"You're so young and beautiful," Kenna whispered. "You deserve a man like Alto, but you must steel yourself. He has chosen a task not so different from what even the great Kevard could not have done."
Patrina sniffed and backed up. "Difficult, yes, but I know what he's gone to do."
"To stop people from coming after him and his sister?"
"Yes, but I mean I know exactly what he's doing," Patrina said. "He's going to kill the dragon, Sarya."
Chapter 5
Aleena finished tying her boot and rose to her feet with a hiss of air. It had been two weeks since she'd started training but not a day passed where she didn't wake up aching. She closed her trunk and locked it, and then turned and walked into the heavy cloth that had been hung up around her bed in the barracks. She scowled and punched the divider aside, and then realized she'd finally accepted it. Even more than that, she'd gotten used to the sheet and the unusual situation it represented.
Sir Amos had insisted that it was important she bunk with the other recruits. From some of the heated words she'd heard through closed doors, she suspected the impropriety of the situation had caused a stir. To combat any problems, sheets had been hung up around her bed to give her a semblance of privacy. Being able to hear and still talk to the other recruits shattered the illusions and made the first few nights difficult.
Now she fell into her bed at night , exhausted. Sleep took her and didn't bother her with dreams or fantasies. Aleena lived in the moment, scarcely even having time to daydream about Alto anymore.
Her days were filled with prayer, lessons, and training. Sir Amos had her eating four times a day and exercising in the morning and at night, as well as the training with sword, mace, and spear. She'd started learning to wear armor, but so far they had no heavy armor that would fit her, so she wore leather and chain hauberks with the heavier pieces she could wear. She looked a sight with her arms, legs, head, and neck protected by solid steel but her chest and back in lighter armor.
As grueling and brutal as it was, Aleena could feel the difference in herself. She prided herself on being strong and capable–she had to be to fend off the drunkards in her father's tavern–but now she was different. She was adding strength and muscle she'd never known she could. Her armor wasn't crushing her anymore, though it was a far cry from being comfortable. Her weapons she could hold steady in one hand. And best of all, in spite of all the food she was eating , the clothes she'd first worn to the church were fitting looser by the day.
"Ready for today?" Celos asked her as she walked out to join him and the others.
Durak chuckled and let his eyes sweep over her from her boots to her head.
"What's today?" Aleena asked. She ignored Durak ; she knew he meant no harm or disrespect with his look. His laugh, on the other hand, concerned her.
"A day of testing," Celos said. "You're new enough you might sit this one out."
"Testing? For what?"
"A perfect score means you go from trainee to squire," he explained. "A complete failure, on the other hand, can get you dismissed. Sir Amos uses this to determine where we stand and what he needs to teach us."
"Oh!" Aleena frowned. Was she ready for testing? She wasn't very good with a sword yet. Or much of anything, really. Her confidence a few moments ago teetered and crashed. "They might dismiss me? How often do these happen?"
"Twice a year," Durak said. "Hope you've been paying attention."
"Durak, stop it," Celos admonished him. "Aleena just started ; they won't send her away."
Durak looked at her and squinted one of his eyes. He smiled and shrugged. "Probably not . You've been getting better, even if you are a girl."
Aleena glared at him. "My father once told me that he wouldn't be half the man he was if it weren't for my mom."
Durak laughed. "Your father runs a tavern!"
Aleena's smile faded at Durak's implication
Patrina sniffed and backed up. "Difficult, yes, but I know what he's gone to do."
"To stop people from coming after him and his sister?"
"Yes, but I mean I know exactly what he's doing," Patrina said. "He's going to kill the dragon, Sarya."
Chapter 5
Aleena finished tying her boot and rose to her feet with a hiss of air. It had been two weeks since she'd started training but not a day passed where she didn't wake up aching. She closed her trunk and locked it, and then turned and walked into the heavy cloth that had been hung up around her bed in the barracks. She scowled and punched the divider aside, and then realized she'd finally accepted it. Even more than that, she'd gotten used to the sheet and the unusual situation it represented.
Sir Amos had insisted that it was important she bunk with the other recruits. From some of the heated words she'd heard through closed doors, she suspected the impropriety of the situation had caused a stir. To combat any problems, sheets had been hung up around her bed to give her a semblance of privacy. Being able to hear and still talk to the other recruits shattered the illusions and made the first few nights difficult.
Now she fell into her bed at night , exhausted. Sleep took her and didn't bother her with dreams or fantasies. Aleena lived in the moment, scarcely even having time to daydream about Alto anymore.
Her days were filled with prayer, lessons, and training. Sir Amos had her eating four times a day and exercising in the morning and at night, as well as the training with sword, mace, and spear. She'd started learning to wear armor, but so far they had no heavy armor that would fit her, so she wore leather and chain hauberks with the heavier pieces she could wear. She looked a sight with her arms, legs, head, and neck protected by solid steel but her chest and back in lighter armor.
As grueling and brutal as it was, Aleena could feel the difference in herself. She prided herself on being strong and capable–she had to be to fend off the drunkards in her father's tavern–but now she was different. She was adding strength and muscle she'd never known she could. Her armor wasn't crushing her anymore, though it was a far cry from being comfortable. Her weapons she could hold steady in one hand. And best of all, in spite of all the food she was eating , the clothes she'd first worn to the church were fitting looser by the day.
"Ready for today?" Celos asked her as she walked out to join him and the others.
Durak chuckled and let his eyes sweep over her from her boots to her head.
"What's today?" Aleena asked. She ignored Durak ; she knew he meant no harm or disrespect with his look. His laugh, on the other hand, concerned her.
"A day of testing," Celos said. "You're new enough you might sit this one out."
"Testing? For what?"
"A perfect score means you go from trainee to squire," he explained. "A complete failure, on the other hand, can get you dismissed. Sir Amos uses this to determine where we stand and what he needs to teach us."
"Oh!" Aleena frowned. Was she ready for testing? She wasn't very good with a sword yet. Or much of anything, really. Her confidence a few moments ago teetered and crashed. "They might dismiss me? How often do these happen?"
"Twice a year," Durak said. "Hope you've been paying attention."
"Durak, stop it," Celos admonished him. "Aleena just started ; they won't send her away."
Durak looked at her and squinted one of his eyes. He smiled and shrugged. "Probably not . You've been getting better, even if you are a girl."
Aleena glared at him. "My father once told me that he wouldn't be half the man he was if it weren't for my mom."
Durak laughed. "Your father runs a tavern!"
Aleena's smile faded at Durak's implication
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