by Devyn Jayse
I scowled at him and clenched my fists. I would show him some basic moves.
Oscar's voice sounded from behind me. "Now, now, Wendell, she isn't as bad as you're making her out to be."
Wendell looked over my head. "She still needs a lot of work. She won't hold up practicing against me. Look how I managed to disarm her in only a few moves."
"I didn't expect to be attacked by Oscar's store," I muttered. I slowly got to my feet, retrieving my sword.
"And any other attacker is going to announce where he's going to attack you from? You should consider everywhere to be a potential battleground," Wendell replied.
I glared at him then turned to Oscar. "You really want me to work with him?"
"I would recommend it." Behind his spectacles, Oscar's eyes glanced between the two of us.
"Fine." I decided to withhold my judgment of the man until I actually worked once with him even though I was already not looking forward to it. At least I would have a few days to get used to the idea.
"We will start now," Wendell announced. He walked back a few steps and turned around, facing me. His hands hung by his sides, empty of any blades.
"What?" I widened my eyes. "What do you mean now? I have deliveries to run." I looked at Oscar in mute appeal.
"The deliveries can wait," Oscar replied, letting me down.
Wendell gave me a thin-lipped smile. "Have you any other excuses you want to introduce? Or are you ready to actually learn something?"
I narrowed my eyes at him. At least if I trained with him, I had tacit permission to hit him. Suddenly, I felt much better about the idea. "No, let's do this."
Wendell hurled himself toward me again. I dodged him with a yelp and heard a muffled laugh from Oscar.
"Would you stop doing that?" I yelled at him as he suddenly produced two daggers and reached for me. I raised my sword, trying to block his attacks.
"What did I tell you?" Wendell asked, continuing his strikes. "You've already forgotten. How can I train someone who has the memory of a fish? You should always be on your guard."
"Not like this!" I exclaimed. I turned to Oscar in exasperation. "Really?"
Oscar chuckled. "I'm going back to my work. You two have a good session. Don't injure her too badly, Wendell. I still need her to run deliveries later."
I stared at Oscar's retreating back openmouthed after he turned around and made his way into The Fortune.
"There you go. We've got his blessing," Wendell said, drawing my attention. He tapped a dagger against my sword blade.
With a scowl, I muttered, "This isn't what I signed up for."
"What did you think training would be like?" Wendell asked, his nose crinkled in confusion.
"That we'd challenge each other and I would get a chance to learn some new fight moves."
"And you haven't been challenged or learned anything yet?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.
My scowl got deeper.
"That's not good for you. You'll get lines," Wendell offered unhelpfully.
He continued his lecture. "You live in the Blights. You have to learn to expect the unexpected and always be on your guard. Always. You are never safe. The second you believe you are, you'll be dead."
Having survived the Blights just fine for the past few moons, I was not affected by Wendell's words in the way he might have thought.
For the rest of the afternoon, Wendell tried to surprise me. He managed to produce an assortment of weapons hidden on his body. He managed to get in several hits while I got none. Not much later, I was sick of surprises and on edge from his lessons. I almost expected him to skewer me just to show me he could.
When I thought I couldn't take any more, he finally said, "I think that's enough for today."
A sigh of relief escaped me. My body was aching, and I knew I was going to be sore the next day. I was not looking forward to it.
"I'll be back in a few days. We can go over more conventional methods if you like, but I think you know better. You need to learn how to cope with surprise attacks." Wendell gave me another thin-lipped smile. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Dare. Tell Oscar I had fun."
I scowled at him, and he laughed.
He whistled a merry little tune as he walked away.
I resisted the urge to pick up a rock and throw it at him, to give him a taste of a surprise attack.
22
"What's wrong with you today?"
I glanced at Penny after her question. We were halfway to the shelter. The sky overhead was cloudy and the weather brisk.
She pointed at my hand rubbing my shoulder. "You've been doing that since we left The Rebel Hare."
"I was training yesterday, and I worked my arm a little too much." I winced as I felt a muscle shift.
"Did you stretch afterwards?" Penny asked.
"No." I had been too irritated to think straight. I continued my deliveries for The Fortune and then went straight home to bed. That probably hadn't helped with the soreness.
"That's probably why you're feeling it so badly. You should always stretch after training," Penny offered helpfully. "Your bones feel nice and loose then. I've found it helps me the next day."
"You train?" I asked, an edge to my tone.
Penny didn't know how to sword fight. I was being a little cranky to people giving me advice that morning.
"When Vin first taught me how to use a dagger, I had the same thing. He taught me how stretching reduced soreness. It's the same for everything you do, really, even if you're tired from a really long walk, get a good stretch, and you won't feel as bad the next day."
I forced myself to be civil. "Thanks, I'll try that. Especially now that I'll be training more."
"What kind of training are you doing?"
"The unconventional kind," I muttered.
Penny looked confused.
