by Jacinta Jade
She looked to Kovi and Deson, inviting a response.
Deson shrugged. ‘Maybe he wants to take you on as a personal project? Something to work on? Help the needy?’
Siray made a face—there was the Deson she knew. But when Deson chuckled again in response to her expression, she found herself looking at that smile.
She made herself turn away to look at Kovi. ‘What do you think?’
Kovi’s eyes seemed to actually focus, and he turned serious for a moment. ‘From what I’ve heard about Wex, he’s not the type of person to offer something like this lightly,’ he mused. ‘So he must see some kind of potential in you. He’s a pretty serious kind of guy, with very little sense of humour.’
Luckily Kovi took another sip of his drink then, missing the grin that spread across Siray’s face.
But an instant later, her grin fell away as Kovi’s tone became whiny once more.
‘Why couldn’t Wexner have been one of my opponents? I would have jumped at the opportunity to be tutored by him!’
Siray rolled her eyes, anticipating an arduous conversation ahead that she wasn’t sure she could deal with in her tired and fumbling state.
But Deson caught her eye and mouthed, I’ve got this, before saying, ‘But what about Genlie …?’
‘Oh, yeah,’ Kovi said, his eyes quickly becoming unfocused again. ‘Did you see her move? And when she attacked, she …’ Kovi’s voice became a bumbling stream of adulation.
Tuning him out, Siray mouthed, Nice one, to Deson, whose brown eyes were deep and warm as he looked back at her in amusement.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
‘GOOD MORNING!’
A voice was booming in Siray’s ear. Or was it inside her head? Either way, she waved her arms lazily around her head, keeping her eyes closed as she attempted to swat the voice away from her, at the same time trying to ignore the pain the movement sent sparking along her ribs.
Neither tactic worked.
‘Welcome to the first day of the rest of your training, everyone,’ continued the overly loud and cheery voice.
A chorus of rising male groans sounded, and Siray grabbed her pillow, throwing it on top of her head as she tried to plug her ears with it. This proved only mildly successful.
‘Anyone not up by the time I finish my countdown will have the lovely task of leading their fellow bunkmates in a run up to the top of Bluff Hill. You know, to collect some flowers for Trainer Dirl.’
Siray woke up fast. Rolling over, she swung her feet off the edge of the bed, using the movement as leverage to swing her torso upright. Blinking her eyes a couple of times, she tried to get her wits about her, a task which was helped somewhat by the pain rolling through her face, ribs, and back. Looking around the top of her bed wildly for her clothes even as she felt underneath it for her socks, she saw the trainers turn and leave the cabin, obviously satisfied that their threat was working.
As it should. Siray didn’t know how the males were all feeling that morning, but she knew she could have slept for a week.
She kept searching for her socks as the sound of the trainers’ steps faded from the cabin, Trainer Gesad’s voice softening slightly as his countdown continued outside.
She had to move fast.
Having found one sock, she kept hunting for a few precious moments more before realising the other was already on her other foot.
She groaned. She had never taken it off after she had collapsed on her bunk the night before.
Mumbling darkly to herself, Siray pulled on the other sock and then took a moment to rearrange the shirt she had also been wearing last night, which had scandalously wriggled its way up her torso. Thankfully, she was still wearing her chest bandages.
Grabbing and pulling on a relatively clean pair of pants so quickly that she almost ripped them, Siray next flicked up her boots and started heading for the door. From the sounds around her, the males were also pulling on whatever gear was closest, or easier still, were simply rearranging the clothes they still wore.
Chucking her boots under one arm, Siray rubbed at her eyes with the palm of her free hand as she stumbled down the cabin steps.
And almost fell over when she saw Jorgi already standing outside. True, he had seemed to have just finished pulling up his undershorts and was now hurriedly pulling on his pants while he gripped his shirt in his teeth, but he was the first out.
