    “I would like that very small blade thing that that man is carrying,” Reena pointed to a man standing on the sidelines. He was the only one not fighting and unlike the others he wore a simple brown homespun robe tied with a rope belt. Tucked into the rope belt was a small dirk, its silver handle gleaming in the sun.
    The surprise on Hector and Kale’s face was almost laughable. Hector said, “What do you think you’re going to do with that? It is practically a toy!”
    “It is something I can fight with,” Reena said.
    Kale called the man over and he came, his feet puffing up dust as he walked. Kale said, “Give me your blade.”
    The man lifted an eyebrow, “Whatever for Kale?”
    “Because I said to.”
    “Surely the girl is not going to try to fight with an eating utensil?” He was laughing at her! It was obvious, Reena felt her shoulder stiffen her chin came up. “It does not matter what I fight with,” she said in the sternest of voices she could muster up. “Only that I fight.”
    He plucked the knife from his belt and handed it to Hector, “May the gods be with her, because if they are not then surely they will not be with you either Hector. The arena will not be the same without you.”
    He walked away and Reena looked at Hector, a frown between her