"It's this friend of Oscar's," I explained. "Oscar's asked him to train with me so that I don't lose my skill with the sword. He's just a little unconventional when it comes to his methods. He thinks the best way to train is to jump at me with his dagger and try to skewer me."
Penny laughed then covered her mouth. "I'm sorry for laughing, but that sounds funny. Can I come sometime and watch?"
"So you want to see me skewered?" I gave her a mock scowl.
She waved her hand in denial. "No, not that part. He sounds like a character, and I want to see how you deal with him."
"He is that. I don't know what to make of him yet, but he did work my body out, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much. I got what I asked for. But maybe I shouldn't have asked in the first place."
"No, you need to be training. You're right about that. I think the more ways you learn how to defend yourself, the better."
"Even if I feel like a mountain's dropped on me today?"
"Especially if you feel like that. It will be a mountain today, a hill tomorrow, and a pebble the day after that."
I smiled at her. "You're right, of course. It's just hard to feel grateful when your body's screaming in agony."
Penny gave me a grin. "It will get better."
"What are your plans at the shelter today?" I asked.
"Cora wants to teach the women how to make candles. I told her I wanted to join them. She held off on the lesson until I could make it."
"That's nice of her."
"Yes, she's worked it out so that I can be there for most of the lessons, and she will teach them anything extra during the week. Do you know how to make candles?"
"Some bits of it. My sister and I used to make some when we were younger. I haven't made any in years. I don't have the patience for it." I smiled in reflection.
I had driven my governess crazy. My candles always turned out horribly while my sister's were perfect.
"It's a really useful skill to have," I said.
"Yes, I thought so. Cora and I try to come up with different things we can have the women learn. For some, it helps them decide what it is they want to do to get coin. For others, it
's useful in getting them to take their mind off their troubles."
"What were some of the skills you've taught the women?" I asked.
We had almost reached the shelter.
"Well, most of the women who come to us know cooking and needlework, along with other homemaking skills. The ones who are most adept at these lead some of the lessons. It's their way of giving back. But then we've introduced reading, writing, and numbers for those who were never taught. We also taught some herb lessons for illnesses and wounds. We've done weaving and soap making and baking. Those are just some of the lessons we've had."
"That sounds like a lot."
Penny shook her head. "It just sounds like it, but at the end of the day, these are little tasks that you can fill your day with. There is so much more we can introduce to them. It helps that they want to learn."
The more I heard about Penny's shelter, the more impressed I was. She was quite young to have started such an amazing initiative, but that was Penny. She always looked out for the less fortunate. Her love for learning and helping others mixed perfectly in the endeavor. All the women I had met at the shelter thought the world of her and were eternally thankful to have been given the chance to live and work there. I wondered why they didn't get more people asking to live at the shelter.
"Have you ever had someone who was not a good fit for the shelter?"
A troubled expression crossed Penny's face. "Yes."
"What happened?" I asked, feeling a story clearly lay behind that look.
Penny looked at me plaintively. "You understand the purpose of the shelter, yes? The women who are there have left their husbands or families because they weren't being treated well. Sometimes, they don't have the strength to leave, and a member helps convince them that it's the best option. Those women are broken, and the shelter tries to help them to get on their feet again. In order to do that, we have to have a healthy support system within. A few times, the women who have come to the shelter didn't really want to leave their families. They used their coming to the shelter as a threat of sorts against their families."
"What do you mean?" How is moving to a shelter a threat?
"They wanted to punish their families for what they perceived as slights or lack of appreciation or whatever the case was. Those women had vindictive personalities. They'd join the shelter, and the negativity would spread like a poison because they would belittle other members or mock their achievements. It wasn't good."
"So you asked them to leave?"
"Yes, and still they tried to make trouble. They would spread stories about the shelter, which makes those who need it warier of coming to it." Penny sighed. "It's always bad when we have to make the decision to reject someone, but it's worse to let them stay and ruin all the good work we've done so far."
As we rounded the street, I saw the shelter in the distance. "It may feel bad, but it's worth it in the end."
"I know," Penny said. "I'm proud of what we've achieved so far."
Cora stood at the door, as was the case on the days she knew Penny was coming to visit. I said hello to her and stayed outside to do my usual tour of the outside. I knew I didn't have to, but it had become habit. The man who had trailed us sat at the bench, his usual post. He had picked up a piece of wood and was whittling it with his knife.
Not interested in seeing the women at candle making, I decided to take a stroll. I told Blaze's man, and he gave me a nod. I wondered for the hundredth time if Blaze had given them instructions not to talk to me. It couldn't be that most of his crew was silent by nature.
I decided to explore the area behind the shelter, never having been there before. A few children ran along the streets. Some leaned against the buildings, whispering as I passed. I made sure my hand was on my sword, displaying it openly in case anyone got ideas about pickpocketing. I resisted the urge to rub my shoulder, knowing that showing a sign of weakness was an invitation to trouble.
I wandered down the streets. Here and there were a few small stores: an apothecary, a leather worker, a locksmith. All looked empty except for the apothecary. Women hurried, carrying bundles and dragging smaller children along.