Clapping Jorgi on the back to congratulate him, and causing him to lose his grip on his shirt, Siray yawned and raked her hands through her hair to tame her long locks enough so that she could tie them back with a small band.
Then Gesad began to count down from ten, and she groaned quietly.
If she had to run up Bluff Hill in this condition because one of those rock-heads couldn’t pull themselves out of bed … well, she didn’t quite know what she’d do just yet, but—
A sudden commotion at the door of the cabin made her look up.
Jorgi snorted, and even Trainer Gesad paused unintentionally in his countdown.
Siray stared. It appeared that the five remaining males had tried to get through the cabin door simultaneously, resulting in a pileup of half-dressed, buff male bodies.
She chuckled as she both shook her head in exasperation and admired the view. Yes, they were all very fit now.
After a similar shake of his head, Trainer Gesad continued his countdown. ‘… five, four, three …’
The males rapidly sorted themselves out and almost fell down the steps in their rush to line up.
‘… two, one.’ Gesad finished his countdown, eyeing the males as they rubbed eyes, adjusted clothing, and yawned.
Next to Siray, Tamot muttered smugly, ‘Made it.’
Amused, Siray looked across at him and down for a brief moment before turning her gaze back to the trainers. ‘Your boots are on the wrong feet.’
Tamot looked down in disbelief and then groaned as he bent down to correct his footwear.
After a glance at Tamot, Gesad continued the spiel he had begun in the cabin, speaking in an overly loud and chirpy voice. ‘Oh well. Looks like no flowers for Trainer Dirl this morning.’
Dirl shook his head in mock sadness, and Siray rolled her eyes a little at the trainers’ routine.
But then Gesad continued, even more brightly, ‘Instead, you’ll just have to impress him with your speed as you run to Defence Glade.’
Groans issued from the trainees, and Siray added her voice to the protest. Yet a small part of her mind wondered at the latitude the trainers were allowing them, when usually a chorus of groans would just make them add more difficulty to the challenge.
‘Wait—I haven’t finished yet.’ Gesad held up a hand. ‘You’ll need to impress him with your speed, because if Trainer Dirl arrives at the glade before you, then you just might have to go get him those flowers after all.’
Dirl adopted a soppy, adoring look towards Gesad, and Siray surmised that the trainers must have been in a really good mood that morning.
Then they both grew a little more serious as Gesad informed them of the nature of the challenge. ‘You will have a fifty-count head start. Organise yourselves as you see fit and, on my command, run.’
The trainers moved away from the trainees.
For a moment, none of the trainees spoke. Surprised, in pain, and still waking up, this challenge would have been interesting on a normal day. To have it the morning after the sparring test …
Rowp’s voice broke the silence. ‘Well, I’m definitely not the fastest, especially not with’—he pointed to his bruised and strapped ankle—‘so I better go in the middle so that I can pace someone in front. And so the person behind me can kick my arse to go faster,’ he muttered.
Siray looked in surprise at Rowp as he moved slightly out of the way of the rest of them. Rowp usually wasn’t so vocal, especially first thing in the morning.
Then Jorgi piped up. ‘And you don’t want me leading, or probably even near the front, given how clumsy I am.’ He didn’t h
ave to point out the bandage on his head as he moved away from the main group as well, moving to a spot behind Rowp.
Siray was even more surprised now. Was it the smaller group, their achievements yesterday, or the fact that they were exhausted that was making them work so well together this morning?
Tamot waved his hand, his black eye looking particularly spectacular. ‘I can lead the run. I’m one of the fastest here.’
That reassured Siray somewhat. Tamot, boasting. Normalcy.
Kovi snorted and started to say something, but Deson waved away whatever it was Kovi might have been about to say with his good arm, the other in a sling.
‘Good idea. I think we should also have another fast runner at the back.’
The group all stared at Deson in confusion at the unusual tactic.
Kovi started to question him, but Deson cut him off again. ‘Come closer, and I’ll explain.’
Tired, and a little annoyed about Deson taking charge again in his usual matter-of-fact manner, but still admittedly curious, Siray moved forwards with the rest to hear Deson’s idea.
A moment later, Kovi was grinning, and the rest of them were nodding as Deson wrapped up his instructions.
‘So, the rest of us, fill in the gaps in the group and let’s form up.’
Moments later, they were ready to go. Tamot was at the front, with Deson to his left and Siray on his right. Behind them were Loce, Rowp, and Jorgi, with Kovi bringing up the rear.
Siray looked off to her right where the trainers had stood silently, watching the group arrange themselves.
Dirl was shifting his weight and bouncing on his toes in anticipation of the run.
Siray didn’t doubt he would do his best to beat them, and there was a good chance that he would.
Gesad raised a hand up to shoulder height. ‘Your count starts … now!’ He dropped his arm.
Siray took off with the others.
***
The group made the most of their head start, and everyone understood their role.
It was amazing, Siray thought as she ran, how the group had come together to function as a unit. Admittedly, they had been slowly coming together over their weeks of training, but yesterday’s test seemed to have knitted them more tightly together than anything else so far.
At the head of the group, Tamot set a punishing pace for the rest of them. His job was to keep pushing the pace and to pick out the fastest path possible to the clearing.
Siray only hoped that he could see well enough with only one working eye.
Positioned to Tamot’s left side, Deson’s role required him to watch the path ahead and communicate with the others to provide them early warning about low branches, fallen trees, or holes in the ground.
Siray was on Tamot’s right. Her task, in theory, was simple. To count. Yet keeping an accurate count while running was harder than she had first thought, and she continually had to resist the urge to speed up her count in time with the pounding of her feet. To avoid losing her focus, she counted out loud in a low murmur, taking quick gasps of air as she ran.
Behind her and Deson were Loce, Rowp, and Jorgi. Their eyes on her and Deson’s backs, their sole job as the slower runners of the group was just to keep pace, Loce and Jorgi urging Rowp on as needed.
At the back, Kovi was the verbal whip, urging both the three ahead and the group in general to move ever faster.
Siray’s breath came in quick gasps as she continued to push herself forwards. Her body was protesting, her knee already aching, and the side of her chest burning where the bandages wrapped around her ribs.
All of them were hurting in one way or another after the test yesterday, but they had to build up as much of a lead as possible in this game of chase.
Ahead, Siray saw that a tree lay across the path.
From the left, Deson yelled back at the others, ‘Tree in the path! Jump!’
Seven pairs of feet left the ground in rapid succession and landed again just as fast, although Siray thought she heard two pairs of feet stumble slightly behind her. Rowp and Jorgi, probably. Then she pulled all her focus back to her count and raised her voice so the others could hear her clearly.
‘… forty-six, forty-seven, forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty! Dirl’s running!’
Deson spoke in a rush. ‘Keep counting! Let us know when you hit one hundred!’
Siray didn’t waste more breath by asking Deson why she needed to keep counting or who had said he could give orders, and just yelled back, ‘Right!’ She kept her count going in a low murmur.
From the back of the group, Kovi yelled, ‘Tamot, speed it up!’
Tamot’s responsive growl was clearly audible, but he did speed up.
Siray pumped her arms and legs faster in order to match the new pace, and from the back of the group she could hear Kovi chastising the three males behind her to get them moving faster. Although she could empathise with Rowp and his injured ankle, she tuned out the grumbles of the three males behind her, concentrating only on staying in her position and continuing her count.
Soon she was raising her voice again.
‘… ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred!’
Deson shouted over his shoulder at Kovi, ‘Alright, he’ll be showing his face soon. Just as we planned, okay? Go!’
Another order, but an expected one. Siray pushed her annoyance down and, as agreed, changed direction slightly, Kovi and Deson joining her. Together, the three of them split off from the main path while Tamot led the other three away, continuing on the same course.