That section of the Blights did not differ much from the area I lived in. People were still trying to find a way to earn coin to buy food and survive the best they could.
I turned the corner on the street and saw the sign of an inn in the distance. I wondered which one it was and ambled toward it, still keeping track of my surroundings. There, the area was more littered with refuse, and a couple of drunks guarded the entrance of an alley, arguing. More children were sitting in groups. I passed them, sparing them a glance. Their eyes watched me with a bright curiosity and lingered on the sword I displayed.
After passing one such group, I decided the time to head back might have come. Just as I thought that, I heard a thud to my right, at an entrance to an alley. I couldn't see anything in the dim light. The last time I had investigated after hearing something suspicious, I had saved Penny from youths who were bothering her. The same impulse that made me explore that then made me enter now.
Keeping my hand on my sword, I walked into the dark alley.
23
"Hello?" I called out into the dimness.
Nothing stirred there.
I continued moving forward, making my way deeper into the alley. The only light that came through the alley was from overhead, but the walls were narrow between the two buildings, so the light that reached the ground was slight.
Somebody grabbed me from behind, one arm around my waist and another around my mouth. I instinctively bit down on the hand covering my mouth. The man let out a muffled howl. I wrenched myself out of hold as his grip loosened, and I spun around with a yell.
He was taller than me. A hat hung low on his head, and fabric covered his lower face, obscuring his features. I quickly fumbled for my sword, but before I could pull it out of its scabbard, the man rushed toward me and grabbed my arm. I let out a cry of pain as he twisted it, triggering all the soreness from my training session the day before.
My attacker pushed me against the wall, one arm behind myself, and I struggled with the other, trying to push him away, but his weight was crushing me and restricting me from much movement. I raised my knee to kick him, but he dodged.
"Let go of me!" I cried out.
He ignored me, his brown eyes angry, and raised his other hand. My eyes widened at the dagger he held, and my struggles grew more frantic. He wrenched back as I stomped on his foot, but he surged forward again and managed to slice my cheek.
He outweighed me and held both my arms above my head with one hand. His body crushed mine. I couldn't move my legs to harm him even as I struggled in his grasp.
I felt wetness on my cheek and realized it was my own blood.
"You've stood in my way for the last time," he hissed at me through the mask on his face, the smell of it musty on my face. I cringed as he raised his dagger back to my face. He traced the blade down my cheek, and my breath hitched when he reached my throat.
Unable to bear the delight in his eyes, I smashed my forehead into his face and heard something crunch. He let out a howl of pain but didn't let go of me.
I am not going to die in a dirty alley in the middle of the Blights.
As his eyes clenched in pain, he removed his dagger. Then he revealed a new weapon in his hand, a long, slim blade with a curved edge. He eyed my throat in furious anticipation.
Suddenly, sound exploded, and a chorus of voices yelled, "He's here, he's here!"
My attacker twisted his head to look behind him, where I could see four children. They hung back, seeming to call out to someone. The man cursed and withdrew, releasing my hands. He took off at a run in the opposite direction down the alley. The children did not follow.
I slumped down the wall, my legs turning weak, until I was sitting on the ground.
"Lady, are you okay?" the tallest child asked me.
I didn't answer, my throat swallowing convuls
ively. Then I turned to one side and threw up. After I wiped my hand across my mouth, I realized my hands wouldn't stop shaking. I kept staring at them, willing them to stop, but they wouldn't.
I don't know how long I sat there as the children kept watch over me, whispering furiously to one another. All I knew was that at some point, they parted to let someone through.
A hand reached for me. I flinched, but it held on to me and helped me rise to my feet.
"Come on, let's get you up."
I raised my head to see Ragum's worried eyes, which looked me over, searching for injury. They paused at my shaking hands. When he seemed satisfied, he turned me toward the alley and helped me walk out, holding me up with one arm. The children followed us. I blinked against the sunlight after the dimness of the alley.
"Where are we going?" My voice came out as shaky as my hands.
"The women's shelter," he replied.
Penny. I had forgotten her.
I made a move to release myself from Ragum's grasp, but that only served to tighten his grip.
"Hush, it's okay," he said. "I'll keep a hold of you, if that's all right, until we make it to the shelter. I'm not sure you won't fall over just yet. Sometimes the aftermath of an attack is worse than the attack itself."
My face still felt wet, and I raised my hand to it. It came away streaked with tears and blood. I blinked, not having realized I was crying. When I did, more tears started falling. Ragum didn't say a word. He just handed me a handkerchief, and I wiped at my face.
By the time we reached the shelter, my hands were steady again, and I had wiped away all traces of my tears. I felt more like myself.
The blood remained on my face.
24
By the time Ragum and I had made it to the women's shelter, the cut on my cheek had stopped bleeding. The man on the bench got to his feet as we walked past him into the shelter.
As soon as we walked through a doorway, a woman rushed over to me, asking Ragum, "What's happened to her?"