As Siray, Deson, and Tamot ran, they became unusually clumsy and brushed past branches in their way, forgetting to avoid stepping on soft dirt rather than the harder parts of the track, and kept up a cheery, if slightly breathless, banter between themselves as they ran.
In the lead, Deson allowed their pace to slacken slightly, and Siray gratefully slowed down to match his without question. From beside her, Siray could see Kovi’s head moving as he checked the track behind them every so often. A moment later, he alerted her and Deson.
‘I see him! And … yep! He’s seen us!’
‘Alright,’ Deson called back.
They were now in the thickest part of the forest, and Siray moved with Deson as he adjusted their direction slightly.
Kovi kept up a quieter commentary on Dirl’s progress. ‘He’s still coming. About a twenty count away.’
Deson grunted in response and sped up slightly.
On they ran, while Dirl drew ever closer.
‘I hope you’re enjoying your warm-up!’ shouted the trainer from a couple of cabin lengths behind them.
Siray smiled grimly to herself and exchanged a look with Deson. No sign of the smiling and relaxed person she had glimpsed last night. Just the cool and detached expression she was familiar with. Deson nodded to her, and her stomach tightened as she prepared for the next stage of their plan.
Carefully, she pulled out the coils of rope Loce had braided for them out of Rowp’s shirt while they had been running and dropped her speed so she that fell in behind Deson and alongside Kovi.
Pulling in closer to Kovi so that there was scarcely any gap between their arms and shoulders, she held out a hand to him while she kept her eyes on Deson’s back.
She felt Kovi’s hand touch hers and find her palm.
And the end of the rope she held there with her thumb.
Kovi looked over his shoulder quickly and, turning back, reported in a low voice, ‘He’s just body lengths away now.’
In front of her, Deson said between breaths, ‘The two up ahead will do. Kovi—call it.’
Kovi didn’t reply, but from the corner of her eye, Siray saw him steal another look behind them.
Her muscles were tensed, and she was itching to turn and look as well, but she needed to keep her eyes on the path.
She twitched a little as she heard Dirl speak from just a few paces behind her.
‘Well, I didn’t think you three would fall
behind!’ chided the trainer. ‘Too much celeb—’
‘Now!’ Kovi shouted.
Siray swung to her right, letting the coils of rope she still held fall to the ground, and while holding tight to her end of the rope, dashed for the tree on her side of the path. Reaching it, she extended her free hand to grab the trunk and swing herself around it, letting the rope go tight against its trunk while she applied both hands and used her weight to hold the tension on the other side of the trunk, while on the opposite side of the path, Kovi did the same.
An instant later, the rope was almost yanked out of her hands as something heavy and moving fast connected with it. Siray’s palms burned as the newly created rope slid through her hands before she clenched her fists and managed to get a solid grip on it.
When a couple of muted thuds sounded from behind her tree, she leapt up and dashed back onto the path again, letting go of the rope so Kovi could reel it back into coils.
A quick look behind her told Siray all she needed to know before she and Kovi took off running again in the direction Deson had gone. Now, Kovi set the pace, and Siray pushed herself hard to match him. As they ran, Siray helped Kovi to navigate through the forest, at times correcting their direction slightly.
As they ran through a narrow opening between two trees, Kovi warned her, ‘Low branches!’
Siray ducked beneath the offending tree limbs as she followed Kovi through, sweat dripping down her face and neck as she ran. Her breathing was ragged, and her legs felt sluggish, but she forced herself to think of nothing but keeping up with Kovi.
Just a bit farther, she told herself, repeating it over and over in her mind. Just a bit farther.
Then Kovi gasped, ‘I see Deson!’
Siray exhaled in a rush. They were making up ground. As she and Kovi drew closer to Deson, their footsteps caused him to glance around, and when Deson’s eyes flicked to her in question, Siray nodded.
Deson turned his attention back to the path, but then he glanced back a second time, his mouth thinning. ‘Dirl’s coming up quick!’